Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Lazy Days of August Giveaway Hop




Val has a SIGNED copy of Show Me the Way by A.L. Jackson to give away!





The first sexy, captivating, stand-alone novel in the brand-new FIGHT FOR ME series from NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author A.L. Jackson . . .

Rex Gunner.
As bitter as he is beautiful.
The owner of the largest construction company in Gingham Lakes has been burned one too many times.

His wife leaving him to raise their daughter was the last blow this single dad could take.
The only woman he'll let into his heart is his little girl.

Rynna Dayne.
As vulnerable as she is tempting.
She ran from Gingham Lakes when she was seventeen.
She swore to herself she would never return.
Then her grandmother passed away and left her the deed to the diner that she once loved.

When Rex meets his new neighbor, he knows he's in trouble.
She's gorgeous and sweet and everything he can't trust.
Until she becomes the one thing he can't resist.

One kiss sends them tumbling toward ecstasy.
But in a town this size, pasts are bound to collide.
Caught in a web of lies, betrayal, and disloyalty, Rex must make a choice.

Will he hide behind his walls or will he take the chance . . .







US only

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Check out the rest of the hop...


Stuck In Books Featured Releases & Giveaway





From Avon...



“Dimon excels at creating memorable, complex characters.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Salvation, Pennsylvania. The commune located in the small town was advertised as a modern Utopia: a place to live, share, and learn with other like-minded young people. Cate Pendleton’s sister was one of them. Now she’s dead—and Cate won’t rest until she finds out who killed her. Stonewalled at every turn, she approaches a DC Fixer for help and ends up with Damon Knox, a mysterious man with a secretive past. But Cate soon discovers that she not only needs Damon, she wants him, which isn’t good—for the attraction brewing between them will only lead to complications that can turn into danger . . .

Damon has tried to erase the hellish memories and the evil that happened in Salvation ever since he left a long time ago. Still, he can’t turn his back on Cate. As Damon works with Cate to uncover her sister’s killer, he finds himself drawn to her more and more. But how will she feel about him when she learns about his connection to the place?

Joining forces to uncover the truth, they must stay one step ahead of a cunning killer who’s bent on not being exposed.






Award-winning author Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals series continues with a woman on a quest to be the heroine of her own story and the duke in shining armor she rescues along the way

New York City socialite and perpetual hot mess Portia Hobbs is tired of disappointing her family, friends, and—most importantly—herself. An apprenticeship with a struggling swordmaker in Scotland is a chance to use her expertise and discover what she’s capable of. Turns out she excels at aggravating her gruff silver fox boss…when she’s not having inappropriate fantasies about his sexy Scottish burr.

Tavish McKenzie doesn’t need a rich, spoiled American telling him how to run his armory…even if she is infuriatingly good at it. Tav tries to rebuff his apprentice, and his attraction to her, but when Portia accidentally discovers that he’s the secret son of a duke, rough-around-the-edges Tav becomes her newest makeover project.

Forging metal into weapons and armor is one thing, but when desire burns out of control and the media spotlight gets too hot to bear, can a commoner turned duke and his posh apprentice find lasting love?



From St. Martin's Press...


ARE THEY IN TOO DEEP?

Ex-Navy SEAL Cabe Moss always comes when called to duty―at all costs. Even though the death of his fiancĂ©e nearly destroyed him, Cabe won’t let his past interfere with any work that has to get done. When his latest task pushes him to team up with FBI Agent Amy Murray, a fierce beauty with the undercover skills to match, Cabe must admit that, for the first time in years, he wants to do more than just complete their mission together…

Amy was born ready for this assignment, but working side-by-side with the the strong, silent, and frustratingly professional Cabe seems to be the biggest challenge of all. But when the sparks begin to fly―and the stakes rise to dangerous heights―the only thing Amy is left worrying about is how she can resist him. Their lives may be in danger, but their hearts hold the biggest risk of all…



From Forever...


USA Today bestselling author Megan Erickson turns up the heat in her sexy and thrilling Wired & Dangerous romantic suspense series.

Bodyguard Jock Bosh has one job: keep Fiona Madden safe. Safe from the men who've been hunting her. Safe from the bastard responsible for ruining her life. And with the attraction sizzling white-hot between them, that means keeping Fiona safe from him too.

Fiona has spent the past decade on the run. Her survival is the single greatest weapon she's had against the men out to destroy her. Until Jock. Now, with him by her side, she finally has a chance to bring them down. But when her enemies make their next move and Jock puts himself in the line of fire, Fiona realizes that there's more at stake than just her life-she's also risking her heart.



From Entangled...


It’s true. I’m not what most people would call “pretty” and, well, high school was rough. Fast forward ten years and life is good…

Until a bunch of jerks think it’s hilarious to put the “butterface” (AKA me) on a wedding Kiss Cam with the hottest guy ever—and that old humiliation hits hard.

I recognize him immediately. The sexiest cop in Waterbury and totally out of my league.

But then he kisses me.

And we totally forget the room, the crowd, everything.

Then he tells everyone we’ve been dating for months.

Soon everything starts to feel too real, from adorable fights over “necessary” tools to fix my broken porch to surviving a free-for-all dinner with his six siblings to picking up where our last kiss left off.

But there’s something he’s not telling me about why he’s really hanging around, and I’m pretty sure it has to do with my mob-connected brothers.

Because this is not a make-over story, and Cinderella is only a fairy tale…











INT as long as you can accept a gift card.




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The Protector by Helenkay Dimon ~ Excerpt & Giveaway

Today we have the release day blitz for The Protector by HelenKay Dimon! Check it out and get your copy today!


Title: The Protector:

Author: HelenKay Dimon

Genre Romantic Suspense

About The Protector:

Salvation, Pennsylvania. The commune located in the small town was advertised as a modern Utopia: a place to live, share, and learn with other like-minded young people. Cate Pendleton’s sister was one of them. Now she’s dead—and Cate won’t rest until she finds out who killed her. Stonewalled at every turn, she approaches a DC Fixer for help and ends up with Damon Knox, a mysterious man with a secretive past. But Cate soon discovers that she not only needs Damon, she wants him, which isn’t good—for the attraction brewing between them will only lead to complications that can turn into danger . . .   Damon has tried to erase the hellish memories and the evil that happened in Salvation ever since he left a long time ago. Still, he can’t turn his back on Cate. As Damon works with Cate to uncover her sister’s killer, he finds himself drawn to her more and more. But how will she feel about him when she learns about his connection to the place?   Joining forces to uncover the truth, they must stay one step ahead of a cunning killer who’s bent on not being exposed.    

Get Your Copy Now:

The Protector:

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Avon Digital

Exclusive Excerpt:

Cate Pendleton dumped her grocery bags on the kitchen counter and glanced around the living room area of her small one-bedroom condo. Flattened pillows. Magazines spread across the coffee table. A blanket in a ball on the floor from where it slipped off her last night while she watched television. The remote stuffed between cushions.
Everything was exactly where she left it when she took off on her store run an hour ago. But something struck her as off. She felt it rather than saw it. A violation of her scared space. A lingering menace. The sensation of unknown hands skimming over her things. A shiver skated through her at the thought.
            With her keys sticking between her fingers like a weapon, she walked around the condo, peeking in the closet and looking inside the bedroom. The journey ended back here she started. She approached the couch nice and slow. She listened for footsteps, but the only sound came from the hiss of her clunky, usually-malfunctioning icemaker. 
            She leaned toward the cushions, just a bit, and sniffed. There it was. Aftershave. Faint, but present. Since a man hadn’t been in the condo for weeks the smell was out of place. And this was not the first time this had happened. She came home two days ago to the same scent. A mix of musk and orange. The last time it happened in the evening. This time in the morning. 
            On that first day, she found her patio door unlocked. Living in a city, she didn’t take her personal safety for granted. Being two floors up, tucked behind rows of government buildings and a few blocks back from the National Air and Space Museum in downtown Washington, D.C., she kept her guard up. The neighborhood served as home to many congressional staffers. Traffic, both human and the car variety, moved in a steady beat. But she knew better than to assume everything was fine. She locked her doors. All of them and all the time, but someone got in.
            A punch of awareness moved though her as she brushed her fingertips over the arm of the chair. The idea of someone snooping through her stuff, standing in her space, made her gag.  Last time nothing was stolen, so she skipped calling the police with that fear. Wrote the whole thing off as faulty memory. She knew something strange had happened, but she blocked it and pretended otherwise. But this was different. From the first whiff of that cologne, the trembling started deep down in her stomach, spun up to her head and would not stop. 
She forced her mind to focus. Someone kept getting in without leave much of a trail. They didn’t stick around, and for that she was grateful. Nothing stolen. Not obviously, anyway.
Her sister. That’s what this had to be about. Cate thought back to the last six weeks and all the ground she’d covered. She poked around, asked uncomfortable questions and clearly upset someone. She got too close, which was exactly her plan. Maybe she uncovered some piece of information she hadn’t realized yet. But she would.
If someone broke in thinking they’d figure out her strategy or grab every lead she’d collected, they miscalculated. No way would she make it that easy for anyone to destroy her work or derail her.
After the first time this happened, she called the police but that led nowhere. A second call likely would end the same way. They would ignore her, write her off as the crazy one with the dead sister. Add to that her complaint wouldn’t pinpoint any clear evidence. This was about a sense of a presence, of being spooked, and she would become the new lunchtime story for the officers. 
But she knew. He had been there. He or she. The person knew how to get in and was playing with her. The next time she might come home too soon.
            Despite her worries and the downsides, she picked up the phone and dialed the one person who might be able to help her, the mysterious D.C. fixer. The guy no one ever saw who went by one name – Wren.


Catch Up On the Series!

The Fixer:

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Avon Digital

The Enforcer:

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Avon Digital

The Negotiator:

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Avon Digital

The Pretender:

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Avon Digital

 

About HelenKay Dimon:

HelenKay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a...divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over forty novels and novellas to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Kensington, Harlequin, Penguin Random House, Riptide and Carina Press. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named "Red-Hot Reads" and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. She is on the Board of Directors of the Romance Writers of America and teaches fiction writing at UC San Diego and MiraCosta College. You can learn more at her website: www.HelenKaydimon.com

Connect with HelenKay:

Twitter | FB page | Tumblr | Instagram | Pinterest

Enter HelenKay’s Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway      

This giveaway is not sponsored by Stuck In Books and we are not responsible for selecting the winner or delivering the prize.

Teaser Tuesday ~ 7/31/18

This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.



To participate you:
* Grab your current read
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!




In the new novel by the #1 New York Times bestselling “queen of paranormal romance,” (J.R. Ward) a wounded warrior and a woman on the run find salvation, passion and unimaginable danger in the ghostly darkness of the Carpathian Mountains…

He wasn’t civilized or tame. He had his own code and he lived by it.

Monk. Bounty hunter. Vampire slayer. Andre Boroi has spent centuries battling the undead, holding out against the dark with honor. But now, gravely wounded by master vampire Costin Popescu, Andre will be easy to track—his spilled blood marking the killing trail for Popescu and his hungry band of underlings. Andre’s only chance is to disappear into the gray mist of the Carpathians. To wait. To hope.

She had a healing touch and a scent that was his lifeblood.

In the mountains in search of a precious crystal, geologist Teagan Joanes suddenly finds herself hunted by those she once trusted. Then she comes across the warrior—wounded, wanting and irresistible. Andre has been craving her for an eternity: his lifemate. Her warmth envelops him. Her scent pulsates. And with every beat of her heart, Teagan surrenders to a passion she can’t possibly comprehend.

Now they are bound by destiny, but is it enough to keep them safe from a stalking, relentless darkness that threatens to swallow them alive?



Teaser...


It seemed to be constructed of notes, like the music inside her body.  She'd never encountered such a thing before, but her mind was all about puzzles and patterns.  She loved to boulder because that was a world of puzzles and patterns.  She could see a problem in front of her and her mind feasted on it, needing to solve it.  (Kindle location 259)

I'm thinking this series may be another binge read for me.  I read this one out of order and now I want to go back and read the rest.





The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines, #6)THEY WILL BE TESTED

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives.

Their forbidden romance exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead’s bestselling Bloodlines series.

When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, she and Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world and alter their lives forever.

Don't miss their unforgettable final chapter...

LOVE WILL CONQUER ALL


Teaser...


"Exciting times at the museum?" I asked.
"Always," she said, giving me a brief kiss on the lips.
"Better be careful in that dress," I said. "Someone might mistake you for a work of art."

Ah, Adrian and his one-liners. The best of the best.



Those are our teasers for this week! What do you think? Do you have a teaser to share? Leave us a comment and link us up!

Monday, July 30, 2018

The House of Fire: Guardians of the Elements by M. Goldsmith & A. Malin ~ Spotlight & Excerpt

Powered by Fire

Consumed by Passion

Taken by Evil




Ashlyn Woods, Fire Guardian of Aether, never imagined she would be kidnapped by a doctor driven by obsession and greed. His nefarious plan includes harnessing Ashlyn’s powers for profit and revenge.

Consumed by unimaginable forces that draws him to her, it falls upon Hawk, the Protector, to rescue the tempestuous Fire Guardian. Their unrequited passion and an inexplicable magnetic pull wax and wane between the two.

Ashlyn and Hawk, together, uncover a shared telepathic link they must tap into in order to bring her home safely. Soon they discover, by opening their hearts, the connection between them goes deeper than either of them ever imagined.







Ash curled herself into a tight ball on the bed and wrapped up in the scratchy blanket. If I ever get out of this place, I’m going to proposition Hawk and tell him once and for all how I feel about him. I’m going to tell him, I think about him night and day. How I long for him to hold me in his arms and to kiss me senseless. Now if only he could find me. Still feeling weak from the drugs, weariness overtook her, and she slept focusing her thoughts on Hawk.

Even in her sleep, Ashlyn could sense the air around her humming with energy. Her mind was consumed with Hawk, and she unwittingly connected to him. Reaching deep, her concentration intense, she begged him to help her. A feeling of warmth filled her, and her nose twitched when she caught a whiff of Hawk’s woodsy, masculine scent. Without warning the door to their link was suddenly slammed shut, and Hawk was forcibly ripped from her mind. Waking with a start, Ashlyn bolted upright.

“Dear Goddess, I actually felt him!” she exclaimed, in shock. “But how?”

Ash sensed the loss immediately. There had always been a connection with Hawk, but this was something altogether different, something stronger, something, much more. Hope flickered inside her. Now, if only she could do it again.




Wild Wolf by Jennifer Ashley ~ Review

In the latest Shifters Unbound novel, a man has resigned himself to a life half lived. But a beautiful, courageous woman has him longing for something more…

Graham McNeil knows that his pack is unruly, but he’s not sure he can take the next step toward Shiftertown stability—choosing a new mate. After losing his mate and son long ago, Graham has worked hard to keep his heart in check. And even if he was inclined to bind himself again, his girlfriend, Misty, is human—a fact that won’t sit well with Graham’s old-fashioned wolves.

But Graham is up against a new enemy, one who could spell danger and death to all of Shiftertown. Graham must now defend his leadership and save Misty, the woman he has grown to love—before Shiftertown is pulled into an all-out war.






I met Graham in an earlier book and didn't like him one bit.  It's always a test of an authors ability to write a good story if they can take a character I don't like and turn that around.  So I was interested in reading Graham's story but not expecting to like him.

Graham can be a jerk.  He's used to being in charge of his shifter town and it wasn't his idea to be forced into another shifter town.  But he has a soft spot for Misty who is human.  While he likes her, he can't mate with a human.  His pack will never accept it. It's one of those impossible positions.

He's gruff and extremely alpha.  He doesn't show weakness and he issues orders just by just speaking.  The thing about him is that he's always there for you.  He goes to Misty's side to help her in a really bad situation.  And she's the only one that can see through to the warmer side of him.  She stands up to his grumpy side.  I love how Misty sees his strong protective side and she doesn't take his alpha commands.

The story in this one quickly becomes involved with Fae.  That's when things got really interesting. A big part of the Fae's plans come to light and Graham is trying to defend the whole shifter world.  He's strong.  He's one of the only ones that could.  That defiant, alpha side is exactly what is needed to survive the mess that comes to be in this book.  

And Graham loves Misty.  He loves the cubs.  He loves his family and packmates.  And it's this that makes me love him despite the pain that he's been in the past.  And Misty needs him too.  She's strong and determine to help Graham.  They make a great couple.

I continue to enjoy the world with all of it's possible stories along with all the characters that turn up in other stories.  It's fun to see little pieces of one story evolve into another story.  It feels like there could be so many stories and that just makes my heart happy.

Characters are great.  Some I really don't like and some I fall for hard.  Either way, my heart is right there.  Says a lot about the authors ability to write full well rounded characters that aren't all alike.

It's a great paranormal world and this one was a good read.  




                                 

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Stacking OUR Shelves ~ 7/29/18


Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  Make sure to checkout her post with links to all the other participates.

Click covers for Goodreads links



For Review...





Thanks go to...

Harlequin Books
Sourcebooks
Kylie Scott
Atria Books

Bought...


The Bookworm Box









For Review...


Fight or FlightDiadem of Blood and Bones: Midnight's Crown, Book 3



Thanks go to...


Berkley
Ripley Proserpina



Downloaded through KindleUnlimited...


Compassion Be Damned (Last Hope, #4)



That's what we added to our shelves this week! What do you think? What did you add to your stacks? Leave us a comment and link us up!


Saturday, July 28, 2018

Raze (Scarred Souls #1) by Tillie Cole ~ Review

Raze (Scarred Souls, #1)Source: Purchased.

Raze (Scarred Souls #1) by Tillie Cole


TO TAKE BACK LIFE, ONE MUST FIRST FACE DEATH...

Conditioned in captivity to maim, to kill and to slaughter, prisoner 818 becomes an unrivaled and unstoppable fighter in the ring. Violence is all he knows. After years of incarceration in an underground hell, only one thought occupies his mind: revenge... bloody, slow and violent revenge. Revenge on the man who wronged him.

Kisa Volkova is the only daughter of Kirill 'The Silencer' Volkov, head of the infamous 'Red' bosses of New York's Russian Bratva. Her life is protected. In reality, it's a virtual prison. Her father's savage treatment of his rivals and his lucrative and coveted underground gambling ring-The Dungeon-ensures too many enemies lurk at their door. She dreams to be set free. Kisa has known only cruelty and loss in her short life. While working for her church-the only reprieve in her constant surveillance-Kisa stumbles across a tattooed, scarred, but stunningly beautiful homeless man on the streets. Something about him stirs feelings deep within her; familiar yet impossibly forbidden desires. He doesn't talk. Doesn't communicate with anyone.

He's a man beyond saving. But Kisa becomes obsessed with him. Yearns for him. Craves his touch. Needs to possess this mysterious man... ... this man they call Raze.




I've had my eye on Raze for a while. Since before I read anything by Tillie Cole, actually, but it wasn't until after I started the Hades Hangmen series (and was enjoying it) that I decided the Scarred Souls series was something I really, really wanted to read. Fast forward to recently when I one-clicked the first 2 books. And then this past weekend when I finally got around to reading Raze. To be wholly honest...Raze did not live up to my expectations.


Let's kick this off with the things I liked about the book:

- The premise. Reading the description, Raze has so. much. potential. It sounds like it could be cool and dark and gritty, with just the right balance of romance. Exactly the kind of thing that would hook me and I'd get obsessed with. I love the idea of this book.

- Raze. He was such a complex character. He struggled with a lot--what was done to him, his memories, his revenge, his emotions... I appreciated getting to be in his head and see things unfold from his perspective.

- The bond between Raze and Kisa. It was so sweet. So beautiful. I LOVED them together. Their connection was palpable.

- It read quick. No parts of the novel dragged for me at all. At no point did I not want to continue reading or want to put the book down or look ahead to see when things would pick up. I was pretty into the book from the first page to the last.

- The dual POV. I said above that I appreciated being in Raze's POV. It really added a lot to the story. I also liked being in Kisa's head and seeing her side of the story. Their experiences and perspectives were so interesting.


Now for the things I did not like:

- I mentioned above that I love the idea of Raze...well, I don't love how the execution of the plot fell so flat for me. It had potential, but I ended up only feeling okay about the book as a whole. It was disappointing.

- The pacing of the story. The whole story is jammed into just a few days--with all the plot and emotion all rushed. If more time was taken to develop the emotions and story and tension on the page, I think it all could have had a much better affect.

- Kisa. I feel for her, I do. She landed in an effed up situation when she was vulnerable and that is NOT her fault. However, I don't think there was much of anything to her character. She was basically just...there. All I could tell you about her is that she loved Raze. She had no personality traits beside that. I wish she'd been a more developed character.

- The world-building seemed kind of iffy to me? Like, okay, there was the fighting ring. That's dark. But I feel like the families were so soft. I don't know. It didn't feel very authentic, I guess. This particular gripe is more of a passing thought than anything that really made me not love the book, so I'm not going to get super up in arms about it.

- The predictable plot. Oh my goodness! This is a big one. I've been non-spoilery in this review out of courtesy and will continue doing so, but really, y'all, if you read this book you'll figure all of the things out VERY quickly. There is no subtlety in the hints (read: neon signs) pointing to the "twist." And the plot...isn't very original. This might not have been something that really bothered me if not for the pacing issue mentioned above--but since it DID have that issue, this just added to the weakening of the story execution, unfortunately.


Overall, Raze has so much potential but ended up falling flat. I did enjoy Raze and Kisa's romance, however, and I am intrigued enough to continue the series. Hopefully the next book will be an improvement.



3 stars - An intriguing series starter, but the overall execution was disappointing.