Sunday 31 May 2020

Review: Marek - Felicity Heaton

Prince of the Underworld and Lord of Earth, Marek was banished from his home by his father, Hades, two centuries ago and given a new duty and purpose—to keep our world and his from colliding in a calamity foreseen by the Moirai. Together with his six brothers, he fights to defend the gates to the Underworld from daemons bent on breaching them and gaining entrance to that forbidden land, striving to protect his home from their dark influence.

Haunted by a betrayal that shattered him and set him on a dark path of vengeance, Marek closely guards his heart, as determined to keep it safe as he is to wipe the scourge of vampires from the world.
Until a hunt lands him in the presence of a beautiful woman who threatens to steal that heart as she battles his sworn enemy, her graceful moves igniting a passion so fierce and hunger so deep it consumes him.

Caterina’s sole purpose for the last decade has been freeing her brother of the curse of being turned into a vampire. When an alluring dark warrior steps in to help her battle a nest of bloodsuckers, her entire life is tipped off balance. She knows deep in her heart the warrior can help her save her brother, but can she trust a man who is driven to slay every vampire he meets?

When Marek’s enemy emerges from the shadows, and Caterina is pulled down a dark rabbit hole into a dangerous world, will they be strong enough to overcome their pride and their prejudices or will a dark turn of events shatter both their hearts?

Guardians of Hades Series:
Ares
Valen
Esher
Marek

Visit Felicity Heaton's website for more information

Review:
It's been a couple of years since the last book in the Guardians of Hades series was released so while I was excited to dive back into this world I did worry that I might get confused and not remember enough about the previous stories. Luckily Felicity Heaton did a great job of bringing me back up to speed and within a few pages I was just happy to be back with these characters.

Marek is luckier than some of his brothers when it comes to his abilities and they cause less problems for him in the human realm but he has spent hundreds of years caught up on a previous betrayal and spends his time sneaking around hunting vampires when his brothers' backs are turned. It is during one of these attacks that he first meets Caterina who is also hunting vampires but for very different reasons to Marek. Caterina may be human but she's aware of the supernatural so although she doesn't immediately recognise Marek for what he is she does understand that he's not a normal human. The two bond pretty quickly over their mutual dislike of the vampires but Caterina's life takes a very difficult turn when she is targeted by Marek's enemies.

I don't want to say too much about what happens to Caterina but it was definitely shocking and there were some really interesting developments in the ongoing story arc throughout this instalment of the series. As much as I enjoyed the romance between Marek and Caterina I also loved getting to find out more about Calistos and about all of the brothers' backgrounds. Their enemies are building up to something big and I think the action is only going to get more intense in the next couple of books.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
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Paperback / Kindle:

Blog Tour: Marek - Felicity Heaton


New York Times best-selling paranormal romance author Felicity Heaton is here today for the book tour of her new paranormal romance release, MAREK, the latest novel in her epic Guardians of Hades series.

If you love dark, alpha Greek gods and strong heroines who bring them to their knees, together with epic action, sizzling passion and high stakes drama, then this series is definitely for you. Plus, each book has a happily forever after and there are no cliff-hangers, because there’s nothing worse than a cliff-hanger!



by Felicity Heaton

Prince of the Underworld and Lord of Earth, Marek was banished from his home by his father, Hades, two centuries ago and given a new duty and purpose—to keep our world and his from colliding in a calamity foreseen by the Moirai. Together with his six brothers, he fights to defend the gates to the Underworld from daemons bent on breaching them and gaining entrance to that forbidden land, striving to protect his home from their dark influence.

Haunted by a betrayal that shattered him and set him on a dark path of vengeance, Marek closely guards his heart, as determined to keep it safe as he is to wipe the scourge of vampires from the world.
Until a hunt lands him in the presence of a beautiful woman who threatens to steal that heart as she battles his sworn enemy, her graceful moves igniting a passion so fierce and hunger so deep it consumes him.

Caterina’s sole purpose for the last decade has been freeing her brother of the curse of being turned into a vampire. When an alluring dark warrior steps in to help her battle a nest of bloodsuckers, her entire life is tipped off balance. She knows deep in her heart the warrior can help her save her brother, but can she trust a man who is driven to slay every vampire he meets?

When Marek’s enemy emerges from the shadows, and Caterina is pulled down a dark rabbit hole into a dangerous world, will they be strong enough to overcome their pride and their prejudices or will a dark turn of events shatter both their hearts?




Enter the grand tour-wide giveaway to win one of a $75, $50 or $25 Amazon Gift Card at the Marek book page. This giveaway is international and open to everyone, and ends at midnight on June 14th.

Enter now: http://www.felicityheaton.com/guardians-of-hades-marek-paranormal-romance-book.php



Disgust rolled through Caterina and not for the first time that night. She stalked the streets, her blood on fire as she tailed two men, keeping her distance so she didn’t rouse suspicion. She blended with the tourists whenever they stopped, snapped pictures with her phone and played the innocent, admiring the cathedral that towered at the edge of the gothic quarter in her city.

Barcelona.

Out of the corner of her eye, the men moved on. She broke away from the group of twittering tourists gathered on the broad paved pedestrian area and headed towards the trees that lined the buildings opposite the cathedral, where there were fewer people. She reached the intersection with one of the main shopping avenues and paused to seek her prey, ignoring the street vendors as they tried to sell her everything from things that squeaked when you blew air through them to illuminated mini-helicopters launched into the air using rubber bands.

The two men took a left, heading deeper into the gothic quarter.

She glared at their backs.

Vampires.

In her city.

She couldn’t let that pass.

It was her mission to free Barcelona of their clutches.

Her heart ached as she thought about her older brother, Guillem. How many innocents in her city had fallen victim of these fiends, murdered or worse—turned as Guillem had been and left to face an eternity of suffering?

Rage burned in her veins, as fierce as the day it had ignited nine years ago when her brother had been turned, and condensed into a fire as eternal as her brother’s suffering. She readied herself, harnessing that anger as she tracked the vampires up the sloping alley to the right of the cathedral, a path many tourists took.

She wouldn’t let these two vampires hurt any of them.

Their reign of terror ended tonight.

She slipped her hand beneath the back of her black leather jacket and stroked the hilt of the short blade strapped to her back. The feel of it comforted her as she followed the men deeper into the warren of alleyways that branched off from the Carrer del Bisbe.

The streets grew darker, the lamps mounted on the walls of the old sandstone buildings spaced further apart as she left the more popular part of the quarter behind. She paused at a junction, flattening her back against the wall as she listened. Male voices carried along the street. More than two of them.
She peeked around the corner, a quick glance before she darted into cover again. There were four of them now, loitering outside one of the gothic buildings. She risked another peek and frowned. They were gone. She peered into the darkness at the other end of the alley and then looked both ways along the street where she stood. They couldn’t have disappeared. They must have gone into the building at her back.

Caterina emerged from her hiding spot and studied the building. The lower windows were barred to protect them. She moved a few feet along the alley. An arched entrance stood where the vampires had been, the dark wooden door sealed shut. She doubled back and did a lap of the building, trying to spot another exit. None that she could tell belonged to the building where the vampires were hiding.
One exit and barred windows didn’t bode well for her.

She cursed low.

Her stomach churned but she pressed her hand to it and breathed through the nerves as she walked back towards the front of the building. She wouldn’t let it stop her. She couldn’t.

One of the vampires inside the nest might be her brother’s sire. Killing that vampire would free Guillem, she was sure of it. Her chest throbbed as she thought about him, about how pale and gaunt he was now, a shadow of the man she had once known. All because of a vampire.

She would free him of his curse, before it consumed him.

That need, that desire, kept her strong as she readied herself. Killing the vampire who had sired Guillem had to be the answer. She was sure of it. Everything else she had tried had done nothing to help him. This was her last hope. Their last hope. If she had to slay every vampire on the planet to save her brother, she would do it.

If she had to give her life for this cause, she wouldn’t hesitate. Her brother meant everything to her, and he deserved to live again, without the sickness that plagued him.

Caterina pushed her leather jacket off her left shoulder and drew her blade from beneath it. She sucked down a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to do. Vampires had sharp senses, which meant she needed the element of surprise, and the only way to get that was to disarm them with the scent of blood. It was dangerous when she wasn’t sure how many vampires were inside the building, but it was far less dangerous than just breaking in and attacking them. She might be able to cut down a few of them before they realised what was happening.

She drew the edge of the blade across her upper arm and hissed through her teeth as fire blazed in its wake. The scent of her blood was swift to permeate the humid air, turning her stomach as she sheathed her sword. She rubbed her arm, encouraging it to bleed, and pulled her jacket back up. Not wearing it so the vampires could get a good look at her wound would be better, but she couldn’t risk them seeing her weapon. She had to keep it hidden until she was ready to strike.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out. A message from Guillem. She opened it and stared at his picture, at the man he used to be, and tears filled her eyes, hot and stinging. She fired back a reply, telling him that she would be home soon, and continued to stare at his photograph, using the anger and pain the sight of it stirred to bring more tears.

Tears she intended to use against the bastard vampires.

This was going to be the performance of her life.

They wouldn’t know it was all an act until it was too late for them.

She clutched her left arm and sniffled as she shuffled towards the arched entrance, keeping her head bent and bumping against the wall from time to time, in case they were aware of her. The weaker she looked, the better this would go for her. The vampires wouldn’t think she was a threat if she looked close to passing out from blood loss and fear.

More tears came as her phone vibrated, no doubt with a reply from Guillem. He was weakening more each day now, running out of time.

She frantically banged on the wooden door, letting her desperate need to save Guillem get the better of her and colour her actions. The voices on the other side grew hushed and she waited, heart hammering in her throat as adrenaline surged, anticipation pushing her right to the edge. She breathed through it, calming her nerves and focusing on her act. She had to make it convincing.

She banged again. “Help me. Please. I heard voices in there. Please, help me!”

Footsteps echoed on the other side of the door and she tensed as it creaked open, revealing a handsome fair-haired man. He frowned at her, his eyebrows pinching hard above his dark eyes, and looked her over.

“What do you want?” he said in her tongue, his accent telling her that he was Catalan like she was.

A local.

How many other citizens of her city were vampires? They multiplied so fast she struggled to keep up with them. For every one she killed, another two were made.

“Please.” She leaned towards him and peeled her right hand away from her arm, her brow furrowing as she revealed it to him. His nostrils flared, and crimson ringed his irises. She pretended not to notice his reaction, swayed a little and pressed the back of her hand to her forehead as she slurred, “I was attacked. A man… I think he’s still after me. I heard voices and thought you could help me. Please, help me. I’m afraid he’s going to find me.”

The vampire’s dark gaze drifted down to her arm as she wrapped her hand back around it, squeezing the wound beneath her leather jacket to tease more blood from it. That fiery corona rimmed his irises again, brighter this time as he stared, seemingly transfixed.

Completely under her spell.

“What’s going on?” Another male voice came from behind him, tugging him out of his reverie, and he looked over his wide shoulders at his comrades.

She peered past him while he was distracted, quickly scanning the elegant courtyard and the arches that surrounded it on the ground floor where the building was set back a few feet on all sides, forming a covered walkway. The trio of vampires standing there eyed her, a flicker of hunger in their gazes as they took her in.

The blond nudged the dark-haired man and slid him a look, one that sent a shiver of disgust rolling down her spine. He thought her easy prey. He was going to find out how wrong he was about that soon enough.

“I’m sorry to have bothered you.” She went to turn away but the vampire at the door grabbed her arm, the pressure of his grip firm enough to have the nerves she had tamped down rising back up again.

She shook it off. All vampires were strong. They were fast too.

But they had a vulnerability that evened the playing field.

They were highly allergic to silver.

It had sickened her the first time she had killed one with her sword and watched as the silver it contained had corroded flesh and bone, causing it to fizz and hiss as it melted.

Now, she was used to it.

“Come in. Until the danger passes. You’ll be safe here.” He smiled, revealing straight white teeth with no hint of fangs.

She wasn’t the only one who was good at acting.

The shimmer of red in his eyes said that he wanted her blood, and the way he cast a black look at his comrades warned he didn’t want to share. If provoked, would he fight his own friends so he could be the only one to taste her vein?

She filed it away as a back-up plan.

One she wasn’t going to need.

He ushered her inside, all charm and warmth as he continued to smile at her. He shut the door, the heavy thud of it closing an ominous sound she tried not to interpret as a death knell.

She shuffled along beside him, casting fearful glances back over her shoulder from time to time for good measure. The door was closed, but it didn’t look as if he had locked it. That was good. If things went south, escape might be possible.

A fifth vampire strode from a corridor off to her left and paused, his gaze immediately settling on her.

“What do we have here?”

“I was hurt—” she started.

“We’re going to take good care of her.” The man holding her arm smoothed his hand along it, upwards towards her wound, a faint crimson glow lighting his eyes as he looked down into hers. “You will feel better before you know it.”

She nodded, certain that she would as she casually slipped her right hand behind her and under her jacket.

The blond moved a step forwards, shadowed by the dark-haired man and the brunet. She shivered under the intensity of their gazes, sickened by the hunger that blazed in their eyes as they looked at her as if she was a five-course meal they couldn’t wait to devour.

The fair-haired man edged closer.

Caterina pulled her sword from her sheath and had it buried in his gut before he could react, ramming it up into his heart. He hissed and shrieked, his fangs long white daggers as she yanked her blade free and leaped back a step, placing some distance between her and the others.

The vampire went down, clawing at his chest as blood soaked his T-shirt. She didn’t watch as he crumpled into a heap, kept her eyes on the others as she circled them, tightly clutching her silver sword.
She ditched her black leather jacket, tossing it as she assessed her enemies. It was easier to fight in just her black tank, and she had the feeling she was going to need the freedom of movement it gave her.
The sound of footsteps on stones filled the thick silence, alerting her to the fact that there were more than these five vampires in the nest. She braced herself, expecting them to come join the fight. Seconds stretched into what felt like hours as she faced off against the remaining four vampires.

The others didn’t appear.

Things were looking up.

The blond and the brunet vampire moved to flank her and she did her best to keep her focus split between all of them, aware that even a slip in it would be her downfall. The dark-haired male remained in front of her together with the other one.

He licked his fangs.

Caterina narrowed her eyes on him, silently showing him that this wasn’t going to go down the way he thought it was—the smouldering pile of vampire remains on the flagstones to her left was testament to that.

She yelled to unleash the pent-up rage inside her and spun, digging the heel of her thick-soled leather boots into the paving as she brought her blade around in a low arc. She grasped the hilt of the sword with both hands as she came to face the vampire nearest the exit and shoved forwards, burying the point of the silver blade deep into his chest before he could stop her.

Caterina dropped hard as the air moved behind her, years of fighting honing her reflexes until they acted as an early warning system. The blond vampire’s fist arced where her head had been and she swung her leg out, bringing it around in a low sweeping kick. Her calf connected with the vampire’s ankles and she followed through, sending him slamming onto his back. She didn’t stop. She used the momentum to propel herself upwards and brought her sword around at the same time, aiming it at the neck of the vampire she had stabbed in the chest.

She hid her grimace as it sliced through his throat and scraped across bone, and she didn’t pause to watch as the vampire slumped into a heap near the remains of the fair-haired one.

Caterina twisted and ducked as the dark-haired vampire attempted to grab her, hurled herself forwards into a roll and came to her feet near the blond. She kicked him to keep him down and faced off against the brunet.

He snarled and flashed fangs, and she was quick to dodge when he slashed at her with his claws, ducking backwards and then to her right. His growls deepened, anger lacing them as she continued to evade him and jabbed at him with her sword, seeking an opening. He knocked her blade away each time. She lunged at him, determined to land a blow. He leaped back a step, brought his hand up to his mouth and ran it across his fangs. What was he doing? Blood rolled down his hand and he flicked it at her. She flinched away as it hit her in the face, and cursed herself for letting him distract her.

The blond made the mistake of getting up.

Caterina whirled to face him and stuck her blade in his gut. Excitement trickled through her as the number of foes dwindled to only two and she meant to leave the blond to die from silver exposure, but couldn’t stop herself from lashing out at him again, pulling her blade from his stomach and slashing across his thigh to deal another fatal blow.

She knew it was a mistake the second she did it.

The air shifted behind her, the dark-haired vampire little more than a blur even to her trained eyes as he moved like lightning. She tried to turn, her movements sluggish compared with his, time seeming to slow as panic spiked in her veins, sending another sharp burst of adrenaline into her blood.

The vampire grabbed her hair, balling it in his fist, and yanked her head back so hard she saw stars. A cry burst from her lips as she bowed forwards, afraid he would break her neck, and the fear she had been denying roared up on her as he bent his head.

A vicious growl pealed around the courtyard.

She froze as ice skittered down her spine in response to that feral sound, the fear she had felt of the vampire growing tenfold as the man stilled behind her and the other vampire looked towards the arched exit.

Caterina looked there too.

Another vampire returned to join in the fight?

The darkness itself seemed to shift before her eyes, the ground quaking beneath her boots as the shadows suddenly parted to reveal the dark visage of a formidable warrior as he barrelled towards her and the vampire. Silver flashed in his hand as his eyes narrowed on the man holding her and the vampire came to his senses.

He spun with her, using her as a shield.

Her eyes widened as the newcomer threw his hand forwards, letting the silver knife he held fly. It came right at her as she flinched, sure this was it and her life was over.

The vampire behind her shrieked and staggered backwards, tugging her with him as he tripped across the courtyard. Heat bloomed on her neck and shoulder, the sickening stench of blood filling her nostrils and the bubbling hiss telling her what had happened.

The warrior had better aim than she had expected.

She wrenched free of the vampire and spared him a glance as he went down, clutching the knife protruding from his forehead.

The dark-haired warrior grabbed her arm and shoved her backwards, behind him. He planted a heavy boot against the fallen vampire’s chest, gripped the hilt of his weapon and pulled it free, the sucking sound sending bile blazing up Caterina’s throat.

“Keep back.” The warrior’s gravelly voice rolled over her, a pleasant belly-heating timbre to it as he moved to face the final vampire.

It distracted her enough that it took her a moment to realise something.

He was shielding her from the vampire, and he meant to fight the bastard alone.

She rallied and shirked his grip, because she was damned if that was happening. This was her nest of vampires.

The final kill was hers to make.

And if he stood in her way, she would cut him down too.




Book 1: Ares
Book 2: Valen
Book 3: Esher
Book 4: Marek
Book 5: Calistos – Coming July 28th
Book 6: Daimon – Coming Fall 2020
Book 7: Keras – Coming Fall 2020


Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling London Vampires series. Seven sexy and sinful Greek god brothers can be your new addiction in the Guardians of Hades series. Or how about four hot alpha shifter brothers in her Cougar Creek Mates series? Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the Eternal Mates series.

If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:

Friday 29 May 2020

Cover Reveal: Play My Game - Lara Adrian


Check out the gorgeous cover for PLAY MY GAME, the next novel in Lara Adrian's bestselling contemporary romance 100 Series! Available June 30th in eBook & Print, then moving into #KindleUnlimited after release day. Pre-order now at major retailers! Learn more at www.LaraAdrian.com.


Story Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Lara Adrian returns to the sizzling, emotional world of the 100 Series with Play My Game, a contemporary romance between a tormented, brilliant painter and the beauty he is determined to have at any cost.

She stands out like a flame in the dark. Out of place in my orbit, she is a bright splash of color in an abyss of darkness. An innocent in a den of sin. And I, Jared Rush, am a master of corruption.

Like my paintings—dark, carnal images that have crowned me the king of the avant-garde art world while also making me a very rich man—I don’t flinch away from my baser instincts. And now, every one of those instincts is hungry for the fresh-faced beauty who made the mistake of wandering into my lair.

I don’t know her name yet, but that’s inconsequential. I know who she belongs to. And while she has nothing to do with the bad blood that’s been festering inside me for decades, I can’t help thinking about that old, unsettled score. I’m thinking about payback. And I already have a price in mind. One that begins with her.

When it comes to getting what I want, I always play to win. But in the end, will the cost of my vengeance be more than I can bear to lose?

While this novel is Book 5 in the 100 Series, featuring characters introduced in earlier books, PLAY MY GAME can be read as a complete standalone with a swoon-worthy HEA and no cliffhangers.


Pre-order Links

If you prefer to use your own retailer links or shortcuts, please do. These are provided for your convenience.

EBOOK LINKS
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Play-My-Game-Standalone-Romance-ebook/dp/B08998T4XK/
Nook: https://bit.ly/PlayMyGameBN
Apple: https://bit.ly/PlayMyGameIBOOKS
Kobo: https://bit.ly/PlayMyGameKOBO

*** PLAY MY GAME will be going into Kindle Unlimited a few days after release and will be exclusive at Amazon for at least 90 days. If you're a Nook, Apple, or Kobo reader, please be sure to pre-order! ***

PRINT LINKS
Available on release day

AUDIOBOOK LINKS
Release day TBA

Add it to your Goodreads shelf: http://bit.ly/2rl3chC

Wednesday 20 May 2020

Release Blitz: A Rolling Scone - Nancy Warren


A Rolling Scone: A Culinary Paranormal Mystery by Nancy Warren
Available Now!

FREE with kindle unlimited


Butter, sugar, flour — and Death!

British amateur bakers must turn out the perfect scone in this week’s filming of The Great British Baking Competition.

When baking contestant and fledgling witch Poppy drops a plate of practice scones on the grounds of Broomewode Manor, she finds more than dirt and brambles. There’s a body in the bushes!

Can she keep her cool while solving mysteries, trying to master witching skills, and still turn out a decent scone?

Taste this culinary cozy mystery series from USA Today Bestselling author Nancy Warren. Each book is a stand-alone mystery, though the stories are linked. They offer good, clean fun, and, naturally, recipes.

#witchescozymystery #cozymystery #mysterynovel #TheGreatWitchesBakingShow


About the Author:

Nancy's a USA today bestselling author of more than 60 novels. Nancy's originally from Vancouver, Canada but she tends to wander. She currently lives in an 18th century house in Bath, England where she loves to pretend she's Jane Austen, or at least a character in a Jane Austen novel. When she's not writing, she's hiking, skiing, traveling or sipping wine. She's appeared on the front page of the New York Times (when her book, Speed Dating launched Harlequin's NASCAR series), has been a clue in a crossword puzzle (National Post, Canada) and she's been a finalist for the RITA award three times, honored by Romantic Times Magazine and often shares her love of writing in her popular workshops.

Connect with Nancy!

Website -- nancywarren.net
Newsletter -- http://eepurl.com/gE-Sn1
Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/Nancy-Warren-35585383469/
Bookbub -- https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nancy-warren
Twitter -- https://twitter.com/nancywarren1


Monday 11 May 2020

Blog Tour: Butterfly Bayou - Lexi Blake


New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake is back with an all-new heartwarming, small-town contemporary romance series set against the spicy southern backdrop of Louisiana's Butterfly Bayou.


Read this small town, single dad romance with all the feels today!

New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake is back with an all-new heartwarming, small-town contemporary romance series set against the spicy southern backdrop of Louisiana's Butterfly Bayou.

Life in Dallas took a tragic turn for nurse practitioner Lila Daley. In need of a fresh start, she retreats to Papillon, Louisiana, a tiny town on the bayou. Sure she's greeted by a gator, finds herself in the middle of golf cart wars, and unwittingly adopts a scruffy dog, but Lila remains undaunted. She's focused on running the town's medical clinic, but fitting into the quirky community is harder than she imagined.

As a single dad, Sheriff Armie LaVigne embraces routine. But there is nothing routine about the town's newest resident. Lila is a gorgeous fish out of water and he’s ready to catch her. In fact, in no time at all, Armie knows Lila is the woman for him and he plans to win her heart. But when the past threatens their happiness, Armie will have to decide if he has the courage to trust Lila enough to find a true happily ever after.


Download your copy now!
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2JG9KgE
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2C9nAUl

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2JGoMTy

Excerpt:

What was the speed limit? It had been seventy earlier. He was pulling her over for going five miles over the limit?

With a long sigh, Lila maneuvered to the side of the road and put the car in park. Surely she could talk her way out of this. Small-town cops liked to ticket out-of-towners, and her car still had Texas plates. She would explain that she was a new resident and he could go back to his donut eating and preying on tourists.

She glanced in her side mirror. He was taking his time. Probably thought he could intimidate her. Well, he was in for a surprise. She’d worked with cops all her life. She could absolutely handle some paunchy small-town deputy who likely had taken the job because there wasn’t anything better to do.

The door to his SUV opened and then she was staring for a different reason.

A large man with intensely broad shoulders stepped out of the vehicle. He reached back in and brought out a hat that he settled on ridiculously dark hair that had more curl to it than she’d seen on a cop. DPD tended to keep it high and tight, but this man might be able to pull his back in a ponytail. No. That wasn’t the word. A queue. Despite the long hair, there was absolutely nothing feminine about the man walking her way. Swaggering.

He was probably six foot four, and if there was an ounce of paunch on that man, she couldn’t see it.

He was the man from Lisa’s wedding, the one who had slid her that sensual smile.

She shook her head and forced herself to focus. He wasn’t her type. She liked academic types. Nice men who were nonthreatening.

Boring. That’s the word you’re looking for. Boring and easily controlled so you can pretend that they can’t hurt you. How’d that work out for us?

A hard tap on her driver’s-side window brought her out of her inner monologue and she lowered the window. He wore mirrored aviators that covered his eyes. His jawline was sharp as a razor and there was a hint of sexy scruff coming in across his face.

Lord, the man was hot.

“License and registration, please.” His tone, however, was cold as ice.

It was the chill in his voice that allowed her to find her footing again. The man in front of her probably had twenty women dangling on his string, and a wife and kids at home, too. No man that hot didn’t. She could handle him. “Would you like to explain why you’ve pulled me over, Officer?”

He stepped back and for a moment she could have sworn he was surprised, but then she was sure almost no one would question this man’s authority. He recovered quickly, his hands going to those lean hips of his. “You were speeding. The speed limit on this part of the highway is forty-five. I clocked you going thirty miles over the speed limit. License and registration.”

“The speed limit went from seventy to forty-five? Are you kidding me?”

His lips curled up in a slightly crooked, wholly devastating smile. “That’s what speed limits do, ma’am. They go up. They go down. You look familiar. Have you been through town before?”

She wasn’t falling for his charm. Maybe invoking her brother-in-law’s name would work some magic on him. “I’m Lila Daley. Remy Guidry is my brother-in-law.”

That smile went flat, his whole body going back into cop mode. “The last time someone came into town looking for Remy, I got shot. You planning on shooting up the town?”

She winced inwardly. She remembered Lisa saying something about an incident that had led to a police officer being shot in the line of duty. “Sorry about that. No. I’m taking over the clinic in town. I’m your friendly neighborhood nurse practitioner. Next time you get shot, I will totally sew you up.”

He stared at her and she wished she could see his eyes. “You’re taking over for Doc Hamet?”

How to explain? “Sort of. I’m going to run the clinic, but he kind of supervises.” A handful of states let nurse practitioners handle their own practices, but Louisiana wasn’t one of them. Neither was Texas. She would have an enormous amount of freedom, but it would be in conjunction with the doctor who had served the parish for over forty years.

She intended to learn a lot from him.

“So you’re his new nurse,” the cop said. “I didn’t know he’d fired the old one.”

“No. I’m a nurse practitioner. I’m like a general practitioner, but I can’t prescribe certain controlled substances. I can perform some surgeries. I spent over a decade working as a trauma RN before I finished getting my NP. I assure you I can handle the parish’s medical needs.”

“I don’t think you understand the parish, but I’m willing to help out. You have to be better than the doc we have now. You have to catch the man early or not at all, if you know what I mean.”

She gave him what she hoped was a friendly smile. “All right, then. Sorry about the misunderstanding. I’ll be on myway. I was hoping to get everything in the new house before it gets dark.”

“License and registration.”

She gritted her teeth and reached for her purse. “The only reason I sped up was to get away from that freaking alligator.” A thought occurred to her as she opened the Chanel wallet her brother had given her for Christmas. “Did you put that alligator out there as part of your speed trap?”

The sunglasses came off and she was staring into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. Well, she’d seen them before, but not up close. They were even more devastating up close. “Did you accuse me of colluding with a reptile?”

“Yes.”

His laughter seemed to fill her whole world. When that man lit up so did the sky around him. He doubled over, his laughter infectious. When he finally took a breath there was a chuckle in his words.

“Oh, that is absolutely the best joke I’ve heard all day. Your sister never mentioned your sense of humor.”

Probably because Lisa didn’t think she had one. “Well, I’m known for my quick wit.”

He stared at her for a moment and she could feel the connection. It was like an invisible tether drawing her to him. She’d been right to run the first time she’d seen him. Something deep inside had told her she wasn’t capable of handling this man.

Didn’t want to handle a man like him, she mentally corrected.

Oh, you had it right the first time. That man wouldn’t let you be in charge all the time. He would challenge you.

Bully her was more like it. A man that gorgeous was used to getting his way.

But if it meant she would get out of this ticket, she could flirt a little.

He shook his head and sighed. “Unfortunately, you’re also known for your lead foot. License and registration.”

She bit back a growl because her first day in the new town wasn’t going the way she’d hoped.

About Lexi Blake


New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.

Connect with Lexi

Wednesday 6 May 2020

Review: The Vampire Book Club - Nancy Warren

I was a divorced, middle-aged witch banished to Ireland.
My life could be summed up in a limerick...

There once was a misguided witch
Who tried a man’s fate to switch
Her punishment set
To Ireland she must get
But better than feathers and pitch!

With a name like Quinn Calahan I sounded as Irish as a leprechaun dancing a jig on a four leafed clover, but the truth was, I’d never been closer to the emerald isle than drinking green beer at the St Patrick’s day street party in Boston until I messed up so badly I had to leave the US. I was offered a job in a tiny village in Ireland that no one’s ever heard of. And I think that was the point in sending me there. How much trouble could a divorced, middle-aged witch get into in a village that boasted very few residents, one crumbling castle that attracted no tourists, and a post office that was only open Mondays and Thursdays?

You’d be surprised.

You will fall in love with this series about second chances, magical mayhem, and book club unlike any other. From the author of the best-selling Vampire Knitting Club series.

The Vampire Book Club Series:
The Vampire Book Club
Chapter and Curse (July 2020)
A Spelling Mistake (October 2020)

Visit Nancy Warren's website for more information

Review:
Quinn knew it was wrong using her magic to try and save the life of her ex-husband but she never expected the consequences to be quite so harsh. Banished from her coven she is given 2 weeks to pack up her entire life in America before being shipped off to a small village in Ireland where she's due to take charge of the local book shop. It's a total culture shock for her when she first arrives but what really throws her for a loop is the dead body she finds behind the counter the first time she enters the shop. It's not in Quinn's nature to sit back and wait for someone else to solve this mystery but when you're new in town it's hard to tell friends from potential foes.

The Vampire Book Club was a fun start to Nancy Warren's new series. I liked Quinn's character and found it made a change to read about a slightly older character than most books, Quinn is in her 40s and pretty confident in herself which was great. Her life has been turned upside down but she's determined to make a go of things and throws herself into making new friends and meeting the other villagers. I would have liked to have seen a little more of her magic so I hope that comes out to play more in future books.

I love the idea of the Vampire Book Club and the members seemed quite fun so I'm looking forward to spending more time with them. I also enjoyed meeting the residents of Ballydehag, there were lots of colourful characters and plenty of them are keeping secrets too. I'm really curious to find out what happened to the owner of the book shop, it appears she was also sent away after doing something she shouldn't have but we've not been given any information about what she did or where she's gone. I think there's definitely more to learn about there so it'll be interesting to see what we discover in the next book.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Release Blitz: The Vampire Book Club - Nancy Warren


Vampire Book Club by Nancy Warren is LIVE!
A Paranormal Women's Fiction Cozy Mystery

Amazon Universal -- getbook.at/VampireBookClub
FREE with Kindle Unlimited


I was a divorced, middle-aged witch banished to Ireland.
My life could be summed up in a limerick...

There once was a misguided witch
Who tried a man’s fate to switch
Her punishment set
To Ireland she must get
But better than feathers and pitch!

With a name like Quinn Calahan I sounded as Irish as a leprechaun dancing a jig on a four leafed clover, but the truth was, I’d never been closer to the emerald isle than drinking green beer at the St Patrick’s day street party in Boston until I messed up so badly I had to leave the US. I was offered a job in a tiny village in Ireland that no one’s ever heard of. And I think that was the point in sending me there. How much trouble could a divorced, middle-aged witch get into in a village that boasted very few residents, one crumbling castle that attracted no tourists, and a post office that was only open Mondays and Thursdays?

You’d be surprised.

You will fall in love with this series about second chances, magical mayhem, and book club unlike any other. From the author of the best-selling Vampire Knitting Club series.


About the Author:

Nancy's a USA today bestselling author of more than 60 novels. Nancy's originally from Vancouver, Canada but she tends to wander. She currently lives in an 18th century house in Bath, England where she loves to pretend she's Jane Austen, or at least a character in a Jane Austen novel. When she's not writing, she's hiking, skiing, traveling or sipping wine. She's appeared on the front page of the New York Times (when her book, Speed Dating launched Harlequin's NASCAR series), has been a clue in a crossword puzzle (National Post, Canada) and she's been a finalist for the RITA award three times, honored by Romantic Times Magazine and often shares her love of writing in her popular workshops.

Connect with Nancy!

Website -- nancywarren.net
Newsletter -- http://eepurl.com/gE-Sn1
Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/Nancy-Warren-35585383469/
Bookbub -- https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nancy-warren
Twitter -- https://twitter.com/nancywarren1

Tuesday 5 May 2020

Release Blitz: Butterfly Bayou - Lexi Blake


“This charming series opener hits all the right notes.”—Publisher’s Weekly

Butterfly Bayou, an all-new passionate small-town romance from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake, is available now!


New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake is back with an all-new heartwarming, small-town contemporary romance series set against the spicy southern backdrop of Louisiana's Butterfly Bayou.

Life in Dallas took a tragic turn for nurse practitioner Lila Daley. In need of a fresh start, she retreats to Papillon, Louisiana, a tiny town on the bayou. Sure she's greeted by a gator, finds herself in the middle of golf cart wars, and unwittingly adopts a scruffy dog, but Lila remains undaunted. She's focused on running the town's medical clinic, but fitting into the quirky community is harder than she imagined.

As a single dad, Sheriff Armie LaVigne embraces routine. But there is nothing routine about the town's newest resident. Lila is a gorgeous fish out of water and he’s ready to catch her. In fact, in no time at all, Armie knows Lila is the woman for him and he plans to win her heart. But when the past threatens their happiness, Armie will have to decide if he has the courage to trust Lila enough to find a true happily ever after.


Download your copy today!
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2JG9KgE
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2C9nAUl

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2JGoMTy

About Lexi Blake


New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.

Connect with Lexi

Monday 4 May 2020

April 2020 Recap


Firstly I just wanted to give a quick update and apologise for things being so slow around here lately. Obviously this has been a really strange time for the whole world and I'm finding that the stress is kicking my butt. I've managed to do a bit more reading this month (mainly because I've been cheating with graphic novels & shorter stories rather than full length novels LOL) but I'm finding it so hard to concentrate on anything and blogging has fallen by the wayside. I'm hoping to get myself back in gear soon but I hope you'll bear with me if it takes me a while to get things back to normal.

I hope that wherever you are in the world you and your loved ones are managing to stay safe in these difficult circumstances and I really hope we can all go back to normal life in the not too distant future!

Books read in previous months but reviewed in April:
(Links will take you to my reviews)
  1. A Heart of Blood and Ashes - Milla Vane (Read in January, review coming soon)
  2. Sweep with Me - Ilona Andrews (Novella) (Read in January, review coming soon)
  3. Strange Love - Ann Aguirre (Read in January, review coming soon)
  4. Incredibuilds: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Thunderbird - Incredibuilds (Deluxe Book and Model Set) (Read in January, reviewed in April)
  5. Stars Beyond - S.K. Dunstall (Read in February, review coming soon)
  6. Incredibuilds: Harry Potter: Stag Patronus - Jody Revenson (Deluxe Book and Model Set) (Read in February, reviewed in April)
  7. Deal with the Devil - Kit Rocha (Read in February, review coming soon)
  8. Chilling Effect - Valerie Valdes (Read in February, review coming soon)
  9. Imaginary Numbers - Seanan McGuire (Read in March, review coming soon)
  10. Follow the Lady - Seanan Mcguire (Short Story) (Read in March, review coming soon)
  11. Of Flame and Fury - Cecy Robson (Read in March, reviewed in April)
  12. Undercover Bromance - Lyssa Kay Adams (Read in March, review coming soon)
  13. The Queen's Bargain - Anne Bishop (Read in March, review coming soon)
  14. Claiming Her Dragons - Lia Davis (Read in March, review coming soon)
  15. A Winter Mating - Lia Davis (Read in March, review coming soon)
  16. Connections in Death - J.D. Robb (Read in March, reviewed in April)
    Books read in April:
    (Links will take you to my reviews)
    1. The Beast of Blackmoor - Milla Vane (Novella)
    2. Silent Night - Milla Vane (Short Story) (Review coming soon)
    3. The Witch of Duva - Leigh Bardugo (Short Story & Audiobook) (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
    4. A Heart of Blood and Ashes - Milla Vane (Read for the second time) (Review coming soon)
    5. Aurora Rising - Amie Kaufma & Jay Kristoff (Review coming soon)
    6. Vendetta in Death - J.D. Robb
    7. Saga Volume 2 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Graphic Novel) (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
    8. Saga Volume 3 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Graphic Novel) (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
    9. Night of the Dragon - Julie Kagawa
    10. Saga Volume 4 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Graphic Novel) (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
    11. Golden in Death - J.D. Robb
    12. Saga Volume 5 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Graphic Novel) (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
    13. Sin and Lightning - K.F. Breene
    14. The War Priest - Ann Aguirre
    15. Chaos Reigning - Jessie Mihalik (Review coming soon)
    16. Saga Volume 6 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Graphic Novel) (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
    17. Saga Volume 7 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Graphic Novel) (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
    18. Saga Volume 8 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Graphic Novel) (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
    19. Saga Volume 9 - Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Graphic Novel) (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
    20. Blood & Ash - Deborah Wilde (Review coming soon)
    21. A Bad Day for Sunshine - Darynda Jones (Review coming soon)
    22. Love and Let Die - Lexi Blake (Review coming soon)
    23. Nightchaser - Amanda Bouchet (I re-read this book but the link takes you to my original review)
    24. Starbreaker - Amanda Bouchet (Review coming soon)
    25. In the Heart of the Fire - Dean Koontz (Novella) (Review coming soon)
    26. Defy or Defend - Gail Carriger (Review coming soon)
    27. Sweep with Me - Ilona Andrews (Novella) (Read for the second time) (Review coming soon)
    April Books of the Month:
    (Choices are made from books reviewed this month and the links will take you to my reviews)

    My top YA read in April:


    Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa (read my review here)

    My top adult read in April:


    The War Priest by Ann Aguirre (read my review here)

    My Challenge Updates:

    Here are the 2020 challenges I'm taking part in (some of these posts are just for me to keep track of the different types of books I'm reading):
    2020 Read 100 Books in a Year Challenge - Read 63/200
    2020 British Books Challenge - Read 8/20
    2020 New Author Challenge - Read 5/20
    2020 Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance Challenge - Read 15/100
    2020 Contemporary Romance Challenge - Read 17/20

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