Will "Stray" Find A Home On Your TBR Pile?

793399 Title:  Stray
(Shifters #1)
Author:  Rachel Vincent
Format: Kindle
Length:  618  pages
Publisher:  Mira
Rating:  3 Stars

There are only eight breeding female werecats left...

And I'm one of them.

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.

Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I'd been warned about Strays — werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back... for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever — and whoever — I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays — 'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them...  -Goodreads


My Thoughts
Faythe Sanders is a were-cat.
More importantly, she also just happens to be the only daughter of one of the most powerful alphas in the U.S.
Try as she might. Faythe just can't seem to shake her father's need to keep her as close to home, and the Pride as possible.
Now, with a band of stray cats kidnapping and killing the prized few 'unmated tabbies' from various prides. Daddy dearest may have good reason to keep his 'wild child' very close indeed.
This is a very fast paced and light read. It takes absolutely no time at all to fully immerse yourself in the story. The one thing that becomes rather annoyingly apparent right away, is the way that every male in the Pride tries to coddle Faythe. Even after they realize that she is more than capable of fending for herself.

Everyone that is except for her 'on again off again' boyfriend/almost husband/I can only sleep with you when I'm drunk, but please feel free to save my ass when I'm in trouble...person. Marc Ramos has got to be the most tortured leading man in history! He loves his lady in a way that only a soul mate can.

Purrr-fectly! (When she'll let him...of course!)

The real fun comes when the bad (insert appropriate expletive here) happens. Resulting in Faythe being front and center for some pretty bad (appropriate expletive.)
There is a ton of action to be had here, as well as a few jaw dropping surprises about who is behind things.
Unfortunately, this is also where things take several detours into stupid-land. With baddies too hopped up on testosterone to avoid tripping over their own brains.

Estrogen rules!
And apparently, ovaries kick ass!
At least the ones attached to Faythe Sanders do!

The world building in this book is OK. The time that the characters spend in their animal forms seems far too short. But because this is the opening volume of a multi-volume series. Chances are very good that
readers will become well acquainted with the world they are introduced to in STRAY.




About Rachel
Rachel Vincent
A resident of Oklahoma, Rachel Vincent has a BA in English and an overactive imagination, and consistently finds the latter to be more practical. She shares her workspace with two black cats (Kaci and Nyx) and her # 1 fan. Rachel is older than she looks-seriously-and younger than she feels, but remains convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan. 

Find Her:  Web / FB / GR / Twitter 


Awaken To The Reality Of Anxieties, Illness, and Love In "Butterfly Dreams"

24481467 Title:  Butterfly Dreams
Author: A. Meredith Walters
Format:  eARC
Length:  TBD
Publisher:  Loveswept
Rating:  5 Stars

In a powerful romance for fans of The Fault in Our Stars and If I Stay, New York Times bestselling author A. Meredith Walters tells the story of a troubled young woman and the unforgettable guy who teaches her to live—and love—to the fullest.

She’s waiting to die. . . . Corin Thompson is paralyzed by her obsession with mortality. Having lost both of her parents, she is terrified by the idea that she too will die young, and she loses control at any sign of illness. But when Corin connects with someone who has survived a very real brush with death, she begins to see the world in a whole new way.

He’s learning to live. . . . As Corin struggles under the weight of her neuroses, Beckett Kingsley is attempting to rebuild a life that feels all too temporary. With the ever-present threat of heart failure never far from his mind, he just wants to make the most of whatever time he has left. And that means pursuing the girl he never expected to find. 


Together, Corin and Beckett finally learn to let go of their fears and take solace in everyday pleasures. Who knows what the future holds? After all, nothing lasts forever—the only promise they have is right now -Goodreads


My Thoughts
This is a very emotionally taxing read.  Looking at the Corin Thompson that readers meet in this book's opening pages; one is compelled to either shake her or hug her.  She presents as a young woman fighting against severe mental demons in the effort to build some semblance of a life.  She has a home, a business, and has even managed a friendship or two.

The problem?

Corin wants to die.
Correction.  She is obsessed with a death that she swears is impending.
A death that she has almost, just almost, made peace with.

Until...

She meets Beckett Kingsley.  A young man learning to live on borrowed time.
Time counted down beat by beat to the rythym of his failing heart.
When a chance meeting between Corin and Beckett turns into an unlikely friendship and more.  Corin slowly finds her way past the pain of her parent's deaths, through the anxiety that steals her breath at the slightest provocation, and beyond the loneliness that she wears like a protective shroud.

She begins instead to live, love, and breathe.

So much of this read is spent coping with the pain and loneliness that both Beckett and Corin share.  As such, it is almost a relief when the two of them begin to craft the two person bubble in which they find themselves mid book.

The only problem with this newly formed bubble.  The fact that Corin is carrying a secret.  A secret that has the power to derail everything that has been so carefully building between them.
Unless the time on Beckett's clock runs out before.

This book will make you angry.  There is no way around it.  It will also make you hope, smile, laugh, and love.
Corin becomes stronger as she learns to live everyday like it is her last with Beckett.
This is not to say that she is living for Beckett.  Not the case at all.
She instead, learns that she deserves to live, and is even managing to make a difference in the lives of both her friends and her clients in the process.
For his part, Beckett learns that though life as he had known it before his diagnosis is no more; he does still have the ability to be a person, a friend, a lover, important.

This book should be a must read on the tbr on those who love reading honest stories of illness, anxiety, love, self-esteem, and healing.




About A. Meredith Walters
A. Meredith WaltersThe New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary and New Adult romances including the Bad Rep, Find You in the Dark, Reclaiming the Sand, and Twisted Love series.

Find Her:  Web / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook /

Tasty Book Tours Presents: Forbidden Review, Excerpt, and Giveaway

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FORBIDDEN
Beverly Jenkins
Releasing on January 26, 2016
Avon 


USA Today bestselling author Beverly Jenkins returns with the first book in a breathtaking new series set in the Old West

Rhine Fontaine is building the successful life he's always dreamed ofone that depends upon him passing for White. But for the first time in years, he wishes he could step out from behind the façade. The reason: Eddy Carmichael, the young woman he rescued in the desert. Outspoken, defiant, and beautiful, Eddy tempts Rhine in ways that could cost him everything . . . and the price seems worth paying.

Eddy owes her life to Rhine, but she won't risk her heart for him. As soon as she's saved enough money from her cooking, she'll leave this Nevada town and move to California. No matter how handsome he is, no matter how fiery the heat between them, Rhine will never be hers. Giving in for just one night might quench this longing. Or it might ignite an affair as reckless and irresistible as it is forbidden . . .


Excerpt #1
Denver
Spring 1870
Stop him! Eddy Carmichael screamed, scrambling to her feet from the mud. The man whod snatched her purse and shoved her down was now running away down the dark Denver street. Taking off in pursuit, she called for help, but there were no policemen about and the few people on the walks nearby gave her no more than a passing glance. Up ahead, the thief turned a corner. Not wanting to lose him, she ran faster, but by the time she reached the spot, hed disappeared. Frantically casting about for clues as to his whereabouts, she saw nothing. Anger turned to frustration and then to despair. Inside the purse had been her paltry months pay and the train ticket to California shed purchased less than an hour ago. Shed been saving for the passage for months in hopes of starting a new life in San Francisco.   Now, penniless, angry, her skirts and cloak covered with mud, she set out for home.
Eddy dreamed of owning her own restaurant. It was a common belief that women like her, the descendant of slaves, had no right to dream. Yet, she knew from the articles shed read in the newspapers that members of the race were pursuing theirs in spite of the disenfranchisement being ignored by Congress and the bloody lawlessness of Redemption ravaging the South. Colleges were being built, land was being purchased, and across the nation Black owned businesses were springing up like columbines in the spring. At the age of twenty- seven and unmarried, Eddy saw no such opportunities for herself in Denver, and now thanks to the thief those dreams were in peril.
Her home was a room she rented above a laundry owned by her landlady, Mrs. Lucretia Hampton. Eddy had been so sure of leaving town, shed already given the woman notice and the new tenant was due to move in tomorrow afternoon. Although Mrs. Hampton would show concern over Eddy being robbed, the laundress was first and foremost a businesswoman and would likely not alter the agreement.
Putting her key into the door lock of her room, Eddy stepped into the darkness. As always, the acrid scent of lye wafting up from the laundry below filled the air. The room was so tiny even a mouse would have difficulty turning around, but on her meager salary it was all she could afford. Having worn the mantle of poverty since the death of her parents twelve years ago, she was grateful to have it. Making her way through the shadows over to the pallet that served as her bed, she struck a match and set the flame against the stub of candle in the old tin saucer that sat atop a battered wooden crate. While the wavering light filled the room, she removed her mud- stained cloak. Rather than attempt to clean it with the small bit of water in her basin, she hung it on the nail protruding from the back of the door with the hope that once the mud dried it would be easier to remove. She put her last pieces of kindling into the hearth. The resulting heat would be minimal but at least the flames held beauty, another element her life lacked. Warming her hands, she thought about her plight. She supposed she could remain in Denver and start saving again. Choosing that route meant finding another room to rent and a new job, because shed given her employer notice, too. Six months ago, the hotel where shed worked for the past three years as a cook had been purchased by a new owner whose first act had been to remove Eddy and every other person of color from the kitchen. He offered her a new job scrubbing floors for less money. The demotion was both infuriating and humiliating, but knowing how blessed she was to still have employment, shed swallowed her anger and scrubbed the floors until they shone. Even then, he constantly found fault with her work and routinely docked her pay for what he termed inferior effort. She knew for a fact hed never offer her the job back, and there was no way shed be able to rent another room without one.
She ran her hands over her eyes and sighed. She didnt want to stay in Denver, not even for another day. Her future lay elsewhere and she knew that as sure as she knew her name, but how could she could get the money for another ticket? Mrs. Hampton didnt give loans. The Colored community was small and most were as pinched by poverty as she. Those who werent certainly wouldnt loan her money even if she had the gall to ask. Her only relative in the city was her younger sister Corinne, and asking her for money made about as much as sense as asking the new owner of the hotel. After the deaths of their mother Constance and teamster father Ben in a blizzard, Eddy did everything she could to provide for herself and sister; she took in laundry, cooked for the wealthy, looked after their children, and swept their floors. But her beautiful baby sister chose to fall back on her looks and figure and took up with a pimp in the citys red- light district. Although the pimp was long gone, Corinne still resided there along with her two young daughters. Eddy knew her sister would laugh in her face for having the audacity to ask for money. Corinne had nothing but derision for Eddys desire to better her life, but Corinne was her last resort. It was too late to pay her a visit at the moment, but shed planned to stop by on her way to the station in the morning to say good- bye to her nieces anyway. Now, her visit would be about something different entirely.
At least I wont have much to pack, she said softly. Shed sold what little possessions shed had in order to help pay her rent and purchase the train ticket. What remained was her mothers locket, a cast iron skillet, her small cookstove brazier, and a few meager changes of clothing. She had nothing else. Were she not so accustomed to having to claw her way through life, she might have collapsed and wept, but being made of sterner stuff, shed learned long ago that weeping changed nothing.

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My Thoughts
Eddy and Rhine's story is one of the most emotionally and historically relevant tales that this reviewer has encountered within the realm of Historical Romance.

Readers are thrust into what are essentially three stories within the course of this novel.
There is Rhine's back story, Eddy's story, and the story created  as a result of their interactions.
The reason that special attention is given to the stories in this way, is the fact that each change brings about a marked change in point of view and the motives, actions, and thoughts of the people around them.

Another wonderful aspect of this read is the detailing of the social hierarchy within the black community.   Seeing the color caste system being acted out before one's eyes, is quite an unforgettable experience.

While Eddy does prove quite the plucky young heroine, it is quite clear that Rhine's character and story are going to carry the story.  The fact that he gives up a life of ease, privilege, and advancement...for love!  This makes him the ultimate hero.

This book feels less like a story, and more like a slice of life.
You are able to put yourself into the mind of each character, whether main or supporting.  You get a real sense of who they are, and you come to see them as whole, flawed, people.

The romance between Rhine and Eddy is set at a slow and steady simmer.  Given everything that these two have swirling around them, the quiet that their stolen moments provide acts as a balm to the emotionally taxed reader.

This is a fantastically realized novel.  There is so much history, diversity, drama, and romance...readers won't know where to look first.
They can rest assured that where ever their eyes take them within the course of this story.  The raw beauty of the sight will remain with them for a lifetime.


Interview with Beverly Jenkins

Q. Beverly, please tell us a bit about the New Book and Series.

A. The book is titled: Forbidden and is set in 1875 Virginia City Nevada. Our hero, Rhine Fontaine is a saloon owner and a pillar of the community. Our heroine Eddy Carmichael is a cook from Denver and is traveling to California to fulfill a dream of opening her own restaurant when things go awry. She is robbed by a man impersonating a priest and left to die in the desert. Rhine finds her. Books 2 and 3 will focus on Eddys nieces Portia and Regan. 


Q. Did you do anything different with your research this time around?

A. I didnt do anything out of the norm for me.  A recently conducted archeological dig in Virginia City unearthed the remains of a high end 1870s saloon founded by a man of color. It, like many of the citys other business establishments  was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1875. I based Rhines saloon on that real saloon.


 Q. What about the Wild West called you?

A. Who doesnt like the scope and sweep of the Wild West? Ive written quite a few westerns. That I get to add to the standard lore stories about men and women who looked like me along with the Buffalo Soldiers, the all Black townships of Kansas and the black and the brown outlaws and lawmen of Indian Territory makes it even more of a blast. 


Q. Who did you have more of a connection with while writing, the hero or the heroine?

A. It depends on the story. Sometimes the story belongs to the hero and at other times the heroines. It can also belong to both. I let the characters decide. 


 Q. Can you share a small teaser from your favorite scene of the book, or describe your favorite scene?


Eddy awakened in a four-poster in a large room barely lit by a turned down lamp. Having no idea where she was or how she came to be there, she shook the cobwebs dulling her thinking and noticed she was wearing a mans shirt! Perplexed, her eyes moved around the room to a well-appointed sitting area and then to the face of a White man watching her from one of the chairs. Panic flared. She snatched the blanket to her neck and she drew back fearfully.
  Don't be afraid. You're safe. I'm Rhine Fontaine. My friend Jim and I found you in the desert.
Confused, she tried to force herself to calm down so she could make some sense of this, but she couldn't. Watching him warily, she asked, Where am I? Her throat was dry as sand. She wanted water badly, but needed to solve the mystery of this first.
Virginia City.
And this place is?
My bedroom.
Her eyes went wide. I need to go, I cant stay here.
Maybe in a few days, but right now
Alarmed, she didn't let him finish. She swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her mind was so foggy she wasn't sure what was happening, but she knew she had to get away.
He stood and said urgently, No! You'll fall!
He was right. The moment she stood, she was hit by a wave of weakness so strong her legs folded as if they were made of cards. She cried out involuntarily as she hit the floor.
He walked over to her. As I said, maybe in a few days. Are you okay?
Drawing away again, she looked up and recognized the face of the man from her dream. She stilled. Had it been a dream? Ill scream!
He sighed. If you feel that's necessary, go right ahead, but I'm not going to hurt you in any way. When your done, I can help you back into bed, or carry you to the facilities, whichever you'd prefer.
Heated embarrassment burned her cheeks. Her needs were not something she talked about to a stranger, and especially not a White man stranger. I can walk.
No, you cant, but if you want to try, Ill wait.
 At that moment she saw her bare legs sticking out from beneath the long-tailed shirt, and also realized she had on no underthings! Not drawers. No shift. As quickly as her weakened state allowed, she reached up and pulled the blanket down. Ignoring him as best she could, she covered her bare legs. This was getting worse and worse.
As I said, my names Rhine. And yours?
Eddy. Eddy Carmichael.
Pleased to meet you, Miss Carmichael. You gave my partner Jim and me quite a scare out there in the desert, but Im pleased to see you are recovering.
Then her muddled brain remembered Jack Nash's perfidy and her walk across the desert, but nothing else. How long have I been here?
Four or five hours.
Lord, she was thirsty. May I have some water please? she croaked. She felt so weak. It was not a state she was accustomed to.
He poured her a glass from a pitcher on the nightstand and handed it to her. Slowly, he advised softly. Just a little for now.
She nodded and took a few short swallows. The water tasted so good and she was so thirsty she wanted to down the entire offering, but heeding his advice, she took only a few more slow pulls. Done, she handed the glass back and her parched throat savored the relief. Why am I so weak?
Walking the Forty Mile Desert under a full sun takes its toll. So, Miss Eddy facilities or back to bed?
She hated to admit it but she really needed choice number one. Thoroughly scandalized, she confessed softly, The facilities, but I can walk. Just point me in the right direction. Looking around, she didnt see a screen of any kind.
Its at the end of the hallway.  
Oh, she said disappointedly. Still bent on getting there under her own power, though, she wrestled with the blanket in an attempt to fashion it around her waist. Trying to get it out from under her hips and secured without treating him to another show of her legs was a struggle, however. Hed seen more of them than any man ever before.
 Do you want to go today? he asked in a tone of muted amusement.
She shot him a glare. Reasonably certain the blanket was secured, she said, Yes. Now she just had to get up. No small task. The fullness of the blanket made it difficult to get her feet planted so she could stand. She decided shed use the side of the bed to give her the leverage she needed. She scooted closer.
You always this stubborn, Miss Carmichael?
Its called determination, Mr. Fontaine.
I stand corrected.
Giving him another withering glare, she grabbed hold of the beds wooden side panel and began working herself to her knees. She made a bit of progress, but her weakened state conspired against her efforts. Refusing to surrender and breathing harshly, she slowly inched herself to a standing position, careful not to get her feet fouled by the swath of blanket, and promptly keeled face forward onto the mattress.
Chuckling softly, he picked her up from behind and placed her gently into the cradle of his strong arms. He smiled softly. Its called stubbornness.
Rolling her eyes, she allowed herself to be carried from the room.


  Q. What is next for you?  What are you working on now?

A. Next up for me is the June debut of the 7th book in my Blessings series which is women's fiction. The title: Stepping To A New Day. Im presently working on Portias story which I hope will be out in the fall.   

Thank you for taking the time to talk about FORBIDDEN
Thanks so much for this opportunity to meet you and your readers.

Ms. Jenkins is the nation's premier writer of African American historical romance fiction and specializes in 19th century African American life. She has over thirty published novels to date.

She has received numerous awards, including: five Waldenbooks/Borders Group Best Sellers Awards; two Career Achievement Awards and a Pioneer Award from Romantic Times Magazine; a Golden Pen Award from the Black Writer's Guild, and in 1999 was named one of the Top Fifty Favorite African-American writers of the 20th Century by AABLC, the nation's largest on-line African-American book club.

She has also been featured in many national publications, including the Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, Dallas Morning News and Vibe Magazine. She has lectured and given talks at such prestigious universities as Oberlin University, the University of Illinois, and Princeton. She speaks widely on both romance and 19th century African-American history and was the 2014 featured speaker for the W.W. Law Lecture Series sponsored by the Savannah Black Heritage Festival.




"Forbidden In February" Offers Quite The Romantic Temptation

28254666Title:  Forbidden In February
Author:  Suzanna Medeiros
Format:  eARC
Length:  71 pages
Publisher:  Suzanna Medeiros
Rating:  4 Stars

Robert Milton’s future as the valet to the Duke of Beckworth is uncertain. His employer has died, leaving no heir in sight. When Robert’s mother also dies, he discovers that her companion has taken over her household.

Isabel Durham’s dream of gaining her independence is almost a reality, but her cousin is determined to see her married to a wealthy but much-older man. Robert’s arrival in London is the answer to her prayers. Neither can deny the very real attraction sizzling between them and if he ruins her, she’ll be free of the unwanted marriage.

But Robert’s very existence has proven to him that romantic entanglements are to be avoided at all costs. His desire for Isabel could cost him the one thing he’s vowed never to lose—his heart.

A YEAR WITHOUT A DUKE

The duke has died. Long live the duke! The only problem is no one knows who the new Duke of Beckworth is. All of England wonders, but no one more so than the people who depend upon Beckworth for their livelihood. In 1816, a year so cold that the word “summer” is a cruel joke, that livelihood is even more uncertain. However, they are all about to find out, with the duke away, there is nothing more warming than scandal and love…

A YEAR WITHOUT A DUKE...
Book 1: JILTED IN JANUARY by Kate Pearce;
Book 2: FORBIDDEN IN FEBRUARY by Suzanna Medeiros;
Book 3: SEDUCED IN SEPTEMBER by Genevieve Turner;
Book 4: AN AFFAIR IN AUTUMN by Jennifer Haymore; 

Book 5: A DUKE BY DECEMBER by Sabrina Darby.

My Thoughts
Robert Milton is a man haunted by the choices of others.
Estranged from his mother, and sure that a letter from her claiming that she is dying is a fake.  Upon his return home, Robert is surprised to find that not only has his mother died.  She has left the beautiful Isabel Durham behind to greet her son.

This is the wonderfully realized tale of a man whose uncertain future puts him face to face with both the ghosts of his past, and the possibilities of his future.

Robert is a delightfully skeptical creature.  Unable believe that the young woman does not have self serving motives.
It is not until he finds out about her social climbing cousin's plan to marry her off to an older man, that he will have anything to do with her.

This is a very well written story.  The relationship between Robert and Isabel develops slowly.  The passion between the two reads as very authentic. The only thing stand between this story and 5 stars, is a rushed ending that throws the relationship quite close to insta-love territory.

Reviewer's Note:  This is the second offering in a 5-book series. This is a companion series that may be read as a collection, or as standalone works.

About Suzanna

Suzanna MedeirosSuzanna Medeiros was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Her love for the written word led her to pursue a degree in English Literature from the University of Toronto. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Education degree, but graduated at a time when no teaching jobs were available. After working at a number of interesting places, including a federal inquiry, a youth probation office, and the Office of the Fire Marshal of Ontario, she decided to pursue her first love - writing.

Suzanna is married to her own hero and is the proud mother of twin daughters. She is an avowed romantic who enjoys spending her days writing love stories.

She would like to thank her parents for showing her that "love at first" sight and "happily ever after" really do exist.

To learn more about Suzanna's new releases you can sign up for her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/nmliD.
 
 
 
 

"Jilted In January" Is The First In A Great New Novella Series

28254649Title:  Jilted In January
Author:  Kate Pearce
Format:  eARC
Length:  81 pages
Publisher:  Kate Pearce
Rating:  5 Stars

Rose Leyton is stuck at the Duke of Beckworth’s country estate waiting for the return of her betrothed. If it wasn’t for the handsome assistant land agent, Mr. Colin Ford, she might believe she had ceased to exist at all. But when her intended arrives things aren’t quite how she expected.

As the youngest son of an impoverished peer, Colin is all too aware of how it feels to be ignored. His impulsive offer to save Miss Leyton from an unwanted marriage quickly becomes more serious than either of them anticipated. Can they both step out of the shadows and find a way to true independence and happiness.

When matrimonial matters don’t go quite as planned, can one jilted bride and an unlikely hero save the day?

A YEAR WITHOUT A DUKE

The duke has died. Long live the duke! The only problem is no one knows who the new Duke of Beckworth is. All of England wonders, but no one more so than the people who depend upon Beckworth for their livelihood. In 1816, a year so cold that the word “summer” is a cruel joke, that livelihood is even more uncertain. However, they are all about to find out, with the duke away, there is nothing more warming than scandal and love…

A YEAR WITHOUT A DUKE...
Book 1: JILTED IN JANUARY by Kate Pearce;
Book 2: FORBIDDEN IN FEBRUARY by Suzanna Medeiros;
Book 3: SEDUCED IN SEPTEMBER by Genevieve Turner;
Book 4: AN AFFAIR IN AUTUMN by Jennifer Haymore;
Book 5: A DUKE BY DECEMBER by Sabrina Darby.
 (


My Thoughts
This wonderfully fleshed out novella tells the story of what happens in the House of Beckworth immediately following the death of its duke. Because the duke dies without a direct heir; the search for the next in line to inherit the dukedom has begun.

Rose Leyton may be a lady, but as a distant relation of the late duke, and and the betrothed of an officer away at war; she is a woman in limbo.
When the estate's land agent runs away with embezzled funds, leaving pressing questions and financial destruction in his wake.
Rose and the attractive and thoughtful assistant land agent, Colin Ford, are left to put things to rights. Becoming friends, and more, in the process.

Both Rose and Colin are very strong characters.  The more that readers get to know of them, and the more that they discover of each other; the more likeable they become on all accounts.
The fact that they are not part of the aristocracy, but are directly effected by the search for the duke. Serves to make their story both compelling and relevant.

Surprisingly, the attraction between Rose and Colin has more than enough time to mature within the course of 81 pages.
The surprising gateway to happily...comes in a very dramatic twist!

This is a great start to a wonderful series of interconnected stories.



About Kate
Kate Pearce NYT and USA Today bestselling author Kate Pearce was born into a large family of girls in England, and spent much of her childhood living very happily in a dream world. Despite being told that she really needed to 'get with the program', she graduated from the University College of Wales with an honors degree in history.

A move to the USA finally allowed her to fulfill her dreams and sit down and write that novel. Along with being a voracious reader, Kate loves trail riding with her family, 'western style' in the regional parks of Northern California.

Kate is a member of RWA and is published by NAL Signet Eclipse, Kensington Aphrodisia, Ellora's Cave, Cleis Press and Virgin Black Lace/Cheek


Find Her:  Tweet / Facebook / Web / Goodreads

Tasty Book Tours Presents: Fighting Dirty + Giveaway


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FIGHTING DIRTY
Worth the Fight #5
Sidney Halston
Releasing Jan 5th, 2016
Loveswept


If you love the MMA romances of Vi Kreeland and Kendall Ryan, Sidney Halston’s Worth the Fight series will knock your socks off! In Fighting Dirty, a geek-chic cage fighter proves that appearances can be deceiving . . . and oh-so-tempting.

With his preppy clothes and horn-rimmed glasses, Enzo Silva is the last dude anyone expects to find in a mixed martial arts gym. A wealthy Brazilian banker who never had to fight for anything, Enzo’s stuck in the amateur circuit—but he burns to make the pros. Maybe that explains the heat he feels whenever he’s around Jamie Lynn Calhoun. The pint-size, magenta-haired bartender with the Texas drawl is everything he’s not . . . and everything he craves.

Tough as nails and independent to a fault, Jamie Lynn—JL to her friends—works hard to pay her bills and keep life simple. Enzo is doing his best to complicate that. Even though she likes to bust his balls, he’s got some kind of a nerdy-hot vibe that makes JL wonder if she might finally be able to let her guard down. It might do the boy some good to spend some time in her world, where blood, sweat, and victory are as sweet as the first taste of real love.




Excerpt #1
JL knew that, short as she was, she often intimidated men with just a look. That’s what confidence did. And she had it in spades. It made you as tall as you wanted to be. As pretty as you wanted to be. As rich as you wanted to be. Because if you had confidence, nothing else mattered. That was a lesson she’d learned a long time ago.
But even with all that confidence, she wasn’t blind to the differences between her and Enzo. He was from a different world, and she could feel the distance between their worlds every time she thought about going out with him. It had all been harmless flirty fun until he’d taken things too far and kissed her a few weeks ago. And what a kiss it had been. He’d kissed her as if he were stuck in a desert and her mouth were the only thing that could quench his thirst. She still felt all sorts of things running through her body when she thought of the way he’d backed her up against a wall, not caring who the hell was around, gripped her neck, and slipped his tongue between her parted lips. She’d embarrassed herself by melting into him and mewling in need. In fact, she might have even dry-humped his leg. It had been that good a kiss. Then he’d let her go and challenged her by saying, “Next time you’ll beg me to kiss you.” Like she’d ever beg a man! But now, with his glorious body on full display . . .
As if he could sense her inappropriate thoughts, his eyes met hers. His stare felt like a warm caress all over her already ignited body. The charcoal fell out of her hand and a shiver ran down her spine. Is it getting hot in here? She shifted uncomfortably on her chair, but he didn’t break eye contact. Then, the ultraconservative man who had been asking her out constantly for almost a year winked at her. It caught her by surprise, and she quickly hid behind her canvas.
Excerpt #2
 “What made you change your mind about going out with me?” he asked as they crossed the parking lot. “Not that I’m complaining. But you’ve been saying no for almost a year.”
“Truth?”
“Always.”
“You always seem so predictable, but you doing this . . .” She shook her head. “I guess it made me see you in a different light.”
He held her car door open for her as she tucked the canvas facedown in the backseat and then got in the car. “I’m glad it took me completely humiliating myself to get you to go out with me. Maybe I won’t kill your brother for this ridiculous bet, after all,” he said. “I’ll make reservations at the Tackle Box and pick you up at eight tomorrow.” When she looked at him for a moment too long, he said, “You don’t like the Tackle Box?”
“Do you work tomorrow?” she asked as she got back out of the car.
“Yes.”
“That was a dumb question. You’re always working. Let me rephrase the question. Can you take the day off tomorrow?”
Enzo quickly thought about all the teleconferences he had scheduled and all the reports he had to do. “I can.”
“Okay, so I’ll pick you up at eight.”
“Uh . . . I don’t understand.”
“Eight in the morning,” she clarified. “I asked you out, so I pick. That’s the deal, okay? It’s my treat. I pick where we go and what we do.”
“I don’t think—”
“You hate giving up control, don’t you?” she asked wryly, already knowing the answer. “Don’t worry so much. Just be ready. It’ll be fun—spontaneous. You’ll like it. I promise.”
He let out a breath. “Fun and spontaneous isn’t something I’m very comfortable with,” he admitted. But then he decided, What the hell? He’d already survived taking the biggest leap of faith of his life by moving from Brazil to Florida, something that was so completely out of character his parents thought he was still mourning the end of his marriage. So, going on a date with a beautiful woman and letting her take the lead . . . what could possibly go wrong?
“Okay, fine. I’ll text you my address,” he said as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. She folded herself into her crappy fifteen-year-old Honda Civic, which was mostly red, except for some patches where the paint had chipped off. The bumper was held together with a hot-pink bungee cord, and there were bumper stickers plastered everywhere. He couldn’t picture her with any other car but this one; somehow it suited her perfectly. But she was absolutely out of her mind if she thought he’d be going anywhere with her in that clunker tomorrow.

My Thoughts 
Enzo Silva...
Mr. Money.
Mr. Tailored Suit.
Never a hair out of place.  Trapped behind the scenes of the MMA circuit by the demands that assisting Francesca in running what is for him a family enterprise brings.  When he longs to be out there.
In the ring.
Fighting with the pros.

Newly divorced, Enzo can't seem to the spunky, tough-as-nails, tattooed, and 'ooh so tempting' Jamie Lynne Calhoune off of his mind.
He knows that she is everything that he isn't.
But he also knows that what she is...
Is everything that he needs.

Enzo and Jamie Lynne are the perfect example of opposites attracting.  Where she is rough; he's smooth and polished.  Where he is dull; she sparkles with an effervescent light composed of a myriad of colors bright enough to shame a rainbow.

Watching Enzo learn to laugh, and seeing Jamie shed her protective shell and learn that she is desirable, feminine, and more than worthy of Enzo is nothing short of wonderful.
They are just as sexy as the other 4 couples who have singed the pages of their respective stories.
And they stand as proof that love and beauty rest in the eye and heart of the beholder.  Perfection is a mist in a strong wind.  Real love is dirty, sexy, sweet, painful, joyous, terrifying, exhilarating, flawed, and...
Worth The Fight!

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Sidney Halston lives her life by one simple rule: “Just do it.” And that’s exactly what she did. At the age of thirty, having never written anything other than a legal brief, she picked up a pen for the first time to pursue her dream of becoming an author. That first stroke sealed the deal, and she fell in love with writing. Halston lives in South Florida with her husband and children.