Tag: HarperCollins

Nichole Chase’s Bedmates Review & Excerpt

Posted October 5, 2016 by Casee in Promotions | 3 Comments

If you would like to read Rowena’s review of BEDMATES, you can read it here.

Bedmates by Nichole Chase
American Royalty #1
Releases on October 4, 2016 by HarperCollins

From the bestselling author of Suddenly Royal comes the first in a sparkling new series about America’s favorite royal—the First Daughter.

Everyone makes mistakes, especially in college. But when you’re the daughter of the President of the United States, any little slip up is a huge embarrassment. Maddie McGuire’s latest error in judgment lands her in police custody, giving the press a field day. Agreeing to do community service as penance and to restore her tattered reputation, Maddie never dreams incredibly good looking but extremely annoying vice president’s son, Jake Simmon, will be along for the ride.

Recently returning from Afghanistan with a life-altering injury, Jake is wrestling with his own demons. He doesn’t have the time or patience to deal with the likes of Maddie. They’re like oil and water and every time they’re together, it’s combustible. But there’s a thin line between love and hate, and it’s not long before their fiery arguments give way to infinitely sexier encounters.

When Jake receives devastating news about the last remaining member of his unit, the darkness he’s resisted for so long begins to overwhelm him. Scared to let anyone close, he pushes Maddie away. But she isn’t about to give up on Jake that easily. Maddie’s fallen for him, and she’ll do anything to keep him from the edge as they both discover that love is a battlefield and there are some fights you just can’t lose.

Excerpt

“I asked if there was any sex.” His shoes came into view and I looked up slowly.

“Oh, there will be.” I met his eyes. “But not yet.”

His eyes widened just a smidge, his nostrils flared ever so slightly, and I realized how what I’d said sounded.

“I mean, um, that I wouldn’t mind—” Shit, that was worse. “I promise to cover her eyes.”

“What wouldn’t you mind, Madeline?” His voice dropped an octave, making my heart speed up. Madeline, not Maddie or MadLlibs.

“I, um—what?” My voice was breathy as he took a step even closer to me.

“You mentioned something about sex, I believe.” He reached out, using his fingers to brush some of the hair out of my eyes.

“I did? I mean, yes, I did. On the show.” I fumbled over the words. “Buffy! That’s what I was talking about. I wouldn’t mind having sex with—damn it—I mean I wouldn’t mind seeing—shit. No matter what I say this sounds wrong.”

“Nothing wrong with sex.” His eyes twinkled and I realized his hand was still on my face when he lifted my chin up.

“I—I—know that.”

His thumb ran over my bottom lip. “Then why do you have such a hard time talking about it?”

“I don’t!” My spine stiffened. “Sex doesn’t scare me.”

“Then it’s me.” He lowered his head close to mine and I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I make you nervous.”

I swallowed again, my throat scratchy like sandpaper. “No you don’t.”

“Yes, I do.” His hand swept around to the back of my neck. “I always have.”

“I was, what, seventeen when you left for officer training?” I tried to calm my racing heart. “So what if I was a little nervous around you?”

“So you admit it?” His eyes twinkled and his mouth moved a little closer to mine.

“I admit nothing.” I jerked my chin up.

“Are you nervous now?” His body pressed closer to mine and I licked my lips. “Am I making you nervous?”

“Yes.” I whispered the word, not taking my eyes from his.

“Is it a good nervous?” His eyes grew serious. “Or are you scared of me?”

“I’m not scared of you, Jake.” I touched his chest and noticed that my hand was steady despite how fast my heart was beating. “You never scared me.”

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About the Author

Nichole Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Suddenly Royal, The Accidental Assassin, Flukes, The Dark Betrayal Trilogy, The American Royalty Series and several short stories.

Nichole lives in Georgia with her husband, energetic daughter, two rescue dogs, Sulcata tortoise, and two cats. When not writing, you may find her reading, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises.

Nichole is represented by Literary Agent, Rebecca Friedman of the RF Literary Agency. If you would like to ask about review copies of her books, public appearances, or Skype chats for a book club, please contact her publicist KP Simmon of InkSlingerPR.

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Review: Troublemaker by Linda Howard

Posted August 16, 2016 by Holly in Reviews | 6 Comments

Review: Troublemaker by Linda HowardReviewer: Holly
Troublemaker (GO-Team, #1) by Linda Howard
Series: GO-Team #1
Also in this series: Troublemaker (GO-Team, #1), Troublemaker (GO-Team, #1), The Woman Left Behind (GO-Team, #2), The Woman Left Behind (GO-Team, #2), The Woman Left Behind (GO-Team, #2)
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: May 10th 2016
Point-of-View: Third Person
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 400
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

A thrilling, fast-paced novel of romantic suspense from sensational New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Linda Howard.
For Morgan Yancy, an operative and team leader in a paramilitary group, nothing comes before his job. But when he’s ambushed and almost killed, his supervisor is determined to find out who’s after the members of his elite squad—and why. Due to worries that this unknown enemy will strike again, Morgan is sent to a remote location and told to lay low and stay vigilant. But between a tempting housemate he’s determined to protect and a deadly threat waiting in the shadows, keeping under the radar is proving to be his most dangerous mission yet.
The part-time police chief of a small West Virginian mountain town, Isabeau “Bo” Maran finally has her life figured out. She’s got friends, a dog, and a little money in the bank. Then Morgan Yancy shows up on her doorstep. Bo doesn’t need a mysterious man in her life—especially a troublemaker as enticing and secretive as Morgan.
The harder they fight the intense heat between them, the closer Morgan and Bo become, even though she knows he’s hiding from something. But discovering the truth could cost Bo more than she’s willing to give. And when Morgan’s cover is blown, it might just cost her life.

Linda Howard was an auto-buy author for years, but I stopped picking her books up around the time Shadow Woman was released. While the technical aspects of her writing were the same, the spark was missing. I’m happy to report the spark has returned with this book.
I started Troublemaker with caution. The beginning was a bit slow, but by the halfway mark I was fully invested in the characters and romance.
Morgan Yancy is the leader of a paramilitary group that doesn’t spend a lot of time at home. He decides to enjoy his rare time home by relaxing and going fishing. He didn’t expect to get shot and nearly killed on his way home. Since he has no idea who is after him, or why, his boss decides to send Morgan to a place no one will look for him..the boss’s estranged, ex-step-sister’s house.
Bo Marin hasn’t heard from her former step-brother in years, and she’s just fine with that. When a birthday card from him shows up she’s suspicious, and those suspicions are founded when a wounded and half-dead man turns up, asking for sanctuary. Even though it goes against all her instincts, she can’t kick him out. Especially when her ex-brother offers her the one thing she can’t say no to..enough money to finally get her out of debt.
Morgan is surprised by Bo at every turn. She isn’t a chatty-Cathy. She doesn’t expect him to pay attention to her, nor does she court attention from anyone else. Aside from her questionable relationship with her dog, she actually might be the perfect woman. Well, aside from the fact that she’s totally closed off and hands him nothing but attitude…but he kind of likes that.  Bo has no intention of getting close to her unwanted house guest, but she can’t deny his intensity is compelling. And he’s pretty hot. When Morgan’s trouble follows him, Bo will have to decide if he’s worth fighting for.
I saw a lot of the Howard of old here. Quirky humor, scorching chemistry and just enough rivalry between the hero and heroine to keep things interesting. The dog, especially, provided a lot of humor. One thing Howard has always excelled at is adding just enough monotonous daily life details to make the story come to life. Example: washing dishes or cooking dinner…there isn’t enough focus on it to make the story boring, but the inclusion of these details adds a little life to the story.
The first 1/4 or so of the story felt slow to me, and I struggled to focus on what was happening. I also struggled with Bo’s position as Sheriff. A lot of emphasis was placed on the fact that it was an “administrative” position only.  While I understand that is an option for some departments, I’m surprised she wasn’t at the very least sent to the academy so she could fill in during an emergency. Especially in a small town. Her lack of training took away from her character a bit; made her seem less, somehow.  The suspense plot wasn’t very intriguing or mysterious. It was easy to figure out who the bad guys were, and the why behind their actions wasn’t enough to make that bit of the story interesting.
Still, I can’t deny I enjoyed the banter and every day living arrangements between Bo and Morgan. This was worth reading for their romance. While I wouldn’t recommend this as a romantic suspense, lots of chemistry, witty banter and a sweet slide into love make this a fun read.
3.5 out of 5
GO-Team Series

three-half-stars

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Review: Troublemaker by Linda Howard

Posted May 9, 2016 by Casee in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Troublemaker by Linda HowardReviewer: Casee
Troublemaker (GO-Team, #1) by Linda Howard
Series: GO-Team #1
Also in this series: Troublemaker (GO-Team, #1), Troublemaker (GO-Team, #1), The Woman Left Behind (GO-Team, #2), The Woman Left Behind (GO-Team, #2), The Woman Left Behind (GO-Team, #2)
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: May 10, 2016
Point-of-View: Third Person
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 400
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

For Morgan Yancy, an operative and team leader in a paramilitary group, nothing comes before his job. But when he’s ambushed and almost killed, his supervisor is determined to find out who’s after the members of his elite squad—and why. Due to worries that this unknown enemy will strike again, Morgan is sent to a remote location and told to lay low and stay vigilant. But between a tempting housemate he’s determined to protect and a deadly threat waiting in the shadows, keeping under the radar is proving to be his most dangerous mission yet.

The part-time police chief of a small West Virginian mountain town, Isabeau “Bo” Maran finally has her life figured out. She’s got friends, a dog, and a little money in the bank. Then Morgan Yancy shows up on her doorstep. Bo doesn’t need a mysterious man in her life—especially a troublemaker as enticing and secretive as Morgan.

The harder they fight the intense heat between them, the closer Morgan and Bo become, even though she knows he’s hiding from something. But discovering the truth could cost Bo more than she’s willing to give. And when Morgan’s cover is blown, it might just cost her life.

I was downright nervous to read this book. The last handful of books that Howard has written left much to be desired. As a matter of fact, the last book that I remember liking was Cry No More. That wasn’t exactly a romance to be honest, but it brought out the emotions that Linda Howard has so often brought out in her readers. It hasn’t been so in a long, long time.

I haven’t felt the Linda Howard emotion in years. Troublemaker definitely brought the emotion that I know she can bring and honestly, I felt a tear come to my eye while I was reading it. I don’t know if she’s back, back, but this book was a good start to remembering why we loved Linda Howard in the first place.

The book starts with Morgan Yancy. Getting back from a highly classified mission, he just wants to decompress. As a part of an elite paramilitary group, not a lot of people understand what his team does, nor do they want them too. Morgan is enjoying his time stateside when he gets shot. His boss takes no chances with his life and sends him to the stepsister that hates him, correctly assuming that no one will find him. In the meantime, while Morgan is recuperating, Axel has time to figure out who their mole is exactly while most people believe Morgan his died.

Police Chief Bo Moran lives in a small town and doesn’t want a stranger in her house, especially one that will stand out like sore thumb in town. She also doesn’t want to do any favors for her hated step-brother Axel. Then Morgan honest-to-God shows up on her doorstep and there is nothing she can do but nurse him back to health while her hated step-brother (and they really hate each other) finds out who wants to kill Morgan and why.

It takes Morgan and Bo sometime to warm up to each other, but eventually they have their routine. Both Bo and Morgan want him out of her house. Bo wants him gone because she’s starting to have feelings for the big lug and doesn’t want to go there. Morgan feels much the same way, but he wants to leave so he can find out who shot him and why. He also wants to keep Bo safe.

It turns out that it’s not as easy as it looks to leave the mountains of West Virginia, especially when the small town closes ranks around him. They consider him theirs now and they aren’t going to let anything happen to him. In the meantime, Axel decides to set a trap and not tell Morgan or Bo. He’s a real ass, as you can tell. Both Morgan and Bo lay into him. Bo for endangering Morgan’s life and Morgan for endangering Bo’s.

All in all, this was what you would expect from Linda Howard. There were some inconsistencies, which you will see or you won’t. I didn’t see them, but I wasn’t looking for them. I just had them pointed out to me. I hope that this book starts a comeback for Linda Howard because I’m such a fangirl.

Rating: 4 out of 5

GO-Team Series

four-stars

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