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I tried a new Sports Romance series... Have a look!

Hey people!

This past week I finally finished a book I've been meaning to read for ages, Sacked by Jen Frederick. Everyone raves about this series, and I'm a big fan of college sports romances, so, why not?!

I have to say that I feel like the series started on the right foot, and I can see a lot of potential with the Gridiron series, because I really enjoyed the characters and the complexity of personalities.

Release Week Celebration: Total Bravery by Piper J. Drake

by Piper J. Drake
Series: True Heroes #4
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing -- Forever
Publication Date: April 24th 2018
Print Length: 304 Pages
Format: Digital and Mass Market Paperback


True heroes will do anything to protect the women they love...
As the newest recruit at Search and Protect, Raul has a lot to prove. Luckily, he's got the best friend and partner a man could ask for: a highly trained, fiercely loyal German Shepherd Dog named Taz. Together, Raul and Taz make an unbeatable team. But their first mission in Hawaii really puts them to the test when an international kidnapping ring sets its sights on the bravest woman Raul's ever met...
Mali knows her latest job has put one hell of a target on her back. And on this small island paradise, there's nowhere to hide. With a service dog like Taz, Mali feels safe. Sharing close quarters with a smoldering muscle-for-hire like Raul, she feels something else - an unexpected wave of desire. Raul feels it too. But when the kidnappers make their move, he's got to turn that slow-burning passion into hard-hitting action - and save the life of the woman he loves.



The True Heroes series:

Extreme Honor 

Ultimate Courage

Absolute Trust



EXCERPT

When eighty-five pounds of dog is suddenly in your way, you either stop or trip over him. Momentum played a part in Raul’s decision. He fell forward and spread his arms wide to catch himself on the bed rather than accidentally catch a handful of Mali’s towel. 

He caught a face full of her towel-covered cleavage instead. 

Mali squeaked. 

Raul rolled to the side. 

Taz barked. 

“Sorry.” Jeezus. He tried to get out his apology, his eyes clamped shut. He was not going to remember how good she smelled, a mixture of honey and sea salt and the indefinable, delicate scent of woman. Nope. He wasn’t. Nor was he going to ever think about how nice her cleavage had been. Just enough to bury his face and let him nuzzle without being so full he’d suffocate. The palms of his hands burned with an insane desire to feel her soft skin cupped in his grip. 

Mali backed away and then hissed in pain. 

His head cleared, and he opened his eyes to see nothing but ceiling. “Did I hurt you? Do you need help?” 

She leaned forward into his range of view, one hand clutching the front of her towel over her breasts. That was a really hot image, too. “No. I just sat back too fast and put weight on my sunburn.” 

“Oh.” He had no idea what to do. He couldn’t sit up while she was leaning over him and rolling to the side seemed awkward as hell. Of course, so did lying flat on his back in front of a woman in nothing but a towel. “Is there something I can do to get out of this situation without Arin wanting to kill me?” 

Mali’s eyes widened, and she froze for a moment, her lips forming a seriously naughty looking O. Then she blinked and laughed. “No. Probably not.” 

It was either laugh with her or pull her down for a kiss. “I’m doomed. Dead.” He paused. “Once I get you safely to Arin, that is. No worries. We’ll get you to her before I report myself for molesting her little sister.” 

Her laughter faded, and her dark brown eyes sparkled with mischief. “Well, if you’re going to get in trouble anyway…” 

She bent then, leaning a hand on his chest, and pressed her lips to his.


GIVEAWAY


Enter to win a Piper J Drake Gift Basket (print copies of Extreme Honor and Hidden Impact, sports bag, fun Piper J Drake and Corbin swag)


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About Piper J. Drake


Piper J. Drake is a bestselling author of romantic suspense and edgy contemporary romance, a frequent flyer, and day job road warrior. She is often distracted by dogs, cupcakes, and random shenanigans.

Connect with Piper at: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google + | GoodReads| Youtube

The DNF Diaries

Hi friends!

How is everyone doing? I've been feeling a bit slumpy lately for some reason. After I read the amazing book that was Luck of the Draw by Kate Clayborn, I've been unable to 100% get into a romance book. I did start reading On the Line last night and it's working for me so far. But seriously, add Luck of the Draw to your TBRs. It gave me ALLL the swoons!

Luck of the Draw (Chance of a Lifetime #2)

Anyways, today's post is about Luck of the Draw. I've had a couple of DNFs in the past few weeks, so I thought I'd share them here and list why I didn't care for them.

Audio Reviews: Hudson Valley Series by Alice Clayton

Heya...

Guys, I've been meaning to read this series for ages, and I've decided to try Scribd recently - thanks to Ari, who outlined the benefits for me - and luck would have it, this series is in there... as AUDIO! And people, I'm a huge fan of audio, but more than that, I've been so tired, that the only thing I've been wanting to do lately is curl up and listen to my funny books.

The first book I read by Alice Clayton was Wallbanger, which I loved, so I knew that I was in for a ride. I liked this series so much that I listened to the books in a row, and in a little over a week.

By the way, you've noticed that I've been talking non stop about audiobooks, right? Moving on... I'm keeping this short and on point.

Of a temporary roommate situation and 30 coupons

Hi, everyone!

How's your week so far? I've been in a blah mood ever since I came back from Australia; I spent a week in Perth and another week in Sydney, and I truly have been living my best life *sniffs*. If you're interested, I documented my travels on my Instagram

Reading wise, I did zero reading on vacation, LOL. That's why now that I'm home I've been finishing books left and right, and also in a state of panic because I'm so behind on ARCs. 

Today, I'm talking about a book I recently finished (and it's a newly released too!). I actually planned to review this book along with another two books (Kate Clayborn's Luck of the Draw and Lucy Parker's Making Up--both also A+ reads, trust me) but I ended up talking too much about this one so yeah, you're getting a solo review instead HAHAH.


The Love Coupon 
by Ainslie Paton
Series: Stubborn Hearts #2
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: April 9th 2018
Source: ARC received for review
Rating: ★★★


How many coupons does it take to fall in love?

Flick Dalgetty knows what she wants and how to get it, which is why she’s about to start her dream job in Washington. Until then, she needs somewhere to crash, and Tom O’Connell’s place is her sole option. He’s a repressed, antisocial ogre...but man can he kiss.

For Tom, being around Flick is like being too close to the sun. Her untamed energy is overwhelming, and he’d spontaneously combust if he had to live with her long-term. Housemates with benefits—and an expiration date—suits him just fine.

Then Flick gives Tom thirty coupons, each entitling him to one obligation-free activity, from bowling and bubble-bathing to morning delight, removing all the guesswork from being incompatible partners and shifting their fling into high gear.

Now the problem is their arrangement is drawing to a close, and they might be falling in love—and there wasn’t a coupon for that.

I love Ainslie's The Love Experiment with all my heart, and I've gushed about it on this blog too. I kept putting off reading this ARC because I knew I'd be wanting more after I finish, and I wanted to spare myself the pain. I made the right decision for once because Ainslie's coming out with a new book in May so I don't have to wait that long (oyeaaaaaaa). 

Just like The Love Experiment, the biggest reason why I love The Love Coupon is the characters. I'd love to be best friends with Flick, I think she's a riot. I love her drive and ambition, and how she wouldn't sacrifice her goals for anything or anyone. I'm also still pissed that she didn't give up on her no-good family members, but her loyalty streak is admirable.

"You're a rodeo, Flick Dalgetty. Always trying to throw me off."

While I love Flick, the star of the show for me is Tom. I adore Tom, stiff and repressed as he is. I thought Jack Haley was a grouch, but Tom O'Connell was the definition of the word. He runs on tight rails (Tom's words) and prefers everything a certain way--his way. He is the product of his childhood and strict upbringing, and you really couldn't fault him for being such a cold fish at times. Did I mention that he also cooks and bakes and can be wild in bed if he lets himself lose control? I'm marrying Tom, brb.

Now that I think about it, Tom reminds me of one of my favourite Cara McKenna heroes, Duncan Welch. They would totally hit it off, I feel.

"But this was Tom, and no matter how much he let go, he wouldn't deliberately hurt her. He didn't know how."

I really enjoyed the ups and downs of Tom and Flick's roomie relationship, the sexual tension between them, and the sexy games they ended up playing with each other and of course, how they fell in love with each other. I love how Flick casually invaded Tom's life, dismantled everything, and basically taught him to lighten up and live a little, and Tom just let her do it. There is also a bit of angst and intensity in this book that I love, especially in the sexy scenes. I'm going to sound crass but oh my God have I ever read a more intense blowjob scene than the one in this book oh my God-

"She was lovesick over him. She'd couponed herself into a corner and she was going to break her own heart."

The only beef I have with this book is the coupons bit. It was introduced probably 60% into the story, and on the one hand, I didn't really mind because the way Ainslie wrote the placement made sense. But on the other hand, I went in expecting the coupons to be an important part of the story the way the questionnaire did in The Love Experiment, so...

That being said, it wasn't a big deal to me as a whole because I was completely engrossed in whatever's happening between Tom and Flick anyway, but other people might feel differently.

Overall, I expected The Love Coupon to wow me, and it really did. The groveling scene is A+. For you who love music with your books, Ainslie put it a lot of songs in the story. I highlighted every song mention to make myself a little playlist--and turns out Ainslie already included the list of songs at the end of the story, LOL. I also did a little digging around Ainslie's website and found that we can expect one more book in this series, and I'm already super hyped.

Have you read Ainslie Paton's works?
 Let me know in the comments!





A Second Chance Romance With A Road Trip

LICKS
by Kelly Siskind
Series: One Wild Wish #3
Genres: Contemporary
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: April 4th 2018
Source: ARC received for review purposes
Rating: ★★★1/2

I have very much enjoyed this series from Kelly Siskind. It has the perfect blend of humor, angst and romance. I have to say though that my excitement for Licks was even more amplified because of the promise of a second chance romance. After fake-dating, second chance romance is my favorite trope, so obviously I was excited to read Licks. Kelly Siskind totally delivered with this book. It had just the right amount of angst that I like in my second chance romances and managed to be very very swoony.

I loved that the protagonists, Gwen and August, were childhood friends whose friendship slowly developed into deeper feelings. However, unfortunately for them, the timing just wasn't right, and they both wound up deeply hurting each other. Fast forward a few years, Gwen's mom has just passed and August suddenly makes a re-appearance, along with a suitcase belonging to Gwen's mom that promised perhaps finding her father. Together, August and Gwen go on an adventure trying to figure out the clues that her mom left behind. As they go on this adventure, they realize that their feelings for each other have only amplified over the years. The romance was lovely. It was angsty at times but the chemistry kept it alive. Their feelings for each other were intense and add in that steamy chemistry, what you ended up was a really good romance.

It also helped that I liked both of the characters. They both had their strengths and their flaws. There were times when I found both characters to be quite questionable when it came to their thoughts - they seemed a bit out of place if I'm being honest. Overall though, they were both likable and it was easy to see where they were coming from when they made mistakes. Plus, I very much enjoy reading books with characters that aren't always perfect. As with the other books in the series, I also enjoyed seeing the female friendship. It was strong as ever and these girls just made my heart full with the amount of love and support they had for each other.

While a little more serious in tone compared to the other books in the series, Licks was a solid addition to it. If you're fond of second chance romances and flawed characters, this one is for you!

Do you enjoy second chance romances?
Let me know in the comments below!

Blog Tour Stop: The Last King by Katee Robert

by Katee Robert
Series: The Kings #1
Genres: Contemporary
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: April 3rd 2018
Source: ARC received for review
Rating: ★★★1/2

Ultra wealthy and super powerful, the King family is like royalty in Texas. But who will keep the throne? New York Times bestselling author Katee Robert introduces a red-hot new series.

THE MAN SHE HATES TO LOVE

Beckett King just inherited his father's fortune, his company-and all his enemies. If he's going to stay on top, he needs someone he can trust beside him. And though they've been rivals for years, there's no one he trusts more than Samara Mallick.

The rebel. That's how Samara has always thought of Beckett. And he's absolutely living up to his unpredictable ways when he strides into her office and asks for help. She can't help wondering if it's a legit request or just a ploy to get her into bed. Not that she'd mind either one. After all, she likes to live on the edge too.

But soon the threats to the King empire are mounting, and the two find family secrets darker than they ever imagined and dangerous enough to get them both killed.

What a Smut-Fest!

Hi guys!

I hope you all are doing well! Today's post is going to feature some very sexy books! I review Make Me Want by Katee Robert and Sinner by Sierra Simone. Be sure to check out my reviews if you're interested in those books!

At the end of the post I also briefly talk about some books I recently read and loved, and I finish off the post with books I just added to my TBRs!

I hope you have a good day! :)


London Celebrities by Lucy Parker

Hey guys! 

Today I'm doing 2 reviews in one post. I recently listened to the 2 first books of the London Celebrity series, in preparation for the ARC I have for book 3.

I absolutely loved these, and I'm so excited to finally be able to read Making Up. Also, I in no way can doubt Lisa and Nick's recommendations, they haven't let me down yet 😏.

Source: http://www.lucyparkerfiction.com/