Zara Hoffman's Blog: Zara Hoffman's Goodreads Author Blog, page 20

Surprise Release: Hitched (The Complete Series)

Special price of 99¢ for 48 hours only! Regular price will be $6.99!Title: Hitched (The Complete Series)
Series: Imperfect Love, 1-3
Author: Kendall Ryan
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: December 17, 2016

I have to get my wife pregnant. I know what you're thinking, boo hoo, poor me, right?

The only problem is my darling wife hates my guts. The only reason we eloped was because our fathers, who are business partners, are jointly leaving us their $100 billion company. If we wed.

And she doesn't know this part yet, but it's contingent on us producing an heir.

I have 90 days to knock her up, which might be difficult considering she can't stand to be in the same room as me, let alone share my bed.

Challenge accepted.

Mark my words, I will have her begging for me. I've never backed down from a challenge and

I'm not about to start now.

Filled with hot and humorous moments, you won't want to miss the complete series of HITCHED!
A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world.

She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she appeared #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world.

Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Visit her website for the latest book news and fun extras. The Books

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World of Shadows Blog Tour

About the BookTitle: World of Shadows
Series: Once Upon A Dream, 1
Author: Emily Rachelle
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy/Fairytale Retelling
Publisher: Red Geraniums Press
Publication Date: December 11, 2016

In this urban fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, modern-day teenager Beila Durand is plagued by nightmares that lead her to discover - and wind up trapped in - a cursed underground world. The invisible people that live in this medieval village depend on Beila learning the truth behind their curse - and why she is the only one who can set them free.

In her quest for answers, however, all she seems to find are more questions. Where do the echoing screeching at night originate? Who is the isolated man that speaks with Beila from the shadows of his cloak? What does this New York girl have to do with any of it? And will she ever find a way back home?
Guest Post: What's In A Dream?For one night in 2012, I was a queen.

It was the longest dream I'd ever had. According to the clock, I lived in my alternate reality for roughly eight hours. According to me, it lasted years. When I woke up I felt like the Pevensies at the end of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when they stumbled back through the wardrobe to discover they were still children and barely any time passed at all.

In my alternate reality, I was still me, a normal sixteen-year-old girl. I was running through the woods at night. It was dark, and I was alone, but I wasn't scared. I was just running. I still don't know why. My foot caught on a tree root. I tripped. I do that a lot. What I don't do a lot is fall straight through the ground to a dimly-lit room made entirely of dirt.

There were no invisible people in my dirt dream world; I could easily see the woman who helped me up and introduced me to her people. There was a whole village of friendly, if slightly dirty, people living here underground. They never left the tunnels, but they didn't care. They lived happy lives. Except for one thing...

With these people lived a monster. A griffin. This creature thrashed and howled violently, totally senseless. It made the only mark on their perfect country-style lives.

My story went a different direction than Beila's. When I approached the monster, it calmed down completely. I remember looking into its liquid golden eyes and feeling something strong for this creature.​As long as I was around, the griffin was completely tame; in fact, he could walk on his hind legs and speak like a man. I rapidly fell in love with the talking griffin and married him, ensuring that the peace only I could bring him and his people would last forever. (I definitely had it easier than Beila. I don't envy her situation.)

We all lived quite happily for years in this underground world. I became the people's queen, and my husband the griffin their king. One day I randomly remembered my life before the tunnels. Some of the people expressed longing and interest in going to the surface I'd told them about. Unlike Beila and the village in her story, we weren't trapped at all; we'd just never wanted to leave until now. So I led everyone to the surface for a visit. We walked around in the woods a bit, intending to return home to our tunnels soon. Then I woke up.

That dream stuck with me. The thought of being in love with a talking animal disturbed me once I returned to the logic of the waking world. But that village in the tunnels still called to me. I vividly remembered the friends I'd made, the people I had brought peace and prosperity to as queen. I wrote out most of my dream as it was, hoping to make a more sensible story out of it later.
​
Beila's story is clearly very different from mine, and not nearly as peaceful. I never had the chance to meet the cloaked man in my own dreams. But her dream world with the village depending on her is a place I love revisiting every time I step into her story.TeasersGiveawayEnter for a chance to win 1 of 4 prizes:
a paperback copy of World of Shadows
a short story titled "Louna's Noël"
a $5 Amazon gift card
an ebook copy of World of Shadows.a Rafflecopter giveaway About the AuthorBorn in Panama, Emily Rachelle traveled throughout the country and the world with her Air Force family. She currently attends university in Indiana, pursuing a degree in public relations. When she's not curled up with a book or her computer, Emily loves to ride around campus on her hideously hot pink bike. Of course, if it's raining (as it often is in Indiana), Netflix-binging and amateur art are always options. Emily is also the author of poetry collection  Rain In December  and Christian novella  Sixteen .

Cover Reveal: The Room Mate

New York Times Bestselling Author Kendall Ryan brings us a brand new standalone on January 24, 2017 - The Room Mate! When someone is off-limits it's hard to resist.About the BookTitle: The Room Mate
Series: Roommates, 1
Author: Kendall Ryan
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Everafter Romance
Publication Date: January 24, 2017

The last time I saw my best friend’s younger brother, he was a geek wearing braces. But when Cannon shows up to crash in my spare room, I get a swift reality check.

Now twenty-four, he’s broad shouldered and masculine, and so sinfully sexy, I want to climb him like the jungle gyms we used to enjoy. At six-foot-something with lean muscles hiding under his T-shirt, a deep sexy voice, and full lips that pull into a smirk when he studies me, he’s pure temptation.

Fresh out of a messy breakup, he doesn’t want any entanglements. But I can resist, right?

I’m holding strong until the third night of our new arrangement when we get drunk and he confesses his biggest secret of all: he’s cursed when it comes to sex. Apparently he’s a god in bed, and women instantly fall in love with him.

I’m calling bullshit. In fact, I’m going to prove him wrong, and if I rack up a few much-needed orgasms in the process, all the better.

There’s no way I’m going to fall in love with Cannon. But once we start…I realize betting against him may have been the biggest mistake of my life.About the Author A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world.

She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she appeared #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world.

Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Visit her website for the latest book news and fun extras.

Book Review: Compromising Positions by Jenna Bayley-Burke

My ReviewI really enjoyed this book. It was short, sweet, and full of sexual tension (which is to be expected when the title is Compromising Positions and about two yoga people teaching a Kama Sutra class).

​I found both characters to be interesting on their own, made only better when paired with the other. Their individual hang ups made sense, weren't stupid, and (mostly) weren't perpetuated by the characters refusing to speak to each other.

The side characters were great at revealing other sides of the main characters, and the plot was fun. I kind of hated Craig, Sophie's brother-in-law and David's best friend, for always harping on Sophie's weight (that David gets fed up with this was a positive in my mind).For everything I loved in the story, though, there were a few things I didn't like. Or, more like 1 thing that popped up a few times: issues between characters that then went unaddressed. The first time was when Sophie heard that her sister referred to their yoga club as hers, even though Sophie owned 70% of it (this does kind of come back later, but given how vocal Sophie is, I'm disappointed she didn't bring this up with her sister sooner and in a more direct way). The second, major time, is when David thinks that Sophie might have been playing him this whole time. He makes a decision to protect himself, but never asks Sophie. Granted, he's not as vocal as her about stuff like this, but with something so major, I'd assume he would have wanted to hear her tell her side—but he didn't, and his doubt is never mentioned again.

​But, for a story that had everything going for it, one flaw isn't so bad. That's why I'm still giving this book 5 stars.
About the BookTitle: Compromising Positions
Series: Invested In Love, 1
Author: Jenna Bayley-Burke
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Entangled: Select Contemporary
Publication Date: November 28, 2016

When fitness empire CEO David Strong agrees to help teach a yoga class for couples based on poses in The Kama Sutra, he’s put in one compromising position after another. Especially since the instructor is his best friend’s little sister-in-law, doesn’t have a lot of experience with men, and is totally off-limits. She’s everything David’s never wanted. So he can’t understand why he suddenly needs her so much.

Sophie DelFino has fantasized about David for over a decade, but he has a type, and she’s far from it. He’s also got all sorts of rules and reasons why they shouldn’t be together. Good thing Sophie is all about bending the rules.

Book Review: Compromising Positions by Jenna Bayley-Burke

My ReviewI really enjoyed this book. It was short, sweet, and full of sexual tension (which is to be expected when the title is Compromising Positions and about two yoga people teaching a Kama Sutra class).

​I found both characters to be interesting on their own, made only better when paired with the other. Their individual hang ups made sense, weren't stupid, and (mostly) weren't perpetuated by the characters refusing to speak to each other.

The side characters were great at revealing other sides of the main characters, and the plot was fun. I kind of hated Craig, Sophie's brother-in-law and David's best friend, for always harping on Sophie's weight (that David gets fed up with this was a positive in my mind).For everything I loved in the story, though, there were a few things I didn't like. Or, more like 1 thing that popped up a few times: issues between characters that then went unaddressed. The first time was when Sophie heard that her sister referred to their yoga club as hers, even though Sophie owned 70% of it (this does kind of come back later, but given how vocal Sophie is, I'm disappointed she didn't bring this up with her sister sooner and in a more direct way). The second, major time, is when David thinks that Sophie might have been playing him this whole time. He makes a decision to protect himself, but never asks Sophie. Granted, he's not as vocal as her about stuff like this, but with something so major, I'd assume he would have wanted to hear her tell her side—but he didn't, and his doubt is never mentioned again.

​But, for a story that had everything going for it, one flaw isn't so bad. That's why I'm still giving this book 5 stars.
About the BookTitle: Compromising Positions
Series: Invested In Love, 1
Author: Jenna Bayley-Burke
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Entangled: Select Contemporary
Publication Date: November 28, 2016

When fitness empire CEO David Strong agrees to help teach a yoga class for couples based on poses in The Kama Sutra, he’s put in one compromising position after another. Especially since the instructor is his best friend’s little sister-in-law, doesn’t have a lot of experience with men, and is totally off-limits. She’s everything David’s never wanted. So he can’t understand why he suddenly needs her so much.

Sophie DelFino has fantasized about David for over a decade, but he has a type, and she’s far from it. He’s also got all sorts of rules and reasons why they shouldn’t be together. Good thing Sophie is all about bending the rules.

On My Acceptance to BU

Now that Thanksgiving is over and my mom is coming up soon to help me pack up my room in preparation for my transferring to Boston University. I found out the first day of my Thanksgiving break (earlier than I was expecting) and after freezing for a moment, I immediately opened the email and logged into the application portal to learn I had been accepted! But even as I received multiple congratulations over the holiday, the full impact of the decision hadn't fully hit me yet.

​It's hitting now that I have to pack and say goodbye to my friends. In a weird way, I'm kind of grateful for finals. It's keeping me busy and distracted. It's also necessary that I do well or they might rescind my acceptance—and that is not going to happen if I have any say about it!

I've 2 papers to submit (1 of which I spent all weekend working on and still ​haven't finished), 2 exams to study for, and 5 case studies to complete before I'm done at Brandeis... wish me luck!

Thanksgiving Sale: The Belgrave Legacy

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it brings the whole family together.

​Family is not only important to me, but also Fawn Belgrave in The Belgrave Legacy. The reason Fawn is even The Chosen One is because she is a 7th-generation witch. In addition to having strong support from her mother and twin brother, she also has access to all the previous witches in her lineage (not that they're the most helpful).

If the dead couldn't give her a straight answer, and her mother hadn't seen anything dangerous, she was sure no one—dead or alive—could tell her.
Chapter 1, The Belgrave Legacy

One thing about this year that I'm not totally looking forward to is the fact that almost half of the usual family crowd will be off with their significant others' families. Let's just say that the weekend will feel incomplete without them, my late cousin, and my late grandmother, who was always the heart of family gatherings. Like Fawn wonders:

What Thanksgiving dinner didn't include the whole family?
Chapter 1, The Belgrave Legacy

But enough about me. What are you doing this Thanksgiving? Comment below, and don't forget to grab a copy of The Belgrave Legacy at 99¢ before the price goes back to normal! About the BookTitle: The Belgrave Legacy
Author: Zara Hoffman
Genre: Upper YA Paranormal Romance
Publisher: ZH Press
Publication Date: October 31, 2016
eBook ISBN-13: 978-0-9864279-4-7
eBook Length: 217 pages

Print ISBN-13: 978-0-9864279-1-6
Book Length: Paperback, 286 pages

A Reluctant Heroine. A Snarky Angel. A Big Mess.

Fawn doesn't believe in magic. But when she is unexpectedly thrust into the middle of an ancient feud, she must learn to control her powers.

Caleb is sick of Hell. But when a simple seduction becomes complicated by real feelings, he is forced to pick between keeping his past or fighting for his future.

Can this young witch navigate a dangerous world with the dark angel assigned to romance and seduce her by her side?

The Belgrave Legacy is an upper-young adult paranormal romance novel with a feminist twist. Filled with magic, witches, angels, demons, Zara Hoffman's "coming of age" story will keep you turning the pages until the very end.

Book Review: Managed by Kristen Callihan

My ReviewI think I loved this book even more than the last. Maybe it's because I like Gabriel "Scottie" Scott a bit more than Killian, or maybe it's because Jax finally decides not to be a dark cloud raining on everyone, but I devoured this book.

​Everything that was good about the last book, this book has it in spades, and a few bonuses.
The battle of wits that goes on in First Class between Gabriel and Sophie is just so good it had me smiling at my phone like an idiot. The way she handles Killian blowing up at her and Gabriel dismissing her had me thinking "You go, girl!" And her reaction to actually being hired was hilarious. She's sweet, spunky, and strong.

Gabriel's backstory broke my heart, as did his need of Sophie to sleep (though that actually melted my heart rather than broke it). The way he asked her though had me smiling. I love the guy, but he doesn't always think through how his actions will affect her (though he always seems to be aware of how his actions affect Kill John).

A few other things I loved, the way Gabriel goes nuts when he thought Jax and Sophie slept together, learning how the other Kill John members could hear Killian and Libby in the last novel when they thought they were being quiet, and the epilogue to this story was just so sweet, it had me grinning from ear to ear.
About the BookTitle: Managed
Series: VIP, 2
Author: Kristen Callihan
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Plain Jane Books
Publication Date: November 14, 2016

It started off as a battle of wits. Me: the ordinary girl with a big mouth against Him: the sexy bastard with a big...ego.

I thought I’d hit the jackpot when I was upgraded to first class on my flight to London.

That is until HE sat next to me. Gabriel Scott: handsome as sin, cold as ice. Nothing and no one gets to him. Ever. He’s a legend in his own right, the manager of the biggest rock band in the world, and an arrogant ass who looks down his nose at me.

I thought I’d give him hell for one, long flight. I didn’t expect to like him. I didn’t expect to want him. But the biggest surprise? He wants me too. Only in a way I didn’t see coming.

If I accept his proposal, I leave myself open to falling for the one man I can’t manage. But I’m tempted to say yes. Because the real man beneath those perfect suits and that cool façade just might be the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And I just might be the only one who can melt the ice around his heart.

Let the battle begin…
About Book 1Title: Idol
Series: VIP, 1
Author: Kristen Callihan
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Plain Jane Books
Publication Date: June 7, 2016

Libby

I found Killian drunk and sprawled out on my lawn like some lost prince. With the face of a god and the arrogance to match, the pest won’t leave. Sexy, charming, and just a little bit dirty, he’s slowly wearing me down, making me crave more.

He could be mine if I dare to claim him. Problem is, the world thinks he’s theirs. How do you keep an idol when everyone is intent on taking him away?

Killian

As lead singer for the biggest rock band in the world, I lived a life of dreams. It all fell apart with one fateful decision. Now everything is in shambles.

Until Liberty. She’s grouchy, a recluse—and kind of cute. Scratch that. When I get my hands on her, she is scorching hot and more addictive than all the fans who’ve screamed my name.

The world is clamoring for me to get back on stage, but I’m not willing to leave her. I’ve got to find a way to coax the hermit from her shell and keep her with me. Because, with Libby, everything has changed. Everything.

Sale Blitz: The Cupcake Series by Bethany Lopez

Today we are sharing a sale from the CUPCAKES series by Bethany Lopez and a bonus scene! This series is a romantic comedy/suspense series that is available now. Check out the book information below and grab Always Room for Cupcakes while it's on sale for just .99¢. Title: Always Room for Cupcakes
Series: Cupcakes, 1
Author: Bethany Lopez
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: February 2, 2016

One day I was be-bopping along jamming to the music in my head while wondering if my thighs could handle grabbing a cupcake on the way home. The next thing I knew, my entire world crashed and burned.

I used to wake up at night in a sweat, crying because I’d dreamt that my husband was cheating on me, or that he hated me, and resented my kids. He’d always hold me close and tell me it was all just a dream, that he loved me and our family and that he’d never let me go.

He was a fucking liar.

Now I spend my days taking photos of scum just like him, trying to be a champion for other's being taken advantage of by the losers in our town, and my nights being a single mom to my beautiful twins.

I've got great friends who have my back, and a sexy, mysterious motorcycle man who keeps showing up when I need him. Maybe things are starting to look up, and one thing's for sure... There's always room for cupcakes.

WARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS FOUL LANGUAGE, SEX, SOME VIOLENCE, AND SHENANIGANS. IF NONE OF THAT BOTHERS YOU, GRAB A CUPCAKE AND READ ON!
SequelTitle: Cupcake Overload
Series: Cupcakes, 2
Author: Bethany Lopez
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: July 16, 2016

One night I was out with my girls enjoying a much needed ladies night while wondering if one more dirty martini would push me over the edge. The next thing I knew, I was in the club’s bathroom listening to a woman screaming, “No,” and a man’s voice growling, “I know you want it.”

That asshole picked the wrong restroom, in the wrong club, at the wrong time.

Little did I know the asshole was Cade’s VP, and although we saved that woman from his clutches that night, she’d be found floating in a motel pool a month later.

Running a PI firm is a lot harder than taking pictures for one, especially when your professional life spills over into your personal one. I’m going through cupcakes like our new puppy goes through piddle pads, and if I’m not careful there’s bound to be a Cupcake Overload.

WARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS FOUL LANGUAGE, SEX, SOME VIOLENCE, AND SHENANIGANS. IF NONE OF THAT BOTHERS YOU, GRAB A CUPCAKE AND READ ON!
The next book will be called ​Lei'd with Cupcakes, and it will be released in March 2017!Bonus Scene​I was trying, unsuccessfully, to hide my grin while Elin and Elena chattered on excitedly about our upcoming trip to Hawaii.

We were in the midst of chaos.

Machines were dinging loudly, children were laughing and yelling, and everyone was talking over each other, trying to be heard.

Cade looked uncomfortable, out of place, and like he was hoping a meteor was about to crash down and take out the pizza joint and put him out of his misery.
He had on a black skull cap, a dark t-shirt and black jeans, and he was adorned with his usual jewelry. Thick, silver rings, rope bracelets, and a few chunky necklaces.

He was my shit-hot oasis in a sea of yuppies and stay at home moms.

Even without his cut, it was obvious that my man was one bad-ass mother, and the last place he expected to be on a Friday night was at a family fun place. He was more suited to a smoky bar with classic rock playing on the juke box, and loose women on the prowl.

​But did he let on to my twins that he’d rather have his beard taken out with tweezers, one hair at a time, than playing skeeball and grabbing a slice with them… not on your life.

He was grinning as Elin talked about snorkeling, seeing sharks, and going whale watching.

I was about to suggest it was time to go, and let Cade off the hook, when I saw Elena stiffen and drop her head, allowing her hair to curtain her face. I turned my head to see why she was hiding, and saw a group of boys walking into the pizza place, laughing as they looked for an open booth.
​
“Who are they?” I asked, placing my hand on Elena’s knee.

She shook her head, causing her hair to move, but didn’t reply.

“Lena?” I prodded. When there was still no response, I looked up and caught Elin watching his sister. “Elin?”

“They’ve been giving Lena a hard time in English class, ever since Ms. Cotton made us stand up and read our poems out loud.”

“Why?” I asked sharply. “What have they been doing?”

“Calling her names and stuff,” Elin said, giving the boys a dark look over my shoulder. “I’ve told them to back off. I think that JJ likes her, and that’s why he keeps messing with her.”

“If you like a girl, you don’t show it by being an asshole,” Cade bit off, my gaze swinging to him when I caught his tone.

“Swear jar,” Elin said automatically.

“Gosh, not now, Elin,” Elena said, finally speaking, but still not putting her head up. “Can we just go?”

“Sure, baby,” I said, grabbing my purse and starting to rise.

“I’ll meet you at the truck,” Cade ordered, and my pulse started dancing nervously.
​
“What are you going to do, Cade?” I hissed, glancing back and forth at the twins who were watching Cade warily. “You can’t beat up a bunch of eleven and twelve-year-old boys.”

“Don’t worry, Darlin’, I’m just going to talk to them,” Cade assured me as all six foot three of him rose and stepped into the aisle. “Meet me at the truck.”

“C’mon, guys,” I said, ushering the twins to the exit. Of course, once we got outside, we didn’t go to the car, we pressed our noses to the glass to see what was happening inside.

We watched as Cade sauntered over to where the boys were piling into their booth. They all jumped when he spoke, and I saw a few of them start to visibly shake as they looked my biker babe over.

I saw one kid raise his hand, and Elin whispered, “That’s JJ,” then get out of the booth to stand next to Cade who put a hand on his shoulder as he spoke to him.

The kid’s hair flopped as he nodded rapidly, and I swear, I could see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed.

Cade picked up his hand, then brought it back down on JJ’s shoulder, said something to the kid, then something to the group of boys, before turning and striding casually to the cashier where he paid our bill.

We watched as he walked out, eyes on us as we peered back at him from our viewing spot, and our heads all turned toward Cade as he opened the door and turned to us.

“Can you ever just do what I ask, Lila?” he asked, his tone frustrated, but his face amused.

I shook my head slowly, dying to ask what he’d said to those boys, but knowing he wouldn’t answer in front of the kids.

“I didn’t think so,” Cade said, then fished the keys out of his pocket and added, “Let’s go.” But before he could step off of the curb and head to the parking lot, Elena rushed forward and threw herself against him.

I bit back a watery sigh as Cade bent low and kissed my daughter on the top of her head.

“Let’s go home,” he said softly, and I heard Elena say, “Thanks, Cade,” her voice muffled against his shirt.

“Anytime, sweet girl,” was his reply.About the Author Award-Winning Author Bethany Lopez began self-publishing in June 2011. She's a lover of all things romance: books, movies, music, and life, and she incorporates that into the books she writes. When she isn't reading or writing, she loves spending time with her husband and children, traveling whenever possible. Some of her favorite things are: Kristen Ashley Books, coffee in the morning, and In N Out burgers.