Friday, August 31, 2018

Josh + Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by CHRISTINA LAUREN

Josh + Hazel’s
Guide to Not Dating
by CHRISTINA LAUREN



ON SALE SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

Most men can’t handle Hazel. With the energy of a toddler and the mouth of a sailor, they’re often too timid to recognize her heart of gold. JOSH AND HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING tells the story of two people who are definitely not dating, no matter how often they end up in bed together.

Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take—and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter means she’ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She’s a good soul in search of honest fun.

Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met—when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes—to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.

Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them...right?

REVIEW(S)


4 STARS

Hazel Bradford is awkward, lacks a filter and really just wants to find her person. Josh Im first meets Hazel in college and their first few encounters definitely leave an impression on him. Several years in the future, they meet up again by happenstance. 

Josh discovers his long-term girlfriend has been cheating and wants nothing to do with dating again. Hazel and he devise a plan to set each other up on double blind dates and the mayhem that usually ensues from their plan is fun to read. Everyone around them can see what's happening, but they're both oblivious to what's right in front of them.

This was a fun, cute read. If you're looking for something fun and funny and mostly lighthearted, I believe this would fit the bill. 




Advanced copy received for an honest and voluntary review.




ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of longtime writing partners Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. They are New York Times, USA Today, and #1 international bestselling authors of the Beautiful and Wild Seasons series, Sublime, The House, Dating You/Hating You and the critically acclaimed Autoboyography. Roomies (released December 2017), has been optioned for film by Jenna Dewan’s company Everheart Productions, with Christina and Lauren set to write the screenplay.  


JOSH + HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING
by Christina Lauren
Gallery Books | Paperback | On-sale September 4, 2018 | 320 pages | ISBN: 9781501165856, $16.00
eBook: 9781501165863, $8.99


FIND THEM ONLINE:
Twitter: @ChristinaLauren
Instagram: @ChristinaLauren


ASSETS:

BUY LINKS (US):

BUY LINKS (UK)

BUY LINKS (AUS)

Thursday, August 30, 2018

COVER REVEAL & GIVEAWAY ~ THE TRIANGLE BY JA HUSS & JOHNATHAN MCCLAIN

 




The Triangle 

JA Huss & Johnathan McClain

Publication date: September 25th 2018
Genres: Erotica, Romance, Suspense

They’re sworn enemies and I’m in the middle.
Both of them claimed me. Had me. Used me. Forgot me.
Except… I don’t remember any of it. I don’t even know who I am or why I’m in this cramped basement apartment with tinfoil covering the tiny windows when my bank account says I have over two million dollars.
I don’t know how I got the stitches on the back of my head, or the scar under my chin, or the ache in my shoulder—but I do know I probably deserved it.
I don’t know why there’s a shotgun in the closet, a sniper rifle under the floorboards, and a pistol under my pillow.
I don’t know why I stay.
I don’t know why I care.
I don’t know why I’m trying to put something back together when it was never whole to begin with.
Until I look at them.
Until they look at me.
Until I touch them.
Until they touch me.
And even though the memories don’t come back.
I know.
I know why I stay.



Author Bio:
Two accomplished writers come together to create unforgettable sexy romance. JA Huss is the New York Times bestselling author of 321 and has been on the USA Today bestsellers list eighteen times. Johnathan McClain is a veteran actor and writer whose work, either performed or written, is probably airing on at least one of the channels on your television right now. You can contact them on their website www.hussmcclain.com or find them at their social links below.
STALK JULIE
FACEBOOK / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM
STALK JOHNATHAN
FACEBOOK / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM

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Monday, August 27, 2018

CREW by Tijan


TIJAN


CREW

YA (1st in series)



Summary:
To survive where I live, you have two options.
You can be a Normal—a cheerleader, jock, member of the debate team, or on the yearbook committee. You pretend everything is normal.

Or you can be crew.
You insult us? We hurt you.
You hurt us? We really hurt you.
And if you f*ck with us, we will end you.


My name is Bren.
I’m the only female in the Wolf Crew—the best, fiercest, and most dangerous crew there is—and we have a rule: There's no falling in love.


Well… too late.



**Full-length novel. First book in a YA Series. This book is dark, violent, and not for the faint of heart.** 


Links

Available for a limited time across all platforms. Then, it will enter KINDLE UNLIMITED. For those of you unfamiliar with KU, please see the informational post below.


Paperback: preorder will be up soon! 
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Date August 27
This is 100% a new series from TIJAN. All new characters in the Tijanverse and is intended for mature audiences only.

What is Kindle Unlimited?
Kindle Unlimited is a subscription that allows you to access a large selection of titles from the Kindle Store. ... You can keep up to ten titles to read on any Amazon device or Kindle reading app and there are no due dates.

 



Reviewed by:

Crew by Tijan


I’m not a big YA reader & rarely pick up these type of books but Tijan is usually the exception to the rule for me, as she writes younger characters so well.



The story is told from Bren’s prospective who is in her last year at High School & at 17 she’s had a pretty rough start to life which has left her angry & closed off to everyone but her “Crew”.

A crew is different from a gang as they don’t have the “in for life mentality”. Bren is part of the Wolf Crew who consist of Jordan (the unspoken leader), Zelleman, Cross & Bren -who’s the only girl. A Crew is like family, they have each other’s backs always and are fiercely loyal.
There is the usual typical drama involving the catty cheerleader & jocks groups all vying for top dog position & if you’re a fan of FCH you’ll probably enjoy this new series too.
One of the “rules” of Crew is that no couples are allowed & this story follows the struggle between Bren & Cross who are best friends.
You are introduced to another much bigger Crew & some secondary characters who I’m sure this series will carry on with further books about.


How I felt about this book- I am sad to say, it wasn't my favorite by this author.
The story actually fell a little short for me, I personally didn't think it was as "dark" as it was promoted as. It was a bit over the top in certain areas, like some of Bren's actions. I would like to think I would give this series another chance and continue on, as I otherwise enjoy this author, and am hoping it was just a shaky beginning to the series.

I give it a 2.75* out of 5






Tuesday, August 21, 2018

RELEASE BLITZ - BEAUTY FOUND by Tillie Cole







































EVEN IN HELL, THERE IS BEAUTY TO BE FOUND.

There is life before the Hangmen.There is life before your soulmate is found.
There is life even when all seems lost.

Shane ‘Tank’ Rutherford is just seventeen when, escaping his father’s lethal fists, he ends up on the streets. Fighting for survival, he finds himself suddenly saved. Saved by a group that takes him under their wing.
A group that everyone knows . . . the Texas Ku Klux Klan.
Years later, Tank is disillusioned from the Klan and what they stand for. Recently released from prison, he is lost in a world he no longer knows. He is on his own. Until he picks up a woman hitchhiking on the side of a road. A beauty queen dressed in pink.

Susan-Lee Stewart is done with the crowns. She’s done with the glitz and glamor of pageant life. And she’s done with the bruises . . . the bruises gifted by the one person who should love her unconditionally—her mother.
Seconds after taking yet another pageant title, Susan-Lee makes a split decision and flees the stage. Flees the glossy life of a pageant queen, flees her violent mother . . . and jumps straight on the back of a tattooed muscled god’s motorcycle . . .
And never looks back.
As Susan-Lee holds tightly to Tank’s waist, neither of them know it’s a chance meeting that will change both their lives, and their hearts, forever.

There are stories of how you find your other half.There are stories of how someone can save your soul when all hope is lost.
Before they were Tank and Beauty, they were Shane and Susan-Lee.Two lost hearts who, together, were finally found.

Contemporary dark romance. Contains scenes of violence, offensive language, mature topics and sexual situations.
Beauty Found: A Novella (Hades Hangmen 6.5) is to be read AFTER Crux Untamed. Recommended for ages 18 and over.














Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city.

After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.

Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.

Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.

When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of chocolate.


Author Links











Friday, August 17, 2018

Maverick ~ Lilly Atlas - Release Tour

Title: Maverick
Series: Hell's Handlers MC
Author: Lilly Atlas
Genre: MC Romance
Release Date: August 14, 2018
Stephanie Little firmly believes the world exists in two states: right and wrong, good and evil, unlawful and law-abiding. She chose her side the moment she joined the FBI and pledged to rid the world of as many criminals as possible.
Maverick is everything Stephanie isn’t: inked, pierced, flirty, masculine as sin, but most of all, an outlaw. When corruption in Stephanie’s crime-fighting world lands her in the clutches of a dangerous gangster, Maverick is there to keep her sane and battle for her protection. 
With Stephanie’s neat existence so turned around that she can no longer distinguish the good from the evil, she finds herself thrust into a world so gray she can’t see three feet in front of her face. To survive the confusion, she turns to the only person who keeps her grounded—the sexy outlaw who melts her heart and weakens her knees.
But law enforcement and criminals can never mix. Not in the way her body and heart are begging for. At some point, someone is going to learn her secret, and when that happens, her fierce protector could become her greatest enemy.


The second book in what's turned out to be a really good series, but I will warn you there are some pretty big triggers in this book such as violence against women and kidnapping. 

This book begins where book 1 left off with Maverick, the Road Captain of his club, The Hell's Handlers, being held captive by a ruthless rival gang, The Grey Dragons, who are also neck deep in  human trafficking. FBI Agent Stephanie Little is looking for her fellow FBI agent who is embedded in The Grey Dragons club when she's found and taken by them. Maverick decides even in as bad of  shape as he is at the hands of his captors he needs to do everything he can to keep Stephanie safe.

The chemistry was there between these two the moment they were shoved into the same cell together. My heart broke for Maverick and his turbulent youth. Stephanie was what I call a "borderline" character for me. Meaning she could tip the scales in either direction for me. I get why she lied in the beginning of the book to Mav and his brothers about being a FBI agent, but these guys saved her life. She knew about her fellow agent as soon as she was captured and yet she still lied to herself about it all. Then she kept lying to herself and kept backing up her own lies to herself!  She allowed herself to be manipulated by her boss at the FBI when she knew what she was doing would benefit his career vs going with what she felt was right. I didn't like that about her.

But all in all I did really like this book and I can't wait to get book 3. And another note, you MUST read book 1 of this series before starting this story or you'll be a lost as to what's going on. I give this book 5 stars.

The world existed in two states: right and wrong. At least that’s how Stephanie Little had always seen it. A clear, divisive line separating saints and sinners kept life manageable. Good and evil. Truth and lies. Rule followers and rule breakers. Criminals and law-abiding citizens. All the murky gray areas and half-truths were just excuses and loopholes for people who weren’t willing to make the right choices. After careful consideration, Stephanie always made the right choice or at least she tried to. And if she didn’t, she owned it and faced the consequences of her actions. The split between right and wrong was what drew her to law enforcement straight out of high-school. Well, that and the fact that she grew up with the police chief for a father. Born and raised in Pittsburg, she’d hardcore hero worshiped her father through her childhood. He’d received countless commendations for his life-saving work reducing the murder and crime rates in their city. Stephanie had wanted that. Craved the opportunity to leave that kind of mark on the world. Rid the planet of some darkness and inject good back for those who deserved it. Those who followed the rules and lived in the light. So, at twenty-one, with a shiny new criminal justice degree, she’d joined the police academy. Dreams of confiscating drugs, saving kidnapped children, and locking up murders powered her to the top of her class. On the eve of graduation, her father showed up at the apartment she shared with another female cadet. In a matter of twenty minutes, he’d shattered Stephanie’s perfectly compartmentalized world. “Steppy,” he’d said in the way her younger brother used to say her name. Jake had trouble with the F sound until he was four, but by then the name stuck and she’d been Steppy to her family from then on. “I know you’re excited to graduate and eager to dive into your first position with the PPD, but I need to tell you something important.” She’d frowned and leaned her head on her father’s broad shoulder. “What’s that, Dad?” “The world doesn’t always work the way you think it does, Step. You see black and you see white. Well, honey, in the real world, those colors don’t even exist. It’s all a grayscale. You need to know that, really know it, in order to survive the life you chose for yourself. There may be things you’re called on to do that don’t fit neatly into the boxes you’ve created.” That conversation was the beginning of the end of her relationship with her father. She’d smiled, nodded, and told him what he wanted to hear, but rolled her eyes the moment he left. He was older, nearing retirement, out of touch with the way the world worked. Such youthful arrogance and ignorance. But Stephanie managed to hold on to her ideals through her first year on the force. Even when her father lost his position in a shameful bribery scandal that earned him fifteen years in prison, she hadn’t budged. He’d done the crime, he deserved the time. Then, somehow, she made it through two years working for the FBI before her perfectly divided world was smashed to bits. And it wasn’t smashed with a sledgehammer either. No, a damn wrecking ball in the form on an undercover assignment crashed through the glass house she lived in, launching millions of sharp shards at her delicate skin. And it hurt. God, did it hurt. “One more chance, bitch. What the fuck are you doin’ here?” some dead-eyed brute asked her about five seconds after his fist connected with her face. For the second time. The second punch disoriented her for a second. Long enough to lose her sense of upright and meet the ground. On all fours, with palms and knees throbbing from the bits of gravel and dirt embedded in the skin, Stephanie spit out blood that had pooled in her mouth from the split lip. “Hiking,” she said, the sound a bit muffled from her swollen lip. “Got lost.” And…damn…who knew talking with a split lip would hurt so damn much. Tears pooled in her eyes, but she’d rather die than let one of those suckers slip free. She wasn’t the toughest of chicks out there…physically at least. A few arrests during her time as a beat cop had resulted in physical altercations with bumps and bruising. She’d always put on a tough mask in front of her fellow cops but bawled like a baby in the privacy of her own home. Dead-eyes threw back his head and laughed before looking at his buddy, a guy so overweight, Stephanie was pretty sure she could outrun him even if they broke both her legs. “You believe this bitch, Top?” he asked the larger man. Top grunted and shook his head, his many chins wobbling like Jello. “Fuck no. No reason for a bitch to be hiking out here, Shark. Ain’t even any fuckin’ trails.” Like he would know? Stephanie bit back the smart-assed remark on the tip of her tongue. Silence was her best bet. Plus, this little gangbanger pow-wow gave her a second to reorient and breath through the pain. “What about you, King? You believe her?” The man called Shark asked the man on his right and Stephanie held her breath. This was it. Her way out. Sure, there’d be hell to pay later for the rookie-level mistake of getting busted snooping in the woods outside their compound, but she’d take an ass chewing form her boos over being beat to shit or worse by pissed off gang members. All her partner, Eric, or King to these pieces of shit had to say was that he believed her. Saw her tromping around like an idiot. Spotted her looking lost and stupid in the woods. He could volunteer to drop her somewhere and scare the piss out of her so she wouldn’t talk. Shark and the Top dude were scary as fuck and she wanted gone in the worst way. “No I don’t fuckin’ believe this, bitch,” King said, lifting his military grade rifle and stomping forward until the weapon was pressed dead center against her forehead. “I say we just waste her now. Bury her and get back to those bitches we left naked and needy.” What. The. Fuck. Stephanie had never worked so hard in her life as she did to keep the shock off her face and the vile words in her mouth. Calm down. King wasn’t serious. He couldn’t be. Her partner was a veteran FBI agent for crying out loud. There had to be a plan to get her out bouncing around in his head. That knowledge helped her relax despite the fact one twitch of King’s finger would splatter her brains all over the Tennessee woods. “Nah,” Shark said. “Where’s the fun in that? Let’s take her with us. A few hours hanging with the boys and she’ll be ready to talk.” Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. She stared hard into King’s eyes trying to send him a mental message. This was as bad for him as it was for her. They’d torture her for information and she’d crack. Everyone cracked. Especially if they had zilch training in enduring torture. “Who gives a fuck why she’s here? Let me kill her and be fuckin done with it.” Stephanie was in serious danger of puking all over the forest floor. As she stared at her partner of two years, the partner who taught her everything she knew about working for the FBI, the partner who teased her endlessly for her opinions on the black and white nature of the world, his lips quirked. And she knew. There were no fucking shades of gray. She’d been right all along. Only black. Only white. And King had officially been swallowed by the darkness. He’d always told her working undercover would change her view of the world. That undercover agents often had to live the life of a criminal and learn to deal with living in the shadows for the sake of doing good. But this wasn’t a case of doing what he had to maintain cover. This was a monster who wore human skin for a time and managed to fool even the most skeptical. “What the fuck did I say, King?” Shark asked. “I want her at the compound. You can kill her eventually, but it’s been a shit week. The boys need some fun first.” Stephanie swallowed. Boys? Fun? There weren’t too many ways to interpret that. The gun fell away from her head and she sat back on her heels. Why? What was so appealing about this lifestyle that a decorated FBI agent would do a one-eighty and betray everything he once stood for. Money? Frustration with the system? Sticking it to the man? It seemed too dramatic to be making a point. The ultimate hissy fit. “Let’s roll,” Shark said, turning on his heel and strolling toward the building she could see through the trees in the distance. The fat one leered at her for a second more before waddling after his master like an overfed but well-trained dog. Somewhat alone with her partner, Stephanie rose to her feet. Whatever was about to happen, it would happen while she was on her knees in front of him. He’d have to look her full in the eye. For one second, she had the insane urge to call out to Shark. To yell as loud as she could and let the scumbag know his precious King was an undercover FBI agent. It wouldn’t matter if he pledged his loyalty to Shark forever. He’d be killed. That’s how it worked with gangs. Nothing less than he deserved at that moment. But she didn’t give into that urge. Because it would be wrong. And she always chose right. “Why?” she whispered when Shark was out of earshot. King grunted and shook his head. “So fucking naΓ―ve, Stephanie. You always have been. It’s all gray out here.” No. She refused to believe it. This situation was clearly not on any gray spectrum. King was evil. Plain and simple. “No, Eric, I’m not naΓ―ve. But you sure are a fucking traitor.” “You’ll never get it. And you’ll never survive this world. Wake the fuck up,” King said as he thrust his right arm forward and rammed the butt of his rifle into her head. His murderous expression was the last thing she saw before her vision blacked.
Lilly Atlas is a contemporary romance author, proud Navy wife, and mother of two spunky girls. By day she works as a physical therapist for a hospital in Virginia. Lilly is an avid romance reader, and expects her Kindle to beg for mercy every time she downloads a new eBook. Thankfully, it hasn’t happened yet, and she can often be found absorbed in a good book.
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