Showing posts with label Selene. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Selene. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

INNOCENT RIDE - BANNER

INNOCENT RIDE
The Hellions Ride, #4
Chelsea Camaron
Release Date: February 20, 2015

goodreads
 
Blurb

Opposites attract, or so the saying goes. When two people from different worlds come together by a chance meeting twisted with an element of danger, can their attraction remain innocent?

She's a corporate accountant. Her life is full of structure, routine, and organization. Settled, comfortable, and content, Caroline Milton, loves knowing what to expect every minute of every day. He's the Catawba Hellions VP and a wild one, refusing to be tamed. His motto, 'hit it, get it, and go; no repeats' where women are concerned, guarantees a new woman in his bed nightly. His life suddenly tilted on its axis, when his wild days come barreling back with a major responsibility. Drexel 'Rex' Crews finds he has a real reason to settle down his wild ways. 

When a situation quickly spins out of control at work for Caroline, she reaches out to the one place she least expected to find herself dependent upon. The Hellions Motorcycle Club. 

His cousin's ol' lady, Doll, comes to him with a personal favor, protect her best friend. He can't refuse. Protecting Caroline was supposed to be an innocent task.

The attraction from their first meeting is still a fire burning strong inside of them both. Neither can deny the pull. They come from different worlds.

Can Rex show Caroline the safety and security of the MC? Can Caroline tame the wild beast inside of Rex? Can their innocent ride become a journey to long lasting love?  

Selene's Review

4 Smooches

"I don't wanna make you swoon, sweetheart.  I wanna make your panties wet."

Geesh!  What is it about a hot, dirty talking biker?  There is just something about Drexel "Rex" Crews ...

So, this is the FOURTH book in the Hellions Ride series but it's only the first book I've read.  I did kind of miss the part about it being the fourth book in the series ... While the book does stand alone, all it made me want to do was read the previous books in the series, LOL!  All the characters are so likeable and you just *NEED* to know their stories too.  But I suppose that's a good thing!

More than this being the first book I've read from this series, it is the first book I've read from Chelsea so ... EEEEPPPPPP ... this is a big deal!

Without a doubt, my favorite thing about this book is Rex.  He's just discovered he has a six year old son and it causes him to step back and re-evaluate his life.  Not his loyalty to his MC ... no, that will never change but rather how he treats women and whether or not he can be a positive addition to his son's life.  You see, Rex has been running from the ghosts of his past and they've caught up with him.

Enter Caroline or "Lux" as Rex like to call her ... because she is the "deluxe" model.  They couldn't be more different but when Rex steps in to protect her, their differences don't seem to matter so much anymore.
"You turn my world upside down.  Only, when it comes to you, it feels right side up.  It's like you are what makes my life balanced and complete."  - Rex
Another thing I liked about his book was that even though it centers around an MC, it's not terribly violent.  Don't get me wrong, bad things happen, but the gore and violence is definitely not as bad as other MC books I've read.

As I read, I was going crazy with my hi-lighter ... Rex definitely has a way with words!
"I'm gonna piss you off.  I'm a man, it's what we do ... I'm also gonna make it up to you, 'cause I'm a man, and that's what we do."  He winks.
*sigh* Rex can make it up to me any time!

I'm definitely a fan of this series and fully plan on going back to the beginning and catching up with Tripp, Shooter, and Tank.

The Man I Am

Copyright © Chelsea Camaron 2015

~Rex~ As the wind whips around me, she dances violently, slapping the leather of my cut harshly against my T-shirt covered chest. A storm is brewing in the air around me as another one rages on inside my darkened soul. The road before me is curvy. They call it Dead Man’s Trail. Riding a ledge is what it feels like. With the fine line of one wrong move, life and death are in the balance as the road winds through a mountain. I am hours from home, and I still can’t bring myself to turn around and go back. I am not on a transport or on a run for the club. I am out alone, just me, my Harley, and the open night sky. Not a star shines tonight as the humidity rises and the wind swirls through the thick air. A summer storm is in the midst. My mind races as the pipes on my bike scream out under the pressure of my speed. “Be a man to be proud of. Carry your name—our name—with pride,” Pop’s voice echoes in my head. A name. My name. Our name. Tessie gave my boy—her son, my son, our son—my name. My fucking name. Axel Devon Crews. Mini-me. One look and I fucking knew he was mine. My gut twists. Mine. My blood. My responsibility. My name. My fucking mirror image. Throttle down, I push on faster, harder, needing to feel something slice through me besides the disappointments running through my mind. My life is officially at a crossroads, every mistake of my past now shoved in the forefront of my mind. How did I get so lost? How have I become so consumed in things that don’t matter? When did I become so self-absorbed? I would lay down my life to protect the very cut moving across my back right now. Yet, the woman who freely lay beneath me, giving her body, heart, and soul to me, I left without a glance back. She ripped her body—literally—to give life to my seed, and I did nothing more than wink, smile, and move on to the next woman. I was so focused on myself I missed the signs. I should have known. Hell, I should have been there. Then, when the opportunity came for me to step up for her, did I do it? No. Shooter stepped in like I knew he would. He is a far better man than I am. Tessie deserves a man like him, not the mess that is me. No matter what life throws at them, he will be there to have her back, to be her security. He will be her strength and her calm within the storm. He will be her best friend and her lover. Everything that Tessie needs, wants, and damn sure deserves is found in the man I now proudly call my brother. Sure, there was a time I wanted to rip him limb from limb. He went after what could have been mine. No, he didn’t go after her, not really, not if I keep it real with myself. I pushed him there. I sent him to her. I gave him what could have been my future. The only person to blame here is me. She needed me, and I tossed her off to him. My mistakes. My losses. I know, if I am ever given a chance to have something good again, I am not going to waste my opportunity. When the clouds open up, the hot rain comes down, pelting me in the face, on my arms, and all my exposed skin. The road beneath me gets slick as I push on. Soft gravel gives way, and my back tire shifts under me. I don’t correct the movement. The delicate balance keeping me upright drops as does my bike, and my body hits the pavement hard. Gravel digs in even through the denim of my pants as the material rips. I feel my arms shred as my bike is no longer under my now broken body, only the unforgiving road. Broken, shredded, a bloody mess of a man—that is what I am. Pops’ voice is the last thing to sound through my head as I succumb to the blackness consuming me. “The past is the past; the future is before you. Change is a power we all hold. Learning from your mistakes is growth, and it’s a necessary change. How you pick yourself up when you hit rock bottom will tell what kind of man you really are.”
Hellions Ride Series

One Ride (The Hellions Ride, #1)
Forever Ride (Hellions Ride, #2)
Merciless Ride (Hellions Ride, #3)

Innocent Ride (Hellions Ride, #4)
 
About the Author

Chelsea Camaron


Chelsea Camaron was born and raised in Coastal North Carolina. She currently resides in Southern Louisiana with her husband and two children but her heart is always Carolina day dreaming. Chelsea always wanted to be a writer, but like most of us, let fear of the unknown grab a hold of her dream; she realized that if she was going to tell her daughter to go for her dreams, that it was time to follow her own advice. Chelsea grew up turning wrenches alongside her father, and from that grew her love for old muscle cars and Harley Davidson motorcycles, which just so happened to inspired her ‘Daddy’s Girls’ series. Her love for reading has sparked a new love for writing and she currently has a few more projects in the works. When she is not spending her days writing you can find her playing with her kids, attending car shows, going on motorcycle rides on the back of her husband’s Harley, snuggling down with her new favorite book or watching any movie that Vin Diesel might happen to be in. She hates being serious and is still a big kid at heart. She is a small town country girl enjoying life and, Chelsea hopes that her readers remember not to take life too seriously and to embrace your inner five year old, because five year olds know how to enjoy the simple things in life and how to always have fun.  
Giveaway!


love 2

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Worth the Risk by Claudia Connor Release Day Blitz + Giveaway







Title: Worth the Risk
Series: The McKinney Brothers #2
Author: Claudia Connor
Publisher: Loveswept
 Release Date: February 3, 2015



Synopsis


New York Times bestselling author Claudia Connor follows up her heartfelt debut, Worth the Fall, with a novel about Matt’s brother, Stephen—and when a McKinney brother falls in love, powerful emotion and overwhelming desire are never far behind.

Two hearts locked away . . . Hannah Walker spends her days coaching children through injury and trauma, one therapeutic horseback ride at a time. She knows all too well how violence can change a child and leave scars that never heal. It’s easy for her to relate to the kids; what isn’t easy is the thought of facing her own harrowing past.

Millionaire playboy Stephen McKinney could use a little coaching himself. Five years ago he encountered his most horrible nightmare—and the nightmare won. No matter what he achieves, nothing can make up for that awful night . . . or so he believes.

Both desperate for a second chance . . . Stephen is used to getting what he wants. And he wants Hannah. So when she turns him down, he’s intrigued. What he doesn’t know is that her secrets will lead him to a place he never wanted to go again . . . to a side of himself he’s tried to forget . . . a side that would scare Hannah away from ever loving him. Now his only chance to win her trust is to bare his soul, risking everything he tried so hard to protect.





Selene's Review


4.5 Worth the Read Smooches

"You're so beautiful.  I don't know where to touch you first."
"Anywhere."  Everywhere.

I am officially in love with this series!  Thank God the McKinneys are a big family and we have more brothers' books to look forward to!!!

Worth the Risk is Stephen's book.  He was a little elusive in the first book (Worth the Fall) and we quickly find out why.  Stephen's past includes tragedy and heartbreak and he's buried himself in work to avoid his new reality.

The story is told in third person and Claudia nails it.  I tend to struggle with third person POV but Claudia's writing naturally flows with its own poetic flair that captivates.  Stephen and Hannah's story isn't always pretty .... their pasts carry such heartbreak and pain, both physical and emotional scars taint their hopes for a happily ever after.

While the characters in each book are connected, each can be read as a standalone.  I recommend reading them in order just so prior couples' endings aren't spoiled.  There are no cliffhangers from book to book and, so far, each book focuses on a different couple.




Links to Buy







Also Available








Author Bio

New York Times bestselling author Claudia Connor attended Auburn University, where she received her undergraduate and masters degrees in early childhood education, and completed her studies in Sawbridgeworth, England. Always a lover of happy endings, she enjoys movies, reading, and spending her days putting on paper the stories in her head. She lives near Memphis, Tennessee, with her husband and three daughters.



Author Links

Giveaway

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

The Traveling Man by Jan Harvey-Berrick Blog Tour + Giveaway

THE TRAVELING MAN - BANNER

Title: The Traveling Man (Traveling, #1)
Author: Jane Harvey – Berrick
Release Date: January 27, 2015
Genre: Contemporary Romance


goodreads

  youtube  


Blurb

I was ordinary. Nice. He was extraordinary. And he wasn’t always nice. Moody and difficult, brilliant and beautiful, Kes scared me and he protected me. He could be incredibly hurtful and incredibly thoughtful. He wasn’t perfect, but he was perfect for me. He challenged me, he took me out of my safe little box and showed me the world could be magnificent. He was everything I wasn’t.

Aimee Anderson is ten when the traveling carnival first comes to her nice little town. She doesn’t expect her world to change so completely. But meeting Kestrel Donohue puts her life on a different path. Even though she only sees him for the two weeks of the year when he passes through her home town, his friendship is the most important of her life. As a child’s friendship grows to adult love, the choices become harder, and both Kes and Aimee realize that two weeks a year will never be enough.    

Purchase The Traveling Man today!

81qgUqK9ilL._SL1260_


Selene's Review


5 Smooches

I was on the journey before I even knew our story had started.
Funny the way things work out.


I am IN LOVE with this story!!!!

I wasn't really sure what to expect going in but if I did actually have expectations, they would have certainly been blown away.

I adore love stories that begin when the MC's are young, they grow up together and their feelings eventually turn romantic.  Relationships like that just GRAB me from the get-go.
I didn't know it then;  I didn't understand what it meant, but whenever I looked at him, my skin felt warm, like my own personal sun was shining just for me.  - Aimee
The setting of this story is so unique (to me anyway).  I've never read a story set primarily in a carnival environment before this and I found it captivating.  There were many things you'd expect having only a "stereotypical" idea of what a carnie lifestyle might be like.  Since the story is "carnie-centric," Aimee is the outsider seeking approval most of the story which I find to be an interesting twist!
"I felt almost accepted as I strutted along beside them, my head held high.  I was Kes's girlfriend, and I wanted everyone to know it."  - Aimee
The thing I love most about this story .... it's Aimee's love for Kes.  It's unconditional, it's innocent, it's whole-hearted.  It's consuming.  And it consumed me.  Kes suffers from a learning disorder but Aimee sees past it and sees the man Kes is despite it.  GAHHHH!!!!!  I couldn't get enough.

So, imagine my surprise when there is a cliffhanger.  YES!!!  A cliffhanger.  Now I RARELY encourage anyone to start a series before it is complete but I will totally make an exception for The Traveling Man.  The story is so very unique ... I just can't imagine anything about it being forgotten for the second installment is released.
   
About the Author

qupVbuSB 

  I lived in London for over 10 years and have a love affair with New York. It's only since I have moved to the countryside, that the words have really begun to flow. I live in a small village by the ocean and walk my little dog, Pip, every day. It’s on those beachside walks that I have all my best ideas. Writing has become a way of life – and one that I love to share.


Connect with Jane



Giveaway!


  love p

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Twosome Twosday: 53 Letters for My Lover by Leylah Attar





This is not your typical love story. It’s not so black and white. Lines are crossed. Walls are smashed. Good becomes bad. Bad becomes very, very good.

Shayda Hijazi - the perfect wife, the perfect mother, the perfect daughter. For thirty-three years, she has played by the rules, swallowing secrets, burying dreams and doing whatever it takes to anchor her family. Shayda Hijazi is about to come face to face with the one thing that can rip it all apart, the one thing she has always been denied: love.

Troy Heathgate - untamed, exhilarating, dangerous; a man who does exactly as he pleases. Life bends to his will. Until he comes across the one thing he would give it all up for, but can never have.

Born on the same day in opposite corners of the world, their lives collide. And nothing is ever the same again.

Spanning three decades, 53 Letters for My Lover is a fiercely sensual, emotional ride to the heart of an epic love that defies it all - an intimate exploration of love, loyalty, passion, betrayal, and the human journey for hope, happiness and redemption.








  


Check out the FREE bonus novella - 
snippets from Troy's POV!






5 - Holy Frickin' Wow - Smooches

"Are you happy, Shayda?"
A second.  That's all it takes.  
A single beat of hesitation on my part.

Wow.  Just wow. 

I mean, really, WOW!!!

For the life of me, I can't understand why every blogger is not talking about this book.  I can't remember having this bad of a book hangover since Mud Vein.  I loved this book SO MUCH!!!  A good book friend of mine recommended it (I had never even heard of it before) so I jumped right in.  And I fell in love ...

Shayda immigrates to Canada from Iran in her early 20's.  She's grown up in a different culture, operating under a different set of familial expectations and obligations.   Pretty soon after arriving in North America, she marries another Iranian immigrant, Hafez.  Entering into the marriage with the best of intentions, Shayda is committed to her union and her new life as Mrs. Hafez Hijazi.  Demons from the past, unfortunately, threaten the very possibility of their marriage succeeding and, as the years go by, Shayda and Hafez's marriage is anything but ...
We were a different kind of broken.  The quiet silent kind that gets swept under the bed or stuffed in the linen closet.  And we had become good, really, really good, at leaving those spaces undisturbed.  - Shayda
The story is told exclusively from Shayda's point of view, alternating between the past and the present.  We follow the decline of her marriage, how she meets Troy Heathgate and their encounters over the years.  Shayda's love for her family, her obligation to her marriage, and her need for love all propel her into an on again/ off again affair with Troy.  Yeah, yeah, I know ... cheating.  So many of us hate cheating in books and I am one of them.  But this story ... *sigh* ... it almost makes it okay. 
I can't remember the last time we had sex.  Months have turned into years, and the years have melded into a hazy point beyond recall.  But tonight I want to burn for him.  I want to drive away thoughts of anyone else but him.  I want it here, where it belongs, where it's good and right and pure.  - Shayda

The story spans roughly thirty years and is truly an epic love story.  One I can assure you you don't want to miss!  
I wait for guilt to set in.  I wait for self-loating to roll in.  I wait for my feet to carry me to the door.  But when his lips graze mine, whisper soft, I know this is what I've been waiting for.  - Shayda
Things are not at all what you expect and as a reader I found myself feeling compassion for someone I never expected to.  There is true beauty in this story (and so much passion it's insane!).  Ms. Attar's writing flows beautifully, her words come to life ... she is an incredible story teller.  53 Letters for My Lover reached right into my chest and squeezed the crap out of my heart.  It is definitely one of my favorites!

BB <3 SC









4.5 Beetroot Butterfly smooches!

 



Shayda immigrated from Iran to Canada, where her family sort of arranged a marriage for her.  Her marriage suffers a major blow early on and never really recovers.  But, Shayda and her husband make the most of their marriage and play house for their two children.

“We were a different kind of broken.  The quiet, silent kind that gets swept under the bed or stuffed in the linen closet.  And we had become good, really, really good, at leaving those spaces undisturbed.”

As you can tell from the blurb there is infidelity in this book.  But it is OKAY…  Really!  It is... you will just have to trust me.  The affair is the good stuff!  Troy…. Yummmmmm



Troy is a mutual friend and is EVERYWHERE(he is the other guy… stay with me!).  While there is instant attraction between these two, Shayda tries to fight it.  She is true to her marriage for a very long time.  Troy is a huge flirt and quite the ladies man.  Shayda finds herself very drawn to him.

I’ve crossed oceans and countries and continents. That was the easy part. But sitting here before Troy Heathgate now, I’m teetering on a knife’s edge between honor and disgrace.

This affair spans decades.  Shayda gets sucked in and out…  there is a lot of cat and mouse.  A lot of push and pull.  And a whole lot of heat and sexual tension.  Troy is relentless and Shayda desperate for his love. 

How do you deny a living, breathing feeling? How do you hack it and kill it and bury it so that it never surfaces again?

Troy… I want to say so many things but really you just need to read the book.  I thought I had him all figured out and he turned out to be so much more.

“So, what’s it like?  To have it all?”


“Like flying.  Soaring.  Until you come across the one thing you’d give it all up for, and can never have.”

There are some books that get better with time.  And, what I mean by that is I already really, really loved this book when I read it.  But it is one of those stories that I have thought about every day since finishing it.  Troy and Shayda  have infiltrated my heart.  They have a love that is intense and evoked so many emotions… love, hate, desire, betrayal…  anytime they were together the heat jumped off the page.  It was a living breathing thing and I was consumed!



So why 4.5 and not 5 smooches?  The first half of the book was a little hard for me.  There are so many secondary characters and it took a while to be able to place all of them and understand what was happening.  

That being said, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.  The writing is flawless.  The feels are SO real. So so real.  Looking back, I can’t believe how much content is in this one book and yet it never feels rushed.  This is not insta-love but a slow building, toe curling romance that will leave you breathless.  





Leylah Attar writes stories about love - shaken, stirred and served with a twist. When she's not writing, she can be found pursuing her other passions: photography, food, family and travel. Sometimes she disappears into the black hole of the internet, but can usually be enticed out with chocolate.