Books and Things Blog

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

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Excerpt Reveal: Gentleman Nine by Penelope Ward

Book Description

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward, comes a new, sexy standalone novel.

Growing up, the three of us were friends.

He was the nerd.

I was the playboy.

She was the beauty.

Deep down, I only ever wanted her. I kept it inside because Rory and I made a pact that our friend, Amber, was off-limits.

He lied.

I went off to college, and he got the girl.

Amber never knew how I felt.

They were together for years—before he broke her heart.

Through it all and across the miles, she and I casually stayed in touch.

When my job sent me to Boston for a three-month contract position, Amber let me stay in her spare room.

Still reeling from her breakup, she’d sworn off men.

One night, I opened her computer to find the shock of my life. She’d hesitantly contacted a male escort company. Afraid to date and get her heart broken again, she was looking for sex with no strings.

Every emotion imaginable ran through me: protectiveness, jealousy—curiosity.

Amber had chosen Gentleman Number Nine and sent him a message.

She opened up to him, confessing, among other things, her physical attraction to her friend—me. But she considered me off-limits—and she thought I was a manwhore. (Ironic, considering the circumstances.)

Eventually, she set up a date to meet Gentleman Nine at a hotel.

When she showed up several nights later to meet him, she was stunned to see me standing there—with an offer I hoped she wouldn’t refuse.

Available: February 19, 2018

Excerpt:

G9,

Is that what your friends call you? I like that. Thanks for the answers.

That’s an interesting question—why tonight of all nights? Well, I saw my ex tagged on Facebook with another woman, and that put me over the edge. But it’s more than that. Lately, I’ve developed a strong attraction to a good friend of mine, and that’s sort of screwing with me a bit. He’s actually temporarily living in my condo, but he’s someone I’ve known for years. I’ve always thought he was extremely handsome, but it’s complicated. He and I would not be a good match romantically. He’s not the monogamous type, or at least, he never used to be. We’re better off as friends. He was also the best friend of my ex years back, so there’s that. Having him around, though, has made me more sensitized to my sexual desires. Little things like the waft of his scent, the way he touches the small of my back when he passes by me in the kitchen…it’s like my body is on this constant state of alert. So, I was thinking if I could just—for lack of a better word—get laid, maybe I could get this feeling out of my system.

—Amber

My jaw was open as I just sat there staring at the screen.

Holy shit.

I read it again.

And again.

I honestly didn’t think that Amber felt that way about me. She would always make jokes about me being good-looking, but her attraction to Rory proved that her taste wasn’t exactly conventional. Now, I really felt like shit for invading her privacy, because there was no way she would’ve been okay with confessing that to me. I never imagined any of this had to do with me. I’d assumed it was solely about Rory.

She wanted to use another man to f*ck me out of her system?

That revelation left me shocked and confused—not to mention hard as f*ck thinking about the fact that Amber wanted me.

***Amazon links are affiliate links***

OTHER PLACES TO FIND ME:

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

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

Cover Reveal: The Hook-Up Experiment by Emma Hart

Book Description

1.Hate-screw my high school nemesis.
2.Remember to hate him.
3.Prove my brother wrong.
It should be easy.
It isn’t.

As the owner of Pick-A-Dick, New Orleans’ premier hook-up website, my job is simple. Connect two people for a no-strings, no-expectations hook-up. The plus for my clients is that I’m the one who gets to sift through the dick pics—except this time, they're required.
My problem? My brother, co-owner of Pick-A-Dick’s sister dating site, doesn’t believe it’s possible to hook up with someone three times and not fall in love.
I disagree. I know it’s possible.
And my disagreement is exactly how I end up reconnected with my high school nemesis, Elliott Sloane. The guy who asked me to junior prom and then stood me up. Who egged my car when I rejected him, and convinced my senior homecoming date to ghost me.
It should be easy to hate-screw him. If only he was still that person, instead of a hot-as-hell single dad, working as a builder to make ends’ meet, fighting for custody of his daughter.
Not to mention packing in the pants department...

Three hook-ups.
One outcome.
Right?

Available: March 13, 2018

Amazon Pre-order Here

***Amazon links are affiliate links***

OTHER PLACES TO FIND ME:

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

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

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Reed by Sawyer Bennett

Book Description

The offseason is heating up for one Carolina Cold Fury heartbreaker who’s eager to make nice with the girl next door.

No one plays like Reed Olson, whether it’s hockey season or not. After back-to-back NHL championships, he’s craving a little R&R. Reed leans to a specific type—blond, busty, and interested—and fortunately he has a little black book full of options. So why is it he can’t stop dreaming about the new girl who just moved in next door? A certified brainiac, she seems to want nothing to do with the hard-bodied athlete.

Josie Ives desperately needs something her celebrity neighbor obviously doesn’t: solitude. Reed is everything she imagined—a little too good-looking, with a body that puts Greek gods to shame. But she didn’t expect he would also be funny and charming. Josie knows she’s the opposite of his type, and that’s fine with her. Still, the chemistry between them is undeniable. Their newfound friendship certainly has its benefits, but she’s starting to wonder if opposites really do attract.

Available: February 6, 2018

Carolina Cold Fury Series

ALEX (Book 1) Get it Here
GARRETT (Book 2) Get it Here
ZACK (Book 3) Get it Here
RYKER (Book 4) Get it HERE
HAWKE (Book 5) Get it Here *Review
MAX (Book 6) Get it Here
ROMAN (Book 7) Get it Here
LUCAS (Book 8) Get it Here
VAN (Book 9) Get it Here
REED (Book 10) Get it Here

Reed is the tenth book in Sawyer Bennett's Cold Fury Series. Surprisingly, I've read most of the Cold Fury series, but I've only reviewed Hawke. Weird. Anyways, I've really enjoyed reading this series. My favorite is Zack, the third book in the series. Each book focuses on a different Cold Fury player and can be read as a standalone.

Reed Olson was looking forward to his summer of no strings sex after winning another Stanley Cup with the Carolina Cold Fury. But after a night of "okay" sex introduces him to his new neighbor, he can't seem to get her off of his mind. Their friendship eventually adds some mutually appreciated benefits.

But when life and outside insecurities arise, will they be able to realize their feelings for each other are real?

Rating: 4 out of 5

**This ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review**

***Amazon links are affiliate links that I can make a small commission on that allow me to buy more items for review***

OTHER PLACES TO FIND ME:

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