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Friday Finds & Reader Recommendations – February 23rd 2018

By 49 Comments

<— Happy Friday!!!! 😀 !!! Guess what?? We have a few surprise releases that just went live (including THAT new one by Ginger Scott to the left). GAH I LOVE HER!!!
And some recommendations too! I’ll be working and adding to this list all day, so keep checking back…
TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE FOUND FOR THE WEEKEND :D !!

  • Memphis by Ginger Scott <— GINGER SCOTT FIGHTER ALERT!! She doesn’t want to become like her mom and lose herself to a man… but then she meets HIM. “…When he’s in the ring, he wears the stare of a man committed to the battle until his very last breath. He could end me; turn me into her. Too much of him will leave me as a shadow, and I’ve lost so much of myself already. But I have discipline. It came the hard way. Lessons learned, scars left behind, and trust stripped away from life. I will breathe his air, but I won’t fall for a man like him. The only boxer who’s ever going to break my heart is the one who gave me my name.”
  • Spark by S.L. Scott <— LIVE!!! S.L. SCOTT’S LATEST ROCK STAR ROMANCE! A one night stand lead to a baby… “My heart was Jet Crow’s the moment he opened his sexy mouth and sang that first song. One stolen night with that man would never be enough, but I’m not here to fall into his bed. Again. I’m here to fight for custody of a son he’s never known. There’s just one problem. Those sparks between us have become flames. If we’re not careful we’re both going to get burned...”
  • The Indigo Girl: A Novel by Natasha Boyd <— NATASHA BOYD’S RECENT HISTORICAL RELEASE!!! Jessica recommends this wrenching romance!!
Jessica: I absolutely loved INDIGO GIRL. I go to Charleston often, and it was *such* a fascinating look into the city’s history. Love love loved it…smart, romantic, and wrenching all at once. Highly recommend!
  • The Judge’s Wife: A Novel by Ann O’Loughlin <— LIVE!!! HISTORICAL TANGLED WEB 😉 Oh my… that blurb!!!!
  • THIEF (Boston Underworld Book 5) by A. Zavarelli <— LIVE!! RUSSIAN MAFIA MAN TAKES HER... “It is my duty to my family to stay innocent and pure. To marry an Italian man. The stars are already aligned. But Nikolai Kozlov re-writes my destiny with five simple words. You belong to me now. He’s Russian mafiya. A thief. A skilled liar with no moral boundaries. He is everything I have been taught to hate…”
  • Gansett Island Boxed Set Books 10-12 (Gansett Island Series) by Marie Force <— MARIE FORCE PARTIAL SERIES BOOK BUNDLE!!
  • Pretty in Pink (Housemates Book 6) <— LIVE!!! M/M ROMANCE ALERT!! HE MOVES IN NEXT DOOR… “...Ryan’s always been attracted to tall, leggy blondes–normally of the female variety. When Johnny catches his eye at a party, Ryan’s interest is piqued even though he’s never been with a guy before. The attraction is mutual, and the amazing night that follows opens Ryan’s eyes to his bisexuality. Experience has taught Johnny that love hurts. Staying single is safer, and there’s no need for complicated relationships when hooking up is easy. When he moves in next door to Ryan, they’re both interested in picking up where they left off...”
  • The Hashtag series by Cambria Hebert <— Angela recommends this whole series!
Angela: The Hashtag series by Cambria Hebert. I recently discovered it when #Nerd was featured here. OMG. Girl you have got to read this series!!! It is phenomenally well written and has a very intriguing storyline as well. I have also fallen in love with its spinoff Gearshark series. All the feels!!!! Seriously – you have to read them!
  • Family is Forever (Conversion Book 6) by S.C. Stephens <— LIVE!!! S.C. STEPHEN’S LATEST VAMPIRE BOOK ALERT!! “..Julian Adams would give anything to rewind the last few months. His sister has been forever altered, a man he distrusts is now a permanent part of his family, and the woman of his dreams no longer remembers him. The only thing left for Julian to do is start over…”
  • Behind the Bars (Music Street Series) by Brittainy Cherry <— LESLIE IS INSISTING!!!!!! AND she’s pretty convincing! Her loving rant is about dual POVs (and how much THIS ONE worked!!)…

Leslie M: Behind the Bars (and I know I won’t stop yammering about this book) need it because the MC’s have totally separate stories to tell. (and when you meet poor, broken Elliot, you will want to be in his head forever & ever)So, I think liking/disliking dual pov is part personal taste and part author talent.

  • Hot Mess (Into The Fire Series Book 4) by J.H. Croix <— LIVE!! FIREFIGHTER ALERT!! “…he comes walking back into my world—the epitome of tall, dark & dangerous. I can’t withstand the heat. We take another chance, thinking we can burn this fire to ashes. But that’s only the beginning. It’s a mess—he’s my boss and now… He’s about to be a father.“
  • Never Sweeter: A Dark Obsession Novel by Charlotte Stein <— BOOK-BULLY ALERT!!!! And it’s super-bargain priced! Laura LOVED it!!

Laura: Never Sweeter by Charlotte Stein is bargain priced on Amazon… it is one of my favourite books of all time. A bully romance that has such a painful and sweet storyline. I sobbed right along with Letty when I thought Tate had betrayed her trust. Definitely, a story to be consumed in one feverish evening.
Tessa: Ooh, thanks, Laura! That’s been on my wishlist for a while now!
Maryse: Thank you Laura! I love this author and I just one-clicked it. YAY ME ‘n Tessa and whoever else clicked it! 😛

  • Look the Part by Jewel E Ann <— JEWEL E ANN RECENT RELEASE & HEATHER LOVED IT!!
Heather: Just finished “Look The Part” by Jewel E Ann!!! So goooood, best book of 2018 for me so far
JulieO: I finished Look The Part yesterday and loved, loved, loved it. Flint was truly broken. Hard to come back from something like that. I also liked that Ellen had pet rats. Nobody understands having them for a pet unless you do if that makes sense. My daughter had one named Stella who did tricks and followed her wherever she went in the house. The whole family was in tears when Stella passed. Off the subject….read Look The Part.
Linda: Loved Look the Part by Jewel E. Ann!! I swear she never disappoints!! Also my 2018 favorite so far!!
  • The Girl You Left Behind: A Novel by Jojo Moyes <— JOJO MOYES ALERT!!! This one’s on sale and Claudia LOVED it! Oh WOWOWOWOW I just read the synopsis and OMG it sounds intriguing and intense!!!
Claudia: Thank you Maryse, loved… The girl you left behind!!!!
  • Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover <— Ashley’s COLLEEN HOOVER GO-TO!!
Ashley: Maybe Someday is one of my go-to reads! I’ve read/listened to it at least 6 times.
  • Insatiable Bachelor (Bachelor Tower Series, Book 1) by by Ruth Cardello <— LIVE!!! A RICH MAN ONLY CLUB!!! “…I easily network with men trying to launch their careers or those at the top who want to stay hungry. The best part: the tower attracts women, beautiful women who hang out in the lobby bar and vie for an invite upstairs. Easy, like fishing in a barrel. Until Brockton dies and Penny Fuller moves into the apartment next to me because the new owner doesn’t share his vision. Everyone agrees Penny can’t stay…“
  • The Elements Series by Penny Reid <— Kelly reminds us how much she loves this series!

Kelly: …you should try The Elements Series by Penny Reid. It is so well written as all Penny Reid’s books are and although it has laughs like many of her books the feelings I get when I read it and I’ve re-read it multiple times and listened to the audiobook too. He bumped the great Mr Grey outta top spot. Truth!!!

                

 

AUDIOBOOK L:DVERS

For those going on a road trip soon, or maybe you’ve got some projects that require both hands this weekend but still allows you to “listen”… check out the free audible trial + 2 free audiobooks deal —>

  • AND! Here’s the fun-tool again! —> Find out which of YOUR Kindle books are available as audiobooks at a BARGAIN-PRICE! <— This thing is so cool (Amazon calls it “Matchmaker“)! It’s an Amazon feature, that scans all of your Kindle books and will list all of the ones you have that are also available as an audiobook at a discounted price (not normal audiobook prices). This way, you can switch back and forth, seamlessly between your ebooks and your audiobooks. VERY COOL!

PREORDERS (A few of next week’s!!! :D )

  1. Secret Lucidity: A forbidden romance stand-alone  by E.K. Blair – February 26th 2018
  2. Blood Type by K.A. Linde – February 27th 2018
  3. Baby Daddy by Kendall Ryan – February 27th 2018
  4. At the Stroke of Midnight (The Naughty Princess Club) by Tara Sivec – February 27th 2018
  5. Charming Hannah (The Big Sky Series Book 1) by Kristen Proby – February 27th 2018
  6. Hello Stranger: The Ravenels, Book 4 by Lisa Kleypas – February 27th 2018
  7. Consequence (The Confidence Game Duet Book 2) by Rachel Higginson – – February 27th 2018

     

Reader Question – The book about about the daughter that is promised to him, to repay the dad's debt…

By 19 Comments

Jolene is looking for this one! Sounds a little… dark.

UPDATE!!! YOU GUYS. WE had SO MUCH FUN with this question. It’s been solved!! YAY!!! We had TWO groups working on finding it (our Facebook crew) and our crew right here in the comments, and it looks like Kelly had the correct guess!!

P.S. I love the song “Jolene” and apparently so many of us do, because both conversations (here AND on Facebook) spurred plenty of “love that song” comments and links to all sorts of versions of the song. LOL!!! See the fun we have? 😉

*ahem* Okay back to the question:

She asks:

Hi Maryse…long time follower here ✌ I have been racking my brain for a couple of years for this book/series. Hopefully you or one of the followers can help.

It’s about a girl whose father owes a debt to a man and he promises him her. It begins with her and her boyfriend having sex in the restaurant where she works and when they leave she sees the man across the street.

I can’t remember what happens then but I think the debt is called, she goes to work for the man and is trained as a prostitute. He never sleeps with her…i don’t think.

At one point she takes a briefcase to a hotel and sees her ex during breakfast. She ends up having sex with him. She finds out she’s been transporting something illegal.

Please help!! I really enjoyed the  and looked forward to the next one…if only i could remember!!

Anyone have a guess?

Essa: Following. Sounds amazing.

Christina: Me too.

Sofia: Hmmm. Sounds familiar. Maybe one from Skye Warren? I’ve def read this!!  I’m sure it was the first in a duet. Maybe even a triplet. They’re on an island and she injured herself to get taken to the hospital?

Rebecca: I have too and it’s driving me bonkers.

Sofia: Ta dah!! Twist Me (Twist Me #1) by Anna Zaires. Pt 1 of 3

Rebecca: You are a miracle worker!!! I was googling random things trying to find it and thinking- oh, these searches look terrible on an internet history!

Sofia: I knew I’d seen it via Maryse’s page, so I looked at her list for Dark Reads, and then went through the comments, and that’s when I found it. That was after spending an hour going through my Kindle purchases to see if anything looked familiar. Like you, it was bugging me, lol.

Nicola: Hmmm at first I thought this might be Counsellor (Acquisition Series Book 1) by Celia Aaron…but then… no 😛 Lol… good book though, which reminds me, I need to read the next one!

Kelly: Was it a 2 book series? I think I know it. Does her ex get involved with the agency she is supposed to work for and – SPOILER ALERT – hires her without her knowing?

Jolene: YES Kelly!!! Now that you mention it I think he does hire her…Please help put an end to this! LOL

Kelly: Jolene, I am working on figuring it out. Do you remember what year it came out or anything about the cover? Am going through my books for you. Wasn’t the guy she had to work for French? And there was another guy maybe Nolan or Noah?

Jolene: He may have been French Kelly. I think she had to be “trained” and she renamed herself?? Ummm…The ex sheduled an appt for himself under a different name after he saw her in the hotel.

Kelly: Jolene, I think I got it: The Devil’s Contract (Contracts & Deceptions Book 1) by Claire Contreras

Jolene: Yay!!! That’s it Kelly!!!! The Devil’s Contract!! I don’t know how you figured it out so quickly but thanks so much!!

Kelly: Jolene, I save my books in yearly folders so I literally started going through each year. Since I knew if I was right about it that it was a 2 book series so I organized my books by author and if there were 2 books by the same author I checked to see if they were the series. I love it when I can help someone find a book. It makes me feel good.

Maryse: YAYYYYYY!!!! Another one solved. Thank you so much Kelly!!! 😀 *hug*

  

Reader Question – The book about the pregnant heroine… or was it the other woman?

By 20 Comments

Oooooh Valentina found us one that might make us throw our eReader. She mentions she read the blurb, so the blurb alone sounds emotionally angsty!

She asks:

Hi Maryse. I need help!

A while ago I’ve read a blurb from a book and now I can’t find. It was part of a series, about brothers finding love, and the one I’m talking about was one of the last in the series.

If I remember correctly, the hero and heroine are a couple from quite some time, but I think he cheats on her and maybe the heroine or the other woman is pregnant.

Can you help me figure it out?

Has anyone read this one? And did you throw your Kindle? 😉

Christina: I don’t know but that sounds like a good one!

VikiT: it’s kind a vague descriptions so it can be a lot of books but the one that first came to mind for me was maybe Aurora Rose Reynolds- Until Lilly: Until Lilly (Until Series Book 3).

Tessa: I’m gonna go with The Opportunist series by Tarryn Fisher.

Valentina: Nope… it’s not that. :-(

Tessa: :( Then, The Unwanted Wife (The Unwanted Series Book 1) by Natasha Anders?

Kelly: The Good Ol Boy series by M Robinson? The 1st book Complicate Me: The Good Ol’ Boys has a plot like that

Tabathia: Is this a newer release or a blurb from an older book?

Valentina: It’s none of the above, but I definitely will check this goodies out. What I specifically remember it’s that it’s not a recent series and the book wasn’t first in the series.

Heidi: Pretty sure it’s the Until Series by Aurora Rose Reynolds. The one with the cheating and pregnancy is Until Nico (Until Series Book 4). Good books! Easy reads.

Tessa: lol If nothing else, we found out this is apparently a popular theme.

Laura: It could be Love in a Snow Storm (Pine Harbour Book 2) by Zoe York. Before the hero was with the heroine, he had a one night stand with a friend. The “other” woman becomes pregnant but she doesn’t know who the father of her baby is. I won’t tell you who the father is to avoid any spoilers. Here’s the blurb:

“Contractor and army reservist Jake Foster fell in love with Dani Minelli when she was a colt-legged high school senior. He knew he was too old to even look at her, let alone touch. Dani’s been trying to get his attention since returning to Pine Harbour a grown woman—and failing miserably at every turn. This winter, everything is going to change. And when the snow stops falling, Jake and Dani won’t be able to hide from their attraction any longer.”

Valentina: Girls, I thank you, even if we didn’t find the one I was looking for. At least I have a list of new books to read.

Rehka: Hi. Is it Love after Betrayal: An Interracial, Billionaire Romance by Yuwanda black ?

Jay: By any chance did anyone figure out the title? This sounds like the book I’ve been searching for as well 🙂

Maryse: Hi Jay! SO far… not yet. And I’d LOVE to know, too.

Ivana: Hey, I think it’s “Noah’s journey” (Sawyer brothers #3) by C.A. Harms. His ex shows up with their son (H didn’t know she was pregnant) while he is kissing h after their date, something like that.

     

➔➔➔  Browse more reader questions (solved & unsolved) here. 😀 Maybe you’ll find a solved one to read or have a guess for us for one that’s still unsolved.

Have a reader question for us to solve? Send it to me here.

➔➔➔  Love this trope? Browse more infidelity & the other woman book features and reviews on my blog. 😀

Reader Question… Solved! The book about the maid that sneaks into his room… and uses his stuff.

By 8 Comments

Dahlia is going crazy trying to find this one!! Tee hee!! This maid sounds sneaky, but you know darn well when he finds out it’s her, it’s gonna be a great scene!!! LOL!

She asks:

I read this book some time ago – something someone said brought it to memory only to realize I couldn’t remember the book title.

I don’t remember the plot ..I remember that the Heroine secretly stays in the Hero’s penthouse/hotel room – I think she is a hotel maid or is hired by a cleaning service ..

The Hero has installed a video surveillance/security system -which she ends up looping.. she knows exactly where the cameras are and avoids them ..

She drinks his waters but always replaces them (I think) … she leaves her strawberry shampoo hidden in the bathroom (which he finds later)… she sleeps in his bed so his sheets smell of strawberries … he always leaves his windows open-which she always ends up closing so when it rains the water won’t come in … he has plants that she cares for/waters. I think there is also mention that she has a service elevator key …

And I can’t remember what he does for a living..

Please help – it’s driving me nuts. Thanks.

Anyone know it?

Ashley: I’ve read this one! I don’t remember the name of it though. I’ll look through my goodreads list to see if I can find it.

Kelly: Sounds like Whitney G’s Turbulence: A Cocky Pilot Romance

Ashley: It does. I am pretty sure the guy was a pilot in the book.

Rebecca: Turbulence by Whitney G.

Candace: I agree – this one is Turbulence by Whitney G. and, if I’m not mistaken, there is also a free epilogue. Great book!

Tabathia: I agree it sounds like Whitney G’s book Turbulence.

Dahlia: Woo-hoo!!! That’s it – Whitney G’s Turbulence. Darlings the search is over – thank you so much!

Kelly: I FLOVED Turbulance. It was in my Top 2016 books. The H gave me the tortured man feel which I kinda love.

Maryse: YAYYYYYY!!! Another one solved. I am so thrilled and I have ALWAYS been intrigued by this one. The question up there makes me want to read it even more. :D!!!

➔➔➔  Browse more reader questions (solved & unsolved) here. 😀 Maybe you’ll find a solved one to read or have a guess for us for one that’s still unsolved.

Have a reader question for us to solve? Send it to me here.

Tessa Bailey – The Academy Series Reading Order

By 2 Comments

<— Want a goooooood time? READ THIS!!!! Tee hee!!! *blush* DO NOT judge a book but its cover. Or maybe… DO. 😉 Ahhhhh it’s hard to explain my love-hate relationship for this book cover but it’s kind of perfect, anyway. I LOVED this book like crazy, and now that I’ve gotten used to this cover, it fits in its own hilarious-sexy way.

Maryse: I’m actually reading Disorderly Conduct by Tessa Bailey (the one with the stripper-cop cover that made me smirk… or maybe that was a frown… maybe a bit of an eyebrow waggle too :P )… might have even turned me off the book, but I had it and I was in the mood for a good hot-cop story, and OMG this book is SO MUCH better than the cover.

And I mean… I may just give it 5 stars. It has had me laughing out loud seriously…(he doesn’t realize it, but he’s freaking hilarious) and my heart in my throat half the time. It’s a bit typical, predictable contemporary romance (nobody wants to commit etc etc…) but there’s something about the way the author wrote the characters (their dialogue and she has the GUY thoughts and reactions PERFECT!!!!) that I am absolutely in love with this book. I believe this story and I’m really connected to their feelings. I FEEL IT.

Plus, he’s wonderfully obnoxious and possessive and bossy but sweet and in his own way… romantic (even though he’s not trying to be – you’ll see…. OMG he’ll steal your heart so many times), and the stuff he does to sabotage … things. LOL!!!!!!

I’m even reading the steamy (and I. Mean. STEAMYYYYY!!!) scenes, not a skim to be found. Yeah. This one, you’d not know it by that cover, but it’s really REALLY good. Okay. :) This author can write a gooooooood love story.

Linda: Now on your recommendation Maryse I’m almost half way thru Disorderly Conduct. Loving some “big man.” And yes I would’ve bypassed because of cover!

Yep. Despite that stripper-cop cover (*ahem* or maybe… because of it) I am absolutely in LOVE with this book and this hero. He was my very own “hurricane hero”. I read this book, old-school-style, reading an actual paperback over a few days where I had NO electricity due to a storm. And boy did he (and this intense, hilarious, and even angsty love story) keep me company.

Who doesn’t love a cop in uniform? Or an almost-cop. I love ’em all! 😉

And now it’s a series, and I’m currently devouring book #2. Yep. Paperback style again. 😀

About book #1:

Police academy cadet Charlie Burns can’t believe his luck when the gorgeous blonde he meets in a bar murmurs those magic words: “Nothing serious, ’kay?” Mind-blowing, no-strings sex with Ever Carmichael—it’s the holy grail of hookups for a guy who’s too busy following in his law enforcement family’s footsteps to think about getting serious. Charlie’s all about casual…that is, until Ever calls it quits and his world tilts on its axis.

Ever knows that when you control the relationship game, you can’t get played. But for the first time, she wants more than short-term satisfaction. Step one: end her fling with commitment-phobic Charlie. Step two: sacrifice herself to the ruthless NYC dating scene. Yet everywhere she turns, there’s Charlie, being his ridiculously charming self. No online match or blind date compares to the criminally hot cop-in-training, but they’re over. Aren’t they?

If love is a four-letter-word, why does the idea of Ever seeing someone else tie Charlie up in knots?  Now he’s desperate to win her back…and a little date sabotage never hurt anyone, right?

  

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