REVIEW: HALF EMPTY by CATHERINE BYBEE

Half Empty

The First Wives #2

By Catherine Bybee

Releasing July 31st, 2018

Montlake Romance

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New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee continues her sassy series with another of the First Wives finding that love and secrets are a dangerous combination.

Trina Petrov’s marriage-by-contract was only meant to be temporary. But when tragedy strikes, Trina is left one of the wealthiest women in the world. To recover from the shock, she takes some time off in Italy, swearing not to fall for any men while there. But that doesn’t mean she can’t fall for anyone on the trip home…

Country-music superstar Wade Thomas is lying low in a hotel bar when he gets the cold shoulder from the woman next to him. He’s used to fans fawning at his boots, and Trina is a refreshing change—so is the fact that she has no idea who he is.

As things begin to heat up, Trina discovers that the circumstances of her late husband’s death are not what they seemed. Now she’s in trouble, and Wade isn’t about to let her out of his sight. Getting close to love and danger could get them killed…or it could sweep them both off their feet.

BUY LINK:  Amazon

In Half Empty (The First Wives #2) by Catherine Bybee, Trina Petrov is a rich woman thanks to her marriage-by-contract arrangement. However, being rich isn't all it's cracked up to be, considering it's been more bad than good with the trouble she's had since her husband died. Dragging country-music heart-throb Wade Thomas into the trouble she's facing isn't something she wanted, especially knowing how dangerous the people coming after her are. Still, she's lucky to have him on her side. Will Trina and Wade find a way to be together or will someone determined to take everything from Trina get their way?

Reading a new book by Ms. Bybee is always exciting and I've got to say that this second book of her First Wives series was an absolutely engaging, fast-paced, marvellous read about the tight bonds of friendship; a heroine's fight for survival and finding the kind of love she deserves; and a hero determined to protect the woman he's coming to love. Will Trina and Wade come out on top against the trouble the heroine faces because of her past?

With the dialogue, it was intense due to the main characters back stories and everything both the main and secondary characters go through on their journey to happy ever after. However, there were moments where I was shaking my head at one of the women Trina is friends with because she has serious daddy and trust issues and was a little too opinionated for those reasons. Then again, it could be she's just overprotective of Trina because she doesn't have much else to do with her time than worry about her friends, look pretty and spend money. Yet, in saying that, I loved the direction Ms. Bybee took this story in, which had me warming up to the heroine's friend, especially with what she goes through that sends her from a confident woman to a very vulnerable one, which will make things interesting for the next book of the series.

As for Trina and Wade, they were two brilliant main characters with interesting back stories; off-the-charts chemistry; and tough obstacles to face to be together including winning over Wade's mom. Will Trina be able to win the hero's mom over? Moreover, the heroine is resilient, courageous, determined to protect those that she cares about and I liked how she handled everything she faces when it comes to someone coming after her, which gets more and more dangerous and harrowing, especially because of things Trina and her friends discover. While the hero, he's charming, confident, good for Trina and I liked how determined he was to protect her. I also liked how Wade handled everything thrown at him when it comes to Trina's past and her friend's protectiveness. Yet, what I liked most of all about the hero was his determination to make those that care about him know that Trina is the one for him no matter what anyone says. 

Overall, Ms. Bybee has delivered an enthralling read in this book where emotions run high; the nicely-detailed romance does justice to this couple's intense chemistry; and the ending had me on the edge-of-my-seat with worry due to what the main characters experience at the hands of a madman, but had me loving how right everything turns out. Really, Trina is lucky to have such wonderful support in the secondary characters. I would recommend Half Empty by Catherine Bybee, if you enjoy romantic suspense, contemporary romance mixed with a good dose of suspense, second chance romances or books by authors Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliott, Jill Sanders and Ruth Cardello.

RELEASE BLITZ - REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: THE ONLY THING by MARIE HARTE

The Only Thing

The Donnigans #3

By Marie Harte

Releasing May 1, 2018

Sourcebooks

 Contemporary Romance

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Blurb

"Readers will...read this book from cover to cover...and then read it all over again."―RT Book Reviews for Just the Thing Five Stars GOLD

What do you do when a "fake" relationship is so much better than the real thing?

Hope Donnigan is finally getting her life together. She's working a job she likes, has some amazing friends, and is steering clear of Mr. Wrong. Now if only she could get her mother to understand that. Maybe a hot tattoo artist from the other side town is just the ticket to teach her mom a lesson.

J.T. Webster fell for Hope months ago at his sister's wedding. So when she propositions him to be her fake boyfriend to get her mother off her back, he's all in. The only problem is J.T. had no idea their pretend relationship would be better than anything real he's ever had...

The Donnigans Series:

A Sure Thing (Book 1)

Just the Thing (Book 2)

The Only Thing (Book 3)

Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

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In The Only Thing (The Donnigans #3) by Marie Harte, JT Webster was intrigued by Hope Donnigan the moment he met her at a wedding. So, when she asks for his help, how could he possibly say no. But being her fake boyfriend isn't easy, especially when he wants more. Will JT be able to convince Hope that he wants more than what they have or will they walk away from the one person they're meant for?

I always enjoy Ms. Harte's books and this story was a really good addition to her Donnigans series. There were wonderful characters in both the main and secondary ones; enchanting dialogue that had me reading quickly, determined to discover if things would work out for this pair since their relationship is fake in order to help the heroine with her mother; and tough obstacles to overcome to be together including finding a stalker that wants Hope and whether the heroine will give JT a real chance, especially when her past relationships haven't been all that good and have made her wanting to take a break from men.

With the main characters, the heroine is resilient and courageous in the way she stands up to her mother. Really, being single is what she wants at the moment and her mother needs to accept that. Will she be able to make her mother understand why being single is what she wants for now? I also liked the close bond she shares with her family and the other secondary characters, which is proven by how willing they are to help her through what she's going through. Yet, what I liked most of all about the heroine was that she gave the hero a chance, even though she doesn't want a relationship. There's only so much heartbreak a girl can handle. While the hero, he's confident, a good guy and I liked how he wins the heroine's mother over, even though that doesn't seem easy at the start because Hope's mother seems like a snob. I also liked the close relationship he shares with his siblings, even when they're making assumptions that end up revealing secrets. 

Overall, Ms. Harte has delivered a fantastic read in this book where the chemistry between this couple was intense; the romance was nicely-detailed and had me loving these two together; and the ending had me worried for this couple's happy ever after because of what happens, but had me loving that the hero and heroine fought for their happy ever after. I would recommend The Only Thing by Marie Harte, if you enjoy the fake relationship trope or books by authors Cherrie Lynn, Kristen Proby, Shannon Stacey and Jaci Burton.

Excerpt

Hope couldn’t find it in herself to blink, focused on God’s gift to womankind. Her aunt’s invitation to dinner had come at the perfect time, giving Hope an excuse to avoid her mother’s weekly nagathon. Since her idiot older brothers had hooked up with the loves of their lives, her mother had deemed Hope fair game again. So much for their pleasant détente, where Hope stopped blaming her mother for her many issues and Linda Donnigan stopped getting on Hope for breathing wrong.

Yet Hope hadn’t anticipated seeing J.T. Webster. He hadn’t been at the last two dinners Aunt Sophie had invited her to. “Greg?” she asked, her mind on other things.

Like how incredible J.T. filled out a simple T-shirt and jeans. The man had the prettiest brown skin, like a smooth chocolate caramel. Light but so filling. She swallowed a sigh.

Liam was white, and she knew J.T.’s mom had been black. She also must have been gorgeous, because J.T. had his dad’s height and brawn, as well as the face of an angel who liked to sin. A lot.

She swallowed a sigh and continued to visually eat him up, wondering if the size of his hands and feet could be correlated to the size of other things.

God, get your mind off sex, Hope. His father is here! Aunt Sophie is here! And you’re off men, remember?

“Yeah, Greg,” J.T. said, looking concerned. “Gas Works Park ring a bell?”

Geez, she’d seen Greg and J.T. just last week. “Oh, no. No problems on that front.” To Liam, who studied her a little too intently, she explained, “Ex-boyfriend. A jerk I ran into. No biggie.” She shot J.T. a look, pleased when he kept quiet.

Last weekend, Greg, a guy she hadn’t dated or seen in over four months, had accused her of using her brother to bother him. But Hope hadn’t thought about Greg the Cheater since she’d dumped him, so she knew her brothers couldn’t care less about the guy. When Greg had tried to get a little gropey at the park, she’d taken him down, courtesy of the self-defense classes her brothers taught.

J.T. hadn’t had to do more than watch her take Greg out. She’d been so proud of herself… when she’d been able to tear her imagination from what J.T. would look like naked.

So sad those images replayed themselves over and over again.

“Right.” Liam stared from her to J.T., a question in his eyes.

“So who’s pregnant?” she asked, hoping to shift attention away from herself.

Rena squealed. “Del is! A tiny little bun in her McCauley oven.”

Del looked embarrassed, which was funny, because Del could out swear the mechanics she bossed around on a daily basis and took woman power to the next level. The woman had arms covered in tattoos, funky ash-blonde braids, and icy gray eyes that seemed to look through, and not at, a person.

Hope could see a faint resemblance from brother to sister despite their different skin tones. Both J.T. and Del had the same shape of their eyes and stubborn chins, just like their father. Only someone as obsessed with J.T. would have noticed that, she realized, and felt like a moron for being so enthralled with the man.  

Fortunately, Liam and Rena started badgering Del for details, letting Hope off the hook.

Since she hadn’t yet greeted her aunt, Hope started to turn and found J.T. suddenly in her way. “Oh, sorry.”

He put a hand out to stop her from bumping into him. And sweet baby sexy, she felt the touch go from her arm all the way through her body, centering between her legs. Oy.

Also Available

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

GOOGLE PLAY

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

GOOGLE PLAY

Author Bio

Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way. She’s a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit http://marieharte.com and fall in love.

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BLOG TOUR - REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: THE LAST KING by KATEE ROBERT

Ultra wealthy and super powerful, the King family is like royalty in Texas. But who will keep the throne? New York Times bestselling author Katee Robert introduces a red-hot new series.

The Last King

The Kings #1

By Katee Robert

Releasing April 3rd, 2018

Forever

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THE MAN SHE HATES TO LOVE

Beckett King just inherited his father's fortune, his company-and all his enemies. If he's going to stay on top, he needs someone he can trust beside him. And though they've been rivals for years, there's no one he trusts more than Samara Mallick.

The rebel. That's how Samara has always thought of Beckett. And he's absolutely living up to his unpredictable ways when he strides into her office and asks for help. She can't help wondering if it's a legit request or just a ploy to get her into bed. Not that she'd mind either one. After all, she likes to live on the edge too.

But soon the threats to the King empire are mounting, and the two find family secrets darker than they ever imagined and dangerous enough to get them both killed.

BUY LINKS:  Amazon / B & N / iTunes / Kobo

In The Last King (The Kings #1) by Katee Robert, Beckett King should be able to trust his family, but for years there's been a family feud. So, when his father dies and Beckett inherits the family company, he knows he's going to have to watch his back. However, there may be someone he can trust, even though they've been rivals for years, and that's Samara Mallick. Will Samara be willing to help him or will they lose their chance at happy ever after because the King family secrets put them in more danger than they could have ever possibly imagined?

Ms. Robert never fails to impress me with her writing and this first book of her Kings series is absolutely brilliant and completely hot right from the prologue, as Beckett is full of charm and Samara is hopeless in resisting him. However, in saying that, she knows better than to trust him because their rivals. Will she begin to realize that her loyalty lies with a woman that will do anything to get what she wants, even if it means breaking the law?

As for the dialogue, it was intense due to the main characters back stories, especially that of the hero because of the family feud that puts him at odds with the rest of the King family. Luckily though, he has one person on his side, especially when Samara begins to realize how ruthless her boss is and how far the woman is willing to go to get what she wants. Will Samara go along with the woman's plans when it comes to the contract she wants the heroine to secure? Furthermore, both the main characters are compelling and I loved the interactions between them, as she doesn't want to end up like her mother in falling for a rich man and then things don't work out. Will things work out for Beckett and Samara?

With the main characters, I absolutely loved Beckett. He's confident, faces quite the challenge in winning over the heroine, and I liked that he didn't back down when things became more and more dangerous for him. I also liked how protective Beckett was of the heroine, as she may become a target someone can use against him because she's come important to him. While the heroine, she's strong, independent, smart and I liked that she gave the hero a chance, despite her fears of abandonment. I also liked that the heroine was just as protective of Beckett as he was of her, especially when she realizes how much she has to lose. 

Overall, Ms. Robert has delivered a wonderful read in this book, which encompasses the perfect combination of steamy romance and intense suspense that had me on the edge-of-my-seat with every bit of danger this couple face, even though Beckett seems to be the target. Yet, what I liked most of all about the ending of this story is the way things worked out for the best for Beckett and Samara and that they were willing to fight for their future. I would recommend The Last King by Katee Robert, if you enjoy the enemy to lovers trope or books by authors Avery Flynn, Nina Croft, Kristen Proby and Tessa Bailey.

The Last King Excerpt

Copyright © 2018 Katee Robert

Heaven was Samara in a little green dress.

Beckett watched her walk across the lobby, her mile-long legs eating up the distance with ease. That glimpse of wildness she’d given him last night was in full effect today, her hair a mass of black waves that seemed to curl and snap around her shoulders with each step. Her dress fitted her like a second skin, sloping down over her breasts, her stomach, to her hips and thighs.

But it was her dark eyes that drew and held him. Anger and desire and something like guilt lingered there, and she held his gaze as she stopped in front of him. “Do I meet your expectation?”

“You’re beautiful.”

She arched a single eyebrow. “I know.”

That surprised a laugh out of him. Beckett turned to the elevator bank and offered his elbow. The gentlemanly move was over-the-top for their current circumstances, but he couldn’t be this close to her without touching her. Kissing her now, here, was a terrible damn idea, so he’d settle for the small touch. “No false modesty. I like that.”

“I think we’ve established that I don’t operate based on what you like.” Despite her words, amusement pulled at the edges of her lips, and she set her hand carefully on his forearm. “Every time I think I have your number down, you surprise me. Most guys get pissy pants if a woman doesn’t fall at their feet when they call her beautiful.”

“I’m not most guys.” He waited for the elevator door to open and led her onto it. “You can’t fit me into a box and write me off, Samara.”

“I’m beginning to see that.” She shook her head, her hair brushing against his shoulder. “My life would be a whole lot easier if I could.”

He couldn’t argue that, so he didn’t bother. Beckett took them up to the executive level. He noted the way she studied everything, obviously filing away every bit of information she could lay her eyes on. “What does Lydia pay you these days?”

She dropped her arm and stepped back. “Oh no. I don’t think so.” She pointed at him. “We went over this last night. I’m not for sale.”

“It’s an innocent question.”

“It is most definitely not an innocent question.” She looked like she wanted to take off her shoe and throw it at his head. “I don’t care what issue you and your aunt have. I’m not part of it. You don’t get to use me as leverage. I’m not a pawn for either of you to sacrifice in this pissing match you have going on.”

Shame tried to take hold, but he wouldn’t let it. Samara knew the game, no matter how much it apparently offended her. “I’m the bad guy for trying to offer you a job, but I’m sure you agreed to show up here solely out of the goodness of your heart.” He pretended to think about it. “Wait, no you didn’t—which you already admitted. You’re here because Lydia wants to do whatever it takes to sink Morningstar. Full stop.” He motioned at the offices behind him. “Wake up, Samara. I’m only playing the game she made the rules for.”

She took in the empty COO office on the other side of the glass wall. “She poached your employees.”

“Convenient timing, don’t you think?”

“You’re not still harping on that paranoid talk about Lydia meeting Nathaniel.” Samara hesitated and then moved to stand in front of him. She pressed her lips together and then very gently said, “Do you think maybe it’s a good idea for you to talk to someone?”

Beckett jerked back. “What?”

There was nothing but sympathy in her dark eyes. “I’m serious, Beckett. I’ve known you a long time, at least by reputation, and this delusion you have going isn’t like you. Is it possible that Nathaniel’s death is hitting you harder than you realize? That you’re fixating on Lydia instead of your own grief because it’s easier to deal with an enemy than face the fact you can never make things right with your father?”

Every word flayed him, cutting to the quick. Beckett gritted his teeth against the need to tell Samara that she was the one who wasn’t thinking clearly. To yell. To expel some of the ugliness that had been brewing in him for a very, very long time. “I didn’t call you here to offer you a job, and I sure as hell don’t need a shrink.”

She stood her ground as he advanced. Her heels put them at the same height and she still managed to look down her nose at him. “Then why did you call me here?”

Because I can’t spend another moment alone without going out of my mind.

He didn’t say it. To admit how long it had been since he’d felt a connection with another person was to hand Samara—Lydia—a loaded gun and invite her to point it directly at him. He didn’t answer her verbally at all. Beckett cupped her waist and slowly pulled her against him, giving her plenty of time to register his intentions.

“Beckett.” Despair colored her tone and she gave a desperate laugh. “What are we doing?”

“I don’t know.” Using a hand on the small of her back, he pressed her firmly against him. “I don’t want to stop.”

Samara hesitated, but finally placed her hands gingerly against his chest. He waited, letting her decide. Yes or no. Push or pull. Stay or go. She hitched a breath. “I don’t want to stop, either.”

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her 2015 title, The Marriage Contract, was a RITA finalist, and RT Book Reviews named it 'a compulsively readable book with just the right amount of suspense and tension."  When not writing sexy contemporary and romantic suspense, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her children, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. 

Connect with Katee at: Website | Facebook | Twitter| GoodReads | Instagram

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