Saturday, February 29, 2020

✱✱Book Review✱✱ Dream Gone Wild by Lucia Ashta


Dream Gone Wild 
Seize Your Wild Book 1
by Lucia Ashta 


Jace Rollini was my first kiss, my first boyfriend, my first everything.

Gorgeous and tough, he was my high school’s bad boy.
A motorcycle lover with a craving for danger, I thought I’d hold on to him as long as he let me.

Fast forward twelve years…

I ended up with a man who was the wrong sort of trouble.
The kind that hurt me.
The kind that left me in the hospital with a traumatic brain injury that erased the last twelve years of my life.

Now I’m back in the small town I ran away from.
And Jace is here.
And he’s sexier than ever.

I broke his heart.
He’s right in not wanting anything to do with me.

I shouldn’t want Jace anymore.

I should definitely stay away from him...

** Dream Gone Wild is a full-length, small town, second chance romance with a happily ever after. Each book in the Seize Your Wild series can be read as a standalone, but is best read in order.






Momma Says: 3 stars⭐⭐⭐

Dream Gone Wild wasn't exactly what I expected. The blurb hints at a more emotional story while the cover makes me think the story would be a lighthearted romp. Emotion won out on this one, at least in part. There is nothing lighthearted about Rae's circumstances. Nevertheless, there are some lighter moments, and once the romance between Jace and Rae gets going, or in their case, gets going again, things heat up. The chemistry between them is good, and they certainly generate a fair amount of steam. But - yes, there is a but - I still had some problems with this story. Like why Rae broke Jace's heart in the first place. Why such a big turnaround in her character? I thought maybe it would get into at least some of that, and I assumed that Todd had something to do with the change, but I kind of felt like I was left hanging on some of the answers. I think what bothered me the most is that Jace and Rae never really got into all of that. They talked, and I get that Rae couldn't remember the breakup, but I expected them to get into the details. If for no other reason than to give them both some closure on the subject. Instead, there's a lot of I love you, but I can't love you. I want you, but we can't do that, I want to marry you, which is why I won't marry you... Umm, what? It was kind of whiplash-inducing. Don't get me wrong - I realize that I sound completely critical, but I did like this couple, and I liked their story. I just wanted and expected more. It felt like things came together a little too easily after everything that happened. In the end, I would say that the story was worth reading, and I would read other books by this author.


✱✱Book Review✱✱ River of Lies by R.M. Greenaway


River of Lies 
B.C. Blues Crime Series Book 5
by R.M. Greenaway


In rain-drenched Vancouver, detectives Dion and Leith work to separate truth from lies in two seemingly unrelated cases.

February is the month of romance, but in North Vancouver it’s also become the month of murder. While the North Shore RCMP slog through the rain in the search for whoever left a young woman to die in the Riverside Secondary School parking lot — their first clue a Valentine’s Day card — a toddler mysteriously vanishes from a Riverside Drive home in the midst of a dinner party.

With Constable JD Temple's full attention on the parking lot murder, Constables Dave Leith and Cal Dion work the kidnap … until a tenuous connection is made between the two cases, along with the thinnest ray of hope that the child could be alive and well in the hands of a childless couple. But when more tragedy rains down on the North Shore, lies must be unveiled before the ugly truth can emerge.


River of Lies releases March 14th, 2020


Momma Says: 2 stars⭐⭐

First, let me just say that I wasn't familiar with this series, and I had no idea that this was even part of a series until after I started it. That said, I didn't have any trouble following the storyline, or storylines, in this book. I was surprised that for a series that is five books in, I didn't find the characters particularly likable, not even the main characters who I assume are central to each book. Another surprising thing about this book was the almost lazy pacing. One of the cases is a missing toddler, and even with that one, I didn't really find a sense of urgency like I expected. The story was a bit scattered, and there were odd time jumps here and there, then the author would go back and explain. I don't know if there was a specific reason for the style, but it just didn't work for me. In the end, I think I liked the idea of this one better than the reality of it. It certainly sounded promising, but it didn't quite deliver. 

❃❃ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Dundurn Press



Midnight Sons Series Tour and Giveaway


Sam's Folly 
Midnight Sons Book 1 
by Carmen DeSousa 
Genre: Romantic Suspense 


When a bigwig fight promoter needs someone to search for his missing fiancée, he hires expert tracker Sam Belgarde and his search dogs. Sam is more than a little reluctant. His family’s company, Search and Rescue Alaska, is in financial trouble, though, so if searching for a spoiled socialite will save it, then he’s willing to break the rules—just this once.
After witnessing a murder, Nora Molina needs to get away—fast—and her best hope to escape without her passport is Alaska. A native of Argentina, Nora’s accustomed to harsh winters and high elevation, so she gets more than a little irritated when some tracker thinks she needs rescuing. Even if he is get-out sexy. And even if he’s the guy she stood up before leaving town. It’s going to be a long few days.

When an unexpected storm rolls in, Sam and Nora find themselves in each other’s arms—to keep warm. Things get a little too hot when it’s clear someone wants the two of them to stay lost—permanently. 


**Only .99 cents! **




Alex's Atonement 
Midnight Sons Book 2 


Alex Belgarde has carried the culpability of his father’s death for more than ten years. Every year, as his family’s company falls deeper into debt, the guilt eats away more of his soul until there’s only one answer. Prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to save his father’s legacy, Alex takes off on a frigid winter day with no radio and very little fuel in his seaplane. He’s using up the last of his reserve tank, preparing to drop from the sky, when he sees plane wreckage below.
Irene Rose has spent her life chasing her dream. But after a possible terminal diagnosis, she realizes how lonely her life has become and is ready to forgive her sister and beg for her family’s forgiveness. Instead of arriving on the island of her birth, Irene finds herself stranded in the Alaskan wilderness. Unbeknownst to her, the pilot for the plane she chartered was a drug runner, so he didn’t alert authorities as they crashed.

While Alex’s illogical idea to save his father’s company is thwarted because of his obligation to help others, he finds purpose in offering aid to the beautiful and intelligent Irene. The attraction is mutual until Irene persuades Alex to tell her the real reason he can’t simply fly them to safety or call for help. Now the two castaways will have to fight the harsh winter elements, as well as the drug smugglers who lost their cargo in the wreck, if they want to make it home alive. Not easy tasks when Irene refuses to trust Alex to get her home safely. She simply can’t get over the fact that as talented, tough, and tantalizing as he is that he was going to throw his life away when hers will probably be cut short. For the first time in his life, Alex will have to face his demons instead of running from them in order to win the girl and prove to himself that he’s a real hero. 


**Only .99 cents! **




Vince's Chance 
Midnight Sons Book 3 


Vince Kolya inherited only one trait from his biological father: a need to be on the sea. The rest of his life he has tried to emulate what he learned from his unofficial adopted family, the Belgardes: dedicating his life to helping others instead of abusing them. Unfortunately, he’s yet to find a woman who wants the same things he does in life. It’s bad enough that his wife left him, but she also failed to make his boat payments while he was on a three-month stint. Giving up on relationships, Vince throws himself into working with his family’s search & rescue team. Highest on his to-do list, though, is saving money to buy another boat so he can get back on the water, away from the reminders of his abusive past.

Now that her father is dead and buried, Valery Yura is coming home to her beloved state of Alaska in hopes that moving her troubled son to the place where she grew up will transform him into the loving young man he once was. The last thing she needs is a distraction, especially when it comes in the form of the gorgeous man she’s loved her entire life—Vince. A few too many drinks and sexy dancing on the dock, and she’s repeating ancient history, a situation she can’t allow, so she runs from his bed. When her son goes missing after a fishing excursion, Valery feels that the authorities aren’t doing everything possible. Although she’s resigned herself to never seeing Vince again, she needs his help.

As much as Vince tries to hold onto his feelings of anger and abandonment, knowing it’s paramount to protecting his heart, he finds himself falling deeper and deeper for Valery as they search for her lost son. The only way to win her love is to be her hero and find her son, but that hope fades when the authorities call off the search. Determined to give Valery closure and win back her heart, Vince embarks on an all-out manhunt for the missing boy. What he discovers, though, might be a death warrant for him and the woman he can’t lose again. 


**Only .99 cents! **





Carmen DeSousa's stories overflow with romance, suspense, a hint of humor and, of course, a few Kleenex moments. After all, what would a great story be without an emotional event setting the stage? All of her novels are sensual but not erotic, gripping but not graphic, and will make you cry, laugh, love, and hope. Although some of her books include supernatural or ghostly beings, her stories dance on the edge of make believe. 

As most authors, Carmen blames her leap into a full-time career as a professional writer on her love of reading. She states that reading has always been an escape for her. When life was rough as a child, she could always disappear into a book. But she found something else too... She discovered that writing out her thoughts was therapeutic. Not only could she create hope for her protagonists, but she could also do away with her antagonists--legally. 

Carmen currently lives in "The Heart of Arizona" with her husband of twenty-nine years and a very spoiled "rescued" calico they lovingly refer to as "Baby Kitty," even though she's twelve years old. Carmen and her husband love to experience different areas, so they move a lot. They've lived on both of Florida's coasts: Cocoa Beach and Tampa Bay; Charlotte, North Carolina; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Chicago, Illinois; Bullhead City, Arizona, the Northern Central Valley of California, and now Arizona's high desert. They're always looking for their next adventure, so they travel every chance they get. If you've read about a place in one of Carmen's stories, she's been there! 

Most of her novels share her favorite hobbies, mostly, anything to do with the great outdoors. Both Carmen and her husband not only write, but also love to read outside--or a coffee shop if it's raining. And if the weather is really nice, they enjoy kayaking and hiking. Carmen says they rarely spend their days off at a movie theater or the mall. In fact, she hates shopping, and her husband would rather do anything than take her to a movie when she's already read the book. 






Swag Pack 
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!




eXtasy Books, Devine Destinies Sale and Giveaway


* Receive 10% back in reward credits on every purchase to be used on future purchases.

* New customers get $5.00 off $20 or more purchase. Coupon added automatically to your shopping cart.
* Huge markdowns on books in the Bargain Bin! New books added monthly.
* Try a new series and save at least 50% on Bundled Books!

Inferno

by D.S. Dehel
Genre: Contemporary Dark Romance 

A musician. An angel. A hearing impaired artist.
Simple. Kinky. Complicated.


Lasciate vi stesso voi ch’entrate. “Abandon yourself, you who enter” are the words engraved on the invitation given to Rose Dantes by her fiancé, Nico. It is a chance to uncover her passions and unlock her darkest desires. It is a gift of magnificent proportions—one that will change her life irrevocably.

With the enigmatic Virgil as her guide and mentor, Rose endeavors to complete the gauntlet known as “The Nine,” a pilgrimage tailored to her fantasies. Doing so earns her nothing more than the praise and adoration of her fiancé, something she wants more than anything else. Her quest pushes her boundaries and makes her question her entire life. Yet, Rose is no shrinking violet. She has a mind of her own and an attitude to match, qualities she will need to complete her Pilgrimage. Inferno plunges her into an abyss of pleasure and personal pain, and in the end, she must face her very own Lucifer.


An eXtasy Books Editor's Choice Book

"The story is told from the perspective of Rose, the primary character, who starts out on a sexual "pilgrimage" on the urging of her fiance Nico. Along the way, Rose finds out a lot -- about herself, mostly, but also about people she thought she knew, including that she doesn't know so much about them, after all." ~ Editor

Reviews:
"I love this book! I hated for it to end..." 5 Stars - Lynn
"Such an interesting premise full of hot men, no matter what your type is." - 5 Stars – Tonya


**Only .99 cents!!**


Extrication
Veiled Eliminators #1
by Taryn Jameson and Gabriella Bradley
Genre: Scifi Romance 

Extrications are dangerous, and Two is willing to risk it all to escape the Institute.
Two is an eliminator, a trained assassin. She has one mission—enter the portal, eliminate a rogue general, then activate her microchip to wipe her memory. But she knows a secret that would rock the foundations of the Institute’s training program. Armed with only a tiny dagger, and the truth of their future, she enlists the help of her partner, Four, to escape their fate.


An Extasy Books Editors Choice Book
"A new look at a possible future with a good mix of paranormal. As the first story of a new series, the excellent world-building and unique characters set a compelling precedent that will have you wanting more." ~ Editor

Reviews:
"Extrication is a story well worth reading. I am looking forward to more stories from these two authors." - 5 Stars – Jennifer

"A complex and inventive plot that matches the book's unique world building, completely unlike any romance I've read in some time." - 5 Stars – Mickey


**Only .99 cents!!**


Blessed
The Matawapit Family Series Book 1
by Maggie Blackbird
Genre: Contemporary M/M Inspirational Romance

It’s been ten years since Emery Matawapit sinned, having succumbed to temptation for the one thing in his life that felt right, another man. In six months he’ll make a life-changing decision that will bar him from sexual relationships for the rest of his life.


Darryl Keejik has a decade-long chip on his shoulder, and he holds Emery’s father, the church deacon, responsible for what he’s suffered: the loss of his family and a chance at true love with Emery. No longer a powerless kid, Darryl has influence within the community—maybe more than the deacon. Darryl intends on using his power to destroy Deacon Matawapit and his church.

Hoping to save the church, Emery races home. But stopping Darryl is harder than expected when their sizzling chemistry threatens to consume Emery. Now he is faced with the toughest decision of his life: please his devout parents and fulfill his call to the priesthood, or remain true to his heart and marry the man created for him.

This is very erotic book about a spiritual journey.


Reviews:
"Maggie Blackbird's debut novel hits it out of the ballpark. Well written, deep in eroticism, and two flawed but easy to love main characters. Highly recommended!" - 5 Stars – Valerie


**Only .99 cents!!**


Horizontal Bunny Hop
A Fairy in the Bed Book 2
by Lark Westerly
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance 

Two flat batteries… and a fairy in her bed.
Single Mab spends her Easter birthday in the attic of a boutique hotel. Her sister’s joking gift of a Bunnyhopper sex toy provides some amusement until the batteries run out. Mab’s mad enough to make a wish. Enter Derry; a fairy with a taste for chocolate. Room Service has never been so much fun.

**Only .99 cents!!**






D.S. Dehel is a lover of photography, good food, and the Oxford comma. When she is not immersed in a book, she is mom to her kids and spoiling her rather pampered feline, Mr. Darcy. She can also be found at the gym training for her next Spartan race and generally avoiding all adult responsibility. She adores literary allusions, writing sex scenes, and British television. Her devoted husband is still convinced she writes children's books. Please don't enlighten him.








Taryn Jameson is a mother, artist, and avid reader who lives in an enchanted forest that sparks her imagination to create. Her latest outlet is the written word. She is the alter ego of cover artist Angela Waters.

She loved designing the covers for this series and thought it was a lot of fun bringing the Crimson Realm to life both with words and visually with the covers.







Gabriella Bradley lives in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, amidst rugged mountains. She more than often has a grizzly in her backyard searching for food. Other critters that visit on a regular basis are cougars, coyotes, squirrels, raccoons.

She has been a writer all of her life, though only ventured into erotic works in 2003. Her hobbies include hiking, gardening, swimming, sewing, embroidery. Favorite movies are old timers like Gone with the WindSpartacus etc. Favorite music is Abba.





An Ojibway from Northwestern Ontario, Maggie Blackbird resides in the country with her husband and their fur babies, two beautiful Alaskan Malamutes. When she’s not writing, she can be found pulling weeds in the flower beds, mowing the huge lawn, walking the Mals deep in the bush, teeing up a ball at the golf course, fishing in the boat for walleye, or sitting on the deck at her sister’s house, making more wonderful memories with the people she loves most.







Lark Westerly lives in the island state of Tasmania, a place of wind and rivers, wild places and hidden delights. She enjoys walking over the hills, gardening, collecting china dogs, listening to music and wallowing decadently in a hot bath. Lark has been married for some years, and has two grown children. She writes under a variety of names, and lives in many worlds- most of which don’t bear much resemblance to the 21st Century.









Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!









Kissing Kin by Karen Hulene Bartell NBTM Virtual Book Tour

KISSING KIN by Karen Hulene Bartell The following scene is one of my favorites in Kissing Kin because it embodies the paranormal romance’s c...