COVER REVEAL: Inked in Lies by Giana Darling

Inked in Lies, an all-new sexy and gritty friends-to-lovers MC romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Giana Darling, is releasing July 31st, and we have the smoking hot cover!

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Giana Darling comes a new friends-to-lovers, MC romance about the asshole biker next door and the girl who loves him.

He moved in next door.

Handsome as sin, older in a way that meant forbidden.

He had tattoos on his hands and wickedness tucked in his grin.

I was a goner as a girl to a man they called Casanova for a reason.

He would never love me, at least not the way I needed him to.

I tried to move on.

But I couldn’t turn my back on him or The Fallen MC.

So when they needed me most, I offered the only thing of value I could use to help them.

My body.

And when helping them meant putting my life on the line, Nova had to decide just how much he was willing to do to get me out alive.

Add INKED IN LIES to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2MGWpG1

Cover Designer: Qamber Designs Photographer: Georgios Kasapidis

Model: Stefanos Milatos

About Giana Giana Darling is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Top 40 Amazon bestselling Canadian romance author who specializes in the taboo and angsty side of love and romance. She currently lives in beautiful British Columbia where she spends time riding on the back of her man’s bike, baking pies, and reading snuggled up with her cat Persephone.

Connect with Giana

Website: gianadarling.com

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REVIEWS: Royal Playboy + Playboy's Heart by Nana Malone

OUR REVIEW:

Nana Malone's, a new to us author, Royal Playboy was a fun escape from the everyday and ordinary. The first page grabbed my attention and I remained glued to the story of Imani and Xander. Their unusual beginning and then the way they fell in lust and love were a throwback to the early days of the romance community's resurgence. He was a rich, alpha playboy. She was a struggling, strong artist. He had a reputation of being a bad boy. She wasn't looking for a romance. Both had pasts that threatened to haunt them, even as they were actively trying to move past them. And somehow, someway, they found each other. Their chemistry was off the charts and their banter and affection for each other was warm and endearing. Throw a little bit of a mysterious opening scene, and I was completely hooked. So much so that I immediately grabbed book two (thank goodness it was already out).

SYNOPSIS:

Vengeance is best served piping hot.
Prodigal Son. Black Sheep. Playboy Prince.
I've been called lots of things. Merciful is not one of them.
It doesn’t matter what you call me, as long as I get what I want…
What I crave.

And it’s not the crown.

She is the Princess I didn’t see coming. The one I didn’t plan for.
Until her, women came easy.
Until her, I wasn't sure I had a heart. Now that I know, I'll give up anything to have her...
Well…almost anything.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/37BT84v

OUR REVIEW:

In the second book of this duet, Playboy's Heart, the action picks up right where the first book ended. It continued with their storyline and did what I normally expect the second book in a duet to do: answer questions and entertain me with plot, characters, and romance. Then I got to a point where I realized that my inexperience with Malone's other novel series had me a little lost. I muddled my way through it but I hadn't really understood the "royal" aspect of it and who some of the characters were. Had I read the other novels that have characters connected to the Chase family, I think I would've really enjoyed the last part. 

My only other quibble was that sometimes the dialogue went too long without any exposition and it just messed with the way I read (this is a ME thing...probably most readers wouldn't care at all). 

Even with the few little things that didn't always work for me, I wholly enjoyed this duet and look forward to reading more Nana Malone. I love that she writes diverse characters who are complex and well written and it's something I'm betting I will find in her other works.

All in all, a good read and a new author I'll be reading more of!

SYNOPSIS:

The Playboy Prince has lost his princess…

The hell I have.
It took me this long to find her, so I’m not letting her go without a fight.

Everyone will know just how far I’m willing to go for love.
Just how far I’m willing to go for…her.

As it turns out, love is a stronger motivator than vengeance.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/2N69loQ

REVIEW: The Rose by Tiffany Reisz

OUR REVIEW:

Much like The Red by Tiffany Reisz, The Rose incorporates a sense of magical realism into the erotic romance of Lia and August. Each major section is devoted to a different Greek myth--and boy oh boy will you never think of those myths in the way you were taught in school. They're a million times sexier than you could ever imagine. And in between those sexy myths, there's a story of a prissy madam, her delightful family, and her new...friend, August. You will fly through these pages and be sorry when they're over. 

The acknowledgments hint at at least one more book in this series and I can only hope that we'll get at least that. You don't have to be an art lover or mythology know it all to enjoy these novels, though it might enrich the experience, you'll find yourself swept away without any prior knowledge...and you may even want to pick up a book or two about these gods and goddesses when you're done!

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/2twJ7VX

SYNOPSIS:

On the day of Lia’s university graduation party, her parents—wealthy art collectors with friends in high places—gift her a beautiful wine cup, a rare artifact decorated with roses. It’s a stunning gift, and one that August Bowman, a friend of her parents and a guest at Lia’s party, also has his eye on. The cup, August tells her, is known as the Rose Kylix, and it’s no ordinary cup. It was used in the temple ceremonies of Eros, Greek god of erotic love, and has the power to bring the most intimate sexual fantasies to life.

But Lia is skeptical of August’s claims of the cup’s mythology and magic—after all, he’s a collector himself, and she suspects he just wants to get his hands on this impressive piece of art. So he dares her to try it for herself, and when Lia drinks from the Rose Kylix she is suddenly immersed in an erotic myth so vivid it seems real—as though she’s living out the most sensual fantasy with August by her side…

Realizing the true power of this ancient and dangerous relic, Lia is even more wary of giving it up, though August insists it is only safe with him. He’s willing to pay the full value of the cup, but Lia has another type of trade in mind. One that finds them more tangled up in each other—and in fantasy—than either was prepared for.

REVIEW: The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves

A REVIEW:

This is a hard review to write because I don't really even know how I feel about The Girl He Used to Know.  On the one hand, I like that we have more and more fiction where the main character is on the spectrum and shows a diversity of experiences--some heavier, like Annika's, and some lighter. And I know that I'm not the one to judge if a character is the "right" representation but I have questions. Did Graves have a sensitivity reader? I don't know and it's not clear in the acknowledgments and maybe it doesn't matter to most readers but it matters to me. Because Annika's character seems very defined by this, I can't help but think it's important but as I don't know how Graves came to write this novel, I'll move on.

I like Annika. I like Jonathan--until I didn't...but that, too, is convoluted and spoilery so I'll just say that there are many many reasons why I liked him and a few reasons that I didn't. I like them together and I enjoyed their story. It's a little unconventional, a little flat in places and curious in others, and ultimately nice to see how they got together, broke up, and found each other again.

I'm not sure about the last several chapters. I understand, I think, why Graves would do what she did in those chapters but I still don't know if I felt like it enhanced or detracted from these characters and their story.

Ultimately, even with my questions and uncertainty about what I feel about this novel, I've been thinking about it for days and that definitely says something in this day and age of rapid romance reading consumption.

SYNOPSIS:

Annika Rose is an English major at the University of Illinois. Anxious in social situations where she finds most people's behavior confusing, she'd rather be surrounded by the order and discipline of books or the quiet solitude of playing chess.

Jonathan Hoffman joined the chess club and lost his first game—and his heart—to the shy and awkward, yet brilliant and beautiful Annika. He admires her ability to be true to herself, quirks and all, and accepts the challenges involved in pursuing a relationship with her. Jonathan and Annika bring out the best in each other, finding the confidence and courage within themselves to plan a future together. What follows is a tumultuous yet tender love affair that withstands everything except the unforeseen tragedy that forces them apart, shattering their connection and leaving them to navigate their lives alone.

Now, a decade later, fate reunites Annika and Jonathan in Chicago. She's living the life she wanted as a librarian. He's a Wall Street whiz, recovering from a divorce and seeking a fresh start. The attraction and strong feelings they once shared are instantly rekindled, but until they confront the fears and anxieties that drove them apart, their second chance will end before it truly begins.

AMAZON: https://amzn.to/37y1dpn

REVIEW: The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker

OUR REVIEW:

I love plunging myself into the London theater world Lucy Parker creates.  Maybe it's because my mother was a local community theater actress and had me tag along with her to rehearsal or maybe it's just the inherent curiosity I have about what's like behind the curtain--either way, this series is one I've enjoyed and am always looking forward to reading the next new addition.

The Austen Playbook did exactly what I hoped--it lightened my mood with it's romance and comedy, kept me engaged with the building tension between Sadie and, well, basically everyone else, and had me wondering how Griff and Freddy were going to work out the conflicts that seemed to pop up. I loved that Parker took her characters out of the city and put them in the countryside for a change of pace--it gave my imagination a new thing to dream up and gave me yet another reason to want to visit England again. I also enjoyed the secondary characters and am so very hopeful that all of them can get the Lucy Parker treatment of romance and comedy and happily ever afters. The Austen Playbook was the perfect way to spend this rainy weekend.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/2SR2oMI

SYNOPSIS:

In which experienced West End actress Freddy Carlton takes on an Austen-inspired play, a scandal at a country estate, an enthusiastic search for a passion outside of acting…and the (some people might say icy*) heart of London’s most feared theater critic.

*if those people were being nice



Freddy Carlton knows she should be focusing on her lines for The Austen Playbook, a live-action TV event where viewers choose the outcome of each scene, but her concentration’s been blown. The palatial estate housing the endeavor is now run by the rude (brilliant) critic who’s consistently slammed her performances of late. James “Griff” Ford-Griffin has a penchant for sarcasm, a majestic nose and all the sensitivity of a sledgehammer.

She can’t take her eyes off him.

Griff can hardly focus with a contagious joy fairy flitting about near him, especially when Freddy looks at him like that. His only concern right now should be on shutting down his younger brother’s well-intentioned (disastrous) schemes—or at the very least on the production (not this one) that might save his family home from the banks.

Instead all he can think of is soft skin and vibrant curls.

As he’s reluctantly dragged into her quest to rediscover her passion for the stage and Freddy is drawn into his research on a legendary theater star, the adage about appearances being deceiving proves abundantly true. It’s the unlikely start of something enormous…but a single revelation about the past could derail it all.

COVER + BLURB for Pride & Papercuts by Staci Hart

It's finally happening! Staci Hart is heading back to her Austen series and bringing us Pride & Papercuts, a modern love story inspired by Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice!

Amazon | AppleBooks | Kobo | B&N | Goodreads

Hate is a strong word.

Depending on the company, loathe is a good substitute. Abhor might be a little fancy, but it gets the job done. But the word that really sums up how I feel about Liam Darcy is, without question, hate.

He doesn’t seem to think much of me either. The second he lays his fault-seeking eyes on me, he sets out to oppose me. Everything about him is imposing, as if he consumes the nearby air to power the rise and fall of his broad chest, and it’s clear he resents my presence on his advertising team. Every idea I have is shot down. Every olive branch I offer is set on fire by nothing more than the blistering coals he calls eyes.

In return, I light him up with my words.

It’s not as if he can dismiss me, since I work for his client, Wasted Words. Instead, he’s forced to tolerate me, which seems the closest we’ll ever be to friends. Fine by me.

I can be civil and still hate Liam Darcy.

But if there’s more to him than his exterior shows, I won’t be able to hate him at all. I might stumble over that line between love and hate and fall right into his arms.

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life -- a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. When she's not writing, she's reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

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REVIEW: The Offer by Karina Halle

OUR REVIEW:

The Offer, just like The Pact, gives us NA readers something a little different than the typical college/post college romance and I'm so grateful. If you read The Pact, then you'll recognize Nicole and Bram; if you haven't read The Pact, Nicole is a single mom and Bram is known as a playboy. As you might suspect, neither of them are looking for the other and most people might not put them together but they totally work. 

We get to know a Nicola who has the best RBF and tough exterior from years of having to suck up the tough stuff and just move on with life. I identified a lot with Nicola and her way of handling things and liked that Halle made her so believable. I also liked that she created a Bram who was someone easy to like (despite a few douchey moments) and that he seemed so genuine and kind hearted...though the drama he created was just soooooo wrong and though I hated how it impacted Nicola, I liked that he had to feel the consequences. 

Out of the series I've read of Halle's this one may be the closest to being formulaic but she freshens it up with the age of her characters, the struggles they deal with, and how they find their connection. It was never a question of if there would be angst, but when. Never a question of if they would hook up and make things work, but how. And if the next McGregor is anything like the first two, it won't be a question of how filthy his mouth is but how soon we hear it. (If you like a dirty talking man, this series is a definite must). 

I'm enjoying this series. It's lighter, funnier, in some ways a little shallow, but a perfect read for a weekend. I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series, The Play.

**yet another review that got lost in our drafts folder...it's old but still good!

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/2FhLHSm

SYNOPSIS:

Nicola Price used to have it all - a great career, the perfect boyfriend, an excessive shoe collection and an apartment in one of San Francisco's best neighborhoods. But when she gets knocked up and her a**hat boyfriend leaves her high and dry, Nicola's perfectly crafted world comes tumbling down. And stays that way.

Now, Nicola is the proud single mom to a five-year old daughter and living a giant lie. She can barely afford their ghetto apartment and all the men she dates run when they hear she comes with a child. She's struggling and scared - and nowhere near where she thought she'd be at age thirty-one.

Her saving grace comes in the form of a tall, handsome and wealthy Scotsman Bram McGregor, the older brother of her friend Linden. Bram understands a thing or two about pride, so when tragic circumstances place Nicola at rock bottom, he offers them a place to live in the apartment complex he owns. It's pretty much the perfect deal, so as long as she doesn't mind living beside Bram, a man that, despite his generosity, seems to antagonize her at every turn.

But nothing in life is free and as Nicola gets her feet back on the ground, she discovers that the enigmatic playboy may end up costing her more than she thought.

She might just lose her heart.

Those McGregor brothers are nothing but trouble...

Though THE OFFER follows characters that were previously introduced in the novel THE PACT, you do NOT need to read The Pact beforehand as The Offer is its own story and is a fully standalone novel.

This book is rated 18+ for explicit sexual situations and language. Reader discretion is advised.

Reading Order for The McGregor Boys:

While each and every book can be read as a standalone as it involves a different couple, this is the order of release for each book

- The Pact #1

- The Offer #2

- The Play #3

- The Lie #4

- The Debt #5

Review: The Pact by Karina Halle

Dear Karina Halle,

I know I'm way late on starting this series, but better late than never, right?! If you were anywhere near me right now I'd totally tackle hug you for writing The Pact. 

I absolutely am infatuated with novels that feature older "young adults" and not only did you follow them for years but you captured so many of the emotions and expectations that many people feel and have when they think about what those years will be like. As someone older than your characters, I appreciated that you took a chance and wrote something for us old folks.  

In addition to having an "older" couple, you took Linden and Steph's wedding pact and made it complicated and fun and sexy and angsty and completely amped up the friends to lovers trope to a whole new notch of friends-to-loversdom. There were so many times when I slapped the cover of my Kindle closed and just ugggghhhhh-ed because you had me so wound up at their missed chances, the misplaced loyalty + doubt, and James and Nadine's douche-baggery. SERIOUSLY--I wanted to hurt someone several times during this book. But, in between those times you smoothed my ruffled feathers with lots of sweet and funny moments... and the heat between Linden and Steph...GEEZUS.

Thank you so much for writing this series. I know it was an unexpected deviation from the original writing plans you had and I'm so glad that you took the time to explore these characters. You keep 'changing lanes' with your writing and storytelling and I'm enjoying reading each new thing you put out there; I can't wait to see what you do next.

NOTE: This review was written years ago and has been hanging out in my drafts folder until this week. OOPS.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/2MVmqSj

SYNOPSIS:

It all started with a pinky swear…

Linden McGregor is tall, rugged, and gunslinger handsome; a helicopter pilot with a Scottish brogue and charm to spare. He’s also one of Stephanie Robson’s best friends and has fit into that box for as long as she’s known him.

Beautiful, funny and an ambitious businesswoman (with one hell of an ass), Stephanie Robson is one of Linden McGregor’s best friends and has fit into that box for as long as he’s known her.

But some relationships can’t be boxed, can’t be classified, can’t be tamed.

Back in their mid-twenties and tired of the competitive hit-or-miss dating scene of San Francisco, Steph and Linden made a pact to marry each other if neither one of them were in a serious relationship by the time they hit thirty.

It sounded like fun and games at the time but as the years to thirty tick past and lovers come and go out of their lives, the pact becomes larger than life.

Sex is inevitable. Friendships are tested. Hearts are on the line.

The pact is about to change everything.

Note: due to the dirty talk and sexy times, The Pact is not meant for anyone under the age of 18. All characters in THE PACT are in their thirties, therefore this is NOT a new adult book...even though love can mess you up at any age.

REVIEW: Rebel Hard by Nalini Singh

OUR REVIEW:

I enjoyed this novel-- a sweet romance that focused on a girl finding herself in the confines of a traditional Indian family and their expectations for her future. What made it stand out was its insights and explanations about various aspects of Indian culture that I'd never experienced before. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and their adoration, challenges, and love for their families. I loved learning more about traditions and viewpoints--I felt like I gained so much from seeing the world through Nayna and Raj's eyes and I cannot wait to find more novels like this one. I love the romance community for inviting me to read and learn about the lives of others that are living lives so interesting and it's novels like this that are much needed -- #ownvoices writers showing us nuances and perspectives about their lives and communities; showing us a full spectrum of what it's like living in the world and being part of a community that we know very little or nothing about. 

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/2FidPF5
SYNOPSIS: 

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh continues her Hard Play series with a sweet, sexy romance featuring big, fat, OTT weddings, a meddling grandma, and a too-serious hero who needs to be unbuttoned…

Nayna Sharma agreed to an arranged marriage in the hope it would heal the fractures in her beloved family… only to realize too late that a traditional marriage is her personal nightmare. Panicked, she throws caution to the winds, puts on the tiniest dress she can find, and ends up in the arms of a tall, rough-edged hunk of a man who has abs of steel—and who she manages to mortally insult between one kiss and the next.

Abandoned as a child, then adopted into a loving family, Raj Sen believes in tradition, in continuity. Some might call him stiff and old-fashioned, but he knows what he wants—and it’s a life defined by rules… yet he can’t stop thinking about the infuriating and sexy woman who kissed him in the moonlight then disappeared. When his parents spring an introduction on him, the last woman he expects is her. Beautiful. Maddening. A rule breaker in the making.

He’s all wrong for her. She’s all wrong for him. And love is about to make rebels of them both.

REVIEW: All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover

Quickie Review:

I wonder how many marriages were saved because of All Your Perfects and how many were lost because they’ll never be Quinn and Graham. Beautiful and hard to read because it hits close to home for so many, I encourage any of you who need an emotional read about a marriage on the brink to try this one. In less than 24 hours I journeyed through hurt and laughter  smiles and tears and affirmed what I already knew—Colleen Hoover is such a blessing to the book world. 

BUY IT HERE: https://amzn.to/2tsHYii

SYNOPSIS:

Quinn and Graham’s perfect love is threatened by their imperfect marriage. The memories, mistakes, and secrets that they have built up over the years are now tearing them apart. The one thing that could save them might also be the very thing that pushes their marriage beyond the point of repair.

All Your Perfects is a profound novel about a damaged couple whose potential future hinges on promises made in the past. This is a heartbreaking page-turner that asks: Can a resounding love with a perfect beginning survive a lifetime between two imperfect people?

REVIEW: The Girl in the Love Song by Emma Scott

OUR REVIEW:

The Girl in the Love Song was my beach companion this week which meant that it had to be compelling to be able to compete with all of the fun going on around me. SHORT STORY: it was. It was one of those reads that you can tell by the first chapter that you're not going to want to put it down and you aren't really going to want it to end, either. 

When I started reading, I found myself charmed by Violet and curious about Miller. The more I got to "know" them, the more I began to visualize them and the words just came alive--it felt like a teen drama playing out before my eyes: she was so focused, he was so broody; he was so in love with her, she was so insistent that they could only be friends. It was sweet and agonizing. As the years progressed, the angst built. The bullies and the cool kids, the parties and the dances, the fights and the games they all played felt like a modern day John Hughes movie. I was completely entertained.

Then, all hell broke loose and, as it tends to happen during senior year, really tough life altering decisions changed the course of their lives and it was at this point that I really wanted more. I was so invested in what was going on with Violet and Miller that the last 15-20% flew by and I really wanted it to slow down. If I'm being honest, and I am, I could've probably used another several thousand words of story--some gaps filled in. The ending happened in warp speed and I had so many questions. My hope is that as the other Lost Boys get their stories, some of my questions will be answered. Until then, I know I'll be thinking about all of these new characters and wondering what they're up to and whose story we'll get next. 

At Santa Cruz Central High School, they called them the misfits, the outcasts, the weirdos. But most of us knew them as the Lost Boys…

…

The Girl in the Love Song, book one in the Lost Boys, an interconnected coming-of-age series of standalones, from USA Today bestselling author Emma Scott, is live!

Miller Stratton is a survivor. After a harrowing childhood of poverty, he will do anything it takes to find security for himself and his mom. He’s putting all his hopes and dreams in the fragile frame of his guitar and the beauty he creates with its strings and his soulful voice. 

Until Violet. 

No one expects to meet the love of their life at age thirteen. But the spunky rich girl steals Miller’s heart and refuses to give it back. 

Violet McNamara’s life hasn’t been as simple as it looks. Her picture-perfect family is not so perfect after all. Her best friend Miller is her one constant and she is determined not to ruin their friendship with romantic complications. 

But the heart wants what it wants. As Miller’s star begins to rise to stratospheric heights, what will it take for Violet to realize that she’s the girl in all of his love songs?

The Girl in the Love Song features two original songs written by Emma herself.

Download today or read for free in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UdV79C

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/TheGirlintheLoveSongES

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2MLnYhU

About Emma:

Emma Scott is an internationally bestselling author whose books have been featured in Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, New York Daily News and USA Today's Happy Ever After. She writes emotional, character-driven romances in which art and love intertwine to heal, and in which love always wins. If you enjoy emotionally-charged stories that rip your heart out and put it back together again, with diverse characters and heroes with a heart of gold, you will enjoy her novels.

Connect with Emma:
Amazon author link: https://amzn.to/2yUnFKJ

Webpage: emmascottwrites.com

Facebook: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottFB

Reader group: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottEntourage

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottBB

Instagram: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottIG

Twitter: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottTW

Stay up to date with Emma by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2nTGLf6

Series Review: Don't Deny Me by Megan Hart

This series is great for weekend reading--once you start it, you will want to finish it. Here's a brief review of each book:

In part one, I felt myself immediately sink into the story--it reminded me of The Big Chill minus the death of a friend. There was a familiarity between the characters and a sense of longing and nostalgia that pervaded the space between the words. This first part introduced us to the most recent past of Alice and Mick and gave us the angsty moments of their first meeting in ten years, their sexual encounters, and a ton of questions about their anger, remorse, and all of the things unsaid. 

Between each section were letters that the characters sent each other (or didn't) and I loved that Hart put these in. 

Part one--gave me a ton to think about and hope for what would come in the next two parts.

Megan Hart. You made me crazy with Mick. How can he be so clueless?! UGH. I seriously wanted to smack him around and force him to have uncomfortable conversations. Thank god for his sister, Mary. Dude. She laid down the truth in the best way and HE STILL DIDN'T take it to heart. GAH. 

Anyway.

Alice wasn't perfect but I loved how honest and open she was; she'd willingly put herself out there and confront issues or explain how she was feeling, even after he didn't respond the way most people would want. If anything, she gave him more chances than I think I would have. Kudos to her. 

Side Note: I loved what a good friend Alice was to Jay. 

So the moral to part 2 is that Mick was a dick wad. (And the letters between the two are still in the series and really great).

In part 3, we get the complete picture--we know what's happened in the past and we're back to their present. Mick had moments when I felt he'd redeemed himself and moments when I just had to scratch my head and wonder how ... w... could he STILL be so clueless. Alice remained consistently Alice--she was strong and vulnerable and fairly up front about things, for the most part. 

These two just had the worst time communicating in a way that made sense to the other and it frequently mucked things up for them. But their letters...their letters were perfect.

The end came to fast and I suppose if there's any flaw with this series is that because these are novellas they weren't always as fleshed out as I'd like. That being said, the writing was great, the chemistry between the characters was hot, and the story was an interesting take on the 'second chance at romance' theme.

If these sound like a good read for you, click below and it'll take you to Amazon to buy them. :)

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Megan-Hart/e/B001IGNWW8?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1578112739&sr=1-1

                                                                    

Megan Hart has written in almost every genre of romantic fiction, including historical, contemporary, romantic suspense, romantic comedy, futuristic, fantasy and perhaps most notably, erotic. She also writes non-erotic fantasy and science fiction, as well as continuing to occasionally dabble in horror.

REVIEW: One Night Unveiled by Jodi Ellen Malpas

A life without secrets and a passion without end . . .The story of Livy and M's passionate love affair comes to a stunning conclusion in the final book in the One Night trilogy!

Livy has never known pure desire like this. The gorgeous Miller Hart captivates her, seduces her, and worships her in deliciously sinful ways. He knows her innermost thoughts, drawing her ever deeper into his dangerous world. 

Miller will do anything to keep Livy safe, even if it means risking his own life. But his dark history isn't the only thing that threatens their future together. As the truth of Livy's family legacy unravels, an unsettling parallel between past and present comes to light. Her world spinning out of control, Livy finds herself caught between the rapture of an all-consuming love-and a deadly obsession that could destroy them both . . .

Shel: If you saw my review of the second book in this series, you saw that I was a little frustrated--I thought the writing was a little uneven and even though I was getting answers, I wanted MORE answers. (Fairly typical of my reviews of 2nd books in a trilogy, shocking right?!) Never fear, Jodi Ellen Malpas fans, I was very satisfied with the final book in this series. 

There was still lots of angsty drama between the characters, lots of steamy sex scenes, and swoony British-isms but even better than that, there were ANSWERS--all of the loose ends were tied up. I also found the writing and pacing smoother and the epilogue should be renamed epic-logue because it was pretty effing epic in detail and information.

After this series, I'm wondering if I'm seeing a pattern emerge with JEM series? She favors strong heroines and heros, funny dialogue, interlopers who inevitably cause all sorts of trouble, she takes on risky characters and situations, but most importantly she creates these intense and enduring love affairs that don't seem to be contained and qualified by words and actions and years on this earth but seem destined to remain in the world long after the characters are gone. 

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REVIEW: One Night Denied by Jodi Ellen Malpas

The passion that burned between Livy and Miller in One Night: Promised may end up destroying them both in this new novel of overwhelming desire and shocking discoveries...

He's amazingly wealthy, sinfully gorgeous, and can bring her to heights of pleasure she's never before known. For Livy, there's no turning back. She's determined to be the light in Miller Hart's dark world. Yet this new life comes with a steep price... 

Miller knows that the power he possesses hasn't come without sacrifices-but he won't let Livy be one of them. Though he wants nothing more than to have her in every way, his first duty is to protect her at all costs...from his sins, his enemies, and especially himself.

But as their insatiable affair intensifies, the two attract the attention of an obsessive-and dangerous-third party. Discovering new revelations about Miller that rock her to the core, Livy will have to decide whether he's ruined beyond repair. And he must face his fear that in order to save her, he may have to lose her after all...

Shel: I think the best thing for me to do from now on is to hold off on reading book 2 until I have book 3 (or the rest of the series) in hand because OMG, if I had to wait to read the last book in this series, I think I'd be dead now. HOW DID YOU GUYS DO IT? #loyalfans #betterthanIam #I'mtheworst

This book has got me all kinds of crazy and if you haven't read it yet, you'll understand why as you begin reading it...but in the meantime here's what's got me all out of sorts:

• I WANT MORE ANSWERS. I mean, yeah, we got more intel on the background of Miller but I found myself wanting to call Malpas a tease constantly because she teased out these details all book long!
• The relationship between Olivia and Miller is confounding--at any given moment one of them is willing to throw in the towel and then BOOM! things are smoothed over. GAH. He's so controlling and she's so maddening in her hot and cold demeanor but at the end of the day, I'll confess that even though I didn't always *get* their relationship, it was evident they were completely enamored (obsessed?!) with each other.
• WHO THE FRICK is following her? Why can't he quit? Why does William feel that it's suddenly his duty to be Olivia's protector? How does she even have a job at this point? Why isn't Nan suspicious? And will Gregory ever come around? And OMFG, that last scene?!!!!! *picks up Kindle, threatens to throw it* 

If I'm going to be completely honest here, and I am, there were parts in this book that seemed a little off or disjointed. There were times I felt that I was missing some information or plot? I don't know, I can't put my finger on it ..I guess I just felt that it was uneven. That being said, I can't imagine having to write book 2 when you know you still have one more and you have to appease the masses and keep the story going. Even if this wasn't what I think was her best work, I'm 100% curious about how she's going to end this and if all of my questions will be answered. Plus there are hot British people and their great British-ism in this series so I feel like there's no way in hell I'll quit it now!

As you can see, I'm emotionally wrought after reading book 2 and I have so much stuff to do in the next few days but you know what? EFF IT. I'm going to pick up book 3 and read it. Screw my obligations. I'll let you know how it goes. Stay tuned~

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