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Friday, October 28, 2016

HARD TO FALL (TAKE THE FALL #4)

As a hardworking, hard-partying firefighter, Hayden Walker values his career and his freedom. But as the eldest son of a U.S. senator, he agreed long ago to follow in his father’s footsteps and run for office, and that means settling down and marrying the picture-perfect wife. Hayden just isn’t ready for that sort of commitment . . . not with women like beautiful, curvy Saylor Dean—the naughty bridesmaid he recognizes the morning after his buddy’s wedding—tempting Hayden to stay single forever.

The unwanted love child of a well-known politician, Saylor has always felt isolated and alone, her only solace the animal shelter she runs in Forrestville. Then she meets Hayden at her best friend’s wedding. During their impulsive and unforgettable night together, Saylor feels desired like never before—only to wake up and find that Hayden doesn’t remember his drunken proposal, or their hasty marriage, or her. But when the truth comes out, Saylor finds it’s a lot harder to fall out of love than in love.

Release Date: October 18, 2016
Loveswept
Take the Fall #4
New Adult/Contemporary Romance
Review copy provided by publisher

Liza’s Review:

I'm pretty sure I've said this is my new favorite couple with each of the Take the Fall books, but I completely and totally fell in love with Saylor and Hayden in Hard to Fall, and they are my absolute favorite couple in the series. Hard to Fall pretty much pulled every single emotion from me. I laughed, cursed in anger, cried both happy and sad tears, and sighed many times. I love a book filled with emotions, and Ms.Valentine totally delivered with Hayden and Saylor's story.

I loved that Hayden and Saylor connected pretty much from the moment they met at their friends' wedding. I loved they became such fast friends, even as I hurt for Saylor when Hayden woke up with no memory of the night before and anything that had happened. I have to say that I absolutely laughed out loud when Saylor finally told Hayden not only had they hooked up that faithful night, but they had also gotten married. Saylor and Hayden both come from political families, though Saylor only recently finally met her biological father, so while Hayden knows the score for the public, Saylor has always stayed off the radar in the political world. I loved that Hayden marrying Saylor gave him the perfect way out of politics and a way to stay with his firefighting job that he loved. 

While we only got a quick glimpse at both Saylor's mom and Hayden's mom, I found myself loving both their characters so much. They both just love and want to protect their kids and also only want them to be happy. As much as I loved both moms, I have to say I had a hard time liking Hayden's dad in the beginning and absolutely hated Saylor's dad from the moment he appeared on her doorstep. 

Hard to Fall was a funny and emotional story and it gave me so many feels as I read it. I absolutely fell in love with Hayden and Saylor as both individuals and as a couple. I highly recommend the entire Take the Fall series to anyone who enjoys reading contemporary romances. Ms. Valentine gives her readers characters to fall in love with and stories they will want to read over and over again.


Rating: 5 Stars (A+)

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Thursday, October 27, 2016

KEPT (ENFORCERS #3)


He can’t change who he is...

A horrific childhood has made Silas the man he is today: dangerous, distrustful, and demanding. He’s lived in self-imposed solitude, convinced that no woman could ever accept his need for absolute control—in business and pleasure. That is, until a young violinist walks into one of his buildings and into his life.

She can’t change what she wants...

Haley has been struggling to fulfill her father’s dying wish: to attend a prestigious music school in New York City. But even working two jobs, she can’t afford the tiniest of apartments. Seeing her hopeless and near tears, Silas vows to help and protect her, no matter the cost to himself. But when Haley meets his every demand with unwavering acceptance and love, he is overwhelmed by her goodness and gentle spirit. He knows that the dark stain on his soul can never be erased—and rather than risk destroying the most beautiful thing he's ever experienced, he knows he'll have to do the hardest thing he's ever had to face. Let her go. But he's totally unprepared for the lengths Haley will go to fight for his love and a future brighter than the sun... 

Release Date: October 25, 2016
Enforcers series Book #3
Berkley Penguin Group
Review copy provided by the publisher 


Nikki’s Review:

This series just pulls me right in. There are so many emotions from one page to the next. I was beyond excited to get this ARC in my greedy hands. Maya Banks twists my insides into knots. This book was no different.

Silas is dark and broody. I'm not sure you'd ever want to be on his bad side. But you get to see glimpses of a softer side in the first two books. He's capable of affection and friendship, though he keeps those things very closely guarded.

Haley is down on her luck. A music student who is quickly running out of money. She's determined to make her dreams come true. She just needs to catch a break. I'm sure this goes against all feminist sensibilities, but I love love love a story where the heroine needs rescuing. I don't want her to be "too stupid to live" or a complete pushover, but I like the "knight in shining armour" concept. It gets all my girly senses fluttering! 

These two were wicked hot for each other from the get go. Silas doesn't want the distraction that Haley is proving to be, but he's not capable of staying away either. Haley is only too willing to give herself over to Silas and his sensual demands.

The thing with this series is that the relationships aren't conventional. The heroes demand total control over the heroine’s life, in bed and out. Those who are familiar with or are apart of the BDSM community would understand this concept easily. However, it may take a little getting used to if you're more "vanilla". The dynamic works for the couples. It's completely consensual and absolutely breathtaking!

I loved the real "black moments" in this book. The part where the emotions are stripped raw and everyone is left bleeding. There were several moments like that and it kept me holding my breath. I wasn't sure how the hero and heroine would come back from it. But true to, Maya Banks style, they always do! I'm constantly left wondering how in the hell she does it. On one page I'm laughing over the dialogue, the next page I'm red in the face during a love scene, and then I'm snotting and bawling on the next! So many emotions; I'm often left with a spinning head. But this is good! I love feeling all this stuff. Ms. Banks always pulls it all together and makes it work. It's incredible!

There's a suspense aspect to the plot line. Silas and the men he calls his "brothers" aren't your typical heroes. The author doesn't come right out and say what they're involved in, but you get a sense that they toe the line of the law. Kinda like a mafia of sorts, but with honourable and good men. Make sense? 

I highly recommend you start with book 1 in this series. Some of the story overlaps. You meet all the key characters (except Haley) in the previous books. I really hope that Maya Banks continues with the series. I haven't heard anything about future books, but there are so many characters that I would love to read about! So many possibilities! 

Rating: 3.5 stars (B+)
~~Review also will appear as a guest post on The Book Reading Gals~~



Tuesday, October 25, 2016

HARD TO FALL PROMO TOUR




We're celebrating the release of  HARD TO FALL by Marquita Valentine! Check out the excerpt and the teasers below!





Title: Hard to Fall (Take the Fall #4)

Age Group: Adult



Genre: Contemporary Romance



Release Date: October 18, 2016







Book Description:


As a hardworking, hard-partying firefighter, Hayden Walker values his career and his freedom. But as the eldest son of a U.S. senator, he agreed long ago to follow in his father’s footsteps and run for office, and that means settling down and marrying the picture-perfect wife. Hayden just isn’t ready for that sort of commitment . . . not with women like beautiful, curvy Saylor Dean—the naughty bridesmaid he recognizes the morning after his buddy’s wedding—tempting Hayden to stay single forever.



The unwanted love child of a well-known politician, Saylor has always felt isolated and alone, her only solace the animal shelter she runs in Forrestville. Then she meets Hayden at her best friend’s wedding. During their impulsive and unforgettable night together, Saylor feels desired like never before—only to wake up and find that Hayden doesn’t remember his drunken proposal, or their hasty marriage, or her. But when the truth comes out, Saylor finds it’s a lot harder to fall out of love than in love.



**Can be read as a stand alone.



Advance praise for Hard to Fall

“Marquita Valentine strikes gold with relatable and quirky characters in Hard to Fall. She will have you fanning yourself and then reaching for the tissues as you cry from laughter. Hard to Fall is a fun read, full of steam and drool-worthy moments. How can you not fall in love with an alpha male who fights fires? Yum!”—Meghan Quinn, author of Stroked


“Five sweet and steamy stars! With quirky yet relatable characters, a sexy love story, and a compelling plot that keeps you entertained the entire way through, Marquita Valentine has done it again!”—Stacey Lynn, author of the Fireside series


“Sweet and quirky heroine and a steamy hero tangled together in a complicated romance readers will root for!”—Caisey Quinn, author of the Neon Dreams series

















 
ALSO AVAILABLE!






Title: Take the Fall (Take the Fall #1)

Age Group: Adult


Genre: Contemporary Romance


Release Date: July 21, 2015







Book Description:


As a teenager, Seth O’Connor went to jail for a crime he had nothing to do with. He took the fall to protect the girl he loved, but the cruel realities of prison hardened him. After doing his time, Seth shuts her out and enlists in the Marines—until his grandmother’s funeral forces him to come home and face Rowan Simmons once again. The woman she’s become puts all his high-school memories to shame, and Seth wants her more than ever. Can he be honest about why he denied her for so long?

After Seth pushed her away, Rowan swore that no man would ever hurt her again. But the boy who broke her heart has become a sexy Marine, capable of fulfilling her every desire—and now that he’s back in town, old feelings are simmering to a boil. Rowan wants to stay strong, even as her body surrenders to his expert touch. She only hopes that by taking him back, she can finally help heal the wounds that drove them apart.




Title: When We Fall (Take the Fall #2)

Age Group: Adult


Genre: Contemporary Romance


Release Date: Decemeber 8, 2015







Book Description:

The last time Piper Ross saw her best friend’s sexy older brother, Jase Simmons, he was being taken away in handcuffs. Seven years later, two things haven’t changed: Piper is still head-over-heels in love with him . . . and Forrestville’s chief of police—Piper’s dad—still hates his guts. So when Piper sees a chance to get close to Jase, she makes her move—literally. As his new roommate, and as the office manager of his tattoo shop, Piper won’t be satisfied until Jase knows that she wants to be his.



The quintessential good girl, Piper is pure temptation for Jase. The only reason he’s always kept his distance is because she’s the last person he’d ever want to hurt. But once he realizes that Piper is ready to take the leap, everything just makes sense. Suddenly Jase feels like a new man—until nasty rumors start swirling and Piper’s heartless father stirs up even more trouble. Now Jase must convince Piper that she wasn’t wrong about him . . . because falling in love never felt so right.




Title: After We Fall (Take the Fall #3)

Age Group: Adult


Genre: Contemporary Romance


Release Date: April 26, 2016







Book Description:

A tough cop with an even tougher past, Hunter Sloan has never let anyone stop him from getting what he wants—and he wants Evangeline Ambrose bad. With her gentle curves and raw vulnerability, Hunter’s beautiful, mysterious new neighbor awakens his protective side. Determined to do right by a woman who’s gone through hell and back, Hunter could be the one to take away the pain—so long as his own secrets don’t sink their relationship before it begins.

Having escaped an abusive marriage, Evangeline simply wants to start over in the small, quiet town of Forrestville. She’s also avoiding all contact with the opposite sex, because she just can’t trust her instincts when it comes to men—not even with the sinfully sexy cop next door. So why can’t she stop thinking about him? Hunter has darkness in his soul, and yet no one ever made her feel so safe. For all her best laid plans, Evangeline didn’t count on choices this hard—or temptation this hot.







 About the author:



Marquita Valentine is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary romance.

Since first taking the plunge in July of 2012, Marquita has appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling Ebooks Lists on iBooks, Amazon Kindle, and Barnes&Noble. She's been called "one of the best new voices in romance" (Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews) and her books have been accused of being "a sexy, fun, and slightly addicting contemporary read" (The Book Queen).

When she's not writing sexy heroes who adore their sassy heroines, she enjoys shopping, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Married to her high school sweetheart, Marquita lives in a seriously small town in the south with her husband, two kids, and a dog.