Wednesday 30 September 2015

SPOTLIGHT & GIVEAWAY: BREAKING A LEGEND by SARAH ROBINSON


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Breaking a Legend
Kavanagh Legends #1
By: Sarah Robinson
Releasing September 29, 2015
Loveswept
 
 
BLURB:
Perfect for fans of Katy Evans and Monica Murphy, Sarah Robinson’s blistering-hot series debut introduces the Kavanagh brothers—mixed martial arts fighters who work hard, play hard, and love with all their hearts.
 
As one of the big names at his family’s gym, Legends, MMA star Rory Kavanagh is used to being in the spotlight—until a gruesome leg injury knocks him out of the cage. Rory is left feeling sidelined in more ways than one, battling the inner demons that come with losing the one shot at his dreams. Then Clare walks into his life and gives him a new dream: winning her heart. There aren’t many new faces in Woodlawn these days, but this tough, beautiful stranger makes Rory want to get his life back into fighting shape.
 
Clare Ivers doesn’t think she’ll be able to tell anyone what really brought her to the close-knit Bronx neighborhood where she just started bartending. But her life’s on pause and her past is catching up fast, try as she might to move on—with new friends, steady work, and a chiseled alpha male trying to get her attention. Even though Rory’s more than a little intense, she can’t deny that her heart beats faster when he looks at her with those soulful silver eyes. Clare thought she was done with love, but Rory might just be man enough to show her she thought wrong.
 
Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo
 
 
 
Well, if it isn’t our long-lost brother,” a familiar voice said a few minutes later, as he meandered into the neighborhood bar that everyone he knew frequented. A hand clasped his shoulder. “Shit, Rory, where the hell have you been?”
Rory inwardly groaned as he turned to face his younger brother, Quinn Kavanagh. Rory wanted to wipe Quinn’s smug smirk off with his fist. He had been sporting that same cocky attitude since the moment he popped into this world, a trait that Rory found uniquely irritating.
Now I remember why I’ve been avoiding this bar, Rory thought as he forced a smile at his brother.
“Just stopping in for a quick drink, Quinn,” Rory said, attempting to make clear that he wasn’t interested in socializing.
He headed over to the long wooden bar that wrapped around two sides of the small pub and stood before walls of liquor bottles and televisions. Several bartenders moved around swiftly, filling drink orders and talking with the full crowd that O’Leary’s always attracted on weekend nights. Rory found an empty stool down at one end, far away from the door, and quickly staked his claim.
He saw Cian, who had worked at O’Leary’s for as long as he could remember, and nodded his head to him. Cian nodded back and put up his hand, indicating he would be over in a minute, as he finished serving the group of college-aged kids at that end of the bar. The door to the kitchen swung open and a short, petite blonde ambled through carrying a large bucket of ice that seemed much too heavy for her small frame to manage.
Rory smiled slightly as he lifted one eyebrow, watching her with interest while she carefully poured the ice over the liquor bottles that sat in a metal bin below the bar’s surface. She huffed and her face was slightly red at the task, but she still managed to completely empty the bucket’s contents evenly around each of the glass bottles.
He took advantage of her being distracted by her task to stare at her shapely legs, which disappeared under a short skirt barely longer than her small apron. Her skin was delicately pale and smooth, and he wondered what it would feel like to slide his fingers up the length of those legs. His eyes traveled up her body, disappointed that the thick, blond ringlets dangling halfway down her back were also hiding most of her face as she leaned over the bar. He wanted to see her perfectly sloped nose, catch her eyes with his, and see what her small pink lips would look like when they smiled.
Something about this woman was intriguing him, although he couldn’t pinpoint what.
Her work completed, she exhaled loudly and plopped the empty bucket at her feet, taking a breather. Rory chuckled lightly, finally grabbing her attention.
“You laughing at me?” She put her hands on her hips, daring him to make fun of her.
Her eyes narrowed as she spoke, but he was still able to catch a glimpse of the dazzling emerald color that contrasted against her light skin and golden hair so perfectly.
“Wouldn’t dream of it, mhuirnín.” A smile spread across his face as he watched her saunter over to him, her full, pink lips tightly pressed together in irritation.
“What’s that mean?” she asked when she reached him, standing across the bar with her arms folded across her chest and one hip tilted higher than the other. Her tone was defiant and he loved the feisty spirit she exuded.
Mhuirnín? You’re all questions today. I’ll answer your question, if you answer mine.” Rory concentrated on keeping his speech normal and not slurring his words. He might have had a bit more to drink tonight than he had intended.
She turned away from him, looking back down the length of the bar and drumming her fingers on its surface.
Rory could sense her nervousness. He already missed her green gaze and silently begged her to turn back to him. There was something about her that stirred a protective instinct in him, a feeling entirely foreign toward anyone who wasn’t family. She was smiling, but there was an undercurrent of pain breaking through her friendliness.
He didn’t like it.
“I guess that’s fair,” she relented, turning back to him and leaning against the wall.
“I haven’t seen you here before. What’s your name?” His question was simple, but the desire in his eyes was not as he licked his bottom lip and admired how perfectly her uniform hugged her curves, even on her small figure.
“Clare Ivers. I’m new in town. Needed a job.” She shrugged, not divulging much, but he felt a sliver of hope when he saw that the smile on her face had yet to disappear.
He knew that she could feel his attraction toward her when he saw the blush creep up her cheeks. The smile she couldn’t push away told him she was enjoying their banter as much as he was.
Despite her clear interest, there was a hint of disapproval as he watched her eyes roam over his torso. It was a look he was way too familiar with from the last year. Rory worried he might be slurring his words or sounding more drunk than he felt.
Wouldn’t be the first time, he thought.
“Your turn.” She pointed at him, biting the corner of her lip in an attempt to hide her smile.
Mhuirnín means sweetheart. If you’re going to work in Woodlawn, Clare, you gotta learn some Irish.”
“Is that right? I guess I’ll have to find a good tutor then,” she taunted, before turning on her heels and sauntering off.

 
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sarah Robinson is the bestselling author of The Photographer Trilogy and the Sand & Clay rock star series. A native of Washington, D.C., Robinson has both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal psychology. She is married to a local police officer who is just as much of an animal rescue enthusiast as she is. Together, they own a zoo of rescue and foster animals.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



REVIEW: BREAKING A LEGEND by SARAH ROBINSON


In Breaking a Legend (Kavanagh Legends #1) by Sarah Robinson, after a gruesome leg injury destroys his career as an MMA fighter, Rory Kavanagh has been hitting the bottle heavily and popping pills like their candy to deal with the pain he still suffers. However, meeting Clare, the new bartender at O'Leary's Pub, has Rory turning over a new leaf in hopes she'll give him a chance at winning her heart.
 
Trusting people isn't easy for Clare Ivers, especially when the dangerous man she's hiding from could find her at any moment. Yet, the more she's around the gorgeous Rory, the more she finds herself considering giving him a chance. But how can she when he's doing everything she despises to alleviate his pain.
 
What an exciting, fast-paced, spellbinding read this book was, and one that packs quite a punch right from the prologue. Where its plot hooked me immediately, and encompasses a heroine running from her past, and a hero struggling to cope with his injury, as well as losing his career. 
 
The dialogue was well-written and intense due to both characters back stories. Rory's need for drinking and popping pills, and Clare's dislike for both makes for interesting reading. Especially once I learned why she's so anti drugs and alcohol. The playful banter between Clare and Rory charmed me. He's determined to prove that she can trust him. That he can be the sort of man she needs, if she's willing to give him a chance.
 
I loved both the main and secondary characters. Clare is brave with the way she's determined to start over, even knowing the danger she faces, if her past catches up to her. She's kind-hearted by trying to reclaim parts, of her past when it comes to her love, for animals. And finally, she's tenacious in her need to learn self-defense in order to protect herself from the coming danger. While Rory, he's strong, kind-hearted and protective. The way he's determined to make Clare feel safe is wonderful, because the heroine definitely needs to feel the way Rory makes her, which is cherished. How just being around Clare manages to change him, helps him to re-discover the man he was before his injury was great. He needed her, just as much as she needed him, to help heal from the pains of their pasts. Rory's dog also helps to bring the main characters closer together.     
 
The sex scenes are sizzling and heat up the story at the perfect moments, especially the first scene. As the sexual tension was so high that I was hoping the intimacy would happen sooner rather than later. Rory treats Clare like the precious gift she's become to him, which she needs. As it's not easy for her to let her guard down, to trust someone as much as she does Rory. 
      
Overall, I loved this story and am looking forward to the next one of this series, as Rory's brothers were fantastic in this book. I liked them almost as much as Rory. Almost. I highly recommend this novel to all romance readers, but most especially if you're after a really good sports romance..
   
 
OVERALL RATING:




BOOK INFO:

Publication Date: September 29th, 2015 / Loveswept / Kavanagh Legends #1

Perfect for fans of Katy Evans and Monica Murphy, Sarah Robinson’s blistering-hot series debut introduces the Kavanagh brothers—mixed martial arts fighters who work hard, play hard, and love with all their hearts.
As one of the big names at his family’s gym, Legends, MMA star Rory Kavanagh is used to being in the spotlight—until a gruesome leg injury knocks him out of the cage. Rory is left feeling sidelined in more ways than one, battling the inner demons that come with losing the one shot at his dreams. Then Clare walks into his life and gives him a new dream: winning her heart. There aren’t many new faces in Woodlawn these days, but this tough, beautiful stranger makes Rory want to get his life back into fighting shape.
Clare Ivers doesn’t think she’ll be able to tell anyone what really brought her to the close-knit Bronx neighborhood where she just started bartending. But her life’s on pause and her past is catching up fast, try as she might to move on—with new friends, steady work, and a chiseled alpha male trying to get her attention. Even though Rory’s more than a little intense, she can’t deny that her heart beats faster when he looks at her with those soulful silver eyes. Clare thought she was done with love, but Rory might just be man enough to show her she thought wrong.

Monday 28 September 2015

REVIEW: THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT by KATIE ROSE

 
In The Heat of the Moment (The Boys of Summer  #3) by Katie Rose, after the Dodgers team management decide to trade him to the New Jersey Sonics, Gavin King finds himself struggling to cope with the move. Worse yet, he's worried that he might not fully recover from the injury he's sustained, that has sidelined him from the game he loves.  Yet, with help from one of the team's physical therapists, Gavin finds his chances of playing again increasing day by day.
 
Physical Therapist, Jessica Hart, has sworn off dating professional athletes, especially baseball players.  Yet, there's something about her new patient that tempts her to change that rule. Working alongside Gavin day after day, helping him on his road to recovery, so he'll have a chance of playing again during the current season, she finds it becoming harder to resist him.
 
From start to finish, this book was highly entertaining, fast-paced, and I could not put it down for one second. The start was brilliant, and I felt sorry for Gavin. What a way to learn that he was being traded before team management had an opportunity to tell him.
 
The dialogue was well-written, and the teasing banter between Jessica and Gavin was compelling. She really helps him to adjust to his new situation, as he struggles to deal with the fact that the Dodgers traded him, and the possibility that he might not play again. The dialogue was also quite intense, as Jessica struggles with the fact that she's sworn off professional athletes due to a bad relationship with a baseball player. Yet, the more she's around Gavin, the more she starts to see the differences between him, and the jerk that hurt her in the past.
 
I loved both characters. The heroine is smart, sassy, hard-working. She isn't afraid to push the players when it comes to their physical therapy. The interactions she has with them should boost her self-esteem, and yet she lacks it due to her last relationship. The way she compares herself to other women was quite poignant. How could she not see that she had just as much to offer a man as any woman? Especially as Gavin proves he's a one-woman man through his actions both in and out of the bedroom. While the hero, he's strong, brave, honorable and very determined to recover from his injury so he can play again. I was touched by his struggles at the start. It wouldn't have been easy to accept being traded, and then suffering another blow soon after. Luckily, Jessica is there to help him.
 
Some of the secondary characters I liked,  while others I didn't. The player that bad mouths Jessica is one I didn't like from the start. I'm glad she stood up to him, because he certainly deserved the verbal smack down she gave him. Gavin's dad was another I disliked. It seemed he wasn't proud of Gavin, unless he was playing for a team worthy of his skills as a player. While Gavin's teammates I absolutely loved. Their pranks made me grin. Jessica's brothers were wonderful also. They're very protective of her, and don't want Gavin to send her life spiraling out of control again when she's barely recovered from her last relationship.
 
Scorching sex scenes heat up the pages, and illustrate this couple's intense chemistry perfectly. Every time they banter increases the sexual tension, and the first sex scene was just right where it was in the book. As the heroine needed the comfort Gavin offered, to chase away the hurt of her past relationship, that surfaces in that moment.   
 
Overall, I was absolutely engrossed by this book, and can't wait to read the previous ones of this series. This is one of the best baseball sports romances I've read, and I would highly recommend it to all romance readers, especially those that love sports romance.  
 
      
OVERALL RATING:
 
 
 
 
  
BOOK INFO:
 
Publication Date: September 22, 2015 / Loveswept / The Boys of Summer #3
 
The Boys of Summer are back! In Katie Rose’s sweet, sparkling novel, the newest New Jersey Sonic falls for the woman who’s trying desperately to save his career.

Physical therapist Jessica Hart has learned her lesson: Never date professional athletes. She’s been down that road, and barely recovered after the relationship crashed and burned. Then Jessica meets Gavin King. An All-Star slugger with chiseled good looks, Gavin was traded to the Sonics because he hurt his knee sliding into second, and now his future is in her hands. Gavin’s no bad boy—but he’s tempting enough to make Jessica think twice about all her rules.

Gavin is trying to find a comfortable routine. If he wants his old life back, he must take it easy, stay out of the limelight, and keep his distance from gorgeous redheaded physical therapists. The thing is, Gavin isn’t the kind of guy to sit on his ass and let other people pull his weight. And when he sees something he wants, he can’t help but fight for it, even if it means risking everything, even if it only lasts a single moment: like one kiss from Jessica. 
 
 
 
 

 

SPOTLIGHT & GIVEAWAY: THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT by KATIE ROSE


Enter to Win a Select Loveswept eBook bundle


The Heat of the Moment
The Boys of Summer # 3
By: Katie Rose
Releasing September 22, 2015 
Loveswept
 

 
BLURB:
The Boys of Summer are back! In Katie Rose’s sweet, sparkling novel, the newest New Jersey Sonic falls for the woman who’s trying desperately to save his career.

Physical therapist Jessica Hart has learned her lesson: Never date professional athletes. She’s been down that road, and barely recovered after the relationship crashed and burned. Then Jessica meets Gavin King. An All-Star slugger with chiseled good looks, Gavin was traded to the Sonics because he hurt his knee sliding into second, and now his future is in her hands. Gavin’s no bad boy—but he’s tempting enough to make Jessica think twice about all her rules.

Gavin is trying to find a comfortable routine. If he wants his old life back, he must take it easy, stay out of the limelight, and keep his distance from gorgeous redheaded physical therapists. The thing is, Gavin isn’t the kind of guy to sit on his ass and let other people pull his weight. And when he sees something he wants, he can’t help but fight for it, even if it means risking everything, even if it only lasts a single moment: like one kiss from Jessica.
 
 
Buy Links:  Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo
 
 
 
Pete walked into the PT room a moment later, popping his gum with a grin.
“I want you to meet our new player, Gavin King. Gavin, this is Jessica Hart. She is the best sports therapist in the business, and a hell of a trainer. Jess, Gavin just joined the team, but he’s on the DL.”
Jessica turned to the coach, saw the ballplayer beside him, and her heart stopped.
He was exactly her type. Or her former type. As she took in his magnificent physique, black eyes, and Colgate smile, she felt an instant attraction.
Gavin was the kind of guy she used to dream about, drool over, and date. She’d met enough of them growing up, friends of her brothers who started out as decent guys but got caught up in the hype and eventually stomped all over some poor girl silly enough to give up her heart. Unfortunately, she’d had to walk that path herself. She’d made the fatal mistake of falling for an outfielder who played for Cleveland, and eventually played her. Zach had the same dark hair, heart-stopping smile, and killer body.
He’d taught her what the word devastation meant.
“Good to meet you.” She extended her hand, reminding herself to think of him in clinical terms: he was a pro baseball player, a young athlete, and he was hurt. “So what seems to be the problem?”
“I had surgery for a meniscus tear,” he said, lifting his left pant leg and indicating a bandage. “It’s pretty much healed, but the surgeon wants me in physical therapy for a few months to build back up. I think they sent my test results, the MRI, and a script.”
She nodded, squatting before him and removing the bandage to examine the pink half-inch line on his knee. “I’ll take a look at the films. Red zone?” she asked, referring to the location of his tear.
“Yeah, I think so. But they said it spread into the white zone.”
Her eyes shot to Pete’s, and he gave a slight negative shake of his head. This news wasn’t good, and neither one of them wanted to share their misgivings. A tear that went into the white zone could mean big trouble for a ballplayer, or it could heal well and the limb would fully recover. It would take weeks before they’d know, and she understood now how the Sonics had acquired this magnificent specimen of a man:
His previous team didn’t want the risk.
So New Jersey had rolled the dice, gambling on his recovery. She could only hope they’d beat the odds.
“Okay, let’s get started. Have you done any therapeutic exercise up until now?”
“Yes, for a couple of weeks,” he said, flexing the knee to demonstrate. “They had me doing leg raises until they took the brace off.”
“That makes sense. We won’t do much today; we’ll do an evaluation, take a look at your records, and then we will put together a program.”
“How long?”
Her eyes met his and she saw the pain and frustration there. No player ever wanted to be on the disabled list, especially for any period of time. She didn’t want to raise false hopes, but she also didn’t want to discourage him. She took a deep breath, carefully choosing her words.
“It’s different with everyone. Some people recover much more quickly than others. A lot depends on how well you heal, how much you can tolerate, and if you’re willing to do the exercises at home. That will give us the quickest turnaround.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes,” he said fervently. “I just want to get back in the game.”
Jessica nodded as she wrapped the limb with the heating pad. No way in hell would she tell him the truth:
He might never be back.
 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Award-winning historical author Katie Rose makes her contemporary debut with the Boys of Summer novels, Bring on the Heat and Too Hot to Handle, which combine Katie’s true loves: baseball and romance! When not watching baseball, Katie is at her lake house in New Jersey, hard at work on her next book.




 


 

 



 
 
 
 
 

Sunday 27 September 2015

REVIEW: PLAYING DIRTY by TIFFANY SNOW

Playing Dirty (Risky Business, #2)
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Review Posted at HarlequinJunkie.com

For some reason Sage Reece can’t seem to stop loving Parker Anderson, even though sexy detective, Dean Ryker, provides plenty of distraction both in and out of the bedroom. But when an old enemy returns, seeking revenge against the two men, Sage finds herself a target. Her only chance at staying alive, is to trust both Parker and Dean to keep her safe. But can they overcome their past to protect her? Or will it get one of them killed? Read More

REVIEW: THE MINE by JOHN A. HELDT


In The Mine by John A. Heldt, not long after he begins  to explore an abandoned mine with a friend, Joel Smith finds himself transported to another time. May 1941 to be exact, a time where war may begin at any moment, and his confident, witty attitude is the only thing that may get him through the anomalous situation. At least until he can find a way to return to his time period -- the year 2000.
 
Having only read a dozen, or so time travel romance novels, of which I enjoyed, this one impressed me. Not only with its sweet, fast-paced, adventurous plot, but the surprise Joel received at the end. I so wasn't expecting that. The plot was slow to get started, but once Joel emerges in 1941, I found it to be a real page turner.
 
As for the dialogue, it was fun but intense as Joel struggles to adjust to being transported to a new time period, and knowing that changing things even the tiniest bit could alter the future. There's also the fact that so much that he's used to in his time hasn't been invented yet, such as his cell phone.
 
Joel is a likeable character from the beginning, and charmed me with his confident and witty personality. It helped him make friends easily, although he knows he can't give too much away about his life to those he meets, especially Grace and his grandmother. He manages to make the best of an anomalous experience with his knowledge of the future, and how he entertained those he became close to with such wisdom made me grin.
 
Overall, this was an engrossing tale Mr. Heldt has penned, of which the secondary characters charmed me almost as much as Joel. Also, I loved how it concluded with a surprise ending. Joel deserved to be happy. I would recommend this if you love time-travel romance, or are looking to read your first time-travel romance. 
 
 
OVERALL RATING:   
 
 
 
 
 
BOOK INFO:
 
Publication Date: December 6th, 2013 (First Published January 1st, 2012) / Northwest Passage #1
 
In May 2000, Joel Smith is a cocky, adventurous young man who sees the world as his playground. But when the college senior, days from graduation, enters an abandoned Montana mine, he discovers the price of reckless curiosity. He emerges in May 1941 with a cell phone he can't use, money he can't spend, and little but his wits to guide his way. Stuck in the age of swing dancing and a peacetime draft, Joel begins a new life as the nation drifts toward war. With the help of his 21-year-old trailblazing grandmother and her friends, he finds his place in a world he knew only from movies and books. But when an opportunity comes to return to the present, Joel must decide whether to leave his new love in the past or choose a course that will alter their lives forever. THE MINE follows a humbled man through a critical time in history as he adjusts to new surroundings and wrestles with the knowledge of things to come.
 

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REVIEW: ONLY OSCAR by TRISH WYLIE @ HARLEQUIN JUNKIE

 
In Only Oscar by Trish Wylie, while enjoying time out with her friends, Callie Morris makes a suggestion that they need to do something about their love lives. Seriously considering their advice, for her to see if anything more than friendship exists with her best friend, Oscar, she decides to take a chance. Yet, the decision isn’t a light one to make, because if things don’t work out, she could lose someone that means so much to her. FULL REVIEW @ HJ
 
OVERALL RATING:




BOOK INFO:
 
Publication: June 12th, 2015 | Trish Wylie | Passion Pact #1
 
Could the first boy she fell for be the only guy she needs?
 
Callie Morris has a plan to make dating simple. She doesn’t think finding Mr. Right needs to be complicated. But before she can get started, her girlfriends insist she take a good, long look at her BFF, Oscar Levinson, to eliminate him from the running.
 
The last thing she expects to find is a spark of attraction. What’s more, it appears to be mutual!
 
Turns out, there’s more to Oscar than meets the eye. He’s been keeping secrets and some of them are huge. When the truth comes out will Callie discover everything she needs for a happily-ever-after was standing in front of her all along, or will her worst fears be realized when she loses both her heart and her best friend?