Lori L. Clark's Blog, page 51

Book Review: Firebird

Firebird
by Jennifer Loring

Stephanie Hartwell is a journalist chasing the story of her career…

When superstar hockey player and notorious bad boy Aleksandr Volynsky is traded to the Seattle Earthquakes in a blockbuster deal, Stephanie demands the opportunity to prove herself by scoring an exclusive interview with a man with no love for the media…the same man she once thought, as a naïve teenager, she’d someday marry.

An Olympian and Stanley Cup Champion, Aleksandr has achieved every goal he’s ever set…

Now expected to carry a failing team on his shoulders, Aleksandr’s troubles deepen when he encounters Stephanie after a season-opening loss. His lifestyle of drinking and random hookups has been a futile attempt to forget the beautiful tomboy who stole his heart nine years ago. And worse, fame and fortune have made it impossible for him to trust anyone—especially Stephanie, who is engaged to another man.

Romance rekindles, but tragedy reveals Aleksandr’s dark side…

Being with Aleksandr in the first place jeopardizes Stephanie’s journalistic integrity and threatens her career, and when he spirals out of control, it reawakens fears from her own history, making her unable to commit to a future with him.

When Aleksandr discovers the truth behind his self-destructive behavior, will his newfound self-awareness be enough to convince Stephanie to give him one last chance…

Or will his revelation drive her away for good?
Toni's thoughts: **ARC provided in exchange for an honest review** I absolutely loved the beginning of this book which is why it pains me to say the last half just fell flat for me. I fell in love with both the characters and my heart hurt for the things that they had to go through and smile at other times. A bit past the middle of the book it turned into the back and forth feelings for the both of them. Then it seemed like a lot of filler information that really didn't need to be in the book was added and it made the book a bit choppy for me and drawn out. The characters were great and the story line was great as well just a little to much added material that could have been left out.

Book Review: Love Beyond Words: San Francisco

Love Beyond Words: San Francisco (City Lights #1)
by Emma Scott

She thought the best love affairs only happened in books...

Traumatized by the deaths of her parents three years ago, Natalie Hewitt lives an introverted life, taking college classes during the day and working as a barista in a coffee shop at night. A passionate reader, she uses the writing of the world-famous and reclusive novelist Rafael Melendez Mendón to assuage her grief. His words are her refuge, his characters better company than anyone she could meet in real life… until Julian Kovač walks into the café one summer evening. He is a handsome, quiet young man and Natalie feels an instant connection.

But Julian has a secret that is both the most wonderful revelation Natalie could possibly imagine…and the very thing that could tear them apart.
TeriLyn's thoughts: I really enjoyed this story by Emma Scott. Told from the third person POV, which is my favorite, we meet Natalie Hewitt the guarded heroine who lives her life through the comforting pages of her favorite stories. With no family and two quirky best friends, Natalie sets off to understand her budding feelings for the enigmatic stranger who frequents the coffee shop in which she works. Slowly, Natalie and Julian start a companionship with which they're both intrigued.

Set in the alluring San Francisco area, Emma Scott writes of the love two people can have that truly rocks worlds. With a delusional villain shaking up the plot the love story of Natalie and Julian takes a few unexpected turns. The entire story felt a like a very well crafted slow burn but their connection is so strong because of it. What Julian hides from the world mean something completely different Natalie and where the author takes the plot because of those revelations kept me entertained.

I just really enjoyed this. It's simple yet the love is grandiose. Together, Natalie and Julian, are charming and able to bring out the best in each other. Their Christmas date was one of my favorite parts of the book. The writing is well done and flows easily. And I really pleased with the epilogue. I got swept up in the story and am glad I was introduced to this author and series. I can't wait to meet new characters in the next installments.

Book Review: Never Let You Go

Never Let You Go (A Modern Fairytale)
by Katy Regnery

In this modern retelling of “Hansel and Gretel,” 13-year-old foster children, Holden and Griselda, escape from their abductor after three years of brutal captivity and try to cross the Shenandoah River on foot. Tragically, one of them makes it to safety but the other is left behind.

Ten years later, Griselda’s boyfriend drags her to a fight club grudge match where her world is turned upside down when she watches Holden step into the ring.

Though the connection between them is fierce, bitter regret, simmering rage and a cache of physical and emotional scars lie between them, just as dangerous as the whitewater of the Shenandoah.

Never Let You Go is a story of fear and hope, defeat and survival, and two people - once profoundly broken – who discover that love is the only thing that can make them whole again.

This is a standalone novel inspired by Hansel & Gretel. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to profanity, scenes of physical abuse and very strong sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18. (Note: children are not sexually abused in this book.)
TeriLyn's thoughts: Another absolutely amazing Katy Regnery story. This author's penchant for writing love stories fully focused on the main characters with plots that surround their relationship astounds me. The writing engages you from the beginning to the very end making you fall in love with these characters and feel that powerful connection throughout the whole book. To feel their pains and their triumphs, their hurts and their joys feels like an intimate gift this author shares with her readers - one we should feel honored to read. Regnery wraps you up in this story telling blanket to the point a whole day has gone by before you unravel from it's warmth.

Holden and Griselda, both products of the foster care system, live in the present day without each other. Through melancholy voices and melodic writing in tones that you can viscerally feel the emotion all in the third person POV, this author juxtaposes the present with series of heart breaking flash backs where the reader has no choice but to become entangled in their connection. Love has got them through years of despair and loneliness hoping for the memory of each other to serve as each of their only comforts. There are so many beautiful moments in this book even in the depths of despair.

The plot of this deserves the allowance to unfold without spoilers. Know the characters are ones you'll fall in love with because their souls are forever entwined. Know there are secondary characters that enhance the story whether they be good or bad. It's a well-rounded book with much to love. Know that the writing is exquisite and perfect.

Never Let You Go is a coming of age story wrapped in a contemporary re-telling of fairy tale. It's angsty with many twists and turns that surround the beauty of finding your lifetime love in the midst of great tragedy in your youth. It's a journey of self-discovery, love and truth, holding on while simultaneously letting go. Finally reading this author has put her in a group of my favorites and I look forward to reading everything she publishes. Her fairy tales show both the beauty and the ugly of living but they all give way to hope, trust, and redemption. I absolutely adored Gris and Holden and definitely highly recommend this book.

Book Review: The Billionaire Takes a Bride

The Billionaire Takes a Bride (Billionaires and Bridesmaids #3)
by Jessica Clare

A lie turns to love in the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Taming of the Billionaire.

Billionaire Sebastian Cabral loves his family, he just doesn’t love their reality TV show, The Cabral Empire. So when his ex-girlfriend tries to rekindle their relationship on camera, Sebastian decides that drastic measures are in order.

By day, Chelsea Hall is a happy-go-lucky, rough and tumble roller derby skater. By night, she’s still living in fear of her past. Most of all, she just doesn’t want to be alone. And she really, really doesn’t want to date.

So when their mutual friends’ upcoming wedding turns Chelsea and Sebastian into fast friends, they realize they can solve both of their problems with one life-changing lie: a quick trip down the aisle.

But with one kiss, Chelsea and Sebastian suddenly realize that their pretend relationship is more real than either of them expected…
TeriLyn's thoughts: **The Billionaire Takes a Bride generously provided by tour host in exchange for an honest review.**

My first Jessica Clare Billionaires book and certainly not my last. The Billionaire Takes a Bride provides a uniquely, zany story about a woman broken after a terrible tragedy and the Billionaire who takes exemplary notice. Sebastian Cabral and Chelsea Hall need each other for more than just the quickie marriage they arrange to solve their problems. The exploration of their friends to lovers relationship unfolds intriguingly throughout the course of this story.

Tainted by an unspeakable tragedy, Chelsea has put up walls around her heart, mind, and body that are impenetrable. Sebastian, jaded by the exploits of his wacky and notorious family, guards himself against woman using him to get noticed for their own fame. The two are paired together for a wedding of mutual friends and bond right away. Each of their stories are uniquely them. Their hobbies are uniquely them and provide such great conversation points once they each discover the others talents. The safety of their bond provides an easy out for the problems plaguing them both. A hilarious and endearing ride through their lives together ensues while the reader can do nothing but sit back and enjoy.

This book is full of quirky anecdotes, interesting secondary characters, and a H/h who are so comfortable with each other you can't help but love them. Sebastian Cabral is a more a beta male than alpha male. A beta billionaire. And he is so damn sexy because of it. He gives, his heart is open and full, he's understanding and supportive - Sebastian Cabral reminds Chelsea to live and love at her full capacity. Chelsea is broken yet full of vigor. Her smile and laugh are infectious to even the reader, her quirks and acceptance so honest. The two are quite the match. Their ride to their HEA is a ride worth taking.

Starting this book I had zero expectations and what I got from it was just a fun story. All of the pieces fit together perfectly and the added enjoyment of the wacky world of women's roller derby was such a treat. Jessica Clare holds a great story-telling ability with a real niche for unique and satisfying characters to carry her plots. Though, the writing in places got a bit wonky and there were a few transitions that threw me as to who was speaking making it necessary to go back and re-read. Overall though, I was engaged from beginning to end. If you like contemporary romance books that are fun and flirty with very low angst and great characters I highly recommend The Billionaire Takes a Bride.

Book Review: The Vixen and the Vet

The Vixen and the Vet (A Modern Fairytale)
by Katy Regnery

In this modern-retelling of "Beauty and the Beast," Savannah Carmichael, betrayed by an unreliable source, returns to her hometown of Danvers, Virginia with her once-promising journalism career in ruins. Given the opportunity to get back in the game by writing a patriotic human interest piece, Savannah turns her attention to the town hermit, Asher Lee, a wounded veteran who returned to Danvers eight years ago, and hasn’t been seen since.

After an IED explosion in Afghanistan took Asher’s hand and disfigured half of his face, he's lived a quiet life on the outskirts of Danvers where the locals respect his privacy…that is, until Savannah Carmichael comes calling in a borrowed sundress with a plate of homemade brownies. When Asher agrees to be interviewed by Savannah, he starts feeling things for the beautiful reporter that he hasn’t felt in years.

Misfits in small-town Danvers, Savannah and Asher create a bond right away, touching each other’s hearts in ways neither thought possible. When a terrible mistake threatens to drive them apart, they’ll have to decide if the love they found in one another’s arms is strong enough to fight for their hard-won happily ever after.
TeriLyn's thoughts: Ensconced in Southern charm, The Vixen and the Vet reads as contemporary romance PERFECTION. Katy Regnery has a new fangirl in me forever thanks to her beautifully written modern day re-imagining of Beauty and the Beast. While I realize this wasn't published this year it's in my top 3 favorite books read this year for certain. I loved every single thing about it.

With scenes crafted to read as though your watching a movie play out in your mind, Regnery perfectly poises us to fall in love right along side Asher Lee and Savannah Calhoun Carmichael. From the very first time their eyes meet the audacious Savannah leaves a lasting impression on Asher. As journalist Savannah works to settle a career score by writing a piece on the disfigured town veteran an immediate bond strikes deep between the two. Regnery's descriptions of their budding relationship are almost hypnotic - you don't dare rip your eyes from the pages. All of the sensory details so beautifully and innocently constructed painting the most vivid picture in your reading heart. The eloquent prose gives so many descriptors you can feel the raw power of their connection from beginning to end.

Regnery's writing in this book is so character-centric I'm telling you it's impossible not to viscerally feel their connection and feel for their individual plights. Their stories and motivations tangle in your heartstrings making it impossible to stop reading - I was sneaking chapters on my phone at work because the journey of Asher Lee and Savannah Carmichael wouldn't leave my head. The two are always in play even as really great secondary characters play important roles. The separation gaps between Asher and Savannah never take too much page space or plot yet still provide such an impact. And so subtle the plot yet it packs a mean punch in the precise way of it's delivery.

This man. Asher Lee. This man is my MOST FAVORITE kind of man. "The broken hero of my dreams." Asher Lee is the broken, tortured, sensitive, charming man you'll want to makes yours forever. With tunnel vision for the one strong, gorgeous woman - the only woman for whom he's ever felt instantly connected through his years of solidarity - an unbreakable bond is formed. He's the man you want to love and whose love you crave in return even through your well-intentioned mistakes. Asher's the man who gives you butterflies with every look. The man you want to make happier than he's ever been in his life because that's just how happy he makes you. The man for whom your strong enough to endure his pain even in your absolute weakness. The man who protects you without fail or question, who implicitly trusts you. He's the dream. And Savannah Calhoun Carmichael is the woman who gets to live the dream. And Regnery writes them, exquisitely, as exactly that.

Told from the third person POV, which this author excels at writing, simply put: The Vixen and the Vet gives excellent romance - so perfect in it's purity. These are two incredibly honest, perfectly quirky outsiders who find comfort in the companionship, the basic, beautiful friendship of each other. I cried. I giggled. I basked in the many contradictions to their characters that work so well for their vibrant personalities.

Regnery's excellent writing, to me, is reminiscent of a Mia Sheridan or Amy Harmon - with the most intricately deep characters you feel the intimacy and vulnerability in each of them to the point the well-crafted plot plays a secondary role to the narrative.

The Vixen and the Vet bases itself on the human nature in all of us to be unconsciously selfish and guarded. It's an exploration on the tough choices in our lives to protect ourselves from deep hurt and failure. It's about the kindness and forgiveness that lives within each of us, the beauty of opening our hearts to the possibilities in the healing powers of love. It's the story of growth, freedom from one's self, redemption, and falling in irrevocably in love to the point your entire world shifts on its axis.

This story deeply touched me, affected me, in the best of ways. It was truly EPIC, a book I won't soon forget. I'm in awe of the way it made me feel. I'm in greater awe of the story telling ability of Katy Regnery who hooked me right from the beginning and didn't let go until "The End". I'm so very grateful to have read this and think everyone should read it too. Can't wait to discover more stories by Katy Regnery. Bravo.

Giveaway & Book Review: Wicked Restless

Join us in celebrating the release of WICKED RESTLESS by Ginger Scott!



WICKED RESTLESSVery Mature YA Contemporary RomanceScheduled to release: October 20, 2015GoodreadsAmazonGoogleiBooksBNKobo
BLURB:Andrew Harper grew up in a house marked by tragedy. His older brother Owen did his best to shelter him, but you can only be protected from life’s pain for so long. Eventually, you end up just feeling numb…and isolated.

Loneliness was the one constant in Andrew’s life. Until one girl, met by chance in a high school hallway, changed everything. Emma Burke was a mystery and all that was beautiful in this world, the only air Andrew ever wanted to breathe. She took the lonely away, and filled it with hope and color, and Andrew would do anything to keep her safe, happy and whole.

But sometimes, what feels good and right is what ends up hurting us the most. And when Andrew and Emma are faced with an impossible decision, Andrew is tested to see just how far he’s willing to go for the girl who owns his heart.

Cuts are deep.

Scars are left behind.

And revenge beckons.

When Andrew finally gets his chance, in college, five years after his first love broke him completely, he finds out old feelings don’t really disappear just because you say you hate someone. The more he tries to avenge all that he believes he lost, the more he uncovers the real story of what happened years before.

Love is wicked. But a restless heart is never satisfied beating on its own. Can Andrew and Emma make it right before it's too late, or will the ties that bind them now destroy their only chance at a future?

TeriLyn's thoughts: **Wicked Restless generously provided by Wordsmith Publicity in exchange for an honest review.**

Andrew Harper’s story in Wicked Restless comes as the second installment of the Harper Boys series but can be read as a standalone. I’m a huge fan of Ginger Scott’s and am so because with each new YA/NA title she releases there’s an aura of magic introduced in her stories that always reminds of the precarious state of falling in love for the first time. This story told from both Andrew’s point of view and Emma’s, our heroine, reminds of how affected we can be when we meet the first person who gives us butterflies.

Andrew’s story picks up a little after where Owen’s ends. Stepping out of Owen’s shadow, Andrew is learning who he is without his big brother around. Seeing Emma Burke changes him and consequently her. The two have a really lovely friendship blossoming into more as the reader knows Emma is hiding something. Through a night that includes a series of misguides decisions the two are thrust apart. A side effect of this night is the vulnerability and change we see in Andrew. I fell really hard for his character through these chapters of his solitude and loneliness. Forces beyond themselves keep the two apart for several years when once again one night sets another series of misguided intentions spiraling into great angst for both Andrew and Emma.

These characters really do shine. Compassion and vulnerability is inescapable as the two navigate their lives with limited control over one fateful night. Ginger Scott’s Harper Boys books are YA, bordering NA, because they’re grittier and truer to the realism of life, in my opinion. The grit comes from the characters struggles, of which both Andrew and Emma have plenty. One night forever changed each of them. There were some things that didn’t mesh for me – some of Emma’s reactions, likewise some of Andrew’s – but their motivations were always founded in the incredible hurt they felt from seeing each other again.

As an aside, the best friends of both characters would make a really great love connection as they added a softness to each main character because of the bond they share.

Wicked Restless provided me a great story just like I knew it was. The first 30 percent and the last 30 percent being my favorite parts respectively. Great change happened to each character, a maturing thanks to the selfless decisions Andrew made as a young man. Each of them deserving to be each other’s safe place. Ginger Scott always gives me a highly enjoyable reading experience. Her books always tell a beautifully, hard story reminding me that this vulnerable in our lives is about experiencing the triumphs along with the downfalls. I’d recommend Andrew’s story to anyone who enjoys a grittier YA romance but highly recommend you read Wild Reckless first.




















Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author:



Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling author of eight young and new adult

romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How

We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, Wild

Reckless and The Girl I Was Before.


A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she

often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot

quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has

been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than

15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors,

scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work,

visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.



When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a

baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce

Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona

Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college

sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).

Social Media Links:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GingerScottAuthor

Twitter: @TheGingerScott

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/thegingerscott/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GingerScottAuthor

Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+GingerScottAuthor/posts

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/GingerScott

Website: http://www.littlemisswrite.com

Book Review: Crazy Good

Crazy Good (Crazy Good)
by Rachel Robinson

Before there were bikers, or fighters, or even good old-fashioned jerks, there were Navy SEALs. They put the bad in badass because, well…it’s their job.

Navy SEAL Maverick Hart has everything. Women want him. Grown men idolize him. Little boys want to grow up and be like him. The job, the glory—it’s all his. Not because it’s handed to him…because he works hard for it. The second his sights lock on something, he owns it—or destroys it. Unfortunately he does both at the same time.

Windsor Forbes only takes calculated risks in her profession and in her personal life. After being left at the altar by the only person she’s ever loved, the very last thing she’s looking for is a relationship—especially the insane brand an arrogant Navy SEAL is offering. Hesitant, yet trusting to a fault, she gives in.

She knew she shouldn’t take the chance, especially a second time, but love is irrational and their love is perfect, infallible. Or so she thought…

The downfall to having everything is you have that much more to lose. A man like Maverick can’t have it all without something slipping out of grasp.

Crazy people perish for love.

Good people live for it.

Love doesn’t die. No matter how many bullets you put in it.

*Due to sexual content and graphic language this book is intended for readers 18+*
TeriLyn's thoughts: Crazy Good is a contemporary military romance told from dual points of view of the heroine, Windsor, and the hero - a Navy SEAL - Maverick. Rachel Robinson really hooked me from the Prologue. I was intrigued after and couldn't put the book down for a while.

These two characters were fun. They're banter is excellent and one of my favorite moments happens when Maverick takes Windsor on an adrenaline charged date where I could feel their connection so viscerally. I enjoyed many of the details about their relationship and loved how Maverick was not a "one woman man" but fell really hard for Windsor. I loved the cat and mouse game they played because it turned into a really great friendship and then eventually more. Their romance was great reading.

However, there were times in the middle where I thought some of the drama between the two was juvenile and thrown in for plot value rather than organic relationship shortcomings. While I understood the heroine's thoughts I just didn't understand why she kept reverting back to past issues. There was some maturing I wanted from her that I didn't get. Things got a bit off track for me in the plot during the inevitable conflict and I thought the secondary characters story was much bigger and more heart wrenching than the plight of Windsor and Mav.

Despite that, the end picked up again in quite interesting ways and Robinson provided a really sweet epilogue. I'm glad to have been introduced to these characters and look forward to reading the next installment.

Book Review: Cocky Bastard

Cocky Bastard
by Penelope Ward, Vi Keeland

From New York Times Bestselling authors Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward, comes a sexy new standalone novel.

He was someone who belonged in my wildest fantasies instead of a rest stop in the middle of Nebraska.

A sexy, cocky, Australian named Chance was the last person I expected to run into on my cross-country drive.

When my car broke down, we made a deal. Next thing I knew, we were traveling together, spending sexually-tense nights in hotels and taking unplanned detours.

My ordinary road trip turned into the adventure of a lifetime. It was all fun and games until things got intense.

I wanted him, but Chance wouldn’t make a move. I thought he wanted me too, but something was holding him back.

I wasn’t supposed to fall for the cocky bastard, especially when I knew we’d be going our separate ways.

All good things must come to an end, right?

Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.
TeriLyn's thoughts: Unfortunately, Cocky Bastard just wasn't for me. Contemporary romance told in two parts by the voices of both the heroine and hero, it took some turns I wasn't expecting dragging it out to much. The plot devices were cliche and I think could have been more developed. Depth of emotions didn't ran very far making me feel no connection to the heroine at all. My saving grace with this story was the charming wit of the hero, Chance. He made me laugh out loud more times than not with his easy going demeanor. They're impromptu road trip together gave me hope to feel a connection but it never solidified it for me making the second part of the book disengaging. This is definitely a minority opinion of this story as I know many of GR friends really loved the story. If you like adventure romance with some light angst this could be one for you.

Book Review: For Life

For Life (Reclaimed Hearts #1)
by L.E. Chamberlin

Cassie Daley found her soulmate at seventeen. Steadfast, sexy, and bold, Grady Mahoney walked into her world one night and claimed her for life. But after an unplanned college pregnancy and six years of struggling, their marriage fell apart. Now, despite sharing custody of their two children, they’ve barely spoken face-to-face in nearly eleven years.

She’s managed to keep both Grady and her emotions at bay for over a decade, but when a family tragedy throws the two together, Cassie must face both the man she fell in love with and the demons that drove them apart. Grady makes it clear that he wants their family back together, but can Cassie’s heart afford to take a second chance on first love?
TeriLyn's thoughts: This story has been on my Kindle since it's release and I'm quite sorry I haven't read it sooner than now. For Life provides a unique look into the lives of two people destined to love each other yet their timing wasn't quite right. It's a tale of second chance, contemporary romance full of memories, regrets, joys, and re-discoveries.

Grady Mahoney and Cassie Daley fell in love fast when they were in high school. Their relationship quickly progressed into a mature one where the two, together, buckled under the strains and pressures of their new life. For eleven years they lived separate lives, barely speaking because of the feelings they still hold for each other. When family tragedy strikes both Grady and Cassie start to believe their feelings for each other can turn into love once more. As the two embark on a new journey of re-lighting the torches they've always held for each other the reader gets a very realistic portrayal of the aftermath post-divorce and how the navigation of new again relationship would develop.

L.E. Chamberlin's writing engaged me the entire time. She took this unique concept of second chance love and made me believe in each of these characters, had me rooting for them throughout. My shining light was most definitely Grady. This is a strong man whose made mistakes, atoned for them, and lives his life proving he's a great man. Sexy, smart, alpha, and completely in love with his family - Grady Mahoney offers so much to this story. Cassie is a woman a bit scorned, a bit confused but so very strong in the faith she holds in being a good mother. She's stuck in the past with fears she keeps close for a long portion of the story. Her motivations were definitely founded but there was a big part of me that wanted her to have more faith in the man she inherently knows deep down Grady has become.

I would most definitely recommend For Life to those romance readers who love second chance, contemporaries. This book is infused with a little bit of angst, a lot of sexy, deep tragedy, humor, heartfelt emotions, and characters who are quite true to real life. This is going to be a series of standalone stories with new main characters in each book and I can't wait for the next installment of the Reclaimed Hearts series. The heroine of that story has so much offer and with this author's story telling I know it will be great.

Release Blitz: Only You

Title: Only You (A Second Chance Novel)Author: Stephanie RoseGenre: Contemporary RomanceRelease Date: October 14, 2015 SynopsisOnly You is a STANDALONE novel in the Second Chances Series.I spent my life searching for love, but Evan was right there all along. As gorgeous on the inside as he was on the outside, I never had to wonder if he loved me. He showed me with every glance, every sweet touch, every scorching kiss.

I wanted nothing more than to give him my forever—until I found out I may not have one.

Paige was the girl of my dreams. So beautiful in every way; no one would ever compare. I feared she would never be mine, and then she became my everything. I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life.

I wanted her to be my forever. But love may not be enough.

Why do I have to say good-bye to the love of my life? How can I let you go—when it’s always been only you?

PLEASE NOTE: Only You is a Contemporary Romance with intense language and sexual situations meant for readers 18 and up.
Buy The Book Amazon | Barnes & NobleExcerpt“So, are you . . . interested in anyone now?” Evan leaned forward, his voice low and husky.

“Actually, yes I am.” Oh God, I was really doing this! “He’s a friend of mine, so it’s a little weird . . . but he’s sweet and sexy . . . and it annoys me that I never noticed how amazing he was. I think he might be interested, too—but like I said, my instincts are shit so who knows.” I shrugged and took a sip of my coffee, pretending to focus my attention on my computer screen.

I had never been so forward with a man in my entire life. How could I play this off that I was talking about someone else if I read him wrong?

“Maybe not.” Evan scooted his chair closer to the table and slammed my laptop shut. I had nowhere to look but into his hay-colored eyes that, at the moment, seemed to burn right through me.

“Maybe he’s noticed you for years, but never thought he had a shot. Maybe he’s sick of watching you waste your time with guys who don’t deserve you. Maybe if you ask, you’ll find out he’s very, very interested.” The intense expression on Evan’s face as he fixed his gaze on me made my pulse race.

“Maybe he figured out who I was talking about?” I crinkled my nose and gave Evan a playful grin.

He lowered his eyes and chuckled. “I need to work this weekend; the diner job starts on Saturday morning, but I’m free Thursday night. There is an awesome restaurant I know in Brooklyn if you wouldn’t mind making the drive with me.”

“I would love that. But, if you’re busy, it can wait. I know you guys are trying to get as much work as you can. We can always go out when things aren’t so crazy—”

“If things go the way I hope they will, business will always be busy and crazy.” Evan rose from his seat and threw away his empty cup. He sauntered over to where I sat and leaned over, one hand on my chair and one on the table—completely closing me in.

He pressed a soft kiss right below my ear and whispered, “I’ve waited for this date since I was fifteen years old, and I’m not waiting anymore.” I stiffened as his wet and warm lips lingered on my skin. My breath hitched, and I was sure Evan noticed as he stood with a sweet and satisfied smile.

“See you Thursday, Daisy.” I watched him stroll out the door, too tongue-tied to say anything in reply. Sweet, butter-doesn’t-melt-in-his-mouth Evan was hot as hell, and had a little alpha streak.

I had a lot to learn about nice boys, and couldn’t wait for Evan to teach me.


About The Author Stephanie is the author of the Second Chances series, stories based in New York City about second chances at love. She lives in the Bronx, New York with her superhero-obsessed husband and son.
Her day job is marketing, but she always has a story in her head. This lifelong New Yorker lives for Starbucks, book boyfriends, and 80s rock. Her voice often gets mistaken for a Mob Wives trailer.
After making up stories her entire life in various journals, she took her fingers to the keyboard on a dare from a friend and wrote her first novel in 2015.
She's excited to finally bring the characters she's been dreaming about to life!
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