Archive | November 2015

Double Cover Reveal: Jax’s Dilemma and Chas’s Fervor by Chiah Wilder #giveaway @EJBookPromos

Nov9

Title: Jax’s Dilemma & Chas’s Fervor

Series: Insurgents MC #2 & #3

Author: Chiah Wilder

Genre: MC Romance

Jax, Sergeant-At-Arms of the Insurgents Motorcycle Club, likes his women easy. Raised in the outlaw biker world, Jax has bedded more women than he can count. The only things on his mind are big ass Harleys, scorching whiskey, and pretty women who can spread on command.

Then he meets Cherri—the stripper with ice blue eyes and white-blonde hair.

He wants her in his bed.

She would rather not.

Cherri has complicated stamped all over her. Jax doesn’t need a woman like her messing up his life.

Too bad he can’t stop thinking about her.

Cherri ran away from a bad situation back home. She has secrets she hasn’t shared with anyone. Stripping is her means of making enough money to start a new life, and nothing’s going to screw up her plans.

Then she meets Jax.

He’s gorgeous, sexy, and a cocky bastard. His tattooed, ripped chest and biceps makes her drool. She knows she should run far away from him, but her body wants him in the worst way.

Just as she begins to relax, her past collides with her new life. Cherri must navigate a deadly obstacle course littered with outlaw motorcycle clubs and a power-hungry politician.

Jax won’t stop until he claims Cherri. He vows to protect and love Cherri no matter what. When put to the test, will Jax betray his family—the Insurgents MC, or will he lose the woman he loves forever?

Chas Vickers, member of the Insurgents Motorcycle Club, has sworn off women since his divorce left him bitter and jaded. He is too hardened, and the last thing he wants to do is settle down with another old lady.

His relationships now are easy and free—exactly the way he likes it.

Until he meets curvaceous Addie.

He has to have her between his sheets.

And he knows she wants him. Eyes don’t lie.

Addie O’Leary has lusted after her student’s dad ever since she saw him. She has guarded her heart and her life for the last two years. Now Chas, the tattooed, dirty-mouthed, rugged outlaw biker threatens to tear down all her barriers.

Always loving the bad boy, Chas is a dangerous badass with an attitude and an MC. His charming smile pulls at Addie’s heart and body.

Carrying around a deep, dark secret, Addie is afraid her past will destroy her future. Chas seems to be her only hope for redemption.

Chas knows Addie is hiding something. He makes it his mission to find out what it is, and, once he does, he’ll make everything right for her.

Then he’ll claim her as his woman.

The Insurgents MC Series are stand alone romance novels. The book contains violence, strong language, and steamy sexual scenes. There is no cheating. There is no cliffhanger. The book is intended for readers over the age of 18.

Chiah Wilder is the author of Hawk’s Property, the first book in the Insurgents MC Series. It is a full length, standalone novel. Its release date is set for October 27, 2015.
Always a lover of books, she began writing at a young age and continued through college with collections of short stories. Figuring she had to grow up and get a “real” job, her writing was placed on the back burner.
Her love of reading has always be center front in her life. Chiah’s love of bad boys both in and out of fiction has inspired her Insurgents series. She loves an alpha male whose softer side is brought out by a passionate, spirited woman. In fiction there are no rules or boundaries, and fantasies can go as far as the characters want to take them. Steamy, biker romances with rough, sexy bad boys are her guilty pleasure along with brownies, cheddar cheese, and movie marathons.
Returning to writing has been a dream come true. Writing and publishing Hawk’s Property has been an amazing journey, and she is happy to share the Insurgents family with her readers. She is busy writing her next book in the series.
Chiah would love to hear from you. You can contact her at: chiahwilder@gmail.com

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Feel the Burn G.A Aiken #dragonkin #review #kLover @KensingtonBooks #TBRlist

Nov8

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Feel the Burn (Dragonkin)

Synopsis
Gaius is the Iron Dragon One-Eyed Rebel king and Kachka is a Rider, daughter of the Steppes.
Both are on a mission. Gaius is trying to find his sadistic cousin to exact revenge for her torturing his twin sister. Kachka is on a mission from the queen to put an end to the Charamnesind cult, a group of people who are disrupting peace by slaughtering priests in the temples throughout the land.

Opinion
To me, this book is not really a romance. Do not get me wrong, I thought it was great fiction with romantic elements. For the most part, I felt like it was a Game of Thrones type of book. There were all these different characters, tribes, and ruling groups that had to be explained. There were alliances between nations, provinces and obvious power struggles that had to be addressed. It was a ways into the book before the hero & heroine actually meet.

Props to the author for the elaborate world she created. This was not as simple as just dragons and non-dragons. There were people with various types of abilities and those with none at all.

Kachka was a hilarious multi-faceted character. She was a skilled hunter that was not used to just sitting around. She needed a mission or purpose to stay active. Her people, as a race of female chauvinists, looked down on males. Period. It did not matter if the male in question was stronger; he was still only good for one thing. Help her make babies. Well, two things.

As a result, she looks down on Gaius in the beginning. She is attracted to him and tells him that she will allow him to share her bed because it pleases her. Gaius should be offended at the way that Kachka talks to him (she shows no respect) but he cannot help but feel drawn in by the attraction.

I focused a lot on Kachka, because I love her character, but Gaius is just as well developed. He is a warrior and dragon, but at the same time, I could tell so much about him from the way he takes care of his sister.

There was so much action happening in this book that it is difficult for me to concentrate on one aspect. Don’t worry. It is not too convoluted that you cannot follow the story. My only regret is that I did not read some of the previous books in the series before requesting this one. I think that would have helped me to have a deeper context and understand the supporting characters better.

Should you buy? Yes! If you like strong heroines, Kachka is the one for you. She is a warrior in her own right and does not need a man to save her. Gaius and Kachka are definitely equals, even though it takes a while for her to see it that way. I am glad that they have a HEA and it is an entertaining story to see all that Gaius and Kachka experience along the way.

This story is a standalone but it you are like me, you will want to read the rest of the books in the series as well. This series is a world that you want to immerse yourself, especially when it is cold and rainy outside!

Book details
Series: Dragonkin
Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Zebra (November 24, 2015)
Available on Amazon

City Scape Winery #winetasting #drinklocal #SCwine

Nov6

This Foodie Friday is about City Scape Winery!

City Scape is a winery making wines in the Upstate. They like to say that they are “Greenville County’s premier winery”. Actually, they are located in Pelzer. Not where you would think to go for a wine tasting. I found them on Groupon. Follow the GPS and make sure the gas tank is full because they are deep in the country. But once there, the tasting is worth the trip.

As you can tell from my notes below, their wine flavors run the gamut so there is something for everyone.

Tasting Room Hours: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (if you have a group, call ahead to make sure they will have room to serve you)

Of the 9 different wines that I tried during the wine tasting, here are my notes

Uptown White – Dry, light. I consider this to be a standard white dinner wine.

Pineapple Riesling – Very sweet almost like a nectar. Would go well in a fruit punch drink.

Carolina Charm – Sweet tea flavored, does not taste like wine. I prefer unsweet tea, so this was too sweet.

Green Apply Gewurz – Refreshing, crisp flavors. I could taste hints of the apple. This was more tart than sweet for me.

Upstate Blush – Smells pretty, but not as sweet as I anticipated

Raspberry White Zinfandel – Smells like cotton candy, tastes like berries

Urban Red – Dry, strong flavor, heavy on the tongue

Downtown Red – Tart, dry, strong

Palmetto Red – Dry, smells like muscadines

Favorite from the tasting: Raspberry White Zinfandel

The reds were too dry for me. Most of the whites were light but not very sweet.

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Beauty and the Boss by @DianeAlberts #netgalley

Nov5

I received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Beauty and the Boss (Modern Fairytales)

Synopsis

Benjamin is the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, Gale Inc. His mother hates him and wants the board to remove him from the helm.

Trying to help him out of a particular sensitive situation, Maggie spontaneously tells his mother that they are engaged. Now she has to go along with the ruse or risk losing her job.

Benjamin loves the idea of the faux engagement and wants to turn it into a real romance. Maggie is understandably more cautious.

Opinion

Benjamin is my new book boyfriend.

The nickname for him in the office is “The Beast”. He may have a gruff manner but he was not too bad to me. He was mainly dealing with a lot of guilt following the death of his father. He was misunderstood mainly because of his negative interactions with his mother. As soon as he learned that Maggie was not one to be impressed with dollar signs, he was better off. When it came to relationships, he seemed sweet and thoughtful. While he could be serious when it came to work, he had a fun side when he knew he could let down his guard.

When the conflict reaches its peak, Benjamin asks the right questions. He tries. Got to love him for trying.

Maggie has spunk and I could empathize with her. I could understand speaking out to help in a situation, but not all together thinking through the implications of aforementioned actions. She did well trying to protect her heart. In the end, it was in good, capable hands.

Should you buy? Yes!!! I loved the story. I loved the characters. I could relate to them and I wish I knew them in real life. Buy this book and you will not be disappointed.

Book details
File Size: 1063 KB
Print Length: 190 pages
Publisher: Entangled: Indulgence (November 16, 2015)
Publication Date: November 16, 2015
Sold by: Macmillan

Available on Amazon

Blog Tour: First Love Again by Kristina Knight

Nov4

Title: First Love Again

Author: Kristina Knight

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Releashed: November 1, 2015

Some loves deserve a second chance…

Coming back to Gulliver Island after a ten-year absence to take care of his father should have been simple. Emmett Deal would fix and sell the family home, and return to Cincinnati with his ailing father in tow. Yet something compels him to stay a little longer. The beautiful, bright eyes of Jaime Brown.

Ten years ago, traumatic events changed the course of Jaime’s life forever, catching her in a small-town life she can’t escape. Emmett’s return stirs up the memories she wanted to ignore…and dreams she had forgotten. Now she finds herself with a rare opportunity—a second chance. Only this time, it’s not just for love…

He reached out and tugged a lock of her hair. A Canadian Soldier, a tiny insect that came out of the lake during the early summer months, alighted on Emmett’s shoulder. Jaime flicked her finger at the mayfly then smoothed the material.

“Have a nice night,” she said, her voice sounding rough to her ears.

“You, too.”

Neither moved. Emmett tucked the same strand of hair behind her ear or maybe he was caressing it, Jaime couldn’t tell. And she told her hand to let go of his shirt three times, but the order seemed to short circuit somewhere between her brain and her hands.

“It was good to see you, Jaime.”

Was it her imagination or was his voice slightly more husky than normal?

“I’m sure we’ll run into one another a few more times before you leave.” No guessing about that, her voice was definitely huskier than normal.

“Probably so. It’s only a mile-wide island.”

“Two miles across, three miles around,” she said, hating the words even as they passed her lips. Emmett knew the size of the island; he hadn’t been talking literally. Just making conversation. And when had he stepped closer to her?

No, wait, she was the one doing the stepping because his glutes were still very much attached to the porch railing.

Not smart, Jaime. Step away. Walk away.

But she didn’t step back.

Jaime swallowed and so did Emmett. She watched; her attention focused on the way his Adam’s apple slid down and then up along the strong column of his throat. He needed a haircut, she decided for at least the tenth time since recognizing him in the diner, but hoped he didn’t get one. She liked the way the longer hairs tangled against his neck. Wondered what his hair would feel like now compared to the short spikiness of it when they were kids.

“I should go.” She didn’t want to, but she should and maybe saying the words aloud would force her feet to obey.

“Me, too.”

“But you’re already home.” This time her feet obeyed and Jaime stepped away from him.

Just then Emmett stepped forward, bringing his chest up hard against hers. His heat seemed to wrap around her and her hands crept over his shoulders. He leaned in, his lips brushing her cheek, singeing her. Jaime gasped at the contact, wanting more and less at the same time.

“We should try that again,” he said and didn’t wait for her reply.

Once upon a time, Kristina Knight spent her days running from car crash to fire to meetings with local police–no, she wasn’t a troublemaker, she was a journalist. Her career took her all over the United States, writing about everything from a serial killer’s capture to the National Finals Rodeo. Along the way, she found her very own Knight in Shining Cowboy Boots and an abiding love for romance novels. And just like the characters from her favorite books, she’s living her own happily ever after.Kristina writes sassy contemporary romance novels; her books have appeared on Kindle Best Seller Lists. She loves hearing from readers, so drop her a line!