Release Blitz: THE VARLET AND THE VOYEUR by Penny Reid & L.H. Cosway

The Varlet and the Voyeur, an all-new standalone in the USA Today bestselling Rugby Series from Penny Reid and L.H. Cosway is LIVE!

He kept his salacious secret for years. But soon, everyone is going to be reading about it in their morning paper…

THE VARLET (and the VOYEUR)

William Moore is a long way from home. A farm boy from Oklahoma, he’s now the most well-respected member of the Irish rugby team. But appearances are often deceptive, and Will isn’t the clean-cut, all-American good-guy everyone imagines him to be. He’s got a secret, one that will tarnish his reputation forever.

THE VOYEUR (and the VARLET)

Joesy Kavanagh is a self-proclaimed mess, but she’s finally get her shi…uh, act together. She’s set her sights on becoming a veterinarian, but there’s one teeny tiny road bump. Her living arrangements are coming to an abrupt end, leaving Joesy homeless and in need of a job to pay her way through college.

THE PLAN

What he needs is a companion to keep him on the right path.

What she needs is an apartment with free rent.

Will is convinced Joesy will make the perfect companion, since she’s brutally honest and basically ‘just one of the guys.’  Joesy is convinced she can ensure Will doesn’t succumb to his voyeuristic proclivities by keeping a scrupulous eye on him.

Except, what happens when the varlet is tempted by the voyeur, and vice-versa?!

Perchance something very, very volatile. And vexing.

The Varlet and the Voyeur is a full-length romantic comedy novel, can be read as a standalone, and is the 4^th(and last) book in the USA TODAY bestselling Rugby Series.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2l89gDn

Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/TheVarlet

 Add to GoodReads: https://bit.ly/2jqFMiU

Enter the giveaway to win a signed paperback of The Varlet and the Voyeur!

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Start the Series of standalones with The Hooker and the Hermit!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2wp3GoC

Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/TheHookerandtheHermit

Meet Penny Reid:

Penny Reid is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she just writes books. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.

Connect with Penny:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennyReidWriter/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lakzsD

Twitter: @ReidRomance

Newsletter: http://pennyreid.ninja/newsletter/

www.pennyreid.ninja

Meet L.H. Cosway:

L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favorite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.

She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.

Connect with L.H. Cosway:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LHCosway/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2jVTDk8

Twitter: @LHCosway

Newsletter: https://goo.gl/vkhYHN

Website: www.lhcoswayauthor.com

June TBR

I have a couple of ARCs I want to get to in June, and a couple of Popsugar Challenge Prompts I want to get to.  I'm not going to put too many things on my TBR this month because I just don't know what I want to read.  I need to get my ARCs read and reviewed, but I don't want to put too much pressure on myself and find myself in a reading slump.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• The Fragile Ordinary by Samantha Young
• I received an ARC of this via Edelweiss+.  Sam is one of my favorite authors, and while contemporary isn't my favorite genre, I'll read it if she wrote it.  I just love the way she writes and develops her characters.  This will be out on June 26th.
• Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
• I have a physical ARC of this.  Its a perfect family thriller.  It sounds awesome and creepy.  This comes out July 17th.
• Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
• This comes out in July as well, but I've had the ARC for a while and I want to get to it.  It is a Little Mermaid retelling and it looks amazing.  
• Attitude by Jay Wright
• We are hugh NCAA basketball fans in my house.  We've been to the tournament several times, and there is a game on atleast one TV once the season starts each fall.  I admire Jay Wright, I watched a documentary about how he develops his players on and off the court at Villanova.  He said he's developing young men not just basketball players, and I really respect that mentality.  His book was recommended to my son.  The reading challenge this year has a prompt for a book involving sports, and I can't think of a better book to fill it with.  

Audiobooks

I'm taking the same approach I did last month, I'm going to see what is available and what I'm in the mood for.  I have a ton of  challenge books I want to get to, and audio seems to be the best way to get to my challenge books and the other stuff I want to read.  If only there were more time in the day to read.

• The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
• I've heard great things about this series, and I just got the book in from the library, so we'll see how it goes.  It is narrated by one of my favorite narrators so I'm sure it will be great.
• Till Death by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• This is another book I have a copy of but haven't gotten to yet.  Hoopla has it so I'm hoping to get to it in June.  I'm a fan of Armentrout's thrillers.

Review: Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this. It follows Leah Wesfall during the goldrush era. Lee as she is known for much of the book, has a talent for finding gold. It calls out to her whenever she's near. Only Lee's parents know about her gold finding talent, which is both a blessing and a curse. As the residents get wind of the gold in California, Lee's parents are murdered, leaving Lee in the care of her estranged Uncle Hiram. Lee decides that she has to escape her Uncle's clutches and set off to find her best friend Jefferson and make it to California where her gold sense will be useful.

The only way Lee can think of to get to California safely on her own is by pretending to be a boy, so Leah becomes Lee and she makes her way west. She is hired by a prominent family to help out on their journey to California to stake their own claims. Lee's journey to find Jefferson and escaper her uncle is not without peril. The wagon train they are travelling with has a group of unsavory characters, who will leave you to die if you don't move quickly enough on the trail. The trail itself is dangerous enough and any illness, injury, or other emergency can set the whole group back. The men in charge don't like setbacks, as setbacks can cause more problems. As the story unfolds it becomes harder and harder for Lee to conceal her true identity and to keep her opinions to herself. As a woman she is fairly self suffient, but she learns that society has determined that she can’t own anything or have any rights without a husband. Her best friend Jefferson is in the same boat because his mother was a Cherokee Indian, as half Native American he has almost no rights. This was true of the time, and Carson touches on many of the racial and sexist issues that existed in that time period.

This book really reminded me of playing Oregon Trail in elementary school. I spent hours playing that game and trying to keep my electronic wagon trail family alive. I loved that game, so this book brought back happy memories of playing that game, but it was also respectful of the actual gravity of the situation that the true pioneers faced as they traveled west to find their fortunes.

I highly recommend the audiobook!


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May Wrap Up

I can't believe May is over already.  I had a pretty good reading month.  I didn't get to everything I planned to, but I read some things I hadn't planned on reading at all, I'll call that a win.  I read 3 ARCs, 3 E-books, 2 physical books, and listened to 8 audiobooks.  I haven't had time to write up reviews for eveyrhting this month.  I'm hoping to get caught up eventually.

Ebooks/ARCS

• Bad Boy Brody by Tijan (ARC)
• Review
• I got an ARC of this to review before it came out but it was pretty good.  Definitely an Adult Romance for the 18+ crowd.  It features two fairly broken main characters who find peace in each other.  
• Furyborn by Claire Legrand
• Review
• I really enjoyed this one.  This features angels, magical powers, action, assassins, what more could you want from a fantasy adventure?  I really liked the mythology Legrand created to go with the world
• Beard Science by Penny Reid
• I'm slowly getting caught up on the Winston Brother Series.  I only have one more to go. I've been dying to read Cletus' story, and it not disappoint.  I loved getting to know Jennifer and Cletus, and I always love seeing the rest of the Winston clan.  
• Moonlight Seduction by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Review
• This is another ARC I was able to review.  I really enjoyed this.  Is suspenseful, got a good romance, and the characters are interesting.  I love that the de Vincent house is almost a character of its own.  You aren't quite sure what to make of it.  I really enjoy this series.  
• The Oracle Queen and The Young Queens by Kendare Blake
• Review
• I recently read One Dark Throne, the 2nd book in the Three Dark Crowns series and was able to pick up the companion novellas.  I recommend them for fans of the series, neither really spoils anything

Physical Books

I do most of my reading on my kindle because its convenient, but I have lots of physical books.  Most of them I've read already, but I do have a large stack that I need to get to some day.  With baseball and soccer season in full effect now that spring is cooperating, I tend to read actual books this time of year.  I don't have one of those cool kindles that you can read in the sun, so my physical books come out during the spring and summer.

• The Martian by Andy Weir
• I picked this up at my library's annual used book sale.  I started it got a couple of chapters in and put it down.  I just couldn't get into it.  I picked it back up and wasn't able to put it down.  I loved all the science and Mark Watney's humor.  I always wanted to be an astronaut but I'll have to settle for vicariously living through books.  I recently purchased the movie so I can continue my enjoyment of the book, I hope the movie is just as good as the book.
• Oblivion by Kelly Creagh
• I read the first two books in this series quite some time ago, but my libary didn't have the 3rd book.  On a whim I checked to see if they had a physical copy, one of the other branches had it and I was able to get it sent to me.  While it was confusing at times, I think partly because it's been so long since I was in this world, and partly because there is so much going on, its a good ending to Isobel and Varen's story.  I really enjoyed all of the dark world building and Poe references.  Overall I really liked the series.

Audiobooks

I didn't have much on my to listen to list for May, but as usual I still got through a ton of audiobooks.  I just kind of went with whatever was available this month.  I normally have a ton of items on hold or on my wishlist.  May was just kind of adhoc.

• A Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss
• Review
• After waiting forever for this audiobook, I was surprised to find out that it was less than 4 hours long.  It is a delightful, strange story about one of the side characters in The Kingkiller Chronicles named Auri.  Auri is a strange character and we meet her in The Name of the Wind, she is odd and her strangeness is explored quite a bit in this short story.  I quite enjoyed it.
• The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare
• I loved this.  Magnus is such a great side character in both The Infernal Devices and the Mortal Instruments, but we only get to know a little about the real Magnus.  I love that this is dedicated to him and we get to see his backstory and his true nature.  Part of this are laugh out loud hilarous and the one liners are great.  I really liked getting to know not only Magnus but we also get to know Raphael better as well as some of the other side characters that make appearances throughout the series but may have only had small mentions or minor parts.
• Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
• It has been a while since delving back into the Shadowhunter universe.  I needed a book with a time of day in the title for my reading challenge and I've been wanting to read this anyway.  It fits right in with the series.  It has the same feel as the Mortal Instruments series, forbidden love, murder, paranormal characters, teen angst.  If you are a fan of the original series you'll enjoy this as I did.  
• The Prophecy by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• I've been waiting for this to come out on audio forever.  The book has been out for a while,but I loved the audio of The Power so much I wanted to finish up the series on audio.  This one focuses heavily on the romance between Seth and Josie, so it is heavily contemporary while still maintaining the mythology plot line with the Titans and the action we've come to love that follows the Army of Awesome.
• The Hooker and the Hermit by L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid
• If you read any of my posts, you know I'm a huge fan of Penny Reid, she co-authors this series with L.H. Cosway.  The 4th book in The Rugby Series comes out in mid-June and I still haven't picked this up.  I have a copy in ebook, but I have more time to listen than I do to read so I grabbed it from Hoopla.  I didn't love this, its not bad, it just doesn't fit my taste.  I am going to use this for another challenge prompt for a book written by 2 authors.
• Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
• I picked this up as a challenge prompt for a book made into a move I've already seen.  The movie was pretty funny, and this is the rare time that I liked the move adaptation better.  I really didn't care for the book at all.  The movie was more of a comedy where this was more gruesome and dark.  I think I was expecting it to be more like the movie and because my expectations were different than what I got it really impacted my enjoyment of the book.  Plus I really don't enjoy most zombie books or movies.  Its just not my preferred genre.
• Chainbreaker by Tara Sim
• This is a continuation of the Timekeeper series.  It follows Danny and Colton on another adventure.  Their romance is a bit more intense in this one, and they both are trying to uncover the secret behind clock towers falling in India.  There is quite a bit more action in this one.  
• Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
• I'm working on this one right now.  Its pretty short so I'm going to count it as completed in May because I'll likely finish it before the month is out.  So far its pretty strange, but I think that is part of the appeal.  I think I'm might be able to use this for another challenge prompt.

Review: Moonlight Seduction by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Moonlight Seduction by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.  This book will be released on June 26, 2018.

We return to the de Vincent compound in this second installment of the series and follow the 2nd of the de Vincent brothers, Gabe. Gabe has recently had his world turned upside down, and to add to the chaos in his life Nikki walks back into his life. Nikki is the daughter of the long time housekeeper and butler of the de Vincents, she grew up around the house and all of the brothers know her. She's been away at college, but she always had a crush on Gabe. Gabe always looked out for her and treated her kindly. Nikki has recently graduated from college and she's come home to help her parents out at the mysterious de Vincent household while her mom is going through treatement for cancer. Nikki and Gabe didn't part well when she left, and naturally their reunion is not a happy one. They agree to keep away from each other, but they can't deny that there is something between them. They take their time building their friendship back up, and as you can imagine things eventually heat up and their romance takes off.

Meanwhile, there are always strange things afoot at the de Vincent house. Strange noises can always be heard, doors open and close when no one is around, and people go crazy. Nikki grew up in this crazy house, so she isn't a stranger to the supposedly haunted house, so she just goes about her duties. Strange things keep happening to Nikki as if someone or something is out to get her. Now I will say I figured out who the villain was pretty early on, however I didn't expect the plot twist at the end.

I will say that despite the fact that Nikki doesn't always make the best choices, she has backbone. She speaks up for herself, especially with Gabe. She finds herself in positions where she is being disrespected and put down, and she'll do something to let the person know that she isn't going to let people just walk all over her. I also like that, and this is true in most of Armentrout's books, that the characters talk through their problems. It might take them a while to get to the point and tell each other all of their secrets, but they eventually get all of the information out on the table and resolve their issues. In this particular story, there is a significant age gap between the characters, which was part of the drama between them in the first place, but they worked it out and didn't let it stop them.

I'm very excited to continue the series and learn more about Devlin.  He is the most mysterious and closed off of the 3 brothers, and I can't wait to find out more about his back story and see if love will soften him a little.


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Release Blitz: Cocktales

Cocktales, a limited-release anthology of original, never before published material, from some of your favorite bestselling authors is available now!

Each story was specifically written for this anthology.

The goal of the Cocktales Anthology is to raise funds to fight against obstruction of creative expression. Specifically, what we believe are obstruction attempts through the trademarking of common (single) words for titicular use in books / or as a book series (eBooks, print, and audio).

Cocktales will only be available May 26th-August 26th.

Download your copy today:

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

Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/Cocktales

Amazon Print: https://amzn.to/2rUn33i

iBooks: https://apple.co/2IoO7CM

Nook: https://bit.ly/2k0i25J

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

Google Play: https://bit.ly/2ImisBR

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/CockTalesGR

Contributing Authors Include:

Nana Malone, USA Today Bestselling author – Foreword

Dylan Allen – 'Cocked and Loaded'

Jana Aston, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Double Cocked'

Whitney Barbetti – 'Cocksure Grin'

Author Sawyer Bennett, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'A Wicked, Cocky Plan'

K.f. Breene, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Magical Cock and Bull'

Ruth Clampett, Amazon top 20 Bestselling Author – 'Don’t Get Cocky'

L.H. Cosway, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Illusionist Seeks Neanderthal'

Mariah Dietz – 'Landmines'

Amy Daws, Amazon Top 25 Bestselling author – 'Cock and Balls'

BB Easton, Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author – 'Cocky BB: Two Boys, One Prom.'

Jaymin Eve, USA Today Bestselling author – 'The Cockier the Dragon, the Harder They Fall'

Emma Hart, NYT and USA Today Bestselling author – 'Tricky Bond'

Staci Hart, Amazon Top 10 Bestselling author – 'Cockamamie'

Jessica Hawkins, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Couture'

Julie Johnson Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author – 'Culinary Cock-Up'

Karpov Kinrade, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Crimson Cocktail'

Adriana Locke, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Swag'

Lex Martin, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Love & Hate at the Stallion Station'

Aly Martinez, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Going Down'

Katyi McGee - USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocksure Co-Star'

Corinne Michaels, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cockblocked'

Liv Morris, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Getting It Up'

Red Phoenix, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Her Cocky Russian'

Daisy Prescott, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Confessions of a Cockblocked Wingman'

Jessica Prince – ‘A Cocky Corruption Engagement’

Meghan Quinn, Amazon Top 20 Bestselling Author – 'Fight or Flight'

CD Reiss, NYT and USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Capo'

Penny Reid, WSJ and USA Today Bestselling author – 'Beard and Hen'

Julie Richman, USA Today Bestselling author – 'The Color of Love'

Aleatha Romig, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Aligned'

Kennedy Ryan, Top 40 Amazon Bestselling author – 'All'

Kylie Scott, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Short Story with Mal and Anne from The Stage Dive Series'

Sierra Simone, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Until the Cock Crows'

Tara Sivec, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Chocolate and Cockup'

Kate Stewart, Amazon Top 30 Bestselling author – 'The Golden Sombrero'

Leia Stone, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Alpha'

Karla Sorensen – 'Tristan & Anna: A Bachelors of the Ridge short story'

Rachel Van Dyken, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Mafia'

April White, Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author – 'Code of Conduct'

*ALL* net profits will be donated to:

 Authors already impacted by creative-obstruction (10%), and Romance Writers of America (RWA) (90%) as a general donation intended for their Advocacy Fund.

*Disclaimer: This anthology is not being conducted on behalf of RWA, nor does RWA endorse this anthology or effort. They have, however, graciously agreed to accept the funds.

For more information, visit: https://www.cockyauthors.com

Review: Three Dark Crowns Novellas by Kendare Blake

I recently listened to On Dark Throne on audio and learned that there were two companion novellas that go with the series.  My library had them on ebook so I put them on hold and read them when they came in.  They are pretty short, so you could read them in a sitting or two depending on how much time you have to devote to reading.  I really enjoy this series and I'm looking forward to book three when it comes out.  These are nice companions to the series, not required, but fans of the series will appreciate what they have to tell and enjoy being back in the world.

I read these individually, but there is a bind up that includes both of them called Queens of Fennbirn.  I combined my review because they are fairly short and I don't want to spoil to much if you haven't read the first two full books or the novellas.

The Oracle Queen by Kendare Blake

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was really excited to read this as the Oracle Queen is mentioned several times in books 1 & 2. This is the true story of what happened to the Oracle Queen Elsabet. This was OK, but it wasn't everything I was expecting. We get the story, and it is full of the typical plotting and political aspirations of the various members of the Black Council. The Queen is the Queen, but everyone around her aspires to be in

charge and tell her what to do with her power.

I wanted more from this than I got. It has the potential to add so much to the series, but I'm left wanting. We do learn some new things, but I'm not sure if they will impact the story going forward or add anything to the series. Elsabet doesn't ever use her gift, she gets a dream but thats it. Thre is a ton of backstabbing and plotting which after reading the rest of the books in the series you should expect, but usually that is accompanied by fantasy elements and action. There isn't much action in this, just politics until the end when there is a flurry of action and then its all over.

This is a decent novella, I just wanted more from it. I'm glad I read it and learned what I did about the Oracle Queen, but I just feel like the execution could have been better.

The Young Queens by Kendare Blake

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a nice little companion novella to Three Dark Crowns and One Dark Throne. If you've read those this gives a glimpse into the Queens as young girls living at the Black Cottage. If you haven't read the other books this contains some spoilers, if you have it doesn't spoil anything you don't already know.

We get to know each of the girls a little as they are first split up from each other and taken to each of their foster families when they are 6. We learn a bit about each of the families and how the girls were treated as children. We know how they act and are treated as grown women about to fight for the crown, but they weren't always "part of the family".

This particular novella didn't really expand the world or any of the information from the first two novels. We do get some more information on the characters and some of the events that happen to the queens as children that mold them into the women they become when we meet them in Three Dark Crowns. It is a nice companion, as a fan of the series I really enjoyed it. It isn't required information to understand what is going on in the series, but it was a nice treat.

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