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Monday, August 31, 2020

Swan Songs of Cygnus: The Weight of Black Holes by Vincent Hollow + giveaway

by Vincent Hollow
January 8, 2020
Genre: Poetry
Publisher: Writers Republic
ISBN: 9781646201167
ISBN: 9781646202294
Number of pages: 154
Word Count: 8275 words
Cover Artist: Tom Nicosia
"How far would you go?"

Side A: horizon
Mourning the death of his love. A bereaved astronaut signs up for a deep – space mission to reunite with her ghost.

Even if it means becoming a ghost himself. Traveling at the speed of light. The astronaut jettisons through the solar system. Pausing only to gaze at its celestial splendor.

Cast under the grandeur of the planetarium. Seeing her apparition in every sphere…


About the Author:
Website-Instagram
VINCENT HOLLOW is an astro-poet and interstellar storyteller living aboard the space vessel, Aquarius. Shooting from the star system to star system. Vincent spends his time gazing out into the universal abyss and the depths of himself where he hopes to find his place in the cosmos through the words he weaves in the fabric of spacetime.

Book Review: Calypso’s Heart (Orion’s Order #1) by M.C. Solaris + giveaway

Calypso’s Heart (Orion’s Order #1)
by M.C. Solaris
May 15th 2020
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
If you enjoy Psy-Changeling and Black Dagger Brotherhood, this new series is right up your alley!

Sexy shifters. Hot vampires. Intriguing immortals. Strong heroine. Sizzling romance. Page-turning plot full of emotion and excitement. Modern and fresh take on fated mates.

Caly
Do you dream of ridiculously hot men? Okay, maybe you do. (And yes, I’m well aware I should lay off the romance books before bed.) But do you actually ever meet those men you dream about in real life? I didn’t think so. That’s probably a good thing though because I have… And these men from my dreams have done nothing but pull the rug of reality out from under me… which was how I fell and ended up in a world that I thought only existed in romance books.

My name is Caly (AKA Callie) and I’m just an ordinary single woman living the LA dream… paycheck to paycheck. Except whose dream is it? I’m not really sure… but it’s not my dream. Especially because I have really weird dreams… like really weird. Then again, everyone has weird dreams, right?

Blake
I am an alpha wolf shifter and leader of Orion’s Order, a pack of… well, not wolves. We’re an unconventional pack of highly skilled specian hunters that do one thing: hunt the evil in our world. And we were hired by SILE (Species Investigative Law Enforcement) to hunt a bloodthirsty criminal who is infamously untraceable. That was until an irresistible female brought an unexpected twist to our hunt and set things in motion… a motion that has left my pack and our world forever changed.

Welcome to The Order and a secret world of magic and mystery, where a pack of unlikely friends find love and fight against an ancient evil force.

Devour this addictive series at your own risk…
+ Happily Ever After
+ Steamy Paranormal Shifter Romance
+ Multiple POV
+ Mature Content
———————————————-
CALYPSO’S HEART is an adult paranormal wolf shifter romance. If you like swoon-worthy males, heroines with feminine strength, an engaging plot, satisfying relationships, steamy love stories, happy ever afters, and getting sucked into a supernatural story, then you’ll want to immerse yourself in the world of species!

You’ll feel right at home if you’re a JR Ward, Nalini Singh, and Dannika Dark fan.
———————————————-

“It has the elements you need – love, pain, heartache, action, revenge, some light comedy, etc. I thought the sex scenes were SPOT ON! Like damn those were great. I really felt immersed in it at times and I felt transported into the story.” ★★★★★ 
“The descriptions and imagery are on point. It’s easy to picture the characters and scenes. I like the multiple POV shifts to better understand and immerse myself in the character’s mind. The sex scenes are steamy and kept me turning the pages.” ★★★★★ 
“…if you are looking for a book that punches you in your face, right out the gate, with unrealistic action, tasteless sex scenes, and emotional turmoil, this won’t be it. Go watch Shameless instead. But if you are looking for something that unfolds at a pace that gives you time to decipher the characters, setting, and complexities of the story that is to come, then this is for you…” ★★★★★ 
“…at one point in the book, a group of characters are all introduced in a short amount of time. While this might not be standard protocol for fictional stories, it’s realistic. Trust that it was done with purposeful intent. Without giving away too much about the story, you get to learn about a pack of males in their environment, doing what males do…” ★★★★★




REVIEW

First, let me just get out of the way how damn annoying it is that this book keeps getting compared to other authors and series. Ummm, this author and her story should stand alone, without any comparison to other writer's works. Just my opinion, but I can live without promo's talking about "if you love xyz, then you will love this!". No thanks. 

A review for this story by this author goes as follows. Calypso's Heart was a good read about a world of sexy men and a leading man that burns up the pages. He is pure alpha and makes no apologies about it. He protects what is his and loves with a passion the people in his life. 

Multiple points of view in this one, which I did find was nice to add different voices to the world built. Getting to meet some of the other paranormal creatures helped but at times felt like "filler" pages. The story is quite long, I did skim it at parts. You have to commit to this story and know that you are investing a good amount of time. It's not an easy-breezy weekend read. 

Overall, the bones are there but this one needs a lot more time to cook. 

3 Sheep






KD

About the Author:
Goodreads 
M.C. Solaris’s life took an unexpected turn during the super blood moon eclipse on January 20, 2019. She woke up and began writing bios for her imaginary friends that she met that day. As soon as the pen hit the paper (or fingertips to the iPhone), she couldn’t stop. It was kind of like one of those fire hydrants, spewing copious amounts of water all over the place. The characters and their stories just flowed out of her. She is honored to be the scribe, getting to share her friends’ stories. You can read all about her gifted friends in the Orion’s Order series (Book 1 is Calypso’s Heart).

On a personal note, M.C. Solaris is actually the pseudonym of Marina Schroeder, women’s health enthusiast and lover of all things paranormal romance (PNR) and happily ever after (HEA). When she is not curled up on the sofa with her partner’s oversized hoodie, a PNR novel, peppermint tea, and one of her three cats, you will find her either at the ocean with her toes in the sand or in a forest hugging a tree. Well truthfully? There is one more place you might find her: trolling the aisles of Whole Foods for a satisfying combination of salty and sweet while hiding in her partner’s hoodie… like any proper PNR-writing introvert.

Want to get the latest scoop, sneak peeks, and short shares all about her imaginary friends? Go to www.mcsolaris.com and sign up for the newsletter.
Welcome to The Order!

Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (US only)

$25 gift card to either Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, OR Google Play (Winner's Choice) 

Sunday, August 30, 2020

Book Review: A Good Year (Unhallowed Love Book 1) by Tara Fox Hall + giveaway


Book review is coming soon!

A Good Year (Unhallowed Love Book 1)
by Tara Fox Hall
February 7, 2017
172 pages

Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Faced with losing Pandora Productions as well as her best friend Rebecca to the smarmy Paul, savvy film executive Debbie makes a pact with the demon Shaker, agreeing to bind herself to him as his human master in return for killing Paul and securing Pandora’s future. Yet even as Pandora gains accolades and renown, Debbie’s strong resolve begins to crumble under the weight of her actions. And the pleasure she finds in Shaker’s arms is becoming more than sex. Is Debbie doomed to lose her heart as well as her soul to a demon who has only been waiting for the chance to claim both?

Excerpt:
“I never asked you to kill anyone,” Debbie said defensively. “I never asked you to—”

“You asked me to save your company, and I’ve done it,” Shaker shouted, the boom of his voice shaking the room like a small earthquake. He loomed over her. “What did you think was going to happen? I’m a demon out of Hell! What did you think I would do when you unleashed me on your enemies?”

“These are human beings—”

“Who matter as much as insects splattered on a windshield,” Shaker snarled. “Humans are just another species who think that they are superior to all others…a prevalent notion in all evolved creatures. They are not.” He stared down at her. “You are not superior to me, Mistress.”

Debbie looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. “But I am human. How do I know you won’t hurt me, too, Shaker?”

“Honestly?” he said gruffly, his expression softening. “You don’t. But the same could be said of any human man you know, Mistress.” He leaned in closer, tilting his head. “And I kiss better than most.”

Debbie didn’t know what to do when the demon’s lips met hers. She leaned back involuntarily, but Shaker just leaned forward farther, his lips pressing hers. His kiss was nothing like she’d expected it to be: not brutally strong, or too hot, or even too provocative. It began as a chaste kiss; gentle, languid, warm, with just a hint of passion to come if the merest sign was given. The longer it went on, the hotter Debbie got, the urge to open her mouth growing each moment. Just as she gave in and relaxed into Shaker’s embrace, he pulled back from her, ending the kiss, his red eyes staring into hers, his desire mirroring her desire.



Year of the Demon (Unhallowed Love Book 2)

Year of the Incubus (Unhallowed Love Book 3)

***Freebie Alert!!***
Promise Me
 A book that ties in with the Unhallowed Love series is FREE right now! 
Pick up a copy here: 

About the Author:
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I'm an OSHA-certified safety and health inspector at a metal fabrication shop in upstate New York. I have a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a double minor in chemistry and biology from Binghamton University. My writing credits include nonfiction, horror, suspense, erotica, and contemporary and historical paranormal romance. I am the author of the demon romantic suspense Unhallowed Love series, the paranormal action-adventure fantasy Lash series and the vampire romantic suspense Promise Me series. I also coauthored (with Eric Dietrich) the nonfiction book Forbidden Conversations. I divide my free time unequally between writing novels and short stories, chainsawing firewood, caring for stray animals, and sewing catbeds, catnip mats, & cat toys for donation to animal shelters.


Giveaway 
$66.60 Amazon gift card grand prize, plus 10 copies of the first series e-book as additional prizes
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!


Saturday, August 29, 2020

Book Review: Forest of Bones by Crymsyn Hart

Forest of Bones
by Crymsyn Hart
June 28, 2020
364 pages
Genre: dark fantasy, urban fantasy, horror
Publisher: Mocha Memoirs Press
Kaya is the only one of her kind: a hybrid vampire and magician. A demon from days past is trying to free its banished brethren from the dark realms by an ancient sun god. Kaya is the key to freeing them.Valik, her vampire protector, must help her contain the demon. Stavros, the mortal king, will kill any vampire he comes across because they caused the death of his wife and son. Begrudgingly, he takes Kaya as his fiancé. To stop a war, Stavros must join forces with the very thing he hates and keep the demon at bay.Old ghosts are stirred up. Magic is growing wild. Mysteries from ages past resurface revealing more questions about Kaya’s heritage and how she’s entwined with the demon. Can she reconcile the past? Or will the demon claim everything she holds dear, including her soul?
Crymsyn Hart appears to be a prolific writer of paranormal romance. Her latest release, Forest of Bones, tells the tale of Kaya a vampire/magician/princess captured and tortured by the realm’s human king, Stavros, a man with a deep vendetta against vampire kind. It is soon revealed that Kaya has been chosen as the one to stop a deep demonic force threatening all races in this realm.

Hart establishes a rich and creative fantasy realm. The storyline was complex and imaginative. I, unfortunately, struggled throughout this book. I had great difficulty accepting a burgeoning romance between Kaya and King Stavros, a man who inflicts physical torture, sexual assault, and countless humiliations upon the young vampire. His treatment of Kaya goes far beyond contempt or cold indifference. This was an obstacle I, personally, found insurmountable. Stavros is a rather fickle and irredeemable character in my view. Kaya’s primary romance with Valik, the ancient vampire warrior, lacks development and erupts seemingly without context. Finally, the dialogue in the book was particularly troublesome as it shifts between various colloquialisms and a more traditional dialect common to fantasy fiction.

Forest of Bones has creative potential, however, miss the mark for me.

2 ½ Sheep






Bianca Greenwood

About the Author:
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Crymsyn Hart is a multi-genre author from Horror, Urban Fantasy, and Romance. Her years of experience at Boston's oldest psychic salon doing readings and her encounters with the supernatural have inspired many novels. She's a lover of all things dark and goth. Vampires, grim reapers, and other paranormal creatures tend to end up in her books no matter how hard she tries to keep them away.

She currently resides in Charlotte, NC with her hubby and their two dogs. By day she is conquering the world of Commercial Insurance, but by night she listens to the voices in her head telling her which rabbit hole to go down to find the perfect plot bunny.

Friday, August 28, 2020

Things That Should Stay Buried by Casey L. Bond + giveaway


Things That Should Stay Buried
by Casey L. Bond
August 28th, 2020
Genre: YA Epic Fantasy/Mythologya
Editor: Stacy Sanford/ The Girl with the Red Pen
Cover & Trailer Designer: Melissa Stevens/ The Illustrated Author Design Services
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR


Some destinies are written in the stars. Others must be bought with blood…

The Zodia are real. Clawing their way from a long-forgotten tomb, they emerge, ravenous to claim everyone born under their star signs. Plotting to resurrect kingdoms no human knew existed, they are driven by a hunger for vengeance against the one who buried them: Aries.

Larken is a natural born sprinter, but even she can’t outrun the darkness closing in. A shelter-in-place order has been issued, causing widespread panic. Some brush the alarm off as a drill, until people begin to disappear... vanishing without a trace. Left with only one option, Larken’s brother does what he must to save her life... and calls forth Aries.

Considered a traitor by his own kind, only Aries has the power to stand against the Zodia. But he can’t do it alone. Mystically bonded to Larken, the pair must band together for the fight to come if either hope to make it out alive. Neither anticipated the passion that would ignite between them. Yet, in a world suddenly thrust into chaos, it may be the key to their survival.

The Zodia are out for blood with their attentions inexplicably focused on Larken. When long buried truths finally come to light, will their love be their salvation or their curse?

“A mesmerizing and haunting twist on a familiar tale you don’t want to miss. “ - Cameo Renae, USA Today bestselling author of the Hidden Wings Series
“Casey L. Bond reaches for the stars to bring us Things That Should Stay Buried. The Zodia are beautiful, dangerous and to die for.”- New York Times Bestselling Author Chanda Hahn



About the Author:
Casey Bond lives in West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. She likes goats and yoga, but hasn't tried goat yoga because the family goat is so big he might break her back. Seriously, he's the size of a pony. Her favorite books are the ones that contain magical worlds and flawed characters she would want to hang out with. Most days of the week, she writes young adult fantasy books, letting her imaginary friends spill onto the blank page.

Casey is the award-winning author of When Wishes Bleed, the Frenzy series, and fairy tale retellings such as Riches to Rags, Savage Beauty, Unlocked and Brutal Curse. Learn more about her work at www.authorcaseybond.com.

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Excerpt: The Blood King (Inferno Rising #2) by Abigail Owen + giveaway

The Blood King (Inferno Rising #2)
by Abigail Owen

August 25th 2020
Published by: Entangled: Amara
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Ruthless dragon king Ladon Ormarr must keep his throne at all costs. And now, with war on the horizon, he’ll need a miracle. Luckily, the fates have dropped Skylar Amon right into his lap.

Except he may have met his match.

The feisty Amon sister has no fear — of him or any other dragon shifter — is brash, doesn’t stick to protocols, and regularly offends his warriors and advisers.

Skylar also has no intention of sticking around. She doesn’t believe in the whole destined mates thing and believes all dragon kings to be dangerous. But if it means taking out the High King who murdered her parents, she’ll put up with Ladon… temporarily.

But the fates have other plans. And when Skylar disappears in the middle of a battle, Ladon will burn down the world to find her.


EXCERPT:
Skylar remained where she was on the floor, rubbing at her throat and glaring at the others with those bright, watercolor blue eyes. At least her skin had turned less sallow. Seconds ago, her pallor had him…concerned.

Ladon did his best to push adrenaline, along with the burning need to claim her immediately, down deep in his gut, though it tested the limits of his control. He gave the members of his guard—his closest friends—as well as the advisors who made up his Curia Regis, a sharp nod and waited in silence while they filed out.

Brand sat, too, saying nothing, probably sensing the dangerous edge on which Ladon’s emotions balanced.

“Damage my future mate like that again, and I’ll rip your arms out of their sockets.” The warning slid from Ladon. He couldn’t have held it back even if he wanted to. Not that he wanted to.

Still on the floor, Skylar’s back stiffened. “I’m not your future anything, asshole.”

“Not helping,” Kasia said pointedly, adding a glare at him for effect.

Shit. Where’d his control go? He’d just been telling himself to cool it with the claiming language. Ladon clamped down on more words.

Kasia held out her hands and pulled Skylar to her feet, allowing Ladon a view of Skylar’s face. His body tensed in reaction. Now that he had a chance to study her, he couldn’t deny her beauty. Darker and sharper than her sister, those glacial eyes a striking contrast to her midnight hair, her skin a darker shade than Kasia’s paleness, and those lips…

Kasia focused on her sister, her gaze settling. “I love you, but you got this totally wrong.”

Given her attitude so far, Ladon waited for an immediate rejection, but Skylar didn’t speak for a long beat, searching Kasia’s eyes. “My sources informed me that a rogue dragon kidnapped you and dragged you here to mate you to a king. Brand is the rightful King of the Gold Throne, right? He killed Uther, and apparently at least some gold dragons now bear Brand’s mark on their hands, which makes him king. A king you’re mated to. Am I wrong?”

Kasia sent a smiling glance at Brand. “You got it mostly right, but what you missed was that I didn’t mate the king I was intended to.”

Skylar turned those ice-blue eyes on Ladon. As realization dawned, her lips quirked. “What happened, big boy? Couldn’t close the deal?”

Ladon held her glance with an unaffected stare, hiding his reaction. Why the hell was her insulting him so amusing?

About the Author:
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Award-winning paranormal romance author, Abigail Owen, grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. She attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.

No matter the genre, she loves to write witty, feisty heroines, sexy heroes who deserve them, and a cast of lovable characters to surround them (and maybe get their own stories). She currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own personal hero, her husband, and their two children, who are growing up way too fast.


GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)
$25 Amazon gift card


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Cover Reveal: Dr. Cushing's Chamber of Horrors (Cushing Horrors Book 1) by Stephen D. Sullivan


by Stephen D. Sullivan (Author), Mark Maddox (Illustrator)
August 30, 2020
437 pages
The monsters aren’t only in the museum!

Despite a lifetime of traveling with their father to collect strange artifacts, twins Topaz and Opal Cushing have never fully believed in monsters or the supernatural. Oh, sure, they share an eerie psychic connection, and their tarot card readings often come true, but… Werewolves? Vampires? Living mummies? None of those could be real. Those legends are just for rubes. Right?

Since the girls’ father has been away, though, strange things have been happening in the family’s little exhibit—and in the waxworks studio that shares their dilapidated Victorian mansion on the outskirts of London. Now, the twins’ dreams of a fun, romantic summer season are turning into a nightmare, and the monsters are running...

Dr. Cushing’s Chamber of Horrors!
“Dr. Cushing is easily Sullivan’s best creation to date! Mixing the roller-coaster thrills of the Universal monster rally films like House of Frankenstein with the moody sexiness of Hammer’s 1960s gothic horrors, he throws in more monster fun than anyone has a right to expect! I’m ready for the sequel—now!” Rodney Barnett, film scholar and co-host of the NaschyCast horror podcast
“I just loved this eerie and fun offering with its Vincent Price-inspired wax museum and lots of old-time monsters creeping about in the shadows, from the Werewolf to the Mummy, and more. Sure to give you good shivers that'll keep you up all night!”
C.A. Verstraete, author of the Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter series


About the Author:
Hi!  My name is Stephen D. Sullivan, and I’ve been working professionally in fantasy publishing as an author, artist, and editor since 1980.

I was a TSR editor and artist during the early days of Dungeons & Dragons, and I helped found Pacesetter Ltd., creators of CHILL and a bunch of other award-winning games.  Over the years, I’ve written and created art for some of the best known properties in the world including Star Wars, The Simpsons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Iron Man.  For the past 25 years, I’ve been a freelancer most of the time (though I’ve occasionally taken a staff position to help pay the bills).  I co-hosted Uncanny Radio — where I was known as “Manwolf” — with my friend Linda Godfrey, and nowadays I make occasional appearances on Vince Rotolo’s B-Movie Cast podcast.

An ultra-brief version of my life story goes like this:

I was born in 1959, grew up in Massachusetts, attended SMU (U. Mass, Dartmouth), and moved to Wisconsin to work on Dungeons & Dragons in 1980.

I’ve been here ever since, writing stories, drawing, gaming, raising kids with my wife (whom I’ve been with since 1980 as well), and taking on miscellaneous strange projects – like Uncanny Radio and Time Wankers.

I’ve had more than 50 books published (counting the anthologies and the ghost-written stuff only alluded to on this site) and written a boat-load of short stories.  I’ve worked on more comics and games than I can easily count.  Along the way, I’ve won some cool, prestigious awards.  In my “spare” time, I also run a small publishing house, Walkabout Publishing.

As always, I’m happy just to be making a living (if you can call it that), doing what I love.

You can write to me: via this link (click here) — but please be kind (and patient), okay? Thanks!

I hope you have fun browsing the rest of my site.  You’ll find lots more info about my work there and, hey, maybe you’ll even want to buy something.  (I don’t want to be a starving artist all  my life, you know!)

Excerpt: Playing with Fire (Magical Romantic Comedies #1) by R.J. Blain + giveaway

Playing with Fire (Magical Romantic Comedies #1)
by R.J. Blain
January 30th 2017

Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy
What do you get when you mix gorgons, an incubus, and the Calamity Queen? Trouble, and lots of it.

For Bailey, catering to the magical is a tough gig on a good day, but she has few other options. She can either keep spiking drinks with pixie dust to keep the locals happy, or spend the rest of her life cleaning up some of the world’s nastiest magical substances.

Years after helping Police Chief Samuel Quinn escape an unhappy marriage, Bailey is once again entangled in his personal affairs. To make matters worse, Quinn’s ex-wife is angling for revenge, tossing Bailey into the deep end along with her sexiest enemy.

Warning: This novel contains excessive humor, action, excitement, adventure, magic, romance, and bodies. Proceed with caution.
Only 99¢ for a limited time!



EXCERPT:
No one in their right mind would ever license me as a private investigator, but that didn’t stop people from coming to me when they needed something found. Fortunately, I liked my job as the only human barista at Faery Fortunes Coffee and Book Shop. Most came for a cup of joe and left too buzzed to read a thing, but who was I to complain? People paid top dollar for their pixie dust infused latte, and they tipped me well not to judge them.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t so fond of Chief Quinn. When he walked through the door, bad things usually happened to someone—me. For him to come in five minutes after opening, long before the sun even thought about rising, he needed something, and it wasn’t a cup of coffee. Why couldn’t he want coffee? I could deal with making him a drink, and I’d double his dose of pixie dust to keep him happy.

I gave the espresso machine a defiant swipe of my cleaning cloth before stepping to the counter to deal with Manhattan’s Most Wanted Bachelor. Without my help, he’d still be married, too.

What a way to start the day.

And to think people wondered why I refused to help find anything for anyone anymore. The reason stood across the counter from me. Chief Samuel Quinn, aged thirty, hotter than sin, and my heaven and hell rolled together in one smoking tall, dark, and handsome package, hated me for good reason. It was his fault, too. He had been the one to ask me for help finding his wife. I had found her all right, right in the middle of teaching a college stud the nuances of the reverse cowgirl.

If no one asked me to find something or someone again for the rest of my life, I’d be a very happy woman.

“Chief Quinn, what a pleasant surprise,” I lied. “Can I get you something? A dark roast, cream, no sugar, light on the dust?”

Why couldn’t I have been blessed with forgetfulness? I knew my worst nightmare’s favorite drink, and I had to make it for him first thing in the morning. Of course I knew it. He came in at least three times a week to torment me. Screw it. Who was I kidding? Instead of the coffee, he could take me instead. If I had to put up with the hassle of dealing with him, why couldn’t I enjoy it, too?

“Cream, no dust, and make it a large, Bailey.”

Alarm bells tinkled in my head. Since when did Chief Quinn address me by my first name? On a good day, he snapped my last name like he worried it would contaminate him. “Of course, sir.”

The faster I made his coffee, the sooner he’d go away. I’d love every second I spent watching him go. In less than a minute, I had his drink ready, and to lower the risk of him spending any extra time with me, I chirped, “It’s on me today, Chief Quinn. Have yourself a nice morning.”

If it meant we parted without incident, it’d be well worth the five bucks.

He saluted me with his cup, flashed a hint of a smile, and walked out the door. Facing him was hell, but I glimpsed the heavens when he left, and if my panties hadn’t caught on fire under my jeans, I’d be very, very surprised.

About the Author:Website-FB-Twitter
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RJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.

In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until satisfied.

GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)
Mystery Box including at least 5 autographed R.J. Blain books + a $25 Amazon gift card


Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Book Review: How to Catch a Sinful Marquess (The Disreputable Debutantes #3) By Amy Rose Bennett

How to Catch a Sinful Marquess (The Disreputable Debutantes #3) 
By Amy Rose Bennett
August 25, 2020
Berkley
336 pages
A reserved debutante and a former soldier make an unlikely but fated match as they hasten for the Isle of Skye.

Orphaned heiress Olivia de Vere should have the world--or at least the men of the ton--at her feet. But when she's thrown out of a young ladies' academy, Olivia doubts she'll ever find someone who will love her, rather than her bank account. To make matters worse, her dissolute cousin Felix is determined to marry her against her wishes. A virtual prisoner in her guardians' London townhouse, Olivia can’t help but develop a tendre for her neighbor, a handsome Scottish marquess.

Battle-scarred in more ways than one, Hamish MacQueen, Lord Sleat, has braved many dangers in life. But nothing has quite prepared him for the shock of having a young child dumped on his doorstep, with a note claiming she’s his daughter. Just in the nick of time his pretty neighbor appears, offering to act as a nursemaid for the young girl on their journey to his estate in Scotland. He suspects she has her own reasons for wanting to flee the country…
The close traveling quarters leads to a fierce attraction between Olivia and Hamish that seems impossible to resist. But when ghosts from the past and monsters from the present threaten to tear them apart, will their unlikely love survive?

How to Catch a Sinful Marquess is a lovely historical romance that had me hooked throughout. The book is the third installment in Amy Rose Bennet’s Disreputable Debutantes series. The Sinful Marquess in question is Hamish McQueen, Lord Sleat, a Scottish Marquess and well-known rakehell. Almost accidentally the young heiress Olivia de Vere finds herself thrust front in centre into Sleat’s complicated life. The two come to a mutually beneficial arrangement as a means to an end. However, as one would anticipate, the dynamic becomes fraught with lust and eventually something deeper.

Historical Romance has its appeal. In a sphere so fraught with rules and restraint, sexual tension is sure to simmer. Sinful Marquess is no exception. Who doesn’t love a tall strapping Scottish nobleman? And if his powerful physic, title, and abundant wealth weren’t enough to make you swoon, his lord has a black leather eye patch that serves to hide a war injury. Need I say more? Olivia is sweet, but with a rebellious streak that makes her relevant for a contemporary reader. While I wouldn’t consider a steady stream of historical romance, I may read the rest of this series. It would seem Bennett does historical romance I can get behind.

In the end, the chasm dividing the two lovers seems trivial, much like a romantic comedy. The dramatic, sensual lead up is the best proves to be the part. Oh. And the eye patch. That was pretty awesome.

Four Sheep





Bianca Greenwood

About the Author:
Amy Rose Bennett has always wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember. An avid reader with a particular love for historical romance, it seemed only natural to write stories in her favourite genre. She has a passion for creating emotion-packed, racy stories set in the Georgian and Regency periods. Of course, her strong-willed heroines and rakish heroes always find their happily ever after.


Amy is happily married to her own Alpha male hero, has two beautiful daughters, and a rather loopy Rhodesian Ridgeback. She has been a speech pathologist for many years but is currently devoting her time to her one other true calling - writing romance.