Books and Things Blog

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

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A1JWWW8M6VWTSB

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Surrender by Amy Daws

Book Description

One night of complete surrender is all it takes.

Gareth Harris is Manchester United’s reclusive star defender. He has control over all aspects of his life. But a lifetime of supporting his siblings and filling in for an emotionally absent father has taken its toll.

Sloan Montgomery is a clothing stylist whose world was turned upside down when she found herself pregnant and moving to Manchester with a man who was never supposed to be her forever. Now recently divorced and struggling with shared custody of her daughter, control is a fleeting concept for this American living in England.

Both Gareth and Sloan are in need of a release.

A moment in time where they can forget about their pasts and family pressures...and just...

…surrender.

No one could predict what happens when both of their defenses are down.

Surrender is part one of The Final Harris Brother Duet and concludes with Dominate. The Final Harris Brother Duet reads great as a duo, but to maximize enjoyment, check out the first three brothers’ books in Challenge, Endurance, and Keeper.

The Final Harris Brother Duet

Surrender (Book 1)

Dominate (Book 2) *Available Aug. 2, 2018

This is my first Amy Daws book. Obviously that means that I haven't read any of the other Harris Family books. That being said, I don't feel that it is a necessity in order to follow Gareth and Sloan's story. Surrender is part one of a duet (with Dominate coming out Aug. 2, so you won't have a long wait). If cliffhangers aren't your cup of tea, then you'll only have to wait a couple weeks to pick put both books.

I don't want to give to much of the story line away. These are interesting and complex characters that I feel deserve to tell their own story (without me meddling). In fact, Gareth and Sloan are probably my favorite characters I've read in a while. I've enjoyed reading other books and their characters, but Gareth and Sloan stood out to me and I will definitely remember them when they are done.

I can't wait to read the conclusion of their story in Dominate and thankfully we don't have to long to wait!!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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

Please subscribe so you don't miss a post!!

OTHER PLACES TO FIND ME:

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

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A1JWWW8M6VWTSB

Monday, June 18, 2018

Cover Reveal: No One But You by Alexandra Silva

Book Description
QUINCY

They say bad things happen in threes…

I made a mistake. I kissed the right boy, but married the wrong man. They were friends. Best friends. Until my life fell apart.
Everything changed.
Something was stolen and then something was given in its place.
I had so much in my grasp, maybe it was too much because everything started slipping.
My son.
My husband.
My sanity.
Only one thing remained the same.
My first crush.
My first kiss.
My first love.

JAMIE

They say you can’t miss what you’ve never had…

But I swear I had her. At least for one kiss.
I left the right girl and tried to replace her with the wrong woman.
It didn’t work because I still missed her.
I promised my best friend I’d always look after his little sister. And our other best friend promised to never break her heart.
He lied.
I didn’t.

We have circled each other all our lives but our time never came.
We’ve never had our moment until now.
AVAILABLE: July 27, 2018

Excerpt:
“A penny for your thoughts?”
I swear every time he talks to me my heart just about explodes out of my chest. Jamie’s voice is so different. It’s changed. It’s deeper and rumbly, and it makes me think and imagine things that I don’t usually go out of my way to think about let alone imagine. It makes my belly do acrobatics and my mouth water.
How is that possible? How can his voice alone do that to me?
“Are you still angry with me?” He asks as he sits on the edge of the hot tub my parents had installed on the first floor balcony.
It’s such a pretty view. The water and the trees that surround one side of it with all the beautiful grey, white and light blue lake houses that line it in a cosy and enclosed U. You can just make out the green rolling hills surrounding us with the large church spire just about breaking the treeline. It’s just so wonderfully beautiful.
“I’m not upset with you,” I hear myself reply even though I am a little.
To be honest I think I’m a little more heartbroken that he’s leaving than I am angry. I was so looking forward to having Jamie around at Oxford, but he’s going to do an Overseas Exchange to UCLA so he can learn from some great minds like Doctor Wilson Weller—a teaching and practicing Neurosurgery god. Or whatever Jamie calls him. Phillip decided to stay close to home at UCL even though he got an offer to Oxford just like Jamie and Richard did three years ago. He doesn’t want to leave his new girlfriend, Jamie’s sister and one of my best friends, behind. I think I’m a little bit jealous of them, even if am happy for them. Jamie is just coming round to the idea, and I know that the only reason why he came to find me is probably because he still doesn’t know how to handle them being so touchy and lovey dovey with one another.
“You’re not?” He shuffles closer until the side of his thigh touches mine.
His legs are different too. They have a light smattering of hair that kind of matches his chest and the trail down from his navel. I can’t help but run my eyes down his slightly defined torso and down the light trail of fuzz that leads down to the top of his shorts, all the way down his shorts to his thighs and knees.
I’m so distracted by all his golden skin that I don’t even realise how fast my heart is beating until I feel the hammering in my chest pulsing up my neck to the back of my throat.
Seriously?
My skin heats as he wraps his arm around my bare shoulders. His thumbs lightly strumming the string holding my bikini top up around my neck. It’s like the sun shines brighter in that moment and the UV rays become laser strong and solely focused on me.
“Then why did you throw the Uni hamper we gave you in the bin?”
“Because it’s stupid. I don’t need wine and condoms and…”
“You say that now, but when you get there you’ll be thankful. You don’t want to be caught short, the dial-a-condom service isn’t as discreet or anonymous as you think.”
“Guys don’t even look at me like that.” I shrug.
He goes super still next to me. His arm becomes slightly heavier on my shoulders and his thumb tucks under the halter neck string of my red bikini top. He clears his throat and I can hear his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows.
“Quincy, that’s not true. Believe me, my sisters have made it a point to tell me every chance they get.”
He pulls me closer to him so that I have no other option but to rest my head on his shoulder.
“Why would they do that?” I mumble into the soft skin of his shoulder.
It’s shiny and taught. It wraps flawlessly around his lean muscled arms with the odd sun freckle here and there. He smells briny and citrusy. A combination of his cologne, sweat and the lake water.
I inhale deeply as his shoulders shake with humour.
Wait, why is he laughing at me?
“Why are you laughing at me?”
He clears his throat again before he sighs, “You have no idea.”
“No idea of what?”
Our eyes lock as I look up at him. His bright blue eyes are like ocean blue sparkling glass as the sun lights them up. They have these silvery grey flecks that bleed to the edges of his irises and form these thin dark rings that are only marginally lighter than his pupil.
“You’re so pretty…so beautiful…”
It’s like he can read my mind and steal the words on the tip of my tongue as he reaches for my hair with his hand and wraps it with my long tresses.
And if my heart wasn’t already hammering into my ribcage it’s now batter ramming its way out like it’s trying to break free or get closer to his heart.
I don’t know. All I know is that I can’t actually say anything. I can’t verbalise with the way that he’s looking at me. The way his eyes are eating up every inch of my face and the way they flitter down to my chest and then up to my lips.
His wet and shiny pink tongue darts out and moistens his lower lip before he draws said lip in with his teeth and bites down so hard that the blood and colour drain around the trenches his teeth have made.
I can’t help but mimic him with my own tongue and lips and teeth. He gasps lightly and as my eyes meet his again the pupils are so big that there is only a perfectly slim ring of silver speckled cerulean surrounding them. And I can’t breathe. The air feels too hot and dry. And thick? Why does the air feel so thick? It feels like I’m filling my lungs with invisible oil. My lungs feel so full that they have to push the air back out in deep and long unsteady breaths.
The arm around my shoulders falls and he brings his hand up to cup my cheek. And I know what’s happening because I’ve seen it in films and I’ve seen other people around us kiss. I can even kind of picture it in my mind—what we must look like right now. But I still can’t quite comprehend why he’s coming closer to me. Why his breathing is just as manic as mine. I can’t understand why he’s about to kiss me with wide eyes and desperate breaths. The hand in my hair tugs slightly and my face tilts marginally so that our lips touch.
Oh, God.
His warm lips are so soft and so tender as they brush over mine and I want to throw my arms around his neck, straddle his lap and just fucking devour him.
Fuck, I’m like some lust crazed person.
I don’t even know how I manage to stay so still with all those thoughts and all the electricity zapping through me.
I don’t know what to do next. If I should open my mouth or lick his lips. Whether I should touch him. I want to touch. I am touching him.
He’s groaning as he licks my lips and as my hands hold on to his waist so tight that my nails bite into his flesh. But then it’s not just my nails biting into his skin, it’s his teeth sinking into my lower lip. It’s his hand cupping my face so hard that I know it should hurt, I know that it’ll leave a mark, but I don’t care because it feels so fucking good. It’s his fingers weaving so tightly into my hair that the sting makes me want to pull on his hair too.
I can’t help the strangled moan that escapes my mouth as he slips his tongue inside and licks my own.
I’ve never kissed or been kissed like this before and even though I’m unpracticed and new to this, my hands seem to be in the know as they travel brazenly down his sides to the top of his swimming shorts and as unsure as I am, I know that I want to slip my hands under the elastic and become acquainted with every last inch of his sexy skin.
Shit, I don’t think I’ve ever used that word to describe another person, let alone a boy…a man. Jamie.
He grumbles a shallow growl right at the back of his throat as my fingertips skim around the navy elastic of his shorts. His tongue licks deeper and twirls around mine.
I want more. I want to tell him that I want it too, but I don’t want to stop kissing him back and I have this unsure tightness in chest that makes me bashful and fearful that he’d reject me anyway.
I want him to touch me in ways that I’ve only heard other girls boast and brag that they’d been touched. I want his mouth and his tongue to taste a lot more than just my own.
Before I even realize it we’re both standing in the middle of the warm, soft rolling water and his hands are squeezing my bum cheeks to the point that I think they’ll leave bruises. And it makes me feel excited in ways that I’ve never felt before and it makes me feel like a livewire.
All this and he never stops our kiss. His tongue tastes mine with a ferocity that feels like years of need all at once. I rove my hands up his sides and his back, relishing the feel of his muscles pulling and tightening under his hot skin. By the time my hands round to his chest and travel up to his hair our bodies are completely flush and my boobs feel even bigger and heavier than they already are. My nipples feel sore like they’re being pinched and pulled and there’s this familiar, yet new ache that’s building between my legs and the bubbling water is only making that ache stronger whilst making it feel better at the same time.
I’ve never felt the arousal of a man, but I can feel his and it’s pressing deliciously to my lower belly. I feel the heat creep up my neck and flush my cheeks and all I want to do is find a way of getting closer. My fingers tighten their grip in his sun bleached brown hair and I can’t help but pull him down to me, even as I feel him softly pull away.
No. Please don’t stop.
Please subscribe so you don't miss a post!!

OTHER PLACES TO FIND ME:

Blog: http://alysenovak.blogspot.com

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

Twitter: www.twitter.com/alyseypoo21

Bloglovin': https://www.bloglovin.com/alyseypoo21

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+AlyseNovak

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/alyseypoo21

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A1JWWW8M6VWTSB

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!!**

Please subscribe so you don't miss a post!!

OTHER PLACES TO FIND ME:

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

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A1JWWW8M6VWTSB

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.**
Some Amazon links are affiliate links and I do make a small commission if they are used. NO PRESSURE!!
Please subscribe so you don't miss a post!!

OTHER PLACES TO FIND ME:

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

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A1JWWW8M6VWTSB

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Fast Burn by Lori Foster

Book Description

For the woman who’s his perfect match, he’s willing to break the rules…

The moment Brand Berry meets beautiful, driven Sahara Silver, the connection between them is electric. It’s also something he can’t pursue. Sahara wants him, sure—to join Body Armor, where his MMA skills, size and cocky attitude make him perfect for her elite crew of bodyguards. For Sahara, the agency always comes first, and Brand needs more. Yet when she’s kidnapped by men searching for her missing brother, he doesn’t hesitate.

Somewhere along the way, flirting with Brand for the sake of business turned very personal. Despite his refusal to join Body Armor, it’s Brand who steps up when Sahara needs him most. Now there’s no more time for games, and no point denying the hunger they both feel. They’ll escape together or not at all. But if they survive, can Sahara finally surrender control to claim this blazing passion?

AVAILABLE: March 20, 2018

Body Armor Series

Under Pressure (Book 1)

Hard Justice (Book 2)

Close Contact (Book 3)

Fast Burn (Book 4)

Personally, I have been WAITING for Sahara's book. Other previous books in the Body Armor series just weren't my favorite. They weren't bad by any means. They just didn't live up to what I loved about these characters in the Ultimate series. Sahara Silver was a special character in this series for me and she didn't let me down!

Sahara Silver is the boss of Body Armor Bodyguard Agency. She inherited it when her brother went missing and is presumed dead. Sahara believes her brother is out there somewhere and won't stop looking for him. Keeping her brother's business around for him when he returns is the most important thing to Sahara. She hires nothing but the best, and she wants Brand Berry... bad. But Brand doesn't want to work for Sahara, he just wants her. But can the two learn that mixing business with pleasure isn't a bad thing? And what happens when Sahara's brothers disappearance comes back to haunt her?

Read Fast Burn to find out!!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

**I received a ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.**

OTHER PLACES TO FIND ME:

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

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A1JWWW8M6VWTSB

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Cover Reveal: Savage Prince by Meghan March

Book Description

Who knew things could get even darker and dirtier in New Orleans? New York Times bestselling author Meghan March introduces the Savage Prince of the city, the man you never want to meet.

I do what I want and who I want. I don’t follow anyone’s rules—even my own.

I knew I shouldn’t touch her, but it didn’t stop me.

Didn’t stop me the second time either. Only made me want a third.

My lifestyle suits the savage I am, and she doesn’t.

But Temperance Ransom is my newest addiction, and I’m nowhere near ready to quit her yet.

I’ll have her my way, even if it means dragging her into the darkness.

Hopefully it doesn’t kill us both.

Savage Prince is book one of the Savage Trilogy, set in the same world as Ruthless King, however you do not need to read the Mount Trilogy to devour this scandalously hot new story.

Available: March 27, 2018

Pre-order for Kindle HERE

OTHER PLACES TO FIND ME:

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

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A1JWWW8M6VWTSB

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Defiant Queen by Meghan March

Book Description

The Mount Trilogy continues with

Defiant Queen...

I’m his entertainment. His toy. Payment on a debt.

I tell myself I hate him, but every time he walks into the room, my body betrays me. How can I want him and fear him in the same moment?

They told me he’d mess with my head. Make it go to war with my body.

But I didn’t realize it would be complete anarchy.

I should’ve known better. When Mount’s involved, there are no rules.

I will not surrender. I will not show weakness. I’ll stand my ground and make it out of this bargain with my heart and soul intact.

But he has other plans . . .

Defiant Queen is the second book of the Mount Trilogy. Mount and Keira's story concludes in Sinful Empire.

AVAILABLE: November 14, 2017

The Mount Trilogy

Ruthless King (Book 1) - REVIEW HERE GET IT HERE

Defiant Queen (Book 2) - Get it HERE

Sinful Empire (Book 3)- Available December 19, 2017 *PREORDER HERE

UGHHH!!!!! I LOVE THIS TRILOGY!!!!! Like, I'm obsessed. I don't I've been this excited/riveted/anticipated of a trilogy before. EVER. I consumed this book in one sitting. I even went back and re-read Ruthless King right before I read this one.

Once again, THIS IS NOT A STANDALONE!! You HAVE to read Ruthless King first. Which means... yes, these end on a cliffhanger. And, HOLY CLIFFHANGERS!!! If these books weren't released about a month apart, I think I'd go crazy. So if you aren't a fan of cliffhangers but want to read this trilogy, Sinful Empire (the last book) is scheduled to be released December 19, so pick all them up then!!

Defiant Queen is just as fasted-paced and action packed at Ruthless King. As readers, we get a little more insight into the deadly and mysterious Lachlan Mount's past and how and why he became the man he is today. What started out as a debt turns more complicated for Lachlan and Kiera as secrets are revealed and as outside forces close in.

Rating: 5 out of 5

**I received an ARC through InkSlinger PR in exchange for a honest review.**

OTHER PLACES TO FIND ME:

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

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A1JWWW8M6VWTSB

Cover Reveal: Sex, Not Love by Vi Keeland

Book Description
My relationship with Hunter Delucia started backwards.

We met at a wedding—him sitting on the groom’s side, me sitting on the bride’s. Stealing glances at each other throughout the night, there was no denying an intense, mutual attraction.

I caught the bouquet; he caught the garter. Hunter held me tightly while we danced and suggested we explore the chemistry sparking between us. His blunt, dirty mouth should’ve turned me off. But for some crazy reason, it had the opposite effect on me.

We ended up back in my hotel room. The next morning, I headed home to New York leaving him behind in California with the wrong number.

I thought about him often, but after my last relationship, I’d sworn off of charming, cocky, gorgeous-as-sin men. A year later, Hunter and I met again at the birth of our friends’ baby. Our attraction hadn't dulled one bit. After a whirlwind trip, he demanded a real phone number this time. So I left him with my mother’s—she could scare away any man with her talks of babies and marriage—and flew back home.

I’d thought it was funny, until the following week when he rang the bell at Mom’s house for Sunday night dinner. The crazy, gorgeous man had won over my mother and taken an eight-week assignment in my city. He proposed we spend that time screwing each other out of our systems.

Eight weeks of mind-blowing sex with no strings attached? What did I have to lose?

Nothing, I thought.

It’s just sex, not love.

But you know what they say about the best laid plans…

AVAILABLE: January 15, 2018

OTHER PLACES TO FIND ME:

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