Review:Jockblocked by Jen Frederick

 

She’s always played it safe…

College junior Lucy Washington abides by one rule—avoid risk at all costs. She’s cautious in every aspect of her life, from her health, to her mock trial team, to the boring guys she dates. When a brash, gorgeous jock walks into the campus coffeeshop and turns his flirt on, Lucy is stunned by the force of attraction. For the first time ever, she’s willing to step out of her comfort zone, but can she really trust the guy who’s determined to sweep her off her feet?

He’s always played around…

Entering his last year of college eligibility, linebacker Matthew "Matty" Iverson has the team captaincy in his sights. And it’s his for the taking, if he can convince his quarterback Ace Anderson to give up the starting position. Luckily, Matty already has an edge—the hottie he’s lusting over just happens to be Ace’s childhood best friend. Getting Lucy on his side and in his bed? Hell yeah. Matty is more than confident he can have both, but when he falls hard for Lucy, it’s time for a new game plan: convince the woman of his dreams that she’s not sleeping with the enemy. 

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Excerpt

I grab her foot and pull it into my lap. “Let’s do a risk/reward test.”
“Let’s not.” But her foot doesn’t move.
I massage her foot beneath the sock, pressing hard against the ball and then digging into the arch. She releases a tiny moan and her head falls back in a dick-hardening sexy motion. Fuuuuck. If this is how I feel from just touching this girl’s hand and foot, what would it be like to be between her legs, to suck on her tits, to feel her pussy pulse around my dick? Light-headed and incredibly aroused, I almost fall off the chair.
I gotta focus here. If I’m ever going to get past the foot and hand, I need to convince her that the reward with me would be off-the-charts amazing.
Clearing my throat, I keep rubbing her foot. “Having your foot in my lap, that’s a risk right? But you’re enjoying the rubdown. That’s a risk worth the reward.”
“Keep rubbing and stop talking,” she orders. Her eyes are closed.
Okay, but I’m not touching some other guy’s sock, particularly the guy whose bed she’s sleeping in. I don’t know if I fully buy into her “just friends” explanation for Ace. He has her picture in his locker. She’s wearing his socks. For all that, he’s at the Gas Station dry humping a Kappa and Lucy’s home alone. I pull off the sock and toss it aside and stare at her toes.
“Your nail polish is blue.” Since when did I think toes were sexy?
She wriggles them. “Yes, on both feet. You’re very observant. Haven’t you ever seen a girl’s toes before?”
“I’m sure I have.” I just don’t remember them. I have this strange feeling I’ll remember hers, though.
I run a light caress over the anklebone, down the spine of the Achilles tendon, and around the edge of her instep.
Her breathing hitches, so quiet and so soft, I might have imagined it.
“What’re you doing?” Her words are a husky whisper and my body responds accordingly.
My balls tighten and my dick’s so hard I’m worried it’ll snap in half, but I can’t reach into my jeans to readjust or I’ll scare her away.
“We’re testing your risk assessment.” And driving myself crazy.
“You should stop.”
“I can’t.” I move my hand up her ankle to cup the slender calf. “Feel good? Worth the risk?”
“I’m not sure.”
That’s an invitation if I ever heard one.
Is it possible to come from just rubbing a girl’s leg? I might test out that theory. “And now?” My fingers find the tender hollow behind her knee. Her pulse beats rapidly against my palm. She’s as turned on as I am and I haven’t even gotten to the good parts.
“It feels riskier,” she croaks.
Yeah, because pretty soon my hand is going to be on your thigh and I don’t know how I’m going to stop there.
Her fingers are turning white as she grips the sides of her chair. Is she holding herself back? Or keeping herself there?
Fuck, I want to kiss her so bad. I want to kiss her lips but I’d settle for her toes or her knee or‑shit, if all she’ll allow is for me to touch the tips of her fingers, I’d be okay with that. I need a taste of her. I’m dying for a taste of her.

 What I thought about Jockblocked

Let me start this review by saying I read this book last earlier this week and since then, I've read it all the way through twice and my favorite parts more than that. 

Jockblocked is really a simple story of a football player and the girl he falls for.  Matthew Iverson is a star on and off the field. He doesn't have any trouble getting girls to throw themselves at him, but after seeing his roommate Knox fall in love, Matty wonders what he's missing.  He gets a taste of that when he meets Lucy, and falls hard for her. 

I loved Lucy.  She's studious, focused and every decision she makes is based on her own personal risk assessment. She doesn't think Matty is a good risk at all, and she denies her own attraction to him to stay in the safe zone.  But Matty isn't a quitter (loved that about him) and he works hard to get Lucy's attention.

Matty takes on the task of wooing Lucy, and this part of the book was really awesome. Lucy gets to the point where she just can't resist him anymore.

Complications arise when Matty's football coach directs him to do something involving his teammate, Ace, who just also happens to be a good friend of Lucy's. This provides some big tension to the story. Things with this situation don't resolve until the end of the book and the way it concludes was unexpected and at times heartwarming.

There's nice supporting characters in Jockblocked too.  Lucy's roommates are true friends, and Matty's buddy Hammer put a smile on my face. There's a couple of really awesome scenes with the football team near the end of the story that I loved too. 

At first it seemed like Jockblocked is a very simple story... boy falls hard for girl, they face some challenges, etc...but it was more than just that.  Jen Frederick's strength is delivering a story that really makes you want to stand up and cheer for the characters. She beautifully portrays some very basic emotions that immediately connect me to her characters. That's what keeps me re-reading and coming back for more.  

ARC provided for review. 

Find out more about the author, Jen Frederick at http://jenfrederick.com/

Review, Excerpt & Giveaway:The Bride Wore Starlight by Lizbeth Selvig

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THE BRIDE WORE DENIM and 

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books 1 & 2 in the Seven Brides for Seven Cowboys Series.

THE BRIDE WORE STARLIGHT

Seven Brides for Seven Cowboys #3

Lizbeth Selvig

Releasing on February 9. 2016

Avon Impulse

Once comfortable on stage in front of thousands, Joely Crockett is now mortified at the thought of walking—or rolling—down the aisle at her sisters’ wedding. Scarred and wheelchair-bound, the former beauty queen has lost more than the ability to walk—she’s lost her fire. But when one handsome, arrogant guest accuses her of milking her injuries and ignites her ire, Joely finally starts to feel truly alive again, and soon it’s impossible for her to resist her heart’s desire.

Alec Morrissey knows a little something about loss. A famous rodeo cowboy before he was injured in Iraq, he’s managed to create something of a normal life, even if it’s not the one he always imagined. Encountering stunning but damaged Joely, he sees a kindred spirit who can learn from his mistakes.

As these two healing souls begin to fall in love under the Wyoming stars, they must discover if they are willing to give in to the tragedies of life or fight for a future together.

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Excerpt

The contact with Alec’s strong, long-fingered hand didn’t do anything to quell the annoyance dancing in her stomach. Or was it attraction? Or just a very long time since a man had taken her hand?

He tugged gently and braced his feet so she could stand and get her solid leg beneath her.

Her eyes came level with his tie. That put him at roughly six feet, she thought inanely, although, in truth, no thoughts but inane ones filled her head. Up close his eyes shone a dark, rich amber, and his full, upturned lips made him appear prone to smiling. His hat looked so natural on him he might well have been born with it on.

He held out his right elbow. “Just think of me as a human hiking stick.”

He hadn’t said “cane.” He hadn’t said “crutch.” She offered a tentative, grateful smile, took a deep breath, and nodded.

What could have been horribly awkward turned out to be an easy partnership. Alec seemed to know instinctively how to step where she needed him for support, and his arm offered a perfect grip that she could lean into as firmly as she wanted. It took a dozen or so strides to get the coordination right, but slowly she figured out how to step firmly with her right leg and use Alec’s weight to help swing and step quickly with her left. She’d walked like this with crutches, but this felt so quasi normal—she almost enjoyed it.

Almost.

They came to the stairs, and she froze. A flat path was easy. Going up stairs was awkward but doable. But going down threw her weight forward, and she didn’t have the strength or balance to keep from pitching headfirst down the flight.

“We’re doing great,” he said. “There are only six.”

“We’re doing fine,” he’d said. She didn’t know this man from any random person, and yet he knew how to speak as if they’d been doing this forever.

“I really should have a body on the other side, too,” she admitted reluctantly. “I suck at stairs.”

“Here’s the deal.” He removed her hand from his elbow and held it, then wrapped his right arm loosely around her waist. “It’s your balance that’s got you spooked. You haven’t practiced with it, but your left leg is strong enough. Trust yourself. You know the drill: bad leg—”

“First,” she finished. “Yes. But it doesn’t hold my weight.”

“Eventually it will, but for now we’ll step together, and you lean into me when you’re using that leg.”

How did he know so effortlessly what to do? He’d probably had plenty of bangs and bruises when he’d been on the rodeo circuit—maybe this was second nature for him.

They navigated the stairs like they’d been doing it for years. She’d never have made it on her own, and such an exercise had been clunky at best with a physical therapist. When she stood at the bottom without aid of a crutch or two side walkers, her satisfaction had to rival that of any successful mountain climber’s.

“Wow,” she said, unable to keep the pleasure from her voice.

“Why are you surprised? You’re a ranch girl; you’re tough.”

What I thought about The Bride Wore Starlight

I was immediately intrigued by this book after reading the blurb. I haven't read anything from this author before, but I thought that a romance between two persons dealing with a disability could make for some interesting reading. It's definitely not a typical romance plot and I liked that about it.

Joely is struggling a bit with her change of circumstances and being a wheelchair user is not the worst of it.  While she's trying not to get too down about her situation, it just isn't all that easy for her to just get over it. Her life changed dramatically.  When she meets Alec at her sister's wedding, she doesn't know him, and he's a bit abrasive, but he is what she needs. He's not letting her wallow in self-pity for long and he gives her the push she needs to really start dealing with her new life. 

It was easy to get lost in Joely and Alec's journey to find and make a new life for themselves after their injuries. Their story is very poignant and not always easy to take. I liked that about the story.  The ending wrapped up a bit too quickly for me and there were some issues for me with the voice of the characters, and that's why I didn't rate this five stars. Overall, this was a nice read about two people learning to love each other and themselves while overcoming challenges and that was wonderful.

ARC provided for review.

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Lizbeth Selvig lives in Minnesota with her best friend (aka her husband), and a gray Arabian gelding. After working as a newspaper journalist and magazine editor, and raising an equine veterinarian daughter and a talented musician son, she won RWA’s prestigious Golden Heart® Contest in 2010 with her contemporary romance The Rancher and the Rock Star. In her spare time, she loves to hike, quilt, read, horseback ride, and spend time with her new granddaughter. She also has four-legged grandchildren—more than twenty—including a wallaby, two alpacas, a donkey, a pig, a sugar glider, and many dogs, cats, and horses (pics of all appear on her website www.lizbethselvig.com). She loves connecting with readers—contact her any time!

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Review: Fused (Lost in Oblivion 4.5) by Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliot

Book 4.5 in the Lost in Oblivion New Adult Rockstar Series

They’re shattered…and he’s the only one who can fuse them back together.

From the pinnacle of success to the depths of despair, the band Oblivion has been through it all. Now in the super hot conclusion to the Lost in Oblivion series, Nick Crandall, the lead guitarist and the one most likely to cause a band breakup, is the only one who can begin to put the pieces back together after the most catastrophic night of his life.

His only choice is to fight hard for what—and who—he loves.

And oh so dirty.

**Bonus: GIFTED, an Oblivion Christmas novella, is included for a limited time!**

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What I thought about Fused

Fused continues the story arc of Lila Shawcross and Nick Crandall which began in Shattered, the previous book in the series.  Things between Nick and Lila aren't doing so well, with Nick dealing with Simon's latest meltdown on stage and Lila dealing with compromising pictures that could potentially muck up her divorce proceedings. 

Lila has told Nick that she can't see him anymore.  He's possibly losing her and his band.  There's a great scene between Margo and Nick that is just perfection, as they talk about the situation with Simon. It's clear that there are some deep feelings between and among these characters in spite of the turmoil, and I loved that about this series.

Nick is no perfect guy. He's rough, mouthy and not afraid to say what he thinks, especially when it comes to the band. Now that the band is in jeopardy, it exposes his loneliness. Lila's a straight shooter too with a lot more diplomacy, but she's constantly on guard because of her soon-to-be-ex and her desire to succeed.  It's the common bond of loneliness that connects these two together, which makes it all that more satisfying when they finally face the truth about the depth of their feelings for each other.

It's been great to follow Nick and Lila's story, as they are an unlikely-on-the-surface couple.  Fused uncovers more about makes them tick and why they are attracted to each other.  Of course, there's plenty of sex as is the norm in this series, but there's more to this couple than just that. The "L" word starts getting  tossed around quite a bit, as Nick deals with Lila's latest rejection.

Some new secondary characters in this rock and roll world get introduced in Fused. There are a few from the recently released Hammered series and I hope to hear more about them, especially with Lila's stepson and Molly, Jazz's sister. 

There are plenty of rock star romances out there, but this is one series that grabs my attention with each new release. Nick and Lila's story is just awesome and Fused left me satisfied with a happy-for-now ending that made me smile.  I  want to go back and re-read the rest of the titles again.  I think that's a great compliment to give any series. 

If you like romances with a rock and roll theme, I highly recommend this one.  I've enjoyed every minute of this series and I'm thrilled that there will be one more installment to let us know how all the band drama gets resolved.  

ARC provided for review.  

About the Authors

http://cariquinn.com/home/ 

http://tarynelliott.com/

Release Week Blitz with Excerpt & Giveaway:Hard Ever After by Laura Kaye

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Release Week Blitz for Laura Kaye’s HARD EVER AFTER, a novella in Laura’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling Hard Ink Series releasing February 2, 2016! Grab your copy of this amazing book in the Hard Ink Series today!

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You Are Invited…

To the Wedding of the Year

 
About Hard Ever After:
Justice served. Honor restored. Team reunited.
After a long battle to discover the truth, the men and women of Hard Ink have a lot to celebrate, especially the wedding of two of their own—Nick Rixey and Becca Merritt, whose hard-fought love deserves a happy ending.
As Nick and the team shift from crisis mode to building their new security consulting firm, Becca heads back to work at the ER. But amid the everyday chaos of demanding jobs and their upcoming nuptials, an old menace they thought long gone reemerges, threatening the peace they’ve only just found.
Now, for one last time, Nick and Becca must fight for their always and forever, because they know that when true love overcomes all the odds it lasts hard ever after.

 

Excerpt 

Nick dove into the truck’s cab. “Go, go!”

“Fuck!” Shane punched the accelerator and pulled the truck into a hard U-ey. Another round hit the back quarter panel.

“Get down, Becca,” Nick said as he reached for the Glock at the small of his back. But she was way ahead of him, tucked in a ball on the floor behind his seat. He didn’t have a clear shot of anything, especially with chaos already breaking out around the ER’s entrance as people dove for cover and the couple of on-site police officers rushed into defensive positions.

In what felt like long minutes but was only a few seconds, they were clear of the area. Shane ran a red light to get them away from the hospital altogether.

Twisting in his seat, Nick looked out the cab’s rear window. “Watch for a tail.”

“On it,” Shane said. “You need to alert the team, Vance, Chen.”

“Yeah,” Nick said, but first he needed to check on Becca. Christ, every reassurance he’d offered the past week had just been blown to shit. His gut was a wreck, his mind unhelpfully crafting one horror story after another about what might’ve happened if Chen hadn’t called. Or if Nick hadn’t returned to the hospital immediately. Or if Coleman hadn’t been able to pull Becca off the floor. “Becca, are you okay?”

“I don’t know,” she said, her voice shaky. When she looked up at him, her skin was ashen. He reached back and clutched her hand as he dialed Marz.

“Yo, hoss, wassup?” Marz said.

“We’ve got a situation,” Nick said, filling him in. “Let everyone know what’s going on. And if you have a chance, scan the security feeds around our neighborhood looking for anything potentially suspicious. We’ve been keeping an eye out for the wrong damn car.”

“You got it,” Marz said.

Nick had just hung up when his cell rang again. Chen. Nick put it on speaker.

“I heard about the hospital. You okay?” Chen asked by way of a greeting. Nick wasn’t surprised that Chen had information that was only minutes old.

“Yeah, we’re in one piece,” Nick said. “But it was fucking close. Too close.” 

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About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense, including the Hard Ink and upcoming 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. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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