BRINGING HOME THE BAD BOY

Evan Downey needs a new beginning. Since the death of his wife five years ago, the brilliant tattoo artist has shut himself away in a prison of grief that not even his work can break him out of-and what's worse, Evan knows his son Lyon is bearing the brunt of his seclusion. Moving back to the lake town of Evergreen Cove where he spent his childhood summers is his last chance for a fresh start.

Charlotte Harris knows she owes it to her best friend's memory to help Evan and his son find their way again, but she can't stop her traitorous heart from skipping a beat every time she looks into Evan's mesmerizing eyes. Charlotte is determined to stay strictly in the Friend Zone-until a mind-blowing night knocks that plan by the wayside. Now, if they're brave enough to let it, Charlotte and Evan might just find a love capable of healing their broken hearts . . .

Release date: January 27, 2015

Forever Hachette Book Group

Second Chance Book 1

Purchased copy of book

Nikki's Review

I love this book so hard! Ms. Lemmon is a new to me author...and sweet baby Jesus, she didn't disappoint! I bought this book because the cover was delicious and quite honestly, it was on sale for $1.00. After reading this book, I have decided that it is worth so much more! I would pay full price for anything by this author, hands down!

Evan and Charlie have both suffered an unimaginable loss. Evan lost his wife and Charlie lost her precious best friend. Rae was everything to both of them. When she died, it rocked their worlds. She left behind a sweet, brilliant little boy, Lyon. God, the grief is absolutely palpable in this book. But so is the strength, the need to move on and find a life of happiness again. I can’t tell you how many times my throat got all lumpy and my eyes watered. I found myself talking to Evan and Charlie, telling them that life will get better, don’t give up on happiness. It’s not completely doom and gloom. Each of them have found some sort of new normal. They’ve pushed forward. Evan, for his own sanity needs to make peace with his grief, to say goodbye to Rae. Sleeping in their bed, consumed with dreams of her, he knows its time to leave. Moving back to Evergreen Cove seems like a great place to start over. He spent summers there growing up and has life long friends that live there. He knows that living close to Charlie will be good for his son. Lyon sees her as an aunt, she’s special to him. Charlie is happy to have them as neighbours. She adores Lyon. She definitely adores Evan! 

The attraction between Evan and Charlie doesn’t leap right off the page at first. You know there is some interest but with that, comes a lot of confusion for them both. More for Charlie though. She had a school-girl crush on him, but he had the hots for her best friend. She put Evan in the friends only category. So when those feelings resurface, she’s not sure how to handle it. It feels disloyal to Rae and their friendship. Evan on the other hand is ready to move on. He’s attracted to Charlie and wants to pursue it. My heart broke for Charlie every time she felt she had to pull back. When she would look up to the clouds and say “sorry Rae”, I broke a little. There’s quite a bit of push and pull in this book. That’s what makes it so real. This wouldn’t be easy for most people. Jessica Lemmon did a great job in making all these confusing emotions true. I could appreciate the struggle.

Evan, man this guy just gets to me…in a good way! He’s a man who loves so completely. He’s honest and loyal. And while he is uber Alpha, he’s not all cave man like. One of the things that I absolutely loved in this book was that the author didn’t downplay the love he had for his late wife. Ive read some books where that happens and it makes me sad. Was his relationship with Rae perfect? No! But is any relationship without its faults? I could sense that what he was building with Charlie was going to be different. Thats what happens with new love. It’s not the same. Evan gave his heart to Charlie, but not once did I feel like Rae was pushed out. He just decided that he wasn’t going to make a monument of their love. He was going to cherish and fondly remember Rae.

I require a few things with my romance novels, a solid plot, likeable characters, and smokin’ hot sex! I love the bedroom doors to be blown wide open for the sexy times! In this book the sexual tension was a slow simmering burn. I couldn’t wait to get to the good stuff but I loved the journey these two took on discovering each other. Charlie is in a constant struggle with falling in love with her late best friends husband, so it was believable that she wouldn't just fall into bed with him. The sweet and sultry kisses made me warm and gushy inside. There’s a certain finger painting scene where the heroine was um, well she was the canvas! It made me blush…I don’t blush! There were a lot of secret touches, stolen kisses, and each built on what I knew was going to be an explosive love scene when it finally happened! Holy freaking hell…it was worth the wait! Once these two plunged forward, it was full thrust ahead, pun intended.

There were times that I wanted to throttle Charlie. Evan was giving his whole self to her. He wanted her and wasn’t subtle about it. She kept pulling back while running to him at the same time. It was downright infuriating at times. But here’s where that realism comes into play again. These were real reactions, and it made perfect sense. I admired the way Evan gave her her space. He made his intentions and feelings clear. Ultimately, Charlie needed to come to terms with her feelings and with Rae’s death. A lot of soul searching later and after many tears shed, she does just that! I think I actually whooped out loud when they both embraced the love they had for each other!

Ms. Lemmon is an auto buy for me now. This book pulled me in so completely. I went on this journey with Evan and Charlie. I saw a realistic portrayal of grief, friendship, respect, lust, and finally true love. The secondary characters in this book are fabulous. I just know that there’s more angst and heart tugging stories to come. And you can bloody well bet that my greedy little mitts will be snatching them up the second they come out! 

GYPSY BEACH PROMO TOUR AND GIVEAWAY

Gypsy Beach

Single father, Ryan McNamara, returns to the only place he'd ever been happy, Gypsy Beach. This time he's divorced, broken, but determined to make something of his life. Sienna Cooper is determined to forget Ryan, the last decade, and all of the hurt he'd left her with. She's got enough spunk and gypsy fire in her soul to make this work. She's going to run her grandmother's inn and make it a success. But when a chance encounter throws them back together, the passions ignite and the past doesn't feel so far out of reach. Can they rekindle the love they'd once had? Can he convince her that he never intends to walk away again? Will a potent dose of unending lust, a lifetime of love, and enough hot-blooded Gypsy spirit be enough to save them both?

Buy Links:

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jillian Neal is a Romance writer with a passion for passion who pens strong, character driven novels, told from the male perspective. Her guys aren’t afraid to let us inside their minds or inside their bedrooms. They’re hot on the trail of a sinister criminal organization when they’re not burning up the bed sheets. 

She’s a self-proclaimed ‘Southern girl with a sassy mouth.’ Her coffee addiction is barely legal, and she’s most often running around with her hair and her pen on fire! She's full of smarts, sass, and sizzle and that's a lot to get into barely five feet of girl with her head always in the clouds.

Website: http://jillianneal.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JillianNealAuth

Facebook: http://facebook.com/jilliannealauthor

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7142355.Jillian_Neal 

Excerpt:

She had her head thrown back laughing as she raced across the wet sand. The setting sun lit the wildfire in her eyes, and Ryan would’ve followed her anywhere. The warm, foamy saltwater lapped at her toes, as anxious to touch some part of her beautiful body as he was. Launching himself forward, every muscle in his body propelled him towards her. He caught her hand and then leaned to scoop up her lithe form into his arms.

Every patch of her silky skin that connected with his sent a spark of electricity straight to his groin. His heart raced, but he kept running with her. Running away, maybe.

With a delighted squeal, she leaned in and clung tightly to his neck. Her long, thick hair, the color of black coffee with caramel and blonde ribbons spun through it from their summer in the sun, cascaded out over his left bicep, flying behind them as he raced her down the shores of Gypsy Beach. Her hazel eyes danced just for him.

Everything about her was a juxtaposition, as if she was in constant contention with herself. Wild, free, and living on the edge of an impulse that made his entire world spin. Every single thing about Sienna Cooper was perfect by his seventeen-year-old estimations.

“Stop running and put me down so I can kiss you, Ryan McNamara!” Her laughter and her order whipped around him in the salt-soaked wind, stirring and igniting every cell in his body.

“Yes, ma’am.” He set her on her feet and wasted no time mating their mouths. She was so sweet it was sinful, like spun sugar that melted in his arms. He’d fallen in love with her two summers before and spent every school year longing to get back to Gypsy Beach and back to Sienna.

His lips kept hers occupied while his hands tracked down her slender sides and then dipped into that bikini bottom that had been driving him to distraction all damn day. He cupped her backside, and when that simply wasn’t enough he kneaded her with greed.

A timid moan reverberated against his tongue as he slipped it between her lips, memorizing the heat, the way they swelled, the way they tasted, and the all-encompassing feeling of her body needy for him. That moment would have to last him until next summer.

Unable to stop himself, his right hand traversed the short distance from her sweet little backside to the perfect patch of skin between her thighs. She trembled, and her body rolled against his. He almost lost it all there on the deserted beach.

Her mound quaked as his thumb hesitantly explored. Her breath tangled in her throat, and her eyes closed in expectant ecstasy. He could feel the tender heat and the liquid desire gathering in preparation for him, and that night he was going to make a claim. They would be each other’s firsts, each other’s only if he had anything to say about it. He’d unite them in time and space, and it would be enough to get him through the next nine months of school five states away. It had to be enough.

“I love you Sienna Rose, and, God, baby, I need you. Before we have to leave tomorrow, I just need you. Stay with me tonight.”

With that sexy smirk and the fire that lived inside of her that always seemed to consume both of their souls, she followed him inside his parents’ beach house.

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