Tag: book giveaway

Virgin by Radhika Sanghani (+ a Giveaway)

Posted July 30, 2014 by Tracy in Reviews | 1 Comment

Virgin by Radhika Sanghani (+ a Giveaway)Reviewer: Tracy
Virgin by Radhika Sanghani
Series: Virgin series #1
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: August 5th 2014
Genres: New Adult
Add It: Goodreads
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three-stars
Series Rating: three-stars

Okay, I admit it…I didn’t do it.

Yet.

This is normal, right? I mean, just because everyone I know has talked like they’ve already done it doesn’t mean that they’re telling the truth…right?

It’s not like I’m asking for that much. I don’t need the perfect guy. I don’t need candlelight or roses. Honestly, I don’t even need a real bed.

The guys I know complain that girls are always looking for Mr. Right—do I have to wear a sign that says I’m only looking for Mr. Right Now?

Sooooo…anyone out there want sex? Anyone? Hello? Just for fun?

I am not going to die a virgin. One way or another I am going to make this happen.

Hey, what have I got to lose? Besides the obvious.

Ellie is a 21 year old virgin who is obsessed with getting rid of her virginity. She’s also pretty fascinated and obsessed with her vagina & the surrounding area, i.e. pubes.

When Ellie was just 17 she thought she was about to lose her V-Plates (as she puts it) but the boy turned her down flat. (He had his reasons – which were very good – and if she would have stuck with him I think her story would have been very different.) Since then she wants nothing more than to lose “it.” She doesn’t understand what’s wrong with her and wants to fit in and discuss things like all the other girls do.

While in the process of trying to lose it she gets into an argument with her best friend and they don’t speak for a while. She makes a new friend, Emma, who she starts a Vlog with…a vagina blog. It’s along the lines of anything you need to know about your vagina but were afraid to ask. Ellie is the virgin and Emma is a self-proclaimed slut and proud of it! The pair work great together but Ellie still needs to get that pesky virginity to go away.

During the story Ellie meets a guy who she thinks that she really likes but things don’t go exactly how she wants them to and that makes her look at her life – which is a good thing.

The story is a journey for Ellie and one she really needed to take. She was annoying and at times ridiculous while on this journey but she was also amusing at times as well. She had no self-confidence for most of the book and that showed. She was so desperate to lose her virginity that she would approach or kiss guys she didn’t even find attractive. Why? IDK. The story went a lot of directions but I felt it all came together nicely in the end. Though Ellie wasn’t my favorite character throughout the book, she redeemed herself near the end. I was happy she came to the life conclusions she did and hoped for her sake they stuck. 🙂

I don’t believe this book is for everyone. You have to be comfortable reading about pubes and vaginas up close and personal and not all people are. lol I found the book to be somewhat adolescent at times but a decent read overall.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Radhika Sanghani

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three-stars


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Running Wild by SE Jakes – Virtual Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

Posted July 11, 2014 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Running Wild by SE Jakes – Virtual Blog Tour, Review and GiveawayReviewer: Tracy
Running WildSeries: Havoc series #1
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Publication Date: June 30th 2014
Genres: Suspense, M/M
Add It: Goodreads
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Embrace the danger.

Sean Rush is an adrenaline junkie. That's why he was in the Army, why he steals and races classic muscle cars...and why he can't stay away from bad boy Ryker, a Havoc Motorcycle Club lieutenant. Fortunately, Ryker can't seem to stay away from Sean — he's spent the last eight months breaking into Sean's apartment and stealing into his bed, leaving Sean physically satisfied but increasingly restless.

Sean has always avoided relationships. He likes to come and go without being controlled. And Ryker is possibly the most controlling man he's ever known. Still, he finds that he wants more from Ryker than their silent nighttime encounters.

Then one of Sean's thefts goes bad, and Ryker's protective instincts kick into overdrive. He takes Sean to the Havoc compound, determined to keep him safe. But Sean's past threatens the safety of Havoc — and everything Ryker holds dear. Worse, Ryker's hiding secrets of his own. Soon it's obvious that the adrenaline rush can't keep them together anymore. But maybe love can.

Thanks so much to Tracy’s Place for hosting me on the tour for Running Wild: Havoc Book 1. This is the start of a brand new series, with different heroes for each book and HEAs at the end of each book. Sean Rush and Ryker stole my heart a long time ago, and I’m excited for you guys to meet all of them.


Here’s a snippet from a scene toward the middle of the book. Ryker has just proved to Sean that he doesn’t mind his MC knowing they’re together — by kissing the hell out of him in front of everyone. And then he tells Sean to get on the back of his bike, so he can take Sean home. Sean has objections…


Still, I kept my voice down so no one could hear when I told him, “I’m not riding in the bitch seat.”

He was trying not to grin, but failing. “Why not?”

“I know exactly what it means when you ride on the back of a guy’s bike.”

“Really?”

“It means you fucking own me, Ryker.”

“Don’t I?”

His words were a low rumble that shot straight to my dick and holy fuck . . . I had no answer. Well, obviously I did, but I refused to put voice to it.

I was out—that wasn’t the issue. And obviously being out wasn’t an issue for him either. But the MC shit, we’d never talked about it, what it meant for us. All these men knew about our relationship, knew he was looking out for me. Knew he considered me his.

I swear I had to remind myself to breathe.

“Get on the bike, Sean.”

This time, Ryker’s tone left no room for argument. If anything, it made me harder. I stopped thinking—par for the course when I was around Ryker—and I got on the bike behind him.


RUNNING WILD: Havoc Book 1

Read an excerpt
Order Running Wild


FYI, I’m also writing a m/f MC series under the Steph Tyler name—the first book of that series, Vipers Run is out now as well. And there’s a very light crossover in that you’ll see names of MCs that are main characters in my Vipers series—namely Vipers MC, along with the Heathens. Havoc’s friendly with Vipers, not so much with Heathens (they seem to be everyone’s enemy at the moment).


SE Jakes writes m/m romance. She believes in happy endings and fighting for what you want in both fiction and real life. She lives in New York with her family and most days, she can be found happily writing (in bed). No really…

You can contact her the following ways:

• You can email her at authorsejakes@gmail.com.
• You can post to her Facebook page: Facebook.com/SEJakes
• You can tweet her: Twitter.com/authorsejakes
• You can post on her Goodreads Group: Ask SE Jakes
• You can follow her Tumblr page: sejakes.tumblr.com
• You can follow her on Instagram: instagram.com/authorsejakes
• Truth be told, the best way to contact her is by email or in blog comments.
She spends most of her time writing but she loves to hear from readers!

SE Jakes is the pen-name of New York Times Bestselling author Stephanie Tyler (and half of Sydney Croft) — please go to my media kit to learn more!

Tracy’s Review:

You got the blurb earlier so I’ll just head into my part of it all. 🙂

I’ve been a fan of biker boys since time immemorial. There’s just something about the rough, not so lawful attitude that they exude. Most of the time they’re not all that lawful so to me that’s a bonus. lol When I saw this story and read the blurb I knew it was one I didn’t want to miss.

Sean’s a bit messed up about Ryker. He loves the fact that the guy is breaking into his house to have sex with him and then Ryker always does something sweet the next day – like a courtship…almost. The fact that Ryker is one tough motherfucker is just an added extra bonus for Sean. Sean is an adrenaline junkie who thrives on stealing cars and street racing. He’s gotten himself into trouble in the past and is trying to keep himself and his best friend Noah out of trouble but things don’t always turn out as planned. When Noah gets himself into deep trouble I loved that Sean was right there to help him out. He didn’t even have to stop and think about it – he just did it. That’s a true friend, right there.

There’s some info that comes out about Ryker and his MC as the story goes on that makes Sean doubt Ryker’s feelings for him and I thought it added a slightly softer side to the whole story. Sean just wasn’t as tough as Ryker or as tough as he portrayed himself and that was okay by me as I like the dichotomy of it all.

The whole story was pretty riveting and once I started it I didn’t put it down til I was finished.  There are a plethora of reasons to pick up this book and my advice is to read it and find out what those are.  You just can’t understand it’s pull until you read it…so read it. 🙂

Rating: 4 out of 5

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four-stars


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Review: Napoleon by JC Mells (+ a Giveaway!)

Posted July 4, 2014 by Tracy in Reviews | 4 Comments

Review: Napoleon by JC Mells (+ a Giveaway!)Reviewer: Tracy
Napoleon by JC Mells
Series: Pierced series #5
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: June 6th 2014
Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult, M/M
Add It: Goodreads
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Napoleon Charming-Balak has been crushing on the "exchange student" that's been staying with him for the last six months.

The object of his crush: Sixten Dahl, a straight boy that seems to get his kicks from flirting with, then torturing, Napoleon in the cruelest of ways. Is it any wonder Nap, and his best friend Moused, are high-tailing it to New York City as fast as they possibly can? If there's one thing Napoleon is hoping for, it's that life in the Big Apple will be exactly what his self-esteem needs to get over the Swedish tease that has been tormenting him all summer long.

If he could only stop thinking about Sixten long enough to enjoy it

Napoleon, a werewolf, is gay and has a crush on a guy. Not too unusual except the guy he’s crushing on, Sixten, is straight. On top of that Napoleon is getting mixed signals from Sixten. Six keeps “seeming” to make moves on Nap but then Six pushes him away and Nap is more crushed each and every time.

When Napoleon leaves for college in NYC (he lives in Nevada), he’s thrilled that he won’t be around Sixten any longer and can try to move on. That’s until Sixten and his friend Theo show up at his house in NYC stating that they are his new roommates. Whaaaaa? Poor Napoleon, he just wanted to get away from his feelings for Six and he can’t do that when he’s got the room next door and he’s sharing a bathroom with the guy. The longer they’re together though Nap starts to think that there could be more to Six’s actions towards him than he thought.

I was contacted by the author and asked if I wanted to read this story and write a review. I have to say I was a bit hesitant because even though it says it’s a stand alone novella, that’s pretty hard to accomplish when it’s the fifth book in a series. I took my chances and I’m so very glad I did. It was really good and now I want to go back and read the first 4 books in the series. If her other books are written as well as this one was I know I’ll love them too.

This story is told from Napoleon’s POV and through this we see his personality shine through. He is charming (as his last name states), witty, loyal to his friends, and tells his story so well I couldn’t get enough of it. The author has Napoleon’s voice down and she did a great job making him a warm, funny and memorable character. Most of the time when I read a story that is told in first person I’m dying to know what the other person is thinking or feeling but I was so entertained by Nap that I never once felt like I was cheated in the story.

Napoleon and Six’s relationship was an odd one and it definitely kept me on pins and needles. It was sad and frustrating at times but ended well. I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll try not to tell you more. I do wish that we had gotten more of the last part of the story. There was something monumental that was going to happen and we never actually got to see how that turned out which was maddening, I must say. I shook my Kindle when it said “The End” like it was going to produce more pages or something. FYI – it didn’t, which sucked.

Napoleon was a great story and one I know I’ll reread in the future.

Rating: 4 out of 5

JC Mells 

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four-stars


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Guest Author: Kara Braden – The Longest Night + a Giveaway!

Posted July 2, 2014 by Tracy in Reviews | 2 Comments

Hi Kara!  Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to be here today! 

Thanks for having me! Forgive me if I’m a bit nervous, but I’m a debut author, so this is new for me. I’m Kara Braden, author of The Longest Night, which came out just a few days ago. It’s a cabin romance set in the snowy forests of northwest Canada, with a twist. See, it’s the heroine, not the hero, who lives out in the wilderness. To explain a bit more, I’ve asked Cecily to answer a few questions about her life before Ian.

Cecily Knight: You make that sound like a geologic time period. Pre-Ian, Post-Ian.

Kara: He came into your life unexpectedly, though.

Cecily: And entirely unprepared for a week at a ski resort, much less at my cabin. He actually brought a suit with him. What’s he going to do in a suit, even at a ski resort? Lounge around at the bar?

Kara: He does look awfully good in a suit, though.

Cecily: Well, yeah, but don’t let him hear you say that. His ego’s bad enough as it is. Besides, he’s mine.

Kara: Fair enough. But what about your Pre-Ian life? What was your first winter like, at the cabin?

Cecily: Let’s just say I wasn’t much better prepared than Ian. I’d spent a couple of summers up there, fishing—the land’s been in my family for a while now—but I’d never experienced the full extent of a Canadian winter. Thankfully, the architects who designed the cabin did their research, so the roof didn’t cave in or anything.

Kara: But what happened? Did you run out of food or firewood?

Cecily: Both, I’ll admit. But I was able to radio down to Pinelake, and the folks there were so generous about helping out. Snowmobiling there was risky, but I made it and ended up spending three weeks in town until the weather cleared enough for me to get back home, with supplies. I love those people. They’re the most generous you’ll ever meet.

Kara: What about your garden? I’ve heard it’s—

Cecily: Dead, yeah. I’ve got a black thumb. You know those plants that nobody can kill? Cacti and spider plants and ivy? Give me a week.

Kara: So, I guess it’s canned vegetables?

Cecily: Fortunately, I’m a pretty good shot, so I trade what I hunt for anything fresh. Or I did, Pre-Ian. You know, Pre- and Post-Ian is kind of a useful way to look at life. Anyway, I’d bring stuff down to town to trade, or I’d just barter with Mags.

Kara: Mags, as in, Dr. Marguerite Lavolier? She’s your nearest neighbor, isn’t she?

Cecily: If you can call it ‘nearest.’ She’s a ways down the river. The Pinelake Road dead-ends at her place. But yeah, I’d pick up extra chicken feed or bring down some venison for her, and she’d trade veggies from her garden or the chickens she raises. After a winter of isolation, you really get to miss fresh eggs.

Kara: And company, too, right?

Cecily: I’ve got a pretty good imagination, and I’m always working on a couple of books at a time. But yeah, sometimes it’s nice to talk to someone and actually hear a response. And Mags is the best. Plus she doesn’t put up with nonsense from anyone—not even Ian.

Ian Fairchild: Excuse me?

Kara: Ian! This is a surprise—

Ian: Yes, because someone didn’t tell me we were doing an interview. I’ve done interviews before, love. CNN, the New York Times

Cecily: I know. Believe me, I know.

Kara: Unfortunately, we’re about ready to wrap up here.

Ian: Already? But I just got here.

Cecily: I’ll interview you for my next book. How about that?

Ian: Your next book has a magical talking ferret in it.

Cecily: I can name him Ian.

Ian: You wouldn’t dare.

Cecily: Watch me.

Kara: And that’s how they make their relationship work. Compromise and a whole lot of snark. 

The Longest Night blurb:

This could work, whispered the little voice in the back of her mind, the voice that had been silent for seven years…

SHE SOUGHT SOLACE IN SOLITUDE

Years ago, former Marine Captain Cecily Knight fled her dark past and the nightmares forever haunting her nights. Alone in the remote Canadian wilderness, she survives day to day…until Ian Fairchild comes storming into her life and shatters her protective seclusion.

UNTIL ONE TOUCH BARED HER SOUL
Aloof but intriguing, defensive but undeniable, Ian is everything Cecily shouldn’t want but can’t ignore. He watches her with shrewd blue eyes, as if determined to decipher her secrets…and for the first time in years, she finds herself coming alive beneath the hands of a man with too many scars to count.

As the hushed and harsh winter closes in around them, two lost souls find themselves on the precipice of a love that could save their lives…or destroy them forever.

Excerpt:

Realizing they were about to have the talk, Cecily took a breath to steady herself. She rose from her crouch and turned to find him standing much closer than she’d expected, only inches away. “Look, I—­”

“Please, Cecily,” he interrupted gently as his hands came up. Long fingers skimmed over her face, sliding back along her jaw to brush lightly, chillingly over her hair. “We’ve talked enough for tonight.”

She stared at him—­close, so close—­and wanted to say something, but she knew that she’d come off sounding like a babbling idiot if she started to talk.

Ian took her silence for consent—­which, in a way, it must have been, because when he leaned down to steal a kiss, Cecily couldn’t find it in herself to protest. She leaned into it instead, hands sliding up to grasp his waist, holding him lightly but closely. The kiss was sweet, tasting of sugar and coffee, and full of his confident aggression, encouraging her to let go of her inhibitions.

Seven years of self-­denial proved too much of a strain. The last of Cecily’s reservations dissipated like fog, and she pulled him close to take control of the kiss. She reveled in the feel of a body pressed to hers, warm and hard and very real. 

July 2nd – The Longest Night by Kara Braden
Author Website: http://karabraden.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karabradenauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaraBraden @KaraBraden
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/KaraBraden/
Tumblr: http://karabraden.tumblr.com/
Buy Links: Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Books A Million , Hastings , IndieBound , Indigo , iTunes , Kobo

Author Bio: Kara Braden makes her debut in modern romance with a story of love in isolation. She believes that engaging, romantic fantasy can be found everywhere in the world, even in the most unlikely places. With the support of her wonderful husband, cats, and dogs, she writes from her home office outside Phoenix, Arizona, where she spends her time hiding from the sunlight and heat.

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Review: Where the Horses Run by Kaki Warner (+ a Giveaway!)

Posted July 1, 2014 by Tracy in Reviews | 5 Comments

Review: Where the Horses Run by Kaki Warner (+ a Giveaway!)Reviewer: Tracy
Where the Horses Run by Kaki Warner
Series: Heroes of Heartbreak Creek #2
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: July 1st 2014
Add It: Goodreads
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Wounded in body and spirit after a shootout, Rayford Jessup leaves his career as a lawman and uses his gift with damaged horses to bring meaning to his solitary life. Hired by a Scotsman in Heartbreak Creek to purchase thoroughbreds, he travels to England, unaware that a traumatized horse and a beautiful Englishwoman will change his life forever.

Josephine Cathcart loves two things: her illegitimate son and her injured stallion. Faced with her father’s looming bankruptcy, she must choose between a loveless marriage to the man who ruined her, or risk her horse and her future on a handsome, taciturn Texan and a high-stakes horse race. But as vengeful forces conspire against them, will Rafe’s love and healing touch be enough to save her horse and protect her and her son?

Rafe Jessup is in England with his boss, Ash Wallace, buying up horses to take back to America to start his horse breeding ranch in Heartbreak Creek, Colorado. While traveling by boat Rafe meets Josephine Cathcart and is instantly taken with her. She seems to exude a peaceful calm even though she’s anything but calm at times. The pair create a bit of a bond before they leave the ship. Rafe then shows up at Josephine’s father’s estate to look over the horses her father is selling. While in residence Rafe and Josephine become closer and the bond that they had created on the ship grows exponentially.

Josephine finds herself caring more and more about Rafe but her life is in turmoil and she’s pulled in different directions – daily, it seems. Eight years before she was in love with William who was the heir to a barony. He stated he loved her and wanted to marry her and they slept together, creating Josephine’s son, Jamie. William then left her, never acknowledged Jamie and married an heiress. Josephine was heartbroken and she and her son were ostracized, but Josephine was strong and made a good life with Jamie living with her father. Her father, who made his money in coal mining is now in dire straits financially. He is getting more desperate every day and when William comes back in to their lives her father pushes Josephine to marry William, who’s more than ready to now claim Jamie. Josephine is torn as she finds herself falling in love with Rafe but wanting to do the right thing for both Jamie and her father. In the end it all comes down to Josephine’s horse. Pembroke’s Pride. Josephine’s father has entered her horse in a race and if he can win it their financial issues may be solved and she might be able to choose whoever she wants – for love, not for duty.

While I love Warner’s writing, I’ve only read a few of her books. Western historical romance isn’t my favorite so it’s not one I pick up all that often. When I saw that this book was 99% set in England I was thrilled and grabbed it up. It contained all of the things I love about Warner’s writing and was in a setting that I adore – win, win.

I loved the characters in this story as well. Rafe and Josephine were perfect together and I loved the quiet, endearing way they became attached. It was an unexpected romance for both of them and that quiet bond blossomed into a strong and steadfast love. It was both emotional and exciting to read and warmed my heart. Another of the characters that drew my attention was Jamie, the 7 year old son of Josephine. He was intelligent, intuitive and loving. He knew what was up with his grandfather and had a great sense of himself and others. I enjoyed every moment when he was on page. The other secondary characters, Thomas Redstone, Lord and Lady Kirkwell and other maids and grooms were all interesting and intriguing in a way that kept the story rolling and kept me turning pages.

Where the Horses Run is a story of trials and tribulations but also of love, friendship and determination. It’s a wonderful book and one that should definitely be read.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Kaki Warner

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four-stars


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