Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

The Offering by Grace McClean.

Genres: Literature/Fiction (Adult)

Publisher: Sceptre (Hodder & Stoughton)

SYNOPSIS

A stunning novel about faith, innocence and sin, the tale of an unusual rite of passage with terrible consequences by the prize-winning young author ofÌýThe Land of Decoration.

It was the year when Madeline’s family moved to an island her father believed God had guided him to.

It was a place where she revelled in the natural beauty of their surroundings.

It was a time of euphoria, but also of successive disasters.

It was the night Madeline turned fourteen, when she did something she thought would save her beloved mother. Something so traumatic that she cannot now recall it, but her suave new psychiatrist thinks he knows how to unlock her memory. He is treading on very dangerous ground.

Book Review ~ ‘The Offering� by Grace McClean ~ 5++ Stars!

WOW! 5++ Stars!

#3WordReview ~ ‘Hypnotic, Eerie, Outstanding!�

I’ve been drawn to ‘The Offering� every time I walk past it at the branch of Waterstones I work at. After having finished it, I honestly am kicking myself for not picking it up and reading it sooner! I mean; wow! What an astonishing, heart-felt and brilliantly written book this was.

With beautiful lyrical prose, which switches seamlessly from short and direct when we see Madeline at the mental health facility where she is a patient, to wonderfully descriptive, meaningful descriptions of her childhood and search for God, which is accompanied by a prayer-like reverence.

Grace McClean did an outstanding job at creating such a well-rounded character, and brilliantly paced novel. Not once did I feel myself tiring of Madeline’s time in the mental health facility, or of her time as a child. They switched at the perfect points and this was a great way of keeping the suspense high, as I picked up clues along with Madeline.

McClean also made this story so relatable to everyday issues, without trying to fit too much in. With the issues of mental health and how religion can take over the mind, this novel incorporated so much of the real world whilst keeping it detailed as though through the limited scope of a young girl who knows nothing of the outside world.

This story really was something special. I connected to Madeline, and McClean’s honest portrayal of childhood life brought back memories of my own childhood. A stunning, stunning book!

5++ Stars!

*ReviewÌýcopy was kindly provided the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

~ ~ ~ ~

Grace McClean

~ Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ ~ Ìý´Ê

Sole Sister by Brooklyn James.

The Boots My Mother Gave Me #2

Genres: Romance, Contemporary.

Release Date: 31st July 2015.



It’s the book fans have been waiting for: Kat’s story is finally here! As the second instalment in the Boots My Mother Gave Me series shifts focus onto the younger of the LeBeau sisters, readers are sure to find themselves once again enthralled and moved by Brooklyn James and her wonderful storytelling.Ìý
Ìý

SYNOPSIS

The second book in The Boots My Mother Gave Me series, Sole Sister picks up several years later, continuing the story of Harley LeBeau and her rebellious sister Katrina ‘Kat� LeBeau.


Relocating to Nashville to be closer to Harley and Miah, Kat aspires to launch her Sole Sister fashion line. A gutsy and impromptu plan suddenly lands her on the cover of The Ville Spill—the local celebrity gossip rag—alongside country music’s latest heartthrob, giving Sole Sister the push it needs. But Kat quickly learns that not all press is good press.


Years removed from an abusive childhood and teenage pregnancy, the past that Kat never talks about continues to seep into her life and relationships. Still struggling with the images of finding her father after his suicide, Kat forges ahead, vowing to avoid past mistakes. To focus on her career and responsibilities as a single mother, she swears off the disappointments of love. The first man she ever loved, her father, broke her heart. The first boy she ever fell in love with, her daughter’s father, broke her heart.


What Kat didn’t plan on was Nashville SWAT Officer Connor Reese. She and Connor have more pulling them together than keeping them apart. Kat finds herself in familiar territory when her plan to steer clear of heartache is derailed after spending a night in his arms. Will facing her past help to secure her future? Will Connor offer her a second chance at life and love? Or will her heart break yet again?


Staying true to its predecessor, Sole Sister explores the dynamics of strength in sisterhood, the ongoing conflict and unconditional love between mother and daughter, and the courage to become more than one’s past.ÌýÌýÌý














Book Review ~ ‘Sole Sister� by Brooklyn James ~ 5 Stars!


How long I have waited for this book, and how worth the wait it was! Harley’s story in ‘The Boots My Mother Gave Meâ€� was one of the most intense and incredible journeys I have ever had the pleasure of reading, and I became so attached to theÌýLeBeau girls and their loves and losses, that the chance to see Kat’s life afterÌýall the pain inflicted on her, was something very important to me.


From the word go, ‘Sole Sisterâ€� grabbed me into the world of Kat and Harley LeBeau and I felt like I’d never left! Kat’s journey into the fashion design business, and howÌýHarley’s fame as a songwriter catapults Kat’s name into the media, was great fun. The loving, easy-going, yet still definitely sibling-like relationship between the two was as special in this book as in its predecessor!


Connor was the perfect hero to Kat’s heroine, and I adored their relationship. The time jump at the beginning of the book made me all the more eager to see the two get together as sparks flew from the pages whenever they came across each other. The way that Brooklyn James identified the challenges of single parents dating whilst trying to keep their children’s happiness as a priority was perfectly done, and I really felt the strength of aÌýfamilial bond,Ìýnot by blood, but by shared love and affection.


The subjectÌýof Kat’s past-abuse, from both her father, and ex-boyfriend are very much key issues in this book, and it made for some very emotional reading to see how desperately Kat wants to save her daughter from being abused as she was.ÌýAs with in ‘Bootsâ€�, in ‘Sole Sisterâ€�, this issue is detailed with a perfect balance of sad reality, and sensitivity.


With the added bonus of cameos (and even a whole scene to themselves!) of Harley and Miah with their family, ‘Sole Sister� was everything I hoped it would be, and it was SO worth the wait!


Thank you Brooklyn James!


5 Stars!












~ ~ ~














Brooklyn James.

Brooklyn James is an author/singer/songwriter inspired by life in theÌýLive Music CapitalÌýof Austin, Texas. Her first novel,ÌýThe Boots My Mother Gave Me,Ìýhas an original music soundtrack and was chosen as a Quarter Finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. This book has ranked in Kindle’s Top 100 Coming of Age and Women’s Fiction. When she is not writing books, she can be found playing live music around Austin as part of an acoustic duo. Like most everyone, she treasures her time spent with family and friends. Brooklyn has been in a Weezer video, met Harry Connick Jr. as an extra on the set ofÌýWhen Angels Sing,Ìýand she was Mira Sorvino’s stand-in on Jerry Bruckheimer’sÌýTrooperÌýpilot for TNT. She enjoys reading, dancing, working out, fishing with her hubby, and a good glass of kombucha. Brooklyn holds an M.A. in Communication, and a B.S. in both Nursing and Animal Science. Her nursing career has seen specialties in the areas of Intensive Care and Postpartum. She serves as a Guest Speaker with a focus on awareness and prevention of Domestic Violence and Suicide.

Find her atÌýÌýorÌý. You can also find her music on Amazon, iTunes, CDBaby, YouTube, and Pandora.

Ìý




SilverwoodÌýbyÌýBetsy Streeter

(Silverwood #1)

Publication date: March 15th 2015

Genres:ÌýScience Fiction,ÌýYoung Adult













SYNOPSIS

A story of finding where you belong, even if it involves time travel, shape shifting, and hacking.Ìý

Helen Silverwood, fourteen, is sick of life on the run with her mom and her younger brother. Nothing makes sense. She doesn’t understand why she has recurring dreams of shape-shifting creatures, why her mother is always disappearing, and how her brother can draw things that haven’t happened yet. Most of all, Helen longs to know what happened to her dad—is he imprisoned, a fugitive, or gone forever?

When someone blows up the apartment where Helen lives, the stories of the ancient Silverwood clan—and her role in it—begin to unravel. All Helen wants is to feel like there’s someplace she belongs—but getting there will prove very, very complicated.

TROMINDOX

A young couple stumbles out the back door of a nightclub into a narrow alleyway that would look a whole lot worse in the daytime. Distant streetlights reveal a hint of the garbage strewn around, and the shadows mask the dilapidated state of the surrounding buildings. The door itself sits in the mouth of a giant, cartoonlike face spray painted on the wall.

Deafening music and red-orange light shoots out the door while it is open, bouncing off the alley walls, and muffles again as the door closes to just a crack. There is no knob on the outside of the door; someone has wedged in a piece of wood to hold it open.

The couple start out laughing and joking, leaning on each other � their shape is all skinny jeans and mohawks mixed with the glint of jewelry � but shortly their voices turn more argumentative. Maybe someone committed an offense, perhaps there’s a breakup in progress. Soon the young woman breaks away from her date, pries open the door, and storms back into the club. Loud music and lights again, muffled and dark again. The young man leans his back against the wall, his arms crossed in anger. He needs a minute to collect himself.

A lone figure comes down the alley. Unusually tall, dressed in a dark coat, crushing garbage under its motorcycle boots. Lit from behind by the street lights, it resembles a shadow that has come loose from the wall. The young man is too distracted with replaying the conversation of a few minutes ago in his head, trying to figure out what he said wrong, to notice that the figure has come within a few feet of him.

“You know you really ought not to be out here at this late hour,� the figure says.

The young man jumps, then regains himself. “Yeah, whatever.� Who is this guy telling him what to do. The only people who go out back by themselves are the ones who want to be, by themselves.

Before the young man can add anything � like a string of expletives � a needle-like protrusion shoots out from the figure’s forearm and directly into the young man’s abdomen.

The young man freezes, stares straight ahead, then looks his assailant in the face. It’s a pale face, the face of a Tromindox that has not fed in some time. The victim tries to push off from the wall, but the venom deadens his arms and legs. He slides downward into a sitting position. His skin turns black, his spiky hair becomes a mass of tentacles. Soon there is nothing left of him but a terrified pair of eyes in a puddle of writhing black.

The Tromindox reels in its prey, like a glob of oil pulling in a wayward drop. Satisfied that it has the upper hand, the creature takes on a more humanlike form, turns and shuffles away. It is already buzzing with energy from all of these new thoughts.

The door scrapes open again, the bright light temporarily blocked by a fat man in an undershirt heaving a huge bag of garbage into the trash bin. He takes a quick look up and down the alley, wipes his hands on his pants, and goes back in.

Later, the young woman will come back out and see that her date has left. She will take this as a sign that they have broken up, and will not call him for a week. It won’t be until he has missed several days at work that someone will unlock his untouched apartment, see that no one has been there, and file a missing persons report.

~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~












GIVEAWAY OPEN INTERNATIONALLY
*Concept sketches that the author has done, one of a Tromindox and one representing the Guild (Seen below). These are originals and she can sign them to the winner.*
*5 iBooks copies ofÌýSilverwood*
*3 signed copies ofÌýSilverwood*

~ Ìý´Ê

Betsy Streeter

Betsy Streeter grew up on a steady diet of Star Trek, The MuppetÌýShow, Atari, and musical rehearsals in her family’s living room. HerÌýhabits of makingÌýup stories and drawing and painting on everythingÌýwithin reach eventually led to degrees in art and communication fromÌýStanford University. She hasÌýworked in film and video production,Ìýdesign, and video games, and has served as president of a communityÌýtheatre. She and her family areÌývoracious consumers of books, music,Ìýmovies, art, action figures, and musical instruments, resulting inÌýinadequate storage space. Betsy hasÌýpublished single-panel cartoons,Ìýcomics, art, and short fiction in paper, digital, graffiti, and tattooÌýform. She lives in Northern California with herÌýhusband, son, daughter,Ìýtwo peculiar and disruptive cats, and a mellow but hungry tarantula.











~~ Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ ~ ~ ~ ~

Playing with Fire by Kate Meader.

Hot in Chicago #2

Genres: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary.

Release Date: 29th September 2015.

SYNOPSIS

From popular romance author Kate Meader comes the second novel in Hot in Chicago, a brand-new, sizzling series that follows a group of firefighting foster siblings and their blazing hot love interests!

As the only female firefighter at Engine Co. 6, Alexandra Dempsey gets it from all sides: the male coworkers who think she can’t do the job, the wives and girlfriends who see her as a threat to their firefighter men, and her overprotective foster brothers who want to shelter their baby sister at all costs. So when she single-handedly saves the life of Eli Cooper, Chicago’s devastatingly handsome mayor, she assumes the respect she’s longed for will finally come her way. But it seems Mr. Mayor has other ideas�

Eli Cooper’s mayoral ratings are plummeting, his chances at reelection dead in the water. When a sexy, curvaceous firefighter gives him the kiss of life, she does more than bring him back to the land of the living—she also breathes vitality into his campaign. Riding the wave of their feel-good story might prop up Eli’s flagging political fortunes, but the sizzling attraction between them can go nowhere; he’s her boss, and there are rules that must be obeyed. But you know what they say about rules: they’re made to be broken�

Book Review ~ ‘Playing with Fire� by Kate Meader ~ 5 Stars!

Fun, Flirty and Fiery, ‘Playing with Fireâ€� shows Kate Meader’s amazing storytelling abilityÌýonce again as we return to Engine Co. 6 to the Dempsey family, this time to see Alexandra’s story told.

As soon as I finished ‘Flirting With Fire� I was absolutely dying to get my hands on this next instalment of the series. Alex and Eli’s chemistry and the constant back and forth loathing that they seemed to have for each other just seeped from the page and I just had to know how their story would play out. I was not disappointed, and ‘Playing with Fire� told the sexy, tempestuous relationship between Alex and Eli to perfection.

What I love about this series is how the women are portrayed so strongly. Their desperation to be seen as equal to the menfolk they work with makes the dynamics of the romances so exciting. With Alex I loved her fiery nature, and how she would often act first and then think later, often getting her into trouble. But even so, she never apologises for being who she is, and that is what really drew me to her as a character. I really admired her, and loved seeing how she had to really work at balancing out her impulsive and thoughtful natures.

Eli was just the same arrogant politician as in the first book, and I LOVED seeing inside his mind. His comments always made me roll my eyes and want to hit him around the head, so it was great fun to see why he had such strong opinions and favoured the idea of men in the firefighting workplace. Seeing how these two had to push and pull at each other, compromise and find an equal footing for their relationship, whilst still remaining protective was what made this story so thrilling.

With the addition of the appearances of the other members of the Dempsey clan and the girly trio Alex, Kirsty and Darcy make up, this is Kate Meader at her best, and I CANNOT WAIT for Wyatt’s story!!

5 Stars!

*Review copy was kindly provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Available for Pre-Order!

~ ~ ~

Kate Meader

~ ~ Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ ~ ~ ~

Caught in UsÌýbyÌýLayla Hagen

(Lost #3)

Publication date: August 3rd 2015

Genres:ÌýContemporary,ÌýNew Adult,ÌýRomance












SYNOPSIS

Dani Cohen knows Damon is trouble the second he walks in during senior year. He has bad boy written all over him. . .from his arrogant smirk to his perfectly toned abs. He is arrogant, intense, rebellious.

Dani has her future all planned out. She’s not the type to fall for a bad boy, no matter how panty-melting his grin is or how shamelessly he flirts. But something about Damon draws her in, awakening a desire she’s never felt. Slowly, she uncovers the secrets Damon hides: underneath his arrogance lies a tortured soul, his flirting smile masks despair.

Damon arrives in Dani’s life against his will. Carrying the scars of a dark past and facing an uncertain future, he knows he should stay away from her, but can’t. Her innocence consumes him, as does the desire to indulge in the passion igniting deep inside her.

An all-consuming bond blooms into a reckless love. But when mistakes from the past threaten their already fragile future, can their love survive?

A steamy and emotional full-length, standalone love story from the USA Today Bestselling author of Withering Hope.

As usual, I get too engrossed in my reading and am almost late for class. Sitting next to Hazel, I take out my books when Damon appears in front of our desk.

“You dropped your phone in the hallway,� he says politely.

“No, I didn’t.� I look in bewilderement as he drops my smartphone in my hand. Damon smiles mischievously, walking over to his desk as Ms. Evans enters the class. Wouldn’t I have noticed if my phone had fallen on the corridor during our altercation? Not really…I was too preoccupied with him to notice anything else. My skin heats up at the memory of his closeness. I swivel to ask Hazel something and find her staring at me with curious eyes.

“Do you have anything to share about your morning?�

“I read a book,� I mumble.

Ms. Evan starts talking about the Bronte novel we had to read when I receive a text.

You should take better care of your things.Ìý

The sender appears only by number, not name, but I know who it is. Sure enough, one glance in Damon’s direction confirms my suspicion. He’s not looking at me or his phone, but lifts the corner of his lips. It dawns on me that I might not have dropped my phone at all. He must have taken it from my pocket.

And you shouldn’t steal other people’s things, I reply.

Hey, you were eavesdropping, so don’t go all saint on me. You were the first offender.Ìý

I smile, overcome by a strange giddiness. I can’t believe he stole my phone, or that he got my number, or that he’s texting me right now. I’m grinning like an idiot. It’s the first time a guy has written to me and not asked for my notes or something similar. Given our less than friendly interactions yesterday and this morning, this is a surprise. Sometimes it takes a healthy fight and a familiar pain to gain a friend.

“After the battle of stares yesterday follows the battle of messages?� Hazel murmurs, smiling. “Bad boy is showing quite an interest in you.�

“No, he’s not.� Something light settles in my stomach.

“I heard that a junior tried very hard yesterday to make him ask for her number and failed. He must be very interested in yours if he got it on his own.�

“This doesn’t mean anything.� The lightness grows, the giddy feeling bubbling up inside me.

“Maybe not.� She leans in conspiratorially. “Maybe it does.�

When Ms. Evan announces she’ll question us about Wuthering Heights, I have the feeling Damon might take this opportunity to display the same unpleasantness as yesterday.

Be nice if Ms. Evans asks you something, I type quickly. Please.

He doesn’t type back, and as Ms. Evan begins to ask questions, I brace myself. She deliberately avoids asking him anything though. Then she asks Beckett what his opinion is about the motives behind Heathcliff’s behavior. He stares at her with a blank face, clueless.

It’s Damon who answers. “Heathcliff felt out of place. He didn’t belong to their class, and everyone else never let him forget it.�

Ms. Evans� eyes widen, but all she says is “Do you think that justifies him?�

“No. That’s no justification for being a dick to everyone,� Damon says nonchalantly.

Ms. Evans flinches. “That language doesn’t belong in the classroom, Damon.� Her tone is firm. I’m proud of her. “I’ll let you out of the questioning round because you’re new, and I gave this assignment a week ago.�

Damon’s lip twitches, and I can tell he’s about so say something obscene back. I sit up straighter, staring at him intently. He catches my eye and winks at me. I instantly flush, dropping my gaze to my hands.

“I had to read the book in my junior year,� Damon replies. Ms. Evans nods, and then continues questioning Anna. I think about something the principal mentioned today� Damon scored mostly A’s at his old school. My assessment was spot on yesterday. Under the mask of carelessness hides a perfectionist. Someone who is clearly smart. As Ms. Evans instructs us to look up a certain passage in the book, I shift in my chair, holding my copy in my hands and pretending to flip through its pages. In reality, I am sneaking glances at Damon. Who was he before he came here and whom did he lose?

Thank you for not being rude, I text him under the desk. I receive an answer almost immediately.

Ouch. That sound like something you’d tell a dog. I’m not a poodle; don’t try to train me.

I write back quickly. You’re definitely not a poodle. More like a pitbull. I hear those are hard to train. Whatever they do, it’s because they want to.

There is a pause in which I wait breathlessly, and then my smartphone vibrates. They also tend to attack their owners.Ìý

My fingers almost snap as I hurry to reply. I don’t believe that. They just have a bad reputation. Don’t believe everything you hear. It’s all appearances.

Another short vibration. Ms. Evans looks at me, so I just chance a quick glance at my phone. So what should I make of your Linkin Park t-shirt?

Frowning, I text back as best as I can while pretending to pay attention to Ms. Evans. What’s the harm in liking Kinky Fuck?

Damon’s next message confuses me. Is that an invitation? I read what I wrote before, and shame washes over me.

Abandoning all pretense of paying attention to the teacher, I write It was autocorrect. I meant Linkin Park. OMG, I’m so sorry.

He doesn’t write anything back, and when I look at him, he appears on the verge of bursting out laughing.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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~ÌýÌý´Ê

Layla Hagen

My name is Layla Hagen and I am a New Adult Contemporary Romance author.

I fell in love with books when I was nine years old, and my love affair with stories continues even now, many years later.

I write romantic stories and can’t wait to share them with the world.

And I drink coffee. Lots of it, in case the photo didn’t make it obvious enough.









~ ~ Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ ~ ~ ~

ScratchedÌýbyÌýMarie Long

(The Anderson Brothers, #2)

Publication date: August 4th 2015

Genres:ÌýNew Adult,ÌýRomance











SYNOPSIS

Twenty-four year old Kevin Anderson lost the opportunity to end his senior year at the University of Washington as the Huskies� all-star point guard, and sought out one last opportunity to put his extraordinary basketball skills to use: by training for a chance at the pros.

But when he’s not on the court, Kevin has only two things in his life that gives him happiness: spinning records at the local clubs, and Trinity Brown.

Trinity attends almost every one of Kevin’s deejay gigs, but Kevin is uncertain if her love for him is genuine or a fangirl’s simple admiration. Kevin takes that chance and hopes that she will see beyond the celebrity persona. But when fall classes start up again, their busy schedules press their relationship.

Kevin doesn’t want to give up on her–on them. He hopes the happiness they had will rebound once more.

But when he learns the truth about Trinity, Kevin must decide if it is worth everything–and everyone–he cares about to save her, or forfeit this exhausting game of love.

~ ~ ~ ~

What’s in my Beach Bag?

Back in May, I received a newsletter from Harlequin books that had a fun, summer-themed feature with some of their authors: “What’s in our bags?� Well, with summer in full swing, I thought it would be fun to share what’s in my bag, too!

Photo by Marie Long

My summer beach bag necessities include my Vera Bradley towel, a bottle of water, SPF 50+ suntan lotion, my favorite pair of Corona beach sandals, and lots of Romance and New Adult reading indulgences in ebook and paper format.

What are you packing in your beach bag this summer?

Prizes: (US/Canada)
*iPod Shuffle*
*$15 iTunes Gift Card*

~ÌýÌý´Ê

Marie Long

Marie Long is a novelistÌýwho enjoys the snowy weather, the mountains, and a cup of hot whiteÌýchocolate. She’s an avid supporter of literacyÌýmovements like We NeedÌýDiverse Books (WNDB) and National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

Marie has shared a fondness and interest in the New Adult genre sinceÌýits popularity boom in 2009. And now, as both a reader, and debut RWAÌýauthor of New Adult fiction, Marie dreams to keep this fascinating genreÌýgoing strong.

~ ~ Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ ~ ~ ~

If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones

Inside Out #1

Genres: Erotica, Romance, Contemporary

IF I WERE YOU has a brand new cover and is in WALMART stores NATIONWIDE beginning TODAY! This is a limited edition mass market paperback and 99% of the paperback copies can only be found in WALMART stores.

**This is book 1 in the INSIDE OUT series, previously published with a different cover. The INSIDE OUT series, is currently in development for TV with Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland, Must Love Dogs, The Boiler Room, Austin Powers and more!). To read more about the show and to get ready for a BIG update soon, please visit the **.

SYNOPSIS

From New York Times Best Selling author Lisa Renee Jones, a story with the heat of 50 Shades and the mystery of Pretty Little Liars. Now in development for cable TV with acclaimed producer Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland w/Johnny Depp)

How It All Started�

One day I was a high school teacher on summer break, leading a relatively uneventful but happy life. Or so I told myself. Later, I’d question that, as I would question pretty much everything I knew about me, my relationships, and my desires. It all began when my neighbor thrust a key to a storage unit at me. She’d bought it to make extra money after watching some storage auction show. Now she was on her way to the airport to elope with a man she barely knew, and she needed me to clear out the unit before the lease expired.

Soon, I was standing inside a small room that held the intimate details of another woman’s life, feeling uncomfortable, as if I was invading her privacy. Why had she let these items so neatly packed, possessions that she clearly cared about deeply, be lost at an auction? Driven to find out by some unnamed force, I began to dig, to discover this woman’s life, and yes, read her journals–dark, erotic journals that I had no business reading. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I read on obsessively, living out fantasies through her words that I’d never dare experience on my own, compelled by the three men in her life, none of whom had names. I read onward until the last terrifying dark entry left me certain that something had happened to this woman. I had to find her and be sure she was okay.

Before long, I was taking her job for the summer at the art gallery, living her life, and she was nowhere to be found. I was becoming someone I didn’t know. I was becoming her.

The dark, passion it becomes�

Now, I am working at a prestigious gallery, where I have always dreamed of being, and I’ve been delivered to the doorstep of several men, all of which I envision as one I’ve read about in the journal. But there is one man that will call to me, that will awaken me in ways I never believed possible. That man is the ruggedly sexy artist, Chris Merit, who wants to paint me. He is rich and famous, and dark in ways I shouldn’t find intriguing, but I do. I so do. I don’t understand why his

dark side appeals to me, but the attraction between us is rich with velvety promises of satisfaction. Chris is dark, and so are his desires, but I cannot turn away. He is damaged beneath his confident good looks and need for control, and in some way, I feel he needs me. I need him.

All I know for certain is that he knows me like I don’t even know me, and he says I know him. Still, I keep asking myself � do I know him? Did he know her, the journal writer, and where is she? And why doesn’t it seem to matter anymore? There is just him and me, and the burn for more.

Chris maneuvers the 911 into the drive of a fancy high-rise building not more than four blocks from the gallery. Before I can question the fancy location being home to a pizza joint, as he’d called it, a valet is already opening my door.

“I’ll come around to get you,� Chris says with a touch on my arm. He doesn’t wait for a reply, climbing out of the vehicle and disappearing from full view.

I am both charmed and embarrassed at the prospect he believes the extra wine has made me a helpless lush. Worse, it wouldn’t be an assumption completely without merit, and this night is exactly why I never let myself lose control. It always backfires.

I unsnap the seat belt about the same moment Chris appears at my door. Holding my skirt down, I slide my legs to the ground, all too aware of his scorching gaze on my legs.

His hand appears in front of me, and I hold my breath, preparing for the impact of his touch, as I press my palm to his. He pulls me to my feet, onto the sidewalk beneath an awning, his hand settling possessively on my hip. The rich sensation of desire spreads through my limbs. I have never in my life reacted to a man this intensely.

Behind me, I hear the car door shut, and the engine rev, before the 911 pulls away. “This doesn’t look like a place that serves pizza,� I comment, but I am not looking at the building. It is Chris who has my full attention.

“Two blocks down,� he explains. “We can walk there if you want, or we can go upstairs to my apartment.�

Chris lives here, at least when he’s in the States. The implications of our location are clear.

His long fingers curl around my neck, under my hair, and he lowers his mouth to my ear. “Be warned, Sara. I’m no saint. If I take you upstairs, I’m going to strip you naked and fuck you the way I’ve wanted to since the moment we first met.�

The shockingly bold words ripple through me, and I am instantly aroused, squeezing my thighs together. He has wanted to fuck me since we first met. I want him to fuck me. I want to fuck him. Yes. Fuck. I want to give myself permission to forget good, proper behavior and fuck and be fucked. Wild, hot, uncontrollable passion, with no worries during and regrets in the aftermath. I’ve never let myself feel those things. When in my life have I ever experienced such a thing? When has any man ever made me think I could?

I press against his chest and lean back, my eyes seeking his. “If you’re trying to scare me off, it’s not working.�

“Not yet,� he says, dark certainty to his tone, to the lines etched in his handsome face. It is as if this is simply a seed already planted that cannot be stopped.

“Not at all,� I counter.

He doesn’t immediately respond, and his expression is a mask of hard lines, his jaw set, tense. Slowly, his fingers slide from my neck to caress a path down my arm until his fingers lace intimately with mine. “Never say never, Sara,� he murmurs, and starts walking, pulling me with him.

Anticipation sizzles through me as we walk toward the automatic doors to be greeted by a man in a dark suit with an earpiece and buzz cut.

“Evening, Mr. Merit,� he says, and glances at me. “Evening, miss.�

“Evening, Jacob,� Chris replies. “Pizza coming our way. Don’t frisk the delivery guy.�

“Not unless he’s a delivery woman, sir,� Jacob comments, and I get the sense these two are familiar beyond the casual exchange.

I lift a tentative hand at Jacob. “Hi.�

“Ma’am,� he replies, and there is a slight shift in his gaze I’m certain he doesn’t intend for me to notice, but I do. I read it as surprise at my presence, and I can only assume I am far from Chris’s normal choice in women. It isn’t hard for me to imagine Chris being a blond bombshell kind of man, and where I hadn’t felt insecure moments before, I suddenly do now. I am angry at myself for feeling such a thing when I’ve promised myself no more self-doubt. When I crave the escape, the freedom, I was so close to experiencing only moments before.

The elevator is right off the fancy lobby and past a security booth. Chris punches the button, and the doors open immediately. I follow him inside and watch as he keys in a code. The doors shut, and he pulls me hard against him.

My hands settle on his hard chest, inside the line of his jacket, and warmth spreads through me. “What just happened?� His hand brands my hip.

My breasts are heavy, my nipples aching. “I don’t know what you mean,�

“Yes. You do. Second thoughts, Sara?�

I scold myself for being so transparent. “Do you want me to have second thoughts?�

“No. What I want is to take you to my apartment and make you come and then do it all over again.�

Oh . . . yes, please. “Okay,� I whisper, “but I think you should feed me first.�

His lips curve into a smile, his eyes dancing with gold specks of pure fire. “Then you can feed me.�

The bell dings, and the doors begin to open. Chris wastes no time pulling me to the edge of the elevator, and I watch in surprise as a gorgeous living room appears before me, rather than a hallway. Chris has a private elevator, and I am entering his private world, a world very unlike my own.

Chris releases my hand, our eyes lock, and I read the silent message in his. Enter by choice, without pressure. On some level I sense that once I enter his apartment, the decision to do so is going to change me. He is going to change me in some profound way I cannot begin to comprehend fully. I think he might know this, and I wonder why he would be so certain, what is etched with such clarity to him beneath the surface.

He has misplaced doubts of me in this moment, as he’d doubted me at the gallery. I can see it in his eyes, sense it in the air. I refuse to allow his lack of confidence in me, or anyone else’s for that matter, to dictate what I can or cannot do ever again. I’ve been there, and I ended up on the sharp edge of a cliff, about to crash and burn. I’d recovered, and I am beginning to see that locking myself in a shell of an existence isn’t healing. It’s hiding. Regardless of what happens at the gallery, I’m done hiding.

My chin lifts, and I cut my gaze from Chris’s and exit the elevator.

My heels touch the pale perfection of glossy hardwood floors, and I stop and stare at the breathtaking sight before me. Beyond the expensive leather furniture adorning a sunken living room with a massive fireplace in the left corner is a spectacular sight. There is a floor-to-ceiling window, a live pictorial of our city, spanning the entire length of the room.

Spellbound, I walk forward, enchanted by the twinkling night lights and the haze surrounding the distant Golden Gate Bridge. I barely remember going down the few steps to the living area, or what the furniture I pass looks like. I drop my purse on the coffee table and stop at the window, resting my hands on the cool surface.

We are above the city, untouchable, in a palace in the sky. How amazing it must be to live here and wake up to this view every day. Lights twinkling, almost as if they are talking to one another, laughing at me as they creep open a door to the hollow place inside me I’ve rejected only moments before in the elevator.

I swallow hard as the song “Broken� from the band Lifehouse fills the room, because Chris doesn’t know how personality is to me. I’m falling apart. I’m barely breathing. I’m barely holding on to you.

This song, this place with the words, and I am raw and exposed, as if cut and bleeding. Who was I kidding with the refusal to hide anymore? This is why I’ve hidden. The past begins to pulse to life within me, and I am seconds from remembering why I feel this way. I refuse to process the lyrics and shove them aside. I don’t want to remember. I can’t go there. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to seal those old wounds, desperate to feel anything but their presence.

Suddenly, Chris is behind me, caressing my jacket from my shoulders. His touch is a welcome sensation, and when his arm slides around me, his body framing mine from behind, I am desperate to feel anything but what this song, no doubt aided by the wine, stirs inside me.

I lean into him and hard muscle absorbs me. There is a strength to Chris, a silent confidence I envy, and it calls to the woman in me.

His fingers, those talented, famous fingers, brush my hair away from my nape, and his lips press to the delicate area beneath, creating goose bumps on my skin. And still, I barely block out the words to the song and their meaning to me.

As if he senses my need for more—more something, anything, just more—he turns me around to face him, and his fingers tangle almost roughly into my hair. The tight pull is sweet, dragging me from other feelings, giving me a new focus.

“I am not the guy you take home to Mom and Dad, Sara.� His mouth is next to mine, his clean male scent all around me. “You need to know that right now. You need to know that won’t change.�

But the song does change, and this time to another track on what must be a Lifehouse CD. “Nerve Damage� begins to play. I see through your clothes, your nerve damage shows. Trying not to feel . . . anything that’s real.

I laugh bitterly at the words, and Chris pulls back to study me. And I am not blind to what I see in the depths of his green eyes, what I’ve missed until now but sensed. He is as damaged as I am. We have too many of the wrong things in common to be more than sex, and the realization is freedom to me.

I curve my fingers on the light stubble of his jaw, the rasp on my skin welcome, and I have no idea why I admit what I have never said out loud. “My mother is dead, and I hate my father, so don’t worry. You’re safe from family day and so am I. All I want is here and now, this piece of time. And please save the pillow talk for someone who wants it. Contrary to what you seem to think, I’m no delicate rose.�

A stunned look flashes on his face an instant before I press my lips to his. The answering moan I am rewarded with is white-hot fire in my blood that he answers with a deep, sizzling stroke of his tongue. He slants his mouth over mine, deepening the connection, kissing me with a fierceness no other man ever has, but then, Chris is like no other man I’ve ever known.

His tongue plays wickedly with mine, and I meet him stroke for stroke, arching into him, telling him I am here and present and I’m going nowhere. In reply to my silent declaration, his hand cups my ass and he pulls me solidly against his erection. Arching into him, I welcome the intimate connection, burn for the moment he will be inside me. My hand presses between us and I stroke the hard line of his shaft.

Chris tears his mouth from mine, pressing me hard against the window, and I know I’ve threatened his control. Me. Little schoolteacher Sara McMillan. Our eyes lock, hot flames dancing between us and some unidentifiable challenge.

Some part of me realizes the window behind me is glass, and all things glass can break. He knows this, too, it’s in the dark glint of his eyes, and he wants me to worry about it. He’s pushing me, testing me, trying to get me to break. Because I slid beneath his composure? Because he really believes I am out of my league? And maybe I am, but not tonight. Tonight, as the song has said, I am broken, and for the first time perhaps ever, I am not denying the truth of all of my cracks. I am living them.

I lift my chin and let him see my answering rebellion. His fingers curl at the top of my silk blouse and in a sharp pull, material rips and the buttons all the way down pop and clamor in all directions. I gasp, in unfamiliar territory, and burning alive with the ache I have for this man.

He turns me to the window, and my hands flatten on the glass. Wasting no time, Chris unhooks my bra, and it and my blouse are off my shoulders in moments. He is behind me again, his thick erection fit snugly to my backside.

“Hands over your head,� he orders, pressing my palms to the glass above me, his body shadowing mine. “Stay like that.�

My pulse jumps wildly and adrenaline surges. I’ve been ordered around during sex, but in a clinical, bend over and give me what I want kind of way I tried to convince myself was hot. It wasn’t. I hated every second, every instance, and I’d endured it. This is different though, erotic in a way I’ve never experienced, enticingly full of promise. My body is sensitized, pulsing with arousal. I am hot where Chris is touching me and cold where he isn’t.

When he seems satisfied I’ll comply with his orders, Chris slowly caresses a path down my arms, and then up and down my sides, brushing the curves of my breasts. He’s in no hurry, but I am. I am literally quivering by the time his hands cover my breasts, welcoming the way he squeezes them roughly, before tugging on my nipples. I gasp with the pinching sensation he repeats over and over, creating waves of pleasure verging on pain, and the music is fading away, and so is the past. There is pleasure in pain. The words come back to me, and this time they resonate.

His hands are suddenly gone, and I pant in desperation, trying to pull them back.

Chris captures my hands and forces them back to the glass above me, his breath warm by my ear, his hard body framing mine. “Move them again and I’ll stop what I’m doing, no matter how good it might feel.�

I quiver inside at the erotic command, surprised again by how enticed I am by this game we are playing. “Just remember,� I warn, still panting, still burning for his touch. “Payback is hell.�

His teeth scrape my shoulder. “Looking forward to it, baby,� he rasps. “More than you can possibly know.�

For More information on The INSIDE OUT series page including: buy links, and excerpts for the additional books in this series. ÌýVisit Lisa’s website here:

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~ÌýÌý´Ê

Lisa Renee Jones

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT SERIES, and is now in development by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland) for cable TV. In addition, her Tall, Dark and Deadly series and The Secret Life of Amy Bensen series, both spent several months on a combination of the NY Times and USA Today lists.

Watch the video on casting for the INSIDE TV Show

Since beginning her publishing career in 2007, Lisa has published more than 40 books translated around the world. Booklist says that Jones suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann.

Prior to publishing, Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by Dallas Women Magazine. In 1998 LRJ was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at on her website and she is active on twitter and facebook daily.

Ìý | | | | | Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Choosing HappinessÌýbyÌýMelissa Stevens

Publication date: July 21st 2015

Genres:ÌýAdult,ÌýRomance












SYNOPSIS

Jake and Andrea met once. When Andrea was in college, Jake came with her brother Ben who was visiting on leave from a deployment in Afghanistan. Now, years later, Jake gets a job in Ben’s home town to be close to his best friend. He hadn’t counted on Andrea. The attraction he’d felt then was still there. And this time he wasn’t headed back to a war zone where he could very well be killed.

Andrea is drawn to the man who calls Ben brother. Something about him speaks to her, but she’s not sure what. She falls into things head first, but when something makes her question how fast things are going she slams on the breaks. Can the two of them figure out what’s going on with them before it’s too late?

He quickly fixed two cups of hot cocoa, but before serving he ducked around the corner. She was sitting on the couch with the blanket pulled over her lap. “Have you ever tried Bailey’s in your cocoa?�

“No. Is it good?�

“I like it, want me to bring you mine and let you try it before you decide?�

“If you don’t mind, please?�

“If I minded I wouldn’t have offered.� He carried his cup of cocoa to the sofa and let her take a sip.

“Oooh, that’s good.�

“Want me to add some to yours, too?�

“Please, that would be great.� She kept his warm cup cradled in her hands, her shivering had stopped.

Jake quickly doctored the second cup of cocoa and returned, sitting down on the sofa near Andrea. He was careful not to jar her enough to spill the cocoa. “Do you want to trade? Or do you want to keep that one?�

“I already have this one and it’s almost half gone so I might as well keep it.�

Jake held his arm out. “Do you want to come over here and let me help warm you up?�

She scooted over and slid under his arm, lifting the blanket to cover his lap too, so he could help the heat build underneath. He pulled her close against his side and curled his arm around her. They sat quietly, drinking their cocoa for a few minutes, until Andrea started laughing.

“What?� Jake frowned down at her, confused.

“We’ve got to be crazy. Sitting here, still dressed for the wedding, sipping cocoa at nearly three am.�

“Well, I considered getting you out of the dress, but thought I’d be a gentleman and let it warm up in here first,� Jake quipped, causing Andrea to laugh harder. “I love your laugh,� Jake squeezed her against him in a quick, one-armed hug. “It makes me feel good.�

“What a sweet thing to say.� She stretched up to kiss him on the cheek. Draining the last of her cocoa, she set the empty cup on the coffee table in front of them. Pulling the blanket up to her shoulders, she curled into him, resting her head against his chest. “You smell nice.� She wiggled a little, trying to get comfortable.

“Make yourself comfortable.� He looked down at her, amused.

“I’m working on it. You’re warm, like Ben.�

“You do this to Ben?�

“Not anymore, but I did when I was younger. I was always cold and he was always so warm. I would curl up against him and steal some warmth. He never really knew what to make of it.� She admitted reflectively.

“I imagine not.� He wasn’t sure what to make of it himself. Not knowing what else to do, he slipped the arm that had been around her under the blanket and started rubbing up and down her side. He didn’t know why he did it, just that it seemed right. After a couple minutes she kicked off her shoes and pulled her legs up and curled them beside her. Jake started rubbing his hand up and down her leg. “Hmm� No hose.�

“No, I hate those things.�

“Probably would have been at least a little warmer in them though.�

“True. I wasn’t planning on staying out quite so late or in the cold as long when I got dressed though.�

“So you froze.� He ran his fingers along her thigh, back and forth against the hem of her dress, sending another shiver though her body. “You still cold?�

“No, not anymore.� She moved against him, as if silently asking for more.

Jake continued to play his fingers lightly over her skin, teasing her with his touch until he had finished his cocoa. He carefully slipped out from under the blanket, tucking it around her, and stood. Picking up hers, he took both mugs into the kitchen and set them in the sink. On the way back, he took off his suit jacket and hung it and his tie over the back of a dining chair.

Unfastening his collar, Jake returned to the couch. Sitting beside her, this time he kicked his own shoes off and sat sideways, one leg bent in the seat as he leaned against the arm. He invited her to curl up against him. “Come here.�

She crawled closer, dragging the blanket with her, and laid against his chest. He pulled the blanket around her, tucking it around her feet and put his arms underneath to wrap them around her.

“How’s that? Warm enough?� He liked that she trusted him enough to put herself in his arms.

“It’s nice, but not at all what I thought you meant when you said you wanted to take me home.� She looked up at him with half lidded eyes.

“It’s not, but it’s still a little cool in here, besides I’m enjoying this too.�

Andrea got a mischievous glint in her eyes as she started to wiggle, moving her arms around his sides.

“What are you up to?�

“Nothing much.� She struggled a moment, pulling the ends of his dress shirt and the t-shirt underneath free from his slacks. When she managed to untuck them all the way around she slid her hands underneath, against his skin. “Mmmm, much better.� She played her fingers back and forth over his skin. Pushing herself onto her knees, she stretched until her lips met his. She kissed him eagerly, using her mouth to let him know she was ready to move faster.

Jake ran his hands along the hem of her dress, caressing the bare skin as he slowly inched the fabric up her legs.

Engrossed in the deep kiss, Andrea let her fingers curl. They dug into his skin as she pulled herself against him. She squirmed, moving into his hands as he touched her and pulling herself back into him again, as though she couldn’t decide which touch she wanted more.

Jake continued to slowly slide her dress up, running his fingers lightly over her soft skin on either side of her body as he went. It wasn’t until she arched her back, leaning into him that he realized he’d reached her waist. He broke the kiss and looked at Andrea, confused.

She smiled mischievously again, amused by his confusion.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been naked under that dress all night long?�

“Would you like it if I were?�

“Girl, I’ve wanted you since the first time I laid eyes on you, before I knew who you were. It drives me crazy thinking of you with no panties on under that little dress all day. On the side of the highway, changing that tire.� He felt himself growing hard at the thought. “In the church while Ben said ‘I do�. All that time at the reception hall, and sitting next to me at the diner.�

Andrea laughed at how his voice deepened with desire as he spoke and the hard feel of him pressing against her. “It’s a good thing I was wearing some then, wasn’t it?�

~ ~ ~ ~

I’m often asked if I base my characters on people I know. No. Each character’s personality is different. I do sometimes steal mannerisms, haircuts, personal preferences, but more often than not it’s what the character has told me about themselves and yes, they actually speak to me.

Sometimes I’ll be sitting in a restaurant with my family and over hear something at the next table that makes my mind spin. It may give me an idea or it may just sound so much like one of the people living in my head that they end up saying something similar in the future.

I may see someone somewhere who inspires my physically, and actually for Jade’s Peace, Steve was inspired by my mental image of what Model Jeremy Aaron’s personality might be like. I kept a picture of him on my desktop and when I had doubts about how Steve might behave, how he would react to something I could look at the pic and I just knew. Often, though I don’t need a visual aid. With Jade, she spoke to me, and told me things I didn’t have planned at all. She started out as an only child. And I was writing along and she says to me, “Watch out, my brother will be here tomorrow.� My immediate thought was, “You don’t have a brother.� She was adamant though and replied, “Yes I do and he’ll be here tomorrow.� Sure enough, he showed up, and I had to go back and fix a few things but I’ll admit, he made the story better.

I find that my best stories, at least to me, at the ones where I start out with a vague idea of the story, I have two characters and a rough ending, (Hey, this is romance, they always end up together, right?) and let the characters tell me their story as I go along. The characters always seem more alive when they lead their own stories.

Prize OpenÌýINTL

*Paperback copy ofÌýChoosing Happiness*

~ÌýÌý´Ê

Melissa Stevens

Melissa was born and raised in Arizona, she’s spent her entireÌýlife living across the southern half of the state. She’s found that,Ìýalong with herÌýhusband and three children, she prefers the small townsÌýand rural life to feeling packed into a city.

She started readingÌýat a very young age, and her love for series started early, as theÌýfirst real books she remembers reading is the Boxcar ChildrenÌýseries byÌýGertrude Chandler Warner. Through the years she’s found that there’sÌýlittle she won’t read, and her tastes vary from westerns, to romance,ÌýtoÌýsci-fi / fantasy and Horror.

She’s been writing since 2009, and enjoys nearly every minute of it.

~ ~ Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ ~ ~ ~

Search for the Truth by Kathryn Freeman

Genres: Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Release Date: 13th August 2015.

Publisher:

SYNOPSIS

Sometimes the truth hurts …�

When journalist Tess Johnson takes a job at Helix pharmaceuticals, she has a very specific motive. Tess has reason to believe the company are knowingly producing a potentially harmful drug and, if her suspicions are confirmed, she will stop at nothing to make sure the truth comes out.

Jim Knight is the president of research and development at Helix and is a force to be reckoned with. After a disastrous office affair he’s determined that nothing else will distract him from his vision for the company. Failure is simply not an option.

As Tess and Jim start working together, both have their reasons for wanting to ignore the sexual chemistry that fires between them. But chemistry, like most things in the world of science, isn’t always easy to control.

Book Review ~ ‘Search for the Truth� by Kathryn Freeman ~ 5 Stars!

Another win for Kathryn Freeman and Choc Lit! ‘Search for the Truth� was a sizzling storm of hidden secrets and desire.

In ‘Search for the Truthâ€� Kathryn Freeman takes us into the inner workings of a business you probably wouldn’t think of on a daily basis.ÌýThe pharmaceutical business, and the companies that develop, test and distribute the thousands of drugs in use around the world. Immediately I was hooked! What an intriguing premise, and such an original setting!

From the get-go, I was on tenterhooks. Tess is a young woman who has lost her mother to cancer, but only hours after she firstÌýtakes a new treatment drug. HerÌýmission to give closure to her family made me connect to her straight away. Her strong family bonds and her desperation to protect others from losing their own family membersÌýmade her a really likeable character, but also made me worry for her. It was hard to see how much pressure she was under, particularly from her brother, even whilst knowing he just wanted the best for her.

I loved how the story brought together Tess and her boss Jim. The fireworks between them were stunning, and I loved seeing the back-and-forth banter they shared, even whilst knowing that Tess is on a slippery slope to losing all she has grown to care for as she continues on her mission to seek justice against the company she is now working for.

I loved seeing Jim’s reaction to Tess, and the way he softened even whilst remaining strong and determined. His plans to reform the company and to ensure that patients are given theÌýbest treatmentÌýpossible was what made the secrets Tess hid so much more heartbreaking to me as a reader. I loved seeing the conflict that Tess had, and seeing how her feelings began to change as her relationship with Jim became more and more serious.

This is a beautiful story where there is conflict betweenÌýthe power ofÌýlove and the power of truth, and Kathryn Freeman did it to perfection!

5 Stars!

Available for Pre-Order.

~ ~ ~

Kathryn Freeman

~Ìý´ÊÌýÅ·±¦ÓéÀÖÌý~ÌýÌý´ÊÌýÌý´Ê

CaughtÌýin Us by Layla Hagen

Lost #3

Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Release Date: 3rd August 2015.

SYNOPSIS

Dani Cohen knows Damon is trouble the second he walks in during senior year. He has bad boy written all over him. . .from his arrogant smirk to his perfectly toned abs. He is arrogant, intense, rebellious.

Dani has her future all planned out. She’s not the type to fall for a bad boy, no matter how panty-melting his grin is or how shamelessly he flirts. But something about Damon draws her in, awakening a desire she’s never felt. Slowly, she uncovers the secrets Damon hides: underneath his arrogance lies a tortured soul, his flirting smile masks despair.

Damon arrives in Dani’s life against his will. Carrying the scars of a dark past and facing an uncertain future, he knows he should stay away from her, but can’t. Her innocence consumes him, as does the desire to indulge in the passion igniting deep inside her.

An all-consuming bond blooms into a reckless love. But when mistakes from the past threaten their already fragile future, can their love survive?

A steamy and emotional full-length, standalone love story from the USA Today Bestselling author of Withering Hope.

Book Review ~ ‘Caught in Us� by Layla Hagen ~ 5 Stars!

What a gorgeous, feel-good, beautifully written instalment of the ‘Lost� series by Layla Hagen.

I adored this series right from the word go. Layla Hagen has a talent with writing romance. She doesn’t make it gushy, she makes it real, and with that comes pain, and lots of smiles. ‘Caught in Us� is no exception, and I was wrenched into Dani and Damon’s beautiful teenage romance, which left me smiling, wiping away tears and laughing; a lot.

Damon was a swoon-worthy hero. Dark, dangerous, with a chip on his shoulder, he is the bad-boy that Dani would never normally fall for, but as Dani falls for him, I did too. Learning his backstory and the pain he’s desperate to hide, I really connected with him and loved seeing how through his love for Dani, he knew that he had to become a better person in order to deserve Dani. It was a journey that was at times sad but one that I loved seeing as a reader.

This book has a slightly different feel to those earlier in the series as it feels a lot more light-hearted, but this doesn’t at allÌýmake Dani and Damon’s relationship or their struggles seem any less meaningful. I felt them from the start, and I loved watching how they grew as separate people and as a couple. I also loved the timeline in this story. We start in Dani’s senior year of high school, andÌýfollow her and Damon’s relationship up until their mid-twenties. The friends and family that join their story along the way are all multi-dimensional, believable characters, some of whom are familiar from the first two books, and I loved seeing how their lives interconnect with Dani’s.

A gorgeous addition to the ‘Lost� series. 5 Stars!

~ ~ ~

Layla Hagen

~ÌýÌý´ÊÌýÅ·±¦ÓéÀÖÌý´ÊÌý~ÌýÌý´Ê