Cover Reveal: Last Riders Holiday Novella

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Merry Blissmas...

MERRY BLISSMAS

A Last Riders Holiday Novella

Jamie Begley

Releasing Dec 11th, 2015

Young Ink Press

Naughty

What can I say? I’m not a nice person. When I walk by, people call me a slut, and I’m okay with that. I believe in calling a spade a spade. I am a slut.
With the holidays approaching, I miss belonging to The Last Riders. Drake’s keeping me warm, but he wants more than I can give. He wants me to trust him, to believe he can protect me. Doesn’t he know Santa put me on the Naughty List long ago?

Nice

What can I say? I’m a nice guy and have always done the responsible thing.
Bliss is everything I shouldn’t want, but it’s hard to resist a woman who stopped believing in miracles. She wants to be back with The Last Riders, whom she considers her true family. Doesn’t she know it’s Christmas, and miracles do happen?

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"I was born in a small town in Kentucky. My family began poor, but worked their way to owning a restaurant. My mother was one of the best cooks I have ever known, and she instilled in all her children the value of hard work, and education.

Taking after my mother, I've always love to cook, and became pretty good if I do say so myself. I love to experiment and my unfortunate family has suffered through many. They now have learned to steer clear of those dishes. I absolutely love the holidays and my family puts up with my zany decorations.

For now, my days are spent writing, writing, and writing. I have two children who both graduated this year from college. My daughter does my book covers, and my son just tries not to blush when someone asks him about my books.

Currently I am writing five series of books- The Last Riders, The VIP Room, Predators MC, Biker Bitches, and The Dark Souls.

All my books are written for one purpose- the enjoyment others find in them, and the expectations of my fans that inspire me to give it my best.”

 Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Review: Beautiful Player

Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 402
Rating: 4.5 Stars




Synopsis: When Hanna Bergstrom receives a lecture from her overprotective brother about neglecting her social life and burying herself into grad school, she's determined to tackle his implied assignment: get out, make friends, start dating. And who better to turn her into the sultry siren every man wants than her brother's gorgeous best friend, Will Sumner, venture capitalist and unapologetic playboy?

 Will takes risks for a living, but he's skeptical about this challenge of Hanna's...until the wild night his innocently seductive pupil tempts him into bed--and teaches him a thing or two about being with a woman he can't forget. Now that Hanna's discovered the power of her own sex appeal, it's up to Will to prove he's the only man she'll ever need. 

Review: Lately I’ve been on a huge Beautiful series reading spree. I’ve just gotten so sucked into the world and drawn into the characters that I just had to find out what was going to happen next. With each book that I move onto, I always start with the thought “will I enjoy this book as much as the previous?” The answer is most definitely yes! I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel with having the same book series, with each new book focusing on a different main couple, but I really enjoy that aspect about this series.

            With all of that said, I think that it’s safe to say that Beautiful Player is so far my favourite book in the series. This book is Will Sumner and Hanna Bergstrom’s story. It really is no secret that Will is a fairly well known player, who schedules his meetings with women to satisfy his needs, that is, until he meets Hanna. Hanna is unlike Sara and Chloe and there is just something about her that manages to change Will’s mind about women and makes him rethink everything he has ever thought about women before.

            When Hanna first comes on the scene, I really wasn’t too sure what to think about her. It was a little early on, but she just felt so much different from Sara and Chloe. Hanna is a 24 year old nerd, who spends the greatest amount of time in a lab, and that’s where she is most comfortable. That is, until her parents begin to worry about her. I was mostly unsure about Hanna in the beginning because of being super nerdy, but as it turns out, it was just one of the reasons that I loved her. I admired her so much because she just really did not care at all what anyone thought, and said whatever thought just crossed her mind, regardless of who was listening to her. She is so comfortable in her skin, and I sometimes wish that I could be that way. Even when she is speaking to Will, she is open about everything. If I was crushing on a hot guy for that long, I don’t think I would ever have been able to be that way.  One other thing that I loved so much about Hanna is just how she just rambled on, about almost everything, and she had an answer for just about everything too.

            When I read Beautiful Bastard, I thought Bennett was hot. Then I read Beautiful Stranger and I was like okay, Bennett is hot but Max, he has the whole British thing going on, which made him hot in a completely different way. Then, there was Will, and he was just it for me. Will is a complete player, but in a nice way. He is open about what he wants and the women that he has been with, all the expectations of what was to be were laid out, and those did not include commitment.  Given his background with women, something which Hanna knows all too well, she decides that this would be benefit for her to have a teacher, to teach her everything that she needs to know. I’ll just say right now, that I wish Will was my teacher. It was so much more than though, once things began to get much more serious, the way that the he thought about her, and spoke about her, it was enough to make anyone swoon.

            As with the other two books, I really enjoyed the writing style, and it flowed perfectly. The other books were enjoyable and funny, but there were some parts in this book that just had me laughing out loud. This story was just so perfect and it had the perfect mix of heat, humour, and romance.  The only thing that I wasn’t too fond of, was there was one part near the end, that I kind of felt was a little bit predictable, but it kind of worked, and it really wasn’t too much of an issue, that took away from enjoying the book.

            If you haven’t checked out this series yet, then I highly recommend that you do. I had my hesitations about reading these books, just based on what I’ve heard,  but it really did not affect it for me at all. If you’ve not checked out Beautiful Player, then I definitely suggest that you do. It was a great read, that will you laughing, and swooning, and will not leave you bored.

Review: Beautiful Stranger

Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 342
Rating: 3.5 Stars

Synopsis: Escaping a cheating ex, finance whiz Sara Dillon’s moved to New York City and is looking for excitement and passion without a lot of strings attached. So meeting the irresistible, sexy Brit at a dance club should have meant nothing more than a night’s fun. But the manner—and speed—with which he melts her inhibitions turns him from a one-time hook-up and into her Beautiful Stranger.
The whole city knows that Max Stella loves women, not that he’s ever found one he particularly wants to keep around. Despite pulling in plenty with his Wall Street bad boy charm, it’s not until Sara—and the wild photos she lets him take of her—that he starts wondering if there’s someone for him outside of the bedroom.

Hooking up in places where anybody could catch them, the only thing scarier for Sara than getting caught in public is having Max get too close in private.

Review:  After finishing Beautiful Bastard, and enjoying it, I knew that I was going to have to read this book. One of the things that I was no aware of at first was that these books all take place in the same world, but they do not each follow the same couple. I was a bit hesitant at first, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to end up liking that, but it was one of the reasons that I think I enjoyed the book. While the authors have introduced us to a new couple, Bennet and Chloe are present in this book as well, and it is nice to be able to see and get to know the other characters from Beautiful Bastard on the outside rather than from inside their heads.
Beautiful Stranger is Sara and Max’s story. After things go horribly wrong with her ex, Sara needs out of Chicago and is looking for change. With Chloe as a best friend, Sara decides on New York City. Sara has lived her life in the shadows, being unwilling and unsure, that is, until she meets Max Stella. Max’s reputation precedes him, he is a multi-millionaire playboy. When Sara and Max meet, they have no information regarding the other, not even a name. The chemistry between these two is there right from the beginning. As the events from the story begin to unfold, Sara and Max really try and fight to keep things casual between them, but as the story goes on, this proves to be much more difficult than expected.

Women don't always want to be treated like we're delicate, or rare, or somehow more precious. We want to be wanted. We want sex to be just as raw as you do.

Beautiful Stranger is a book that is fully of very highly, likeable characters. Thinking back, there really wasn’t anyone that I didn’t like, and there wasn’t anyone that I found myself getting really annoyed with. There were a few things that Sara did that frustrated me, but then, I thought, look at what she has moved away from. I actually really did like Sara’s character, it almost seemed as though she were a friend I could very easily go and sit to have coffee with. She was a character I wish that I was able to know more about.

Because the whole British thing you have going on makes me want to do very wicked things to your mouth.

Max Stella on the other hand…hello, you had me at British. There was just almost everything right about Max. He is a good-looking, tall, British, successful business hottie. Just thinking about that accent as he was saying some of the things that he said to Sara, is enough to make anyone swoon. Though given his reputation as a “bad boy, womanizer,” he is anything but. Sara frustrated me because Max is just almost TOO nice. I could go on, but I leave it at that.

The way you seem nervous makes me think you don’t know that I’m in love with you.

As well, I found that this story moved with a really great pace. The writing was funny, witty, and enjoyable. It was a very light-hearted, enjoyable read, with just the right amount of heat, heart, and sexiness. If you haven’t read this book and are looking for a quick, fun read, then I highly recommend picking up Beautiful Stranger, you’ll be glad that you did.
 

Feature & Follow Friday [6]

This week's weekly question: 

If you could teleport into ANY story, which would you choose?

This is a great question, and a tough one! I've read so many fantastic stories that it almost seems difficult to choose. If I had to pick, I think that I would pick the Mediator series by Meg Cabot. That series was one of my favourites and it was one that I have read multiple, multiple times. I just would love to get to have the chance to see what it would be like to talk with people who are no longer with us, and just to get to experience the adventures that Susannah gets to go on. 

If you could pick any one story to teleport into, which do you choose?

Be sure to click here to submit your answers and join in on the fun! 

Review: Inconceivable!

Author: Tegan Wren
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

Synopsis: When Ozarks native Hatty goes "whole hog" during karaoke, she catches the eye of Prince John. He isn't what she expects the heir to a small European nation to be: he's affable, witty, and isn't put off by her tell-it-like-it-is demeanor. Their flirtation should be short lived, but a force strong than fate--Hatty's newspaper editor--assigns her to cover the royals. After spending time together, she and John soon begin dating, and Hatty finds herself making headlines inside of writing them.

But challenges loom that are even more complication than figuring out how to mesh Hatty's journalism career with life at Belvoir Palace. Hatty and John soon find themselves embroiled in an unusual sex scandal: they can't produce and heir. Tabloids dub Hatty a "Barren-ess," and the royals become irate. Hatty politely tells them to shove it. But beneath her confident exterior, she struggles to cope with heartbreak that invades most of her intimate moments with John. Pressure to choose between invasive medical procedures and abandoning John's claim to the throne, the couple feels trapped until a trip to Ethiopia shows them happy endings sometimes arrive long after saying "I do."


I would like to begin this review by stating that I have received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: When I read the synopsis for this book, I knew that it was going to be a book that I was going to enjoy, and I was right. I completely flew through this book, and a part of me wishes that I would have taken my time just to enjoy the story longer.
This is the story of Hatty, a college student who goes abroad to Europe to complete an internship. One of the great things about Hatty, and I think it was one of the reasons that I really enjoyed her character so much is that she said what was on her mind. Just like everyone, she does have moments where you can see her confidence take a small hit, but overall, she is just a really fun, great, and well-rounded character.
Enter Prince John. One of the things that I really enjoy about romance novels, are the early stages of the romance that takes place between the main character and the love interest. Inconceivable has that in spades. In the early part of their relationship, Hatty and John have some really witty, and enjoyable, fast-paced banter, of course all of this happens before she even knows who he is.
Of course, along with all of this, is Hatty’s profession and how that comes into play. Having a reporter being intimately involved with a member of a royal family is something that Prince John’s family really has to deal with, but it also allows the reader to gain more insight to all of the characters and being able to witness the story from Hatty’s perspective.
While the beginning half of the novel is a lot of fun, the second half takes on a much more somber, and personal touch. Teagn Wren did deal with infertility issues, and you can tell just from how raw, and emotional this book does get that the personal insight is there, you can feel it as you’re reading. While this theme is much more serious, it really coincides well with the light-hearted, and fun feeling the emanates from the book.
Overall, I really thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Tegan Wren has done a fantastic job with writing, the story flows well, and the characters and most of the situations that they do find themselves in are very real, and can be relatable. I’m definitely going to be re-reading this one in the future and I’m looking forward to seeing what else Wren will be putting out next!

Waiting on Wednesday [2]

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. For this event, we select one book that we are eagerly anticipating.

This week's choice is:

Wicked Sexy Liar

By: Christina Lauren

Synopsis: Dating a friend’s ex is supposed to be off the table. But sometimes what’s really, really wrong is actually really, really right. Book Four of the Wild Seasons series.

What books are you eagerly anticipating?

Review: Beautiful Bastard

Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 305
Rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis: Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chole Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He’s exacting, blunt, inconsiderate—and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard.
Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family’s massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who’d been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative—completely infuriating—creature he now has to see every day. Despite the rumors, he’s never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe’s so tempting he’s willing to bend the rules—or smash them—if it means he can have her. All over the office.

REVIEW



I’m going to start off this review by saying that I have heard many mixed things about this book, and I think that’s why it is has taken me so long to pick it  up and give it a chance. I’m really glad that I did. My initial thought when I picked up this book and the read the first few chapters was that it was going to move really slow, but it didn’t. The quick banter, comments, and action pretty much start right off the bat, and the pace keeps up for the duration of the book.

I suppose the best way to get into talking about this book, is to give it a quick overview. This is the story of Chloe Mills, a hardworking, driven, and very smart MBA student, and her escapades working under her overbearing, hard-ass boss, Bennett Ryan at his family’s multi-million dollar media company. The moment that we meet Chloe it is clear right away that she is very smart, drive, and she can give as good as she gets. She wants this MBA, and there is absolutely nothing that is going to stand in the way of her getting it.

Until we meet Bennet Ryan. Apart from the whole, “he’s a jerk” I fell for Bennett almost instantly. Yeah, he’s a jerk and are the things that he says harsh? You betcha. Just listening to him talk and the comments he makes, it almost made me want to begin bantering and fighting with him, because it seems to be quite enjoyable. I’;m not sure that arrogant is the right word to call him, he definitely knows his stuff, and for being so young, he’s accomplished quite a bit. He is man who knows what he wants, when he wants it.

“womanizing, arrogant, pigheaded asshat who assumed everyone around him was an idiot.”

Chloe and Ryan together just make the story work. Of course, it is their story after all, but just being a witness to everything that’s taking place is just really, really entertaining. It is so obvious that they’re perfect together and they just fit. Despite the whole “hating each other” thing, there was always that attraction there.  The way that these two characters interact with one another is a large part of why I think the book is able to keep up the pace that it has. The type of dialogue and how quickly things happen also play a large part.

While I did really enjoy this book, there were a couple of things that I really didn’t enjoy. The first being that I wish there would have been a bit more interaction with secondary characters. They’re in the story and make appearances, but they also seemed to just be kind of stuck in there story.
This leading into my second issue: loose ends. There was one in particular that happened and that was it. As a reader, I was kind of just left wondering at how it could have been resolved.
Finally, my last issue was how rushed the ending was. The ending made perfect sense, and it fit, but it was just a little too rush and things happened far too quickly. There was plenty that could have been done with it, instead of mashing everything up together.

Overall though, I did really enjoy this book, and I’m sorry that it has taken me so long to getting around to reading it. I’m definitely looking forward to getting into the next books in this series. If you are looking for a quick, hot, highly entertaining read, I suggesting picking this one up!