Surprise Release: From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“Action, adventure, sexiness, and angst! From Blood and Ash has it all and double that. So many feels and so many moments it made me cheer for the character. Read. This. Book! You'll be obsessed!”

- Tijan, New York Times bestselling author

From Blood and Ash, a captivating, sexy and action-packed high fantasy novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout, is available now!

If you love forbidden romance, this book is for you. If you love snark, this book is for you. If you love action and intrigue, edge of your seat moments and being caught off guard by what you’re reading, this book is for you. And if you’ve been missing . . . vampires in your life, this book is for you.

A Maiden…

Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers.

A Duty…

The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.

A Kingdom…

Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.

Download your copy today!

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About Jennifer L. Armentrout

#1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. She spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, hanging out with her husband and her Border Jack Apollo. In early 2015, Jennifer was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and death of cells in the retina, eventually resulting in loss of vision, among other complications. Due to this diagnosis, educating people on the varying degrees of blindness has become of passion of hers, right alongside writing, which she plans to do as long as she can.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Tor, HarperCollins Avon and William Morrow, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her Wicked Series has been optioned by PassionFlix. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. Her adult romantic suspense novel TILL DEATH was a Amazon Editor’s Pick and iBook Book of the Month. Her young adult contemporary THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER is a 2017 RITA Award Winner in Young Adult Fiction. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

She is the owner of ApollyCon and The Origin Event, the successful annual events that features over a hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more.

Connect with Jennifer L. Armentrout

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Website: https://jenniferlarmentrout.com

Release Blitz: Been There Done That by Hope Ellis

Been There Done That, an all-new second-chance romantic standalone by debut author Hope Ellis, is LIVE!

Theirs was a forever kind of love, until it was stolen.

ZORA LEFFERSBEE’S once perfect life is no longer perfect. Her tenure at the University is in question, funding for her employees uncertain, and her faux-fiancé, Jackson James’s unpredictability is wearing on her last nerve. Just when Zora is convinced things can’t get more complicated, life proves her wrong.

What the heck is he doing here?

NICK ROSSI’s complicated life is still extremely complicated. He’s used to fighting for everything he has, but he’s also used to winning. Now a man of power and influence, his return to Green Valley after so many years hasn’t gone according to plan, especially with the woman he’s always wanted.

She can’t know why I left, or why I’m back.

A powerful woman intent on righting the wrongs of the world, Zora doesn’t have time or energy to deal with the man who broke her young heart.

A powerful man intent on righting the wrongs of the past, Nick can’t help wanting to protect Zora, even if his devotion is unrequited.

‘Been There Done That’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #1 in the Leffersbee series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Download your copy TODAY!

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About Hope Ellis

Hope Ellis is a health outcomes researcher by day and writes romances featuring sexy nerds by night. She hopes to one day conquer her habit of compulsively binge-watching The Office.

Find Hope Ellis online

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Blog Tour: BEEFCAKES by Katana Collins

Things are about to get sticky...

Beefcakes, an all-new ”amazing and unforgettable” romantic comedy from Katana Collins, is available now!

I might as well permanently add the label "Ex" to my name. I'm an Ex-Mr. Universe. Ex-Mr. Olympus. An Ex-Hollywood Stuntman. But no one from my small hometown cares anything about that. They only care that I'm the ex-boyfriend to the beloved Mayor's daughter, Elaina Dyker.

And now, ten years later, I'm back, helping my siblings run my mother's bakery while she takes on chemo. What should have been a routine cupcake delivery turns into utter chaos when the bachelorette party thinks I'm a stripper. And what's worse? Elaina is the maid of honor.

But the meme about us sure went viral fast. My small hometown has become positively infested with tipsy bridesmaids looking for my erotic cupcakes.

Now Hollywood's knocking again—and this time they want me and my ex, Mr. Beefcake and Ms. Prude, to star in a reality show.

It could solve all my problems—except her.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2NJWR7w

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Beefakeskc

Add BEEFCAKES to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2T8PhX4

Excerpt

I arched my brow at her. “I bragged about knowing you so well…but man. I did not see this almond croissant massacre coming. What do you have against almonds? Or was it the amount of butter that offended you? Because as a fitness expert, let me tell you butter isn’t the enemy. Sugar is the enemy.”

She laughed. “I, uh…I might have some anger management issues.”

I took the bag from her and peeked in. There were knuckle marks against the outside of the croissant. Literal knuckle marks. I barked a laugh. “Elaina Dyker. Did you punch the croissant?”

She laughed, pressing her lips together as though this would hide the fact that I saw her adorable little giggle. She brought her thumb and forefinger up beside her temple. “Maybe a little.”“Did you even try a bite?”

She shook her head no. “I like my routine. I like my daily lunch of yogurt and almonds.”

I made a face. Because she had to be exaggerating. Sure…she liked them. But having that same thing every day? Even chocolate cake every day would get tedious. “You can like yogurt and almonds but still indulge every now and then, you know.” I reached in and pinched off a piece of the smashed croissant, holding it out toward her lips. “C’mon. Live a little. I promise you, it is actually healthy, if that’s your concern.” Not that she needed to be concerned about that. “Almond flour. Gluten free. Grain free. Only two net carbs. The only sugar is the honey in the honey roasted almonds and the natural sugar in dates.” Her eyes grew wide at that and I knew I had hooked her.

She reached out her hand to take the piece of croissant from me, but I pulled back. “Nuh-uh,” I teased. “We can’t have your fingers getting sticky. Might ruin that fancy suit you’re wearing.”

She rolled her eyes, but parted her wet lips, her tongue peeking out just enough for me to place the croissant on top of. She moaned as soon as it hit her mouth, and her eyes fell closed as she slowly chewed and swallowed. “That’s…that’s healthy?”

I nodded. “See? I’m not just a pile of muscles. I’ve got some talent, too.”

Her head fell to the side. “I never said you weren’t talented. I just wish you wouldn’t show off quite so much of your other assets.”

I grinned. “I thought you liked my assets?”

“I do,” she answered absentmindedly, then immediately shook her head, realizing what she’d said. “I mean, I did.”

About Katana

As an author and a story-teller, it is the lifeblood to which my ideas take flight. And I believe in giving credit where credit is due. Occasionally someone (ie – my husband) will try to secretly switch out my beloved regular coffee for decaf. I always know the difference. ALWAYS (I’m looking at you, SEAN).

I am incapable of achieving the perfect ponytail. I’m dyslexic. I can never wear white without spilling on myself. And I’ve never read Pride and Prejudice (gasp!).

When I was younger and stole my mother’s Harlequins to read beneath the covers with a flashlight (seriously, did we ALL do this? I think we did.), I wanted to read about the tough as nails heroine. The perfectly imperfect girl with quirks and attitude and sass. And the anti-heroes who were anything but “Prince Charming.” Forget the knight on a white horse… give me the bad boy on a motorcycle.

So, now, I write those romance novels I craved to see on the shelves all those years ago—the sassy heroines. The badass heroes. I spend my days in the throes of my imagination, and am loving every minute of it. I can travel anywhere and become anyone I want to be. One day, I’m a mechanic in Boston and the next, I’m a vampire stripping in Las Vegas.

Since penning my first novel back in 2012, I’m now an international author with 15 published books, in a wide range of contemporary romance genres–(Paranormal, New Adult, Small town, Erotic Suspense… you name it!).

After living for a decade in Brooklyn, NY, I took the plunge and moved to beautiful (although kinda chilly) Portland, Maine. I now live full time in ‘Vacationland’ with a kind of mean cat, a mellow chihuahua, and a very NOT mellow lab-pittie mix. Oh, yeah… there’s a husband who draws comics somewhere in that mix, too. I can usually be found in a coffee shop with my nose in my laptop wearing fabulous (albeit sometimes impractical) shoes.

I love connecting with readers and fellow sassy storytellers, so feel free to drop me an email at katana.collins@gmail.com or connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@katanacollins). You can find a list of my available books over on my Bookshelf or if you’ve already read a book, it would make my day if you wrote a review!

Threats, complaints, and criticisms should go to comments@fbi.gov.

Connect with Katana

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2R1qnq2

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Website: http://www.katanacollins.com

Review: Number Neighbors by Emma Hart

Number Neighbors by Emma Hart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was really funny, and extra steamy. 

This starts out with Hannah, Immy, and Fran, you might remember them from Frenemies, immaturely texting strangers with raunchy messages.  They all get responses, but Hannah's promising and leads to a night of naughty texting.  She feels embarrassed and guilty about it, but who cares she doesn't know who was on the other end.  When the kitten she found ends up with a cold, her handsome British neighbor, who happens to be a veterinarian offers to check him out and gives him her number to check in.  Hannah quickly realizes her number neighbor and dirty text partner is sexy vet Isaac whom she's had a crush on forever.  Unbeknownst to her, Isaac is equally attracted to her, so when he finds out that Hannah was the lady on the end of those dirty texts he takes no time pursuing her in person.

This was a fun, quick read with all of the comedic aspects I've come to expect from Emma Hart.  There is no drama between the characters.  There is no dramatic thing that pushes them apart and makes them realize the error of their ways.  They have to decide if they want to give their relationship a go, but other than that the only drama in the story is crazy Grandma Jen and her equally hilarious friends.  You want to their drama, they are so funny!! 

I was provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Code of Honor by April White

Code of Honor by April White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you are a fan of mysteries with a heavy romantic subplot I highly recommend this. 

The main character Anna reminded me alot of Janie from [book:Neanderthal Seeks Human|52422311].  She is a wealth of random information, is super awkward, and has no filter.  Unlike Janie, Anna does not  have an amazing shoe collection as she prefers motorcycle boots, and she's a bounty hunter.  I immediately liked Anna, she felt very relatable as she owned her awkward and she was a wealth of useful and useless information.  She also wasn't afraid to be the tomboy and live by her own code.  I loved that she challenged Darius, aka the Disney prince, throughout the book as they tried to uncover the mystery of what really happened to the stolen paintings at the Gardner museum while trying to protect herself and her twin sister.  As the story unfolds and they begin to trust each other more, they uncover that they each operate by very different moral codes.  If they want to explore the attraction between them, the code by which they each operate may be a problem.  I do appreciate how that was discussed and handled.  Darius had experienced some pretty heavy stuff as a child and developed a very black and white sense of how the world should operate, making him very good at his job at Cipher Security.  Anna on the other hand operates in shades of gray, making her a very good Bounty Hunter.  Can the rules on how they operate change so they can uncover the mystery of the stolen painting and they can be together?  You have to read the book the find out.

I thought the character development was good, and the main characters have good chemistry.  The pacing was good.  There wasn't a ton of suspense just a good mystery to be solved, so no worries about this being heavy on the thriller aspect.  I could have done without the bathroom humor moments.  I don't appreciate that kind of humor.

If you are a fan of the Smartypants Romance books to date, or you like romantic suspense I highly recommend this one!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.  This was released on March 24, 2020 and is the second book in the Cipher Security Series from Smartypants Romance.


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Release Blitz: Number Neighbors by Emma Hart

NUMBER NEIGHBORS, an all-new, side-splittingly hilarious neighbors-to-lovers romcom from New York Times bestselling author, Emma Hart, and we have the fun, flirty new cover! Grab your copy today!

What happens when your number neighbor turns out to be your hot, British, next-door neighbor?

BLURB
Bad Idea #241: Sending a dirty text to your number neighbor.

In my defense, my friends did it too, and their neighbors took it as the joke it was.
Mine didn’t.
He responded with a dirty text of his own. Next thing I know, I have a standing texting date every night at ten-thirty.
Until I have to miss it because the stray kitten who adopted me one week ago is sick. The only person I know who can help me at this time of night is my British next-door neighbor and local vet, Isaac Cooper.
I’ll keep him overnight, he says. Here’s my number to call me in the morning, he says.
The problem?
I know that number.
Because I’ve been texting it every night for the last four days.

One-Click Today!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Apple Books | Kobo | Nook

About Emma Hart

Emma Hart is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels and has been translated into several different languages.
She is a mother, wife, lover of wine, Pink Goddess, and valiant rescuer of wild baby hedgehogs.
Emma prides herself on her realistic, snarky smut, with comebacks that would make a PMS-ing teenage girl proud.
Yes, really. She's that sarcastic.

Follow Emma

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Release Blitz: Code of Honor by April White

Code of Honor, an all-new standalone in the romantic suspense Cipher Security series from April White, is LIVE!

A painting, a panic room, a thief, and her lover … whose job is to catch her.

There are three things you need to know about Anna.

1) She’s a bounty hunter with adrenaline junkie habits,

2) She’s the “awkward” twin, and

3) She’s a thief – kind of.

Darius designs security systems for Cipher Security, and the strange and remarkable woman he met the night the painting was stolen is as intriguing a mystery as his hunt for the thief is.

But the lady has no filter, and she knows she can’t lie to the man who looks like a Disney Prince and kisses like fairytales are true, so she runs from the one person who may actually see her as the heroine of her own story.

‘Code of Honor’ is a full-length contemporary romantic suspense, can be read as a standalone and is book #2 in the Cipher Security series, Knitting in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Download your copy TODAY!

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About April White

April White has been a film producer, private investigator, bouncer, teacher and screenwriter. She has climbed in the Himalayas, survived a shipwreck, and lived on a gold mine in the Yukon. She and her husband share their home in Southern California with two extraordinary boys and a lifetime collection of books.

Her first novel, Marking Time is the 2016 winner of the Library Journal Indie E-Book Award for YA Literature, and all five books in the Immortal Descendants series are on the Amazon Top 100 lists in Time Travel Romance and Historical Fantasy.

Find April White online

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Release Blitz: BEEFCAKES by Katana Collins

Things are about to get sticky...

Beefcakes, an all-new hilarious and sweet second-chance romance from Katana Collins, is available now!

I might as well permanently add the label "Ex" to my name. I'm an Ex-Mr. Universe. Ex-Mr. Olympus. An Ex-Hollywood Stuntman. But no one from my small hometown cares anything about that. They only care that I'm the ex-boyfriend to the beloved Mayor's daughter, Elaina Dyker.

And now, ten years later, I'm back, helping my siblings run my mother's bakery while she takes on chemo. What should have been a routine cupcake delivery turns into utter chaos when the bachelorette party thinks I'm a stripper. And what's worse? Elaina is the maid of honor.

But the meme about us sure went viral fast. My small hometown has become positively infested with tipsy bridesmaids looking for my erotic cupcakes.

Now Hollywood's knocking again—and this time they want me and my ex, Mr. Beefcake and Ms. Prude, to star in a reality show.

It could solve all my problems—except her.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2NJWR7w

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2KpxzK2

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Beefakeskc

Nook: http://bit.ly/374L6Am

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2q4uw30

Add BEEFCAKES to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2T8PhX4

About Katana

As an author and a story-teller, it is the lifeblood to which my ideas take flight. And I believe in giving credit where credit is due. Occasionally someone (ie – my husband) will try to secretly switch out my beloved regular coffee for decaf. I always know the difference. ALWAYS (I’m looking at you, SEAN).

I am incapable of achieving the perfect ponytail. I’m dyslexic. I can never wear white without spilling on myself. And I’ve never read Pride and Prejudice (gasp!).

When I was younger and stole my mother’s Harlequins to read beneath the covers with a flashlight (seriously, did we ALL do this? I think we did.), I wanted to read about the tough as nails heroine. The perfectly imperfect girl with quirks and attitude and sass. And the anti-heroes who were anything but “Prince Charming.” Forget the knight on a white horse… give me the bad boy on a motorcycle.

So, now, I write those romance novels I craved to see on the shelves all those years ago—the sassy heroines. The badass heroes. I spend my days in the throes of my imagination, and am loving every minute of it. I can travel anywhere and become anyone I want to be. One day, I’m a mechanic in Boston and the next, I’m a vampire stripping in Las Vegas.

Since penning my first novel back in 2012, I’m now an international author with 15 published books, in a wide range of contemporary romance genres–(Paranormal, New Adult, Small town, Erotic Suspense… you name it!).

After living for a decade in Brooklyn, NY, I took the plunge and moved to beautiful (although kinda chilly) Portland, Maine. I now live full time in ‘Vacationland’ with a kind of mean cat, a mellow chihuahua, and a very NOT mellow lab-pittie mix. Oh, yeah… there’s a husband who draws comics somewhere in that mix, too. I can usually be found in a coffee shop with my nose in my laptop wearing fabulous (albeit sometimes impractical) shoes.

I love connecting with readers and fellow sassy storytellers, so feel free to drop me an email at katana.collins@gmail.com or connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@katanacollins). You can find a list of my available books over on my Bookshelf or if you’ve already read a book, it would make my day if you wrote a review!

Threats, complaints, and criticisms should go to comments@fbi.gov.

Connect with Katana

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2R1qnq2

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2Ft8RFB

Amazon: https://amzn.to/35wm37j

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2sMSMbj

Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2tCCD8b

YouTube: http://bit.ly/2T0o1dl

Join her reader group, Kat’s Kittens: http://bit.ly/2QvrP4P

Stay up to date with Katana by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2QQe0wM

Website: http://www.katanacollins.com

Review: Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was messed up!  I wasn't sure where things were headed for quite a while.  Once I figured out where things were going, it was fairly predictable.

I always find it hard to review thrillers because I don't want to spoil them.  I did receive and ARC of this via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  This book was published on March 17, 2020.

This is a very dark thriller.  It doesn't lean on the gory or grisly side (no blood and guts) as far as thrillers go, but the premise is child abuse.  I'd steer clear if you can't handle that.  Some of the stuff they did was pretty out there, and as a mom it is unthinkable.  Patty, the mom, was sent to prison for abusing Rose Gold for 18 years.  Patty maintains she is innocent and that Rose Gold was actually sick.  When her 5 years in prison are up, Patty has nowhere to go, and Rose Gold agrees to take her in.  Patty wants them to be the best friend duo they were when Rose Gold was a child, before Rose Gold testified against Patty and sent her to prison.  Rose Gold has a child of her own now, and agrees to let Grandma Patty help out while she is at work.  Patty wants to get her old life back, but what she doesn't know is that Rose Gold has plans of her own for Patty.

As the story unfolds we learn that Patty had a trouble childhood, which led to Rose Gold's troubled childhood.  You aren't quite sure how Rose Gold is going to turn out as an adult, but as things play out we get to know her better and realize that the years of abuse have broken something and she just isn't quite right. 

Like I said parts of this are pretty dark and messed up, but for the most part I enjoyed it.  The pace is pretty decent.  The timeline jumps around from current day to the past so we get some of the back story as well as what is going on present day.  This isn't my favorite type of timeline, but it works here.  Overall, this if you are looking for a new thriller, and you can handle some of the crazy stuff these ladies do then give this a go. 

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Review: Beefcakes by Katana Collins

Beefcakes by Katana Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you like second-chance romances you need to read this.  This was sweet (no pun intended without being over the top.  The characters felt like real people with real relationship problems.  They lived real lives with real problems.  This was the perfect mixture of romance, comedy, and serious. 

I love it when a couple works through their issues and they actually talk about their problems instead of hiding behind lust and ignoring the bad stuff.  In this book, there is a lot of baggage between main characters Neil and Elaina.  He broke her heart when he left, and if he has any chance of winning her back he has to earn her trust back.  Elaina has been hurt far too many times in her life by people she cared for, and Neil was probably the worst.  She isn't going to make it easy for him to waltz right back into town and win her back with his antics.  I also love it when couples don't change for each other or settle to be something they are not.  Neil loves being a stuntman and loves to bake.  When he was injured on set, his career in the movies was over so he came home to help out with the family cupcake business.  Elaina is the town manager, and she's very serious and business oriented.  The Elaina from high school that Neil used to know was fun and a bit of a party girl.  He wants to know where she went and inspire Elaina to let "Lainey" out because you can be responsible and serious and still have fun sometimes.  All the while Neil is trying to help his mom's struggling business while she is going through cancer treatments and racking up debt.  When Elaina and Neil are thrown together in a crazy TV show that could potentially solve both of their financial issues, they realize that they still have feelings for each other.  They both have issues they will have to face, but the only way they will win is to face them together.

I love to bake, and I need the recipes for Neil's low carb, protein cupcakes in my life.  All of his recipes sound amazing!  Did I mention there are a couple of recipes at the end of the book?  As someone who eats a low carb diet, I'm excited to try them and see how they work out.  The author has even thought through substitutions for sugar alternatives and flour alternatives which makes me a very happy girl!

This is part of the Maple Grove series, but it is 100% standalone.  This is my first book from Katana Collins and I didn't find myself lost or confused by not having read the other books in the series.  I actually had no idea there were more books until I got to the end of this book and there were links to more books which I will of course be reading in the future.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.  This book will be published on March 24, 2020.


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Release Blitz: BEEF CAKE by Jiffy Kate

“I was all in with this slow burn romance that had me laughing and swooning from cover to cover” --Author Andrea Johnston

Beef Cake, an all-new small town contemporary romance from Jiffy Kate, is LIVE!

If opposites do actually attract, then Gunnar Erickson and Frankie Reeves take the cake.

Frankie Reeves is complicated, even though she won’t admit it. She fills her days working as an ER nurse, taking care of her mom, and searching for the father she never knew. Anything else has no place in her perfectly compartmentalized, purposefully simple life. Attachments? No thank you. She has no time for that.

Gunnar Erickson recently moved to Green Valley to train at Viking MMA with his brother Cage. Being the youngest of the Erickson clan, he’s always felt like he has something to prove, and now that he’s finished with college, it’s his time to shine. But before he can step into the ring, a freak accident sends him to the ER and into the care of one Frankie Reeves.

While he’s immediately smitten, she pretends to be unfazed by this six-foot-three, two hundred and thirty-pound beef cake. Gunnar sets out to prove to Frankie that, not only does she like him more than she wants to admit, but he’s not the uneducated, brute she assumes he is. To Frankie, he’s the worst kind of complication, but that doesn’t make it easy to stay away.

‘Beef Cake’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #4 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

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About Jiffy Kate

Jiffy Kate is the joint pen name for Jiff Simpson and Jenny Kate Altman. They’re co-writing besties who share a brain. They also share a love of cute boys, stiff drinks, and fun times.

Together, they’ve written over twenty stories. Their first published book, Finding Focus, was released in November 2015. Since then, they’ve continued to write what they know–southern settings full of swoony heroes and strong heroines.

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Review: Beef Cake by Jiffy Kate

Beef Cake by Jiffy Kate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.  This book comes out tomorrow, March 17, 2020 and is the first of the Smartypants Spring 2020 releases.  There will be a new book each Tuesday for the next several weeks.

If you've read Stud Muffin, you will remember Cage mentioning he had a younger brother who was also training to be an MMA fighter. Well, Cage finally has his own gym up and running and his younger brother, Gunnar has moved to Green Valley to train and teach some classes to the locals. Gunnar is used to being pushed hard by his three older brothers, and he's willing to put in the work to be the best. When a random accident at the gym sends him to the ER for stitches, he finds himself drawn to the beautiful yet complicated Frankie. Frankie is an ER nurse who has a complicated past and ties to the Iron Wraiths. She is trying to uncover things she can't remember from her childhood, and the last thing she wants is some meathead MMA fighter flirting with her. When Gunnar lays on the charm, she finds that there is more to him than she gave him credit for.

I really enjoyed this. Both of the characters were complex and I liked that their romance developed at a nice pace. I love that this covers difficult topics such as domestic abuse, drug use, mental health, and more in such a relatable way. Frankie has been through a lot in her life, and while she's surviving, she's not really living. It isn't until she meets Gunnar that she starts to let her defenses down and starts to really experience life. With those experiences come traumatic memories from the past that she has to face with to move forward. I also really appreciated the way that Gunnar never gave up on her, he gave her the space and permission she needed to deal with things the way she needed to in every situation.

I do wish this had more interaction at the actual bakery. I really just loved those characters and the baking aspect, but they only talk about they bakery in passing as neither of the characters work there. That's OK, we do get mention of it and Tempest is still creating her crazy muffins. This offering is fairly independent of the the original Pennyverse. That in no way is a deterrent from reading the story, it is actually nice to see the authors take the original beloved world of Green Valley and make something wholly unique.

This book is a complete standalone. You do not need to have read the previous books in The Donner Bakery Series to follow along. You should read them because they are also great!

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Review: Havenfall

Havenfall by Sara Holland
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  This book was released on March 3, 2020.

This was a fun YA fantasy that takes place in the mountains of Colorado at a magical inn called Havenfall. Havenfall in kind of the central hub for several different magical worlds, and is a safe and neutral location for the inhabitants of other magical worlds to congregate. Each summer, delegates from each world meet at Havenfall, with the Innkeeper remaining the neutral party and helping to broker deals between worlds and keep things running smoothly. Maddie's uncle is the current Innkeeper, and she hopes to run Havenfall someday. When Marcus is mysteriously injured and strange things keep happening at the inn, Maddie finds herself stepping into the role earlier than she planned.

This has a good mix of fantasy elements. The magic system is interesting, and I really liked the premise of each world having its own unique magic with Havenfall being neutral ground. I also appreciated that this kept you on your toes. Maddie wasn't sure who to trust and what was really going on at the inn as she was trying to keep the inn and its guest safe. I do wish she had more self confidence and didn't blame herself for everything. I prefer stronger female characters, and Maddie presented as a character that wants to be stronger than she is, but just can't put her past behind her. To be fair, she went through some traumatic stuff as a child and teen. She also never asks anyone for help. By the end of the book she is starting to develop into the person she wants to be and the strong young woman she will need to be to run the inn and fix what's going on at Havenfall. I think she has a lot of potential! I think the character development, while slow was good and will continue to develop in the next installment.

This was a bit slow for me. It took quite a while to reveal and develop some things that I had figured out very early on in the book. That being said, they did eventually develop and were explained. Because things develop over time, there is no big info dump in the final chapters to shock you and leave your head spinning at the end. The book closes nicely with no major cliffhanger, just the promise of more to come as there is alot left unsettled at Havenfall after the incidents in this book. I am looking forward to seeing where the author takes this series in the future.

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Review: Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco

Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was really fun, and the chapter headings were some of the best I've seen. Chupeco takes fairy tale elements from some of the most beloved stories and uses them as elements in this adventure. She also weaves in her Filipino heritage and traditions into the story and characters in such a big way. I will say as someone not versed in that culture, I often had no idea what the characters were talking about when they were making reference to certain foods or things that would seem very natural to someone part of the culture. A bit of an explanation of what they were doing, eating, or wearing would have been helpful. It did make me go look all that stuff up, so if that was her goal, she succeeded in teaching me something.

Chupeco uses this novel to make a lot of social commentary and political statements. There are quite a few references to racial inequality, political corruption, and moral compass. While this does take place partially in a fairytale setting, there are some parallels with the real world. I think this is important for young readers especially if it gets them talking about big topics.

Because the author chose to utilize familiar fairy tale characters that we already know, there are a lot of characters to keep track of. I often find that when there are so many characters, they end up lacking development. This was the case here. I would have loved to see more development in the Bandersnatchers in particular. I hope to see them develop further in the next book. The plot meanders around quite a bit, causing the pace to lose steam in places. Everytime the group seems to be focused on their current task something derails them and no one seems to quite be in charge to get them back on track.

Overall, I really like the concept of this story and I'm looking forward to where it goes next. There are quite a lot of unanswered questions. The end was pretty unexpected, it was a pretty great twist that I don't think anyone saw coming.

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Blog Tour: Kiss of Vengeance by S. Young

A standalone paranormal romance from New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young, writing as S. Young.

This post was supposed to go up this morning, but apparently I forgot to hit publish on the post when I put it together the other day.  Better late than never right?  

Review

This is the second book in the True Immortality series by S. Young. This is a slow burn paranormal romance. Our characters, Fionn and Rose, are drawn to each other the first time they see each other, but they brush it off as lust. Fionn has lived for centuries and is driven by a quest for vengeance, while Rose is a nomad. She has always felt that she was looking for something that was missing in her life. When Fionn mysteriously shows up, Roses is trust into the world of the paranormal that she never knew existed but she has always secretly been apart of. Rose may be the key to Fionn finally achieving his revenge against the Queen of the Fae, however the more time they spend together the more he realizes he may not be able to sacrifice her for his vengeance. The bigger question is will he be able to give up his quest for revenge in order to keep her? You have to read the book to find out.

It is no secret that I'm a huge fan of Samantha's books. I am so happy she's decided to return to the paranormal romance genre. I loved this. The characters were well developed. As always, Sam writes great banter between her characters and she always creates excellent side characters that you'd want on your team in a dire situation. The story has a good pace and the plot developed nicely, giving Fionn's backstory as he and Rose get to know each other. We really get to know why he's so angry and why he feels vengeance is his only option. I really like that she's using all different sorts of paranormal creatures in this series. I also appreciated that this book tied back to the first one. This is 100% a standalone, but it does make mention to things that happened in the first book. It isn't necessary, but I recommend reading War of Hearts not because you need to, but because it's a good book. I'm really looking forward to the next book.

Excerpt

A thudding, prolonged bass, followed by electronic pop filled the club. The ethereal voice of Ruelle echoed around the room. Rose knew the song. It was called “Live Like Legends.”

She looked out into the crowd of dancers to see they were writhing together, their movements becoming more sexual as the music built to a crescendo. Wondering at the strange feeling that had descended over her, Rose searched the dancers for something—she didn’t know what. Perhaps for something that was out of place in the sixteenth-century building turned nightclub.

“Hej, ti, naša pića!” A customer snapped his fingers in her face.

It successfully yanked her from her study of the dancers. “Don’t snap your fingers at me.” She didn’t care if he couldn’t understand her. Her tone was of the universal language of, “I don’t take shit from anyone.”

He sneered but thankfully shut up.

She’d just finished serving the rude guy when the music hit its peak, the bass and drums deep and booming, strings—most likely violins—frenzied, beautiful, and the electronic pop sound Ruelle was known for building to a climax in the same style of an epic movie trailer. Awareness scored her spine, turning the damp, warm skin of her nape cool. It felt like strong fingers clasping her neck. 

The feeling was so ridiculously powerful, for a moment Rose thought there was someone touching her. She spun away from the cash register, nostrils flaring as she took in the space around her, finding not even her colleagues near. Both Petra and Josip were on the other side of the circle.

And that’s when she felt it.

Like all the air had evacuated the room.

Chest tight, Rose gasped as her gaze shifted over the parting crowds. Her feet moved without her command, stumbling toward the bar counter—as though someone had tied a rope around her, lassoing her. Holding her captive.

Then she saw him.

Head and shoulders above everyone else, she saw a hulking figure, hair of indiscriminate color illuminated every few seconds by the dancing beams of light. The crowd parted for him as he glided through the sea of bodies. For such a big man, he moved gracefully, light as air, impossibly so … almost otherworldly. 

Longish hair framed his bold face, the ends tickling his angular jawline. His nose was a sharp blade to match the sharp angles of his cheekbones. Thick stubble covered the lower half of his face, surrounding a mouth pressed tight with concentration as his head swung from left to right, as though he were searching for something or someone.

Rose swallowed hard, her mouth dry. The man was mammoth. He had to be over six and a half feet tall. If his height wasn’t enough to draw attention, the way he dressed was. The club was hot, yet he swept through the rabble wearing a dark three-piece suit and a long, black wool overcoat. 

He paused, his heavy brows drawing together. His body language reminded her of an animal catching a scent, alert, rigid—a hunter beneath that civilized attire. Then his head snapped in her direction and their eyes locked.

An invisible weight slammed into Rose’s chest, and she wheezed. Thankfully, the loss of breath lasted seconds, and she sucked in a huge gulp of air. “Fuck,” she whispered, shaking as the stranger continued to stare at her.

The lasers of light bounced off his face, highlighting eyes so green they couldn’t be human.

It’s the lasers, Rose told herself. No one’s eyes are that color unless they’re wearing contacts.

Nothing, however, explained the intensity of feeling that held her still beneath the man’s regard.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

S. Young is the pen name for Samantha Young, a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. She’s been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Author and Best Romance for her international bestseller On Dublin Street. On Dublin Street was Samantha’s first adult contemporary romance series and has sold in twenty-eight languages in thirty countries. True Immortality is Samantha’s first adult paranormal series written under the name S. Young.

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