Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Review:5 stars for Fumbled (The Playbook #2) by Alexa Martin




About Fumbled

A second chance doesn’t guarantee a touchdown in this new contemporary romance from the author of Intercepted.

Single-mother Poppy Patterson moved across the country when she was sixteen and pregnant to find a new normal. After years of hard work, she’s built a life she loves. It may include a job at a nightclub, weekend soccer games, and more stretch marks than she anticipated, but it’s all hers, and nobody can take that away. Well, except for one person.

T.K. Moore, the starting wide receiver for the Denver Mustangs, dreamt his entire life about being in the NFL. His world is football, parties, and women. Maybe at one point he thought his future would play out with his high school sweetheart by his side, but Poppy is long gone and he’s moved on.

When Poppy and TK cross paths in the most unlikely of places, emotions they’ve suppressed for years come rushing back. But with all the secrets they never told each other lying between them, they’ll need more than a dating playbook to help them navigate their relationship.






What I thought about Fumbled

This book was a bit of an impulse selection -- the blurb was interesting and the cover grabbed me right away and since I love a good sports romance, I thought I'd give it a try. Alexa Martin is a new author for me and delivered a terrific story. 

I'm not going to rehash the plot, the blurb takes care of that. The star of this book is Poppy Patterson.  She's just terrific in so many ways, I'm not even sure I can list them.  TK is terrific too -- there were so many scenes where I really felt for him.  And Poppy and TK together are just amazing!  I was pulling for them all the way.

Not only was the second-chance romance + secret baby story terrific, Poppy has some terrific friends and it was a pleasure to see female friendships portrayed in such a positive manner.  

Fumbled captured my interest from the first pages and kept me engaged with the story until the final pages. 
I just loved everything about Fumbled. Looking forward to more!

An ARC was provided for review.  
 

 

About the Author


Alexa Martin is a writer and stay at home mom. She lives in Colorado with her husband, a former NFL player who now coaches at the high school where they met, their four children, and a German Shepherd. When she's not telling her kids to put their shoes on...again, you can find her catching up with her latest book boyfriend or on Pinterest pinning meals she'll probably never make. Her first book, Intercepted, was inspired by the eight years she spent as an NFL wife.

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Release Day Excerpt & Review: 5 stars for To Have and to Hold (Returning Home #3) by Serena Bell

 


To Have and to Hold (Returning Home, Book Three)

He doesn’t remember her. She cherishes every moment of their time together. Is there any hope for a second chance?

Hunter Cross has lost a year. There’s a gap in his memory, and the woman who is living in his house has disappeared into it. He slept with her, fell for her, loved her—and he doesn’t remember any of it.

He knows he should send her away—except for one little thing. At night, when she slips into his bed, his body remembers hers.

Trina Levine is heartbroken, alone with her memories. Hunter won’t claim any of it—not the joyful days, not the steamy nights. It’s like Trina Levine dreamed it, and it hurts like nothing else could.

Except when Hunter cries out in his sleep and Trina comforts him. At those moments, Hunter’s body knows hers, and for a few, brief, blissful moments, Trina’s sure everything will be okay again.

Until morning comes.


Buy Links for To Have and to Hold



To Have and to Hold Excerpt

Copyright © 2019 Serena Bell
All rights reserved.

There he was.

Stepping through the glass gate doors at SeaTac. Striding, head up, not uniformed, as she’d expected, but clad in jeans, a gray T-shirt, and hiking boots. A backpack slung over both shoulders.

Trina felt like she’d never seen him before, and maybe she never really had. Because before, he’d been somebody’s dad. Somebody’s husband. And then friendship had morphed into love, so she’d never had that first-time-I-laid-eyes-on-you, love-at-first-sight moment. No heart stopping, no breath catching, no hormones firing in one big surge—

Not till now.

Because, damn. Dark hair and dark eyes, stubble smattered over his jaw, shoulders that poured off strength. Six-foot-plus of him, moving with intention. He was a guy who’d catch your eye on the street, pheromones setting you back on your heels before you’d registered that you’d turned to look. The hardness of his features, the everyman handsomeness, made an impression only after it was too late to decide how you felt about his appearance.

There were more lines in his face than she remembered—the laugh crinkles at the corners of his eyes, yes, but deep lines in his forehead, too. His eyes combed the crowd, looking for someone.

I’m right here.

Then his gaze swept past her and locked somewhere else, and his pace quickened until he was almost running. Behind her, someone broke away, flip-flops smacking heels.

“Daddy!”

Clara ran to her father and threw herself into his arms, forgetting Trina’s and her grandmother’s warnings to be gentle with him. Clara was laughing and crying and trying to tell her father everything that had happened in the last year, all at once.

“Slow down, baby.” Hunter knelt so he could hug Clara in earnest. “Slow down. We’ll have plenty of time.” He was smiling, looking so much like the man Trina remembered, and she realized she was silently pleading for him to raise his eyes and search her out. To turn that smile on her. And she shook her head, because this moment wasn’t for her. It was for Clara and Hunter. Trina would have her moment later. When she and Hunter were alone.

Hunter raised his head, and her heart skipped.

But his eyes caught on something behind her, and he rose and strode forward: “Mom.”

Trina wasn’t going to panic. She clutched her welcome home, hunter sign tighter, and tried to slow her pulse down.

Homecomings are weird, Hunter’s mom had told her when Trina met her flight several hours earlier. Don’t get your expectations up too high. He’ll need some time and space, and then it’ll be like he never left.

Plus, Trina had known they’d have to play it a little cool, to maintain the fiction for the girls.

In the meantime, Trina would remember what he’d said to her. Not only I love you, but also, I know my feelings, and they’re not going to change.

Hunter’s mom, Linda, was getting the full Hunter. Or the half Hunter, maybe, because Trina was pretty sure that Hunter at full strength would have swept both mother and daughter off their feet. Certainly in all her fantasies he’d swept her off her feet.

But with his chest wound just barely healed—a wound that had almost killed him—he wouldn’t be sweeping anyone off her feet for a while.

A hand snaked around her waist. Phoebe, at her side. Her daughter, awkwardly twelve and yet so beautiful, with that coltish mix of woman and little girl.

Phoebe was clearly feeling as awkward and left out of this homecoming as Trina was, and wanting solidarity.

That was the moment when Trina started to feel really, truly freaked out. Because she was fine with the fact that homecomings were weird and fine with Hunter’s priorities being for his daughter and his mother and fine with the secrecy that they’d agreed to keep up a while once he got back, but—

He hadn’t made eye contact with her. Not once.

Something was wrong. Even Phoebe could sense it.



What Readers Are Saying

“I have loved every second of this series and I hope that there will be many more installments to come. This series has everything that I look forward to in getting my love and romance fix.”—Twin Spin

“An absolute must-read . . . To Have and to Hold is fabulous.”—The Romance Reviews

“Five stars . . . [To Have and to Hold is a] crackling read that’s full of emotion and drama.”—Jeannie Zelos Book Reviews

“A great story that unfolds beautifully . . . There’s a great balance of drama and romance, and I really liked the characters and their journey.”—The Escapist Book Blog

“A well-crafted welcome addition to a great series . . . [with] plenty of passion.”—I Love Romantic Fiction


What I thought about To Have and To Hold

Trina can't wait to see Hunter when he returns from his latest tour of duty. She's been holding down the fort at home, taking care of his daughter along with her own while he's been deployed.  After a traumatic injury, he's coming home and they can get on with their life.  Except for one thing...

Hunter doesn't remember her.

He's not sure why he doesn't remember the woman and her daughter living in his house.  Trina isn't really sure what to do with what is happening.  So many emotions in this that it had me on the edge of my seat wondering how they would put things back together.  Hunter has always been a bit reserved, and coming out of a marriage that shouldn't have happened hasn't helped him.  Trina was his ticket to happines and he doesn't even know it.

I really enjoyed this story.  It was fresh and interesting and I just absolutely loved Trina and everything she did to help Hunter through all this, while dealing with her own broken heart.  How she navigates this situation really had me turning the pages and I just adored this story.  This series is terrific if you like military romance. Definitely recommended.

An ARC was provided for review.


 

About the Author

Photo credit Susan Young

USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.

Serena’s books have earned many honors, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance. 

When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends. 

Social Media Links



Review: The Rose by Tiffany Reisz



USA Today bestselling author Tiffany Reisz returns to the world of The Red with an imaginative sequel full of lust and magic, and the dangers unleashed when the two are combined…

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...



What I thought about The Rose

I absolutely loved the The Red, the previous book in this series and I couldn't wait to dig into The Rose. I was thrilled that there would be more since I loved the mythology, eroticism and supernatural aspects of the first book.

The Rose deals with a special mythological cup, said to be used in appreciation of Eros, Greek god of erotic love. If you've read Tiffany Reisz before you know she can weave a wonderfully erotic tale, complete with mind-bending twists and turns. She does a fabulous job of repeating this in The Rose while also providing a little more character development. While this did give The Rose a slightly different tone than The Red, I loved having the additional information to round out the story.

When Lia received the cup as a graduation gift, she's blackmailed into selling it, but not before she can use it with August, a family friend. The cup transports her into a new world of eroticism and fantasy that is unique and even a little bit scary at times. Of course August wants the cup for himself too! There are some real surprises here that I don't want to reveal, and I loved how this all played out.

I definitely recommend this for readers looking for something a little different in erotic romance. This well-researched story puts a spin on Greek mythology that you don't want to miss.

An ARC was provided for review. 

About Tiffany Reisz

Tiffany Reisz is the USA Today bestselling author of the Original Sinners series for Mira Books and Mills & Boon, including the RT Book Reviews Best Erotic Romance 2012 winner The Siren and the LAMBDA Literary Award-winning The King. Her novel The Saint won the Romance Writers of America RITA® for best Erotic Romance in 2015.

Follow Tiffany on Social Media: FacebookTwitterInstagram

About 8th Circle Press

8th Circle Press is a Lexington, Kentucky-based publisher of literary friction. For more information, visit our website at www.8thCirclePress.com.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Asher (Ashes & Embers #6) by Carian Cole




Title: Asher
Series: Ashes & Embers #6
Author: Carian Cole
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: Carian Cole
Photo: Hellfox Photo
Models: Kevin Creekman & Runa



Blurb

I should have died.

I should have been forgotten.

But I didn’t, and I wasn’t.

Living the life most women only dream about, I was madly in love with my soulmate—Asher Valentine—amazing husband, loving father, and rock’s favorite kick-ass front man. A man who loved me every day, in every way, since we first met as teens fifteen years ago. We were blessed with a beautiful daughter who was the light of our life. My all-female rock band was tearing up the charts.

Then tragedy struck, and I lost it all.

Now all I have is a stack of journals, an antique key, and a big black void where my memories should be.

Used to be.

And I have him—this man with wild hair, tattoos from head to toe, a soft voice, and an even softer touch that gives me butterflies. He’s clearly hopelessly in love with his wife.

I’m told that’s me.

But that wife is gone, and she took everything they once had, leaving me in her place.

A broken replacement. A new version that doesn’t quite fit.

I’m slowly falling in love with him, but will he ever truly love me? Or will he forever be in love with her, the phantom woman who haunts us both?





Also Available


AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited






Author Bio

Carian Cole has a passion for the bad boys, those covered in tattoos, sexy smirks, ripped jeans, fast cars, motorcycles and of course, the sweet girls who try to tame them and win their hearts.

Born and raised a Jersey girl, Carian now resides in beautiful New Hampshire with her husband and their multitude of furry pets. She spends most of her time writing, reading, and vacuuming.


Author Links

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Cover Reveal: Holding Out (Returning Home #4) by Serena Bell



Blurb for Holding Out (Returning Home, Book Four)

She’s done being a virgin. He’s willing to help her out. Only now he has a problem of his own: He can’t stop wanting more.

The answer has to be no, of course. No way Griff Ambrose is going to help Becca Drake lose her virginity. Not only is she his friend’s little sister, but Griff doesn’t do commitment—not since the day he came home from war to find his house empty and his wife gone.

But he can’t get Becca’s request—or pretty much anything else about her—out of his head. What can it hurt, anyway? If it’s awkward afterwards, they can just avoid each other. Right?

Becca Drake has turned her life around, and she’s proud of how much butt she’s kicking. The shy girl with the self-esteem problem has been shown the door, and New Becca’s in the driver’s seat. There’s just one more demon she has to exorcise. Virginity is messing up her sex life. Guys who might be okay with giving her a test drive act like they’re being auditioned for marriage when they find out she’s never had intercourse.

Griff is the perfect candidate to do the deed: He’s her friend, he’s sexy as heck, and neither of them wants anything serious.

Then Becca’s job goes belly up and she takes a temporary position at the veterans’ retreat where Griff works. Now she and Griff can’t stay out of each other’s way—and their entanglement keeps getting messier—and sexier. Worst of all, it’s getting harder and harder for Becca and Griff to lie to themselves about what they really want…




About the Author

Photo credit Susan Young

USA Today bestselling author Serena Bell writes contemporary romance with heat, heart, and humor. A former journalist, Serena has always believed that everyone has an amazing story to tell if you listen carefully, and you can often find her scribbling in her tiny garret office, mainlining chocolate and bringing to life the tales in her head.

Serena’s books have earned many honor
s, including an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and Amazon Best Book of the Year for Romance.

When not writing, Serena loves to spend time with her college-sweetheart husband and two hilarious kiddos—all of whom are incredibly tolerant not just of Serena’s imaginary friends but also of how often she changes her hobbies and how passionately she embraces the new ones. These days, it’s stand-up paddle boarding, board-gaming, meditation, and long walks with good friends.


Social Media Links
 
Web site https://www.serenabell.com
Newsletter https://www.serenabell.com/newsletter
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/serenabellbooks
Facebook profile https://www.facebook.com/serena.bell.3954
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/serenabellbooks
Instagram http://www.instagram.com/serenabellbooks
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/serenabellbooks/

Cover Reveal: The Lighthouse by Leslie McAdam




Title: The Lighthouse
Author: Leslie McAdam
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: Michele Catalano
Photo: Wong Sim
Model: Mitchell Wick



Blurb

While I’ve managed to stay “pure” ...
Things are about to get dirty.
Just not the way you think.

You see, there was a mudslide.
I was chasing the perfect photograph one minute.
And then strong hands were pulling me out of the mud the next.

Those hands were attached to handsome Theo Magruder.
Those hands awaken urges that I've never felt before.
Those hands make me want to hand over my V-card without question.

Well, to be fair, it’s not just his hands.
He's the most attractive man I've ever met.
With mesmerizing eyes
And a hard, muscled body that makes me tingle all over when we touch.
And he’s damn romantic—
Treating me gently,
Like I’m a wounded deer who needs shelter as the storm gathers around us.

Living at a lighthouse in the boonies, he’s used to being the only one around for miles.
I’m not.

The thing is, I’ve told him the truth—
I’m in the area because I’m an actress.
But he doesn't know I’m a star.

And as it turns out, I'm not the only one with secrets.







Author Bio

Leslie McAdam is a California girl who loves romance, Little Dude, and well-defined abs. She lives in a drafty old farmhouse on a small orange tree farm in Southern California with her husband and two small children. Leslie always encourages her kids to be themselves - even if it means letting her daughter wear leopard print from head to toe. An avirectreader from a young age, she will always trade watching TV for reading a book, unless it's Top Gear. Or football. Leslie is employed by day but spends her nights writing about the men you fantasize about. She's unapologetically sarcastic and notoriously terrible at comma placement.

Always up for a laugh, Leslie tries to see humor in all things. When she's not in the writing cave you'll find her fangirling over Beck, camping with her family, or mixing up oil paints to depict her love of outdoors on canvas.


Author Links


Friday, April 12, 2019

Excerpt Reveal: Fighting the Fire (A Warrior Fight Club Novel) by Laura Kaye

 


From New York Times bestselling author Laura Kaye, comes the next standalone title in her Warrior Fight Club series, FIGHTING THE FIRE. Check out Laura’s note and the scintillating excerpt below! Then join the Warrior Fight Club world today! FIGHTING THE FIRE releases everywhere April 23rd!


About FIGHTING THE FIRE (Coming 4/23/19):

The more they fight, the more desire consumes them…

There’s only one thing firefighter Sean Riddick doesn’t like about Warrior Fight Club, and that’s Daniela England, the sexiest, snarkiest, most irritating woman he’s ever known. But MMA training keeps the Navy vet grounded, so Sean’s not about to give it up, no matter how many times he goes toe to toe with Dani—or how bad he wants to take her to the mats.

A former Army nurse and the widow of a fallen soldier, Dani is done with the military and with military men. Fight club is the only thing that eases her nightmares, which means she has to put up with Riddick. He might be sex on a stick, but he’s infuriating and everything she’s vowed to avoid.

But when an accident throws Sean and Dani together, all that fight bursts into a night of red-hot passion. Now they’re addicted to the heat and must decide if the one person they’ve most resisted might be exactly what they’ve both been looking for.

 

Pre-order FIGHTING THE FIRE today!

Amazon – Coming soon! | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo

Add to your Goodreads!

Coming in ebook, paperback, and audiobook

Dear Readers,

I love enemies-to-lovers stories because they’re so much fun to write and absolutely delicious to read! And Sean Riddick and Dani England from my upcoming Fighting the Fire are absolutely incendiary together! They’re both bad asses in their own right—both veterans, both fighters, both stubborn as hell. And boy does the cover capture them so well—the intensity, the passion, the push and pull. Now check out this excerpt and let me know what you think!

If you haven’t started my wounded Warrior Fight Club series yet, you can jump in anywhere because they’re all sexy standalone romances! And here’s where you reserve your copy of Sean and Dani’s hot, hot story:

PRE-ORDER on Amazon (coming soon!) | B&N | Apple Books | Kobo

Add to your Goodreads

Coming in ebook, paperback, and audiobook



“Bring it,” Sean said, giving her a wink.
Ignoring his head games, Dani got into position. Fists up, elbows close to her ribs, lead leg forward. In this drill, Sean as the kicker could only make offensive moves with his legs. While, as the puncher, she couldn’t use her legs at all. Which meant she had to get in close while defending against his strikes.
They circled. Feinted. Attacked.
Sean was strong as hell, but she was faster by a lot. Dani used that to her advantage. Blocking and dodging his kicks and then getting inside to attack his ribs and gut and kidneys in the spare seconds before he regained his footing.
Each punch she landed released a pressure valve somewhere deep in her brain. And that release was so fundamental that she barely felt the kicks that Sean landed. Not that she gave him much chance to get them in, because she kept him close, under pressure, and on the defense blocking her punches.
“Damn, girl,” he said, respect and wariness plain in his voice.
“You told me to bring it,” she said, looking for another in. He blocked a shot at his ribs and delivered a spinning side kick that landed on the side of her thigh.
“Someone has some aggression to work out today,” he said.
“Do you have to talk so much?” she asked, sweat curling down the side of her face as she attacked again. This time she drove forward, forcing him to retreat and not letting him get in a kick.
Sean blocked and covered and dodged until they were in a clinch, breathing hard and face to face with no room to punch or kick. And for no good reason, heat roared over Dani. Heat that almost incinerated her from the inside out. Maybe it was the bulk of his muscles or the slick slide of their sweat or his scent of clean soap from a recent shower that couldn’t quite remove the hint of fire from his skin and hair.
As if he sensed it, Sean’s dark eyes flashed hot and his jaw went tight. Breaking the rules, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in close, letting her feel his erection for one spare moment before taking her to the mats in a controlled move that showed just how freaking strong he was. She expected to get the wind knocked out of her, but he’d more laid her out than knocked her down.
A whistle blew. “Switch up,” Colby called. “And follow the damn rules, Riddick. We’re not doing ground work right now.”
Everyone laughed.
But Dani and Sean were caught in a staring contest with their faces mere inches apart.
She wanted him inside her so bad that she nearly gave voice to it.
Her brain went immediately to that night.
How they’d circled each other throughout that whole damn party. How Sean had walked her to her car, parked right in front of his, which she’d begrudgingly thought sweet despite her insistence she didn’t need a damn chaperone. How they’d started bantering about something she couldn’t even remember now—because all she could remember was how desperately aroused she’d felt. How she’d teasingly punched him and he’d caught her arm and hauled her in against him. How the shock of his erection against her hip had made her look up at him. And how he’d claimed her mouth and she’d let him.
Oh, hell yeah, she’d let him do that and so much more…
And she wanted it again.
It was that thought that finally made her brain come back online. “Get. Off.”
His brow arched. Just the tiniest bit. “You can take your aggression out on me anytime.” He spoke in a rushed whisper, but the words impacted her like a body slam, pressing her back into the floor with some unseen force. Because she’d heard that tone in his voice before, when she’d straddled his lap on the big bench of his pick-up and finally taken him deep.
“Fucking hell, Dani. Take all of me.”
“Now,” Dani said, hoping he didn’t hear that her voice was affected, too.
In a move that seemed too lithe for someone his size, Sean hopped up then extended his hand to her.
Shook as she was, Dani accepted his help, then regretted it when he didn’t immediately release her hand but instead held her right in front of him—exactly like he had that night. “Just say the word.”
Dani swallowed hard. “Hold your breath waiting for it. Please.” She glared up at him, irritated with herself for letting him see inside her for that one unguarded moment when her body had reacted so viscerally to his. It was like that night had tuned their bodies into the same wavelength, and now they could communicate whether she wanted it or not.
Amusement and challenge slid into his gaze. “You’ll not only say it, Dani. You’ll beg me for it.”


   

Check out the whole Warrior Fight Club Series:

Fighting for Everything – Available now!

Fighting for What’s His – Available now!

Worth Fighting For – Available now!

Fighting the Fire – April 23, 2019!

 


About Laura Kaye: Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of forty books in contemporary and erotic romance and romantic suspense, including the Blasphemy, Hard Ink, and Raven Riders series. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. Laura also writes historical fiction as the NYT bestselling author, Laura Kamoie. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.    

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Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Release Week Review: Take (Deliver #5) by Pam Godwin


TAKE is book 5 in the DELIVER Series

Dark Romance - Anti-heroes - Sex Trafficking - Cartel

He’s a notorious crime lord, a kidnapper, and an artist. Scarification is his outlet, and he just captured a new canvas. Kate refuses to surrender beneath his blade or the cruelty in his beautiful eyes. But she’s drawn to the man inside the monster. A man who makes her ache with his touch. Who owns her with his kiss. A man who worships her as deeply as he hurts her. She can run, but there’s no escape from a bond carved in scars.


What I thought about Take
 
When Kate wakes up bound by rope and sequestered in a locked room, she knows she's been abducted yet again, only this time, she knows the identity of her captor. Tiago Badell. He's had her abducted from her job at a diner in retaliation for the rescue of another captive named Lucia.

Tiago is recovering from a barbell to the head and it takes a while for him to recover enough to meet with his new captive. When he does, he's stunned by her beauty and her fire -- mostly her fire and refusal to be submissive to him. He's intrigued but her attempts to run has her in a very bad position, until she manages to let him know her secret which intrigues Tiago even further.

What transpires next is a heady mix of rape, sadism and Stockholm syndrome. This is definitely dark romance so be forewarned that this is no sweet love story. It's dark and dirty and yet an interesting study in human nature. Tiago has the history and background to explain why he is the man he is, and that means something to Kate, who eventually sees Tiago as something more than a monster. She gets him like no other, and their relationship evolves over time into an interesting mix of sadism and love that had me mesmerized by its intensity.

There's only one problem -- Kate is not free. She is still a captive. When she's stolen by a rival, there's some seriously brutal action which I totally loved as part of the story. It's a nasty world of crime out there where people are sometimes used as currency. Betrayal is part of the normal and Tiago has learned to deal with all of it. Can he give it all up for a real chance with Kate? That is the question.

I loved Kate. She's fiery and stronger than she even gives herself credit for. Some of the situations she finds herself in are absolutely horrifying. She has strong feelings for Tiago which are in conflict with her being his captive. Pam Godwin does an amazing job of creating two characters who are so interesting and it's hard not to love both of them, in spite of their actions and past. This is what I love about this entire series -- it blurs the lines between right and wrong and good and evil in an way that is so very compelling.

I absolutely devoured this book. It made me want to go back and re-read the entire series again. And not just this series, but the Tangled Lies series as well. I love how Pam Godwin has connected these two series, and it was terrific to learn more about their connection in the later pages of the book.The ending was everything I want in a romance -- a bit of sorrow, a good dollop of angst and a final resolution that had me smiling.

Loved everything about Take and this series.


DELIVER SERIES

Each book is a different couple.
No cliffhangers. Must be read in order.

DELIVER, Book 1: FREE on all retailers

Deliver2500x1563

His name was Joshua Carter. Now it’s whatever she wants it to be. She is a Deliverer. She lures young men and delivers them to be sold. She delivers the strikes that enforce their obedience. She delivers the sexual training that determines their purchase price. As long as she delivers, the arrangement that protects her family will hold. Delivering is all she knows. The one thing she can’t deliver is a captive from slavery. Until him. And her stubborn slave thinks he can deliver her…from herself.

VANQUISH, Book 2


Her life is like a prison cell. A self-made, to-hell-with-the-free-world existence that locks from the inside. Stop judging. Her agoraphobia doesn’t define her. It simply keeps her safe. He belongs in a prison cell. The 6x8, make-me-your-bitch variety that locks from the outside. But he’s free. To hunt. To take. To break. And he just found a sexy new toy. Capturing her is the easy part. Her fucked-up mind, however, makes him question everything he does next. But he’s a determined bastard. If all goes his way, this will hurt like hell.

DISCLAIM, Book 3


Camila was seventeen when Van Quiso kidnapped her. Ten years after her escape, the shackles refuse to release her. Not while there are still slave traders preying on her city. She will stop at nothing to end them. Even if that means becoming a slave again. Returning to chains is her worst fear—and only option. They won’t know who she is or what she intends to do. She’s prepared for every complication. Except him. The one who decimated her sixteen-year-old heart. Matias is charming, gorgeous, and dangerously seductive. He’s also untrustworthy and enshrouded in secrets. After years of no contact, he finds her—on her knees, wrists bound, in the clutches of her enemy. Will he sabotage her mission by needlessly saving her? Or will he keep her in chains and never let her go?

DEVASTATE, Book 4


 “What is the price you’re willing to pay?” “Money isn’t an issue.” “I’m not talking about money.” Tate is on the hunt to find his best friend’s sister. Eleven years ago, Lucia Dias was abducted. Presumed dead. He never met her, so why does he care? Some might call his efforts noble, but his motivation is more perverse, bordering on obsession. When he follows a chilling lead to Venezuela’s Kidnap Alley, what he finds is neither a corpse nor a captive. Amid poisonous lies and crippling depravity, the price of love is devastation. And he pays. With his body, his blood, and her life.

Audiobooks

DELIVER #1: Audible
Narrated by Teddy Hamilton (Josh) and Abby Crayden (Liv)
VANQUISH #2: Audible
Narrated by Ryan West (Van) and Jo Raylan (Amber)
DISCLAIM #3: Audible
Narrated by Christian Fox (Matias) and Emma Wilder (Camila)
DEVASTATE #4:
Coming April 30 Narrated by J.F. Harding (Tate) and Tracy Marks (Lucia)
TAKE #5: Coming June

Pam Godwin

 
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Pam Godwin, lives in the Midwest with her husband, their two children, and a foulmouthed parrot. When she ran away, she traveled fourteen countries across five continents, attended three universities, and married the vocalist of her favorite rock band.

Java, tobacco, and dark romance novels are her favorite indulgences, and might be considered more unhealthy than her aversion to sleeping, eating meat, and dolls with blinking eyes.

Books by Pam Godwin

Blog Tour Review & Excerpt: Good Half Gone by Tarryn Fisher

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