Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 178
July 23, 2022
Review: ONE NIGHT STAND by Sarah Robinson
“The best way to get over one guy is to get under another.
When your ex has clearly moved on, what do you do? Have a one-night stand with an online hottie.
The sex scene was wild, especially with her sex list. They get very experimental. Of course, some of the narrative was a little awkward.
She gets mad when he takes off after the one-night stand. It’s slow at times, especially the scene concerning the wedding party. Things take a rather predictable turn when she discovers her one-night stand is one of the groomsmen in her sister’s wedding. From that point on, it’s just nothing but stale drama.
Not a good read.
Rating: 2 stars
Review: SEDUCED BY MY BEST FRIEND’S DAUGHTER by Vivian Gunn
A babysitter’s plan: to seduce her daddy’s best friend. Her plan would’ve worked if he hadn’t come home with another woman and she was caught sporting her sexy lingerie. He’s been doing a fine job turning her down, but it won’t stop her from getting what she wants. But can she handle his secret, private sex room?
A pretty good read, albeit a little raunchy.
Rating: 3 stars
Review: QUICK AND DIRTY IN PUBLIC by Julie Shade
A woman was desperate to get back into the dating scene. Well, she didn’t want to so much date as much as she wanted to get laid. It would seem her answer lay in a stranger she spots on the train. A good chunk of time is spent on her inner monologues, turmoil, and fantasies. It doesn’t move quick enough. Enough talk and just do it already.
The other 2 were on sexual fantasies in a club and at a park. The narrative was good, but the stories were just too slow.
Rating: 2 stars
Review: UNDER HIS BOSS’ DESK by Reed James (Book 2)
A wife tries to help her husband get a promotion…by getting frisky with his boss under the desk…with her husband right outside. Naughty and fun!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: HOT TUB ROMP by Reed James (Book 3)
A 20-year-old hunk in a tight speedo. Ooo la la! And a hot tub romp with a husband passed out right next to you. Very naughty and hot!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: FINGERED NEXT TO MY HUSBAND by Reed James (Book 1)
A wife was on the worst date night with her husband. At the movies, a handsome stranger sits next to her…and starts fingering her right next to her husband.
Short, hot, and quick!
Rating: 4 stars
July 22, 2022
Blog Tour: RETURN TO WYLDER by Maria Imbalzano
Return to Wylder
by Maria Imbalzano
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GENRE: Contemporary Romance
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BLURB:
The untimely death of EJ Hampton’s father kills her dream of practicing law with him in her hometown of Wylder. Heartbroken, she now has two weeks to organize the practice for sale. When she meets her father’s millionaire client Dylan Addison, he is demanding and entitled—yet his charisma captivates her.
Dylan is under pressure to renovate the Wylder Hotel before his father pulls the plug on his project. He needs EJ’s expertise, but she is bent on returning to her life in San Francisco despite the fireworks between them.
EJ walks a tightrope trying to balance Dylan’s needs against her own, but doing so is far more complicated when emotions get in the way.
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EXCERPT
“How long have you been in Wylder?”
“Off and on since January, so going on five months.”
“Then you must have met a lot of people in town by now.”
“Not really. When I’m here, I pretty much keep to myself. Although I do know Claire since I eat in this restaurant all the time. Not well enough apparently for her to ask me to put in a good word for her with Bryce, even though she knows I spend a lot of time at your father’s office.”
“That’s because you don’t seem like the smalltown, friendly type.” Her inky eyes, more sapphire tonight in the overhead light, flashed with mischief, and a grin appeared on her luscious mouth.
“What do you mean? I’m friendly.”
She bit her lip, drawing yet more attention to her mouth. “Small-town friendly is different. You’re civil. But you’re no-nonsense. Unapproachable. And very demanding. You dress like a rich business owner, which you are, but it sends the wrong message. Even though you think you’re dressing down, your jeans are probably dry cleaned and your boots are polished Italian leather. The men around here wear flannel shirts, worn-out denims, cowboy boots. Have you noticed that you don’t fit in?” Her laugh tickled my heart.
“Why do you fit in? You have on a designer suit, silk blouse, high heels. A big-city outfit if I’ve ever seen one.” But of course, I loved that she stuck out like an emerald among sea glass. “I have my lawyer uniform on. And I grew up here. People know me, despite my clothes. I could wear casual pants and a sweater to work while I’m here, but it doesn’t send the right message. I definitely do not have to wear a suit. That would only be required if I were going to court. Or meeting with an out-of-town city client. Which I have been.”
I felt my smile bloom. “So you’re dressing to impress me?”
“No. Most definitely not.” Her response held the hint of a bite despite her teasing demeanor. “Today is only my second day here. Yesterday I had no idea what or whom I was going to face.”
I pushed the envelope. “You did today.”
“You may recall that you showed up without an appointment. And tonight was a mere coincidence.”
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Review: It was her father’s last request for Emma Jane to return to Wylder, where she’d be organizing his law firm and contending with a high-profile client, Dylan Addison, a handsome—and demanding—entrepreneur. The pressure was mounting to make the plans for the Wylder Hotel work. His ruthless father was breathing down his neck, and her poor mother needed the money from her dad’s law firm.
“I’d been in Wylder for less than a day and already been labeled a rule breaker, an outsider, and
lacking the nice gene by someone who could be instrumental in burying me and Dylan in paperwork and
process while construction lay dormant.”
As the two work under the gun, they somehow develop a spark that turns into something more. It’s sort of a slow burn as the characters were more business than personal. At least, they were trying to be anyway. But what happens when they shed those business suits and…get down to business? Oh yeah!
But then came the question: Will she stay in Wylder or go back to her old life? For once, did she have a reason to stay?
The writing was good, and the story was engaging. A nice love story!
Rating: 4 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Maria Imbalzano is an award-winning contemporary author who writes about strong, independent women and the men who fall in love with them. She recently retired from the practice of law, but legal issues have a way of showing up in many of her novels. When not writing, she loves to travel both abroad and in the states. Maria lives in central New Jersey with her husband--not far from her two daughters and granddaughters. For more information about her books, please visit her website at http://mariaimbalzano.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter.
Social Media Links
Facebook –
https://www.facebook.com/mariaimbalzanoauthor
http://www.twitter.com/mariaimbalzano
@mariaimbalzano
Mariaimbalzano_author
Blog Link
http://www.mariaimbalzano.com/category/blog/
Website Link
Goodreads Author Page
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7276749.Maria_Imbalzano
Book Bub Profile page
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maria-imbalzano
Mailing List Sign Up form
https://mariaimbalzano.com/sign-up-for-my-newsletter/
Amazon Author Page
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00FG9RI5K
BUY LINKS
Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/Return-Wylder-West-Maria-Imbalzano-ebook/dp/B09VZTB93D/ref=sr_1_7
OR
Barnes and Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/return-to-wylder-maria-imbalzano/1141265290
Universal Link
https://books2read.com/u/4ELWkz
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GIVEAWAY
Maria Imbalzano will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayJuly 21, 2022
Blog Tour: WHAT REMAINS OF LOVE by Suzanne Trauth
What Remains of Love
by Suzanne Trauth
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GENRE: Contemporary General Fiction
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BLURB:
At the reading of her beloved father’s will, Kate, a divorced French professor, learns of his affaire de coeur during World War II with a French artist named Emilie, to whom he has left a substantial bequest. Kate, stunned to discover the existence of this woman who captivated her father, is determined to unravel the mystery of his past and unearth the truth. Though Emilie has passed away now, her daughter Yvette sends a box of her mother’s keepsakes from the war that are even more unnerving – among them a dried flower, a photograph, two smooth stones, and a train ticket. Kate wonders about her parents’ marriage. After the war had he abandoned passion for honor? Did he really love her mother, or was he compelled to marry her out of his sense of duty? How well did she really know her father? Or her mother? She embarks on a journey to the south of France to reconcile the past and confront her own demons, as well as the legacy of her father’s wartime love affair and the price he paid to live an honorable life. Kate’s life is changed forever…
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Excerpt One:
“I’d still like to know what there was between them.” I swaddle a picture in bubble wrap and secure it with a length of packing tape.
“I’d say that was pretty obvious.” DJ could be snarky where Dad was concerned.
“What if it was more than a fling?” I say.
He sits down on the easy chair and fixes his gaze on me. “So, you think he never got over her?”
“I’m not saying that. I’d just like to know more.” The gift to Emilie Renault hints at a passion that disturbs me. A side of him I never saw. Dad was generous and thoughtful. But passionate? He and Mother had a caring but polite relationship. I don’t ever remember them sneaking a kiss or hugging with enthusiasm when they were younger. And since she died over twenty years ago, there hasn’t been another woman in his life. That I’m aware of. It seemed to me to be a well-bred, civil marriage, a peck on his cheek, an arm under her elbow.
DJ gathers up the putter and irons and jams them into the golf bag.
I have to say it aloud. “Maybe they were in love.” My statement hangs in the air.
DJ releases a deep sigh. His voice is firm but low. “Kate, you dumped on Mom while she was living and now you’re doing it again on her memory.” DJ slings the bag over his shoulder and bangs the door as he leaves the carriage house.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Suzanne Trauth is the author of What Remains of Love and the Dodie O’Dell mystery series—Show Time, Time Out, Running out of Time, Just in Time, No More Time, and Killing Time. She co-authored Sonia Moore and American Acting Training and co-edited Katrina on Stage: Five Plays. In her previous career, she spent many years as a university professor of theatre. She lives in Woodland Park, New Jersey. Visit her website: www.suzannetrauth.com or connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuzanneTrauth
Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuzanneTrauth/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6187623.Suzanne_M_Trauth
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SuzanneMTrauth/status/1518351835718950913
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzannetrauth/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/suzanne-trauth
Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/What-Remains-Love-Suzanne-Trauth-ebook/dp/B0B27MSRPP/
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GIVEAWAY :
Suzanne Trauth will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
July 19, 2022
Blog Tour: RENEGADE'S LADY by Bobbi Smith
Renegade’s Lady
by Bobbi Smith
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GENRE: Historical Romance (Western)
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BLURB:
Hi! I had soooo much fun researching Renegade’s Lady. The heroine is a dime novel writer who goes West to research her new book. If you’re not familiar with dime novels, they were the original paperback books from the 1800s. I even managed to find a few at antique stores. One I bought is titled The Golden Belt, and it was published by Beadle and Company in 1866. What a treasure! I can’t believe it’s held up this long. So I hope you enjoy Sheri and Brand, the half-breed scout, in Renegade’s Lady!
Looking For a Hero
Sheridan St. John was a successful writer who had no need for a man in her life…as long as she had one between the pages of her dime novels. But when her editor told her sales were off, Sheri set out for the Wild West in search of the perfect hero for her new book.
Brand, The Half-Breed Scout
The man Sheri found fulfilled her every requirement for a fantasy lover—half Apache, a tall, dark, and dangerous male—but he was completely wrong for a real-life mate. On the run from the law, Brand guarded his heart as the attraction between them destroyed her reservations, leaving Sheri with one burning need—to become the renegade’s lady.
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Excerpt One:
Arizona Territory, 1878
“Hello,” Sherri said as a shiver of anticipation went up her spine. Brand was a magnificent specimen of manhood. Dressed in a loose-fitting shirt, buckskin breeches and moccasins, he was everything she’d imagined an untamed scout to be. She knew instantly he was going to be the man who saved her career.
Brand had thought it was going to be difficult dealing with a writer when he’d believed Sheridan St. John was a man, but now…a woman. His gaze raked over her insolently, missing nothing. She was beautiful and he felt a stirring of pure animal attraction for her, but he quickly dismissed it. She was an Eastern lady who didn’t know one end of a horse from another. She had no business being there. His job was to track renegades. He was going to look forward to putting her on a stage heading back East.
The look in his eyes was cold as he addressed her. “Miss St. John.”
Sherri saw the iciness in his regard and knew Brand wasn’t pleased to see her. Still, she wasn’t about to give up. Her career depended on it.
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. It isn’t often I get to meet a real live hero.”
“What can I do for you?” he asked, ignoring her remark. He’d been ordered to cooperate, but he didn’t have to like doing it.
“Well, first, I have to interview you. I need to learn everything there is to know about you and scouting.” Sheri’s mind was racing as she imagined Brand as the hero in her book. He was going to be magnificent – fighting, winning and rescuing damsels in distress.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
After working as a department manager for Famous-Barr, and briefly as a clerk at a bookstore, Bobbi Smith gave up on career security and began writing. She sold her first book to Zebra in 1982. Since then, Bobbi has written over 40 books and several short stories. To date, there are more than five million of her novels in print. She has been awarded the prestigious Romantic Times Storyteller of the Year Award and two Career Achievement Awards. Her books have appeared on numerous bestseller lists. When she's not working on her novels, she is frequently a guest speaker for writer's groups. Bobbi is mother of two sons and resides in St. Charles, Missouri with her husband and three dogs.
Website: https://bobbismithauthor.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13375.Bobbi_Smith
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FQOAQQ8/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p2_i0
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GIVEAWAY
Bobbi Smith will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayBlog Tour: LAST STAR STANDING by Spaulding Taylor
Last Star Standing
by Spaulding Taylor
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GENRE: Thriller (speculative)
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BLURB:
Aiden has always felt like an outsider. After the rebel assassin is captured and imprisoned by the world’s galactic overlords, he awaits execution. Then a mole working for the occupying regime alerts him to a plot that could destroy the entire resistance...
Engineering a daring escape, Aiden’s growing feud with the new rebel leader leaves him out in the cold and smouldering with resentment. Faced with deceit and betrayals on every side, he recruits a group of overlooked outcasts and stakes everything on one last mission.
Can the restless, reckless Aiden take a stand long enough to save humanity from enslavement?
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Excerpt One:
Lips parted, the woman pressed eagerly forward. The target smiled at her but instead selected a pudgy lad of about six. He passed a skinny guy – who looked, the poor sap, practically broken-hearted. He was almost upon us. My heart sped until it seemed ready to jerk straight out of my chest. Choose me. Choose me. CHOOSE ME.
The Enlightened One seemed – or was it only my imagination? – to be gazing directly at me. Pushing swiftly past Petra I extended my hand. He turned, made a strange gesture, almost of benediction, then wired the back of my hand with that thick blackened stump. An instant surge of heat pulsed up my arm and throughout my torso. Then a wild swirl of fuchsia-slashed-with-orange flashed beneath my eyelids, as if the same stars, fiery and spot-lit against the black, had been injected into my brain. My every corpuscle felt fired, an almost intoxicating sensation, especially after the chill of the poison. I half-stumbled, almost squashing a smallish alien, and only saved myself from falling at the last second.
Through a haze – my eyeballs felt as if they were swimming in flaming waterfalls – I saw Petra and moved towards her. Of course. She couldn’t risk being stamped, in case the creature died too fast. As we walked the ornate brand began to swell on my hand – a warming, tightening feeling. The sense of strangeness accelerated, though this might have been from my borrowed DNA, the chilled poison in my blood, or the fiery stamp. But nothing could dent my happiness, because – I’d done it. I’d assassinated The Enlightened One.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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Alice (Spaulding Taylor) McVeigh has been published by Orion/Hachette in contemporary fiction, by Unbound Publishing in action/adventure and by Warleigh Hall Press in Austenesque fiction. Her novels have won Gold Medal/First Place is the Global, eLit and Pencraft Book Awards, been runner-up in the Independent Press Awards, finalists in the Eric Hoffer, Rone and Wishing Shelf Book Awards and selected by Shelf Unbound as one of the "top indies" of 2021. Two of her novels are currently finalists in the CIBA Book Awards (the Cygnus and Goethe Awards). Her most recent novel (Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation) was just selected as Editors’ Pick “outstanding” on Publishers Weekly.
A professional London cellist, Alice lives in London and Crete with her professor husband: their only child is completing her Masters in Chinese Literature. They also share two miniature long-haired dachshunds and an incurable addiction to tennis.
Links:
Facebook: (me) https://www.facebook.com/alice.mcveigh.5/
(author me) https://www.facebook.com/alicemcveighauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcveigh.alice/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/astmcveigh1
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Mcveigh/e/B07TDKZPVT/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk OR
https://www.amazon.com/Spaulding-Taylor/e/B08TRLNW31/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk
Amazon.co.uk: www.amazon.co.uk/Alice-Mcveigh/e/B07TDKZPVT?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1610184384&sr=1-1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1108881.Alice_McVeigh
Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-mcveigh-59ab1718/
pinterest https://www.pinterest.co.uk/astmcveigh/_saved/
tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alicemcveigh0?lang=en
Video for Last Star Standing:
Sales link: Book will be on sale for $0.99 during the tour.
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Star-Standing-Spaulding-Taylor-ebook/dp/B08PF4ZTZF
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GIVEAWAY
One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
