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Exclusive Summary Reveal of Shay Savage’s “Bastian’s Storm”

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One of my all-time favooooorite authors sent me a treat to share with y’all. No, not the book cover (that, to the left, is just a “stand-in” graphic, but the cover will be revealed soon enough). She DID, however, send me the book summary. And OMG what. the. heck!!???? I had the ULTIMATE *blurb jolt* <— JOLT! I tell you.

And I’m not the only one that experienced that *jolt*. Fellow reader Kandace got a sneak peek, too and she says:

I can’t wait to see everyone’s reactions! I’m about ready to pee my pants because I’m so excited!!!!!! I would highly recommend they all be sitting down when they read it. Did you include a safety warning?

*giggle*

Yep. There I was, all excited to get an early peek at this summary, ’cause you know… BASTIAN, right??!! I couldn’t wait to find out where book #2 was taking us.

After all, Sebastian is one of my #1’s book “heroes”. He’s the ultimate alpha-jerk, and he lead me through a wide array of emotions, starting with UGH!! What an ASS! <— LOL! I love starting a book like that, ’cause it means the journey to me falling head-over-heels for him might be arduous. And that just means fun. 😉

Pair him (the ultimate alpha-jerk) with an amazing, unique story (him being one half of a pair of attractive strangers lost at sea and attempting to survive on a deserted island), and you’ve got the ULTIMATE read! Oh wait? Some of you haven’t read him yet? Move this 5-star read to the top of your list my friends!! Here’s my review of Surviving Raine (book #1). Trust me. You are gonna love it!

So anyway, there I was reading the blurb with a grin on my face, ’cause, you know, there were key words that just screamed “right up our alley exciting read”. And then. OMG AND THEN!!! Then I saw THAT.

And here was my reaction (to the author):

Oh. My. GOD!!!!!!!

What what whaaaaaaaaaaattt!!!!?????? Oh this I gotta read. I gotta read it anyway, ’cause I love him, but WHOA. WHOA!!!

Tee hee! I can’t believe I get to reveal this. They are gonna FREAK.

What am I talking about, and why won’t I get on with it and show you the blurb instead of teasing you relentlessly this way? ‘Cause it’s fun, and it’s making me giggle. 😛

Maryse’s Book Blog: I didn’t even see it coming, but I shoulda known better ’cause it has to do with Shay Savage, afterall. Stay tuned. More at noon…

Nancy: Tell me it is the 2nd “Raine” book please!

Susan: OMG …. please be Sebastion!!

Jessica: I’ll die if it’s Evan Arden related!

Maryse’s Book Blog: *wiggles in her chair* I can’t wait until noooooooon!!!

Lori: Oh I can’t wait!! Shay is cray cray though…wonder what she has planned?! ;o

Judy: please let it be noon EASTERN TIME! lol

Candace: Dear lord I hope it’s surviving raine 2

Kirstine: I’m in the uk, it’s way past noon here, tell us!!!!!

Sandra: Bastian!!!!!!

Erin: Woo hoo!!

Kandace: I can’t wait to see everyone’s reactions! I’m about ready to pee my pants because I’m so excited!!!!!!

Michele: Can’t wait til Noon!! Love Shay Savage!!

Neika: Oh pleaseeeeee let it be Bastian pleaseeeeeeee

Jami: It’s close enough to noon! Spill!!

Tee hee!!!!!!!

Okay… it’s noon, and it’s time. If you haven’t read book #1 yet, skip this blurb for now and get reading! 😉

But for the rest of you… are y’all ready for this?

Bastian’s Storm – Summary

Sebastian Stark just isn’t cut out for normal life with a girlfriend in the hot and humid city of Miami.  All in all, he’d rather be back on the island where it was just the two of them, and he could keep everything in balance.  The bar down the street tempts him daily, but he’s determined to remain strong.  Adjusting to normal life is difficult, but Bastian is doing his best to keep himself together and the nightmares away.  Raine’s happy, and that’s what matters to him the most.

But not all nightmares can be driven away.

When Bastian’s former mentor comes into the picture and presents him with an ultimatum, Bastian slips into old habits.  Though he wants to shield Raine from the truth, the shady circumstances of his past form into a hurricane he can’t control.  In an effort to protect her, Bastian has no choice but to throw himself back into his old job – death match tournaments – just one last time.

Dropped into the arctic wilderness with weapons loaded, Bastian has to compete against representatives from major crime lords all over the states.  He’s studied his competition, he knows their weaknesses, and he’s ready to battle for the woman he loves.  There’s only one opponent in the mix that causes him any concern.  In order to guarantee Raine’s safety, Bastian will be pitted against the key hit man for Chicago’s largest mob family – a guy who’s known as one hell of a shot.

A guy named Evan Arden.

…

May the freaking out, begin. 😉

P.S. Here is the Evan Arden Series Reading Order  (Shay Savage’s OTHER fantastic series) for those that are unfamiliar with this bad-ass alpha male. YAY CROSSOVERS!! 😀

P.P.S. If anyone wants to join Shay’s battle group (Bastian Stark vs Evan Arden (Bastian’s Storm), here is the link. https://www.facebook.com/groups/394393160703826/

Book Review – Push by Claire Wallis

By 34 Comments

Push

WHOA. OMG… I’m just… whoa. Now that was an exhilarating read indeed. Excuse me, while I pick my jaw up off the floor. I’m just sitting here. Stunned. Dying for the next one. DYING!!!! Yes… yessssssssss, it ends with a MAJOR cliffhanger but just like a fellow reader said, I don’t regret reading it not one bit. If I hadn’t, I would have deprived myself of all of this exciting “crazy”, this buildup, this anticipation, this THRILL. And heck, I read especially to feel like this!

Now first, I want to thank Melissa, Skye, and Pam for recommending this one to me. You guys know EXACTLY what I like. SPOT ON, my friends!!!!!

Melissa: Maryse, I just finished a book that you would love!! It’s called PUSH by Claire Wallis. Holy moly was it good! Right up our alley with a bad boy, but with a HUGE dark twist that will shock you! Its not your typical romance but it is a love story. i think it is very dark, but you might not think so. I want to tell you every little part about it, but that would give away the plot. I don’t know if the author has written any other books because I couldn’t find any other ones, so this might be her first. It’s on sale on amazon for like $2.50. You need to read this one ASAP! I would love to know what you think!

Skye: Hey Maryse, I just wanted to let you know about a book in case you hadn’t seen it yet. It’s called Push by Claire Willis. I don’t know the author, but I started reading it and damn it is sooooo dark. And well written. Thought you might want to take a peek. The prologues are pretty intense so I think if it’s gonna hook you, it will do so in the sample 🙂

Pam: Just finished Push….wow… Just wow… So good and I didn’t even mind the cliffhanger. Gah!!!! So good.

Oh wow! There was just something so raw and real about these recommendations. I one-clicked it immediately, and went in, completely blind. Just on the trust of these recommendations alone. I didn’t even read the blurb.

So if you want to trust me implicitly, and you like to read stories dealing in “dark” subject matters, and you like wondering about your own sanity for loving characters that are apparently er…. not, well… you get the picture. I think this one’s for YOU!

And now don’t read further below. I won’t give anything away or spoil anything more than the blurb lets on (yes, I just read it now), but since I LOVED going into this blind, I think you might, too. All I knew was that the end was gonna blow me away, and I was good with that info.

So for those of you that want to go in blind (it’s SO fun!!!) stop reading this review, here! I am going to say that I’m giving this 4.5 to 5 stars. I’m gonna work that out below, now, so no more peeking!!! 

Now for those of you that want to know more… what’s it about?

Twenty-something year old Emma moves into an apartment, starts her new career and has a new lease on life, leaving behind her abusive family and past. She quickly meets her new neighbor, David, who is also the maintenance guy for the building she lives in. Although only there to repair a few cupboards, David takes it upon himself to renovate the entire kitchen, and to her dismay, installing himself comfortably into her daily life. Oh she resists at first (maybe even a bit too aggressively at times), but they soon find a comfortable “friendship”. It’s cute. And then it becomes sooooo much more.

But David’s a mystery. He’s got seemingly obnoxious friends that he doesn’t want around her, extra curricular activities that had me guessing all sorts of things, and well… a dark, and I mean DARK past that is revealed to us, piece by crazy piece.

For the first time in my life, I was enjoying a taste of contentment. Happiness. But then, as it always does, the unrelenting ache swirled back into me, striking me, biting into my brain like a gnawing hunger. A craving for a single, perfect moment in which I have absolute control. I can’t ignore it. Even with her. Even though I really do love her back.

And I’m gonna end that, there. The rest is for you to unravel. And what a crazy web it is.

But what I loved about this is that you get it all. That sweet budding friendship that continuously evolves into so much more, the extreme protectiveness (much needed, and a sweet relief),

…his chin rests on top of my head. My face sinks into his neck, and I start to cry. Relief swirls through me.

“I know all about a$$holes like him, Emma,” he murmurs. And I openly sob against his body. I feel sad for David. Sad that he has to know this about me. Sad about what he heard. Sad that he knows how damaged I am, I do not want his pity.

… the mysterious “activities”, the friends and the funny moments (even in it’s intensity, it made me laugh out loud, at times). Like her drunk scene:

“Shhhhh,” I say, with so much drunken silliness that I want to punch myself, “it’s all good, baby. I got your back. Because you, David Calgaro, are one fine-ass man.” I pat him irreverently on the chest and he shakes his head at my sloppy drunkenness. My neck feels floppy, and I roll it backwards and start to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” he says with a grin.

“Me. I’m funny,” I say, poking myself in the chest with my own index finger.

*giggle* This is TOTALLY something I would have done. I mean… they felt SO REAL, I couldn’t help but love ’em!

The romantic intensity, the intense possessiveness… and the “backstory”. Ohhhhhhhhh the backstory. Just. You. Wait!

Even though details were handed to us on a silver platter, even though there appeared to be “no questioning” things… I still found myself questioning… everything. Wondering all sorts of “am I imaging things?” and “Why do I love it/him/them so much when er… it is so obviously, certifiably insane?”

Oh don’t worry, I didn’t give away too much, ’cause it starts off with a crazy bang. I mean, you come into this KNOWING what you’re in for… oh yeah. NO. You’re dead-set, mind made up, right from the start.

But the author is just sooooo good at this. She’d slap me in the face with reality… and then have me questioning it. I’d question my reading reality. I’d question their reality. I’d superimpose ideas into it, thinking, maybe I misunderstood something. Guessing all sorts of scenarios. And I’m not saying whether I was right or wrong in the end. Just telling you… that my mind was playing games with me… and my heart was getting in on the action!.

******* Okay and for those of you that continued reading this review, but that haven’t read the book yet… I’m hinting that maybe you want to stop reading the review now? No spoilers below, but maybe too much info for those that like to experience it all for themselves? ‘Cause I’m gonna get a bit deeper into my experience of it… *******

I’d start feeling cuddly. Snuggly. Swoonie. Heart palpitate-y. I’d forget. Yep.

But then she’d remind me again. I’d go from swoooooooning and floating in my cozy love bubble, to “GAH!!!!!!!! WHAT!?? Ohhhhhhhhh riiiiiiiight!!!! Now I remember!!!” I’d shake my head, wondering what was the matter with me for forgetting… and then I’d eventually forget again… and so on. 😉

And as I just tried to explain this story to my husband, trying to er… make myself sound sane in the process of describing the circumstances and my connection to the story, my… affection for the characters, he pretty much just looked at me like I’d lost my marbles.

Husband: “No. rolleyes It’s not good to root for the psychos, Maryse.” <—sidenote: Noooooooooooo? neutral *whoops*. My bad.

Me: “Ahhhhh, you don’t get it. I guess you just gotta read it, to feel it.”

*smirk*

But he’s right. And I agree. It’s just that… ah. Nevermind. I’ll let you decide for yourselves. 😉

He did mention that it would make a great movie. If not a Blockbuster, than at least, one of those crazier “Lifetime” movies (and he likes Lifetime, so that’s a compliment). LOL!

But this is why I love fiction. Books let us dig in deeper. Let us experience everything. Give us reasons. Give us certain perspectives. Now of course, in “real-life”, there’d be no question as to my perception of… ahhhhhhhhh you know the “I-love-dark-reads” drill. 😉 I always find myself making this same excuse when I enjoy the dark-reads too much. LOL! But come on, it’s all in good fictional crazy fun, right? 😉

Yeah… I think. I think I’m gonna 4.5 this. Or maybe a “reserved” 5-star, and only ’cause it is a bit much, at times (certain decisions, certain things, situations and circumstances that *realistically* could be picked apart and are a bit over the top), but then again, they’re only human and most certainly not perfect. Oh gosh no. LOL!!!! So not perfect, and at times SO bad… you’ll see. Yeah. Craziness.

Yep. So crazy that I am questioning my own sanity for having this much affection for a er… umm… let’s just call a spade a spade shall we? Or in this instance… a psycho.

Maryse’s Book Blog: I am at 96% of “Push” (I linked it in the first comment), and I’m savoring every last line (and I’m on the edge of my seat). It’s been a perfect mix of *OMG! WHOA! CRAZY!* and *Awwwww OMG LOVE*. Totally TOTALLY different from our usual “dark reads”. In fact… “David” has a sort of “Matt from Night Owl” feel to him. I’d say the book as a whole, even if it’s completely different, storyline wise, has that “Night Owl” feel to it. It’s the only way I can describe my personal connection to it. My experience of it. SO VERY GOOD and now I’m off to experience the grand finale. P.S. I hear it’s crazy, and even now, I have no idea where it’s going…

Melissa: There are so many emotions when reading PUSH! You love him, then I’m like no!! Then I love him again!

Lisa: I devoured this book. It is crazy brilliance

Heidi: OMG YOU HAD ME AT “MATT FROM NIGHT OWL”

Val:  You had me at Night Owl.

Maryse’s Book Blog: Oh. Whoa. <— side note: I had just finished the book

Kathy: Does it have a cliffy?

Nancy: I read someone wanting to throw their Kindle after reading this. I love my Kindle. Do I really want to read this?

Kathy : Nancy, those are my favorite kind!

Maryse’s Book Blog: Oh yes my friends, it has a cliffy. Major… and yet. I do not regret reading this one at all. What an experience!

Rebecka: Finished Push this AM! Love em hate em. It’s just shy of a 4 for me. Just a few parts that had me saying C’mon Really?? Then I remember they are a bit warped to begin with and cut em some slack and just go with their madness. A cliff (er um bridge) hanger) Definitley! So looking forward to the next book.. I just hafta know– ya know?

Angie: You had me at Night Owl too. I just one clicked it.

Judy: just finished. Good Lord almighty…

Stella: Maryse! I just finished PUSH!!! WHAAAAAT?!?!? OMG!!! I couldn’t put it down. :O So Intense! A Roller coaster of emotions. Definitely not what I was expecting but I Loved it!!

Toski: I’m 56%. My mind is reeling. Ooooommmmgee David is so Matt Maryse !! You are spot on

Maryse’s Book Blog: YES!!! YAY!!!! Somebody that has read both of ’em and can see it, too. Just wait… he gets even WAY MORE “Matty-feel” in the second half…

Nikole: Amazing book…however when I read the last page I yelled “noooooo it can’t end like this”

*tee hee!!!* Yep. It ended like that. 😉

This is a fun MUST READ “dark read” my friends!!!! Not too dark (at least not to me)… just dark enough for our reading thrill!

4.5 to 5 stars <— Lemme think about it for a few. One thing’s for sure, as SOON as I was done reading, I immediately felt the need to review it. I was EXCITED to review it. And other than the steamy scenes (plenty of those, and it would seem I find myself skimming sex scenes more and more these days), but for the rest of the story? I didn’t skim a thing. As much as I was dying to know the outcome, it was just so good that I didn’t want it to end. I ate up every last line.

P.S. It appears we have a desperate urge to chat about this crazy read and “spoil” our guts out. 😉 So here is the chat I created in the “spoiler forum” —> https://talk.maryse.net/threads/push-by-claire-wallis-whoa.2374/

P.P.S. *eeeeeep*!!! Guess what!?? I will be interviewing the author soon, and she has offered to answer some our questions in regards to “Push”. So, if you have questions (I know I do!), now’s your chance. :) If your questions are non-spoilery, you can post them here in the comments. If they are spoilery, you can email them to me here, OR you can post your questions in the chat spoiler forum I just put up: https://talk.maryse.net/threads/push-by-claire-wallis-whoa.2374/

YAY!! I love inside “scoops” :D

October 19th 2014: BREAKING NEWS UPDATE!!! “Pull (Part Two of Push)” (the sequel to Push, over there to the left, just went up for pre-order on Amazon!) —>


Latest Paranormal & Contemporary Romance Book Releases – May 6th 2014

By 40 Comments

Many highly anticipated releases today including Mr. Rush-Crush over there. 😉 Plus, we’re getting some real-time updates by our fellow readers as they read through their own one-clicks. And of course, their book-love is making me so excited for quite a few new ones.

Like the big-love for “Nowhere but Here” by one of my favs, Renee Carlino. Whoa. I think this one’s gonna do it for me (I posted the reader-reactions below).

Also, we’ve also got three new awesome sounding anthologies. One’s sexy, one’s bad-boy biker-y & one is full-on angsty, LOADED in contributions by our very favorite authors.

Lauren: So many bundles & boxed sets available this week. I’ve already bought 3.

Maryse’s Book Blog: I’ve one-clicked a few myself. 😀

I noted ’em below.

Plus quite a few other books that sound right up our alley. Like one of my absolute FAVORITE books that’s on sale right now. And… a recluse artist, a military hero that loves TOO hard, a famous rock star that shows up at her repair shop, a bad boy that broke her heart and now she’s stuck in an elevator with him (<— ruh roh!!), a culinary student that’s hot for her cooking instructor (heh! That one sounds funny!)… and I could go on and on. Right!!??? So many good-sounding ones. No worries. I noted ’em all below, too. 😀

BUT BUT BUT!!! Push <— THIS is the one I’m reading right now (’cause I’ve received only a couple of recs for this recent release, but boy are they convincing), and this is right up my alley, and what I’m in the mood for…

Skye: I started reading it and damn it is sooooo dark. And well written. Thought you might want to take a peek… The prologues are pretty intense so I think if it’s gonna hook you, it will do so in the sample 🙂

Pam: Just finished Push….wow… Just wow… So good and I didn’t even mind the cliffhanger. Gah!!!! So good.

Yep… I’ve started it, and I’m IN!!! I’m ain’t ascared of no cliffhanger! I am a bit ascared of him, though. 😛

P.S. Also still at the top of my TBR list: Monster in His Eyes and Beautiful Ink.

P.P.S. Let me know if I’m missing any or if you loved any (from this list or elsewhere).

BARGAINS (NOTE: bargain priced when I added them, but prices can change on Amazon, so make sure to check before you finalize your order).

  • Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry <— Okay WOW! Here’s another SUPER-bargain priced book. It’s 0.31 cents right now! Thirty. One. Cents!!!!! What what whaaaaaaaat? And this one’s usually over $7!! “…when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his surprising understanding, Echo’s world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common.” Mertxe says: “I loved Pushing the Limits, It’s a must-read” and Jody suggested it as a “What to Read After Beautiful Disaster” option: “I would like to Suggest Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry.  It has the same feel of Beautiful Disaster…  Granted no one is quite like Travis.”
  • Tempt My Heart: A Brittan McKenna Story by Danielle Jamie <— Saw this one floating around on my Facebook feed and it looks good! Maybe too much detail in the blurb (unless it’s not… I dunno yet), but it sounds heart wrenching. Plus… ROCK STARS! Mourning the loss of her fiancee for years… “Eight years marks the anniversary of Cane’s death when Brittan sets eyes upon Jordon; a guitarist whose shrouded in mystery and a world class bad boy for her bands opening act, Tempting Tomorrow.”
  • Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan <— OMG one of my FAVORITES and it is a MUST READ!!!!! (check out my review)

Mary Ann: Maryse I just started reading ARCHER and I am hook!!! I don’t want to put it down. It captured my attention and it’s calling me to continue reading…can’t wait to get home after work.

Maryse’s Book Blog: One of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITES!!!  GAH!! Best one-click ever!!

Kirsten: Totally agree with Maryse. It’s one of my favorites!

  • Cutting Deep (The Cut Series) by T.A. Anderson <— The “Book Trollop” recommended these to us and “A lot of that humor is in her books with a ton of debauchery that reminds me of Bridesmaids, plus a sexy chef… Who doesnt love men who can cook??!!” Yep… it sounds good! She’s enrolled in culinary school and she’s hot for her cooking instructor… but stuff happens… “She had her mind set on the future, but now, reliving the nightmare of her past may be her only chance at moving forward.” I posted the sequel below in the new release section!
  • Never Been Ready (The Ready Series #2) by J.L. Berg <— Aimee found us this deal and Kathy recommends ’em: “I hav read both books in this series and will definitely read the 3rd when it comes out!”
  • Three Broken Promises: A Novel (One Week Girlfriend Quartet) by Monica Murphy <— and Kat found us this deal! “I love him desperately, but he’s got so many demons, and if he can’t open up to me now, then he’ll never be the real partner I need him to be. I gave him a month, and now I’m out of here. If he truly loves me like he says, he knows where to find me.“
  • The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller by L.B. Simmons <— Melanie HIGHLY recommends this one: “my second 5 star read with The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller. This book pulled me in an emotional way that I can only compare it to my feelings reading The Edge of Never. It had the happy, it had the tears. Absolutely loved this book.”
  • Losing It by Cora Carmack <— one of my FAV student-teacher romance books is on sale right now!! (my review)
  • Used (Unlovable, #1) (Unlovable Series) by Lynetta Halat <— Margo reminds us that this one is on sale (and book #2 was just released, below). 😀 (here’s my review of Used)
        

PARANORMAL

         

CONTEMPORARY

  • Rush Too Far: A Rosemary Beach Novel (The Rosemary Beach Series) by Abbi Glines <—- RUSH CRUSH ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!! the latest Rush-crush book is out! Hehe. I privately nicknamed all of his books in the series the “Rush Crush” books. LOL! (Here is the Too Far/Rosemary Beach Series Reading Order). P.S. Here’s my review of book #1 (Fallen Too Far)… and Sarah said: “I just finished Rush Too Far last night and have decided that alternate Male POV books are my new favorites! … I read Rush this weekend and it was phenomenal! At the heart, just a love story, but that was what made it so special.”
  • Shame On Me (Fool Me Once) by Tara Sivec <— book #2 in this brand new series by Tara Sivec, and wow, I love the premise of this one! “The job: act as bait for a cheating husband. The target: Matt Russo. The case should be as easy as getting a man’s attention—and Paige has never had trouble with that. The problem is Matt—in all his nerdy-hot glory—turns out to be not such a scumbag after all.“
  • A Beautiful Distraction: A Hard Feelings Novel by Kelsie Leverich <— Ooooh fun sounding! “First Sergeant Rafe Murano did everything to the extreme. He trained harder, he fought harder, and, unfortunately, he loved harder. And falling for the wrong woman nearly destroyed him.” and then… “when she sees the tatted-up bad boy who’s one punch away from a ride in the back of a squad car, she offers him a distraction—one that quickly becomes an addiction.“
  • Breakable (Contours of the Heart) by Tammara Webber (I read “Easy“ and loved it!)
  • SECRET Revealed: A SECRET Novel (Secret Trilogy) by L. Marie Adeline
  • Giving In (The Surrender Trilogy) by Maya Banks
  • Freed (Unlovable, #2) (Unlovable Series) by Lynetta Halat <— Oh YES!!! I read #1 (“Used”) and enjoyed it (here’s my review) and Sarah says: “… in my opinion, is her best work to date! I remember you liked Used, but this one blows it out of the water!“
  • Hell for Leather: Black Knights Inc. by Julie Ann Walker (BIKER HEROES!! Here is the Black Knights Inc. Series Reading Order)
  • The Deepest Cut (The Cut Series #2) by T.A. Anderson <— sequel to the bargain book I posted in the bargains above (these two books sound so fun!!)
  • It Happened One Wedding by Julie James
  • Bend ANTHOLOGY by K Bromberg, JA Huss, Ella James, KI Lynn, CD Reiss, Shay Savage, Andrea Smith, Alessandra Torre <— OMG SO MANY of our fav authors and this anthology and will be releasing Monday AND!!! ***OVER 700 PAGES OF ALL-NEW, NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED MATERIAL***
  • Bent not Broken ANTHOLOGY by Lisa De Jong, Melanie Dawn, E.L. Montes, Lynetta Halat, Rebecca Shea, Mia Asher, A.L. Jackson, S.L. Jennings, Mia Sheridan, Willow Aster <— OMG TONS of our FAV authors have contributed stories to this anthology!!! Ten authors join together to bring you ten previously released full-length novels of love, angst, hope, and redemption (and I see some of my favorites in there!!)
  • Born to Ride – A Clubhouse Collection ANTHOLOGY by Kasey Millstead, Nina Levine, Carmen Jenner, Lila Rose, Bella Jewel, Jani Kay <— In the mood for more bad boy bikers? Here’s an entire anthology of full-length biker books! 😀
  • Blind Faith by Rebecca Zanetti <— Ohhh he’s part of a secret black-ops military unit!!
  • Rush by Nyrae Dawn <— M/M romance!!
  • Nowhere but Here: A Novel by Renee Carlino Brand new contemporary novel by the author of one of my fav books (Sweet Thing)!!! And our fellow readers are loving it! Even giving us updates as they read…

Tracie: I started it and I’m loving!! I love how Renee writes her men. They’re delicious!! He’s got these cute little pet names for her and I just melt every time.

Cindy: Finished and loved it! The hero was pure perfection!!! A perfect love story!!

Heather: I am half way through!!! Absolutely LOVE IT!!! If I didn’t have kids it would have never put down lol!!!

Tracie: 46% and I love!! … I swear I’m laughing at this book so hard right now. It’s soo good!! Like seriously laughing my ass off.

CM: I was blessed to read an ARC! It is sooooooooo amazingly good. One of those where you just feel so happy at the end. And all throughout. Even when they mess things up. Jamie is a new BBF for me!

Georgia: I’m at 19% and I’m feeling it. It’s going to be so good.

Tracie: Finished and freaking LOVED!! God how she writes dialogue and her main men are just perfect! I had time today and this is one I couldn’t put down. It was so freaking good!!!!

  • Perfect Imperfections by Cardeno C <— M/M romance and Kandace tells us! “One of my favorite M/M readers read this book and loved it. I’ve heard the character interaction is fantastic. It’s a true friendship and slow burn love story. Plus one is a rock star! Who doesn’t love a rock star?“
  • Blue Notes by Carrie Lofty <— The blurb tells us: “For fans of Jamie McGuire and S.C. Stephens, a sizzling new adult novel featuring the tumultuous relationship between a young piano prodigy and a reluctant billionaire playboy—set against the vibrant backdrop of a New Orleans college campus.“
  • Flight Delay (Antiques in Flight) by Nicole Helm
  • A Forever Love (Wanted) by Kelly Elliott
  • Hidden Hearts by Gina Ferguson
  • Her Only Desire (Sultry Summer Nights) by Delilah Devlin
  • How to Rope a Real Man (Catcher Creek) by Melissa Cutler
  • The Golden Touch by Laura London <— ROCK STAR ALERT!! “Kathy Carter has seen many things in her small-town instrument repair shop. But never has a dangerously hot, world-famous rock star pulled up on his motorcycle, needing his guitar fixed.“
  • The Last Good Knight Part I: Scars and Stripes (The Original Sinners) by Tiffany Reisz
  • Laugh (The Burnside Series): A Loveswept Contemporary Romance by Mary Ann Rivers
  • The Lonely Hearts Club by Brenda Janowitz <— looks cute!! Musician gets dumped by her bf, and she accidentally sends an anti-love/sad girl rant to everyone on her band’s mailing list… and it makes her popular.
  • Make You Mine: The Dumont Bachelors by Macy Beckett
  • Mercy by HelenKay Dimon
  • Misunderstandings (A Woodfalls Girls Novel) by Tiffany King <— Oooooh fun-sounding!!! “…hooking up with a guy like Justin Avery was not part of her plan. Between Justin’s attention-grabbing tattoos, cigarette smoking, and bad boy attitude Brittni quickly chalked him up as “Mr. Wrong.” But his charm was unrelenting, and Brittni’s decision to give Justin a chance quickly turned into the worst choice she ever made.” <— and then… a few years later. They get stuck in an elevator together. *eeeeeep!!*
  • The Professional (Game Maker) by Kresley Cole <— All three of her “mafia/fighter” serial installments have been merged into one book! And here it is. 😀
  • Pure Heat (Firehawks) by M. L. Buchman <— heli-aviation firefighters!
  • Reflection (Chrysalis) by Elene Sallinger <— “The moment Bridget Ross and Connor Reynolds run into each other on the street—quite literally while out on a run—tempers flare. But when the two get together for an apology coffee date, it’s clear that the coffee isn’t the only thing steaming.”
  • Remembering Us by Stacey Lynn <— I know some of you recognize this one from my blog, as it was one of my favorites from last year. But!! It’s just been re-released by her new publisher, so I just had to post it!! Here’s my review.
  • Risky Game (An Out of Bounds Novel) by Tracy Solheim <— FOOTBALL!
  • Ruin Me by Jamie Brenner <— Ohhh reclusive artist (and maybe love triangle?). She’s already got a boyfriend (rising artist) but “…passion comes where she least expects it in the form of a brilliant, reclusive street artist known only by the tag GoST,“
  • Since I Saw You: A Because You Are Mine Novel by Beth Kery
  • Skinny Bitch Gets Hitched by Kim Barnouin
  • Suspicions by Sasha Campbell
  • Tempt Me (Semper Fi Marines) by Melissa Schroeder <— “She’s come to Virginia to heal not to fall for some by the book, drop dead gorgeous Marine with a chip on his shoulder.“
  • Sunshine and Shadow by Laura London <— Oh wow, this sounds interesting: “When L.A. film director Alan Wilde decides to shoot his next movie in rural Wisconsin, he has no idea what he’s getting himself into. First, a beautiful Amish girl bounds onto the set-and ruins the scene. Then, his leading lady storms off the film in a huff. Now Alan’s come up with a crazy idea that could make or break his career: cast the Amish girl as his star . . .“
  • The Testimony by Laura London <— not sure if these are re-releases (a few by Laura London today) but they sound pretty good! “A passionate and dedicated journalist, Jesse Ludan served six months in prison because he refused to abandon his principles and testify in court. Now a free but changed man, Jesse must work harder than ever to regain Christine’s trust…” (Christine is his wife).
  • Gorgeous Chaos (Beautiful Mess #3) by T.K. Leigh <— I can’t read the synopsis so I don’t spoil the first two for myself, but whoa. That cover looks CRAZY!!
  • Unexpected by Lori Foster
  • Up for Grabs by Heather Young-Nichols <— she’s auctioning off her virginity…
  • Marry Me for Money by Mia Kayla <— Okay I like the sound of her love triangle issues…

                                          

A “Kindle Love Stories” Interview with Me, Kristen Ashley and Natasha Anders + $100 Gift Card Giveaway!!

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A Kindle Love Stories interview with authors Kristen Ashley, Natasha Anders and me (Maryse). 😉

I just had a fun interview with two fun & fantastic authors! I chatted with both Kristen Ashley, author of uber-alpha, sexy bad boys like Tack from Motorcycle Man in her “Dream Man Series” and Natasha Anders, author of heartbreaking husbands like “Sandro” from The Unwanted Wife in her “Unwanted Series”.

We discussed angsty romance and those “heroes we hated before we loved.” LOL!! 😀 My favorite genre. These authors are known for their “alpha-jerks” (those that made us delightfully furious at first, but were so easy to love once we got through that hard exterior), so you can imagine how enlightening it was to get their perspective on this particular topic. 😉 What a blast!!

Check out the Kindle Love Stories blog post to listen to the interview.

PLUS! We’re having TWO giveaways today. One right here on my blog, for a $100 Amazon gift card, and another one for a Kindle Fire over at “Kindle Love Stories” (here is where you can enter the Kindle Love Stories contest for a chance to win the Kindle Fire HDX)

How to enter here for a chance to win the $100 gift card?

Just leave a comment below about your favorite book/book-hero that you “hated before you loved” and I will randomly select one commenter on Wednesday May 7th 2014 to win the $100 gift card!!

P.S. Open to anyone that can accept a gift card from Amazon! I’ll email the winner, and the winner has 48 hrs to respond (or I’ll choose another). 😀

Book Review – It Ain’t Me, Babe by Tillie Cole

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It Ain’t Me, Babe
I was very excited to hear about this brand new “biker” book with it’s very original-sounding premise. I love the whole “running away from a bad situation, right into the arms of more trouble” theme. And there’s just something about a sheltered, inexperienced and abused woman running away from one commune (a religious one) and finding herself inside a notorious motorcycle club “compound” (that on first sight, look just like how she always imagined Hell would look like). eek GAH! I was imagining the freakout, and the very slow-to-warm-up build, and maybe even a slower burn between two complete opposites and I couldn’t wait to jump in!

But what made me even more excited were these awesome reactions from our fellow readers.

Melissa: Just finished It Ain’t Me, Babe. Absolutely loved it..4.5 starss!! Whew, really on a book high right now!

Jenn: It ain’t me, babe was amazing!!! Loved the story! Finished it in about 4 hours

Suzanne: I just finished Tille Cole’s It Ain’t Me Babe and it was AMAZING.  You have to read this, I am sure you’ll like it.It’s got the dark and violent edge like Madeline Sheehan’s Undeniable series but this is unlikely any other MC romance I’ve read.  I think you’ll really enjoy it!

Tiffany: Just Finished It ain’t me Babe and It was it Was a Very Good MC book..Different Twist with the whole Cult thing! Loved It!

Shannon: I sure hope that there are more books after It Ain’t Me Babe – I really want to read more on some of the characters – specifically Flame!  Good book!

Jean: … Started last night and COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!! This is the exact kind of read I was looking for and so excited for everyone to read it! … Oh, and does anyone know if Tillie Cole will be continuing with a series of It Ain’t Me Babe?  I REALLY hope so….I loved all of the characters, even Flame, and definitely want (need) more!

Lauren: It Ain’t Me Babe by Tillie Cole was EXCELLENT!!! Best I’ve read in a while.

Sasha: Wow…I was feeling kinda over all the biker boys, but “It Ain’t Me Babe” was sooooooooo freaking good! Styx (*sighs”)… Really pleasantly surprised with this book and it had better continue on to become a series! I’m really hoping for a certain tortured character to be the next book’s main hero.

Yep! I couldn’t wait to dive in. I had a feeling I just might fall hard and I could tell I was in for a wild, tumultuous and emotional “ride”. <— Hehe. Get it? I said ride. ‘Cause they’re bikers. 😉 Heh. rolleyes

And it was good. It had a bit of everything. A traumatized heroine that had a whole new world to discover. A larger than life (and scary-as-heck) MC Prez with a speech impediment. His bad-ass biker crew that always has his back. A crazy past that is slowly revealed. A budding love triangle when two potential “suitors” vie for her love (and I’m going to admit, I was kind of crushing on the er… other one). *sigh* Fated love… all that. Plus various bad guys (after all, this is an MC dealing in all sorts of illegal stuff), a building mystery, looming danger. And quite the twist, to boot!

But while I did enjoy it and wanted to finish it, there was something holding me back from loving it. I was so into the beginning (and the prospect of it as a whole) but eventually I found that I was able to put it down, and in fact, this one actually took me about three days to read. And that’s how I know I wasn’t that connected to it. If I’m really into a book I can read it in one sitting (in fact, I don’t want to do anything BUT read it… devour it, all at once). But for some reason…

Okay for those that haven’t read this yet… I don’t spoil it per se, but you might want to skip this next section as I analyze my reading experience of it (and them).

I suppose it all just moved a bit too fast for me. Quick emotional connections, quick acceptance of this “new world” (mind you she was finally safe from the constant abuse, so that sure helps!)

I would rather live in eternal damnation here on the outside than marry the man who sanctioned the relentless abuse of my true flesh and blood.

But still… this place was full-on raw and gritty and vulgar and.. well, you get the picture. I dunno. I guess I didn’t get to live that initial fear and trepidation with her. Mostly just the relief of finally being free mixed with the fear of being in the very world that the religious-zealots warned her was on the “outside”.

So this is what the outside world looks like, I thought. This is a world filled with evil? Viewing the happy smiling faces of the people we passed, I struggled to believe the truth.

Oh she had the reactions I expected (all of those, in fact), but it all just went by at a breakneck speed, for me. An entire month went by once she reached the MC (right in the beginning), and we didn’t actually get to experience any of it, and the connections forged during that time. We were told about it, but I don’t feel like I got to feel her and her new life, especially when it counted, for me.

So when it came to the love triangle, I didn’t really feel as if I knew any of ’em all that well, and therefore didn’t find myself anxious or rooting for any particular outcome. I wasn’t as emotionally invested in any of them, as I wanted to be. When it came to love story, there seemed to be (at least to me) way more *steamy stuff*, which I found myself skimming. It was missing that sweet slow burn that I need, to find myself falling for the hero which in turn, would lead me to enjoying their intimate moments (and not skimming). Especially with a couple like this… with their kind of “issues” and lots in life.

“You have light within you, Styx, and I feel it shining through like the rays of the midday sun. It is beautiful. You are a good man.”

There was just *something* about how inexperienced she was, due to the extremely sheltered life she loved from birth, and how emotionally stable she seemed (despite the extreme abuse she survived)… that I dunno. The way she handled her knew life and their crude lifestyle? Her easy ability to connect and to become intimate? While I don’t doubt that this could happen, I didn’t get to feel the relatable progression from “alien” (which she essentially was in their world), to one of them.

Okay you can come back now!! 😀

So instead of me being excited, nervous, swooning and dying to know what happens next, I felt as if I was a watching a fast-forward version of their lives from the outside looking in, with a lot of crazy stuff thrown in.

It was good. But maybe just a bit far-fetched and fast, for me. And I insist on the “for me” part, ’cause by the comments and emails I’m getting, this book is delighting so many of our fellow readers!

3.5 stars!

P.S. That said… I’m very interested in Flame’s book. Flame has that whole “Zsadist” thing to him. Scarred, constant evil glint in his eye, unapproachable, and can’t stand being touched. And that, of course, is calling to me. 😉 Mind you, he has a bit more “crazy” to him than “Z”, but I gotta read it. LOL!

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