Release Day and Review: Totally His by Erin Nicholas

“Moving and inspiring.” -- Publishers Weekly

TOTALLY HIS 
by Erin Nicholas

Part of the Opposites Attract series

will be published on October 31, 2017 from Forever.

Mass Market Paperback: $7.99 | eBook: $3.99 | ISBN: 9781455539727

Sophia Birch loves nothing more than the spotlight--as long as she's playing a part. A theater geek from an early age, Sophia now runs a little hole-in-the-wall playhouse that feeds her passion... even if it sometimes makes it hard to feed herself! And then one night it all nearly goes up in smoke. Desperate to save the only copy of an irreplaceable script, Sophia rushes back into the burning building.

Police officer Finn Kelly knows crazy when he sees it. And a woman running back into a burning building definitely qualifies as crazy. She also happens to be incredibly sexy. But when he finally finds her ruffling through drawers and refusing to leave, his only option is to carry her out over his shoulder....and then decide whether to arrest her. 

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I'm surprised to find out Totally His is the third book in The Opposites Attract series by Erin Nicholas because, how have I managed to miss the other books (so far)?

Sophie Birch has spent her entire life trying to get people to love her, so as an adult, she doesn't always keep up the façade. When a fire begins at the theatre she inherited from her namesake grandmother, she's desperate to get back into the burning building to retrieve something that means a lot to a person she's become close to. Only an arrogant police officer hauls her out...rescues her leaving a lasting impression on her.

When Finn Kelly sees a scantily clad woman in pink underwear running back into the burning theatre rather than to escape it, he rushes over to locate and evacuate her from danger. Only carrying the reluctant, half-naked woman stirs up far more emotions than merely doing his job to protect her from harm way.

Finn is an archetypal gruff cop but underneath that testosterone-fuelled exterior is a caring and compassionate man. He's met his match when he encounters Sophie Birch, who he recognises as a feisty woman and more than a handful-pun intended. Their attraction is instant, but it's external influences that affect their chances of even having a relationship. Yet, once everything is out in the open, their path to a happy ever after is inevitable.

I read this as a standalone and it works perfectly. The protagonists from the previous books are secondary characters in Totally His and their presence adds depth to the narrative rather leaving the reader feeling they are missing something. The author's writing kept my attention always even when scenes that made me feel uncomfortable. There's nothing wrong with that as her narrative is doing exactly as I expect from a writer...eliciting an emotional reaction from a reader.

Overall, an entertaining novel from a new to me author; one I'll be reading again soon because of her other books in this series.

***arc generously received courtesy of Forever via NetGalley***

Finn would have noticed her even if she hadn’t been wearing hot-pink lingerie. And nothing else.

He really would have. She was totally his type—brunette and curvy and, apparently, a little crazy. As evidenced by the fact that she was trying to sneak into a burning building. He did seem to be attracted to crazy. No matter how hard he tried not to be.

He watched the woman stop at the east corner of the Birch Community Playhouse, the one farthest from where the firefighters were working. Then he frowned as she slipped into the shadows along the side of the theater and out of sight.

Dammit. He started after her.

As one of the cops on scene, he had to keep the area clear for the firefighters and keep the crowd of onlookers safe. If one of them happened to have a great body and be dressed in nothing but a pink bra-and-panty set, well, he’d just call that a perk. And as he jogged across the street, Finn couldn’t help but wonder if she was in costume or if the alarm had caught her in the midst of a wardrobe change. If that was her outfit for the show, he might need to buy a ticket.

He turned the corner to the back of the building and looked around. He didn’t see her. She’d gone inside. Dammit. He climbed up the four steps that led to the back door of the theater.

Finn touched the door and found it cool. It seemed that the flames were still contained to the wall on the other end of the theater, but it was a mistake to assume anything when fire was involved.

He stepped inside and pulled the flashlight from his belt, then shone it back and forth. He turned a full circle, not sure where to go next. Just then Finn heard a door slam somewhere behind him. He swung toward the sound just in time to see the woman step out from a room.

Her eyes went wide when she saw him.

“Boston PD! Stop!” Finn shouted.

She had covered up. Kind of. She now wore a robe, short, sheer, and unbelted. Which really did nothing to cover his view of her panties and bra. Or all that skin.

And maybe that was why she suddenly took off at a run.

Finn stared after her for a moment, a little stunned. She was actually running from him?

The woman made it to the other end of the lobby and through one of the doors leading into the main theater before Finn got to her. He grabbed the door as it was swinging shut, nearly smashing his fingers. The lights were off in the inner theater but, as he plunged into the darkness, he got a big whiff of whatever body spray or perfume she wore. He took a deep breath. It was nice. Lemony. Sweet and…

Jesus. Finn scowled and turned his flashlight back on. He was thinking about how she smelled? How about the smell of smoke that was going to be chasing them both pretty soon?

“Hey!” he called into the theater. You have to come out, ma’am. It’s not safe for you to stay in the building.”

“Just give me a damned minute!” she shouted.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, I can’t do that,” Finn said.

“I have to find something. Then I’m coming right out.”

“Ma’am, I will have to remove you myself if you don’t come out immediately.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” he heard her exclaim.

“Ma’am, this is your last warning. Stop what you’re doing and come with me.”

Enough of this. Finn stalked over to her, put a hand around her upper arm, and turned to remove her from the building.

She dug her heels in, though, pulling against his hold. “Hey, you can’t—”

“Oh, yes I can,” he told her calmly, careful to keep his eyes off her body. The heat from her skin had immediately soaked through the thin robe, and Finn felt it traveling from his palm up his arm. “I’ve given you several opportunities to cooperate.”

“You’re arresting me?” she asked.

“Are you doing something that you need to be arrested for?” he asked, moving her toward the door, even with her resisting.

“No! I need to get something. It’s very important. It belongs to a friend of mine. It’s irreplaceable.”

“Ma’am,” he said calmly, “don’t make me carry you out of here.”

She pulled against his grip and leaned all her weight into fighting the forward motion across the room.

Well, shit. He’d kind of figured it would come to this, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to touch her more. Still, it didn’t look as if he had a lot of choice. Reminding himself that he was a professional, he bent and hooked an arm behind her knees, looped the other around her back, and lifted her.

She gasped, and for a moment she didn’t fight. And he thought maybe the hard part was over. But as he headed out the door, trying to ignore how warm and soft and fucking lemony she was, she started to wiggle.

           

About the author: Erin Nicholas is the New York Times bestselling author of sexy contemporary romances. Her stories have been described as toe-curling, enchanting, steamy and fun. She loves to write about reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines and happily ever afters. She lives in the Midwest with her husband who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books, her kids who will never read the sex scenes in her books, and family and friends who say they're shocked by the sex scenes in her books (yeah, right!).

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Giveaway | Win 1 of 10 copies of TOTALLY HIS.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It's a great post to organise yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog   and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!

What's happening here?

This past week brought some much needed sunshine to Southern Norway after more major flooding to the area due to the abnormal amount of rain we've had these past months. With clear skies, brings overnight frosts, although it's lovely to see the stars again. Leaves are now falling off the trees as winter gets nearer but for now I'm just glad it isn't raining.

With NaNoWriMo only a couple of days away, I've spent the last week preparing for this month long writerthon. I'll still be blogging and reading but not sure how much I will manage with the latter based on last weeks read count. Still, November is a perfect time for this venture or any hobby because the clocks went back this past weekend, so now it's dark by 5pm.

What am I currently reading?

Sugarplum Way by Debbie Mason

Romance writer Julia Landon knows how to write a happily-ever-after. Creating one for herself is a whole different story. But after a surprising--and surprisingly passionate--kiss under the mistletoe at Harmony Harbor's holiday party last year, Julia thought she might have finally found her very own chance at true love. Until she learns her Mr. Tall, Dark, and Broodingly Handsome has sworn off relationships. Well, if she can't have him in real life, Julia knows just how to get the next best thing....

Aidan's only priority is to be the best single dad ever. And this year, he plans to make the holidays magical for his little girl, Ella Rose. But visions of stolen kisses under the mistletoe keep dancing in his head, and when he finds out Julia has written him into her latest novel, he can't help imagining the possibilities of a future together. Little does he know, though, Julia has been keeping a secret that threatens all their dreams. Luckily, 'tis the season for a little Christmas magic.

Thoughts so far…

I've read all the published books is the Harmony Harbor series and Sugarplum Way is the fourth book which is published tomorrow (31^st October) All the books can be read as standalone but with a mild paranormal thread running through the entire series, I recommend reading them all in order. So far, this instalment is living up to my expectations and I'm enjoying so far. The protagonists are both amusing and irritating in their own way depending on who makes the observation, so there are plenty of sparks flying between them. Therefore, I'm feeling confident this novel will keep me more than entertained for the duration.

Book(s) I've read this past week?

Interviewing Wade by Grace Marshall

The Bride Gift by Sarah Hegger

What are you reading?

The Friday 56: The Promise by A.B. Michaels

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)

*Post it.

* Head over to Frida's Voice to find more #Friday56

56% on Kindle: The Promise by A.B. Michaels

The man looked at his daughter, who looked back at him with so much trust and hope in her eyes that I wanted to cuff him alongside the head and say, “Don't you ever betray her again.”

(blurb): HE’LL RISK EVERYTHING TO KEEP HIS WORD

April 18, 1906. A massive earthquake has decimated much of San Francisco, leaving thousands without food, water or shelter. Patrolling the streets to help those in need, Army corporal Ben Tilson meets a young woman named Charlotte who touches his heart, making him think of a future with her in it. In the heat of the moment he makes a promise to her family that even he realizes will be almost impossible to keep.

Because on the heels of the earthquake, a much worse disaster looms: a fire that threatens to consume everything and everyone in its path.

It will take everything Ben’s got to make it back to the woman he loves—and even that may not be enough.

The Promise, a stand-alone novella, is the latest offering from A.B. Michaels’ multi-genre series “Sinner’s Grove.”

New Release Spotlight: Secrets at Seaside by Addison Cole

Secrets at Seaside
Seaside Summers Sweet with Heat #5

By: Addison Cole

Releasing October 25, 2017
World Literary Press

Secrets at Seaside

Seaside Summers Sweet with Heat series

Tony Black is the hottest surfer on the planet. He travels the world throughout the year and spends his summers on Cape Cod with his friends, at the Seaside cottages in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. He’s got his choice of women, but Amy Maples is the one he wants. Fourteen years ago she was his for an entire summer, until a devastating accident changed everything, and what they had seemed like it had never existed—at least for her.

Amy Maples is as consistent as the day is long. She’s spent summers on Cape Cod forever, she always does the right thing, and she’s spent years trying to reclaim the heart of Tony Black, the only man she’s ever loved. She’s back for a summer of fun with her friends at Seaside, only this year she’s been offered the opportunity of a lifetime thousands of miles away, and she’s decided to try one last time to reconnect with Tony. But having a relationship with Tony means dealing with her past—and dealing with her past may knock her to her knees.

Secrets at Seaside is the sweet edition of the steamy romance novel Seaside Secrets by Melissa Foster

  AMAZON | B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO  

She was always the good girl who did the right thing, the only exception being the occasional extra drink or two when she was with her Seaside friends. At least that’s what she led everyone to believe. Only she and Tony knew that wasn’t the only exception—and she made sure that was a taboo subject between them. He wouldn’t dare bring it up. She might not survive if he did. She sobered a little with the memory and shifted it back into the it-never-happened place she buried deep inside her. Her secret was lonely in that hollow place, being the only one kept under lock and key.

She met Tony’s denim-blue eyes and felt a familiar rush of anticipation in her belly. Maybe tonight she wouldn’t be the good girl.

“Um, actually, I think I want another drink.”

Tony arched a brow in that sexy way that made his eyes look even more intense. He pressed his cheek to hers and whispered, “Ames, you can’t show up for the wedding tomorrow with a hangover.”

No, she certainly couldn’t. But she’d like him to stay right where he was for a while longer, thank you very much. Since she had a life-changing job offer in hand—a dream job worthy of closing down the business she’d spent seven years building and keeping only a handful of clients—she and her girlfriends had decided it was time for Amy to take a chance and lay her feelings on the line with Tony. She picked up her glass and ran her finger around the rim, hoping she looked sexy doing it. Then she sucked that finger into her mouth, feeling a little silly.

I suck at this whole seduction thing.

“I’m a big girl, Tony. I think I know what I can handle.” And I don’t want to handle my liquor tonight. I have plans. Big plans.

Tony rose to his feet with a perturbed look on his face and rubbed his stubbly jaw. “You sure?”

“Mm-hmm.” Even as she said it, she considered saying, Water’s good. Just get me water. She watched him walk up to the bar. At heart, Amy was a good girl. Her courage faltered and she tried to hang on to a shred of it. She needed to know if there was even the slightest chance that she and Tony might end up together. The problem was, she wasn’t a seductress. She didn’t even know where to begin. That was Jenna’s forte, with her hourglass figure and sassy personality. Even Bella, who was as brash as she was loving, had pulled off being seductive with Caden. The sexy-kitten pictures on Amy’s pajamas were more seductive than she was.

“Oh my gosh. I thought he’d never leave.” Jenna glanced at Caden, Kurt, and Jamie, still enthralled with their fiancées at the other end of the table. She pulled Amy across the table and whispered, “This is your night. I can feel it!” She sat back and swayed to the music in her tight green spaghetti-strap dress with a neckline cut so low Pete could probably get lost in there.

Amy looked down at the slinky black dress the girls had put her in earlier that evening. They were always trying to tart her up. One look at you in this dress with these sky-high heels and Tony’s gonna be all over you, Jenna had said while Jessica and Bella shimmied the dress down Amy’s pin-thin body. Fits like a glove. A sexy, slither-me-out-of-this glove, Leanna had added. They’d pushed her into a chair, plied her with wine, and sometime later—Amy had no idea how long, because the alcohol had not only made her body go all loose and soft, but it had turned her brain to mush—they were in the bar with the men, and with her friends’ confidence, she’d actually begun to believe that she might be able to pull off being übersexy for a night. Her mind might be foggy, but she’d caught a few words while the girls primped her into a hot, racy woman she didn’t recognize. Her friends had thrown out words like sexy, hot, take him as if they were handing out doses of confidence.

Now she tugged at the hemline of the dress that barely covered the thong they’d also bought for her and insisted she wear. She wiggled in her seat, uncomfortable in the lacy butt floss. She should probably give up even trying and just let the new job change her life. Move to Australia, where she’d be too far for any relationship with Tony, and be done with it, but every time she looked at Tony, her stomach got all fluttery. It had done that since she was six years old, so she was pretty sure it wasn’t going to change. 

Addison Cole is the sweet alter ego of New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Melissa Foster. She writes humorous and emotional sweet contemporary romance. Her books do not include explicit sex scenes or harsh language.  

Addison spends her summers on Cape Cod, where she dreams up wonderful love stories in her house overlooking Cape Cod Bay.

Visit Addison on her website or chat with her on social media. Addison enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups and welcomes an invitation to your event.

 WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Rafflecopter Giveaway (Addison Cole Tote Bag with Print Copy of READ, WRITE, LOVE AT SEASIDE)

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I can't wait for...AN EX FOR CHRISTMAS by Lauren Layne

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here, at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. If you're continuing with WOW, feel free to link those up as well! Find out more here.

I don't particularly like Christmas but I do enjoy reading stories based around the festive time of the year. Lauren Layne is one of my go-to authors because I love her brand of romantic comedy. It's subtle humour rather than slap-stick (which I really dislike) and her protagonists are usually intelligent although that doesn't excuse any bad behaviour (wink)

An Ex For Christmas by Lauren Layne

Releasing, 7th November

Loveswept

When a psychic tells spunky, superstitious Kelly Byrne that she’s already met her true love, she becomes obsessed with the idea of tracking him down before Christmas. Kelly immediately writes up an “Ex List” and starts contacting old boyfriends to figure out which one is the one. When her college sweetheart rolls into town, Kelly convinces herself that they’re meant to be. The trouble is, sparks are flying with someone she’s never given a chance: her best friend, Mark.

Mark Blakely has watched the guys on Kelly’s list break her heart, and he’s not looking forward to watching them do it all over again. Mark’s always been there for her, but the timing’s never worked out for their relationship to be something more. Now, just as Mark is ready to move on, the sexual tension between them is suddenly off the charts. With Christmas morning around the corner, he just hopes Kelly will wake up and realize that everything she wants has been right in front of her all along.

Release Day Spotlight: Personal Escort by Ainsley Booth

She needs a fake fiancé. He's secretly falling in love.

Cara Russo needs to get married. Or at least, make it look like she got married.
Toby Hunt can't let his best friend's little sister rush into anything foolish. So when she needs to hire an escort, he says he'll take care of it.
Now he's waiting for her at St. George Station.

This billionaire rom com modern fairy tale was originally published in the Love in Transit anthology. It has been expanded for single title publication.

The Billionaire Secrets series
Personal Delivery - Jake and Jana
Personal Escort - Toby and Cara
Personal Disaster - Marcus and Poppy (currently available in the Rogue Desire anthology)
Personal Interest - Ben and Skye, coming soon

SPECIAL RELEASE WEEK PRICE: 99 cents until October 30!

Amazon     iBooks     Kobo     Barnes & Noble      Google Play

“Have you even tried dating?” He lifts his hands in the air, like he might strangle me—and wouldn’t that be a weird twist to an already strange day. Billionaire murders best friend’s little sister in Prospect Park.

“Sure.”

He drops his hands to his hips and gives me a disbelieving look. “That sounds like not really.”

“Toby—”

“Cara, seriously. Find a nice boy and start dating him.” His face twists, like he’s forcing himself to be lighthearted about this. “Let things progress if you like each other, and when he gets down on one knee, make sure he knows your brother has two muscle-bound best friends who will kick his ass if he doesn’t treat you right.”

“Muscle-bound?”

He flexes his shoulders, his chest straining against his dress shirt, and I know he’s teasing, but there’s a lot more bulk under that blue cotton than I’d noticed before. Then he gives me a terse, crooked smile, and an instruction that knocks the wind out of me. “You should wait until someone lights you up inside.”

Gee, I wish. But after I catch my breath, I make a scoffing sound, because really? That hasn’t happened in twenty-four years.

“I’m serious.” And I can tell he is, the way he’s staring at me like this is the most important lesson he could ever teach me.

My square-jawed, clear-eyed, superhero in full-on big brother mode.

No, not brotherly. A different brand of protective know-it-all. Like he thinks from his hyper-masculine, alpha point of view that anything less than a lusty conquering just won’t do.

In theory, he’s not wrong.

In reality, it’s just not that simple.

“I’m so not a romantic, Toby. But that’s a sweet thought.”

He frowns. “I’m not a romantic, either.”

“You sure sound like one.” I reach out and push my hand against his chest. I mean to shove him gently, but he doesn’t move, and my hand just collides against hard, broad muscles.

Really hard. Extra broad. 

My heartbeat gets louder. If I were the fantasizing type, this would be how a lusty conquering would start. Maybe not in the middle of a Brooklyn park.

Probably not with Toby, although any reasons I previously could list for why not are now escaping me.

Has he always been this tall? Yes. But didn’t he used to be skinny?

Definitely not skinny any more. Do you do CrossFit? Not a good question to ask out loud while I’m stroking his chest. But he probably does. I bet all the California CEOs do.

Maybe I should have spent more time paying attention while I was out there.

Except I had dated at Stanford.

Disasters, every single time.

Equal parts of me being too awkward and nobody being quite as hot as Toby is right now. If I’d been up-close-and-personal with a college-version of this, I’d probably have tried harder not to be hopeless.

With extreme effort, I pull my hand back.

No. Crushing. On. Toby.

I’ve heard that sex drives kick in as women get older. I wasn’t fully aware of the possibility of my sex drive kicking into gear in a single day, and revving quite so hard for just one guy.

One off-limits guy, who still hasn’t said anything.

I hover my hand a few inches from his body, my palm itching to touch him again. Over and over again.

Then I step back and laugh, because whoa, that was weird. “So anyway—”

Toby reaches out and catches my wrist, his fingers looping around my arm in a gentle, totally breakable bond. He steps closer, and I stop moving.

He pulls my hand back to his chest, and keeps moving, until the gap between us is gone and he’s curved over me, his hand in my hair. His lips are right above my mouth and every cell in my body is screaming yes!

I didn’t see this coming. From the hammering of his heart against my fingers, he didn’t either.

Mom by day and filthy romance writer by night, Ainsley is super grateful for caffeine, banana and blueberry muffins, and yoga pants. She is the USAT bestselling author of Prime Minister and Hate F*@k, and also writes sexy small town and military romance as Zoe York.

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