Sneak Peek Until There Was You

UNTIL THERE WAS YOU by Jessica Scott, Excerpt Url link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/104198734/UNTIL-THERE-WAS-YOU-by-Jessica-Scott-Excerpt & here’s the image + to buy link: https://www.randomhouse.com/book/217171/until-there-was-you-by-jessica-scott/9780345533890

When Lightning Strikes (Whiskey Creek)

When Lightning Strikes is the 1^st full length book from Brenda Novak’s Whiskey Creek series. The publisher is Harlequin MIRA. From the back cover.~

Simon O'Neal's causing trouble again. And it's up to Gail DeMarco to stop him.

Gail DeMarco left Whiskey Creek, California, to make a name for herself in Los Angeles. Her PR firm has accumulated a roster of A-list clients, including the biggest box office hit of all—sexy and unpredictable Simon O'Neal. But Simon, who's just been through a turbulent divorce, is so busy self-destructing he won't listen to anything she says. She drops him from her list—and he retaliates by taking the rest of her clients with him.

Desperate to save her company, Gail has to humble herself by making a deal with Simon. The one thing he wants is custody of his son, but that's going to require a whole new image. He needs to marry some squeaky-clean girl who'll drag him off to some small, obscure place like Whiskey Creek….

Gail's the only one he can trust. She agrees to become his wife—reluctantly. But she isn't reluctant because he's too hard to like. It's because he's too hard not to love!

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of When Lightning Strikes from NetGalley. I’ve read Brenda Novak for years, and have to say that her Whiskey Creek series might just be my favorite of all.

I really liked Gail from the start of the book. She is a tough lady, but knows how to get what she wants out of life. Simon was a bit harder for me to love at first. I figured out pretty quickly that he was covering up something as he tried to destroy his life. Once he and Gail strike a deal to marry to help him turn his life around to try and win custody of his son, I think we got to finally see the real Simon.

Keeping their secret that their marriage is in name only isn’t too hard, but fighting their mutual attraction becomes harder with each passing day. Gail has always found Simon attractive, he has even starred in some of her fantasies. Once Simon is sober he starts to things more clearly, which includes how he sees his new wife. He has always thought Gail was nice to look at, but now sees her for who she really is and sees her true beauty.

Of course, someone is trying to make waves with their new marriage. Photographers find their new home in Whiskey Creek, and soon Simon’s father follows to try and make Simon return to Hollywood to do his latest movie. Gail is finally clued into one of Simon’s biggest secrets when she meets with his father. She sees more than ever what steps Simon will take to protect his son. I think it was just the final thing she needed to learn to cement her falling for Simon.

The chemistry between Gail and Simon increases the more time they spend together. When they finally stop fighting their attraction to one another, Gail and Simon love scenes were hot, sexy, and even sweet at times. Of course, Simon’s ex-wife is still pulling his strings a bit where their son is concerned and will do anything to try and get Simon back. Simon and Gail’s new love is put to the test very early in their relationship. Only trust and real love will get them through this latest hurdle.

The official release date for When Lightning Strikes is August 28, 2012 in both print and digital release. You can find it at your favorite bookstore or on-line retailer. For more information about the Whiskey Creek series or any others, check out Brenda Novak’s website.

Close Enough to Touch

Close Enough to Touch is the latest release from Victoria Dahl. The publisher is Harlequin HQN. From the back cover.~

For makeup artist Grace Barrett, Hollywood isn't the land of golden opportunity. It's the land of difficult divas, cheating boyfriends and unemployment. So when her great-aunt offers her a free place to stay in Jackson Hole, Grace thinks she'll spend a little time in the sticks to figure out her life, and then move somewhere exciting to live out her dreams. But it turns out that there are a few more thrills in this small town than Grace was expecting….

Cole Rawlins is a rugged Wyoming cowboy born and bred. Yet he can't help but be drawn to the fascinating big-city girl who moves in across from him. He wants to get close enough to Grace to see past her tough facade, but if he does, she might see the real Cole. The one with a Hollywood history gone bad. As they discover a sizzling attraction, it becomes harder for him to keep his demons at bay—and those fires from long ago may burn them both.

They'll need more than scorching-hot passion to make this opposites-attract affair work. But if they can learn to trust one another enough to reveal their secrets, they just might have a chance at forever.

I’m a huge fan of Victoria Dahl and was super excited to see Close Enough to Touch was available from NetGalley as it had been far too long since I’d had a new Victoria Dahl book to read.

I totally loved  Close Enough to Touch!  Dahl gives her readers the sexy and hot story they have come to expect. I have to say Grace grabbed my heart from the moment she appeared on the page. There was just something about her that made we want to hug her. She puts up this tough-girl front but is really so much more. She has come to Jackson Hole to stay at her great-aunt’s until she can move on yet again to a new job.  Cole is a super sexy cowboy and his yumminess factor is really off the charts. He was injured several months ago when  a horse fell on him, and still is uncertain of his future prospects.

The chemistry between Grace and Cole is obvious from the moment they meet. Even with all that is going on in both their lives, neither can seem to keep hands off the other. The love scenes between them are completely off the charts with hotness. The past doesn’t really stay in the past for either Grace or Cole. Hollywood invades Jackson Hole and the past comes back to slap both in the face. I loved that Grace actually had made some friends in Jackson Hole who support her when her past comes to light. Grace has the first real girlfriends besides her friend Merry with Eve and Jenny. As much as I love the relationship between the hero/heroine, I really think there has to be more than just them to give a story meat. Dahl totally delivers with Grace, Eve and Jenny. Loved how different they all are, yet still found common interest to cement a friendship.

Close Enough to Touch is another winner from Victoria Dahl. The official release date is August 28, 2012 for both print and digital editions and can be found at your favorite bookstore or online retailer. From information on past or future releases, check out Victoria Dahl’s website.

Forbidden

Forbidden is the 6^th book in the Scandalous Women of the Ton series from Nicola Cornick from Harlequin HQN. From the back cover.~

As maid to some of the most wanton ladies of the ton, Margery Mallon lives within the boundaries of any sensible servant. Entanglements with gentlemen are taboo. Wild adventures are for the Gothic novels she secretly reads. Then an intriguing stranger named Mr. Ward offers her a taste of passion, and suddenly the wicked possibilities are too tempting to resist….

Henry Atticus Richard Ward is no ordinary gentleman. He's Lord Wardeaux and he is determined to unite Margery with her newfound inheritance by any means—including seduction and deception. But when the ton condemns the scandalous servant-turned-countess and an unknown danger prepares to strike, will Margery accept Henry's protection in exchange for her trust?

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of Forbidden from NetGalley. I actually found the Scandalous Women of the Ton series when the 5^th book was released, and became a fan of Nicola Cornick with that book.

Margery has been a secondary character in each of the other books in the series and I was glad to see we were getting her story. Margery is actually Marguerite Catherine Rose Saint-Pierre, who was has been missing since the age of 4 when her mother was murdered. Her grandfather sends Henry to bring her back to the family so she can take her rightful place in society. Henry and Margery have an instant attraction to one another. I really loved the attraction and connection between Henry and Margery. I could see both falling fast for the other, yet Henry had been burned in a past relationship, so he had no plans to ever love again. Margery knew she loved Henry, but because of his past never expected him to feel the same way. Even knowing Henry won’t love her, Margery can’t fight her attraction for him. The love scenes between them are sweet and hot at the same time. Henry is so loving to Margery, and you could feel how much he loved and cared for her by his actions.

I really loved the characters Nicola Cornick writes. The secondary characters are just as important and fun as the main characters, yet I never really feel like they overshadow the main characters. I have to say the answer to the mystery of Margery’s disappearance came as a bit of a shock to me. I really liked that I didn’t figure out the mystery early, and especially loved that Henry was finally ready to admit his feelings for Margery at the first sign she was in danger.

Forbidden is a fun, sweet and even sexy historical romance. The official release date is set for August 28, 2012, but I’ve seen it available in paperback from Amazon already. The official release date for digital editions is September 1. Check out the author's website to find out more about the Scandalous Women of the Ton and other books from Nicola Cornick.

When We Touch (Whiskey Creek)

When We Touch (Whiskey Creek Novella) is the current eBook release from Brenda Novak. From the author’s website.~

You're invited to a wedding in Whiskey Creek, Heart of the Gold Country

Unfortunately, it's the wrong wedding. Olivia Arnold is arranging the festivities—and it's the hardest thing she's ever done. Because she should be marrying Kyle Houseman. They were together for more than a year…. But her jealous sister, Noelle, stole him away—and now she's pregnant.

All their friends in Whiskey Creek know as well as Olivia does that Kyle's making a mistake. His stepbrother, Brandon, knows it, too. But Kyle's determined to go through with it, for his child's sake.

Olivia's devastated, but surprisingly Brandon—the black sheep of the family--is there to provide comfort and consolation. The intensity between them, both physical and emotional, shows Olivia that maybe Kyle wasn't the right man for her….

But is Brandon?

I’m a big fan of Brenda Novak and was really excited to see she was offering up her novella for her new Whiskey Creek series for free. I have to say this story was an excellent start to a new series.
I absolutely loved Olivia Arnold so very much. I have to say she is totally a better person than me, because if my sister had stolen my boyfriend and gotten pregnant, there is no way I would be at the wedding, let alone plan it. Luckily, she runs into Brandon when she first arrives back in Whiskey Creek. She has someone who is on her side, since even her parents expect her to be supportive to her sister. Olivia and Brandon went to prom together and Brandon has wanted Olivia ever since. I found myself falling pretty fast for Brandon. He seemed to always get the short end of the stick from his family and be put in Kyle’s shadow, even though Brandon is very successful in his own right.

I’m pretty sure I’ve never disliked 2 characters as much in any book as I did Kyle and Noelle. I totally believed they deserved each other so much. Anyone who would cheat on the woman they dates for a couple of years with her sister, deserves anything he gets. Kyle and Noelle both seemed to have a major problem with Olivia and Brandon spending time together. Olivia and Brandon have a really strong attraction to one another. While they fight their attraction for a while, readers get some pretty sexy and emotional scenes.

The official release date for When We Touch was August 1, 2012 and can be purchased at any of your favorite on-line retailers. I’m not sure how much longer it will be available for free download, but know it is more than worth the regular $1.99 price.

Fragile

The mass market paperback release of Fragile by Shiloh Walker was released on August 7, 2012. Fragile is the first book featuring the Rafferty brothers. From the back cover.~

Sometimes the last thing you want is exactly what you need...

BATTLE SCARRED

Six years after trading in his combat gear for hospital scrubs, Luke Rafferty still hasn't found what he's been searching for: a normal life. At his job, Luke is faced with things just as heartbreaking as those on the battlefield, none more so than the abused children brought in by a pretty red-headed social worker.

HEARTBROKEN

For Devon Manning, being a social worker is a rewarding job, but also a constant reminder of her own troubled youth. Devon takes everything one day at a time--unable to form a relationship with anyone except the children she rescues.

A DESIRE TO HEAL...

When Luke meets Devon, he thinks he might have found what he's been looking for, but in order to get the life he wants, Luke has to break through Devon's emotional barriers and make her realize that his healing touch might be just the complication her life needs...

You can pick up your mass market paperback at your favorite bookstore and I'm including the buy links for both Amazon and B&N.

The Inn at Rose Harbor

The Inn at Rose Harbor is the newest release from Debbie Macomber. From the back cover.~

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber comes a heartwarming new series based in the Pacific Northwest town of Cedar Cove, where a charming cast of characters finds love, forgiveness, and renewal behind the doors of the cozy Rose Harbor Inn.

Jo Marie Rose first arrives in Cedar Cove seeking a sense of peace and a fresh start. Coping with the death of her husband, she purchases a local bed-and-breakfast—the newly christened Rose Harbor Inn—ready to begin her life anew. Yet the inn holds more surprises than Jo Marie can imagine.

Her first guest is Joshua Weaver, who has come home to care for his ailing stepfather. The two have never seen eye to eye, and Joshua has little hope that they can reconcile their differences. But a long-lost acquaintance from Joshua’s high school days proves to him that forgiveness is never out of reach and love can bloom even where it’s least expected.  

The other guest is Abby Kincaid, who has returned to Cedar Cove to attend her brother’s wedding. Back for the first time in twenty years, she almost wishes she hadn’t come, the picturesque town harboring painful memories from her past. And while Abby reconnects with family and old friends, she realizes she can only move on if she truly allows herself to let go.

A touching novel of life’s grand possibilities and the heart’s ability to heal, The Inn at Rose Harbor is a welcome introduction to an unforgettable set of friends.

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of The Inn at Rose Harbor thanks to NetGalley. I’ve been a fan of Debbie Macomber for years and was excited to read her newest book early. The official release date is set for August 14, 2012.

I really enjoyed The Inn at Rose Harbor. Jo Marie Rose bought the bed-and-breakfast following the death of her husband to move on with her life. I’m not sure Jo Marie was prepared for how her life would change thanks in part to being with her guest. Both Joshua Weaver and Abby Kincaid would rather be anywhere but in Cedar Cove when they arrive for their stays at Rose Harbor Inn. I loved watching the changes that came over both as each of their stories progressed.  Joshua’s changes come thanks to an old high school friend Michelle, and finding forgiveness for his ailing stepfather. Abby’s changes again start because of old high school friends, but she had a few more ghosts to deal with to come full circle. I also really loved the handyman Mark who comes to Jo Marie’s aid on more than one occasion. I see a budding romance between the two that I think will grow over many books in this new series.

While you don’t have to read the Cedar Cove series before reading The Inn at Rose Harbor, I really think the series gives you a great background to the town and so many of the characters that appear in The Inn at Rose Harbor. Macomber gives her readers another strong story from Cedar Cove and I can’t wait for my next visit to Rose Harbor Inn.

Blade Song

Blade Song is the first book in the Colbana Files series from author J.C. Daniels. From the author’s website.~

Kit Colbana--half breed, assassin, thief, jack of all trades--has a new job: track down the missing ward of one of the local alpha shapeshifters. It should be a piece of cake .So why is she so nervous? It probably has something to do with the insanity that happens when you deal with shifters--especially sexy ones who come bearing promises of easy jobs and easier money. Or maybe it's all the other missing kids that Kit discovers while working the case, or the way her gut keeps screaming she's gotten in over her head. Or maybe it's because if she fails--she's dead .If she can stay just one step ahead, she should be okay. Maybe she'll even live long to collect her fee...

I was lucky enough to get a copy from NetGalley of Blade Song and since J.C. Daniels is also Shiloh Walker, I was over the moon to read it. I’m a huge fan of Shiloh Walker and will read and devour anything she writes.

I absolutely loved everything about Blade Song! It is fast-paced and has some pretty amazing characters. Kit and her blade are two of my favorite characters in the book. Yes, I totally believe Kit’s sword is a character in its own right. It speaks to Kit and can come to her when she needs it. I didn’t really trust vampire Jude Whittier from early on, but still really liked his character. I loved the alpha-ness of cat shifter Damon Lee from the moment he showed up to hire Kit to help find his alpha’s missing nephew. I liked that Kit and Damon rubbed each other the wrong way at first, but could tell as they came to trust one another more, the sexual tension was there all along.

 Loved the supernatural world created filled with witches, shifter, vampires and half breeds. I have to say part of the story I loved best of all was I was off I didn’t figure out who was taking the missing kids until the actual reveal. I usually figure out the bad guy early in a story, but with Blade Song I was kept guessing until the very end. The development of the romance between Kit and Damon moved at the right pace for me. While they didn’t seem to really get along at first, I could see even when they each complained about the other; the attraction was there between them.

Blade Song is a great start to a new series for J.C. Daniels. I’m already counting down the days until the release of Night Blade, book two in the Colbana Files. I'm including buy links for Blade Song for both Amazon and B&N. Trust me you want to read this series!