Jen Davis's Blog, page 2

Cover Reveal: Being Neighborly by Meka James

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Being Neighborly

A broken AC forces Jess Watson outside for a little relief. But when she catches a glimpse of the sexy neighbor directly across from her having—ahem—a private moment, her rising body temperature is no longer due to the weather.

Ryan Branson is amused by the tongue-tied, flustered woman he suspects watched him as he pleasured himself. Intrigued, he sets out to see if her hedonistic desires stop at watching…or if she’d be up for more than loaning him a cup of sugar.

As their sexy encounters escalate, Jess and Ryan put a new spin on getting to know your neighbor. The chemistry between them is strong—but will friends with benefits be enough?

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Available March 4

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About Meka James

Meka James is a writer of adult contemporary and erotic romance. A born and raised Georgia Peach, she still resides in the southern state with her hubby of 16 years and counting. Mom to four kids of the two legged variety, she also has four fur-babies of the canine variety. Leo the turtle and Spade the snake rounds out her wacky household. When not writing or reading, Meka can be found playing The Sims 3, sometimes Sims 4, and making up fun stories to go with the pixelated people whose world she controls.

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My Favorite Reads of 2018

I can’t believe the year is coming to a close! 2018 was an awesome year for reading and I want to share some of my favorites with you. Those of you who visit my reviewing blog will see this list there too, but you guys are getting the first look.

The Sins of Lord Lockwood by Meredith Duran. Tortured heroes are my jam and Lockwood fits the bill in spades. The man was kidnapped right after his wedding and sent to a penal colony under a false name. The wife he left behind is heartbroken, but instead of seeking the answers she wants, she asks only for an heir. Lots of feels in this one.

Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs. As much as I love the Mercy Thompson books, I adore the Alpha and Omega spinoff books even more. Here, Charles has been put in charge of the pack in Bran’s absence. We get to spend some time with the Wildlings in this one and get a peek behind the curtain of Leah’s character. Anna and Charles are so great together. I can’t get enough of them.

Dark Queen by Faith Hunter. I was completely and utterly blown away by this book. This is where we finally get the big face-off between Leo’s people and the European vamps in their long awaited Blood Duel. But it’s so much more than that. Huge changes for Jane here… which could turn the series on its ear. The Jane Yellowrock series shows no sign of slowing down.

Exile of the Seas by Jeffe Kennedy. This second book in the Chronicles of Dasnaria uplifted me every bit as much as its predecessor disturbed me. Though she definitely has help, Jenna changes her life with her own determination and grit. It’s a hard path, but she puts her faith in the possibilities and that is just lovely. Worth the trials of book one to get the good feels here. 

Duchess By Design by Maya Rodale. I love the female camaraderie here and the message that feminism and female empowerment are far from new notions. I love how Adeline sees the power of dresses and the freedom and vehicles of expression they provide for women who have no other voice. I love that she makes dresses with pockets! But perhaps, best of all, I love how Brandon listens to what she says… that he is willing and able to learn that there is more than just the way of the world he has always known. He adapts and evolves because he is able to see through a new lens.

Archangel’s Prophecy by Nalini Singh. This book takes the Guild Hunter series in a bold new direction. Everything up until this point has been about building up Elena, Raphael, and their band of allies. Building their relationships… their power. But in this book, Elena is no longer becoming stronger. She is growing weaker, and it’s threatening to upend everything she’s worked for. Still, a great romance between Elena and Raphael. Plus, one heck of a cliffhanger that has me panting for the next installment.

Wicked at the Wallflower by Sarah Maclean. I adore the whole trope where the hero feels himself beneath the heroine. Especially when the heroine, herself, refuses to see him that way. What I especially love here is that through his eyes she grows to see herself as beautiful, powerful, and strong. And through her eyes, at long last, he sees some worth in himself. And that is the kind of emotional journey I am down for every single time.

Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews. Even if you hated Hugh in the Kate books, it’s hard not to see him in a different light here. This book has all of the snark and action I love in the parent series. And I cheered aloud when they brought the cows. (Just go with me on this one. It’s great.)

Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews. This conclusion to the Kate Daniels series gave me everything I wanted and satisfied me in every way. I loved Conlan and I believed in this HEA. I am ready and waiting for Julie and Derek books.  

Bone Driven by Hailey Edwards. I enjoyed this one even more than Bayou Born. The relationship with Luce and Cole is just so angsty and delicious. I love the dynamic with whole coterie. Great world building. It inhaled the whole book in one sitting.

How to Dance an Undead Waltz/ How to Live an Undead Lie by Hailey Edwards. And since we are already talking about this author… This series really put her over the top as one of my new favorites. Though Ilona may always be my main squeeze, Hailey is coming up hard alongside her. These books rocked my world. Mostly because of Linus. I am a total sucker for a hero who has an unrequited love for the heroine…which finally becomes, um, requited. The romance in these two installment completely captured my heart and the world-building, plot, and secondary characters are nothing to shake a stick at either. Would highly recommend this series to fans of urban fantasy.

So much to be thankful for

Enjoying the open bar and a choice SnapChat filter.

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family this year. We visited our family in New Orleans, which is always so much fun (despite the challenge of a 13 hour drive with two kids in the backseat.) While we were there, we helped my in-laws celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. It was a lovely ceremony, in which they renewed their vows. After my father-in-law’s tearful love letter to his wife, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

We had a huge, delicious meal, full of all the traditional NOLA trimmings: turkey with oyster dressing, squash & shrimp casserole, sweet potatoes, and an array of vegetables. I’ll need to cut back for the next few weeks just to fit in my jeans again.

And as awesome as all of that was–and believe me, I am so grateful–I have one more thing to be thankful for this year. I’ve signed with Limitless Publishing! That’s right, Brick has a home. I don’t have all of the details yet. The cover, release date, and all that good stuff will come soon. And I promise to share them all as soon as I know more.

In the meantime, thank YOU for making this journey with me. I am incredibly blessed.

 

My love of tortured heroes

Tortured heroes are my catnip. I say it all the time in reviews. Most of my favorite romances have heroes who have experienced horrors and now feel themselves incapable or unworthy of love.

Number one on my list will probably always be Zsadist from the Black Dagger Brotherhood. He is broken inside from years of torture as a sex slave. He loves his heroine, but hates himself for his reactions to her. I have read Lover Awakened so many times and it never gets old.

Who doesn’t love Zarek from Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter books? Dance With the Devil was always my favorite in that series, but Kenyon has written tons of tortured heroes I loved. Like Nykyrian from her League series. How many times did a heroine look at one of the heroes like he mattered? For years, Kenyon was my queen of tortured heroes. I thought there was no tortured hero I couldn’t love. (I was later proved to be wrong, but the ones who miss for me are few and far between.)

I love them in historical romances, too. Mary Balogh’s Survivor series features nothing but tortured heroes (and one tortured heroine.) Kerrigan Byrne’s Victorian Rebels have outstanding tortured heroes. (The newest one, I loved every bit as much as the first.) Seriously, if you haven’t read The Highwayman, you’re missing out.

Any romance subgenre can work one of these guys in and I’ve found myself reading outside of my lane if the hero fits the bill. Military romances. Guys with PTSD. Assassins. Fighters.

There’s a major caveat, though. The hero’s treatment of the heroine matters. He can be awful to the rest of the world, but not to her. Because in my favorite books, she is his salvation. It’s through her love, he finally realizes his self-worth. And maybe he’ll never see himself through her eyes, but still, she lifts him from the darkness and I find that so very satisfying.

I was just talking to @JenReadsRomance about tortured and serious heroes on Twitter over the past few days. And she is crazy-excited for the new Jennifer Armentrout book for its hero.

Me: OH YOU ARE A MAN WHO HAS BEEN VIOLENTLY REPRESSING YOUR FEELINGS FOR YOUR ENTIRE ADULT LIFE, AND NOW YOU ARE ABOUT TO STAR IN A ROMANCE? pic.twitter.com/p1to6XFoLH

— Jen (@JenReadsRomance) September 18, 2018

We are not alone! Join the conversation. Just share your favorite tortured hero in the comments @ me on Twitter with recommendations.