Thursday, May 31, 2018

Defied by Maria Luis


Book Description

I am both a sinner and a saint, but I bleed vengeance.
 
For years, I’ve lived in the grey… until her.
 
Avery Washington didn’t belong in the shadows, but I dragged her into the darkness anyway.
 
One kiss, and I would stop at nothing to possess her.
 
One caress, and my need to destroy wavered.
 
Our attraction was poison and pleasure.
 
They say the devil recognizes his own, but I never saw Avery coming.
 
She's determined to light the matchsticks, and I can't resist going down in flames...

AVAILABLE: May 31, 2018

Blood Duet
Sworn (Book 1) SEE MY REVIEW HERE
Defied (Book 2)

Defied is the second book in Maria Luis' Blood Duet.  IF YOU HAVEN'T READ SWORN, STOP NOW AND GO READ IT.  This is NOT a standalone book.  So if you are the type of reader where you HATE cliffhangers, the Blood Duet is now complete!! NO MORE WAITING!!  

Defied begins right where Sworn ended.  We are on a journey of greed, corruption, revenge and redemption with our two main characters, Lincoln and Avery.  Defied still held the same action-packed pace as Sworn but cleared up all remaining questions of events and everyone's motives.  

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

**An ARC was provided by Give Me Books Promotion in exchange for a honest review.**

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Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Cover Reveal: The Naked Truth by Vi Keeland


Book Description

It was just a typical Monday.

Until the big boss asked me to make the pitch for a prospective new client.

After two years on shaky ground at work because of my screw up, an opportunity to impress the senior partners was just what I needed.  

Or so I thought…

Until I walked into the conference room and collided with the man I was supposed to pitch.

My coffee spilled, my files tumbled to the ground, and I almost lost my balance.

And that was the good part of my day.

Because the gorgeous man crouched down and looking at me like he wanted to eat me alive, was none other than my ex, Gray Westbrook.

A man who I’d only just begun to move on from.

A man who my heart despised—yet my body obviously still had other ideas about.

A man who was as charismatic and confident as he was sexy.

Somehow, I managed to make it through my presentation ignoring his intense stare.  

Although it was impossible to ignore all the dirty things he whispered into my ear right after I was done.

But there was no way I was giving him another chance, especially now that he was a client…was there?

AVAILABLE: July 23, 2018

**Watch out for a special excerpt sneak peak of The Naked Truth on July 18th!!**

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Tuesday, May 29, 2018

I Flipping Love You by Helena Hunting

Book Description

SHE’S GOT CURB APPEAL. HE’S A FIXER UPPER...
From New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting comes I Flipping Love You, a love story about flipping houses, taking risks, and landing that special someone who’s move-in ready.
Rian Sutter grew up with the finer things in life. Spending summers in the Hamptons was a normal occurrence for her until her parents lost everything years ago. Now Rian and her sister are getting their life, and finances, back on track through real estate. Not only do they buy and sell houses to the rich and famous but they finally have the capital to flip their very own beachfront property. But when she catches the attention of a sexy stranger who snaps up every house from under her, all bets are off…
Pierce Whitfield doesn’t normally demo kitchens, install dry wall, or tear apart a beautiful woman’s dreams. He’s just a down-on-his-luck lawyer who needed a break from the city and agreed to help his brother work on a few homes in the Hamptons. When he first meets Rian, the attraction is undeniable. But when they start competing for the same pieces of prime real estate, the early sparks turn into full-blown fireworks. Can these passionate rivals turn up the heat on their budding romance—without burning down the house?
AVAILABLE: May 29, 2018

Shacking Up series
Shacking Up (Book 1)
Getting Down (Book 1.5)
Hooking Up (Book 2)
I Flipping Love You (Book 3)

I Flipping Love You is the third book in Helena Hunting.  It took me a little bit to realize that this book was part of the Shacking Up series.  I think it was the name that threw me off.  All the other names in this series is "insert word here" Up.  Maybe if the name was "Fixing Up" or something along those lines I would of made the character connection in my mind quicker.  That being said, I LOVED this book.

I love Ms. Hunting's writing.  I feel that she puts a ton of emotion into her characters (especially her male characters).  I LOVED that Pierce was shy with his growing feelings towards Rian (Ryan with an I).  Rian was guarded (for good reason) and doesn't trust easily.  She made Pierce work for her trust.  Out of all the (full-length) books in this series, I think this one had the best emotional connection between the main characters.  

I Flipping Love You is a great read.  It became my favorite of the Shacking Up series.


Rating: 5 out of 5

**An ARC was provided from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.**

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Thursday, May 17, 2018

Book Review: Sworn by Maria Luis

Book Description

I bow to no man.

The words are tattooed on my skin, just as they’re branded on my heart.

But I never planned for Sergeant Lincoln Asher, a man as deceptive as he is cold. His dominance sets my teeth on edge . . . and my body on fire. He won’t stop until I’m his, but I’m not his to take.  

My secrets bind me—and blind me.

I live in the shadows of New Orleans. Hidden and protected in the underworld I call home. I know who I am.

I vow never to kneel before a man...

Save one.

And he will be my downfall.

Release Date: May 17, 2018

GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38103828-sworn
Amazon: Free on Kindle Unlimited

Blood Duet
Sworn - Book 1
Defied - Book 2 (Coming May 31, 2018) Pre-order HERE

Sworn is the first book in Maria Luis' Blood Duet.  And HOLY CRAP!! I'm so glad I don't have to wait long for part two to come out!! If you are one of those readers that don't like cliffhangers (because sometimes you have to wait FOREVER for the next installment), Defied will be out the end of May.  So you can go ahead and read Sworn now and wait a couple weeks for Defied, or just wait till Defied comes out and read both then.  BUT I highly recommend Sworn.  

It was a fairly quick read, but it was action packed, very interesting characters, and an intriguing storyline that keep me very interested in the fate of everyone involved. 


Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Keep reading for an excerpt of Sworn.




EXCERPT
 
“Read me.”
               “Excuse me?”
               “My cards.” I lifted my gaze to her face. Shock resided in those hazel eyes of hers, as did distrust. She was right not to trust me—that was a fact. I cleared my throat. “Read my cards.”
               “Absolutely not.”
               Lifting a brow, I murmured, “Scared?”
               “Of you?” Disbelief coated her tone like thick honey.
               “You see anyone else standing here?” At her silence, I folded my arms over my chest. “Read my cards . . . unless maybe you are, just a little bit.”
               Her teeth worked her bottom lip, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she broke the skin. “You don’t scare me.”
               “Don’t I?” I tested her words, taking a step toward her and into her space. But she surprised me—for all the lip nibbling, she didn’t budge and she sure as hell didn’t retreat. Defiance radiated from every inch of her.
               “No one scares me.”
               Another lie, but I wouldn’t press her on it.
               I only studied her, allowing my silence to bait her into giving in. Patience, man, have patience.
               “Fine.” With a hard glare, she slipped the cards from their carton and shuffled them with sharp motions. “Two cards. Your past and your future.”
               “What about my present?”
               The shuffling slowed, then stalled completely. “It doesn’t matter. In a moment, this will be your past too.”
               I wanted to tell her that she looked too damn young to be spouting out that sort of wisdom. But was she really that young? It was too dark to tell, and she didn’t give me the opportunity to give it another thought.
               She cut the deck, wrists moving fluidly. Selected a card from the middle and held it up, allowing the sparse moonlight to reveal the image. I fought the urge to snag it from her grasp and look myself.
               “Ruin.”
               My chin jerked back. “Excuse me?”
               “Ruin,” she reiterated, voice soft but unyielding, “it’s the Ten of Swords.”
               “I have no idea what that means.”
               Her teeth audibly clacked together. “I’m aware, sergeant. Ruin; it’s a card in the Minor Arcana.” She flicked her nail on the card, and then turned it toward me. In the slight shadows, all I saw was the color red and what looked to be a sword with a myriad of other, smaller swords piercing the largest one. “It represents a period of endless fighting, a struggle that you can’t win.”
               This was a bad idea.
               Maybe she was a fraud—in that moment, I hoped that to be true. I hoped that she’d lied to every single person who had ever sat at her table here in Jackson Square because I refused to believe that everything I had worked toward in the last thirty-six years had been for nothing.
               My fingers sank into my dark hair, and I pulled at the strands fruitlessly.
               Hazel eyes met mine. “With no hope, your past has led to your destruction.”
               I opened my mouth to speak. Or maybe I only thought that I did.
               There were no words—only blood. The blood I had spilled and the blood that I had given. Not for the first time in my life, I felt dirty, rotten all the way to my soul. And hopeless, like there was no end to the struggle and to the pain and to the goddamn detachment I forced upon myself so that I could do what I needed to do and not consider the consequences of my actions.
               “Interested in your future?” she asked, already swiping another card from the deck.
               No, I wanted to yell at her. If Ruin was my past, then it would only make sense that—
               “Death.” She turned the card around to show me. “Your future is Death.”
               And as I stood there woodenly, my fucking brain trying to wrap around the reality of my existence, she gathered her belongings and swept into the night.
               Leaving me alone.
               As I’d always been.
Click HERE for a chance a $20 Amazon gift card and a copy of Sworn. 

**I received an ARC from Give Me Book Promotions in exchange for a honest review.**

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