Into the Fire (Hot Night Series #1)

Into the Fire (Hot Night Series #1) is the newest release from author Amanda Usen. The publisher is Entangled: Indulgence and the release date was June 10, 2013. From the back cover.~

Jackson Calabrese has a lot of nerve. He beat Lila Grant in the Culinary Academy competition using her recipes. Now, he’s opening a restaurant and wants her help? Fine, she'll fix his menu, but it's going to cost him.

Heir to the Calabrese restaurant empire, Jackson can buy anything he wants, except creativity, so he buys Lila's instead. He can craft perfect paella, but to take New York by storm he needs her innovative spark.

Skillets aren't the only things hot in the kitchen, and an uneasy truce ignites into passion. They’re great in bed, but Jackson doesn't trust her, and Lila is contemplating revenge. The restaurant opening approaches, the menu is completed, and the tables are set for one final act of betrayal. How can love bloom in the midst of such a hot mess?

I was lucky enough to get a review copy thanks to the publisher from NetGalley. This is the first book I've read from Amanda Usen, but won't be my last.

I completely fell for both Lila and Jackson from the very first chapter. The misunderstandings that take place between them only added to the chemistry they share both in the kitchen and in the bedroom.

While I love Lila and Jack as a couple, I really loved that it took Lila to make Jack see how great a chef he really is. Both Lila and Jack are so very talented in the kitchen, but Jack has never felt like he measured up to others. He comes from kitchen royalty, and is still trying to find a way to make his father proud of him. Only because of Lila does he finally see his true talent.

I love books that take place in restaurants, and I'm already counting down until I can read another book from this series. I was lucky enough to meet the author at Lori Foster’s Reader Author Get Together this year and have already bought the books in her Sexy Chef Series for my kindle. Excited for more books in the Hot Night Series in the future. For more information about the author or her books, check out her website.

Sexcapades

Sexcapades is the newest release from author Christine D’Abo. The publisher is Carina Press and the release date was June 3, 2013. From the Carina Press website.~

Petra Clark's blog Sexcapades inspires women to embrace sexuality. What readers don't know is that her advice isn't based on personal experience. Despite erotic fantasies about the hot guy at her local coffee shop, social anxiety keeps Petra from connecting with real men in the real world. She's more comfortable as PC, sparring online with her nemesis, the cocky D. Williams.

Counselor by day, blogger by night, Darcy Williams gets a thrill countering PC's female-friendly advice with a macho slant. And when both blogs are nominated for an award, he's intrigued by the chance to finally meet the woman who's been driving him wild with her Sexcapades.

When Petra runs into her coffee-shop crush at the awards party, sparks fly—and so do their clothes. Only after multiple orgasms does she realize who Darcy really is: the competition. Now they're facing accusations of fraud, with stalking and blackmail thrown in. But perhaps most frightening of all are the feelings growing between them…

Somehow this is the first book I've read from Christine D'Abo. Thanks to the publisher for approving me for a review copy from NetGalley.

I have to say I loved the banter between PC and D. Williams from the very first page. The fact that they had both been lusting after the other in the coffee shop for months only made it funnier. I have to say I loved Darcy and Petra (Pet) together even more than their blogger egos. The chemistry between them was smoking hot and I loved they trusted each other enough very early in their relationship to play in the bedroom...hotel room...kitchen. I liked the "stalker twist" in the story as it gave Darcy the excuse to keep Pet near him. They are both such smart characters, even when mistakes are made, they find a way to fix things together.

This was a very sexy read and I'm looking forward to reading many books in the future from this author. For more information about the author, check out her website.

The Rebound Girl

The Rebound Girl (Getting Physical #1) is the newest release from Tamara Morgan. The publisher is Carina Press and the release date was May 13, 2013. From the Carina Press website.~

Book one of Getting Physical

Plastic surgeon Whitney Vidra knows all about getting over a cheating ex. She followed her boyfriend halfway around the world before she found out about his infidelity. Now she's focusing on her career and her friends, and using men just for single-serving, no-strings fun. Until she meets charming Matt Fuller.

Newly single Matt is captivated by the vibrant Whitney, in every way the opposite of his cheating ex-wife. When he confesses to Whitney that he hasn't had sex since his divorce, she volunteers to be his rebound girl. But Matt's not a no-commitment kind of guy—he's either all in, or all out.

Whitney is determined to remain attachment-free, but Matt is equally determined to prove to her that what they have is more than just a rebound fling.

I was lucky enough to get a review copy of The Rebound Girl from NetGalley thanks to the publisher.

I loved both Whitney and Matt from the very beginning. They had awesome chemistry and even with their differences they worked as a couple for me. I also loved Whitney’s partners in her medical spa Kendra and John. Both Whitney and Matt have had someone cheat on them in the past, Whitney’s ex-boyfriend Jared and Matt’s ex-wife Laura.  Whitney has maintained only no-strings attached affairs since Jared cheated on her. Matt hasn’t dated anyone since his divorce was finalized 8 months ago.  Matt had real feelings for Whitney very early on, and while Whitney wouldn’t admit to it, she had feelings for Matt too.

Whitney and her partners have moved to a somewhat conservative town in Pleasant Park. Whitney makes no excuses for who she is and really isn’t big on playing town politics. Only after John and Kendra step in does she start to try and play nice. Her relationship with Matt seems to help her standing a little in the town, but not enough. When the funding becomes a problem, John and Kendra must bring in big name help with charity ties…sadly help comes in the form of Whitney’s ex Jared Fine. Whitney has never forgiven Jared for cheating on her and has lived her entire life making sure no one can ever hurt her that way again.

Whitney isn’t the only one with ex issues in this book. Matt’s ex-wife Laura got on my last nerve in this book. She had cheated on him, yet still depended on him for so much, and even did everything in her power to sabotage his relationship with Whitney. While Jared made me mad for cheating, Laura went one step further and added major lies to her crimes. I honestly have to say that I forgave Jared for his crimes long before I could forgive Laura for hers. I have to say I felt like Matt and Whitney’s relationship is much stronger because of what they both went through in the past.

Tamara Morgan is a new-to-me author, and I’m looking forward to reading more books from her in the future. For more information about the author, please check out her website.

Taken by Him

Taken by Him (The Billionaire’s Club # 2) is the newest book by Red Garnier. The release date was May 28, 2013 and the publisher is St. Martin’s Press. From the back cover.~

The Billionaire’s Club: The wealthiest, most powerful men, not only in Chicago, but in the world.  They are used to having whatever they want, whenever they want it.

Luke Preston is the ultimate playboy among his billionaire friends.  Every bad girl in Chicago has surrendered in his bed.  Some good girls, too.  But when he ends up in the hospital after an assassination attempt, his friends suggest he take a long vacation to recoup, regroup and lay off the women until the man is caught.  However, when Luke lays eyes on the stunning brunette across the beach, she inspires every dark, erotic thought his mind can conjure.

Peyton Lane has always been serious and responsible and she’s determined to have some fun for once in her life.  And that means a deliciously, sexy affair with a stranger while she’s on vacation.  So when a blond Adonis named Luke crosses her path at the Cancun resort, she’s determined that he will be the one. But Peyton gets more than she bargained for when Luke introduces her to a passion unlike any she has ever experienced and she discovers that behind that charming smile are secrets and a beautiful, damaged soul.  

I saw many of my friends talking about this series on twitter, and was really glad I was approved for a review copy from NetGalley thanks to the publisher. I did read Claimed by Him (The Billionaire’s Club #1) before I read Taken by Him.

I really liked both Peyton and Luke. Luke is a bit of a manwhore, but he there is just something about him that makes me love him even though he is a total slut. I totally loved that Peyton was on vacation and wanted to have a fling while away. Peyton and Luke have awesome chemistry from the moment they meet, and I really wanted them to work as a couple. I had a couple of problems with this book. One is the fact Luke and Peyton didn’t use condoms when having sex. I’m fine with anyone who wants to have a fling, but think you need to be safe while having your fling. I also had a problem with Luke not being honest about his last name. I did understand him not telling Peyton in the beginning, but I could feel how much they had come to care for one another, and it bothered me he didn’t tell her the truth before they left.  I understood Peyton’s anger when she learned who Luke really was, yet still wanted them to find a way to work things out.

The passion between Luke and Peyton is off the charts hot from the very beginning. I loved that Luke talked dirty and it seemed to make Peyton even hotter. I loved how hard and fast Luke fell for Peyton.  It’s so fun to watch the bad boy fall in love. Luckily for Luke, even though she was angry, Peyton had fallen just as hard for him.

Red Garnier is a new-to-me author, and I’m so glad I found her books. I really enjoy her voice and have fallen for many of her characters. I look forward to reading more books from this series. To learn more about this series or other books from Red Garnier, check out her website.

Debbie Macomber Fan Retreat in Nashville, TN

Debbie Macomber Fan Retreat

A three-day destination event in Nashville, TN with one of America's most popular writers

AUGUST 9-11, 2013

Random House is hosting a Fan Retreat at the famed Opryland Resort in August, right when the new novel, Rose Harbor in Bloom, is published. You’ll get an early copy of the book, plus access to tons of fun activities.

At the Fan Retreat, you can:

• Sleep in or get up early, and enjoy a delicious breakfast
• Start the day with a fitness class and a chance to win a Fitbit  activity tracker
• Sip Celestial Seasonings at a tea party where I'll be answering your questions
• Hop on a bus tour to see Nashville's landmarks and homes of the stars
• Meet with knitting instructors, use yarn and notions from Universal Yarn or give back through World Vision's Knit for Kids
• Dance to your favorite tunes at the Sock Hop Dinner
• Satisfy your sweet tooth with Goo Goo Cluster, the original Southern confection made in Nashville
• Relax at one of the three heated pools
• Shop at local outlets
• Reconnect with friends at an inspirational breakfast

Preeminent knitting designer Nicky Epstein and Rick Hamlin, the executive editor of Guideposts magazine, will be there, and as a special treat for readers, Nicky will be hosting two Knitting Classes. Enrollment is limited, and open on a first-come, first served basis for Early Bird ticketholders.

Whether you’re traveling to the Fan Retreat with your best friend, your daughter, or your spouse, this weekend offers you a chance to reconnect with loved ones and be inspired. You can learn more about the Fan Retreat and get tickets at MacomberRetreat.com.

For questions and inquiries: pr@randomhouse.com

Early Bird tickets (first six weeks of on-sale period) will be $325.

This package price provides access to all Debbie Macomber Fan Retreat events, including: Tea Party with Debbie; Bus Tour of Nashville; Early autographed Copy of ROSE HARBOR IN BLOOM; Opening Cocktail & Dessert; Saturday Breakfast Voucher; Fitness Dance Party; Knitting Class(es); Saturday Lunch; Sock Hop Dinner & Dance; Sunday Inspirational Breakfast; Gift Bag (filled with amazing goodies).

Flirting with Disaster

Flirting with Disaster is the newest book in the Camelot series from author Ruthie Knox. The publisher is Random House Loveswept and the release date was June 10, 2013. From the back cover.~

In the latest eBook original novel in RITA finalist Ruthie Knox’s scorching-hot Camelot series, a no-strings fling looks an awful lot like falling in love—or flirting with disaster.
 
Fresh out of a fiasco of a marriage, Katie Clark has retreated to her hometown to start over. The new Katie is sophisticated, cavalier, and hell-bent on kicking butt at her job in her brother’s security firm. But on her first assignment—digging up the truth about the stalker threatening a world-famous singer-songwriter—Katie must endure the silent treatment from a stern but sexy partner who doesn’t want her help . . . or her company.
 
Sean Owens knows that if he opens his mouth around Katie, she’ll instantly remember him as the geeky kid who sat behind her in high school. Silence is golden, but he can’t keep quiet forever, not with Katie stampeding through their investigation. It’s time for Sean to step up and take control of the case, and his decade-old crush. If he can break through Katie’s newfound independence, they just might find they make a perfect team—on the road, on the job, and in bed.

I’ve been a huge fan of Ruthie Knox since I read her very first book. I was so excited to be approved for a review copy of her latest book from NetGalley thanks to the publisher.

I loved Flirting with Disaster so much! I’ve wanted Katie’s book since she finally told her family about her ex-husband Levi and knew she had to have a special man come into her life to make her happy. Who better than Sean Owens, a stuttering hacker who has loved Katie since high school? I totally fell for Sean from the moment he appeared on the page. I liked that while Katie noticed Sean’s stutter, she didn’t make a big deal about it. She ignored it for the most part, but didn’t have any problem asking Sean about it. The first kiss between Sean and Katie was totally smoking hot. I loved their chemistry together so much.  They worked well together, loved to argue with each other and can barely keep their hands off each other through much of the book. I’ve come to expect some pretty hot love scenes from Ruthie Knox, and she totally delivers once again. Seriously one of the hottest car sex scenes I’ve read in a really long time.

I loved how Katie and Sean both used their strengths to figure out how to track the stalker for their job together. Sean was only supposed to be in town until he finished cleaning out his mom’s house and put it on the market. When he signed on to work a job with Camelot Security, he never planned on staying in Camelot longer than the one job with Katie. Katie recognizes some of the issues Sean has with Camelot and even knowing he will leave, can’t help falling for him. Sean has loved Katie since high school, but it takes him messing up in a huge way to finally figure out what he really wants.

I have to say Ruthie Knox writes some of the most lovable heroes ever! I’ve loved each and every one of them and add each new one to my book boyfriend list (I seriously have a Ruthie Knox book boyfriend list with Nev at the top of my list). I love the Camelot series and can’t wait to visit with some of the characters again with Making It Last – a novella, which is set for release on July 15, 2013. Making It Last will give Knox’s readers a chance to reconnect with Amber and Tony from How to Misbehave.

Just What He Wanted

Just What He Wanted is the 4^th book in the Holloway series from author HelenKay Dimon. The publisher is Carina Press and is set for release on June 10, 2013. From the back cover.~

Book four of the Holloway series

Travis Yardley thought he had everything he needed, but one look at Andrea Patterson shows him he was wrong. Andie is a gorgeous, curvy blonde who moves to town to manage a nearby campground. Seizing the chance to get close to her, Travis volunteers himself as tour guide and "bodyguard.'

After a bad breakup, Andie is looking to start over and determined to put her heart on hiatus. She's working on her self-esteem, and she is not ready for the likes of Travis. He comes on strong, with all the energy of a guy almost ten years her junior, which is exactly what he is.

Even as Travis's troubled past catches up with him, he pulls out all the stops to convince Andie he deserves a chance. And with the spring thaw hitting the Mountain View Resort, Andie discovers her own temperature rising whenever Travis looks her way…

I'm a huge fan of HelenKay Dimon and jumped at the chance to read the newest Holloway series book early. I’m so thankful the publisher approved me for a review copy from NetGalley.
 
I've always wanted to know more about Travis. He has always been pretty secretive about his past and after watching the other guys find their HEA, I wanted Travis to get his. I loved Travis and Andie together from the first moment they met. He completely lost his capacity to speak coherently and really made a bit of an ass of himself. Andie pulling a gun on him had me almost falling off my sofa I was laughing so hard. I loved that he was so attracted to her he couldn't even think.
 
Andie just got out of a bad relationship where her ex-boyfriend told her she needed to lose weight and then she caught him cheating on her. Andie is also attracted to Travis from the beginning, but he is younger than her, and she still has body image issues thanks to her idiot ex. Loved how Travis was so protective of Andie while still trying to convince her how perfect she was just as she was. He messed up a couple of times in a pretty major way, but it seemed like Andie needed that to see the real Travis, and even the Andie Travis sees.
 
HelenKay Dimon gives her readers some pretty sexy love scenes between Andie and Travis and only made me fall in love with them more as a couple. I also loved that Andie wasn't perfect in this relationship. She messes up when someone from Travis's past comes into the picture. Travis has to look beyond his past to see why Andie stepped in the way she did.

Just What He Wanted is another winner from HelenKay Dimon. I loved watching Travis and Andie’s relationship grow as well as seeing so many of my favorite characters from other books. I’ve fallen in love with so many of the characters in Holloway and really hope there will be more books in this series.

Deathtrap Book Launch

DEATHTRAP, Dana Marton's new full-length romantic thriller, is available starting today, June 3rd. It's priced at $0.99 for the first week of release, so bargain hunters, read now, don't wait!  

The special $0.99 price is for a limited time, so grab this deal while you can!

She'd been "the sick girl" for most of her life.  She refused to go straight to "the weird girl".  Heart-transplant recipient Sophie Curtis has been in her own antiseptic bubble for so long, she just might not be able to venture out into the real world again.  Her spooky body memories are scary enough, but then she finds herself in the cross hairs of a killer.

"Love was blind, people said.  But lust was blind, deaf and reckless."  Ethan Bing hadn't been a great romantic before he became a cop.  Whatever shred of optimism he had left after becoming Broslin Chief of Police had been seared out of him by the unsolved murder of his wife two years before.  A new case brings the killer within reach just as Sophie pops into his life.  She gets through his defenses like no other before, but soon it becomes clear that she's been selected as the killer's next victim.  

Buy from AMAZON

Buy from B&N

  

And while you’re having fun with spine-tingling suspense and breathtaking romance, don’t miss Dana Marton’s DEATHSCAPE, a #1 Amazon romantic suspense bestseller!                                               

                                                                                      AMAZON

National bestselling author Dana Marton has penned over thirty novels that are published in a dozen languages around the world. She is the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence, and a Rita Award finalist. 

Take Me Back: A Give & Take Novella

Take Me Back is the newest novella release from author Kelli Maine. The publisher is Forever Grand Central Publishing and the release date is set for June 4, 2013. From the back cover.~

A Give & Take Novella

DESIRE THAT CAN'T BE DENIED

Rachael DeSalvo is haunted by the past. She's come home to her beloved Turtle Tear Island, where she looks forward to happy days and bliss-filled nights in the arms of Merrick Rocha. But when she finds a trunk full of old photo albums and handwritten notes, Rachael soon realizes that the island has not given up all its secrets . . . 

For long before Rachael and Merrick made Turtle Tear Resort their home, this historic island was a haven for sensual, forbidden affairs. As Rachael and Merrick work to restore the grand hotel to its former glory, they will be caught in the perfect maelstrom of conflict and desire.

I didn't realize when I got this book it was part of a series. I was a little lost at first, but was able to see what had happened and what was happening pretty quickly. I really enjoyed the author's voice and plan on buying and reading the rest of the novellas in this series. I need to know more about Rachael and Merrick and all the other characters in this series. I found this novella to be a very fast read and look forward to more books from this author in the future. Big thanks to the publisher for approving me for a review copy from NetGalley.