Sunday, June 30, 2013

Sunday in Review

It’s update time again :)

Below are the newest reviews I’ve written here and on Romance Junkies. The master list and categorical lists on the right-hand side are updated as well.

Reviews for upcoming releases:
- Days of Rakes and Roses (Sons of Sin, Book 0.5) by Anna Campbell (available 7/2/13)
- The Marquess of Cake (Redcakes, Book 1) by Heather Hiestand (available 7/4/13)
- Girl Least Likely to Marry (The Wedding Season, Book 2) by Amy Andrews (available 7/23/13)
- Perfect Fling (Serendipity’s Finest, Book 2) by Carly Phillips (available 7/30/13)

All other new reviews:
- Sweet Revenge (Nemesis, Unlimited, Book 1) by Zoë Archer
- Time Untime (Dark-Hunters, Book 22) by Sherryiln Kenyon

Upcoming reviews:
- Rise of the Gryphon (Belador, Book 4) by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love
- Don’t Bite the Bridesmaid by Tiffany Allee
- Skies of Steel (The Ether Chronicles, Book 3) by Zoë Archer
- The Seduction of Elliot McBride (Highland Pleasures, Book 5) by Jennifer Ashley
- Mystery Man (Dream Man, Book 1) by Kristen Ashley
- Wild Man (Dream Man, Book 2) by Kristen Ashley
- Down for the Count (Dare Me, Book 1) by Christine Bell
- Down and Dirty (Dare Me, Book 2) by Christine Bell
- Ninja Cupcakes by T.A. Chase
- How to Ravish a Rake (How to Series, Book 3) by Vicky Dreiling
- Soul Weaver by Hailey Edwards
- Some Like It Hot (Rising Star Chef, Book 2) by Louisa Edwards
- Hot Under Pressure (Rising Star Chef, Book 3) by Louisa Edwards
- A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch
- Just in Time (Alaskan Nights, Book 3) by Addison Fox
- Cowboy Take Me Away (Rainbow Valley, Book 1) by Jane Graves
- Trouble at the Wedding (Abandoned at the Altar, Book 3) by Laura Lee Guhrke
- Studenstein (Love-Bots, Book 2) by Daisy Harris
- One Night Steined (Love-Bots, Book 3) by Daisy Harris
- Archer (Hard Body, Book 1) by Debra Kayn
- Midnight Games (Killer Instincts, Book 3) by Elle Kennedy
- True by Erin McCarthy
- Kiss of Steel (London Steampunk, Book 1) by Bec McMaster
- Nora Roberts Land (Dare Valley, Book 1) by Ava Miles
- Keeping Secrets in Seattle by Brooke Moss
- Blood Persuasion (Immortal Jane Austen, Book 2) by Janet Mullany
- Educating Elizabeth by Kate Pearce
- Redeeming Jack by Kate Pearce
- Raw Desire by Kate Pearce
- Soul Sucker by Kate Pearce
- Nights of Steel (The Ether Chronicles, Book 4) by Nico Rosso
- Seeing Red (Firefighter, Book 3) by Jill Shalvis
- Heart of Obsidian (Psy-Changeling, Book 12) by Nalini Singh
- Sully’s Sweet Salvation by Sierra Summers
- Primal Law (Alpha Pack, Book 1) by J.D. Tyler
- Her Ladyship’s Curse (Disenchanted & Co., Book 1) by Lynn Viehl
- Easy by Tammara Webber

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Review: Girl Least Likely to Marry by Amy Andrews

Girl Least Likely to Marry by Amy Andrews
Series: The Wedding Season, Book 2
Publisher: Harlequin KISS
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 23, 2013
ISBN: 9780373207244
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Certified genius Cassiopeia Barclay is all about logic. Sexual attraction has no place in her life and she certainly doesn’t believe in love, so why is she drawn to former NFL quarterback Samuel Tucker? He’s a jock who wouldn’t know auroras from apples, but the pheromones he throws off send Cassie’s libido skyrocketing. Unfortunately for her, one night with Tuck isn’t nearly enough to get him out of her mind.

Tuck’s used to people thinking he’s dumb as a rock, which is why he finds it fun to tease his cousin’s brainy best friend. Cassie’s the one woman who has never fallen at his feet, but the longer he’s around her, the closer Tuck is to falling at hers. Seducing her into being his lover is easy, but trying to capture her heart…well, Tuck’s got his work cut out for him. Can he convince Cassie that something as powerful and unquantifiable as love exists?

Logic wars with emotion in the wildly entertaining Girl Least Likely to Marry. Author Amy Andrews has penned a wonderful romance that both celebrates genius and addresses the problems people more comfortable with facts than feelings face.

My absolute favorite thing about Cassie is that she’s a true nerd. Not a smart, awkward, secretly-feminine-ugly-duckling-who-finds-the-motivation-to-become-a-swan kind of heroine, but a true logic-loving brainiac whose IQ is high and EQ is low. Cassie truly doesn’t care about looks or pretty much anything other than science and her three best friends. What makes Girl Least Likely to Marry even better is that Tuck never tries to change her. He loves, respects, and appreciates Cassie for who she is and the way he woos her just makes me want to swoon. Tuck’s a heck of a lot smarter than most people give him credit for and it was a pleasure peeling back the layers to his character. He has some vulnerabilities of his own, though what they are I’ll leave the reader to discover. While it was easy for me to fall for Tuck (handsome, intelligent, loving, and laid-back — what’s not to adore?), it wasn’t exactly a smooth road to happily ever after for him and Cassie. She has a difficult time with emotion in a way you have to read Girl Least Likely to Marry to truly understand. Their romance is filled with ups and downs, has both sizzling heat and the hardships two very different but perfectly suited people trying to come together face. I was so engaged in Tuck and Cassie’s story that I read Girl Least Likely to Marry in one sitting.

Girl Least Likely to Marry can be read as a standalone, but it is the second book in the multi-author Wedding Season series. The friendship between Cassie and her fellow Wedding Season heroines is every bit as important as her burgeoning relationship with Tuck. I loved seeing the four of them pull together and I’m more eager than ever to continue the series with book three, Maid of Dishonor.

Girl Least Likely to Marry is a lovely romance with beautifully drawn protagonists. Cassie and Tuck’s story was the first book of Ms. Andrews’s I’ve read but it definitely won’t be the last!

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Review: Sweet Revenge by Zoë Archer

Sweet Revenge by Zoë Archer
Series: Nemesis, Unlimited, Book 1
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Genre: Historical Romance Sweet Revenge Cover
ISBN: 9781250015594
Blue Ribbon Rating: 4 out of 5
Original Review Link
Book Purchase Link
Zoë Archer Reading Order

When “Diamond” Jack Dalton escapes from prison, he has only one thing on his mind: vengeance. He’s determined to kill Lord Rockley, the man who murdered Jack’s sister, but when he steals into the inn where the nobleman is rumored to be staying, Jack finds three strangers instead. The trio is part of Nemesis, Unlimited, a group determined to deliver justice at any cost. They’re after Rockley as well, but to bring the man down they need Jack’s help. Jack has no interest in Nemesis’s mission, but the beautiful Eva Warrick soon manages to change his mind. Eva’s like no other woman Jack’s met before and before long he begins to fall for her, knowing there can be no future for them.

Author Zoë Archer delivers a high-stakes tale of vengeance with SWEET REVENGE. I was captivated from the first page by Jack’s action-packed escape and the Leverage-esque nature of Nemesis, Unlimited. Even when the pulse-pounding action slowed down, I remained engrossed in the story, thanks to Jack, Eva and some very intriguing secondary characters.

Jack is a powerful presence in SWEET REVENGE and I truly enjoyed the fact that he’s rough around the edges and quite different from the hero norm. He’s an escaped convict and a former bodyguard who has been told so often that he’s worth nothing more than his muscles that he believes it. One of the biggest pleasures in reading SWEET REVENGE was seeing Jack come into his own. I loved that Eva saw ALL of Jack, that she believed in him and wouldn’t let him devalue himself. And speaking of Eva, she’s a classic Zoë Archer heroine — smart, strong and dedicated to her cause. The building sexual tension adds a nice sizzle to SWEET REVENGE and the overall love story is wonderful.

The mission to bring down Rockley adds further action to the story, but it’s truly the characters themselves who fascinated me. From Eva’s fellow Nemesis operatives — particularly Simon Addison-Shawe — to Charlie, an acquaintance of Jack’s whom I just adore; Ms. Archer has me hoping for many more NEMESIS, UNLIMITED books. SWEET REVENGE is a highly entertaining book and I can’t wait to read the next NEMESIS, UNLIMITED story, DANGEROUS SEDUCTION.


Note: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here with permission from Romance Junkies.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Review: The Marquess of Cake by Heather Hiestand

The Marquess of Cake by Heather Hiestand
Series: Redcakes, Book 1
Publisher: eKensington
Genre: Historical Romance The Marquess of Cake Cover
Release Date: July 4, 2013
ISBN: 9781601831118
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Michael Shield, Marquess of Hatbrook, has a sweet tooth, which is why Redcake’s Tea Shop and Emporium is his favorite place in London. It doesn’t hurt that Michael’s also captivated by cakie Alys Redcake. Alys has no interest in anything other than decorating cakes and working at her family’s business, but that doesn’t stop Michael from pursuing her. The attraction is mutual and when Michael decides he needs to marry, he can’t picture anyone other than Alys as his bride. Can he convince her to be as passionate about a life with him as she is about the cakes she bakes?

Don’t start The Marquess of Cake when you’re hungry, or Alys’s creations will have you hunting for pastry in the middle of the night. Even if you don’t have a sweet tooth like Michael, The Marquess of Cake is still delicious thanks to Alys and Michael’s romance.

Alys is a woman who was raised to work hard and her family’s rising fortune has turned her world upside down. Alys is happy being a spinster and decorating cakes, but her father is determined she marry and there’s nothing she can do to change his mind. I appreciated Alys’s passion for her work and it saddened me a bit that conventions of the Victorian era dictated she had to give a lot of that up, even though Michael does come up with a compromise for her. The titular marquess is a handsome hero with a taste for Scotch trifle. What was most interesting about Michael (to me) was that Heather Hiestand made him hypoglycemic. The way Alys came to recognize his health problem (though obviously it was never named or formally diagnosed, given the time period) and how she and Michael ultimately addressed it made The Marquess of Cake unique, in my opinion.

Aside from the romance, The Marquess of Cake has family drama aplenty. I admit, I wasn’t very fond of Alys’s sisters, particularly toward the end of the book, and I really had to question Michael’s judgment given his choice of friends. I was, however, interested in Michael’s sister, Beth, Alys’s twin brother, Gawain, and her cousin, Lewis. All in all I found The Marquess of Cake to be a highly entertaining read and I’m looking forward to the next book in the Redcakes series.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Review: Days of Rakes and Roses by Anna Campbell

Days of Rakes and Roses by Anna Campbell
Series: Sons of Sin, Book 0.5
Publisher: Forever Yours
Genre: Historical Romance Days of Rakes and Roses Cover
Release Date: July 2, 2013
ISBN: 9781455576289
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Scandal has long followed Lady Lydia Rothermere’s family, which is why she tries desperately to follow society’s rules to a T. Now engaged to a man perfectly suited to her needs, Lydia can see her life laid out before her. If part of her rebels at the notion of living without passion, well, then she can at least find comfort in the fact that she is upholding her family name. Then a man from her past appears, threatening to derail Lydia’s plans.

Simon Metcalf’s name is synonymous with sin and for ten years Lydia has tried to forget her love for him…and the way their desire for one another had nearly ruined her. Simon’s return to London sends Lydia’s emotions into a tailspin and before long she’s forced to make a choice: stay safe and marry a man who’s all wrong for her or court scandal by risking her heart for the only man she’s ever loved.

True love can’t be denied in Days of Rakes and Roses. Lydia and Simon are a couple whose burgeoning romance was cut short once upon a time by Lydia’s father, and since that fateful day Lydia has tried to be the model of propriety. Needless to say, she’s thrown for a loop when Simon reinserts himself into her life right before her wedding to another man. I love Lydia and Simon together, yet even though it’s clear they’re a far better fit than Lydia and her fiancé, she can’t simply throw caution to the wind and break her engagement. Anna Campbell makes Lydia’s dilemma compelling, and though I won’t spoil the story by revealing the obstacles in Lydia and Simon’s path, I will say that I avidly read Days of Rakes and Roses, wanting to see how things would work out.

Days of Rakes and Roses can be read as a standalone, but it is part of Ms. Campbell’s Sons of Sin series (chronologically it comes before the first book, Seven Nights in a Rogue’s Bed). Lydia is the sister of future Sons of Sin hero Camden, and eagle-eyed readers might remember Cam briefly mentioning Lydia and her “new husband” in Seven Nights in a Rogue’s Bed. Cam plays a large supporting role in Days of Rakes and Roses and I loved learning more about his character, though now I want to read his book more than ever. As for the other Sons of Sins heroes, Jonas is briefly mentioned and Richard, hero of the upcoming A Rake’s Midnight Kiss, dazzles whenever he appears on the page.

Anna Campbell is a supremely talented author whose books never fail to entertain. Days of Rakes and Roses is a compelling story fans of historical romance are sure to adore.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!

I stumbled upon this book at random when the title caught my eye. It sounds really interesting and I can't wait to read it :)

The Thinking Womans Guide to Real Magic Cover Title: The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic
Author: Emily Croy Barker
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Release Date: August 1, 2013

Book Description (from Goodreads):

An imaginative story of a woman caught in an alternate world—where she will need to learn the skills of magic to survive.

Nora Fischer’s dissertation is stalled and her boyfriend is about to marry another woman. During a miserable weekend at a friend’s wedding, Nora wanders off and walks through a portal into a different world where she’s transformed from a drab grad student into a stunning beauty. Before long, she has a set of glamorous new friends and her romance with gorgeous, masterful Raclin is heating up. It’s almost too good to be true.

Then the elegant veneer shatters. Nora’s new fantasy world turns darker, a fairy tale gone incredibly wrong. Making it here will take skills Nora never learned in graduate school. Her only real ally—and a reluctant one at that—is the magician Aruendiel, a grim, reclusive figure with a biting tongue and a shrouded past. And it will take her becoming Aruendiel’s student—and learning magic herself—to survive. When a passage home finally opens, Nora must weigh her "real life" against the dangerous power of love and magic.

For lovers of Lev Grossman's The Magicians series (The Magicians and The Magician King) and Deborah Harkness's All Souls Trilogy (A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night).

Tuesday in Review

It’s update time again :)

Below are the newest reviews I’ve written here and on Joyfully Reviewed. The master list and categorical lists on the right-hand side are updated as well.

Reviews for upcoming releases:
- Hotter Than Ever (Out of Uniform, Book 9) by Elle Kennedy (available 7/9/13)
- Trust in Me (Rancho del Cielo, Book 5) by Dee Tenorio (available 7/23/13)

All other new reviews:
- Sweetest Seduction by KB Alan
- Fire Inside (Chaos, Book 2) by Kristen Ashley
- Skinny Bitch in Love by Kim Barnouin
- Flirting with Rescue by Sidney Bristol
- Nerds Are Freaks Too by Koko Brown
- Aloha Kaua by Jenna Byrnes
- The Unexpected Wedding Guest (The Wedding Season, Book 1) by Aimee Carson
- Lover Unexpected by Brindle Chase
- Lust After Death (Love-Bots, Book 1) by Daisy Harris
- Blind Her With Bliss (Tilling Passions, Book 1) by Nina Pierce
- Elemental Heat by Cristal Ryder
- Rock-Hard Heat (Sequel to Elemental Heat) by Cristal Ryder
- Finn’s Redemption by Sierra Summers
- A Breach of Promise by Victoria Vane

Upcoming reviews:
- Rise of the Gryphon (Belador, Book 4) by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love
- Don’t Bite the Bridesmaid by Tiffany Allee
- Girl Least Likely To Marry by Amy Andrews
- Skies of Steel (The Ether Chronicles, Book 3) by Zoë Archer
- The Seduction of Elliot McBride (Highland Pleasures, Book 5) by Jennifer Ashley
- Mystery Man (Dream Man, Book 1) by Kristen Ashley
- Wild Man (Dream Man, Book 2) by Kristen Ashley
- Down for the Count (Dare Me, Book 1) by Christine Bell
- Down and Dirty (Dare Me, Book 2) by Christine Bell
- Days of Rakes and Roses (Sons of Sin, Book 1.5) by Anna Campbell
- Ninja Cupcakes by T.A. Chase
- How to Ravish a Rake (How to Series, Book 3) by Vicky Dreiling
- Soul Weaver by Hailey Edwards
- Some Like It Hot (Rising Star Chef, Book 2) by Louisa Edwards
- Hot Under Pressure (Rising Star Chef, Book 3) by Louisa Edwards
- A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch
- Just in Time (Alaskan Nights, Book 3) by Addison Fox
- Cowboy Take Me Away (Rainbow Valley, Book 1) by Jane Graves
- Trouble at the Wedding (Abandoned at the Altar, Book 3) by Laura Lee Guhrke
- Studenstein (Love-Bots, Book 2) by Daisy Harris
- One Night Steined (Love-Bots, Book 4) by Daisy Harris
- The Marquess of Cake (Redcakes, Book 1) by Heather Hiestand
- Archer (Hard Body, Book 1) by Debra Kayn
- Midnight Games (Killer Instincts, Book 3) by Elle Kennedy
- Time Untime (Dark Hunters, Book 22) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
- True by Erin McCarthy
- Kiss of Steel (London Steampunk, Book 1) by Bec McMaster
- Nora Roberts Land (Dare Valley, Book 1) by Ava Miles
- Keeping Secrets in Seattle by Brooke Moss
- Blood Persuasion (Immortal Jane Austen, Book 2) by Janet Mullany
- Educating Elizabeth by Kate Pearce
- Redeeming Jack by Kate Pearce
- Raw Desire by Kate Pearce
- Soul Sucker by Kate Pearce
- Nights of Steel (The Ether Chronicles, Book 4) by Nico Rosso
- Sully’s Sweet Salvation by Sierra Summers
- Primal Law (Alpha Pack, Book 1) by J.D. Tyler
- Her Ladyship’s Curse (Disenchanted & Co., Book 1) by Lynn Viehl
- Easy by Tammara Webber

Monday, June 17, 2013

Review: The Unexpected Wedding Guest by Aimee Carson

The Unexpected Wedding Guest by Aimee Carson
Series: The Wedding Season, Book 1
Publisher: Harlequin KISS
Genre: Contemporary Romance The Unexpected Wedding Guest Cover
Release Date: June 18, 2013
ISBN: 9780373207206
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

They say it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress, but what do they say when it’s your ex-husband who walks in on your fitting? Reese Michael doesn’t know, but she wants Mason Hicks gone. It’s been nine years since she last saw Mason and his showing up a few days before her wedding starts a chain of events that cause Reese’s perfect life to crash down around her ears. Now her fiancé has cancelled the wedding and it’s Mason who’s sticking around, offering to help Reese with the fallout. Reese doesn’t want to be distracted by her ex’s gorgeous body or the way her long-buried feelings for him seem to be resurfacing. But the longer she’s around her unexpected wedding guest, the closer Reese comes to falling for her first love all over again.

True love gets a second chance in The Unexpected Wedding Guest. I was captivated by Reese and Mason’s romance and it took all of my willpower not to start re-reading The Unexpected Wedding Guest as soon as I finished it the first time.

Mason and Reese are a couple that dashed into love the first time when they were too young and not ready to deal with the troubles their marriage would face. Loving each other wasn’t the problem; living with one another was. I love how author Aimee Carson shows the initial attraction between Reese and Mason and slowly reveals why it is they didn’t work the first time around. Both Reese and Mason needed to grow up before they were truly ready to be together, and now that they have, it’s clear they have what it takes to make it as a couple. Though there’s heartache on the road to happily ever after, Ms. Carson had me cheering for these two, and I finished their story a well-satisfied reader.

The Unexpected Wedding Guest is the first book in the multi-author Wedding Season quartet and I’m really looking forward to reading The Girl Least Likely to Marry, Maid of Dishonor, and Last Groom Standing. Reese’s three best friends from college — aka the future Wedding Season heroines — play supporting roles and I find myself intrigued by each of them, particularly Gina. In addition, Ms. Carson wrote a prequel novella, The Wedding Dress Diaries, which features Reese’s half-brother, Parker. While he isn’t a major character in The Unexpected Wedding Guest, it was a delight to see Parker and his heroine, Amber, make cameos in this story. The only niggle I had about The Unexpected Wedding Guest was how quickly Reese’s nice guy fiancé backed out of the wedding, but I expect that will be explained down the line when it’s time for his book.

The Unexpected Wedding Guest is the perfect story to curl up with when you want something fun, sexy, and heartwarming. I loved it and I can’t wait to read more of Ms. Carson’s work!

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: Tarnish by Katherine Longshore


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!

I haven't yet read Katherine Longshore's Gilt, but it's on its way from Amazon as I type. I love stories set in Henry VIII's court and I'm really excited to read Ms. Longshore's take on Anne Boleyn.

Tarnish Cover Title: Tarnish
Author: Katherine Longshore
Genre: YA Historical
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Release Date: June 18, 2013

Book Description (from Goodreads):

Anne Boleyn is the odd girl out. Newly arrived to the court of King Henry VIII, everything about her seems wrong, from her clothes to her manners to her witty but sharp tongue. So when the dashing poet Thomas Wyatt offers to coach her on how to shine at court—and to convince the whole court they’re lovers—she accepts. Before long, Anne’s popularity has soared, and even the charismatic and irresistible king takes notice. More than popularity, Anne wants a voice—but she also wants love. What began as a game becomes high stakes as Anne finds herself forced to make an impossible choice between her heart’s desire and the chance to make history.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Blog Tour: Fire Inside by Kristen Ashley



I am very excited that Wit and Sin is part of the Fire Inside blog tour. Kristen Ashley is an immensely popular author and I can’t believe that Fire Inside was the first book of hers I read!

Check out my review to see what I thought of the second Chaos book (spoiler alert: I’ll be back for more of Ms. Ashley’s hot heroes ;)) and then scroll on down to see some Q&As with Ms. Ashley, read an excerpt from Fire Inside, and enter to win some fabulous prizes from Ms. Ashley’s publisher, Forever!

Q&As with Kristen Ashley

1.Do you base your characters off people you know?
Yep. All the time. Tod and Stevie of the Rock Chicks were my neighbors back in Denver. Aunt Bette and Uncle Marshall of Motorcycle Man are based on my Aunt Barb and Uncle Mike. Herb and Trish from the Rock Chicks are very much like my late Mom and stepdad. I could go on (and on and on). It’s not every character, but here are many!

2. Have you ever thought about taking an existing book and rewriting it from a male pov?
I’ve had several suggestions to do this and until I had those suggestions, I hadn’t thought of it. I have written a novel entirely from the hero’s POV (Golden Trail) and I loved doing that! As for taking an existing one and doing it, the idea is intriguing. But which one?

3. Your books tend to feature older hero and heroines—is that a conscious decision?
Kind of and kind of not. My characters come to me as they are so I go with it however they come to me. That said, I’m not twenty anymore and still see all around me people of my age finding romance and love but that doesn’t seem to get much play. And it’s just as sexy and beautiful, maybe more so with history and experience, mistakes made, lessons learned, and the understanding you never keep growing. All that can make a story very rich. So yes, I want folks my age to have something they can relate to to sink their teeth into (not to mention me!) – this is probably why those older characters come to me.


Excerpt from Fire Inside

Fire Inside Cover
I was leaning against the wall and, with no small amount of difficulty, tugging my jeans over my boots when Hop crouched at my feet, his hands out to help me.

My jeans successfully pulled over my boots, I straightened. He did too and slid an arm loose around my waist as I tugged them up, zipped, buttoned, and belted them.

“Um…not big on putting these back on after they’ve been on the floor of a public bathroom,” I murmured, giving my panties in my fingers a little twirl. “And I don’t have a purse.”

Hop’s eyes got dark but he said not a word, grabbed my panties and shoved them in his front pocket.

Knowing my panties were in Hop’s jeans pocket made my thighs quiver."

“Just so you know,” I started, feeling suddenly nervous, “I’ve never had public handicapped bathroom sex before.”

“Just so you know,” Hop returned, grinning, “I haven’t either.”

“Uh…okay,” I muttered, finding it difficult to hold his smiling eyes and wanting to look at his shoulder. Instead, I lifted my hands to rest them there.

“Stall sex with a skank, yeah,” he went on and my head jerked. “Twice,” he continued and I felt my lips part. “Though, a private handicapped restroom is definitely the way to go with a lady. I’d never do you in a stall.”

He was teasing so I relaxed.

Slightly.

“I don’t think I could do a stall,” I shared.

“Like I said, wouldn’t do you in a stall.”

My lips curved up. “It’s good we agree on that.”


Giveaway

Ultimate prize to include:
- Signed copies of Own the Wind and Fire Inside
- Forever swag bag: Canvas tote bag to celebrate 10th Anniversary of Forever - full of Forever books
- $15 gift cart to B&N or Amazon
- Rock Chick bumper sticker
- Print copies of Rock Chick, Rock Chick Rescue, and Rock Chick Redemption

Second place prize: Signed copies of Own the Wind and Fire Inside

Third place prize: Signed copy of Fire Inside

Fourth place prize: E-copy of Fire Inside

Fifth place prize: E-copy of Fire Inside

Enter here:

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Review: Fire Inside by Kristen Ashley

Fire Inside by Kristen Ashley
Series: Chaos, Book 2
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Contemporary Romance Fire Inside Cover
ISBN: 9781455599288
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

One night — that’s all Lanie Heron’s looking for. One night with gorgeous Chaos biker Hopper Kincaid and she’ll be satisfied. Having been burned by love before, Lanie has no interest in anything more. All it’ll take is one naughty night with Hop to scratch that itch she has for him.

Or so she thinks.

Hop knows Lanie doesn’t have any long-term ideas about the two of them, but now that he’s got her in his bed, he’s not about to let her go. Lanie’s beautiful, classy, and fiery — everything Hop wants. Now he just has to make her see that the two of them can be more than secret lovers who burn up the sheets.

A scarred heroine with a taste for drama meets her match in a badass biker in Fire Inside. Lanie and Hop’s story is my first taste of bestselling author Kristen Ashley’s writing style and I was drawn in by Ms. Ashley’s vivid, unique voice.

Hop is a hero who’ll have Kristen Ashley fans swooning. He’s an alpha male through and through, but he’s also incredibly warm and patient. Lanie, in turn, is a heroine with a short fuse who oftentimes screws up with Hop because of how she’s been treated by the men in her life before. The more I learned about Lanie, the more I liked her, though there were a number of times that I grew frustrated that she — and sometimes Hop — acted far younger than their ages (39 and 40 respectively). That being said, even though it took me a while to connect with Lanie and Hop, by the halfway point I was rooting for these two to make it. The scenes with Lanie, Hop, and Hop’s children were so wonderful Ms. Ashley could have sold me on this book with those scenes alone.

Fire Inside focuses on Lanie and Hop, but that doesn’t mean readers don’t get to see plenty of Chaos. Tack and Tyra of Motorcycle Man play large supporting roles and the events of Fire Inside run concurrent to what’s happening in the first Chaos novel, Own the Wind. There’s a lot of history between the Chaos members and their “old ladies,” and as I mentioned before, I’m new to Ms. Ashley’s books, so even though I didn’t feel lost while reading Fire Inside, I do have to wonder if I didn’t love the book as much as other readers did because I didn’t have the emotional connection that comes from being invested in the Dream Man and Chaos series.

Fire Inside starts off hot and gains momentum as the story progresses. Aside from the romance between Lanie and Hop, Ms. Ashley sets up a war between Chaos and a drug dealer, and the groundwork she laid has me eager to see what happens next in what may or may not be an overarching series plotline. So even though there were a few things (some of which I can’t reveal for spoiler reasons) that niggled here and there, overall I enjoyed Fire Inside and I’m looking forward to reading more of Ms. Ashley’s work.


Note: Don’t forget to check out Wit and Sin's Fire Inside blog tour. There are Q&As with author Kristen Ashley, plus an excerpt from Fire Inside, and even be a chance to win some awesome prizes from Ms. Ashley’s publisher, Forever!

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: A Rake's Midnight Kiss by Anna Campbell


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!

Anna Campbell has yet to write a book I haven't loved, so it's no surprise that I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for her newest story :)

A Rakes Midnight Kiss Cover Title: A Rake's Midnight Kiss
Series: Sons of Sin, Book 2
Author: Anna Campbell
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: August 27, 2013

Book Description (from Goodreads):

It Takes A Lady
Brilliant scholar Genevieve Barrett knows how to keep a secret. Her identity as the author of her father's academic articles has always been her greatest deception—until a charming housebreaker tries to steal the mysterious Harmsworth Jewel from her. She doesn't reveal that she recognizes her father's devastatingly handsome new student as the thief himself. For Genevieve, this will be the most seductive secret of all...

To Catch A Thief
Sir Richard Harmsworth has been living a lie, maintaining a rakish façade to show society that he doesn't care about his status as a bastard. Yet long haunted by his unknown father's identity, Richard believes the Harmsworth Jewel will confirm his claim as the rightful heir. But when Richard sets out to seduce the bookworm who possesses the stone, he instead falls for its beautiful owner. But even as she steals Richard's heart, Genevieve will be in greater danger than her coveted treasure...

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Review: Skinny Bitch in Love by Kim Barnouin

Skinny Bitch in Love by Kim Barnouin
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Fiction Skinny Bitch In Love Cover
Release Date: June 4, 2013
ISBN: 9781476708867
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Clementine Cooper is a vegan chef whose career is on the rise until a bitter rival strikes her down with a pat of butter. Blackballed from the cooking community she loves, Clem decides to start the Skinny Bitch Cooking School so she can pay the rent and save up to open Clementine’s No Crap Café. It’s a brilliant plan…until her dream location is snapped up by Zach Jeffries, a restaurateur with a fondness for steer heads and steakhouses. Clem decides to give Zach a piece of her mind, but finds herself attracted to the sexy carnivore instead. What’s a good vegan to do?

Skinny Bitch in Love is a fast and fun read that’s perfect for summer! Kim Barnouin, coauthor of the Skinny Bitch lifestyle and cookbooks, brings her love for veganism and acerbic commentary to the world of fiction, and I was entertained by the result.

Clem is a bold heroine with lots of talent and little patience. She’s not as likeable as her lively roommate, Sara, and there are a number of times she screws up and pushes Zach away with her attitude. All the same, there’s something about Clem that draws you in. Zach, in turn, is a guy with a (mostly) relaxed attitude who’s able to go toe-to-toe with Clem — not an easy feat. The two of them bicker their way into love, but even so I wouldn’t call Skinny Bitch in Love a romance. The story is really more about Clem’s growth as a chef, and though sometimes things come surprisingly easy to Clem, the road to her various successes as a chef and businesswoman makes for an entertaining journey.

A cast of spirited secondary characters (most of whom are Clem’s cheer squad) bring humor to Skinny Bitch in Love. The supporting cast also provides Ms. Barnouin with a way to seamlessly integrate information about veganism into the story. If you’ve read the original Skinny Bitch you know that Ms. Barnouin is passionate about being vegan. I bring this up because (1) Skinny Bitch in Love is very much a love letter to veganism and (2) this might bother some readers. As a vegetarian leaning toward veganism myself, I enjoyed Clem’s commentary on the subject. However, if you’ve never read any of the Skinny Bitch books you might be in for a surprise.

Skinny Bitch in Love is a sassy story that’s a delight to read. Fans of the Skinny Bitch series should snap this one up!