Mellie Jamison is afraid of the world after her security and innocence were stolen as a teen. Now in her early twenties, she’s content with her secluded lifestyle and her cat... at least, that's what she tells herself. When a grandfather she never met leaves her an abandoned house, she has no choice but to set out on a journey she never wanted to take.
Smith Porter was living his dream until he was forced to give up his job as a police officer and return home to take over the family business. He’s now alone in the world, merely surviving on memories and emotionless attachments. So when his old partner calls in a favor, Smith agrees to flip the neglected house and keep an eye on Jay's baby sister.
He’s a master at restoration and rebuilding, but Smith never expected that tearing the walls down around Mellie's heart to be his most difficult project yet. And when her life is threatened, keeping her safe is the most important job he’ll ever have.
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The author is hosting a release day giveaway on her page. This Giveaway is open to everyone who enters!
Anna began writing when she thought the world would want to hear her sick lyrics through song. Since then, she's realized her childhood dream wasn't so far-fetched, just misguided. Now she writes romance with real emotions and happy endings. If Anna isn't writing or reading, she can be found by a space heater drinking a ridiculous amount of Diet Dr Pepper. She also likes to hang out with her husband and two boys. If it wasn't for them, she wouldn't ever leave the house. Anna was born in Wisconsin but now lives in the Evergreen State.
A tragic accident in the middle of an immobilizing blizzard joins Gavin Fletcher and Chloe Cabot, uniting two tarnished souls on a life-changing journey that defies the odds of their haunting pasts in BLEMISHED, the new novel by Amazon bestselling author of erotic romance Juliet Braddock.
Beautiful and imaginative, Chloe struggles to survive the daily grind of life in Chicago. An artist who never dared to explore her dreams, she takes pride in her independence and fends for herself at all costs.
A young advertising executive who’s rising fast within the industry, Gavin has built an ordered and precise life, but he’s much more lonesome than he’ll ever admit.
Both exist in worlds veiled in secrecy.
On the surface, Gavin’s life exudes perfection. He’s building his own thriving business, but beneath that slick exterior, he’s hiding the truth about his enigmatic lifestyle.
Chloe, on the other hand, has been dealt a rough hand in life. As details of her heart-wrenching past emerge, she fears she might lose Gavin for good.
Together, though, they discover solace in each other’s arms. While Chloe blossoms as Gavin’s submissive under his tough but tender tutelage, she wonders if he might just be the one to break the façade of fear that surrounded her heart.
Just as emotion transforms them from reluctant strangers into unlikely but enduring lovers, heartbreak strikes their relationship again, forcing an unforeseen reversal of roles.
Amazon bestselling author Juliet Braddock’s first efforts in
creative writing came long before she learned to put crayon to paper. In fact, she began spinning stories in her
head nearly as soon as she could form complete sentences. As long as she can remember, she’d always
created sagas about imaginary friends, family members and pop culture icons,
and kept everyone around her entertained with her witty—but often very
tall—tales.
For her sixth Christmas, Juliet’s mother got her a child’s
typewriter to preserve all of those creative thoughts filling her head, but she
quickly switched to ball point pens and notebooks when the ribbon ran dry.
Most of Juliet’s early attempts at writing romance focused on
members of Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet or young leading men on Broadway. However, as she matured as a writer, she
decided that it was just as much fun to create her own romantic heroes and
heroines.
At an early age, she also developed a love for big cities,
and the tallest of skyscrapers were never high enough for her. Juliet’s wanderlust would eventually lure her
to New York, a city she often visited during her formative years, and her love
affair with Manhattan began. She’d
promised herself that one day she would return for good.
Juliet’s passion for writing and for big cities converged,
and after graduating with a degree in Journalism, she decided to set out on a
journey to find her heart…just where she’d left it.
A week after her college graduation, Juliet made the big move
from a small town to New York City, where she has made her home ever since.
In between building a career in communications and writing on
the side, she’s indulged in international travel, theater and art. A wine and food buff, she’s by no means a
connoisseur, but she can give a few good restaurant recommendations if you’re
in the city.
“There’s something so inspiring about living in a city like
New York that’s so rich in culture and so very vibrant. Every neighborhood has
its own story to tell,” Juliet says. “I
often do my best plotting on the subway, just observing the lives unfolding around
me. New York truly has a billion stories
nestled between the skyscrapers.”
A proud Manhattanite, Juliet couldn’t live anywhere
else—except for Paris, perhaps—and is a gushing cat-mom to a Russian Blue mix
who was rescued as a kitten from the streets of Brooklyn.
Blurb Gin Bonham lives with a dark secret. Born with an ability she never wanted, she builds her life around science and logic, running from the terror she is capable of causing. When sexy stranger Mathias spots her on a dance floor and cuts in, he leads Gin in a sensual rhythm that continues long after the music stops. But Mathias hides the fact that he knows exactly what she can do: in the deepest recesses of her mind lurks the power to manipulate fire. Destiny is coming for her and it doesn’t care if she’s ready or not.
Mathias possesses tracking and espionage skills so extraordinary that his fellow Lash demons call him The Hunter. Pursue and interrogate. He never fails. When he is tasked with coaxing Gin to work with the Lash demons against a common enemy, he relishes the challenge. But meeting her awakens a new, primal drive that pulls him toward her even as his tactics break her heart.
Failing to win Gin’s cooperation is not an option. But she is determined to flee, putting thousands of miles between her and any other supernatural creatures, including Mathias. Can she cool the charred embers of her emotions enough to forgive Mathias and embrace what she was meant to become? Or will her ability explode into something more than she can control? Review
In the
third book of the Solsti Prophecy series, we meet the third Solsti sister, Gin Bonham,
and we already met Matthias, a very gifted Lash demon warrior, in the last
book. Gin controls the element of fire and she’s terrified of it, so much so
that she refuses to use it. Mathias and his sister, Ria, pretend to be human
and befriend her to keep her safe.
Matthias
is different from most Lash demons because he’s an excellent tracker and can
find anyone or anything. He does a lot of undercover work and he’s not afraid
of getting his hands dirty.
Ria is a
vibrant, strong, wonderful character and I love her interactions with her
brother. They have total respect and trust for one another, and it’s refreshing
to see a brother treat his little sister as an equal, not as someone he has to
protect or put double standards on.
Though I
enjoyed this book, I couldn’t connect with the heroine, Gin. I liked her
stubbornness and her willingness to help others and do good, but she downright
refused to listen to reason and blamed Matthias and Ria when they tried to help
her. Her sisters, Nicole and Brooke, have told her so much about various
magical creatures but she just zoned them out and ended up in trouble as a
result.
The
romance bloomed quickly between Matthias and Gin. Their connection and
chemistry drew them together and made them inseparable in the beginning, but
then everything went bad. When they came back together, their connection grew
and their love for one another strengthened.
I loved
all the scenes with the side characters and I especially couldn’t stop smiling
when Brooke and Nicole found out about their link to Ashina and Ranerio.
There were
a few editing issues but I could overlook them. Nothing major. I’m definitely
anxious to read the last book in this series and I can’t wait to start on the
spinoff series.
3.5 Stars
Disclaimer
– I won an ebook copy of this book in a contest and volunteered to review it. I
am not paid or compensated in any way, shape or form for this honest review. I
will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.
Making daggers out of raindrops is only the tip of the iceberg for Brooke Bonham. As one of four women who can control the elements, her ability to manipulate water packs a deluge of potential. Eager to learn more, she’s frustrated at the precautions she must take to avoid the wrong kind of attention on Earth.
Kai's duties as a Lash demon have kept him busy on Earth for nearly two hundred years. Fighting? He was born to do it. Females? They're drawn to him. And Earth? The perfect place for him to avoid supernatural bounty hunters.
Though the two of them mix like oil and water, Kai senses that beneath Brooke’s frosty exterior hides a vortex of simmering passion. He’s determined to thaw his ice princess.
Forced to work together in the immortal realm, they track a rogue Lash demon at the helm of a widespread kidnapping operation. All too soon, Kai’s dark past catches up to them. Time runs out as a second enemy, bent on revenge, vows to stop at nothing short of Brooke’s enslavement and Kai’s death. As they and their foes stalk each other in a demonic game of cat-and-mouse, will her evolving skills and their fledgling bond be enough to save them?
Review
This is book
two of the Solsti Prophecy series.
The Solsti
is an old, rare species of four extremely powerful sisters who are destined to
save the world and all the magical realms. They’re rumored to be nothing more
than a myth but they’re supposed to return when the world needed them the most.
Now, thousands of years after their first creation, they return in the form of
the Bonham sisters.
Brooke is the
second oldest sister and she controls water.
Kai, a
sexy Lash demon, belongs to a group of warriors called the Watchers and he’s
tasked with protecting the city of Chicago from all sorts of evil and to
protect the Solsti sisters. He’ll do it, but neither he nor Brooke can stand
each other.
Neshi
demons are wrecking havoc in Chicago so Brooke and Kai go to the demon realm of
Torth to search for a hard-to-find flower that will help the Watchers defeat
them. After they’re captured by a corrupt Lash demon, they have to survive by
working together.
I really
enjoyed this book. The sexual tension between Kai and Brooke could spark fire.
The trip to Torth introduced several new characters and reacquainted readers to
familiar ones. We met a group of sweet, feisty elves, a kindhearted slave named
Garnet and a kickass Lash Watcher named Mathias. Rosa shows up, answers a few
questions and adds to the mystery. We learn more about Raniero and Ashina, and find
out about their personal connection to the Solsti.
I like how
the author writes from more than just Kai’s and Brooke’s POV. We read from
Cale’s, Raniero’s and Mathias’s perspective, plus a few others. This gives a
well-round view of events and adds layers to the story. I also like how this
book sets up the villain and the soon-to-be-unraveled mystery for book 3.
This is a
fast-paced, well-written novel but a few drawn out sex scenes near the end
slowed the pacing for me. A lot of people were involved in final battle but I don’t
think there was enough description to fully show each person’s role, at least
in my opinion. I just felt confused as to who did what. But, hey, that’s just me.
I
definitely recommend this book and series.
4 Stars
Disclaimer
– I won an ebook copy of this book in a contest and volunteered to review it. I
am not paid or compensated in any way, shape or form for this honest review. I
will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.
That’s a word Bailey Winsor
knows well, having endured it since she was a child from the people who were
supposed to protect her. Just when her life appears normal, something Bailey
has never experienced, she meets a man and falls in love.
Love can be deceiving.
Bailey jumps from the frying
pan that was her childhood and into the burning bowels of hell, which is her
sick and twisted husband. It’s hopeless. Suffering more years of abuse, Bailey
eventually realizes she has no choice but to run.
Forced to stop in a small
town in Ohio, Bailey encounters a town full of people that welcomes her with
open arms, especially Jaxon Walker, the tattooed and pierced local bar owner.
Bailey has secrets she’s unwilling to reveal. Jaxon senses her fear and refuses
to give up trying to discover them. Will Bailey be brave enough
and learn to trust Jaxon with her deepest secrets? Will Jaxon be strong enough
to protect Bailey when her past comes knocking at her door?
Enduring the ultimate betrayal on her
eighteenth birthday by the one person she loves most in the world, Mia Walker
is no longer the innocent, sweet young woman she used to be. She is now cold
and hard, letting no one get close to her heart, except family. Mackai (Mac) Weston sees the changes in Mia on
a daily basis. He knows he is the reason Mia is now the way she is. Never given
the chance to explain what really happened that night so long ago, Mac is
determined to make Mia finally listen and reclaim what was always his. When the truth finally comes out, danger shows
its ugly face. There are people in Jaded Hollow who do not want Mac and Mia
together. They are willing to do whatever it takes to keep them apart. Will Mac be strong enough to overcome
temptation, even when the odds are against him? Will Mia forgive Mac when she
realizes things weren’t what they seemed ten years ago?
Andrew Donovan is the outrageous goofy
guy everyone loves. In any setting he takes center stage and makes everyone
laugh; from his ridiculously funny t-shirts, to his naughty jokes, to his
shameless flirting with anything that walks, male or female. But what you see
on the outside can sometimes be deceiving. Andrew has a secret. A secret that’s
slowly withering away the fun-loving guy everyone knows. A secret even his
closest friends know nothing about.
When he first sees Jase in a picture,
he knows instantly he’s found the one person who will be his forever. He’s just
impatiently biding his time until Jase gets to Jaded Hollow. Andrew is torn. On
one hand, he’s finally found the other half of his soul, while on the other,
he’s slowly dying inside. Tragedy is on the horizon and there’s nothing he can
do to stop it.
Jase Matthews comes to Jaded Hollow a
dead man walking. He knows it’s only a matter of time before they find him.
There is no way they’ll let him live. He’s instantly drawn to Andrew, but he
refuses the connection, knowing his days are numbered. However, it’s not long
before he realizes the pull Andrew has on him is something he can’t fight.
Can Andrew find the courage to reveal
to his loved ones the secret he’s kept for years? Will Jase be the man to help
him overcome the grief he feels inside? And what happens when Jase’s past
catches up to him and threatens to take away the man Andrew’s waited forever to
meet?
What
do you do when you lose the single most important thing in your life? You
grieve. You sink so deep in a hole, you can no longer see the top. All you see
is dark. Your life becomes dull and dreary. You withdraw from your friends,
lash out at the ones you’re closest to, and become so absorbed in your pain,
you feel the only way out is to end it permanently. Your heart no longer pumps
properly and you can never get enough air in your lungs. You drink, you neglect
your health, and you rent dirty hotel rooms with the sole purpose of ending
your pain in them. Guilt eats at you for not being at the one place you were
needed the most. And you become angry because you were left behind.
Or
at least, that’s what I did. Until she came along….
Chris,
the bane of my existence. She’s always there in the background, watching me,
trying to “be there” for me. I don’t want her help. I don’t need her to butt in
where she’s not wanted. I just want to be left alone in my grief. But she’s not
giving up, even when I throw insult after insult her way. Every time I turn
around, there she is. And what’s worse, she’s starting to make me want things.
Things I never thought I could have again. She’s making me forget the pain and
bringing color back into my life with her fiery red hair, bright green eyes,
and the silly faces she makes at herself in the mirror. But what happens if I
let her in? Could I be brave enough to open myself up, knowing the possibility
of having it snatched away again? Once I know the feeling of touching Chris, of
having her heart and soul blend with mine, I would never survive losing that.
Can
I take the chance of her being my savior, even knowing that she could also be
the one to push me over the edge of self-destruction?
Alex Grayson is originally from the south, but has recently moved to Northern Ohio. Although she misses the warmth of Florida and often times detest the cold of Ohio, she absolutely loves living in the north. Her and her husband bought a house on two acres of land and live there with their daughter, son, one dogs, two cats, eight ducks, and three chickens. She hopes to eventually get a couple of goats to add to their country way of living. Besides her family and home, her next best passion is reading. She is often found with her nose obsessively stuck in a book, much to the frustration of her husband and daughter. On more than one occasion Alex found herself wanting a book to go a certain way, but it didn’t. With these thoughts in mind, she decided to start writing stories according to her own visions. Although this is a new endeavor for her, she hopes that readers find her concepts on romance intriguing and captivating. Alex welcomes and encourages feedback, of any kind. She can be contacted at alexgraysonauthor@gmail.com.
