#BookReview: The Unleashing (Call of Crows #1) by Shelly Laurenston

Synopsis: WINGING IT

Kera Watson never expected to face death behind a Los Angeles coffee shop. Not after surviving two tours lugging an M16 around the Middle East. If it wasn’t for her hot Viking customer showing up too late to help, nobody would even see her die.

In uncountable years of service to the Allfather Odin, Ludvig “Vig” Rundstöm has never seen anyone kick ass with quite as much style as Kera. He knows one way to save her life—but she might not like it. Signing up with the Crows will get Kera a new set of battle buddies: cackling, gossiping, squabbling, party-hearty women. With wings. So not the Marines.

But Vig can’t give up on someone as special as Kera. With a storm of oh-crap magic speeding straight for L.A., survival will depend on combining their strengths: Kera’s discipline, Vig’s loyalty… and the Crows’ sheer love of battle. Boy, are they in trouble. 

#BookBlitz: Violins and Vampires by @CB_Bauer @XpressoTours

Violins and Vampires
CEE BEE
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: June 26th 2022
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Lexa Uznetsov is trapped
To save my sister, I take on my father’s massive debt to Konstantin the Rus, leader of the New York Bratva. My life becomes a never-ending (and incredibly illegal) stakeout for the mob. There’s barely time to sleep, let alone find love. In desperation, I approach Caelin MacGregor, the handsome Scotsman who runs Empire Investments. After all, what’s the worst that can happen?

Caelin MacGregor is a lost king
Ages ago, I ruled a clan of Bloodkin vampires. My people are born to wield magic, drain humans, and live forever. That’s all over now. I’ve been alone for a thousand years. Today, I no longer care about the sunrise, let alone truly desire a woman. Then, I look upon Lexa. My world turns upside down…

Vampires of the Daemonverse Series
1. Violins and Vampires
2. Veils and Vampires
3. Vixens and Vampires
4. Valor and Vampires

#BookReview: Here for the Drama by Kate Bromley

Synopsis: It wouldn’t be the theater without a few theatrics…

Becoming a famous playwright is all Winnie ever dreamed about. For now, though, she'll have to settle for assisting the celebrated, sharp-witted feminist playwright Juliette Brassard. When an experimental theater company in London, England, decides to stage Juliette's most renowned play, The Lights of Trafalgar, Winnie and Juliette pack their bags and hop across the pond. 

But the trip goes sideways faster than you can say "tea and crumpets." Juliette stubbornly butts heads with the play's director and Winnie is left stage-managing their relationship. Meanwhile, Winnie's own work seems to have stalled, and though Juliette keeps promising to read it, she always has some vague reason why she can't. Then, Juliette's nephew, Liam, enters stage left. He's handsome, he's smart, he is devastatingly British…and his family ties to Juliette pose a serious problem, forcing Winnie to keep their burgeoning relationship on the down-low. What could go wrong?

Balancing a production seemingly headed for disaster, a secret romance and the sweetest, most rambunctious rescue dog, will Winnie save the play, make her own dreams come true and find love along the way—or will the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune get the best of her?

#BookBlitz: Promenade by @MorganShamy @XpressoTours

Promenade
Morgan Shamy
(The Dark Nocturne, #3)
Publication date: July 26th 2022
Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Young Adult

When time isn’t on your side…

With Vincent gone, November is left exposed. Having lost everyone she loves, she’s desperate to find a new life. It could’ve been possible—until a group of Shadow Fae who blames her for Vincent’s death. Now, her only chance at survival is to deliver to them a live Vincent or face her own fate. Problem is, the dead can’t be brought back to life. So her only choice is to travel back in time and find him.

In London, 1901, Vincent and November reunite. But he isn’t who she thought he was. He’s a rake, an aristocrat, with no recollection of her. But that isn’t all her troubles. A Shadow Wraith is on her back, trying to take her back to her own time, and the Shadow Fae are still hunting her down. November must find a way to make Vincent remember who she is and change the future, before time, and her death catches up with her.

#CoverReveal: The Selective Mute Princess by Samantha Jayne Grubey @XpressoTours

The Selective Mute Princess
Samantha Jayne Grubey
Publication date: August 29th 2022
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Princess Amelia has been silent for ten years, ever since Amelia and Ava were kidnapped. One returned home the other did not. Amelia has always kept herself guarded with her twenty-first birthday approaching things are going to be changing.

Ethan Sparks is on his first assignment, guard the Princess in the Palace. The longer he’s there the more he finds himself being drawn to Princess Amelia, he can see she’s drowning and he wants to help.

Romantic interests stirs in a mixing pot of emotions as Amelia and her family recover from the kidnapping and murder of her sister. Unsure what to feel or who to believe, Amelia needs to find her truth, as she deals with her trauma and finally brings her family to mend. Along the way they find themselves hitting challenges at every wall. So many questions left unanswered by the kidnapping and murder, can she finally find the answers she’s searching for? Can Amelia finally allow herself to live and be freed from the guilt she feels? Can Ethan survive the challenges that come with falling for a Princess in line for the throne?

#ReleaseBlitz: The Girl Who Escaped by @marknolan @RABTBookTours

 

Crime Thriller

Date Published: July 29, 2022.

 

 

One month ago, four college girls were abducted. Three were brutally murdered. One girl escaped.

Angie Taylor was traumatized and shocked speechless.

The police think she killed her friends, and then had a mental breakdown.

Her psychiatrist believes she has an emotionally unstable personality disorder.

Can she ever speak up and describe the killer’s face to a police sketch artist?

Is the murderer stalking her right now, eager to finish what he started?

Everyone in the city is on edge, fearing the worst, not sure what to believe.

 

A visit from a determined FBI agent shakes things up and raises the stakes. FBI Special Agent Brenda Reynolds of the VSRT must investigate whether the mysterious silent girl is a victim, a killer, or has gone insane.

 

Grab your copy of the suspense thriller everyone is talking about, and start reading right now.

#BookReview: Little Thieves (Little Thieves #1) by Margaret Owen

Synopsis: Once upon a time, there was a horrible girl... 

Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother's love--and she's on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, was Princess Gisele's dutiful servant up until a year ago. That was when Vanja's otherworldly mothers demanded a terrible price for their care, and Vanja decided to steal her future back... by stealing Gisele's life for herself.

The real Gisele is left a penniless nobody while Vanja uses an enchanted string of pearls to take her place. Now, Vanja leads a lonely but lucrative double life as princess and jewel thief, charming nobility while emptying their coffers to fund her great escape. Then, one heist away from freedom, Vanja crosses the wrong god and is cursed to an untimely end: turning into jewels, stone by stone, for her greed.

Vanja has just two weeks to figure out how to break her curse and make her getaway. And with a feral guardian half-god, Gisele's sinister fiancé, and an overeager junior detective on Vanja's tail, she'll have to pull the biggest grift yet to save her own life.

Margaret Owen, author of The Merciful Crow series, crafts a delightfully irreverent retelling of "The Goose Girl" about stolen lives, thorny truths, and the wicked girls at the heart of both.

#BookBlitz: Unbreakable by Kristin Smith @XpressoTours @SwordsStilettos

Unbreakable
Kristin Smith
(The Deception Game, #4)
Publication date: July 26th 2022
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult

From best-selling and award-winning author Kristin Smith comes the riveting fourth and final book in the Deception Game series.

A terrible discovery that will change everything.

Armed with valuable information, Sienna and her friends find asylum in the east coast province of Pride. While initially grateful for Pride’s open arms, they begin to question exactly what kind of loyalties its president is after. Sienna must grapple with her new condition, Trey has to figure out how to win a war without losing Sienna, and Zane needs to recreate a gene regeneration therapy to cure Sienna without knowing if he’ll ever win her heart. When they learn Trina survived the Zenith Camp bombing, they also discover she’s been living a nightmare.

In the end, Sienna and her friends must somehow come together and fight a war for a government they aren’t sure they can trust.

#BookReview: Weaver by Tish Thawer

Synopsis: He walked out of my dream, identifying himself only as the Weaver. In a black cloak, with eyes like stars, there was a shimmer to the way he moved. He was beautiful. Ethereal... and I was going to make him mine.

***

Alone for most of her life, Milly is determined to make the man of her dreams a reality. Using her hereditary magic, she sets out on a lifelong quest, entering a world of shadows and secrets. But little does she know, to possess his heart, she'll have to give away her own... for the only way to love a Dream Weaver is to become his Queen of Nightmares.

***

The choice between love and magic is a dangerous thing.

#BookBlitz: Double Dog Dare by @TracyKSolheim @XpressoTours

Double Dog Dare
Tracy Solheim
(Milwaukee Growlers, #2)
Publication date: July 25th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

They say he who dares wins…

Luke Kessler is known for his daring play on the field and his carefully scripted life off it. The Growlers’ wide receiver has a strict rule of dating one carefully chosen woman per season, then letting her down gently. After all, his game is football, not love. That is until his dopey mutt falls for a French bulldog owned by a hot mess of a woman whose sassy mouth and mind-blowing curves have him fumbling his best laid plans.

After a humiliating concert performance played out in front of the world on social media, cellist Summer Pearson has sworn off a career in music. Forever. She’s hiding out with her grandparents in Milwaukee, licking her wounds and preparing for a predictable, if not boring, law career. The last person she needs challenging her life choices is a sexy, dog-rescuing jock who loves his grandma as much as he loves a good dare.

Especially when that same guy is dating her perfect cousin.

This fun, flirty sports romance delivers a happily ever after that will have you laughing, crying, sighing, and cheering in the endzone. One-click it now for doggy hijinks, senior citizens bent on shenanigans, sexy ax-throwing, locker room bromance, steamy private cello performances, and all the feels as two people discover they are worthy of love.

Double Dog Dare is book 2 in the Milwaukee Growlers Football series but can be read as a standalone with no cliffhangers.

#BookBlitz: Storms and Embers by @BrittAuthor @XpressoTours

Storms and Embers
C.D. Britt
(The Reign of Goddesses, #3)
Publication date: November 8th 2022
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

Archon of Zephyr.
Queen of the Goddesses.
A Broken Woman.

Hera has reigned over Olympus and humanity for millennia. Seen as cold, sarcastic, and callous, she uses this to her advantage, keeping everyone, including her sisters, at a distance. It’s a lonely life, but it worked, until the Titans decided that breaking her father out of Tartarus was a good idea. A move that put her and her sisters against the Titans in a battle for their thrones upon Olympus.

Dr. Viktor Alden understands being alone. As a man who has spent his immortal life as a nomad, living with an oath that has kept him from allowing anyone to really know him, he is fascinated by the enigmatic woman who quite literally runs the world. Too bad they have a battle they may not win, or even live through, for him to learn the intricacies that make up the Queen of the Goddesses.

Now, two people who have spent their entire lives distrusting the world must learn to trust each other if they want to survive the upcoming war.

Storms and Embers is the final book in the Reign of Goddesses series.
TW: violence, cursing, adult situations.

#BookBlitz: It Started with a Dance by Tinia Montford @XpressoTours

It Started with a Dance
Tinia Montford
(Pacific Grove University, #2)
Publication date: July 28th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

WILL THEY PULL OFF THE PERFECT PERFORMANCE?  

It’s double time for Cami Clinton…  

Dance is in Cami’s blood, but a bombshell diagnosis puts her on the sidelines. Now returning for her senior year of college, she’s determined to prove she is the dancer she once was. Each year, at the end of the semester, the campus hosts a dance festival. Cami knows this is her shot at redemption, but while at a party, things go horribly wrong and Cami suddenly has a new boyfriend: Marsh Lincoln.

Marsh Lincoln has two left feet… 

He doesn’t dance. A nasty accident haunts Marsh and he’s just ready to graduate. Until he’s told he’s missing credits. The only class left to fill his missing credits? Ballroom dancing. To make matters worse, his girlfriend breaks-up with him in front of everyone at a party, leaving him with a new girlfriend he’s never met before…

It takes two to tango… 

Acting like the perfect couple isn’t easy when you’ve just met. When the lines between what’s real and pretend blurs, they have to ask themselves: Can you catch feelings for something that’s all pretend?

#BookReview: Ice Planet Barbarians (Ice Planet Barbarians #1) by Ruby Dixon

Synopsis: You'd think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to me. And you'd be wrong. Because now, the aliens are having ship trouble, and they've left their cargo of human women - including me - on an ice planet.

And the only native inhabitant I've met? He's big, horned, blue, and really, really has a thing for me...

#BookBlitz: Loving Dark Men by @JAHuss @XpressoTours

Loving Dark Men
J.A. Huss
Publication date: July 26th 2022
Genres: Adult, Thriller

A man lures a woman into the woods.

Another ruins the life of his best friend.

And yet another strings them along like puppets.

Dark men.

They are intriguing, and charming, and powerful.

They are changing the world.

They are changing themselves.

They are playing with lust, and love, and fear, and loathing.

Addicted to each other, to their secret, to the seduction, to the sex.

It’s a crash in the making.

And yes, it’s on purpose.

These men are dark.

And this is the messy story of how Nova Ryan loves them.

Loving Dark Men is a seductive romantic thriller that will have you turning pages well past your bedtime. A standalone book by New York Times bestselling author, JA Huss.

#BookReview: Breaking Time by Sasha Alsberg

Synopsis: Fate brought them together. Time will tear them apart. 

When a mysterious Scotsman appears out of nowhere in the middle of the road, Klara thinks the biggest problem is whether she hit him with her car. But, as impossible as it sounds, Callum has stepped out of another time, and it’s just the beginning of a deadly adventure. 
 
Klara will soon learn that she is the last Pillar of Time—an anchor point in the timeline of the world and a hiding place for a rogue goddess’s magic. Callum is fated to protect her at all costs. A dark force is hunting for the Pillars, to claim the power of the goddess—and Klara and Callum are the only two standing in the way. Thrown together by fate, the two have to learn to trust one another and work together…but they'll need to protect their hearts from one another if they're going to survive.

#BookBlitz: Spark of Madness by Brynn Ford @XpressoTours

Spark of Madness
Brynn Ford
(Ember Glen, #1)
Publication date: July 21st 2022
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Dystopian

In Ember Glen, men purge under the full moon. It’s the duty of women to serve them. When Mercy refuses to serve, Arlo will force her to find absolution through three brutal trials. But will their forbidden romance destroy their world?

Mercy
Neglecting my duty to serve is a sin, and during the last full moon, I became a sinner.

He saw me run from my duty, chased me, and caught me.
He promised me that I would be punished.

But I never could have imagined the hellish fate that would be chosen for me. More than that, I never could have imagined the maddening lust that would spark between me and the man who caught me.

This passion is forbidden…and it might set us on fire.

Arlo
It’s my role to catch the sinners, and Mercy sinned gravely.

I saw her and I chased her, drawn to her inexplicably.
She sparked something within me, but she had to be brought to judgment.

Her punishment is coming in the form of an archaic ritual we’re bringing back to make an example of her. I’ll be her warden, her keeper, the man to ensure she stays alive between her torturous trials.

Something within her brings out the worst of me…and the worst of me wants to ruin her.

AUTHOR NOTE: This is a dark romance series that involves many triggering elements which may be upsetting for some readers. A complete list of tropes and triggers can be found on the author’s website at brynnford.com/triggers.

SERIES NOTE: Spark of Madness is book 1 of 3 in the Ember Glen series and it ends on a cliffhanger. The author plans to publish all 3 books by the end of 2022. The trilogy follows Mercy and Arlo and must be read in order.

READING ORDER
Book 1: Spark of Madness (July 21, 2022)
Book 2: Blaze of Misery (October 20, 2022)
Book 3: Embers of Mercy (December 29, 2022)

#CoverReveal: All This Time by Annabelle McCormack @XpressoTours

All This Time
Annabelle McCormack
Publication date: October 25th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Samantha Redding swore off her hometown of Brandywood, Maryland when she left after high school. Sure, she misses her family, but growing up the victim of vicious gossip cured her of small-town living. Besides, the photography career she dreamed of couldn’t be found in the Appalachians.

But when Sam’s mom gets sick and needs her help, Sam’s faced with a long-term stay back home. As a tight deadline for her fast-paced job forces her to relocate a holiday photoshoot to Brandywood, Sam finds her old life converging with her new one. What’s more, she needs help from the townspeople she’s spent years disregarding. Overwhelmed, Sam finds an ally in a man who kept her at arm’s length all his life: brooding and sarcastic Garrett Doyle—her on-and-off again boyfriend’s best friend.

There’s a reason Garrett’s tried to keep his distance from Sam, though: being in love with your best friend’s girl sucks. But Sam needs help and he’s too much of a sucker to say no. Anyway, she’s leaving Brandywood soon enough, and then he can go back to trying to forget her.

. . . except, Sam’s about to discover that everything she thought she knew about home—and Garrett—was wrong.

#BookBlitz: The Silent Count by @EASmiroldo @RABTBookTours

 

Thriller, Climate Change Fiction

Date Published: July 19, 2022

Publisher: Solstice Publishing

She’s determined to stop climate change before it’s too late…

Nuclear engineer Dara Bouldin’s life is a mess. She’s paying off her dad’s gambling debts, reeling from a broken engagement, and practically invisible at the energy research agency where she works. Meanwhile, her ex Jericho’s latest single is racing up the charts and her handsome new colleague Dmitri is friendly with everyone but her.

All around them, wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters have become the norm. But Dara has an audacious plan to reverse climate change, if only someone would listen.

Little does she know, someone at the CIA has been paying attention. And when the public demands action, Dara gets the chance to turn her dream into reality, with the blessings of Congress and the President. Things are looking up.

That is until she discovers a secret that thrusts her into the center of a global conflict that could rewrite history, in dire ways she never intended. Things are going to change, big time. And the countdown has already begun.

Be careful what you wish for, Dara.

#BookReview: Ash Princess (Ash Princess Trilogy #1) by Laura Sebastian

Synopsis: Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day, the Kaiser took Theodosia's family, her land, and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess--a title of shame to bear in her new life as a prisoner.

For ten years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She's endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside.

Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. And power isn't always won on the battlefield.

For ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.

#BookBlitz: Taking the Fight by @LPDover @XpressoTours

Taking the Fight
L.P. Dover
(Gloves Off: Next Generation, #2)
Publication date: July 26th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

L.P. Dover, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who brought you the tantalizing Gloves Off series, presents Gloves Off – Next Generation. This brand-new saga of interconnected standalones unites new characters with beloved originals in dark and sexy stories laced with suspense!

Two months ago, everything changed. The enemy no longer feels the need to sulk in the shadows. Instead, he hides in plain sight and prepares his attack… against Reagan Jameson.

Reagan knew this day would come. She proudly holds the featherweight title and is known as one of the sexiest female fighters in MMA history. She can handle her own, and that’s exactly what she plans to do with Nikolai. Unfortunately, things aren’t as they were before. When given an offer she can’t refuse, Reagan is well aware nothing good will come of it.

They promised her power, prestige, and money… a world full of intrigue and dangerous desires. Not being able to resist the allure, she gives in and becomes a pawn in their game. She’s able to fool those closest to her into believing everything is okay… except for Braden Emerson.

Braden’s reputation as one of the toughest fighters in the circuit hasn’t gone unnoticed. In fact, it’s his skills that get him lured into the pit of danger. While he vows to keep Reagan safe no matter the cost, his desire for her is used against him. As passion ignites between the pair, they must work together if they hope to survive.

Fighting for a title is one thing, but nothing beats the stakes of fighting for love. This is one TKO that could cost them everything.
No cheating. No cliffhangers. Just hot, dirty-talking fighters who want to take you down to the mat.