Release Day & Giveway: Her Destiny by Monica Murphy

 

We are excited to bring you the Release Day Launch of Monica Murphy's HER DESTINY! HER DESTINY is a young adult Contemporary Romance and the sequel to HIS REVERIE. Grab your copy today!

Excerpt:

“You sure Evan doesn’t mind me being here?”

“He probably hates that you’re staying the night, but he’ll get over it.” I take a step toward him and pat him on the shoulder, marveling at the solid feel of muscle beneath my palm, beneath the thick fabric of his sweatshirt. Has he gotten taller since the last time I saw him? Broader? He’s so big, standing next to him makes me feel small. “Do you need anything else?” I remove my hand from his shoulder, wishing I could touch him more.

“Nah. I’m gonna change, brush my teeth and go to sleep.” He smiles, looking cute, like a little boy and my heart flutters. When he reaches for the hem of his sweatshirt I step away, watch in silent fascination as he pulls the fabric over his head, taking the T-shirt he’s wearing beneath it upward so I catch a glimpse of his flat, perfect stomach, the little trail of dark hair that starts just under his navel.

I’m breathless, my skin is tingling and when he tosses the sweatshirt onto the couch, I start to walk backwards. “Okay well, good night.” I need to get away from him before I do something really stupid.

Like jump him.

“Night, Reverie,” he calls after me as I hurry to my bedroom. Glancing over my shoulder, I find him watching me with that penetrating, thoughtful gaze and I turn away, practically tripping over my feet in the hall. I rush into my room, shutting the door quietly before I slump against it, closing my eyes and pressing my forehead against the rough wood.

My feelings for him haven’t stopped. I still want him. I’m still in love with him. So why am I denying myself from being with him? Because I’ve changed and I’m worried he won’t accept me for who I really am? And because my life is so crazy the last thing I need is another complication to muck it all up?

Valid reasons, but why would I deprive myself from being with him? He’s the only one who understood me. Who listened to me. Who cared about me.

I think he still does.

Cracking open my eyes, I push away from the doorway and shut off the light before I crawl into bed. I lay there in the dark, listening to him move about inside the bathroom, which is right next to my bedroom. He finishes brushing his teeth before he exits the room and I swear I can feel him standing on the other side of my closed door, waiting. Listening for any sign of life coming from within.

I can’t move. I’m frozen, holding my breath, waiting for him to knock on the door, to turn the knob, anything to show that he wants to see me. I want him to both respect my brother’s wishes and defy them. I want him overcome with need yet cautious. I want…everything.

All of him.

Disappointment crashes through me when I realize he is definitely obeying Evan’s wishes. He doesn’t sneak into my room, doesn’t attempt to talk to me, nothing. I should be happy. Pleased that he doesn’t want to upset anyone.

Instead, I’m sad.

Rolling over on my side, I punch the pillow beneath my head and settle in for the night, willing myself to fall asleep. I get to spend pretty much the entire weekend with him. Maybe we can work it out then since we’ll have plenty of time. But for now I’ll have to settle for Nick visiting me…

Only in my dreams.

About HER DESTINY:

I knew from the moment I first saw him he was the one. The only boy I could ever want.
The only boy I could ever love.

They say he’s bad for me.

But I know he’s not.

Until the day he rejects me.

And breaks my heart.

Completely.

Everything changes in the blink of an eye. My entire life as I’ve known it is…gone. Secrets are revealed. Promises once made are irrevocably broken. There’s no way my family can get back to what we once were.

So when Nicholas Fairfield walks back into my life like he never left it, I’m furious. Thrilled. Irritated. Excited.

Conflicted.

Despite my confusion, I want to be with him. I love him. But danger lurks where we least expect it. Someone will do whatever it takes to tear us apart. All I know is: I won’t let them.

Because Nick Fairfield? He’s mine.

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What I thought about Her Destiny

Her Destiny is the second book in this series and I'll have to tell you that I didn't read the first book in this series, so my reaction to Her Destiny might be a bit different than yours if you've read the first one.  The good news is that you can pick up the second book and easily follow this YA romance.

The story opens with Reverie's point of view.  She's starting her senior year by partying up a storm, getting herself into some not-so-good situations.  It's good that her brother is there to help her see that her new partying lifestyle is a dead end for the last few good things they have in their lives.  Evan and Reverie has lost everything they've grown up with since their evangalist parents have been arrested for embezzling from their parishioners. 

But what hurts Reverie the most is the boy that left her behind.  Okay, he's been accussed of murdering his ex, but she knows he didn't do it, because the reverend's daughter was in bed with him when the murder occured.

Alternating with Reverie's point of view is Nick's pov, sometimes in unmailed emails, but eventually he joins the story as he comes back to check up on Reverie.  Only the cops follow him there, and Reverie doesn't even have much of a chance to deal with the return of Nick, when the cop shows up at her workplace, wanting Reverie to return to give a statement.

But clearing Nick's name comes with some potentially deadly consequences when the real killer finds out.

Overall, I liked Her Destiny.  The book moved along quickly, and the story of how Evan and Reverie are putting their lives back together after their parents scandal is an interesting one.  I particularly liked Evan's role in this very much. As for Nick and Reverie, I didn't connect with them as a couple as much as I did with them individually, maybe because I didn't read the first book, but that didn't detract from my enjoying this story.

 

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About Monica Murphy: I write books. I have the best job ever. New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Writer of new adult contemporary romance-ish stuff. Published with Avon and Bantam. Mom and wife. Native Californian. For more information, please visit my website at http://monicamurphyauthor.com or sign up for my newsletter (copy and paste the link into your browser): http://bit.ly/IW5U0y I'm also known as USA Today bestseller romance author Karen Erickson (http://karenerickson.com).

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Author Goodreads ** HER DESTINY Goodreads ** Amazon author page

Release Blitz & Giveaway: Thin Love by Eden Butler

Title: Thin Love

Author: Eden Butler

Genre: New Adult/Contemporary Romance crossover

Release Date: August 19, 2014

Synopsis

Love isn't supposed to be an addiction. It isn't supposed to leave you bleeding.

Kona pushed, Keira pulled, and in their wake, they left behind destruction.

She sacrificed everything for him.

It wasn't enough.

But the wounds of the past can never be completely forgotten and still the flame remains, slumbers between the pleasure of yesterday and the thought of what might have been.

Now, sixteen years later, Keira returns home to bury the mother who betrayed her, just as Kona tries to hold onto what remains of his NFL career with the New Orleans Steamers. Across the crowded bustle of a busy French Market, their paths collide, conjuring forgotten memories of a consuming touch, skin on skin, and the still smoldering fire that begs to be rekindled.

When Kona realizes the trifecta of betrayal—his, Keira's and those lies told to keep them apart—his life is irrevocably changed and he once again takes Keira down with him into the fire that threatens to ignite them both.

Smashwords ||B&N || Amazon ||Amazon UK ||  iTunes || Page Foundry

*****  I just finished this last night and it's amazing! *****

***** I'll be posting a review as part of the blog tour!  *****

♥ About Eden ♥

Eden Butler is an editor and writer of New Adult Romance and SciFi and Fantasy novels and the nine-times great-granddaughter of an honest-to-God English pirate. This could explain her affinity for rule breaking and rum. Her debut novel, a New Adult, Contemporary (no cliffie) Romance, “Chasing Serenity” launched in October 2013 and quickly became an Amazon bestseller.

When she’s not writing or wondering about her possibly Jack Sparrowesque ancestor, Eden edits, reads and spends way too much time watching rugby, Doctor Who and New Orleans Saints football.

She is currently imprisoned under teenage rule alongside her husband in southeast Louisiana.

Please send help.

Facebook • Twitter • Pinterest • Tumblr • Blog • Goodreads • Newsletter

♥ Giveaway ♥

(2) $10 gift card for either Amazon or B&N. Winner's choice.  Open internationally.

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Review & Giveaway: Hopeful by Louise Bay

Hopeful Synopsis:

Guys like Joel Wentworth weren't supposed to fall in love with girls like me. He could have had his pick of the girls on campus, but somehow the laws of nature were defied and we fell crazy in love.

For a short time, I thought it would be for infinity.

On July 10, 2006, immediately after graduation, Joel left for New York. And, despite him wanting me to go with him, I'd refused, unwilling to disappoint my parents and risk the judgment of my friends. I hadn’t seen him again. Never even spoke to him.

I've spent the last eight years working hard to put my career front and center in my life, dodging any personal complications. I have a strict no-dating policy. I've managed to piece together a reality that works for me.

Until now.

Now, Joel's coming back to London.

And I need to get over him before he gets over here.

Hopeful is a stand alone novel.

***Not suitable for younger readers due to sexual content and language.***

Buy Links

Amazon

US www.amzn.com/dp/B00LSXPYNG
UK www.amzn.co.uk/dp/B00LSXPYNG
Canada www.amazon.ca/dp/B00LSXPYNG
Australia www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00LSXPYNG

Nook
UK www.nook.com/gb/ebooks/hopeful-by-louise-bay/2940149765669

Barnes and Noble

www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hopeful-louise-bay/1119952116?ean=2940149765669

KOBO

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/hopeful-1

What I thought about Hopeful 

Ava could never believe that a guy like Joel Wentworth would be interested in her, at least not for anything more than studying together in the library. He's popular, and gorgeous. All the girls wanted him. When he finally let's Ava know how he feels, she wants him, but also wants to keep their relationship secret. She has her reasons, some of them good ones, but in the end, when circumstances have her and Joel parting ways, she realizes that she left the love of her life go.

Eight years later and after much professional success between them, Joel returns to London and the their group of friends that still get together.  Ava knows that she's going to see him again. Of course none of her friends know that she's a mess about this because they don't know Joel and Ava's past.

Hopeful is told in first person, Ava's point of view.  The chapters flip between past and present so we get to see how they fell in love, and what broke them apart. The back and forth between the present and the past sorta got on my nerves at the end when I just wanted to know if they were going to make it in the present.

This true love tale kept me interested and kept me reading to the end.  I wanted to know how it was all going to turn out.  If you don't believe in one true love, then you might have some problems with this story.  I really liked their courtship and I could believe they had that sort of all-consuming forever-type of love for each other.  

I liked Hopeful.  This was the first title I've read by this author and I would seriously consider reading more from Louise Bay.  

This is my honest review. I may have received this book from Netgalley, Edelweiss, a publisher, an author, a promoter or purchased it. How I obtained the book has no bearing on my review rating.




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Louise Bay Bio:

I write sexy, romantic, contemporary novels - the kind I like to read!

Ruined by romantic mini-series of the seventies and eighties, I love all things romantic. There's not enough of it in real life so I'll settle for books and films.

I love the rain, the West Wing, London, days when you don't have to wear make-up, being alone, being with friends, elephants and champagne.



Blog: http://www.louisebay.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/louisesbay

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorlouisebay

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8056592.Louise_Bay

Hopeful Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21964066-hopeful?from_search=true

Review: Beyond Addiction by Kit Rocha

She’s fought like hell to leave the past behind.

Trix changed her name and her life when she got clean four years ago. Now, she has a new family and a job she loves—tending bar and dancing at the Broken Circle. As an O’Kane, she’s happy, untouchable. Until a nightmare from her old life tears her away from her home and drags her back to Hell—also known as Sector Five.

He’s still living—and dying—in it.

Losing Trix was the kick in the head Finn needed to get sober, but working as an enforcer for a man he hates is slowly crushing his soul. The only thing that keeps him going is his determination to destroy Sector Five from the inside. Then Trix comes back into his life—alive, in danger—and nothing else matters.

Getting her home could be a suicide mission. The only thing deadlier is the old spark that flares to life between them. Soon, Finn and Trix are battling the one addiction neither of them ever managed to kick—each other. And it could cost them everything.

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, All Romance Ebooks, Smashwords

Read Chapter one.

What I thought about Beyond Addiction

Well, Kit Rocha has done it again with Finn and Trix.  The book starts out with a bang when Finn has to take some extreme measures to get Trix out of Sector Five. Then they are on the run, trying to get back to O'Kane territory. But Finn and Trix have some serious history, and both of them struggle with where the relationship is going to go, even when Finn gets Trix back to Sector Four.

There's lots of politics in this one as the sectors struggle within and try to wrestle control away from Dallas O'Kane. I loved getting a nice dose of Lex and Dallas in this.  I run hot and cold as far as Lex is concerned, but I liked her in this one and the view of how they are running the sector.

But the real treat for me in Beyond Addiction was Finn.  He's sensitive without being weak, and self-sacrificing without being a martyr.  There was never any question about his feelings toward Trix, and when he's put in a situation that could hurt the entire sector, there really isn't any question about what he's going to do.  And that made him one of the most romantic Sector heros so far for me.

I also loved the relationship that developed between Bren and Finn, and the small snippets of Ace and Cruz throughout. Some great action sequences in this too, and time with Noah in the tunnels beneath Sector 5.  Lots of good stuff. 

Really loved this book in the series.  There's lots of story here.  Recommended.

This is my honest review. I may have received this book from Netgalley, Edelweiss, a publisher, an author, a promoter or purchased it. How I obtained the book has no bearing on my review rating.

ARC Review: Love and Blarney (Ballybeg #2) by Zara Keane

Married in Manhattan…
Ruairí MacCarthy abandoned his life in New York to deal with a family crisis in Ireland. Twelve months later, he’s traded his three-piece suits and Wall Street career for jeans and a job managing his family’s pub in Ballybeg. When his estranged wife bursts back into his life looking for reconciliation, Ruairí must decide if home is where the heart is.

…True Love in Ballybeg.
Jayme King wants Ruairí back. She’s prepared to battle sheep, floods, and crazy Irish in-laws to get him. Discovering he lied about his past was a shock, but Jayme’s had months come to terms with the betrayal. Letting Ruairí go was the biggest mistake of her life. Can she persuade him to return to America and give their marriage a second chance?

Buy Links:  Amazon     ||   Barnes&Noble

What I thought about Love and Blarney

I'm falling in love with this series in a big way. Not only are the characters and their stories interesting and less formulaic than most of the other romances I've read, I feel like I've been transported to a small seaside town in Ireland every time I read one. It's like a mini-vacation in a book, and really, what's better than that?

In Love and Blarney, the story centers around Ruairí MacCarthy, local pub owner. Years ago, he left Ballybeg for New York, thinking he'd never return. But now he's back to take care of the pub and some pressing family issues.

Ruairí has some loose ends to clean up.  For one, he's left behind a wife in New York that no one knows about.  He's never told her details about his family, and both of his worlds collide when Jayme shows up in Ballybeg in a last effort to see if their marriage can be saved. 

But before that can happen, they both have secrets they need to share with each other, and Ballybeg is a perfect setting for that to take place.

This story had many elements that I really enjoyed.  The main characters are thirty-something established professionals. They have to make some tough decisions about their lives. Their path back to each other is sweetly romantic as it's clear that both Ruairí and Jayme are still in love with each other. It all becomes a question of whether love is enough to trump all of the circumstances and past history and give them a second chance.


If you like contemporary romance, give this series a read, I think you might like it. Love and Blarney can be read as a standalone.  This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series of 2014.

Can't wait for the next installment! 

This is my honest review. I may have received this book from Netgalley, Edelweiss, a publisher, an author, a promoter or purchased it. How I obtained the book has no bearing on my review rating.

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Amour Amour by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Title: Amour Amour

Authors: Krista & Becca Ritchie

Expected Publication Date: December 2014

Genre: New Adult Romance

 

 
Synopsis

Love is a circus

"Every day,” he says lowly, “I hold a person’s life in my hands. The circus is based one-hundred percent off of trust. I give it all to someone, and they give it all to me.”

The best aerial technique won’t land 21-year-old Thora James her dream role in Amour—a sexy new acrobatic show on the Vegas strip. Thora knows she’s out of her element the second she meets Amour’s leading performer. Confident, charming and devilishly captivating, 26-year-old Nikolai Kotova aggravatingly lives up to his nickname as the “God of Russia.”

When Thora unknowingly walks into the crosshairs of Nikolai’s after-show, her audition process begins way too soon. Unprofessional. That’s what Nik calls their “non-existent” relationship. It’s not like Thora can avoid him. For one, they may be partners in the future—acrobatic partners, that is. But getting closer to Nik means diving deeper into sin city and into his dizzying world.

Thora wants to perform with him, but when someone like Nikolai attracts the spotlight wherever he goes—Thora fears that she’s destined to be “just background” to his spellbinding show.

This sexy and exhilarating New Adult Romance can best be described as Cirque du Soleil meets the steamy, athletic romance of Center Stage. *standalone & no love triangles—recommended for readers 18+ for mature content*



Giveaway
$15 Amazon Gift Card


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About the Authors
 
Krista & Becca Ritchie are identical twins. They write New Adult books that make you cringe, gasp, and go ooh-la-la. (If you do that sort of thing.) They are currently working on the spin-offs and final books in the Addicted series. Connect with them on twitter and their website:kbritchie.comWebsite | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Pinterest

Release Day Launch & Giveaway: First & Forever by Alyssa Rose Ivy

We are so excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for Alyssa Rose Ivy's FIRST & FOREVER!

FIRST & FOREVER is a New Adult Paranormal Romance and the fourth novel in her The Crescent Chronicles Series.

It is priced at just $1.99 during the release week only. This will last for a limited time only to celebrate the release!

 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | IndieBound

FIRST & FOREVER Synopsis:

Ever wonder what Levi was thinking in FLIGHT? Find out in the two Levi POV novellas FIRST & FOREVER. This combined edition includes both FIRST (previously released) and FOREVER, a brand new novella.This edition also includes the bonus short story: The Royal Wedding.

FIRST
Levi's got it all. He's a paranormal prince with more money and power than he knows what to do with, but something is missing—a mate. He only has until college graduation to find her. Allie's perfect but she wants nothing to do with him. When attraction becomes something more, will he take a chance and show her who he really is or will he lose everything?

FOREVER
Levi's almost out of time. Allie's the one, he knows it in every grain of his being, but how can he make her see it? Desperate to keep Allie safe and at his side, he takes the biggest risk of his life. Reckless or not there is nothing he wouldn't do to keep her with him... forever.

FIRST & FOREVER Excerpt:

We walked off into the darkness, and I held her hand firmly in my own. I’d never been a big hand holder, but it’s like I needed to have hers in mine. I needed to touch her constantly, and I wanted her to know she was always safe with me—even if I was far from safe to most anyone else.

She tugged on my hand, and I gladly followed her down closer to the water.

She took in another deep breath. “There is nothing like the beach at night.”

“You like it at night, too? I was worried you wouldn’t like it without the sun.” I wondered if I was unique in craving the quiet shadows of the dark beach.

“I like the beach during the day, but I love it at night. There is just something about listening to the waves in the darkness and the soft glow of the stars reflecting off the water.”

“Yeah. It’s nice.” I moved behind her, and she leaned into me. We stood that way for several minutes before I turned her to look at me.

She looked like a dream standing there in the glimmering of the moonlight. I studied her face, looking for a sign that she was something more than the beautiful human that had attracted me from the moment we met. Every part of me knew how significant she was to me, but I wanted more proof. “You’re so beautiful. So unbelievably beautiful…” I trailed off as my lips gave in to what they had wanted to do all day.

 

Catch up with every moment in the Crescent Chronicles, so far...

Flight, Book 1 | Focus, Book 2 | Found, Book 3 | First, a Crescent Chronicles novella

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Alyssa Rose Ivy Bio:

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Twitter | Author Goodreads | Pinterest | Website | FIRST & FOREVER Goodreads | Facebook