Friday Freebie: Holy Frigging Matrimony by Emma Chase

I just discovered that this short Tangled story was FREE and I had to share it with you lovelies. I’m a huge fan of Drew Evans. He may be a wanker at times, but he’s an endearing wanking that I can’t get enough of.

What does Drew Evans have to say next? Find out in this forty page short story, filled with his sexy charm, unique advice and hilarious one-liners.

 

Marriage: the final frontier. Steven went first. He was kind of our test subject. Like those monkeys that NASA sent off into space in the fifties, all the while knowing they’d never make it back.

 

And now another poor rocket is ready to launch.

 

But this isn’t just any posh New York wedding. You’ve seen my friends, you’ve met our families, you know you're in for a treat. Everyone wants their wedding to be memorable. This one’s going to be un-frigging-forgettable.

 

Have you read the Tangled Series yet?

Hot Nights with the Fireman by Lynne Silver

ONE SPARK IS ALL IT TAKES

 

Everyone in Washington, DC, knows that when the heat is on, you call Valerie Wainright. This brilliant, brassy PR maven can spin any hot scandal, and she's never let a client ruffle her feathers. Yet when she agrees to teach DC's bravest how to handle a media frenzy, she faces an entirely different kind of fire. Keeping things all business and no pleasure is far harder than she expected.

 

After steamy photos ignite the Internet, firefighter Jason Moore instantly goes from hero to bad boy. While he couldn't care less about an online rep, he cares a lot about his job and saving lives. If Valerie can help clear his name, he'll do what she says-even if it means forcing himself to keep his hands off her. But beneath Valerie's cool cover, Jason feels a smoldering desire that lights his own. And this is one inferno he'll definitely want to stoke . . .

Title: Hot Nights with the Fireman |  Author: Lynne Silver | Publisher: Forever Yours | Release Date: July 14, 2015 | Genre: Contemporary Romance | Source: Publisher | Rating: DNF

I’m not sure what’s up with me and this book. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it, I just couldn’t get interested in the book. Normally I zip right through them but I was stuck at 18% for weeks then finally made it to 30% before calling it quits.

 

Valerie is a bit standoffish at the start. She’s attracted to Jason but she’s there for a job—and the job comes first—so he’s off-limits. He’s also a firefighter and she’s been in an accident of some kind and she doesn’t want him to remind her of it.

 

Jason, the hero, has potential to be likable—if I ever do decide to finish this book, it will be to see what he’s doing. He’s the center of the scandal that Valerie is there to fix, but it wasn’t his fault. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time. He has a learning disability and it’s the reason he’s been putting off taking his testing to join the search and rescue team.

 

Jason finally managed to snag a ‘date’ with Valerie on the grounds of talking to her about rehabilitating his image. Even though Valerie is attracted to Jason, she was constantly deflecting his advances.

 

And that’s where I ended it. While there were a few things that did intrigue me, I couldn’t get involved in the book. I think Valerie was too standoffish to be likable at the start and it made it hard to connect with her. I also felt as though parts of the writing was just space fillers to kick-up the word count. They never really added anything and made the book feel sluggish.

 

Overall, I just couldn’t get into to this one. The hero had potential, but not enough—at this time—to make me want to finish the book.  

SEAL Wolf Hunting by Terry Spear Review & Giveaway

Paul Cunningham has eluded many traps in his long career as a Navy SEAL, but there’s no way out of this one. On a rare visit home, he gets “volunteered” for a local charity bachelor auction, and the community is counting on him. Then he discovers that the sexy she-wolf with the winning ticket is Lori Greypaw—the one woman he could never resist. And she has plans for Paul that go way beyond a simple date. For the first time in his bachelor life, this alpha wolf SEAL is going to have to prove his worth…

 

Title: SEAL Wolf Hunting | Series: Heart of the Wolf #16 | Author: Terry Spear | Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca | Release Date: July 7, 2015 | Genre: PNR Romance| Source: Publisher | Rating: 4.5

Another great paranormal romance from the wickedly talented Terry Spear.

 

Navy SEAL wolf Paul Cunningham has returned home after a mission ended badly. All he wanted to do was spend a little time clearing his head and recharging but when he discovers that he’s been entered into the local charity bachelor auction that will benefit a SEAL, he knows he can’t let people down. Although he’s pleased to discover that Lori’s grandmother had the winning bid and he’ll be spending the next few days helping Lori, the she-wolf who is always on his mind, fix up her family’s cabin.

 

Normally Lori Greypaw left town when Paul arrived but this time, she’s decided to stay and do her best to convince Paul to stick around as pack leader. Yet, while she has been in love with Paul since she was a cub, she’s also afraid that he may leave and never come back which is why she’s hesitant to commit.

 

Although when problems in the pack arise, Paul finally gets his act together but will Lori be able to give him her heart?

 

Yay!!! Another amazing-stop-everything-you’re-doing-and-read-this-book romance from Terry Spear. Each time I pick up one of her books, I know that I might as well brew a pot of tea and clear my calendar because I’m not going anywhere until I finish the book. 

 

I love Spear’s SEAL wolves and Paul was such an amazing, caring, and sweet alpha hero. He knows Lori is the she-wolf for him but he’s a bit hesitant to finally claim her as his mate although he’s seen how happy his mated SEAL wolf team members are and he wants that too. Yet he’s not sure if he wants to become pack leader.  He’s a bit conflicted and I do love a conflicted hero.

 

Lori wants Paul. She’s wanted him since they were young but his job is scary dangerous and she doesn’t want to lose him, which is understandable. She also doesn’t want to pressure him, but she needs to make him see how right they are together.

 

I really liked Paul. He’s in my top 5 favorite Spear’s heroes. He takes on a lot of responsibility and when a mission goes wrong, it’s like a blow to his system. Lori was great. She knows how to comfort Paul and sooth his hurts. She also knows what she wants and is willing to go after it full force.

 

Paul and Lori made such a cute couple. It was obvious from the start that they were head-over-heels in love with each other and their chemistry was amazing. They were a little slow to commit—and I really wanted to lock them in a room together until they got their crap together—but it was so worth the wait. 

 

The secondary characters were great. I was equally invested in them and what was going on in their lives and was pleased that it never drew away from Paul and Lori’s story but rather enhanced it. I really do hope we get to see more about Rose.

 

So, this does have some suspense mixed in with the romance in the form of unsolved bank robberies. While I had a hunch about the robberies, some of the twists and turns really surprised me. And I do like it when a book surprises me.

 

What I found interesting about SEAL Wolf Hunting, besides of the romance, was the fact this book delved into pack dynamics and what it meant to become pack leader more than the others have. There’s also a change with the shifters in this book as well—I’m not going to say what it is, you’ll have to read it and find out.  

 

Overall, SEAL Wolf Hunting is a wolfishly delicious romp that should be at the top of your to be read list. It’s a nice little romance and I really enjoyed the way this one differed a bit from the norm.

I’m madly in love with Terry Spear’s SEAL Wolfs so I thought that I would share the love and giveaway her SEAL Wolf books so you too can enjoy their yumminess. Also included in this 4-book giveaway is a wolf necklace.

 

To enter, leave me a comment with your email and tell me what your favorite shifter is? Open Worldwide. Ends August 10

 

Giveaway Includes:

 

-To Temp a Wolf (Hunter’s book)

-A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing (Finn’s story)

-A SEAL Wolf Christmas (Bjornolf’s story)

-SEAL Wolf Hunting (Paul’s story)

-1 Antiqued Brass Wolf Necklace

 

*I would like to thank Sourcebooks Casablanca for donating the ARC of SEAL Wolf Hunting. The rest of the giveaway was purchased by me.

My Favorite Authors and FREE Books

Hello Lovelies!

 

I wanted to share with a few of my favorite authors. Plus, I decided to add the links to their FREE (at the time of posting) books so you can check them out as well.

Alice Savage needs an alpha – any alpha – to prevent her pack from being usurped by the lecherous Roscoe. As a last resort, she signs up for the Midnight Liaisons dating service, never expecting that she’d find the alpha she seeks. She certainly didn’t expect Jackson Wilder, a laid back, sexy-as-sin outsider who claims to be an alpha.

 

But Alice has a problem that most female wolf alphas don’t — she’s a virgin. And the female alpha of a wolf pack always belongs to a male alpha. Luckily for her, Jackson’s utterly gorgeous and willing to take things slow. But is he alpha enough to help her save her pack…or is he too easy-going to be the man she needs?

 

This is a novella in the Midnight Liaisons shifter series and can be read as a stand alone!

 

Free on Amazon 

In this sexy, sweet prequel novella to her new series, USA TODAY bestselling author Maisey Yates welcomes readers to the charming small town of Copper Ridge, Oregon, where it's never too late for second chances.

 

There's not much about his teenage years that Jake Caldwell can be proud of. Except maybe for keeping his hands off cute, kindhearted Cassie Ventimiglia. She was the only one who saw him as more than a tattooed rebel who couldn't wait to leave the ranching life behind. Now he's back in Copper Ridge to sell his father's property—and staying right above Cassie's coffee shop. And out of nowhere, the girl he's never forgotten is offering a whole lot more than fresh-baked muffins…

 

Jake's dark, smoldering appeal hasn't changed one bit. But Cassie has. Following everyone else's rules didn't quite work out. Time to ask for what she's always wanted…and what Jake's more than happy to give: a wild, hot romance that could make a one-time bad boy realize he's back for good.

 

Don't miss Part Time Cowboy, the first in the Copper Ridge series, from HQN Books!

 

Free on Amazon

(at the time of posting)

 

He thought their love was a grand slam, until his bride called foul...

 

After an impulsive courthouse wedding with one of baseball's rising stars, Melanie Webb wonders if she's fallen victim to lust at first sight. She hardly knows Grady Hollis, the Atlanta ball player who swooped into her Florida hometown and charmed the socks--and more!--right off her. She couldn't resist when he proposed under the stars right on the outfield. But when the aftermath means moving to Atlanta and following him around the country for his eight-month a year travel schedule, she gets cold feet.

 

But Grady has never been a man to give up on a dream and Melanie is everything he ever hoped for in a woman. He knows if only he can convince her to come along for the ride, he'll convince her that their forever can be something special... and sizzling too. The road trip brings them both deeper understanding, surprise revelations and a love every bit as fiery as the passion.

 

Free on Amazon 

Black Knights Inc.—Behind the facade of their tricked–out motorcycle shop is an elite special ops team assigned the jobs too hot for anyone else to handle.

 

Hold On Tight...

 

Ex–Marine Nate "Ghost" Weller is an expert at keeping his cool—and his distance—which makes him one hell of a sniper. It's also how he keeps his feelings for Ali Morgan in check. Sweet, sexy Ali has always revved his engine, but she's his best friend's baby sister...and totally off limits.

 

Rough Road Ahead

 

Ali's never seen anything sexier than Nate Weller straddling his custom Harley—or the flash of danger in his eyes when she tells him she's in trouble. First something happened to her brother, and now she's become the target of a nasty international organization. With Nate, her life is in the most capable hands possible—but her heart is another story altogether.

 

Free on Amazon

 (at the time of posting)

A man with a dangerous future

After two years in hiding to protect his family, Gabriel Wendover, Marquess of Hesketh, leaves behind the woman he loves and returns home to untangle the plots against him. When the lady turns up on his doorstep to paint portraits of Gabriel's brother and sister-in-law, he's not sure whether it's by accident or by design. And now she could be in harm's way too...

 

A lady with a dangerous past

Polonaise Hunt is an accomplished artist who is determined to paint the prestigious Wendover family portraits, but coming upon Gabriel in his new situation changes everything. Despite their mutual passion, trusting Gabriel could cost Polly everything she holds dear...

 

Free on Amazon

(at the time of posting)

As a very successful private investigator who has caught most of the cheaters in Seattle with their pants down, Rafe Sullivan believes true, lasting love only happens once in a blue moon. Needing to get away from the city to clear his head, he finds the lake house where he spent the best summers of his life is now a wreck...but the sweet girl next door is all grown up and prettier than anything he's ever seen.

 

While Brooke Jansen is happy making and selling chocolate truffles in her small Pacific Northwest lake town, she secretly longs to experience something wild. So when her favorite "Wild Sullivan" moves in again next door after more than a decade away, and sparks fly between them, she can't stop wondering if being bad is really as good as it always seemed...and just how long it will be before she can find out.

 

But when their summer fling quickly spirals into deeper emotions than either of them were expecting, can they survive the heat between them? Or will Rafe make the biggest mistake of his life and end up losing the best thing that's ever happened to him?

 

Free on Amazon

(at the time of posting)

When someone breaks into her apartment in Chicago, Skye turns to the one man she believes can protect her—Trace Weston. Once, Trace was her lover. Two lost souls, they’d come together in a firestorm of need and desire. But then Trace had pushed her away. He’d joined the military, vanishing from her life. She’d put all of her emotion into dancing, and she’d tried to forget him.

 

Now Trace is one of the most successful men in the United States. Rich, driven, and carrying dark secrets, he agrees to help Skye. He’ll protect her from the danger that lurks in the darkness, but Trace wants more than to just be a guard for Skye.

 

He wants her. And he’ll take her. The years have changed him, hardened him. He’s not just a poor kid from the streets any longer. Now, he can have anything—or anyone—that he wants. And the one woman he has always wanted has just come back into his life. He won’t let her go again.

 

But with the threats mounting against Skye, she suspects that her stalker may be intimately close. He’s a man who knows her too well. As his attacks grow ever more dangerous, she realizes that if she trusts the wrong man, she could be making a fatal mistake.

 

Lust. Love. Obsession.

 

Just how far would you go in order to possess the one person you want the most?

 

Free on Amazon

(at the time of posting)

 

Which ones did you pick up?

The Sunday Post {1} Leaks and Poldark

This week has been a crazy week. Due to a water leak, which caused a mini-geyser to spring up in the front yard, drippy faucets needing replaced, and deciding to final tackle the redecorating I’ve put off for three years—really, who spends three years trying to find the right curtains? Apparently, me.—, I spent way too much of my time this week dealing with plumbers and visiting home improvement stores.

 

I’ve managed to fall behind a bit on my goal to tackle my ever-growing TBR pile mountain. And my goal of cleaning up my Kindle, which has been thoroughly fed thanks to my late-night one-click obsession, isn’t looking so well either but I did manage to knock of few off. Although I do have to question, given some of the titles I’ve purchased, my ability to choose good reading material so late at night.

 

I did managed, however, to finally catch up on Poldark—yay!—, although I was tired of waiting for the episodes to air on PBS, so I ordered the DVD instead and now only have two episodes left to watch.  

 

Here’s what being happening on the blog.  

 

Book Reviews

 

The Maverick’s Accidental Bride by Christine Rimmer (Read My Review)—So I’m completely head-over-heels in love with this book. It reminded me why I fell in love with romance novels.

 

The Cowboy SEAL’s Triplets by Tina Leonard (Read My Review)—This was quirky and cute but I feel as though I missed out by not having read the previous books in the series.

 

Luck of the Draw by Kelley Vitollo (ReadMy Review)—The heroine totally done my head in, but the hero kept me reading. Why do heroines have to so secretive and annoying?

 

Friday Film

 

The Making of a Lady (Read My Review)—I love this movie. A brilliant gothic film will have you riveted to the screen.

 

Memes

 

Waiting on Wednesday: Named of theDragon by Susanna Kearsley—This modern should be on everyone’s TBR list.

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Friday Film: The Making of A Lady (PBS)

 

Based on the novel by celebrated writer Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Secret Garden), this is the story of the educated but penniless Emily (Lydia Wilson). During her duties as a lady’s companion for Lady Maria (Joanna Lumley), she meets her employer’s wealthy widower nephew, Lord James Walderhurst (Linus Roache). Accepting his practical if unromantic marriage proposal, Emily finds solace in the company of Walderhurst’s nephew Alec Osborn (James D’Arcy) and his glamorous wife, Hester (Hasina Haque), after Lord James leaves to rejoin his regiment. Emily, alone with the Osborns, increasingly comes under their control. She begins to fear for her life.

 

Rating: 4.5

This was such a great gothic thriller. I could not get enough of this movie and I’ve watched it several times.

 

Here’s what’s going on. Emily was a lady’s companion for Lady Maria but she’s been let go and now she’s penniless and in need of a job. Lord James Walderhurst, the nephew of Lady Maria, is a widower in need of an heir to ensure his inheritance so proposing to Emily seems to be the practical solution. Although when Lord James decides to go back to India on a military campaign his nephew, Alec Osborn, and his wife, Hester, moves in with Emily.

 

At first, Emily finds the pair enjoyable until she realizes she’s pregnant and soon it seems that the Osborns are controlling her home and her life. Fearing she’s in danger, she must fight for her life and that of her unborn child.

 

Oh, this was such a good movie. Very macabre and gothic. Emily was such a meek little thing yet when push comes to shove, she pushes back with all her might. She kind of reminded me of Jane Eyre, tiny and penniless yet with an unbreakable spirit. Her marriage to Lord James seemed a bit out of place—given her station— and rushed—given that they didn’t really know each other—, yet he knew she was fully capable of managing a household and he was in desperate need of an heir. So, I guess needs must.

 

Lord James kind of crawled under my skin a bit. He just married the woman, put her in charge of his household, then rushed off to India leaving her alone with two servants who feel as though she’s out-of-place usurper. It wasn’t a love match, but come on, he could have acted a bit more decently and made sure she was going to be okay while he went off to war.

 

Alec and his wife were so creepy. They seemed normal at first then Alec begins acting strangely and then people start disappearing. It was obvious that he was going to be a problem but I was never sure where his wife stood. One moment, I thought she was normal. The next moment, I thought she was a couple playing cards short of full deck. Then her mother comes, and oh my goodness does the crazy roll out.

 

I thought they done a brilliant job casting the characters. None of the actors felt out of place and they truly had me believing in the roles that they were playing. The cinematography was brilliant as well and completely captured the gothic atmosphere.

 

My only complaint about this one was how abrupt the ending felt. The entire movie had a nice suspenseful pace and then ending felt as though it was over in the blink of an eye. They could have easily added another thirty minutes to the film to give it a nice round feel.

 

Overall, I loved this movie. It was gothic done right and had me riveted to my seat as the madness unfolded.

 

 

 

The Making of a Duchess is based on the 1901 novel The Making of a Marchioness by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I haven’t read the book, but I will be doing so shortly.

Have you read the book?

Watched the movie?

Are you a fan of gothic fiction?

Luck of the Draw by Kelley Vitollo

What happens when her one night in Vegas doesn’t stay there?

 

Rowan McKinley isn’t looking for one wild night while vacationing in Vegas, but she gets it anyway when she meets professional poker player—and professional ladies’ man—Breck Wilder. Breck’s easygoing charm and lighthearted banter draw in the reserved Rowan, and though she’s always dreamed of the kind of forever love her best friends Sidney and Kade share, she’ll settle for one night with the charismatic player.

 

After their crazy one-night stand, Breck never expected to see the mysterious redhead again. So when he shows up at a Shamrock Falls B&B looking to get away for a few weeks and Rowan answers the door, he’s floored. Breck’s rolling-stone lifestyle and ill-fated history with women means he’s not interested in anything long-term. But the longer he stays at the B&B, the more he considers dropping the poker face and putting all his cards on the table…for Rowan.

 

Title: Luck of the Draw | Series: Shamrock Falls #2 | Author: Kelley Vitollo | Publisher: Entangled Bliss | Genre: Contemporary Romance | Source: Purchased | Rating: 3.5

So, I’ve had this on my kindle for eons. I think I purchased it at the start of the year when Entangled had their .99¢ sale.

 

This was a cute little romance with a few bits of emotion and humor sprinkled in.

 

Here’s what’s going on. Rowan and Breck spent a night together in Vegas. Not having done this kind of thing before, Rowan sneaks out and prepares never to see Breck again. So, Rowan is surprised when Breck, who happens to be a friend of a friend, shows up at the door of her B&B looking to spend six weeks hiding out.

 

Breck hasn’t been able to get Rowan off his mind, although he knows, given his relationship history, it’s probably not going to go anywhere. Yet when Rowan faints in his arms, he decides not to fight the attraction between them.

 

Although Breck doesn’t realize that Rowan holds a secret that will change both of their lives.

 

Okay, so this one had potential to be a great read—and while it was still a nice read—it fell a bit flat for me.

 

Rowan kind of ruined this for me. If she would have just told Breck she was pregnant when she found out, I would have liked her so much better although she was content to hold on to her secret for like 98% of the book and even then, it was Breck who confronted her about it.

 

I know she was dealing with the whole ‘we-used-a-condom-this-can’t-be-happening-I-don’t-even-know-this-man’ ordeal, but the way I look at is, if you are okay sleeping with a man you don’t know then you should be okay telling him you’re pregnant with his child. Breck even took care of her when she was sick but still felt as though she didn’t know him well enough to tell him. Honestly, I spent most of the book wanting to slap her.

 

I really liked Breck and he was what kept me reading. He was such a good man. He’s a professional poker player—this is the first time I’ve read a book where a character had this profession and it was a nice chance. He’s had a horrible time with relationships—his wife left him and the book starts with him getting in a fight with his ex-girlfriend because she stole the cat he rescued.

 

He’s hesitant about getting involved with Rowan but he know there’s no sense in fighting it. He even steps up to care for Rowan and the B&B when she was sick but yet she still kept him at arm’s length. It was okay to use his body, just not to let him and I hate it when heroines play that kind of game with the hero. He had a lot more patience with her than I would have. While I wanted him to be there for his child, a part of me really wanted him to walk away from Rowan and never look back.

 

At the start of the book, Rowan and Breck had such great chemistry although throughout the book, due to Rowan’s secret, the chemistry between them waxes and wanes and I never really felt as though they reestablished the same spark they had in the beginning.

 

The plot occasionally felt a little disjointed and choppy but it did finally manage to even out.

 

Overall, the book made for a quick little read and I loved the witty banter between Rowan and Breck. However, the book, in part of Rowan’s behavior, didn’t quite live up its potential.

Will I continue the series? Perhaps, I’m not sure I’ll read book 1 but 3 looks intriguing. Having met Betsy and Jace in this book, you could they have a spark and I do like the fake marriage trope, so if I have time I may pick it up.

Shamrock Falls Series

#1 Lucky Break by Kelley Vitollo

#2 Luck of the Draw by Kelley Vitollo

#3 Just My Luck by Kelley Vitollo