WICKED LIES (MEN OF SUMMER #2)

Jazz has never been known as a good boy.

A good drinker. A good partier. A damned good builder, and a hell of a good liar. Those are all descriptions that come to mind when the citizens of Loudon, Tennessee think of the tall, muscular, laughter-filled charmer they know as Jazz. And Jazz will admit to all of them: he likes to play; he likes to tease. And a little white lie surely never hurt anyone.

Until the sexy, too-shy kindergarten teacher, Annie. Annie sets fire to his lusts as well as to his heart. But Annie has a past he wasn’t aware of. A past that will draw Jazz into the heart of a conflict he had never expected to face. His little Annie is under the protection of the United States Marshal Service for her testimony that has a high profile, very wealthy businessman facing death by lethal injection. A man that will stop at nothing to see her dead.

Now, Jazz has to pull in some serious favors, just as he finds himself fighting not just an overprotective Marshal that he believed was the new school principal, but also a woman determined to save the charming liar that has never been serious. One that has never faced reality. A man that has always sworn himself a bachelor. A man that now is telling the most wicked lies of his life to steal the heart of the woman that has stolen his soul.

Release Date: September 1, 2015

Men of Summer #2

St. Martin’s Press

Review copy provided by publisher

Nikki’s Review:

It seems like forever ago that I picked up my first Lora Leigh novel. I remember the way my heart sped up and my face went red with excitement and a little bit of shock. This author can write erotic romance like no one else I've read. I read the first book in this series about 6 years ago. I fell in love with the characters and the entire concept of the series. I was hungry for the next book. So you can imagine my sadness that book 2 was a long, long way off. It felt like Christmas when this book landed in my greedy little mitts! I told my husband to get pizza for dinner because I was planning on ignoring everything, except his book!

When I first met Jazz in book one, I was curious about him. He was a joker, a real playboy, and an absolute panty-melting charmer! But underneath all that surface stuff, was some real pain and sorrow. I knew he was mourning something. He is such a likeable hero; fiercely loyal and deals only in absolute honesty. He's struggling to understand this intense interest in the beautiful schoolteacher. He's so drawn to her and he can't quite put his finger on why she seems so familiar. He just knows he has to have her!

Kenni Maddox has been on the run for ten years. Fighting to stay alive and figure out who killed her mother and wants her dead. As a young teenager, she was fascinated by the older and more experienced Jazz. So coming home to him after so long away, and pretending to be someone else is torturous. Jazz thinks she died on the fateful night, along with her mother. She wants him to know who she is but to open herself up like that, could very well mean her death. She's been betrayed by someone in her family and they can never know that she survived.

Kenni is a kick ass heroine! She has fought so hard, with so little, to survive on the run for a decade. I love her sense of determination and her boundless strength. My heart ached that she was resigned to never have a true sense of peace or happiness. That she would forever be in the background watching the only man she has ever loved, live his life without her. I kept chanting to myself "just tell him it's you". I was on the edge of my seat and feverishly reading to get to that moment. And sweet baby Jesus...when Jazz realizes that the woman who has sparked his curiosity, is the young girl he never had a chance to love so many years ago, Gah! It was like lightening just exploded! He's angry, hurt, and so crazy happy that his Kenni is alive. He is definitely upset that she never came to him for help, that she didn't trust him. My heart fluttered for these two when that explosive moment came to a head. I was giggly, and all lumpy throated. I think I may have flailed my hands around a bit!

The love between these two was so palpable; I could feel it sitting on my chest. The feelings were so thick and angst filled, that I just about lost my mind trying to navigate through all the emotions. It was intense, hot, and so damn exciting that I was exhilarated. If you've never read a love scene written by Lora Leigh, it may be difficult to understand just how smokin' hot and incredibly beautiful it is. These scenes get me every time. I always think that I have myself in check and then...bam! Another love scene and my pulse is racing all over again!

I'm always so impressed by the complete story I get when I read a book by this author. The plot is so detailed but not too "wordy". I can't imagine the type of research that goes into her books. The mystery part is always so well thought out and executed. At the end of each book, I'm left thinking, how did she do that again? This book was no different. The intricately woven story was intoxicating and left me breathless. I can hardly wait for book 3! My only hope, is that it doesn't take another 6 years to get my hands on it.

Reading anything by Lora Leigh gives me a feeling of coming home. Not because I live the sometimes crazy lives of her characters. But because she was one of the first authors to introduce me to erotic romance so many years ago. When I had a chance to sit down with her during one of her RAW conferences a few years ago, it was like meeting a rockstar. She was so gracious and kind. She answered all my questions and signed my many, many, MANY books. She's a real class act in my opinion! If you love a solid plot, and heart stopping sexiness, read this book! Start with the first book in this series, Loving Lies, and then grab this one!