It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? This book blog meme has had a few hosts in its past but is now in the capable hands of Kathryn at The Book Date. It's a place where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It's a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and to put new titles on your reading list.

Life right now!

This is the first morning I haven't coughed or had to blow my nose for weeks. My son had a relapse but is getting better and is back at school. The warm temperatures these past few days has accelerated the snow melting, the crocuses are finished and the daffodils should be in flower within the coming days. Reading wise, I'm still only managing two books a week and my writing has taken a backseat too as I've begun to catch up with everything that has been neglected around the house these past weeks whilst we've all been ill. Now that Winter feels truly behind us, I'm beginning to feel more energised, so I should become more productive...I hope ;-)

What am I currently reading?

Lennon Reborn by Scarlett Cole

Lennon McCartney is not a broken man. Because being broken implies being whole once. When a horrific accident deprives him of the one thing he loves—his talent as a fierce and explosive drummer—Lennon is left with a life chained by an abusive mother, by crushing guilt over a tragic past. A life he doesn’t want.

Dr. Georgia Starr is a legend. She’s one of the most successful neurosurgeons in the world, coming from a long-line of respected New York doctors. Her life is built around solving complex medical cases in order to bring relief and hope to sick children. But the one problem she can’t solve is how to live her life. How to be shake loose the burden of being her elitist, arrogant father’s daughter. How to be free.

Can a man who despises his life and a woman who desperately needs to live find the answers, and love, with each other?

Thoughts so far...

This is book four in the Preload series and although I've only read one previous novel in the series, Lennon is definitely the character who stands out and I've been anticipating his story ever since. So far (at 40% on Kindle), the book is exceeding my expectations. Whilst Lennon is a complex character, Dr. Georgia Starr is an interesting match for him. The plot is flowing effortlessly and I can't wait to continue reading it. It's definitely a great reading start to my week.

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

Broken Promise by Tara Thomas

In the sultry streets of Charleston, one family, ruled by its powerful, take-no-prisoners sons, has risen to the top. But a merciless enemy is out to destroy them…and everyone they hold close…

SHE SWORE TO KEEP HER PROMISES.
BUT CAN SHE KEEP THEM SAFE…AND PROTECT HER HEART?

Charleston Police Officer Alyssa Adams made a promise years ago to protect innocent women from harm. Now, she won’t rest until she can reunite every lost daughter with her family. Bring closure to every grieving husband. And, most of all, find out what happened the night her own sister disappeared, more than ten years ago…

As the eldest of the Benedict brothers, Kipling will stop at nothing to protect his family from a threat that aims to destroy them once and for all. But when a long-lost sibling is kidnapped by a powerful adversary, Alyssa is the only one he can turn to to get her back.

As Alyssa and Kipling band together to find their lost siblings, a powerful attraction builds between them that they can’t ignore. As the truth comes to light, will one broken promise tear them apart?

*****

Deadly Summer by Denise Grover Swank

(from Goodreads) Ten years ago, Summer Butler was television’s most popular teenage sleuth. Since then, she’s hit—what gossip sites just loveto call—the gutter. Nearly bankrupt, betrayed, estranged from her greedy mother, and just about unemployable, she’s coaxed into that desperate haven for has-beens: reality TV.

Winging it as a faux PI, she’ll solve off-the-cuff mysteries in her hometown of Sweet Briar, Alabama. For added drama, there’s police chief Luke Montgomery, inconveniently Summer’s first and only love.

It’s when Summer stumbles upon a very real corpse that Darling Investigations takes an unexpected twist. The growing list of suspects is a big draw to viewers, but the reality is that Summer doesn’t know whom she can trust. Someone has written this killer new scene especially for her, and unless Summer gives the role everything she’s got, it could be her last…

What are you reading?

Release Day Spotlight & Review: Always You by Denise Grover Swank

ALWAYS YOU

by Denise Grover Swank

(November 28, 2017; Forever Mass Market Paperback; $7.99; Bachelor Brotherhood Book 3)

"Swank's fluffy, feel-good storytelling proclaims the primacy of love as a force to which everyone should surrender-the bachelors destined to star in future installments haven't got a chance." --- Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Only You
First love is better the second time around.
Matt Osborn had no idea coaching his five-year-old nephew's soccer team would get him so much attention from the mothers-attention he doesn't want now that he's given up on love and having a family of his own. Yep, Matt's the last of his bachelor buddies, and plans on staying that way. That is, until he finds himself face-to-face with the woman who broke his heart.
Single mom Anna paused her life in England to help her father recover from an illness. She can't afford complications, and too-hot-for-his-own-good Matt Osborn-her almost former fiancé-is definitely a complication. He's a reminder of what might have been-or should have been. That irresistible pull between them isn't over. Not even close. But if she's not careful, she'll break both their hearts . . . again.

Amazon     Barnes & Noble      Kobo      iBooks      Google

The third book in the Bachelor Brotherhood series, Always You is a standalone and a second chance romance novel.

Matt Osborn gets more attention than he wants as the coach for his nephew's soccer team. Since taking of the role, he's got used to the mothers eyeing him up at practice as they wait and watch their kids run around the pitch. When a new boy turns up for practice, he's shocked when the mother speaks to her son, because it's a voice Matt recognises and it belongs to a woman who broke his heart.

Back home in the US to look after her father, Anna Robins is also juggling life as a single mum, whilst working remotely for a UK finance company. When she takes her five-year-old son to soccer practice she's shocked to find her son's best friend Ethan is the coaches' nephew. He's also the man she walked away from to pursue her career in London.

It took a little while to get into the narrative. I was a little bit distracted in the beginning as I wondered if I'd read this novel before. Once I'd established I hadn't, the protagonists' back-story didn't keep my attention the whole time, especially the chaotic football practice scene. Yet, once I passed that mark, Matt and Anna's journey to a happy ever after begins earnestly.

With lots of feels, I was delightfully surprised by the emotion packed into the pages as the author reveals the depth of the issues that surround the protagonists. It's heartbreaking for the pair, but what really tugs at the heartstrings is the effect on the ones closest to them.

Much emotion and heartbreak are evident as two people who have always had feelings for each other, try and navigate the complexities of their current lives to try to find a way to be together. Love and sacrifice in equal measures, with unconditional love and devotion, Matt Osborn is every woman's dream and he has to convince this woman again, to take a chance on him. Anna, who has done the opposite of what she said she'd do and now living with the consequences, has to live up the reality that she can't have what she wants with the man she's always loved.

The secondary characters and fun, specifically the children. Their behaviour adds not only a fun element but a serious one too, as the little people have the most to gain and lose as the adults look for a compromise for all. The "villain" is played well too and while he's not a likeable chap, his portrayal was well done.

Overall, after a slow start Always You is an enjoyable novel with heartfelt ending.

4 stars

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

Blog Tour Excerpt

What would make her happy was standing right in front of her, and she was struggling to remember why this was a bad idea. “I have an appointment at one,” she said. “Another assisted living center tour. With the friend you recommended.”

“We can work around it.”

She should turn him down. She knew she should, so why was she saying, “Okay.”

He smiled, looking more like good-natured Coach Matt and not Alpha Male Matt, the man she’d gotten to know well in her bed twelve years ago.

Damned if she didn’t want Alpha Matt.

He was less than two feet from her, watching her with an intensity that suggested he knew he was making her squirm and loving every minute of it.

“Great,” Matt said, as though he hadn’t made the air temperature rise twenty degrees just from the timbre of his voice. “If you want, Toby can stay with us when you go to your appointment, and then we’ll all go after you’re done.”

“Yeah.” It was a great plan, but standing this close to him made her nervous. She didn’t trust herself to walk out the door without doing something foolish, like kiss him, because right now that seemed like a real possibility. “I should go.” She took a step back and lost her footing.

Matt reached for her, snaking an arm around her back and pulling her upright against him.

Anna sucked in a breath at the contact. Her hands rested on his chest, and she realized it was just as solid as she’d remembered. Shivers ran up her arms and she found herself molding her body to his.

His hand stayed in place on her back, pulling her even closer.

She knew she should back away, but she wanted this, wanted him, and that was dangerous. She was a mother now. Her son had to come first.

“I can’t stay, Matt,” she said again, feeling like a broken record, but she had to make sure he didn’t feel deceived by her again. He deserved full honesty. “I have to think about Toby. I can’t hurt him.”

He looked surprised. “Anna, I would never willingly hurt Toby.”

“But this…us…if we do this…” Did she confess her son’s deepest desire for a father to love him and her worry that this would only confuse him? Was it her secret to tell? “I have to think about Toby. And Ethan.”

“We’re not going to hurt them, Anna.”

“We might. If we get too close.” I might get hurt if we get too close.

Too late for that…

He kept his hand on her back, and lifted the other to the side of her neck. He didn’t answer, at least not with words. He lowered his face, his lips gently brushing hers.

Her breath caught. His touch was like a jolt of electricity to her heart, bringing her back to life.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese, which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period. Her hobbies include witty (in her own mind) Facebook comments and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn't lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe

Website     Facebook     BookBub     Amazon

I can't wait for...ALWAYS YOU by Denise Grover Swank

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've read a few novels by Denise Grover Swank and always thoroughly enjoy them. Her writing style always keeps me engaged and a second chance romance is one of may favourite tropes.

ALWAYS YOU by Denise Grover Swank 

(Bachelor Brotherhood #3)

Forever Mass Market Paperback; $7.99; 9781455539819; November 28

First love is better the second time around.

Matt Osborn had no idea coaching his five-year-old nephew's soccer team would get him so much attention from the mothers-attention he doesn't want now that he's given up on love and having a family of his own. Yep, Matt's the last of his bachelor buddies, and plans on staying that way. That is, until he finds himself face-to-face with the woman who broke his heart.

Single mom Anna paused her life in England to help her father recover from an illness. She can't afford complications, and too-hot-for-his-own-good Matt Osborn-her almost former fiancé-is definitely a complication. He's a reminder of what might have been-or should have been. That irresistible pull between them isn't over. Not even close. But if she's not careful, she'll break both their hearts . . . Again.

The Friday 56 : The Substitute by Denise Grover Swank

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 Substitute, The Wedding Pact #1 by Denise Grover Swank.

“It's cute. And you're beyond cute when you're lecturing octogenarians about the dangers of ticks while wearing nothing but your bra.” A grin spread across his face. “It fits.”

(from Goodreads) 

The first book in a humorous contemporary romance from New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Denise Grover Swank. 

Megan Vandemeer meant to tell her parents about her broken engagement, but a month and a half later she finds herself boarding a plane home to her wedding. Having stretched avoidance to its limits, it's time to come clean--a terrifying prospect since her mother is sure to blame her rather than her cheating, emotionally frigid ex. A couple of drinks and two Dramamine later, Megan finds herself spilling her sob story to the tall, dark, and handsome stranger in the seat next to her. 

With only one week left to save his business, Josh McMillan boards a plane to Kansas City in a last-ditch effort, leaving the details to chance. An unexpected answer is delivered in the form of the beautiful brunette beside him. Though she’s completely loopy, her honesty, openness, and humor charm him. So when she passes out before landing, he helps her off the plane--a good deed that leads to a colossal misunderstanding. Her parents assume he’s her fiancé. In a twist of fate, the mix-up might help Josh save his business, so he plays along, figuring he can help Megan too. All he has to do is stage a public break up convincing enough to appease her mother. 

Josh is only supposed to be a substitute groom, but the more time he and Megan spend together, the more their pretend engagement starts to feel real…and the less they want to break it off. Can a relationship that began as a farce turn into happily ever after?

Release Day: Skip to the Good Part volume one.

Today we have the release day launch of Skip to the Good Part, a sexy new collection of the hottest scenes from 20 phenomenal authors. I am so excited to share it!!!

Skip to the Good Part: 20 Authors Reveal Their Steamiest Scenes offers face-fanning romance and tie-me-up sizzle (and everything in between) from top authors including New York Times and USA Today bestsellers.

The collection features a British alpha who wants to turn a good girl bad, a woman realizing her impetuous marriage to a stripper isn’t all bad, a bad-boy boxer who could use a large dose of sexual healing, a carnie who has found new and inventive uses for fun house mirrors, and a rocker who wants to woo the girl who got away: his high school sweetheart.

Read 20 of the best steamy scenes in contemporary romance and erotic romance today. This 250-page collection will get your blood pumping, your heart racing, and your skin tingling—you’re sure to discover a new favorite.

Due to the graphic nature of some content, this collection is recommended strictly for mature readers.

New York Times best-selling authors:

Raine Miller | Kendall Ryan | K. Bromberg | Carly Phillips | Denise Grover Swank | S.L. Scott

USA Today best-selling authors:

Christine Bell | Rebecca Shea | Andrea Smith

Featuring:

Magan Vernon | Kristie Cook | Nevaeh Lee & Michelle Lynn | Alessandra Thomas | Selena Laurence | Heidi Joy Tretheway | Elizabeth Briggs | Meghan March | Taylor Michaels | K.B. Nelson | Elise Covert

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