Wednesday, April 27, 2016

My review of Love Caters All by Nicci Carrera

Rick Nordan, CEO of GameCom, has been told by his doctor that he needs to unwind and take a week off electronics as he has been under too much stress. He decides to take his doctor's advice and heads to Lobster Cove.

Pilar Cruz and her daughter Maya, have just turned Pilar's house into a rental, desperate for some extra income after Pilar's husband died. Maya runs a food truck called Love Caters All and does catering jobs when possible to support herself, her mom and her sisters.

When Rick and Maya meet sparks fly but they are from polar opposite worlds and no matter what their attraction is, these opposites begin to show and put a huge strain on their relationship. Will the two keep their relationship intact or is living on two different coasts and their opposite lives too much for them to overcome?

I enjoyed this book and really liked Maya and all her sacrifices for her family, although Maya did not give herself enough credit. I understood why Rick had his guard up but it's frustrating that he would listen to a stranger and not Maya.

It would be very difficult coming from two different worlds but I really enjoyed the dates that Maya and Rick had while in Lobster Cove and how they realized it's the little things that matter.

4 Stars

Nicci Carrera

REVIEW TOUR FOR NICCI CARRERA

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

My review of Take Two by Traci Hayden

Beth Huntley is a photographer who stays behind the lens, never seeking the limelight that some do. Looking for a place to begin again after a stay in New York, Beth and her best friend Judith Snow return to their hometown to open a photo studio. William Lorde is trying desperately to pick up the pieces of his shattered heart after his wife dies, leaving him to care for his young daughter, Angel. Almost by fate, William is drawn into Beth's studio and the two form a strong friendship. Yet both are extremely attracted to each other but both have ghosts in their pasts that they are trying to overcome and heal before getting involved. Yet they face pressures from their family and friends who believe they both deserve to be happy. Will Beth allow herself to be happy or will the ghosts from her past prevent her from allowing herself to love and be loved? This was a great book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The reader got to know so many of the characters through all the different points of view from which the book was written. It was good to see everyone's concerns regarding everything and it made you feel like you were really involved in the book. I felt so bad for Beth and the reasons why she felt she wasn't worth loving. Her self-esteem took such a hit, no matter what her accomplishments were. Her friendship with Judith was amazing and I'm so glad that they always had each other to support. I loved the story behind Wyatt and Judith and thought some of the comments directed towards them were extremely amusing. The families of both William and Beth were amazing and so supportive. I loved how much Beth's dad Ryan seemed to change in the book. I can't wait to read more from this author! 4 Stars

Take Two by Traci Hayden

My review of The Kingmaker: A Powerplay Novel by Selena Laurence

Derek Ambrose is the nation's leading campaign consultant and believes he has the perfect candidate all lined up to be the next president when he walks in on Senator Jason Melville with an escort, London Sharpe. When the press finds out Derek explains that it is he who is involved with London and not Jason.

Yet, in a political arena some secrets are not to be kept and you never know who is after who. When Derek and London begin to have feelings for one another they each have to put their hearts and careers on the line until one secret begins the unraveling of everything they both held sacred.

This book grabbed me right from the beginning and i couldn't put it down! The characters were engaging and had so many layers to them that it was like opening a present of intrigue. I loved London and the reasons why her life went as it did. She was so detached from intimacy and I liked how Derek never gave up on her or made her feel uncomfortable. Derek was such a great guy and it was pretty sad how much he was affected by the secret.

I really liked the "Powerplay Club" and I'm really hoping that this is the beginning of a series with each of the men getting their own book. The concept is very intriguing and I liked how they all worked together to get things done and solve the problems that they faced.

This was such a great book and I can't wait for more from the author!

5 Stars

The Kingmaker by Selena Laurence


We're so excited for the release of The Kingmaker by Selena Laurence! Don't miss this excerpt and order your copy today!


THE KINGMAKER by Selena Laurence
Scheduled to release: April 26, 2016
Erotic Contemporary Romance
BLURB:
He's America's golden boy. A power broker. A Kingmaker.
She's America's dirty little secret. A sex broker. A scandal maker.
Together they are headline news.
Lies, deceptions.
A Presidency hangs in the balance.
Then, there is the chemistry.
It's combustible, incendiary, explosive.
She.
Will.
Ruin.
Him.
He might not care.

Excerpt:
He stared at a pair of legs—long and shapely, with dark olive skin that glowed in the low light of the room. They ended in a pair of very strappy stiletto heeled shoes, and toe nails the color of a fine burgundy. Unfortunately, those spectacular legs were currently pressed against a wall while his client—his very married client—mauled the owner of said legs in a swanky hotel suite in southwest D.C.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Derek groaned as he stood in the doorway viewing the clusterfuck that had just exploded all of his plans.
“Unh,” Jason Melville grunted as he stopped ravishing the woman’s neck and raised his eyes to gaze over his shoulder at his very pissed campaign consultant. “Derek,” he gritted out. “This isn’t what it looks like.”
Derek slammed the door and strode across the room to glower at Jason and the woman splayed against the wall.
“What exactly is it then, Jason? Because it looks to me like you’re about to screw a woman who is not your wife hours before we’re supposed to announce your candidacy for president of the fucking United States. Did it ever occur to you that she could blow your entire campaign to hell before it even starts?”
Derek’s gaze drifted from Jason’s rapidly reddening face to the brunette he had pinned, hands above her head against the expensive wallpaper. As Jason released her and she straightened her clothes with a huff, Derek could see that the rest of her was as exquisite as her legs. Classic bone structure covered with smooth as silk, flawless skin. Exotic eyes the color of dark chocolate, tipped up at the outside corners, the lashes long and luxurious. And below all of that, a pair of tits that would tempt any president—well, maybe not the current one, since she seemed to swing toward men.
“I’m a professional escort,” she hissed. “And I’ll have you know that I’m very discreet. I would never discuss a client’s business with anyone, whether he’s the president or a janitor.”
Jesus. A hooker? Could it get any worse?
“Look, sweetheart, I’m sure you’re the picture of discretion, but the presidency is not something to risk over a tumble with an escort.” He squeezed out the last word like he could hardly tolerate saying it, and her cheeks turned pink in response, her mouth tightening and eyes narrowing.
Jason exhaled a big breath and stepped further from the brunette.
The woman pursed her plump lips and nudged Jason out of the way before brushing by Derek heading for the bathroom, her perfectly firm and round ass swaying in the pencil skirt that hugged her like a second skin.
Derek whipped around to glower at his candidate who blatantly adjusted himself in his $1000 Armani dress slacks.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” Derek snarled. “Do you realize what you’ve done?”
“Come on,” Jason muttered. “Like every other presidential candidate for the last fifty years hasn’t done the same damn thing. It’s a high stress job, you have to find some way to relieve that stress.”
Derek walked to the thermostat on the wall and turned on the AC to rid the room of the scent of the hooker’s perfume which was perversely turning him on even in the midst of his anger.
“Well, if this is how you handle your stress, I’m not sure you’re cut out to be president. You’ll recall that behavior like this may be commonplace in D.C., but it also nearly always ends in scandal that ruins careers. Particularly for a young, good-looking candidate with little kids at home. Do I need to mention Gary Hart and John Edwards to you?”
Jason grabbed his jacket off of the bed. Derek heard the water turn on in the bathroom and wondered exactly how much money he’d have to cough up to make this woman go away, and how long it would be until she came around again wanting more.
“London is known for her discretion,” Jason said as he unrolled his shirt sleeves. “No one will ever find out. I swear.”
Derek raised an eyebrow.
“Fine. I’ll stop, okay? Is that what you want to hear? I won’t see her again, and I’ll be a good boy and jack off in the shower instead. God knows Angela’s not going to help me out.”
Derek thought of Jason’s Patrician blonde wife and their two preschool aged children. His stomach churned. Why the fuck did these guys get married if they weren’t going to make the commitment? It wasn’t essential to have a wife in order to be successful in politics these days. He shook off the thoughts and focused on the problem at hand.
“How much?” he asked.
“How much what?” Jason responded, searching for something on the floor next to the bed.
“How much do you normally pay her?”
Jason muttered “Got it!” in triumph and stood to put on a pair of diamond cufflinks. “Oh, London? She’s a grand an hour.” He checked his watch. “And she’s been here about twenty-two minutes.”
Jesus. A grand? The last time he’d gotten laid, Derek had spent fifty bucks on two cocktails, and then taken the pretty young reporter home for a couple of hours before sliding her into a taxi and saying goodnight. Final total? Maybe a hundred dollars. A grand seemed excessive.

About the Author:

Selena Laurence is the USA Today Bestselling author of Edgy Contemporary Romance. In 2014 she was awarded the Reader’s Crown Award for Contemporary Romance of the Year. In 2015 her rock star romance A Lush Betrayal was a finalist in three national contests. Selena lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with her kids, Mr. L, “Goldendoodle” and “Demon Cat.” When she’s not writing she can be found at soccer games and tennis matches, or one of her favorite coffee shops.

Online, see her at all these places:
email author(at)selenalaurence(dot)com,
FB SelenaLaurenceRomanceAuthor
Twitter @selenalaurence
Instagram @selenalaurence
Pinterest SelenaLaurence

Sign up for her monthly newsletter here: http://bit.ly/1mtE0pJ

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Spaghetti Casserole

In my quest to find a super easy meal that all three of us will like I came upon this one and it looked super easy so I thought I'd give it a try!

Now it was definitely easy but I found that I would have prefered a bit more flavour in it and it could be just an easy switch like a different pasta sauce or maybe adding in a bit of basil to the sauce.

The other small problem that I had as you can see was that I followed the instructions where it said it could easily fit into a lasagna pan but it never recommended a different cooking time. If you cook it in the larger pan then definitely decrease the cooking time or the edges and the cheese get overcooked which did not appeal to my kids at all unfortunately.

I would definitely try making it again but alter the recipe a little and definitely decrease the time in the oven!

http://www.worldtravelingmilitaryfamily.com/spaghetti-casserole-recipe/


Thursday, April 21, 2016

MJ Summers bonus!

★✩★ Free Boxed Set ★✩★

Pre-Order THE BREAK-UP for the special price of $2.99 & get THE FULL HEARTS BOXED SET for free!

3 Full-Length Novels + 1 Novella by international bestselling author MJ Summers
Regular Sale Price of $8.99
Limited to first 500 Downloads

Get your copy today:
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1WdUJlZ
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1QmKm8e
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/26eTMOK
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1qZhlem

#FreeBooks #Giveaway #Romance #NewRelease #mjsummers #TheBreakUp #TheFullHeartsBoxedSet



Displaying MJ Summers.jfif


Pre-order blast for Rise of Alpha by Lorenz Font

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

My review of Corralling Kenzie by Joanne Jaytanie

Such a great book filled with unique abilities and lots of twists!

Kenzie Vaughn runs KV Boarding and Training Facility and her property borders on the property owned by the Winters Sisters. When Kenzie's horse Boone is shot in the middle of the night she reaches out to Victory Winters for assistance. Knowing that danger looms for Kenzie, Logan Mendoza, part of Special Operations Command (SOCOM), agrees to help protect her.

What Kenzie doesn't know is why her life is in danger and why pictures of her brother, who has been gone from her life for many years have disappeared. Kenzie, Logan and the Winters Sisters as well as all the men from SOCOM must figure out who is after her and why.

This was a great book and I loved the suspense that the author kept us in with why people were after Kenzie. The sexual tension between Kenzie and Logan was awesome and I loved how their relationship progressed.

I also enjoyed how everyone worked together so well for the greater good of everyone involved. They all worked so well as a unit, and that included the inclusion of Kenzie and the ladies who worked for her.

5 Stars

Corralling Kenzie by Joanne Jaytanie

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

My review of Strung Out: A Needles and Pins Rock Romance by Lyrica Creed

Wow! This is somewhat a "typical" rock star book but there are so many more levels to this book that I found so unique and refreshing and it totally sucked me in.

Scarlette "Scarla" Smythe is dropping out of school to find her best friend Ivy that seems to have vanished while on tour with the rock band Rageon. Unfortunately dropping out is also due to the lack of money that she has with her mom not really contributing financially to their living situation. Trying to find any clues that she can Scarla turns to her ex-stepbrother Gage Remington for help finding Ivy.

Gage is not the person that Scarla remembers 90% of the time. He has turned into a drug addict and is obviously into way more "kinky" sex than Scarla has ever seen. Yet somewhere the same Gage remains from when they lived together as teenagers and Scarla hopes that he is able to go back to that person.

As Scarla and Gage get closer to finding Ivy, they also find themselves attracted to each other and must figure out if they are "brother/sister" or a whole new relationship. When Scarla's carefully guarded past secrets begin to leak out they must decide if she is going to stay in hiding or be the woman that most people have never forgotten.

I really loved this book and all the different levels of emotions that I went through while reading it. I truly loved Scarla and did so more and more as the book went on as there was so much that she went through living with her mother that no one knew about how she had to drop out of school due to her mom's living style. It was so heartbreaking as no child should ever have to go through some of that stuff.

Gage was such a lost soul. Deep down you knew he didn't want to have his addiction problems but I don't think he had anything worth fighting for until Scarla came back. He wasn't worried about losing what he had in his life as it wasn't worth much to him.

This book was great and I can't wait until the next one!

5 Stars

Strung Out by Lyrica Creed

Monday, April 18, 2016

The Guardian by Jacquie Biggar

My review of King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court by Kim Iverson Headlee

Queen Morgan le Fay has traveled through time and been mistakenly placed in 2079 where she is forced to learn a whole new life.  She is able to attain all of her paperwork that legitimizes her thanks to Clarice Centralia, who always seems to show up at the right time.

When the President Malory Hinton asks for Morgan's help as a campaign boss she is able to get things done and soon finds herself as the owner of a baseball team in London and butting heads with Sandy Carter, a look-alike to a former lover. But Morgan finds herself very uneasy around the President's husband, Ambrose Josiah Hinton and doesn't know how long she will have in the current time.

I enjoyed the book but at certain points I found myself a little confused over what was happening and feeling like I missed something. I enjoyed Morgan and thought she was fun although her relationship with Sandy was rocky to say the least.

It really feels like Morgan excelled in the different year and really didn't seem to have many problems at all adjusting as I was expecting much more trouble with the technology and little things but they didn't seem to come up in the book.

Still looking forward to reading another book by the author.

3 Stars

Relaunch tour for King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court by Kim Iverson Headlee

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Sweet and Salty Marshmallow Popcorn

I had my daughter pick out some popcorn that she would like to try and this is what we made and it was so good!! She made it along with me and it was great to have some mother-daughter time in the kitchen!

She loves M&M's and pretzels so we had to find one that included those. Now this one included a corn syrup mix that had to be heated and as you can see by the picture (sorry for the bad one) we never quite got it all mixed in properly as my daughter was having a hard time with the mixing.

That being said we still loved the popcorn and it was great for an afternoon treat after school!

http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/sweet-and-salty-marshmallow-popcorn/


Friday, April 15, 2016

My review of (Not So) Good in A Room by Dakota Madison

Nellie Berg wants to be a screenwriter but every time she goes to pitch her stories she freezes and can't get her words out. After her latest disaster she meets Roscoe Rhodes who is great at pitching ideas but he hasn't written anything.

Roscoe suggests that she has someone else pitch her ideas for her and suggests his cousin, actor Chris Rhodes to help her out. When it is clear that Nellie has talent will she let Chris take all the credit? But maybe Nellie will let Chris take even more than that too!

I enjoyed the story and found Nellie super unique. I wish she had more confidence in herself but hopefully she will gain more! I enjoyed Roscoe but was confused on why he didn't just agree to work with Nellie in the first place instead of suggesting Chris.

I will definitely read the author again! 

3 Stars

(Not So) Good in a Room by Dakota Madison

Monday, April 11, 2016

My review of Guilty Secrets by Jean Hart Stewart

This book takes place in London, 1820 and Adam Landry is the Earl of Beaufort. He meets Cortland "Corrie" Heath at a bookstore and is instantly attracted to her. Corrie herself is not interested in Adam as they have quite differing political views.

When Corrie's father takes on a new wife, Lilias, her life and her sister's takes an immediate turn for the worse. Desperate for an escape, she turns to Adam for help. Adam makes Corrie is wife and Corrie must decide if she is falling for Adam and whether she can put aside their political differences in turn for a succesful marriage.

Unfortunately Corrie's still in danger from her father and his wife who would like to get their hands on her fortune.

I really enjoyed this book and there were definitely a few surprises. I liked how genuine Adam was in helping Corrie and how much he honestly cared for her.

Corrie was a lot of fun and it was great to read about how her political views were so important to her as a woman. She knew what she believed in and stood by it.

A great book and I look forward to more by this author!

4 Stars

GUILTY SECRETS by Jean Hart Stewart

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Fresh Peach Margarita

I've made a decision to start using the alcohol in my house before I start buying anymore. I kind of feel like one of those hoarders with the amount of alcohol I have with at least 10 different types of vodka alone.

So in my conscious effort to use up what I have I decided to make margaritas! But I wanted fruit ones so I checked on pinterest and found a recipe for peach ones. Peaches aren't quite in season yet but I still found some ripe ones although I look forward to trying again in the summer.

So I read over the recipe and then decided to alter it to me being lazy. I made the peach puree but then instead of mixing everything in the shaker I mixed it in the blender. So I added the ingredients to match the amount of puree I had (around 2 cups) then mixed everything into the blender and blended it up. I poured myself one and found it was really good but not cold enough so the second one I added ice into as well.

The great thing is that it made enough that I was able to drink it over a week with keeping the blender cup in the fridge and if I wanted a margarita at night I could!

Great drink and I loved the fresh fruit!

Thursday, April 7, 2016

My review of Journey Man by Victoria Danann

I think is definitely one of my favorite books written by the author. After reading Carnal I was so upset at the ending but this book gave us retribution and I am now ok with how everything has gone.

Glenndennon Catch is referred to as a Journey Man as he floats through different units for brief periods of time. He is now returning to Jefferson Unit and is shown to have changed, and not in a positive way. Since having his heart broken by Elora Rose "Rosie" Storm he has not allowed himself to get close to anyone.

Elora Rose "Rosie" Storm has come back to Jefferson Unit after years away. She is shocked that Glen is back as well and expects the coldness that he gives her.

When another member, Falcon, goes AWOL, it's up to Glen and Rosie to bring him back. Will this allow the two to open up to each other and bring back the feelings they once had or will it break one of their hearts even further?

I really enjoyed this book for so many reasons. I really liked Monq in this book and his assessments with the various people in the book. His ability to stay calm was just awesome to read and he definitely made me laugh through out.

I also really liked how they described the "floater" position and how they realized the damage it could do. That can be seen in so many areas of our own lives.

I really liked Catch and his bad attitude. With everything he went through I truly thought he deserved to be a little miserable. He had to discover what would make him truly happy before making any changes to his own life.

I loved Rosie in Carnal and I was glad she got a second chance at happiness. She has spunk and is a ton of fun to read about!

I can't wait to see what comes next!

4.5 Stars

Journey Man by Victoria Danann

A Beltane Gift by Holly Barbo

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

My review of Weave a Murderous Web by Anne Rothman-Hicks and Ken Hicks

Jane Larson is a litigation lawyer but has been asked by her friend Francine to look into the murder of lawyer Mark Samuel, who was representing a friend of hers, Gail Hawkins. Soon Jane finds herself in a midst of drugs, money and someone out to kill her.

Will Jane find out who is guilty when it comes to the end of it before she finds herself as the next victim?

I liked the book but I almost found there were so many characters that I was having a hard time keeping track of who was who and all of their relations to each other. Everyone seemed to be guilty to a certain degree, especially with the amount of drugs going around and everyone seeming to having a vested interest in the case.

I really did like Police Officer Bernie Steinberg as he kept me laughing with his suspicious nature and his relationship to Jane.

I would definitely give the author another try as I did enjoy Jane but I just found myself lost at certain parts during the story which could be my own fault as I was reading while being sick.

3.5 Stars

Monday, April 4, 2016

My review of Looking back from L.A. by M.B. Feeney

This book is a novella that accompanies It Started in Texas. That book must be read first!

Gage Weston was a womanizer with different women in different cities as his rock star life allowed him to be until one night in Houston where he would meet his match!

This is a great novella that looks at certain times from Gage's point of view from before meeting Charlotte to where he is now!

I really enjoyed this novella as we got a glimpse into Gage a bit deeper and saw the man he turned into when given the right woman!

4 Stars

Looking Back From L.A. by M.B. Feeney

Sunday, April 3, 2016

BBQ Chicken & Grilled Pineapple Nachos

Many years ago a bunch of us hockey mom's met at a local pub to get to know each other over drinks. One of the ladies ordered nachos abut asked for pineapple on them and said it was the only way tp eat them. I tried one and it was good and it has always been on the back of my mind to try it again.

So the other night I was struggling to get through a book. I knew that I deserved something delicious if I was going to succeed so I thought nachos but I knew I needed the pineapple with them! So off I went to Pinterest and low and behold there was a recipe!

So I must admit that I did not make the Chile con Queso that it called for. One reason was that I was tired and second was that I already had grated cheese in the fridge and I wanted to use up what I had before buying more. I'm trying to be a little economical when I can. So I'm sure the nachos could have tasted even better than they already did and one day I will try it again with the special cheese sauce.

The other change I made was no jalapenos. I am the biggest wimp with jalapenos so I avoided them but if you love the kick they would definitely be awesome on.

These were great and easy!

http://www.thebrewerandthebaker.com/archives/18217

Saturday, April 2, 2016

My review of Finders Keepers by J.J. DiBenedetto

Jane Barnaby is a student attending Magdalen College, in England, and is asked by Professor Welldon to drive his new vehicle along with a box of pottery fragments to Spain.

When it becomes apparent that there was a mix up with the boxes Jane, along with Tom Barker, must get the right box to Professor Welldon without losing the other box that they are carrying while trying to get away from people who want what she mistakenly has.

I enjoyed this book and I thought Jane was a great character and full of spunk. That being said I thought she was quite naive at the beginning of the book and had no idea why she trusted like she did. Through the book she began to become a stronger character but she still seemed to trust more than she should have when she could've just escaped earlier from the circus that she got herself into. I'm still not sure where Alex's alliances lay, even at the end of the book.

I would definitely give the author another read as I did enjoy Jane's driving!

3.5 Stars

Finders Keepers by JJ DiBenedetto