Release Day Review: My Ex's Baby (Crescent Cove #8) by Taryn Quinn

Okay, so he wasn’t actually my ex.

August is my best friend’s older brother, and he just went with me to Macy and Gideon’s wedding. You know, friends with no benefits.

Then we ended up having sex at said wedding.

At the reception, not during the actual ceremony. Hello, I have some manners.

We agreed to not do it again. Until I thought I was pregnant. And instead of being upset, I was happy.

Except I wasn’t. Pregnant, that is.

Then I drunk dialed August and asked him to make a baby with me.

On purpose.

I wanted to take it back. To die of shame.

But the next thing I knew, he was at my door...

Author’s note: The hero doesn't start out as a single father, but practice makes perfect. My Ex’s Baby is a standalone romantic comedy with a HEA ending and no cliffhanger.

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What I thought about My Ex's Baby

The water in Crescent Cove strikes again.  August and Kinleigh have been dancing around each other for the last few books in this series, and it's about time they got their HEA.

Kinleigh wants August, but the fact his sister is her best friend stops her from giving into what she feels.  But August is feeling it too, and one fateful night they both give in to their feelings. Even though things are very steamy between them, Kinleigh still wants to protect her friendship with Ivy and so she pushes August away. A pregnancy scare is all it takes for Kinleigh and August to figure out what they want.

I really loved both of these characters. Kinleigh is cute and quirky, with a good bit of hippie-dippie that warmed my heart.  Her reasons for keeping August at arm's length are basic.  And August is just wonderful in that he never gives up the pursuit, even when it might have been the best things to do.  It's the way he treats Kinleigh that had me falling for him. 

It was great to see previous characters in the series too and the story works as a standalone.  This is a very sweet series that is a must if you are looking for a romance revolving around babies, unexpected and otherwise.  It's easy to read and light on the drama.  It's all about the love!

Really like this story and this series.

An ARC was provided. This is my honest review.

  

 About Taryn Quinn

Coming Soon: Kiss Me In the Dark -- a Dark Romance Anthology

KISS ME IN THE DARK compiles a selection of deliciously dark chapters from bestselling romance authors with additional, never-before-seen content. We’re hoping to introduce new readers to our world and also give our loyal readers a chance to get lost in the stories they love with these bonus scenes. It’s only a taste, just three chapters each…but it’s enough for you to get addicted and want more.

It includes:

Monica James—Bad Saint; bonus content is the first chapter of the upcoming release The Devil’s Crown—All the Pretty Things Trilogy spin-off.

Aleatha Romig—Unconventional; bonus content is the prologue, an outside prospective on this stalker romance.

Amo Jones—In Fury Lies Mischief; bonus content: Eli’s Transition.

Callie Hart

Cora Reilly—Luca Vitiello; bonus content is the prologue and first chapter of the upcoming standalone Fragile Longing—an age-gap arranged marriage romance.

Giana Darling––Enthralled; bonus content is a new chapter from hero Alexander Davenport’s POV.

K Webster—This is War, Baby; bonus content is a new thrilling “training” chapter in the villainous Gabe’s POV with Baylee.

Lili St. Germain—Vicious Prince; bonus content is never-before-seen chapters from the main characters past.

S.M. Soto—Deception and Chaos; bonus content is a never-before-seen chapter written from Creed’s POV.

Parker S. Huntington—Devious Lies; bonus content is a never-before-seen email from Nash to Emery.

Willow Winters—A Kiss to Tell; bonus content is a never-before-seen chapter.

So come, sit, and enjoy a taste of the darkness…you just may like it.

Release date: June 30th

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ALL proceeds will be donated to:

NO KID HUNGRY: https://www.nokidhungry.org/

TLC FOR KIDS:
https://www.tlcforkids.org.au/

KISS ME IN THE DARK ANTHOLOGY
(A Taste of Dark Romance)

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Review:East Coast Girls by Kerry Kletter

Childhood friends Hannah, Maya, Blue and Renee share a bond that feels more like family. Growing up, they had difficult home lives, and the summers they spent together in Montauk were the happiest memories they ever made. Then, the summer after graduation, one terrible night changed everything.

Twelve years have passed since that fateful incident, and their sisterhood has drifted apart, each woman haunted by her own lost innocence. But just as they reunite in Montauk for one last summer, hoping to find happiness once more, tragedy strikes again. This time it’ll test them like never before, forcing them to confront decisions they’ve each had to live with and old secrets that refuse to stay buried.

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What I thought about East Coast Girls

I'm not going to go into details of what happened that terrible night referenced in the summary, because that will just spoil the whole thing for you. Four friends come back together for a vacation at their favorite place hoping to rekindle their once-deep friendships, and they find something totally unexpected.

I found the beginning of this to be a bit slow, and it took a few pages for things to move along at a good pace.  At some point I became invested in learning what happened that fateful night years ago.  And Henry ... I wanted so much to know more about Henry after the small glimpses seen of him that night. I loved the sensitivity the author used to handle this important part of the story, even though it made my heart hurt.  

Each of the four friends are nicely crafted to evoke a different response. Maya mostly annoyed me and I found it tough to relate to Renee's part of the story, mostly because I thought the story focused more around Hannah and Blue. They had some real scars from that night that needed healing and were the central characters in the drama. I think Hannah got her healing, not so sure about Blue.  Blue's situation just made me sad. I'm willing to guess that many readers can relate to one or more of these characters in some way. 

I did like how this story made me think about how a few wrong words and missteps was all it took for their lives to spin out of control, and how you cannot go back, you can only go forward.  So in that respect, this is a book that might make you think about friendships, longevity, judgement and forgiveness.  Some heavy topics and I did like this aspect of East Coast Girls very much. 

An ARC was provided. This is my honest review.

 

About Kerry

Kerry Kletter holds a degree in literature and is the critically-acclaimed author of the young adult novel The First Time She Drowned. She also has an extensive background in theater, having appeared in film, television, and onstage. She lives in Los Angeles and adores her friends, her partner David, dogs, neuroscience, funny people, Montauk, surfing, and French fries. East Coast Girls is her first adult novel.

Follow her on Twitter @kkletter and Instagram @kkletter.

Release Day Review: Wicked Secret (Wicked Horse Las Vegas #8) by Sawyer Bennett

Wicked Secret
(Wicked Horse Vegas, Book #8)

Sawyer Bennett

Release Date: May 26, 2020

Synopsis: 

Those that truly know August Greenfield, will tell you that I live my life to the fullest. Work hard as part of the team at Jameson Force Security but play just as hard at The Wicked Horse Vegas. I have no regrets about my life.

Well, maybe just one.

Leighton Hale was my first love and the woman I wanted to spend my life with, but one day she was just gone. Vanished without a trace. Even my extensive contacts as part of the team at Jameson left me empty-handed in my search for answers. My single remorse is never being able to find out what happened to her, because no matter how difficult the truth may be, it can’t be as bad as never knowing at all.

Ten years later, a knock on my front door brings me face-to-face with the woman I thought I’d never see again and nothing in my life could have prepared me for the secrets she holds.

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What I thought about Wicked Secret

August Greenfield is living the life -- he's got a great job and goes to the Wicked Horse Las Vegas whenever he wants. He's not looking for a relationship, especially after his childhood sweetheart disappeared without a trace years ago.

When his teenage love shows up at his doorstep asking for help, He's got all sorts of emotions to work through.  He's angry with Leighton for disappearing on him, and he's worried that she's really in trouble and needs his protection. And then she blows his mind with one more secret from the past that has him reeling. Let's just say that August has a lot of time to make up for and lots to resolve in his own mind. 

I did find the first part of this book a bit depressing and predictable. It takes some time for August to learn to trust and forgive Leighton, which was reasonable to expect, but it did take the escapism out of this story and replaced it with a big old pile of realism. I was happy to see the book take an upturn in the middle.  The Wicked Horse does get some page time later in the book as August and Leighton work on their relationship.

Overall, the erotic romance part of this book helped to balance out the not-so-fun parts, but this was not my favorite in the series.  There are some hot scenes at the Wicked Horse that helped to keep things interesting in the face of some of the almost-dire situations they had to deal with. 

An ARC was provided. This is my honest review.

About the Author:

   

New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone. A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs. If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).

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Cover Reveal:Forgotten Magic (Crimson Cove #1) by Eden Butler

Forgotten Magic
Eden Butler
(Crimson Cove, #1)
Publication date: June 28th 2020
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Bane Illes never smiled.
He never spoke.
But each day, that brooding wizard gave Janiver Benoit a glance. And when she could not take another quiet stare, or the warmth that look sent over her skin, she took from Bane something he’d never give freely—one lingering, soul knocking kiss.
Ten years later, someone has stolen the one thing that keeps magic hidden from the mortals in Crimson Cove and only Janiver can recover it. But returning to her hometown means she’ll have to face the past and all the secrets she left buried there, including the one person she promised herself she’d never see again. The dangerous wizard that might make leaving Crimson Cove the last thing she wants to do.

*FORGOTTEN MAGIC was previously independently released as CRIMSON COVE. However, Eden has since sold the rights to City Owl Press and the book has been replotted, rewritten, and kicks off the new Crimson Coves trilogy which follows witch Janiver Benoit and her siblings as they try to unravel the well-hidden secrets that have destroyed their family.

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Author Bio:
Eden Butler is a writer of contemporary, fantasy and romantic suspense novels and the nine-times great-granddaughter of an honest-to-God English pirate. This could explain her affinity for rule breaking and rum.
When she's not writing or wondering about her possibly Jack Sparrowesque ancestor, Eden patiently waits for her Hogwarts letter, reads, and spends too much time in her garden perfecting her green thumb while waiting for the next New Orleans Saints Superbowl win.
She is currently living under teenage rule alongside her husband in southeast Louisiana.
Please send help.

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Cover Reveal: Quarter Miles (Runaway #3) by Devney Perry

 

 QUARTER MILES

Runaway Series
Release Date: August 25th, 2020
Cover Design: Sarah Hansen, OkayCreations
Purchase Details: www.devneyperry.com/books/quarter-miles

Katherine Gates has been in love with Cash Greer since the moment he saved her life from a runaway goat. According to Cash, she’s the little sister he never had, the greatest roommate in the world and his favorite coworker. They’re friends—best friends.
In the dark days of her youth, it was his friendship that kept her alive and made life in a junkyard worth living. So she’s learned to shove her feelings for Cash down deep, even if that means ignoring eyes that shine brighter than the Montana summer sun and the smile that illuminates the snowiest winter day.
Except with every passing year, the denial takes its toll on her wounded heart until one day Katherine decides to take an impulsive road trip to the Oregon coast. Alone. That is, until Cash cons his way into the passenger seat.
The farther they travel, the harder it is to pretend. And when she confesses her feelings, she learns that Cash has some secrets of his own. Secrets that will either bond them together.
Or rip them apart.

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Other Books in the Runaway Series

Londyn McCormack didn’t have a typical childhood. She ran away at sixteen and spent her youth searching for a place to call home. She’s built a good life for herself through hard work and a little luck, but after a devastating divorce, she’s running away again. This time, she’s not looking for shelter or a job. She’s out to find the carefree and happy woman she once was.

She’s driving across the country in her convertible, except one flat tire derails her plans and her life collides with Brooks Cohen. The small-town mechanic catches her off guard. Rugged and handsome, Brooks proves to Londyn that kind, honest men do exist.

But she was never meant to stay in West Virginia. Her car is fixed and her trip mapped. And as Brooks fades from her rearview mirror, she must make a choice. Turn back and risk her heart. Or stay on the runaway road.

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COMING JUNE 23rd

Gemma Lane built an empire. Not a small feat, considering her home as a teenager was a makeshift tent in a California junkyard. She’s dedicated her life to turning pennies into millions. She has power, fortune and prestige.
And she’s leaving it all behind.

Gemma is headed across the country in her best friend’s Cadillac when a detour in Montana reunites her with old acquaintances and a man who hasn’t changed. Easton Greer challenges her every word and tests her every limit because he doesn’t believe she’s really abandoned her riches. She ignores his snide remarks and muttered censure—until the day she’s ready to return to the wild highway, and Easton taunts her to stay.

She’ll prove to him she’s not just running back to her wealthy life, that she’s more than her money. She’ll unlock her guarded heart and hope that this time around, he’ll treasure the key.

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Blog Tour Review & Excerpt: Fight for Me (Arrowood Brothers #2) by Corinne Michaels

New York Times Bestselling author Corinne Michaels brings a new breathtaking and emotional love story to life in the second STANDALONE in the Arrowood Brothers series.

Fight for Me is LIVE! 

I fell in love with Sydney Hastings when I was ten years old.

At sixteen, we whispered promises of forever.

When I was twenty-two I broke them all. I left her and promised never to return.

After my father's death, I’m forced to go home to Sugarloaf for six months.

She'll be everywhere, no longer just in my memories and regrets.

When we’re together, it’s as though time never stopped. She’s still the one I want, but I don’t deserve her. Instead of apologizing, I take that beautiful, broken woman in my arms. But after that, it’s her turn to leave me.

Now I have to fight. For her. For us. For the life we both want …

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Excerpt:

"Do you want to dance?"

She nods.

I hear my brother make a noise and pretend I didn't. She said yes, and I'm going to cling to that.

Here might be the last time I ever get to hold her in my arms, and I'm going to take it.

"I love this song."

I love you.

"Why is that?" I ask.

Her arms move to my chest, and I wonder if she can feel the pounding of my heart. My nerves are bowstrings, being pulled taut before the arrow is ready to fly. Everything inside of me is strained, but I keep it together.

Sydney and I move, the world falling away as it always does when I am with her. Gone is the hurt of my past, the uncertainty of my present, and the regret of the future ahead. Right now, I have her.

She's here, in my arms, where she's meant to be.

I don't care if the sky lights on fire because she's all I see.

"Listen to her." Sydney's voice is quiet and pensive. "Listen to her talk about him giving up and her asking him to stay."

And I do. I hear the words, and I swear that she's singing to us.

"Don't tell me it's too late," Emily croons.

"I won't give up that easy.

Don't call me darlin' and tell me that you're leavin'.

Don't walk away.

Stop pushing me when you know you want to hold on.

It could be so easy for us, baby.

I've been here, but you don't see me.

Don't let go if you're not ready for me to walk away." The acoustic guitar takes over as her voice drifts off.

"Syd," I say her name as both a plea to let go and hold on.

Her hands grip my shirt tighter. "Don't. Don't let go. Don't push me away."

I see the tears in her eyes. I don't want to push her away. I want to hold her close, kiss her senseless, and love her until she knows it in every fiber of her being that she's everything I want.

I see her. I feel her. I know her in my bones, but I won't be able to be who she needs.

No matter how much I wish it weren't the case, I can't give her the life she wants with a husband and babies. All I can offer her is a friendship that has an expiration date because once my six-months is up and she has moved, I know I won't allow myself to see her again.

The song ends, and the two of us stop moving, just watching the other.

The spell that was surrounding us seems to break and awareness fills her gaze. Her fingers loosen and drop from where they had been clutching my shirt and she takes a step back.

The loss of her is felt everywhere. My heart doesn't seem to beat as strongly, the cold hits my chest, making it hard to breathe, and the emptiness from her loss leaves me weak.

For those minutes I held her, the world made sense. And now ... I need to leave.

What I thought about Fight For Me 

Sydney Hastings had her heart broken by Declan Arrowood eight years ago.  Her dreams of getting married and having his babies died when he breaks up with her to leave town unexpectedly. He thinks he's protecting her -- all she knows is that her heart is broken and Declan has vowed never to return to Sugarloaf where Sydney is in charge of the family farm, among other things.

Declan does come back, and their first time alone, old feelings get the best of them and then bam!  Everything gets more complicated, and   Sydney ends up nursing a broken heart a second time.

If you've ever read this author before, you know she puts some very emotional moments on the page.  While I found this to be only a one tissue story, there are certainly some heart-wrenching moments in the second half of the book.

Fight for Me is a second chance romance that has a few twists and turns for the characters, and I have to say that I did like Sydney.  I hadn't read the first book in this series, and I will admit that this story made me want to read more. It's mostly predictable, and a very quick, emotionally charged story about love, trust and going back home that kept me reading until the end.

An ARC was provided. This is my honest review.

 

Meet Corinne:
 

Corinne Michaels is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller author. She’s an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children. Corinne is happily married to the man of her dreams and is a former Navy wife.

After spending months away from her husband while he was deployed, reading and writing was her escape from the loneliness. She enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak and finding a way to heal them through their struggles. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love.

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