Thursday, June 29, 2017

Cover reveal: I Do(n't) by Leddy Harper




Cover Designer - Wicked by Design

BLURB


I fell in love with Holden York when I was six years old.

Most of my youth came with spiral notebooks filled with doodles, wedding plans, and “Janelle York” looped in bubbly handwriting.

However, one night in Vegas changed everything.

I woke up to more than just a fantasy of my brother’s best friend.

Five years later, I'm standing on his doorstep confronting him about the secret he kept from me. 

If you think this is the story of how we rode off into the sunset together…

You’re so wrong.

But if you think this is the story of how Holden blackmailed me into living with him...

You couldn't be more right.


RELEASING AUGUST 10, 2017



Add to your TBR - http://bit.ly/2tkyzIa





About Leddy Harper







Leddy Harper had to use her imagination often as a child. She grew up the only girl in a house full of boys. At the age of fourteen, she decided to use that imagination and wrote her first book, and never stopped. 


She often calls writing her therapy, using it as a way to deal with issues through the eyes of her characters.



She is now a mother of three girls, leaving her husband as the only man in a house full of females. 



The decision to publish her first book was made as a way of showing her children to go after whatever it is they want to. Love what you do and do it well. Most importantly Leddy wanted to teach them what it means to overcome their fears.



Follow Leddy Harper


Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Blog Tou (+ int): A Most Unlikely Duke: Diamonds In the Rough #1 by Sophie Barnes


He never thought he’d become a duke, 
or that the secrets of his past will cost him his greatest love...


A MOST UNLIKELY DUKE
Diamonds in the Rough #1
Sophie Barnes
Releasing June 27, 2017
Avon Books


Raphe Matthews hasn’t stepped foot in polite circles since a tragedy left his once-noble family impoverished and in debt. The bare-knuckle boxer has spent the last fifteen years eking out an existence for himself and his two sisters. But when a stunning reversal of fortunes lands Raphe the title of Duke of Huntley, he’s determined to make a go of becoming a proper lord, but he’ll need a little help and his captivating neighbor might be just the woman for the job…

After her sister’s scandalous match, Lady Gabriella knows the ton’s eyes are on her. Agreeing to tutor the brutish new duke can only lead to ruin. Although she tries to control her irresistible attraction to Raphe, every day she spends with him only deepens her realization that this may be the one man she cannot do without. And as scandal threatens to envelope them both, she must decide if she can risk everything for love with a most unlikely duke.




Review:

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A Most Unlikely Duke is the first book in the Diamonds in the Rough series by Sophie Barnes. Our hero, Raphe, has been raising his sisters all alone after the death of their parents trying to provide them what they need by boxing. One day a letter arrives and appoints him as the new Duke of Huntley. After 15 years on the streets, he is not the role model for a Duke and the society is not very welcoming. Gabriella, our heroine, is one of the few people who are kind to him and his sisters. She is teaching them how to be proper ladies and on the side, she starts to develop feelings for their brother. The relationship between the two main characters lacks the over the top drama and is kind of sweet. I enjoyed a lot watching these two fall in love. The secondary characters were unique and even if I didn't like them all some grew on me. I wish we would see Gabriella's sister more and see how she faring. I am very happy to see that the duke's sisters will get their own books. I am looking forward to that. I will keep an eye for the next books. 

I liked the writing style of the book. It has a good pace and it kept me entertained. I would recommend the book because it's a solid base for the series and the readers will enjoy it.

Release Blitz (+review): Honor (Bad Boy Homecoming #4) by Kennedy Layne

Honor eCover v2 v300dpi

About HONOR

A high school reunion is about to get down and dirty and a whole lot more complicated in this new romantic suspense from USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne.
Derek Spencer hadn't even bothered to RSVP to his Catfish Creek's high school reunion. He'd been too busy fighting a war in Afghanistan in his capacity as a Marine and wouldn't even be in the States during the event. Unfortunately, one emergency phone call from his mother changed everything.
Tessa Daniels had been voted most likely to do everything back in high school. She somehow didn't think that included acquiring her very own stalker at the relatively young age of twenty-eight. It had stopped being simply annoying after someone broke into her house, invading her privacy. Now, she was actually in fear for her life.
Derek's mother feels terrible that her son has spent almost every waking hour at the hospital, watching over his recovering father. She sets out--and succeeds--in arranging for Derek and Tessa to attend their high school reunion together. Neither one of them expected sparks to fly or memories of long-lost crushes to emerge, but they are not only faced with their newfound passion...they must also confront the person trying to extinguish their chance to rekindle the flames of past desires.
Add HONOR to your Goodreads list here!
Find out more about the BAD BOY HOMECOMING series on the website here!
Get your hands on HONOR now!

Find out more about the other four books in the BAD BOY HOMECOMING series on the website here!


DROPOUT by Carrie Ann RyanTROUBLE by Avery FlynnPROM QUEEN by Katee RobertROCK STAR by Stacey Kennedy


Review: The Day of the Duchess: Scandal & Scoundrel #3 by Sarah MacLean


A love that neither can deny…


THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS
Scandal & Scoundrel #3
Sarah MacLean
Releasing June 27, 2017
Avon Books


The one woman he will never forget…

Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven, has lived the last three years in self-imposed solitude, paying the price for a mistake he can never reverse and a love he lost forever. The dukedom does not wait, however, and Haven requires an heir, which means he must find himself a wife by summer’s end. There is only one problem—he already has one.

The one man she will never forgive…

After years in exile, Seraphina, Duchess of Haven, returns to London with a single goal—to reclaim the life she left and find happiness, unencumbered by the man who broke her heart. Haven offers her a deal; Sera can have her freedom, just as soon as she finds her replacement…which requires her to spend the summer in close quarters with the husband she does not want, but somehow cannot resist.

A love that neither can deny…

The duke has a single summer to woo his wife and convince her that, despite their broken past, he can give her forever, making every day...



Review:

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

It really saddens me to write this review. I never thought I would give such a low rating to Sarah MacLean. She is one of my favorite authors. Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake is one of my favorite books of all time. I cannot come to terms with the fact that while reading the book, I was wondering when the book was going to end because I couldn't take it anymore. You see, I was tired of the angst and wondering when Malcolm and Sera would admit that they still had feelings for each other. I was tired of seeing Malcolm chasing after Sera and trying to make her fall for him. I wanted to see Sera trying to do something to fix her relationship with her husband. Malcolm was always showing her what he did for her and I wanted to see her figuring it out instead. He went to the effing America to find her. Even if in the beginning I wanted to be on her side, in the end, I ended up rooting for him. As much as I liked Sera's sisters, I was ok with them meddling so much. They made Malcolm's life a living hell. He did deserve it for cheating on Sera though even if they were already broken when that better be forgotten event happened. All these things wouldn't have happened if Sera hadn't listened to her mother and decided to trap Malcolm. He would have married her anyway because he loved her.

I am not giving a lower rating to the book for various reasons. For one, I loved watching the two main characters fall for each other. I loved even more Malcolm's friend who was in love with Helena. The secondary characters were very well written and I was invested in them and their stories. I cannot wait for Secile and her American! Also, I hope we will see Malcolm's potential wives get their own story and happy ending. The sisters are a force that cannot be stopped and when they weren't on the team that hated Malcolm were a very pleasant part of the story. I will probably erase this book from my memory and go read the last book of this author I have left as unread to make myself feel better. I know Sarah MacLean can write the perfect story, but I wasn't a fan of this one

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

DESERTED DUKE DISAVOWED!

August 19, 1836

House of Lords, Parliament

She’d left him two years, seven months ago, exactly.

Malcolm Marcus Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven looked to the tiny wooden calendar wheels inlaid into the blotter on his desk in his private office above the House of Lords.

August the nineteenth, 1836. The last day of the parliamentary session, filled with pomp and idle. And lingering memory. He spun the wheel with the six embossed upon it. Five. Four. He took a deep breath.

Get out. He heard his own words, cold and angry with betrayal, echoing with quiet menace. Don’t ever return.

He touched the wheel again. August became July. May. March.

January the nineteenth, 1834. The day she left.

His fingers moved without thought, finding comfort in the familiar click of the wheels.

April the seventeenth, 1833.

The way I feel about you . . . Her words now—soft and full of temptation. I’ve never felt anything like this.

He hadn’t, either. As though light and breath and hope had flooded the room, filling all the dark spaces. Filling his lungs and heart. And all because of her.

Until he’d discovered the truth. The truth, which had mattered so much until it hadn’t mattered at all.

Where had she gone?

The clock in the corner of the room ticked and tocked, counting the seconds until Haven was due in his seat in the hallowed main chamber of the House of Lords, where men of higher purpose and passion had sat before him for generations. His fingers played the little calendar like a virtuoso, as though they’d done this dance a hundred times before. A thousand.

And they had.

March the first, 1833. The day they met.

So, they let simply anyone become a duke, do they? No deference. Teasing and charm and pure, unadulterated beauty.

If you think dukes are bad, imagine what they accept from duchesses?

That smile. As though she’d never met another man. As though she’d never wanted to. He’d been hers the moment he’d seen that smile. Before that. Imagine, indeed.

And then it had fallen apart. He’d lost everything, and then lost her. Or perhaps it had been the reverse. Or perhaps it was all the same.

Would there ever be a time when he stopped thinking of her? Ever a date that did not remind him of her? Of the time that had stretched like an eternity since she’d left?

Where had she gone?

The clock struck eleven, heavy chimes sounding in the room, echoed by a dozen others sounding down the long, oaken corridor beyond, summoning men of longstanding name to the duty that had been theirs before they drew breath.

Haven spun the calendar wheels with force, leaving them as they lay. November the thirty-seventh, 3842. A fine date—one on which he had absolutely no chance of thinking of her.


New York Times, Washington Post & USA Today bestseller Sarah MacLean is the author of historical romance novels that have been translated into more than twenty languages, and winner of back-to-back RITA Awards for best historical romance from the Romance Writers of America.

Sarah is a leading advocate for the romance genre, speaking widely on its place at the nexus of gender and cultural studies. She is the author of a monthly column celebrating the best of the genre for the Washington Post. Her work in support of romance and the women who read it earned her a place on Jezebel.com's Sheroes list of 2014 and led Entertainment Weekly to call her "gracefully furious." A graduate of Smith College & Harvard University, Sarah now lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.

Friday, June 23, 2017

Review: Revenge by Lexi Blake

 

 

Passion and danger collide in the latest contemporary romance featuring the Lawless siblings—from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake. When Drew Lawless discovers a fatal flaw in his plan to avenge his parents’ deaths, he turns to the one woman he promised he wouldn't touch. He offers her a deal, one that will bring her into his investigation, his life, and his bed. Investigative reporter Shelby Gates never dreamed how twisted the case would become—or how fascinated she would be with Drew. Every day they spend together binds them. And every night brings her closer to realizing he might be the man for her. As Drew's feelings for Shelby grow, so does the danger. From the streets of Dallas to Austin’s high-tech business world, Drew and Shelby play a game begun twenty years before—a game they will win, or die trying.    

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2etd4xJ
iBooks: http://apple.co/2qugg17
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2qubTmO
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2rgrK98
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2rskmVx    

Review:

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Revenge is the third (and final?) book in the Lawless series by Lexi Blake. I wish I could say that I enjoyed this book as much as I loved the other two, but I can't. The story felt too rushed. I don't feel like Drew and Shelby got the attention they should have gotten. I wanted to see them romancing each other without the hurry of finding out all the pieces of the puzzle. I wanted to see more romance.

To be honest, here, I felt like I didn't get a resolution in the end. I am having some "Is this it?" moments and if this is truly the end of the story, then I will be a little disappointed. I expected something more because I know the author can do it. The writing wasn't bad, but the story needed more pages and time to be told. I loved seeing all the characters together and I liked the new addition. For most of the book, I was wondering who is on the good side and who is on the bad. I barely managed to keep myself from reading the end in order to find out who was telling the truth and who was having secrets. I was quite hyped about this and maybe that's the reason I feel like I was let down with the story. While it's not one of Blake's best works, it still better than some of the books I read recently.



Shelby brushed her lips against his, her whole body seeming to come to life. His lips were soft, his hands tight. He was enveloping her and she was completely defenseless against him. She wrapped her arms around him as the kiss deepened, and suddenly she didn’t want to play it safe anymore. She’d been in her shell for so long and she wanted to come out of it, wanted to feel again. She dragged her tongue over his lower lip, and it seemed to awaken the beast in Drew. He took over, the kiss going from sweet to carnal in an instant. His mouth opened, tongue sliding over hers and dominating with strength and a sensuality she’d never come across before. He kissed her long and hard, his hands molding to the curves of her body. Over and over again his tongue danced with hers. Never before had a kiss seemed so effortless. It was like they’d been kissing forever. For a man who claimed he was socially awkward, he sure could kiss like a god. It was getting out of hand, but she didn’t care. Nothing mattered except getting more of him. She could feel his cock under her, hardening, lengthening, getting ready for what it was meant to do. He could ease her back against the table, pull off her jeans and panties. It would be incendiary, like a rocket going off, an explosion she couldn’t contain. She could feel herself getting soft and wet and ready for him, as though her body had recognized its natural mate and wasn’t taking no for an answer. “See, I told you we have chemistry.” His words rumbled along her lips. She couldn’t argue with him. The world around them seemed hazy and unreal. There was nothing except his touch and scent and the sight of his eyes looking at her like he could eat her up. She knew she should stop him, knew it was getting out of control, but she couldn’t find the will. It had been so damn long since she wanted something she could actually have. She wanted him. Shelby let her fingers sink into his hair, drawing him back down. Breakfast could wait. She needed more of him.  

  
NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog int eh world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Announcement & Reveal: For 100 reasons by Lara Adrian


We are so excited to be sharing the blurb and release date for New York Times Bestselling Author Lara Adrian's FOR 100 REASONS, the conclusion to the sexy, suspenseful 100 series.


Mark your calendars, FOR 100 REASONS is coming July 31, 2017.

 

Love takes no prisoners…

Billionaire Dominic Baine stepped into Avery Ross’s life when it was at its lowest. Obsessed with the beautiful, struggling artist, Nick was determined to have her. What began as a scorching seduction soon burned out of control, exploding into a white-hot passion neither of them could deny. Yet Nick and Avery are two damaged people, both haunted by dark secrets with the power to destroy them. And for Nick, the ugly past that shaped him cannot compare to the unforgivable deception that drives Avery from his arms, from his life. Now the man accustomed to having everything he desires must find a way to redeem himself to the only woman he has ever loved. Avery Ross has known heartbreak. She has known betrayal and loss, but nothing like the pain that loving Dominic Baine has brought into her life. Reeling from the aftermath of his devastating revelation, instead of allowing despair to break her, she builds herself into something stronger—the fearless woman and artist Nick’s passion has taught her to be. Yet her heart is in pieces, and despite everything she has, the one thing she needs is the man whose possessive desires and consuming love holds the power to either save them both or shatter her forever…

AVAILABLE JULY 31, 2017 - PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

AMAZON / iBOOKS / B&N / KOBO



See where it all started with FOR 100 DAYS and FOR 100 NIGHTS


FOR 100 DAYS

Pleasure has a price…
Struggling artist Avery Ross is barely scraping by. Bartending at a trendy New York City restaurant for an overbearing boss and two weeks away from losing her apartment to a condo developer, she’s desperate for a break. So when she’s offered a temporary housesitting job, she takes it. Living at one of the poshest addresses in Manhattan is like entering a new world—one that catapults her into the orbit of billionaire Dominic Baine, the darkly handsome, arrogantly alpha resident of the building’s penthouse. What begins as a powerful attraction soon explodes into a white-hot passion neither can deny. Yet as scorching as they need for each other is, Avery doesn’t expect Nick’s interest in her to last. Nor does she dare to dream that the desire she feels for this scarred, emotionally remote man could deepen into something real. For Avery has secrets of her own—and a past that could destroy her…and shatter everything she and Nick share.

AMAZON / iBOOKS / B&N / KOBO


FOR 100 NIGHTS

Passion knows no bounds…
Avery Ross is living a dream. After struggling all of her life to make ends meet, a change encounter with a powerful, darkly handsome man has catapulted her into a dazzling new world of penthouse luxury, elegant parties, and a wild, consuming passion with her billionaire love, Dominic Baine. Nothing is out of his reach in business or in pleasure, yet the only woman he wants is her. Nick sweeps her to sensual heights she has never dared explore, commanding her body the same way he commands her heat. Yet Avery knows the fantasy she’s living cannot last.
With dark secrets and a dangerous enemy haunting her past, Avery must find a way to trust Nick with the truth before it destroys everything they share. But Nick is harboring secrets of his own as well. And when they come to light, Avery will be forced to decide if the love she feels for Nick is strong enough to endure a betrayal she may never be able to forgive.

AMAZON / iBOOKS / B&N / KOBO


ABOUT THE AUTHOR LARA ADRIAN is a New York Times and #1 international bestselling author with nearly 4 million books in print and digital worldwide and translations licensed in more than 20 countries. Her upcoming release is FOR 100 REASONS, the third book in a contemporary romance series that reviewers are calling "phenomenal" and "one of the hottest series of the year." Learn more about the author and her books at LaraAdrian.com. WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / TWITTER / GOODREADS / INSTAGRAM

Release Day Launch:The knocked up plan by Lauren Blakely


 

From #1 NYT Bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes a new and sexy romance…THE KNOCKED UP PLAN! A standalone romance told in dual POV, THE KNOCKED UP PLAN is about all of the fun, hotness, and heartfelt emotions that come when a single woman asks her gorgeous, jaded, sworn-to-be-single-forever good friend to get one particular job done. What happens next when he agrees to provide the bun for her oven are lots of hot sexy times and heartfelt moments.

 

Now available on all retailers! Get your copy delivered now!

   

✮✮✮ THE KNOCKED UP PLAN is here! Grab your copy today! ✮✮✮

There are three little words most guys don't want to hear on the first date. Not those...I mean these... "knock me up."

This single gal has had enough of the games, the BS and the endless chase. I know what I want most, and it's not true love. It's a bun in the oven, and I'm not afraid to hit up my sex-on-a-stick co-worker to do the job. Ryder is gorgeous, witty and charming -- and he's also a notorious commitment-phobe. That makes him the perfect candidate to make a deposit in the bank of me.

I won't fall for him, he won't fall for me, and there's no way baby will make three.

Right?

**** There are four words every guy wants to hear on the first date -- "your place or mine?"

When my hot-as-sin co-worker makes me a no-strings-attached offer that involves her place, my place, any place -- as well as any position -- I can't refuse. Besides, I've got my own reasons to take her up on her deal even with her one BIG condition.

There's no way I'll want more from one woman than any position, any where, any night? Except . . . what if I do?

Be prepared to swoon and fan yourself from the heat! This full-length standalone contains lots of hot baby-making s-e-x, happy tears, playful jokes and a hot, swoon worthy hero you will fall madly in love with. One-click now for pure reading enjoyment!

Kindle US Kindle UK Kindle CA Kindle AU iBooks

Barnes & Noble Kobo Google Play Amazon PB

Excerpt:
 
“How does it work?” I ask. “The whole donation process.”

She stabs a carrot slice, chews, and swallows. “Well, there’s this thing guys do when they’re horny. It’s called”—she glances furtively from side to side—“jacking off.”

“I’m well aware of how the protein shake is made. What I mean is, are we talking about one of those little rooms you go into?” I ask, since what man doesn’t have an image of a jerk-off chamber? “With magazines or porn or whatnot?”

“Yes, they schedule the donors for forty-minute sessions in them.”

“I’m more efficient than that, but that’s good to know.” I take another bite and chew. I set down the burger. “So, a nurse or orderly would escort me to a special room, and then I’d need to drop my
drawers and whack off. Into a cup, right?”

“A plastic sample cup. With a top,” she says, and I’m kind of amazed that she’s answering every question like a champ. No blushing, no stammering.

“What do they provide for entertainment? Laptops? Computers? Or is it old school with Playboy?”

“They provide pornographic material in printed form as well as video on a TV screen.”

“Awesome. So I just choke the chicken in a room with a ton of other dudes going at it in their own rooms, too. Hand a cup to the nurse. She seals up the goods. Then, what’s next?”

“They do tests on your swimmers.”

“They’ll pass. Then you come in, maybe the same day, maybe a few days later?”

“Same day. We’d have to time everything to my cycle and when I’m ovulating.”

“Fine, so they undress you, prop you up on an exam table, and stick a turkey baster into you?”

“You paint a lovely picture of the process.”

I hold up a hand, waving her off. “Wait. I’m not done. You’re in nothing but a hospital gown. The doc tells you to put your cute little feet in stirrups, and they stick that baster up inside what I am sure
is an absolutely gorgeous and heavenly home,” I say, because if she can complement my tadpoles, I can say something nice about the paradise between her legs. She mouths a thank you. “After the boys
make the upstream trip, they send you home.” I mime patting her on the rear and then sending her out the door.

“I think you’ve got the basic idea.”

“And after that?”

“That’s all,” she says. “That’s all I’d want you to do. I don’t expect or want any involvement. I’d have all the paperwork drawn up in advance saying there are no legal rights, responsibilities, or expectations of parenting, and no financial commitments required.”

I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but that’s the clincher for me—the lack of involvement. If I’m ever going to raise a child, I’m damn well going to do it right. The whole nine yards, two parents, just like my mom and dad raised my brother, my sister, and me.

Nicole isn’t asking me to sign up for daddy duty, though. She doesn’t want me to help with diaper detail or midnight feedings.

She’s a friend asking for the help she needs so she can then do those things on her own.

And helping a friend seems like something I should consider.

Fine, she’s asking for a hell of a lot more than a dude to put together an IKEA TV stand, and those things are beyond Da Vinci Code-level cryptic. I’d like to see Robert Langdon decipher some IKEA assembly instructions. Good luck with that, Harvard symbologist.

I like Nicole. I respect the dickens out of this woman. I want to take her request as seriously as she’s asking it. “Can I have a few days to think about it?”

“Of course. Take all the time you need,” she says, then glances at an imaginary watch on her wrist. “It’s only my biological clock ticking.”

 



 

✦The audiobook will be narrated by Sebastian York and Andi Arndt! Link coming soon! ✦



     

"A refreshing take on the baby trope, The Knocked Up Plan is as sweet as it is naughty. Blakely not only balloons Nicole and Ryder’s incredibly powerful chemistry to new heights with their steamy love scenes, but she also infuses sweet emotion into every single one of their interactions."

- USA Today


“Wildly romantic! Incredibly sexy! Hilarious and sweet! The Knocked Up Plan HAD IT ALL! The PERFECT romance to kick your Summer into HIGH GEAR! Ryder and Nicole are Lauren Blakely's BEST CHARACTERS YET!”

- Shayna at Shayna Renee’s Spicy Reads

     

“The chemistry between Ryder and Nicole is COMBUSTIBLE!!! They are magic together.”

- Bookalicious Babes Blog

Add it to Goodreads here!

http://bit.ly/2r4ml1u

     

✮✮✮Enter to win this amazing THE KNOCKED UP PLAN GIVEAWAY!✮✮✮

Lauren’s Bundle of Joy Special Delivery Giveaway! This bundle is valued at $200 and includes the most delicious cupcakes delivered to your door from Wicked Cupcakes, a $50 gift certificate for luxurious bath products to make your skin baby soft from The Body Shop, and comes wrapped up with a beautiful sterling silver bow bangle bracelet from Pandora ($125 value).

http://laurenblakely.com/knocked-plan-giveaway/

    About Lauren Blakely: A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that's hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than eighty times, and she's sold more than 2 million books. In June she'll release THE KNOCKED UP PLAN, a standalone contemporary romance. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter  

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter ** Goodreads

 

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Review: I knew you were trouble (Oxford #4 by Lauren Layne)


A feisty beauty must choose between winning back Mr. Right 
or giving in to Mr. Wrong.


I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE
Oxford Series #4
Lauren Layne
Releasing June 13, 2017
Loveswept


New York City’s hottest bachelors are stirring up trouble in this fun, flirty Oxford Novel, as a love triangle forces a feisty beauty to choose between winning back Mr. Right or giving in to Mr. Wrong.

Taylor Carr has it all—a sleek job in advertising, a stunning Manhattan apartment, and the perfect man to share it with: Bradley Calloway. Even after Bradley dumps her for a co-worker on move-in day, Taylor isn’t worried. She’ll get her man eventually. In the meantime, she needs a new roommate. Enter Nick Ballantine, career bartender, freelance writer—and longtime pain in Taylor’s ass. Sexy in a permanent five-o’clock-shadow kind of way, Nick knows how to push Taylor’s buttons, as if he could see right through to the real her.

Nick’s always trying to fix people, and nobody could use a good fixing more than Taylor. Sure, she’s gorgeous, with mesmerizing silver eyes, but it’s her vulnerability that kills him. Now that they’re shacking up together, the chemistry is out of control. Soon they’re putting every part of their two-bedroom apartment to good use. Then Taylor’s ex comes crawling back to her, and Nick figures she’ll jump at the chance to go back to her old life—unless he fights for the best thing that ever happened to him.



AVAILABLE NOW!

Review:

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I knew you were trouble is the fourth book in the Oxford series. The story doesn't begin in the present day, but some months before when our characters meet for the first time.  Our hero was in a relationship at that time, so nothing happened between them. Instead our heroine met someone else and decided to move in with him. On the day of that move the dude decided that he wanted his ex back and left the heroine in need of a roommate. Guess who fill that position. I am sure you guessed correctly who he is.

The book had plenty of potential, but there is one thing I didn't like. The main characters. Nick isnt worthy of being called book boyfriend and I wasn't convinced that Taylor was in love with him. The character development was none existent and ruined a somewhat good story. I wasn't very satisfied with Taylor and Nick.

On the bright side, I got to see some beloved characters and that made things more bearable. 

Excerpt: 

Bradley froze when he saw her, and she was pretty sure she saw the urge to turn and run flicker across his face.

Again she felt a stab of disappointment. In him. And in herself for apparently having misread him. She’d thought he was better than this.

Bradley’s eyes moved between her and Nick, and though he didn’t look all that surprised at seeing them bickering, his gaze grew hard as he saw Nick’s hand on Taylor’s face.

Nick, naturally, took his sweet time removing it, and she resisted the urge to kick his shin.

“Morning, Bradley,” Taylor said, pleased that her voice sounded calm and friendly. As well it should. She’d had plenty of practice over the better part of a year pretending that she and Bradley were nothing more than colleagues.

Other than a few close friends who knew they were dating, they’d done a mostly decent job of hiding their romantic relationship from coworkers. Better than she and Nick had done hiding their antagonistic one.

“Hey, Taylor. Nick,” Bradley said.

He entered the room and reached for a coffee mug, turning his attention toward the other man. “Didn’t realize you’d taken on another assignment. What for?”

“Not sure,” Nick said, checking his watch. “Have a meeting with Cassidy in a few to find out.”

“Here’s hoping it’s an offsite gig that takes you far, far away. Maybe he needs someone to cover Siberian winters,” Taylor said to Nick, even as she watched Bradley out of the corner of her eye.

“Don’t need to travel to find severe winter. It doesn’t get any chillier than right here,” Nick retorted, waving his hand over her head in a storm cloud gesture.

She shoved his hand aside, her attention still on Bradley, who was determinedly avoiding her gaze.

Coward.

It was going to be darn hard to get him to see reason when he wouldn’t even make eye contact.

Nick, ever too perceptive for his own good, noticed the tension and gave a quick look between her and Bradley, his gaze turning speculative.

She shot him a warning look that clearly said, Don’t.

He shot an answering smile that clearly said, Watch me.

“Bradley, don’t suppose you’re in the market for a roommate?” Nick asked, his voice deceptively casual.

Bradley’s head snapped up, and finally, finally his blue gaze collided with Taylor’s. Dammit. Why did he have to be so beautiful? He was like a mischievous angel, all twinkling blue eyes, dimples, a sexy cleft in his chin, dark blond wavy hair . . .

“What?” he asked Nick distractedly, still looking at Taylor.

“Taylor here wants to share her original crown molding with someone.”

Bradley winced, and Taylor felt a little surge of gratitude toward Nick. He couldn’t have known it, but it was the perfect jab. She and Bradley were both into prewar architecture—had eaten up the broker’s description of all the building’s original elements.

Taylor should be sharing that crown molding with Bradley. And he damn well knew it.

His eyes met hers in silent misery—an apology that she wasn’t quite ready to accept. Heck, she wasn’t even ready to acknowledge it, because she had no intention of being dumped. Not by him, not by any man.

Taylor ignored the guilt written all over Bradley’s face as she held his gaze. “Yes, it seems I unexpectedly have a free bedroom and more rent than I can afford. If either of you knows anyone looking for a roommate . . .”

Bradley’s handsome face twisted regretfully, and he set his coffee aside, taking a step toward her, apparently forgetting—or not caring—that Nick was still in the room.

“Taylor. Damn it. I told you—”

“Actually, I do,” Nick said, interrupting.

Taylor forced her gaze away from Bradley’s pleading face toward Nick’s smug one. “You know someone who needs a roommate?”

“Yup.” He crossed his arms and watched her.

She made an impatient gesture with her hand. “Who? It can’t be one of your ex-girlfriends—I don’t want to inadvertently hear any gross details about you. And not one of your frat-boy guy friends—my living room isn’t cut out for Call of Duty.”

“Yeah, because that’s all I do all day.”

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, for real, who is it?”

His grin was slow, sly, and the very definition of trouble. “Me.”



Lauren Layne is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen romantic comedies.

A former e-commerce and web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated to New York City in 2011 to pursue a full-time writing career.

She lives in midtown Manhattan with her high-school sweetheart, where she writes smart romantic comedies with just enough sexy-times to make your mother blush. In LL's ideal world, every stiletto-wearing, Kate Spade wielding woman would carry a Kindle stocked with Lauren Layne books. 




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