Friday 30 October 2015

Review: True Deceptions by Veronica Forand


A man with a deadly past, a woman with a bright future, and the danger closing in on them, eager to destroy them both.

Veronica Forand takes readers on a heart-stopping ride through the world of espionage. If you loved Killing Game by Toni Anderson or Minutes to Kill by Melinda Leigh, you’ll find yourself absorbed and utterly thrilled by TRUE DECEPTIONS.




After his partner was murdered, Simon Dunn was finished with MI6. But the cold, violent world of British intelligence never lets anyone go free. Now Simon has been blackmailed into a new job...with a beautiful new partner who's going to get them both killed.
Robotics expert Cassie Watson is a newbie field agent with as much sophistication as...well, a pacifist, vegan computer nerd. Now she's abruptly thrust into the cutthroat world of espionage with a partner who is as cold as he is brutally—and brutishly—handsome.
But when their mission is betrayed from the inside, Cassie will be forced to place her life in the hands of the one man who's anything but trustworthy...

Other Romantic Suspense by Veronica Forand: Untrue Colors


 An eagerly anticipated sequel, after meeting Simon in Untrue Colors - one of my top books for 2015.

True Deceptions is a fast-paced, action packed, thriller with a romantic twist. The protagonists are as different as chalk and cheese, but that just adds to the overall appeal of this unlikely coupling.

Dr. Cassie Watson likes her desk job working for MI6. She's a robotics expert specialising in software developer and a very capable hacker too. Everything was fine until she was assigned a project involving fieldwork. As a vegan pacifist, she proves that she's not suited to covert, underworld of espionage. Much to her chagrin, she's still assigned a partner without knowing what role she is to play.

Devastated after the death of his partner Nicola, Simon Dunn is summons back after an eight month hiatus and not at all happy about the stunning Amazonian blonde he's had assigned as his new partner. How can he trust this geeky woman to watch his back during a mission?

The strength of Cassie and Simon's relationship is how they develop and complement each other as they gain respective trust. Simon is an ass-hole...controlling, domineering and far from personable. He's forced to push Cassie to the limit to assess her capability, doubting that she can do no more than the technical work she's specifically be picked for. Surprisingly, Cassie proves that she has what it takes, earning Simon's respect. In return for Cassie's new found toughness, he backs off, allowing her to gain greater competence and confidence.

Ms Forand has presented another outstanding novel. Both well written and researched, this page turner takes us on a journey highlighting the dark-side of undercover operations against exotic locations. Although this is a standalone, I heartily recommend reading Untrue Colors too. Firstly, it is another fast-paced suspense and secondly it illustrates the depth of feeling Simon had for his previous partner Nicola; offering an even greater insight into their relationship and the man himself. It was fun seeing Henry and Alex again too. I love that Alex is keeping Henry on his toes!

5 Stars

***arc generously received courtesy of publisher Entangled Suspense via NetGalley***





A Bostonian by birth, Veronica Forand regrettably lost her Boston accent while moving from state to state and country to country. Cleveland probably had the most profound effect on her ability to pronounce the “r” in the word “park.”
She does try to return now and then to visit family and eat long neck clams and lobster. Summers on Cape Cod are also high on the priority list.
Her experience in crime involves time as a court appointed attorney. Eventually, she switched fields to where bigger crimes take place, corporate tax. The allure of spending mornings in her pajamas homeschooling her children and writing fascinating fiction caused her to change careers again. Now that the kids are out of the house (in school), she writes romantic thrillers by day and is the perfect wife and mother at night.

Her experience in romance is limited to one man. Luckily, he’s still finding ways to charm her by taking her on vacations to the south of France, Fiji, and the Green Mountains when time is short. Avid travelers, they love to roam with their kids across continents in pursuit of skiing, scuba diving, and the perfect piece of chocolate.
She’s lived in London, Paris, Geneva, Washington D.C., and the accent destroying city of Cleveland. She currently resides near Philadelphia.

Connect with Veronica: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads




New Releases Spotlight:Forever Your Earl & Scandal Takes The Stage by Eva Leigh


Enter to Win aPrint Copy of 
FOREVER YOUR EARL and a $25.00 eGift Card to choice Book Seller


FOREVER YOUR EARL
The Wicked Quills of London Book One
Eva Leigh
Released Sept 29th, 2015
Avon Books



Eleanor Hawke loves a good scandal. And readers of her successful gossip rag live for the exploits of her favorite subject: Daniel Balfour, the notorious Earl of Ashford. So when the earl himself marches into her office one day and invites her to experience his illicit pursuits firsthand, Eleanor is stunned. Gambling hells, phaeton races, masquerades…What more could a scandal writer want than a secret look into the life of this devilishly handsome rake?

Daniel has secrets and if The Hawk’s Eye gets wind of them, a man’s life could be at stake. And what better way to distract a gossip than by feeding her the scandal she desperately craves? But Daniel never expected the sharp mind and biting wit of the beautiful writer, and their desire for each other threatens even his best laid plans.

But when Eleanor learns the truth of his deception, Daniel will do anything to prove a romance between a commoner and an earl could really last forever.



But Lord Ashford up close was rather...appalling.  It didn't seem right that a man so blessed by fortune and title should also be so attractive. 
His dark brown hair was fashionably cut and artfully tousled, as if he'd recently risen from a lover's bed.  Given his reputation, that was most likely possible.   He had a broad forehead, a coin-clean jawline, thick brows, and eyes that, even with yards between her and him, stunned her with their blue clarity.  Naturally, he had a mouth that looked very adept at kissing and...other things. 
He moved with a long-limbed ease that betrayed his skill as a sportsman.  His ink blue coat fit the broad width of his shoulders, and his cream and gold-embroidered waistcoat defined the shape of his torso—his tailor on Jermyn Street produced excellent work.  Snug doeskin breeches were tucked into polished Hessians that came from Bond Street.  
Truly, he was quite alarming.
Miss Hawke?” he asked sharply, coming to stand in front of her paper-cluttered desk.  “I wasn't expecting a female.”
Neither were my parents,” she answered, “but they learned to adapt.  How might I help you, my lord?”
Though she felt an obligation to ask the question, she braced herself for what was sure to be a scorching lecture.
He removed his hat and set it aside.  Then he held up an issue of The Hawk's Eye and began to read.
'Lord A—d, a figure well-known to our assiduous and genteel readers, was lately seen in the company of a certain Mrs. F—e, whose late husband made his considerable fortune through the manufacture and sale of a woman's garment we blush to mention in these virtuous pages.'”  He tossed one of the issues to the ground. “Wrong.”
You cannot deny—”
But he wasn't done.  Holding up another issue of the paper, he read again.  “'It may or may not stun our honorable readers to learn that the notorious Lord A—d has not amended his ways following the duel over Lady L., from Y—shire, and has been espied with another married lady of questionable character, at the late night revels hosted by the equally rakish Mr. S—n.  Yet it was noted by our keen-eyed intelligence that this married lady was not the only female vying for the earl's favors.'” This paper he also cast to the floor.  “Wrong.”
She herself had written those pieces, and while they weren't matchless examples of English prose, she was still rather proud of them, as she was of all her labors.  To have her hard work thrown to the ground like so much garbage was rankling.
I assure you, my lord,” she said bitingly, “The Hawk's Eye strives for the greatest of accuracy.”  She had a network of sources which she used regularly to provide information.  Many members of the aristocracy were in dire need of funds, and they gladly turned on each other in order to maintain the pretense of effortless wealth.  Eleanor always paid her informants to keep them returning.
Whether or not they lied to her just to collect payment wasn't her concern, but she always preferred it if she could validate their statements.  Sometimes that meant going out and conducting a few investigations.  But she was a very busy woman—writing articles, editing countless others, managing the paper’s finances—and didn't always have the time.

She had to earn a living, after all.  And men like the earl didn't.


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SCANDAL TAKES THE STAGE
The Wicked Quills of London Book Two
Eva Leigh
Releasing Oct 27th, 2015
Avon Books



Successful playwright Maggie Delamere has no interest in the flirtations of noblemen like Cameron, Viscount Marwood. She once paid dearly for a moment of weakness… and vows to rebuff the wildly
persistent-and irritatingly handsome-scoundrel at every turn. But when pressure to deliver a new play hampers her creativity, an invitation to use his country estate as a writer’s retreat is too tempting to resist...
For years, Cam has admired Maggie’s brilliant work and he can’t pass up the opportunity to discover if the beautiful, mysterious playwright is as passionate and clever as the words that flow from her quill. He’s never offered a lady his bed without being in it, but if it means loosening Maggie’s pen-and her inhibitions-he’ll do exactly that.
But soon Cam’s plans for seduction become a fight for Maggie’s heart. He’s more than the scandalous, carefree rake society believes him to be… and she’s the only woman who has ever noticed.

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EVA LEIGH is the pen name of a RITA® Award-nominated romance author who writes novels chock-full of smart women and sexy men. She enjoys baking, Tweeting about boots, and listening to music from the ‘80s. Eva and her husband live in Central California.


Cover Reveal: Third Base by Heidi McLaughlin

We are so excited to share the cover of THIRD BASE by Heidi McLaughlin releasing on November 4th! Add it to your TBR below. Heidi is having a giveaway on her Facebook page for a chance to win a Kindle Fire - stop by her page to comment and enter! Good luck!

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Ethan Davenport is already Boston’s most eligible bachelor, in his second season with the Boston Renegades and has eyes for the girl behind the visitors’ dugout who has been staring at him for a year.
That girl is Daisy Robinson, a journalism student at the University of Boston, a die-hard Renegades fan and determined to give Ethan a run for his money. He knows in order to have a chance with her, he needs to change his ways but he may just need her to wait until the off-season.
But with new found love comes challenges and Ethan and Daisy have to deal with his crazy schedule, school finals and his presence on her campus for some much needed media training. For Ethan nothing can come between him and Daisy, until a secret that she’s been keeping threatens to destroy them both.
Release Date: November 4th

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Cover by: Sarah Hansen at Okay Creations
Photography: Eric Battershell
Cover Model: Blake Farley


“Someone’s dogging ya,” Kidd says as he nods behind me. I can hear my name being called, but I don’t want to look because he’s likely up to something. The fact that my name is being called means nothing, since the kids are always trying to get us to sign things, give them a bat during the game or even look at them. It was a thrill when it happened to me so I know what it’s like to get attention from your favorite player, let alone any player.

“Just a fan, I’m assuming,” I say, shrugging him off and focusing on Mackenzie’s at bat.

He shakes his head and starts laughing. “A super fan,” he says, nodding behind me again. “You might want to turn around.”

“You might want to pay attention to the game. Mackenzie could hit a foul ball and smack you in the tallywacker.”

“Jesus Davenport, just turn the hell around.”

I roll my eyes and finally give in, but only halfheartedly. I look over my left shoulder and see no one calling me and over my right to find the same thing.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Kidd swings the bat a few times before he stops because Mackenzie has a hit and is now on first base. “Turn all the way around, Davenport. Stop being a bitch.”

I do as he says and I’m met with a pair of green eyes that I have burnt into my memory. She’s sitting behind our dugout in the center seat. She stands and points to her shirt. The front of it says, “I’m sorry”. I can’t help the stupid ass grin that is plastered all over my face.

I lean forward, resting my hands on the edge of the dugout. “Are you busy after the game?”

“No,” Daisy says with a smile.

“You are now,” I say, not caring that I’m probably jumping the gun and assuming she wants to see me. It’s not a guess; I know she does. “Stay right there and I’ll come get you when the game is over.”

Before I know it, we’re on the Jumbo Tron with hearts all around our picture. She covers her face and I turn back to the game, only to turn around and wave my hat at the section she’s in. They roar with cheers and start chanting my name.

We win, nine to one. I had a few more base hits and some RBI’s to add to our run count. Every Renegade player had at least one base hit. It’s odd when that happens, but we take it and run with it when it does. As soon as I enter the clubhouse the reporters are there. They call my name and instead of going to them, they come over to me and shove their microphones into my face as soon as I sit down.

“Ethan, you made a pretty big display of affection today during the game. Do you care to tell us about your girlfriend?”

“Yeah, sure,” I say, running my hand through my hair. “I’ve been in love with her for as long as I can remember. She means everything to me.” Suddenly their microphones are even more in my face.

“What’s her name?”

“Baseball!”

I wish I had a camera at this exact moment so I can capture their expressions as they all deadpan at my answer. They’re stupid if they think I’m going to say anything about Daisy. We have a long road ahead of us and the last thing we need is the media hounding us. I do enough stupid shit that brings us plenty of attention. We don’t need any more.

The reporters don’t like me much after that answer, not that I can blame them. Kidd punches me in the shoulder and winks at me.

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Heidi Bio Pic
Heidi is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author.
Originally from Portland, Oregon and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell, Buttercup, and their newest addition of a Highland Westie/Mini Schnauzer, JiLL.
During the day Heidi is behind a desk talking about Land Use. At night, she's writing one of the many stories planned for release or sitting courtside during either daughter's basketball games.



Other Books by Heidi McLaughlin
Forever My Girl - The Beaumont Series #1
My Unexpected Forever - The Beaumont Series #2
Finding My Forever - The Beaumont Series #3
Finding My Way - The Beaumont Series #4
My Everything - A Beaumont Series Novella
12 Days of Forever - A Beaumont Series Novella
Lost in Us - A Lost in You Novella
The Archer Brothers
Here with Me
Choose Me
The Reeducation of Savannah McGuire

Thursday 29 October 2015

Release Day & Review: Take The Storm by Rebecca Zanetti

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We are so excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for TAKE THE STORM by Rebecca Zanetti! TAKE THE STORM is Episode 6 in the Rising Storm Series brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights. Grab the latest episode in this sexy series now!

Take the Storm - Episode 6 - Cover

Rising Storm Episode 6 (Oct. 29): Rebecca Zanetti’s Take the Storm

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 Welcome to Storm, Texas, where passion runs hot, desire runs deep, and secrets have the power to destroy...

Nestled among rolling hills and painted with vibrant wildflowers, the bucolic town of Storm, Texas, seems like nothing short of perfection.

But there are secrets beneath the facade. Dark secrets.  Powerful secrets. The kind that can destroy lives and tear families apart.  The kind that can cut through a town like a tempest, leaving jealousy and destruction in its wake, along with shattered hopes and broken dreams. All it takes is one little thing to shatter that polish.

Reading like an on-going drama in the tradition of classic day and night-time soap operas like Dallas, Dynasty, and All My Children, Rising Storm is full of scandal, deceit, romance, passion, and secrets.

With 1001 Dark Nights as the “producer,” Julie Kenner and Dee Davis use a television model with each week building on the last to create a storyline that fulfills the promise of a drama-filled soap opera. Joining Kenner and Davis in the “writer’s room” is an incredible group of New York Times bestselling authors such as Lexi Blake, Elisabeth Naughton, Larissa Ione, Rebecca Zanetti and Lisa Mondello who have brought their vision of Storm to life.

A serial soap opera containing eight episodes in season one, the season premiere of Rising Storm, TEMPEST RISING, debuted September 24th with each subsequent episode releasing consecutively this fall.

So get ready.  The storm is coming.

Take the Storm - Teaser 2


About TAKE THE STORM: Episode 6 of the Rising Storm Series

Secrets, Sex and Scandals …

Welcome to Storm, Texas, where passion runs hot, desire runs deep, and secrets have the power to destroy…  Get ready.  The storm is coming.

Marisol Moreno has spent her youth taking care of her younger siblings. Now, with her sister, Ginny, in crisis, and her brother in the throes of his first real relationship, she doesn’t have time for anything else. Especially not the overtures of the incredibly compelling Patrick Murphy.



As the preparations for the Founders Day are in full swing, an unsettling atmosphere hangs over the town.

Marisol Moreno takes centre stage in this sixth episode of Rising Storm as Patrick Murphy stakes his claim for the woman he loves. With a younger sister pregnant with a “miracle child,” and brother who's drowning his teenage hormonal angst with Cooder's White Lightening it isn't surprising that Marisol is overwhelmed by her responsibilities and plagued with feelings of inadequacy. Will she accept the ultimatum Patrick is offering?

Someone is either desperate or doesn't understand the word “no.” With the Rush matriarch on her case, Dakota is treading a fine, dangerous line.

A spotlight shifts towards the church and minister Bryce, who's struggling with his beliefs after his son is diagnosed with autism. Instead for finding solace within his faith, he's feeling isolated and disillusioned not only from his church but his family too. Where is this uncertainty going to lead?

Take the Storm is perfectly crafted by Rebecca Zanetti who's managed to crank-up the uncomfortable feeling of the unknown...the storm! With so many loose ends with potential to cause emotional devastation we are left hanging desperately, waiting for the next episode.

4 stars

***arc generously received in exchange for an honest review***



Experience Rising Storm Here…

Rising Storm - Book Banner 2

Rising Storm Episode 1 (Sept. 24): Julie Kenner’s Tempest Rising

Rising Storm Episode 2 (Oct. 1): Lexi Blake’s White Lightning
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Rising Storm Episode 3 (Oct. 8): Elisabeth Naughton’s Crosswinds
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Rising Storm Episode 4 (Oct. 15): Jennifer Probst’s Dance in the Wind
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Rising Storm Episode 5 (Oct. 22): Larissa Ione’s Calm Before the Storm
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Rising Storm Episode 6 (Oct. 29): Rebecca Zanetti’s Take the Storm
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Rising Storm Episode 7 (Nov. 5): Lisa Mondello’s Weather the Storm
Amazon ** iBooks ** Barnes & Noble ** GooglePlay

Rising Storm Episode 8 (Nov. 12): Dee Davis’s Thunder Rolls
Amazon ** iBooks ** GooglePlay

A close up of a woman sitting on a mans lap.


Author Pic - Rebecca ZanettiAbout Rebecca Zanetti:

New York Times Bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti is the author of over twenty-five dark paranormals, romantic suspense, and contemporary romances, and her books have appeared multiple times on the USA TodayNY TimesAmazonBarnes and Noble, and iBooksbestseller lists. She lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her own Alpha hero, two kids, a couple of dogs, a crazy cat…and a huge extended family. She believes strongly in luck, karma, and working her butt off…and she thinks one of the best things about being an author, unlike the lawyer she used to be, is that she can let the crazy out. Her current series are: The Scorpius Syndrome, The Dark Protectors, The Realm Enforcers, The Maverick Montana Cowboys, and the Sin Brothers series.

Rising StormWebsite | Facebook |Twitter | 1001 Dark Nights | Rising Storm on Goodreads

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Spotlight: English Ivy by Betsy Talbot




 Finally, contemporary romance for women over forty!

After a solid career as an economist working at the US Embassy in London, forty-two-year-old American Ivy Cross is ready to jump to the bigger paycheck of the private sector and finally make time for a relationship.

Madrid-based tech superstar Ruben Alegre both infuriates and intoxicates her, and if he only lived closer she'd consider risking her heart.

When the opportunity for an incredible new job in Berlin arrives in the form of sexy Christof Brandt, she wonders if the offer is too good to be true. Her Late Bloomer friends are split down the middle, offering support but no clear decision.

Will she find a future with Ruben? Start a new life in hip and gritty Berlin?

There are no easy answers, but Ivy can't deny that her life is about to change in a very big way.

Cambio!” Orange Pants gave the signal to change partners, hand in the air making a circle. A curvy blonde in a tight dress shimmied her way into Ivy’s spot, delighted to pair with a handsome man like Ruben.
I’ve got this, luv,” she said to Ivy, barely even glancing at her. Ruben embraced her like a pro, dismissing Ivy with a slight shrug.

Ivy looked right and saw her next partner was a balding man who was hopping from side to side, out of rhythm to the music. He held out his hand expectantly, waiting for her. Ivy plastered a smile on her face and joined him, wincing every time he stepped on her feet. Front and back, side to side, twirling in his arms, Ivy felt the lack of heat between them, their mechanical movements a mockery of the sensual music. When Orange Pants signaled another change, Ivy was glad to move on, wishing the curvy blonde woman behind her a broken toe from dancing with the rhythm killer.
She circled the dance floor for almost an hour, changing partners and never finding the rhythm she had with Ruben. Tall men, short men, fat men, skinny men, young men, old men–no one fit her like Ruben. She looked around the dance floor to see how many more changes until she got back to him. Ten, nine, eight. He was smiling too much with a raven-haired woman in a red dress. Seven, six, five. A short-haired woman with an impossibly small waist and wide, curvy hips looked like a professional dancer, moving in tune with Ruben in a way that made Ivy green with envy. This woman looked how Ivy felt when dancing with him though there was no way Ivy was that coordinated.
Ivy didn’t do jealousy, or at least she hadn’t until tonight. And she did not like the way it made her feel. Her current dance partner was a young guy, probably barely in his twenties, with a thin, hipster-looking build. She stared at his oversized black glasses and close-cropped hair and forced herself to be into him, to feel the rhythm in the same way she felt it with Ruben. To make Ruben jealous, too.
Hipster Guy was into it. He was a superb dancer, and Ivy could barely keep up. But his was a technical precision, a dance instructor way of moving that felt less sensual on the inside than it probably looked from the outside. Ivy wondered if Ruben was watching, irritated that she even cared.
Four, three, two. Next to him now, she could see the sparkle in his eyes. He was having a good time—without her! A woman with curly brown hair was in his arms, laughing at whatever he’d just whispered in her ear. Ivy’s partner was a tall, thin man with an unkempt beard, a professor type loosening up outside of class. He was surprisingly light on his feet, a fun partner with soulful eyes who probably wrote poetry in his spare time. Men like that were perfect for Ivy’s flighty friend Daisy, maybe even her artistic friend Vi, but not for the hard-charging and slightly abrasive personality of Ivy Cross.
Cambio!” Orange Pants called, finally delivering Ivy back to Ruben. She’d make him pay for his wandering eye, show him exactly how much fire she had in her belly. Ivy put on her best lusty look and moved toward him, vindicated when he took her hand and pulled her close to him. She was ready to show him what she’d learned, to make him forget about those other women. Ivy felt her full sexual power humming through her body, ready to pounce on her prey.

Let’s get a drink,” he said, oblivious to her powers of seduction. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed her hand and dragged her off the dance floor toward the bar. 

Betsy Talbot is a forty-something traveler and author. When she’s not on the road or penning books about love, adventure, and self-discovery, she is hiking, learning flamenco dancing, and drinking wine in a tiny whitewashed village in Spain with her handsome, long-haired husband Warren. (Watch out, Fabio!)
She is the host of The Quickie Romance Podcast, a weekly show highlighting excerpts from the best romance books in every genre. She’s been told she gives good audio.
Her latest project is The Late Bloomers Series, a five-book romance series about women in their forties. Because women with experience make the best characters—in life and on the page. Download a free Late Bloomers adventure right now at BetsyTalbot.com.



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