Tag Archive: Romancing Life


My first read of Elizabeth Sinclair, “Bound By Fire” starts off a bit too slow and the crux of the story doesn’t move as much as trying to create a relationship between Jesse Kingston and Karen Ellis.

boundbyfire-elizabethsinclair-nov2016

Pregnant Karen is trying to get to the bottom of her fiancé Paul Jackson’s death in a wildfire and Jesse as the best friend of Paul has been trying to prove that Paul’s death was not an accident. With a common goal, Karen and Jesse end up spending time together uncovering clues, and the proximity leading to attraction. As they explore the sparks between them, a killer in plain sight will do anything to keep things under the ashes

The plot is interesting and not something new. It’s the narration and the lack of that grip on the plot, the lackluster suspense and thrill is what did not work for me. The story did drag in the middle pages. But the bottom line is that “Bound By Fire” can be read at least once. It’s one of those books that can be re-visited.

Received an ARC from Salt Run Publishing LLC, via NetGalley for an honest review.

4-elvesLittle Smiles And Loving Kisses

Warm Big Hugs And Heart-felt Wishes

Hot Chocolate And Conversations

Down Memory Lane, A Time For Nostalgia

 

A Bit Of Love From Someone Dear

Humbleness And Kindness For All

Mending Damaged Relationships

A Time To Forgive and Forget

 

Laughter And Good Tidings

Sharing Among Family And Friends

New Memories In The Making

Grateful And Modest Beginnings

 

A Gift Perfect Around Christmas Tree

Presence Of Family And Loved Ones

Wrapped Up In Each Other’s Love

Spreading Joy And Happiness Around

 

Copyrighted: Alima Kanumilli

December 24, 2016

 

 

The first book in a brand new contemporary romance series from New York Times bestselling author Erin Nicholas about three geeky girls and the hunky guys who fall for them.

Kiera Connelly leads a quiet life, and that’s just how she likes it. She’s built a name as a graphic designer and meets up with her friends online, all from the comfort of her living room couch. But when a rare outing turns disastrous, Kiera finds herself up close and way too personal with an unbelievably hot real-life hero.

completelyyours-oppositesattract1-erinnicholas-dec2016

Zach Ashley doesn’t see himself as a hero. He’s just a regular guy who gets to help people every day as an EMT. But when he’s called to a scene and has to treat his most gorgeous patient ever, he finds himself mixing work with pleasure. He never hesitates to put his life on the line…but will he ever risk his heart?

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: COMPLETELY YOURS

Author: Erin Nicholas

Series: Opposites Attract, #1

On Sale: December 20, 2016

Publisher: Forever

Mass Market: $5.99 USD

eBook: $3.99 USD

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THE SERIES

opposites-attract

COMPLETELY YOURS, #1

FOREVER MINE, #2

Series Page on Goodreads

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Erin Nicholas is the author of sexy contemporary romances. Her stories have been described as toe-curling, enchanting, steamy and fun. She loves to write about reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines and happily ever afters. She lives in the Midwest with her husband who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books, her kids who will never read the sex scenes in her books, and family and friends who say they’re shocked by the sex scenes in her books (yeah, right!).

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Author Information

Author Website: http://bit.ly/2hCwGAm

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2hWUn2O

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2hsoeTY

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2hPeCni

  

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The Series

Series Page on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2gSG97f 

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EXCERPT

She was still watching the ambulance, and she nodded absently. “Okay.”

He moved in front of her and crouched to get on eye level. “You can go right over and see them at the hospital. Mass General. If you’re not family, they might not be able to tell you much, but if you can get in touch with their families, they can come and sit with you, right?”

She nodded again but Zach wasn’t sure she’d heard him. He really wanted to know that someone was going to be there with her. Shock in survivors wasn’t uncommon. The that-could’ve-been-me thing could kick in at any moment if it hadn’t already. But there was nothing like seeing someone you cared about hurt.

He put his hands on her arms again, this time rubbing up and down and just ignoring how good her skin felt against his rough palms. Mostly. He needed to comfort her more than he needed to worry about how she made him feel.

“Do you know where Mass General is?” He didn’t love the idea of her driving herself over there. She was clearly overwhelmed.

Kiera nodded. “Yes.”

“You can get there?” he asked.

She nodded again.

Okay. So…

“Zach! Let’s go!”

Zach glanced over at Reed. His co-workers needed help so he was going to be here for a while. He couldn’t be messing around, obsessing about a woman who liked to play dress-up. “Kiera, I need to go but…”

“Yeah, of course.” She shook her head and looked around. “You go.”

“But…” But nothing. She was fine, and he was needed by people who weren’t fine. “Okay.”

He had the fleeting thought that he wanted to kiss her goodbye. But that was crazy. They’d just met. In the middle of an emergency. No way should he kiss her.

Finally, he let go of her and stepped back. But not touching her didn’t do a thing to make him not want to touch her. He forced himself to turn away and head toward Reed, trying to clear his mind of green and gold sweet-smelling flowers as he went. But when he got about twenty feet from her, he glanced back.

And she was still standing there. Hugging herself. Looking lost.

Fuck.

“I’ll be right there,” he told Reed.

Reed glanced back. “Dude…”

“I know.” And he did. He needed to not be distracted. But the only way that was going to happen was if he knew for sure that Kiera was taken care of.

He jogged back to her side. “Hey princess, what’s up?”

She looked at him, and her look of confusion cleared. That made him feel stupidly good.

“I don’t have a way…”

She trailed off, and Zach frowned. “You don’t feel up to driving?”

“We brought Sophie’s car, and her fob thingy is with her.”

Ah. A little issue. “You have someone you can call?”

“I didn’t bring my phone.”

“You can use mine.”

“No one’s home. I live with Maya and Sophie,” she said. “Obviously, they’re not… there.”

Her voice wobbled, and Zach worked on not grabbing her and hugging her.

They’d just fucking met. Hugging and kissing wasn’t appropriate. Dammit.

“How about a cab?”

“I don’t have any money.”

He looked her over again, revisiting the curves he realized he’d already memorized. He could give her money for a cab of course. He could get her home. But she’d be home alone. He could get her to the hospital, but they wouldn’t talk to her and she’d be stuck in the waiting room for God knew how long. Alone.

And leaving her alone was simply something he could not do.

“You need to come with me.” He reached out and snagged her hand before he could tell himself that holding her hand was a bad idea.

Because it was. Her hand felt good in his, and the way she curled her fingers around his tightly and followed him without question felt good. And the idea that he was going to get to spend more time with her felt good. And all of that was bad. And yet, he pulled her along with him through the convention hall and into the heart of the chaos.

“What are we doing?” she asked.

“I need to go help with some more injured. And I need you to stick with me.”

“Me? Why?”

He looked over at her. Her cape floated behind her, and for the first time, he noticed the golden sword swinging at her left hip. Damn. That was kind of hot. “Because you’re a gorgeous kick-ass warrior princess, and the people in here are gonna need some gorgeous kick-ass stuff.”

She looked at him with surprise, but as he held her gaze, he saw something that turned him on even more than her smelling like candy—a spark of determination. She pulled up straighter as she walked, and he felt her hand tighten on his.

“Kick ass. Right. I can do that.”

He smiled. “And I could use some help from an interpreter.”

“An interpreter? I speak some Spanish but that’s about it.”

“You don’t speak geek?” He hoped he wasn’t committing a faux pau in calling her, and all of this, geeky.

But she actually gave him a half smile. “Oh, geek. Yes, I’m fluent.”

 

If you haven’t tuned into the “Shaughnessy Brothers” yet, you are missing another wonderful series of romance and family dynamics by one of my favorite authors Samantha Chase. Book three of the series “This Is Our Song” takes us up close to Riley Shaughnessy, the musician of the clan.

Battling a musician’s block, a deadline looming and with the label threatening his very career, Riley Shaughnessy is going through the worst time of his life and having a judgmental entertainment reporter writing an article about him is not his kind of music.

ThisIsOurSong-Shaughnessy#4-SamanthaChase

Stardom doesn’t faze Savannah Daly and neither does sexy and handsome rock stars. Or so she thinks, until she’s forced to write an article about Riley and ends up spending a month with him and his family. If you’ve read the Shaughnessys, you know they can be pretty overwhelming.

Another charming love story although I think Samantha Chase gave more importance to Riley’s angst, insecurities and issues, which is a welcome change, rather than a full-blown romance. You’ll read more of the family dynamics in this book than others, and it is actually pretty neat as the circumstances are created for us to be a part of the Shaughnessy family. And adding Savannah’s parents to the equation makes it pretty interesting. So be prepared to read more of Riley’s thoughts, family banter and interaction, and less of Riley and Savannah romance.

You’ll like Riley and Savannah as they go through the ups and downs of love, navigating the various high notes as well as the low notes, trying to find their song. This love story is more of Riley, and the Shaughnessys and a tad less of romance between Savannah and Riley. And Samantha Chase doesn’t disappoint, yet this story is very different from her usual style.

Received an ARC from Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley for an honest review.

 

A new series, new heroes and a special brand of romance from the amazing Donna Grant!!!

Check below for the series details, special incentives being offered by Donna Grant/St. Martins Press, Facebook and Twitter chats, and of course an excerpt from “The Hero” 

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Book Blurb:

THE HERO’S HOMECOMING

Owen Loughman is a highly-decorated Navy SEAL who has a thirst for action. But there’s one thing he hasn’t been able to forget – his high school sweetheart, Natalie. After over a decade away, Owen is returned home to the ranch in Texas for a dangerous new mission that puts him face-to-face with Natalie and an outside menace that threatens everything he holds dear. He’ll risk it all to keep Natalie safe – and win her heart. . . .

Natalie Dixon has had a lifetime of heartache since Owen was deployed. Fourteen years and one bad marriage later, she finds herself mixed up with the Loughman’s again. With her life on the line against an enemy she can’t fight alone, it’s Owen’s strong shoulders, smoldering eyes, and sensuous smile that she turns to. When danger closes in, she holds close to the only man she’s ever loved…

Book Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28220643-the-hero

the-hero-cover-image

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1RJjfJS

Kindle: http://amzn.to/25dv8jI

BN: http://bit.ly/1WiqBWU

Nook: http://bit.ly/1YIv2cC

BAM: http://bit.ly/1Tjsx1V

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/1TuprXe

iBooks: http://apple.co/1WGpiSy

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1WGjJUX

Tantor Audio: http://bit.ly/2cIuTar
Pre-Order Incentive Information:

There are TWO pre-order incentives going on now for Donna’s new military romance series!!

If you pre-order THE HERO you will be entered for some seriously cool prizes including the **entire** Dragon King series (Dark Heat – Smoke and Fire – including novellas) signed to you, winner’s choice of a bundle of books, Darkest Flame (signed) and some swag, and swag and a coveted DK t-shirt!

But to be entered, you MUST FILL OUT THE FORM. All pre-orders are acceptable as long as you have an order number from the retailer you purchased from.

Pre-order form to THE HERO: http://bit.ly/TheHeroPO

If you pre-order THE PROTECTOR you will receive a bonus scene that features Owen and Natalie from THE HERO. The scene will NOT be shared anywhere else. It will be exclusive to those who pre-order THE PROTECTOR and fill out this form:

Pre-order form to THE PROTECTOR: http://bit.ly/TheProtectorPO

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Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29875933-the-protector

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2cJXnzE

Kindle: http://amzn.to/2crf3lC

BN: http://bit.ly/2d49mro

Nook: http://bit.ly/2cG4Ld5

BAM: http://bit.ly/2dmIe9e

iBooks: http://apple.co/2cUHbL7

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/2d4a34e

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cG4ozv

Powells: http://bit.ly/2d49NSv

Tantor Audio: http://bit.ly/2d7g7Md

Series on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/177989-sons-of-texas

And the author herself – Donna Grant
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Kings, features a thrilling combination of dragons, Fae, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her two children and an assortment of animals in Texas.

donna_grant_new

 

Author Links:

Website: http://www.donnagrant.com/

FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDonnaGrant

Twitter: https://twitter.com/donna_grant

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1141209.Donna_Grant

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/donnagrant1/
Tumblr: http://donnagrantauthor.tumblr.com/

Audible: http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_search_c4_1_2_1_srAuth?searchAuthor=Donna+Grant&qid=1432841454&sr=1-2
Tantor: https://tantor.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=donna+grant

AUTHOR CHAT:

Date: Thurs., 12/1/2016

Time: 7pm CST / 8pm EST
Link to the FB Event is https://www.facebook.com/events/267169100347430

Twitter Chat:

twitter-chat-donna-the-hero

EXCERPT:

Excitement or dread? She wasn’t sure she knew.

This wasn’t the first time she’d been on the ranch since her breakup with Owen. In fact, she’d been there several times since discovering Ragnarok, but this time was different.

This time, Owen could be there.

“I’m close,” Callie said.

The line disconnected. Natalie didn’t see the black fence that lined either side of the drive, or the cows and horses that grazed peacefully.

Her gaze was locked on the white house that drew closer with each second. By the time she parked in front of the two- story ranch home with its wide, wrap- around porch, all she could think about was the dinner she’d had the week before with Callie, Virgil, and Charlotte.

She put the car in park and glanced around. There was no sign that anyone else was there. Since she expected someone to come out at the sound of her car, she assumed Owen and his brothers hadn’t yet made it to the house.

Or perhaps, luck was on her side, and those choppers hadn’t been bringing the brothers.

She got out of her car, but it was more difficult than she imagined making herself go up the steps to the porch. She might be involved in all of this, but she’d never witnessed a murder scene firsthand.

Frankly, she didn’t want to.

But Orrin’s life was on the line. Everything she and Callie could discover only helped their chances of learning who took Orrin and where Ragnarok was.

She reached the front door. At least she wouldn’t have to see Virgil’s and Charlotte’s bodies. They had already been taken away.

That was her last thought as she walked through the doorway and found herself flat on her back. Natalie knew the instant the large hands grabbed her that it was Owen.

Her heart skipped a beat, even as she instinctively reacted and used her momentum to pull Owen over her head. She got up, but in the next heartbeat, he had her pinned to the wall.

The heat of him was the first thing she felt. Then it was his hard body trapping her. She felt herself softening, needing to feel him after all these years.

She thought he would threaten her. Instead, he knocked off her cap. His dark brown eyes widened in shock.

How she wished her heart didn’t feel like it was about to explode out of her chest. He was . . . breathtaking. She drank in the very sight of him. Sharp, chiseled features that looked as if they had been fashioned from granite stared back at her. Gone was any hint of the teenager she’d known. Before her stood a man in all his masculine glory.

He’d always been tall, his muscles honed at an early age from working on the ranch. Now, however, Owen filled out his wide shoulders. His light tan tee stretched tightly across his chest, molding to every ripple of muscle in his arms and shoulders. The shirt was tucked into camo pants she imagined were for the desert by their sand and khaki color. His hair was longer, the dark strands shoved away from his face in long waves.

Her surprise at having Owen against her was quickly hidden. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted two more figures. How she wished she would’ve waited for Callie.

“Hi, boys,” Natalie said. It was the only thing she could think of. Owen frowned, the irritation clear in his sensual chocolate gaze. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“She’s looking for me.”

At the sound of Callie’s voice, most of the apprehension left Natalie. Now she wouldn’t have to face the Loughman men on her own.

She barely paid attention to anything going on around her. She was too intent on staring into Owen’s eyes. It was obvious that he was irritated to find her there, but he had yet to release her.

And she didn’t remind him of that fact.

Her allowing him to keep her pinned was an indication of how long it had taken her to get over him. And how she hated herself for it. After all she’d suffered, she should be shoving him away.

Her body had other ideas, however. With her blood burning through her and her nipples hard, she ached for his touch.

Yearned for it.

His eyes dropped to her mouth. Her breath hitched, caught in her throat. Yes! She wanted his kiss. It didn’t matter where they were or who was around.

Dimly, she heard Callie and Wyatt talking. Much to her annoyance, Owen released her. She was more hurt than she wanted to admit.

Perhaps it was for the best. She’d sworn off all men. Especially Owen. She quickly moved to stand beside Callie.

“Someone please tell us what’s going on?” Owen demanded. Callie shrugged. “I work here.”

Natalie looked at Owen and said, “I came to help.”

Owen’s breath locked in his lungs as he stared at Natalie’s long, brown hair streaked with strands of copper.

He wanted those deep green eyes of hers to land on him again, to fill with desire . . . again.

She was even more beautiful than he remembered.

The years had transformed her into a seductress who left him breathless and needy.

The girl had become a woman, and what a woman she was. He knew the weight of her breast in his hand, knew how it felt to sink into her body and hear her scream in pleasure.

And yet, the woman before him now held a hint of wariness that hadn’t been there before. What happened to her to take away that lighthearted girl he once knew?

Copyright © 2016 by Donna Grant and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Paperbacks.

 

Tule Publishing GroupTule Publishing Group

I've lived, I've loved, I've lost, I've missed, I've trusted, I've hurt, I've made mistakes. But most of all, I've learned.

lrnicolello.com

I've lived, I've loved, I've lost, I've missed, I've trusted, I've hurt, I've made mistakes. But most of all, I've learned.

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Home of the virtual romance festival.

Melinda Leigh

Award-Winning Romantic Suspense & Paranormal Romance

Cynthia Eden

I've lived, I've loved, I've lost, I've missed, I've trusted, I've hurt, I've made mistakes. But most of all, I've learned.

Julie James

I've lived, I've loved, I've lost, I've missed, I've trusted, I've hurt, I've made mistakes. But most of all, I've learned.

Bella Andre

I've lived, I've loved, I've lost, I've missed, I've trusted, I've hurt, I've made mistakes. But most of all, I've learned.

Romancing Life

I've lived, I've loved, I've lost, I've missed, I've trusted, I've hurt, I've made mistakes. But most of all, I've learned.

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