REVIEW: THE FIRE QUEEN BY EMILY R. KING

The Fire Queen

By Emily R. King

YA Fantasy

Release Date: 09/26/2017

Goodreads Summary:
n the second book in The Hundredth Queen Series, Emily R. King once again follows a young warrior queen’s rise to meet her destiny in a richly imagined world of sorcery and forbidden powers.

Though the tyrant rajah she was forced to marry is dead, Kalinda’s troubles are far from over. A warlord has invaded the imperial city, and now she’s in exile. But she isn’t alone. Kalinda has the allegiance of Captain Deven Naik, her guard and beloved, imprisoned for treason and stripped of command. With the empire at war, their best hope is to find Prince Ashwin, the rajah’s son, who has promised Deven’s freedom on one condition: that Kalinda will fight and defeat three formidable opponents.

But as Kalinda’s tournament strengths are once again challenged, so too is her relationship with Deven. While Deven fears her powers, Ashwin reveres them—as well as the courageous woman who wields them. Kalinda comes to regard Ashwin as the only man who can repair a warring world and finds herself torn between her allegiance to Deven and a newly found respect for the young prince.

With both the responsibility to protect her people and the fate of those she loves weighing heavily upon her, Kalinda is forced again to compete. She must test the limits of her fire powers and her hard-won wisdom. But will that be enough to unite the empire without sacrificing all she holds dear?

Gabrielle's 4.5**** Review:

I TRIED TO MAKE THIS REVIEW *SPOILER FREE* SO IF SOME OF IT SOUNDS VAGUE IT'S BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE AWAY THE GOOOOD STUFF!

This is the second installment in The Hundredth Queen series. Kalinda is on the run with Deven, Natesa, Yatin, Brac, who all escaped with her. Two people (sent from an ally) come to retrieve them to bring them to the kingdom next door in order to reunite them with Prince Ashwin, the heir to the throne. When they arrive, Kali finds out that she can't escape her role as kindred and has to compete in a tournament AGAIN to win kindred for Prince Ashwin. All throughout the book, she struggles with trying to figure out if she really wants to be kindred and help her people or if she just wants to be free from her shackles.

This book shows a lot of depth into Kali's mind as a girl who was taken out of her childhood/teenaged life and thrown into a den full of wolves where she had to learn to fight and defend herself or die. She grew so much during this second book, she didn't come out the same in the end. I also enjoyed her new friendship with one of the other competitors. It was nice to see female bonding instead of them just being enemies like in the first book.

Deven, on the other hand, went in reverse. He was thrown into a soldier camp (where they were practically prisoners) and no one respected him because he "betrayed" the throne. All the while, he only thought about was his feelings for Kali and how she was the kindred and that he couldn't have her. HE KNEW FROM THE BEGINNING OF BOOK 1 WHAT HER ROLE WAS. But toward the end of the book, he finally started to become useful and think about his kingdom and his soldiers again other than just Kali.

I normally hate second books in a series but this one was amazing. I enjoyed every second of it. Fast paced, burning romance, warrior sisters who learn to only rely on themselves... All equal a fantastic YA Fantasy!

ABOUT EMILY R. KING:
Emily R. King is a reader of everything and a writer of fantasy. Born in Canada and raised in the USA, she has perfected the use of “eh” and “y’all” and uses both interchangeably. Shark advocate, consumer of gummy bears, and islander at heart, Emily’s greatest interests are her four children. She’s a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and an active participant in her local writers’ community. She lives in Northern Utah with her family and their cantankerous cat.

MORE THAN A FEELING RELEASE DAY & EXCERPT

   

From the award-winning author of TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT comes the final full-length standalone contemporary romance in Erika Kelly’s red-hot Rock Star Romance series, MORE THAN A FEELING. A steamy and emotional story about a loner rocker finding his perfect duet, MORE THAN A FEELING finds the perfect pitch and will leave you with more than a song in your heart! Grab your copy of MORE THAN A FEELING today!

   

About MORE THAN A FEELING:

From the award-winning author of TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT comes the final story in her red-hot Rock Star Romance series, about a loner rocker finding his perfect duet.

When Cooper Hood left Snowberry, Montana ten years ago, he swore he’d never go back to the town that painted him with the same brush as his addict mother. But right in the middle of his band’s national tour he gets a call to come home: his mom’s got a whopper of a secret to reveal.

Daisy Charbonneau’s in trouble. The talent she hired for her resort’s annual Huckleberry Festival just bailed on her, and she’s desperate to find a replacement act. Luck turns her way when she discovers her high school crush is back in town—and he happens to be a rock star.

As they work together, a crush deepens into so much more, but who falls in love in two weeks?

Especially when Cooper’s never coming back to town, and Daisy’s never going to leave it.

 

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EXCERPT:

Daisy’s fingers trailed across his shoulders as she breezed past him. Her warm vanilla and honey scent swirled in her wake, and he felt like that boy all over again who’d lived in a state of hyperawareness around her. The boy who’d noticed the way her dark hair pooled onto the desk as she’d hunch forward to write, her fingers curled around a pencil. The way the tendons in her neck strained when she’d hit and held a high note. Her burst of laughter in the music room had made him stop whatever he’d been doing just to witness her joy.

He’d hoarded all those images, those sacred moments, to pull out and comfort him as he lay alone in the dark woods, waiting for his home to be safe enough to go back inside.

She would never know it, but she’d been his saving grace.

Taking her seat across from him, she set two little pots on the table. Her vivid blue eyes sparkled in the candlelight.  “Try this.” She held a spoon out to him.

Letting her feed him was just too damn intimate, so he took it from her and fed himself. Creamy dark chocolate filled his senses. “Mousse?” Although it was denser, the chocolate more velvety. Richer. “It’s good.”

“It’s a Pot de Crème.” She scooped another mound for herself. Turning the spoon upside down, she brought it to her mouth, closing her eyes when her tongue touched the chocolate. She moaned, and her tongue swept across her bottom lip.

Desire surged through him, and he couldn’t help wondering if she’d look like that in bed. If she’d go all slack and dreamy-eyed when he sucked a nipple into his mouth.

His blood rose at the image of Daisy naked beneath him, back arching, her hands digging into his hair, holding him to her as if she never wanted him to go away.

She opened her eyes and licked the damn spoon. “I had my mom make it just for you.” The silky fabric of her shirt draped over her breasts, accentuating their round fullness. Desire pulsed through him.

Jesus, would you stop already?

“Let’s try this one.” She slid the edge of her fork into the cake, a cream-covered strawberry sliding out. “It’s my favorite.” The Montana sapphire studs glittered in her ears, and her lush mouth curved into a smile. His dick went hard.

He accepted the fork, but even when the cake and cream hit his tongue he couldn’t taste a thing. Because the only thing in his mind, heart, and body was the primal, urgent need to taste her.

All that teenage longing came roaring back. He wanted her more than ever. And not because she was beautiful and had a body his hands were dying to explore, but because every single cell in his body reacted to her. Wanted her. Yearned for her.

And this was why he’d never come back to Snowberry. He didn’t want to yearn for the things he couldn’t have. Didn’t want to wait for his mother to give him a crumb of her attention. Didn’t want to be around these people who’d only ever looked at him with disgust.

“What do you think? Delicious?” Daisy’s voice yanked him out of the negativity.

And he was damn glad. Because his past didn’t matter anymore. He was a man now. He’d made his way in the world. And he had a chance to be that man around Daisy. His gaze on her mouth, he said, “Hell, yes.”

 

And don’t miss the first three standalone titles in The Rock Star Romance Series!

 

YOU REALLY GOT ME

 

I WANT YOU TO WANT ME

TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT

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   About Erika Kelly: 

  Award-winning author Erika Kelly has been spinning romantic tales all her life--she just didn't know it. Raised on the classics, she didn't discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, she's been devouring the genre and has found her true voice as an author. Over three decades she's written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women's fiction novels. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she's lived in two countries and seven states, but give her pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte and she can make her home anywhere.  

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CADE'S LOSS RELEASE DAY & GIVEAWAY!

Today we have the fantastic release day blitz of CADE’S LOSS by Selena Laurence! Check it out and grab your copy today!

About Cade’s Loss:

 

 Cade Jenkins is a study in loss. At twenty-five he lost his parents, his dreams, and his career on the pro surfing circuit. He gained guardianship of his two younger brothers, responsibility for an entire ranch, and a life without love. Nina Cline is on the mend. Her cheating fiance is in the rear view, and she's concentrating on her job as an organic certification consultant. Now that she's gained her independence, Nina will never make the mistake of giving it away again. Especially to some anonymous hookup she meets at a beachside bar...no matter how good he looks in the water. Then she meets her newest Big Sur client and realizes that the beach bum that curled her toes is her new boss—and he thinks “organic” is a dirty word. As tensions, tempers, and chemistry reach a boiling point at the ranch, these two heartbroken souls will need to decide if they’re willing to take a chance again, or let the love of a lifetime slip away with the tide.

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  EXCERPT:

There was nothing that soothed Cade’s battered soul more than the ocean. He’d been that way as long as he could remember, spending every available moment at the beach, in the water, following his dad from wave to wave until he’d been better on a board than the old man. As he looked at the water now, he could almost see the outline of his dad’s form, riding the long tail of a wave midway out, sun on his hair that was the exact color of Cade’s, water spraying on his tan skin, weathered from the years of being outdoors. The familiar ache that was his companion so much of the last six years caught him like a hoof to the gut, and he swallowed, tasting the lime and tequila in the back of his throat as he blinked the painful image away.

And that was when he saw her. She was leaning on the glass wall that ran along the edge of the deck, her blonde curls blowing in the light breeze that came off the water. She had on a sundress, white cotton, like a little girl’s, but it was backless, tiny straps running over her slim shoulders, and with the sun shining through it, the long skirt was nearly transparent. He could see enough to know that she was wearing thong underwear or none at all, and that her legs were long and lean, curved in all the right places.

Before he could think about it, he’d snatched the other two shots off the bar and was walking toward her, drawn like a moth to a flame, ready to incinerate himself for only a moment of warmth. As he drew closer, he saw another man approaching from across the deck. He gave the guy a hard look, and the dude stepped off, hands up to communicate “no harm no foul.” Cade slid into position to her right and set the shots down on the railing.

“Tequila?” he asked, turning to look at her profile. She had high cheekbones, and her skin was dark for a blonde, a beautiful golden shade that made her look like she’d walked off the pages of a swimsuit magazine. Her nose was straight and small, turning up ever so slightly on the end, but her lips were full, covered in some sort of peach shiny stuff that Cade thought might taste quite good if he could lick it off her.

She turned to look at him when he spoke to her, and the breath was knocked clean out of him. Instead of the standard blue eyes that he’d expect from a blonde, hers were amber, almost glowing under the frame of thick black lashes. She blinked up at him, and Cade’s sore heart gave a jolt that nearly had him gasping.

       About Selena Laurence: Selena Laurence is a USA Today Bestselling author who loves Putting the Heat in Happily Ever After. In 2014 she was awarded the Reader’s Crown Award for Contemporary Romance of the Year. In 2015 her rock star romance A Lush Betrayal was a finalist in three national contests. Selena lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with her kids, Mr. L, “Goldendoodle” and “Demon Cat.” When she’s not writing she can be found at soccer games and tennis matches, or one of her favorite coffee shops.

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HOMETOWN COWBOY RELEASE DAY!

Today we are celebrating the release of HOMETOWN COWBOY by Sara Richardson. This is the first book in her brand new series, Rocky Mountain Riders. You can buy it now and pre-order the next book in the series, Comeback Cowboy!

 

About HOMETOWN COWBOY:

NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH A COWBOY

Jessa Mae Love is done with relationships. No matter how tempting he might be, she cannot--will not--fall for a man like Lance Cortez. The outrageously handsome cowboy is practically a living legend in Colorado, as famous for riding bulls as he is for breaking hearts. What would a big-time rodeo star like him see in a small-town veterinarian who wears glasses, rescues animals, and cries when watching rom-coms? Turns out, plenty.

Raising bulls, riding the circuit, and looking after his ailing father--Lance never stands still for long. Yet Jessa catches his attention, and the more she tries to resist him, the more he wants her. When she agrees to move to the ranch to keep an eye on Lance's dad, Jessa tells him they have to keep it professional: no flirting, no sweet talk, and definitely no kissing. But with Jessa now living under his roof, that's easier said than done . . .

 

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What reviewers are saying about Sara Richardson's novels...

"Charming, witty, and fun. There's no better read. I enjoyed every word!"―Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author on No Better Man

"Richardson's debut packs a powerful emotional punch. [Her] deft characterization creates a hero and heroine who will elicit laughs in some places and tears in others."―Publishers Weekly on No Better Man

"4 stars! Hot! Richardson brings us a modern read set in beautiful Aspen. Her brisk storytelling and the charming, endearing characters set within a solid, engaging plot make this sweet romance shine. A strong and vulnerable Bryce, coupled with a determined, lighthearted Avery, will appeal to readers, especially with their sizzling chemistry. This is a truly delightful read."―RT Book Reviews on No Better Man

"Fresh, fun, well-written, a dazzling debut."―Lori Wilde, New York Times bestselling author on No Better Man

"The perfect balance of humor, heart and heat. I couldn't put it down! Sara Richardson will sweep you away."―Christie Craig, New York Times bestselling author on No Better Man

"An enjoyable read. Richardson's spunky, baseball-lovin' heroine is delightful!"―Katie Lane, USA Today bestselling author on No Better Man

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Hometown Cowboy - Excerpt

 

Her eyes fell shut and blocked out everything except for the feel of his mouth, the curve of it, the wet warmth, the way his lips melted into hers. They were firm, but tender, too, so skilled and wonderful it broke open her chest.

Heat flowed in until she was dizzy with it, drowning in it, but just as she lost the power to stand on her own, Lance’s hands moved to her hips and hitched her closer to his body. She let herself lean into him, sliding her hands up his ripped chest, lightly sweeping her fingers over the bandage. God, he was perfection.

His lips moved to her ear, while his fingers carefully brushed her hair out of the way. “I think you’re right,” he breathed. “My life might never be the same.” His tongue traced the ridge of her ear while his heavy breaths grazed her neck and made her legs falter.

He must’ve felt her wobble, because he wrapped his arms around her and crushed her body against his. “Damn, Jessa…” He kissed his way down her neck. “You smell good.”

“Vanilla sugar shower gel,” she gasped, letting her head tilt to the side.

“Mmmm. I like it.” He slid his tongue back up her neck and his lips found hers again. This time he kissed her harder, like he wanted more.

Yes. More. There could be so much more…

Lance shifted, guiding her until her back was against the refrigerator. Things were falling, magnets and papers, but none of that mattered because Lance was pressed against her, his tongue stroking hers, his hips grinding against her body. The feel of him hard and desperate against her sent her heart spiraling. A frantic moan escaped, and Lance smiled against her lips. She let her head fall back so she could draw in a breath, but she hit the refrigerator.

A loud crash froze her. Lance pulled away. Those bottles of Jack Daniel’s that had been on top of the fridge now lay next to their feet.

“At least they didn’t break.” Lance started to laugh but she pressed her hand against his mouth. “It’s not funny! What if your dad—”

“What in god’s name is that racket?” came from down the hall.

“Oh no,” she hissed. “Oh god…”

Lance still had a big silly grin on his face. “It’s nothing, Dad,” he called, but the man came charging around the corner anyway.

Jessa pushed back and pretended to inspect the bandage. “Well, there we go. Everything looks good.” She glanced up and forced a smile, but she’d like to bet he could see the vein in her forehead pulsing. “Hey, Luis. Sorry about the noise. I was bandaging Lance up and we accidentally knocked over the bottles.” Her bright red face had to be a dead giveaway that the whole sentence was a lie. Not to mention her dilated eyes.

“Uh. Thanks, Jessa,” Lance said, reaching past her for his shirt.

“No problem,” she intoned, as if answering a complete stranger. “Next time, don’t wait so long to get it cleaned up.”

A spark smiled in his eyes. “I definitely won’t.”

Whew. She fought the compulsion to fan her face with a towel.

“Guess I should get going then.” Lance clapped his dad’s shoulder on his way out the door. “Night Pops.”

Luis didn’t respond. He simply watched his son leave, then he turned to Jessa. “So nothing’s going on between you two.”

She invoked her laser focus to put away the first aid supplies. “Uh-huh. Nope. Nothing.”

“From what I could tell that was a whole lot of nothing,” Luis muttered as he plodded back down the hall.

That was one way to put it. A whole lot of nothing.

   

PRE-ORDER THE NEXT BOOK IN THIS SERIES

Comeback Cowboy - Coming June 27th, 2017!

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AUTHOR INFORMATION:

  BIO: Sara Richardson grew up chasing adventure in Colorado’s rugged mountains. She’s climbed to the top of a 14,000-foot peak at midnight, swam through Class IV rapids, completed her wilderness first-aid certification, and spent seven days at a time tromping through the wilderness with a thirty-pound backpack strapped to her shoulders. Eventually, Sara did the responsible thing and got an education in writing and journalism. After five years in the corporate writing world, she stopped ignoring the voices in her head and started writing fiction. Now, she uses her experience as a mountain adventure guide to write stories that incorporate adventure with romance. Still indulging her adventurous spirit, Sara lives and plays in Colorado with her saint of a husband and two young sons. Her first contemporary romance, No Better Man, was released by Grand Central forever 2015.    

AUTHOR LINKS:

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LEI'D WITH CUPCAKES COVER REVEAL

Today we are celebrating the cover reveal of LEI'D WITH CUPCAKES by Bethany Lopez. This book is a romantic comedy/suspense title that will be released March 27th. Check out the cover, blurb, and excerpt below. This book is currently up for pre-order now so go grab your copy! Enter below for a chance to win a paperback bundle of Always Room for Cupcakes and Cupcake Overload!

   

Lei’d with Cupcakes by Bethany Lopez (The Cupcakes Series, book 3 )

Genre: Romantic Comedy/Suspense Date of release: Mar 27, 2017 Cover by Makeready Designs

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Synopsis:

Everybody dreams of a Hawaiian Vacation… They sell you on the drinks with little umbrella’s, dolphin watching, and long walks on the beach. Which probably happens, if you’re that lucky schmuck living out your dream with your destination wedding, but if you’re a fish out of water PI like me, there’s no time for relaxing because trouble is never far behind. Instead of cocktails, I ended up dealing with the seedy underbelly of The Big Island. And, I didn’t see one damn dolphin while undercover on a boat which was spilling over with drug dealers, Kingpins, and Pedophiles. Elin and Elena think Cade's family are the coolest people outside of Snapchat, but it’s hard to meet the parents when your boyfriend is in his late thirties and has never had a serious relationship. I’d never missed my girls so much in my life, but Amy May, Bea, and Carmen are all dealing with issues of their own, and can’t come to my rescue. The only thing that may help me with this “vacation” is if I could get Lei’d with Cupcakes. WARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS FOUL LANGUAGE, SEX, SOME VIOLENCE, AND SHENANIGANS. IF NONE OF THAT BOTHERS YOU, GRAB A CUPCAKE AND READ ON!  

Special Pre-order/Release Week Price is $2.99

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  EXCERPT:

 When it was our turn to disembark, Cade pulled out suitcases down from the overhead compartment, and we started off the plane. First Cade, with his well-worn leather backpack slung over one shoulder and a ratty Army green duffel in his hand. Then Elin and Elena, with their Harry Potter and Star Wars rolling bags, and finally, me, trailing behind with my new hard case roller, wondering why I’d been in such a hurry to land when all I wanted to do in that moment was run back to the plane.
With every step closer to the arrival area, my stomach grew tight and my buzz started to fade. By the time we stepped out of the corridor into the open space, filled with happy sounds and tons of people, I was ready to upchuck the six tiny bottles of vodka that had seemed like such a good idea in flight.
I looked up in time to see a tall woman hugging Cade tightly, while a handsome, older version of Cade was placing lei’s around the twins’ necks. I plastered a smile on my face and as I joined the group, all eyes turned to me.
Cade’s mother’s face lit up, as she looked to him and said, “Nice job, Hiapo, she’s got great hips.”  

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AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Sign up for my Newsletter for more information about my writing: http://eepurl.com/Rcmrn 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.

AUTHOR LINKS:

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CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE COVER REVEAL & EXCERPT

   

From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes the next sexy, standalone novel in the Heartbreaker Bay series...

   

About CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE:

Meet cute...

Run for the hills—temporarily. That’s Colbie Albright’s plan when she flees New York for San Francisco. Wrangling her crazy family by day and writing a bestselling YA fantasy series by night has taken its toll. In short, Colbie’s so over it that she’s under it. She’s also under the waters of a historic San Francisco fountain within an hour of arrival. Fortunately, the guy who fishes Colbie out has her looking forward to Christmas among strangers. But she’s pretty sure Spencer Baldwin won’t be a stranger for long.

Make merry...

Spence’s commitment to hiding from the Ghosts of Relationships Past means he doesn’t have to worry about the powerful—okay, crazy hot—chemistry he’s got with Colbie. Just because she can laugh at anything, especially herself... just because she’s gorgeous and a great listener…just because she “gets” Spencer immediately doesn’t mean he won’t be able to let Colbie go. Does it?

…and hope for a miracle.

Now the clock’s ticking for Colbie and Spence: Two weeks to cut loose. Two weeks to fall hard. Two weeks to figure out how to make this Christmas last a lifetime

Pre-Order CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE in ebook or paperback, releasing 9/26/17

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EXCERPT: 

The bathroom door opened, and even better than his fantasy, Colbie emerged from a cloud of steam, her willowy body wrapped in one of his towels, her exposed skin gleaming and dewy damp. Her hair had been piled on top of her head, but wavy strands had escaped, clinging to her neck and shoulders. 

He couldn’t tear his gaze off of her. There was just something so uncalculated about her, so . . . natural and easy. She was like a beacon to him, which was both crazy and more than a little terrifying.
Clearly not seeing him against the wall, she moved with an effortless grace to the suitcase she’d left at the door. Bending low enough to give him a near heart attack, she rifled through her things, mumbling to herself that she should’ve researched more about how to be a normal person instead of how to kill someone with an everyday object. 

“Do you kill a lot of people, then?” Spence asked.

“Motherforker!” she said with a startled squeak of surprise, whirling to face him, almost losing her grip on the towel.

Five days a week, Spence worked out hard in this gym. Mostly to outrun his demons, but the upside was he could run miles without losing his breath. But he lost his breath now.

And that wasn’t his body’s only reaction.    

And don’t miss the previous books in Jill Shalvis’s Heartbreaker Bay Series, SWEET LITTLE LIES, THE TROUBLE WITH MISTLETOE, ONE SNOWY NIGHT and ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE, now available! Grab your copies HERE!

About Jill Shalvis: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.      

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HAVOC REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY

Falling in love with her cousin's rock star ex-boyfriend was definitely not part of the plan.

HAVOC

Mayhem #4

Jamie Shaw

Releasing February 21st, 2017

Avon Impulse

When Hailey Harper left her family farm to enroll in veterinary school, she had a plan: keep her head down, ace her classes, and most importantly... don't upset the uncle paying her tuition. Translation? Don't piss off his dramatic, self-absorbed daughter, Danica, even if she's a nightmare to live with.

Falling in love with her cousin's rock star ex-boyfriend was definitely not part of the plan.

As the drummer of a now-famous rock band, Mike Madden could have any girl he wants. He's sweet, funny, romantic, talented--and the only guy that's ever made Hailey's heart do cartwheels in her chest. The more she gets to know him, the harder she falls, but Hailey knows they can never be more than friends… because Danica wants him back, and she'll fight dirty to win.

Mike is falling for Hailey too, but Danica's threats and his rock star life-music video shoots, international tours, obsessed fans-could tear them apart before they've even begun. Hailey isn't sure she's the one for him, but Mike's waited years for a girl like her… and he'll do anything to prove it.


Gabrielle's 4 **** review:
I fell in love with Mike Madden right away when he was first introduced. He was nice, loved video games, and didn't hook up with random girls just because he could. Mike is the drummer in an up and coming band (the last ones to know). He's usually in the background, not drawing attention to himself but that didn't mean girls didn't dream about him.

Havoc starts out with his ex-girlfriend trying to get back with him. Danica is mean but beautiful so he was blinded by her beauty and fell in love with her when they were in high school. So, when he sees her again, and she wants to get back with him, he seems to say, "Why the hell not?"

Hailey, Danica's down to earth cousin, finds a friend in Mike. After their first night playing video games together they seem to find time whenever they can to play together. But with Mike's sweetness to not only her but to her little brother, Hailey finds herself falling for her cousin's man.

When Dee and Rowan see the sparks between Mike and Hailey they try to plot to get the two of them together. Their mutual hatred for Danica and their affection toward Mike motivate them more than anything.

But when Danica finds out that the two of them are attracted to each other, she threatens to take everything away from Hailey. So, that means that Hailey has to figure out if Mike is worth losing everything for.

Lets start with what I LOVED about Havoc:
I loved how Mike and Hailey played video games together and they could just be themselves with each other. No pretending. No bullsh*t.
I loved how Dee and Rowan still had a part in this story even though they aren't part of the band. They pulled Hailey into their inner circle and gave her true friendships.
I loved how Mike fought for Hailey.
All those things combined made me plow through the book in almost one sitting. I fell in love with Jamie's series in the first book and I knew I wouldn't be let down by Mike's story even though his was the last. I felt I could relate to the story a lot because my fiance and I connected with each other through video games.
Some things that I didn't like as much:
That Mike went back with Danica (HATE HER).
That Mike had to leave for a tour.
I wasn't a huge fan of the music video scene and it seemed to take up a lot of the story. (It was well written so that is my opinion and you will probably love it).
Overall, this is one of my top contemporary reads so far of the year. If you haven't read the first book (Mayhem) then you need to like NOW. You won't regret picking up this amazing series. You'll wish you were either in their band (the last ones to know) or you were one of their awesome girlfriends (can that happen, like for real?).
As sad as I am that the series has come to an end, Havoc was a satisfying finale. Good job, Jamie!!

HAVE YOU FALLEN FOR ALL 

THE MEN OF MAYHEM?

Excerpt:

           At a door near the back corner of the room, my fun-loving cousin marches right up to the first
security guard she sees, who also happens to be approximately five zillion times her size, with
muscles made of stone and a face to match. “Who do I need to talk to to get backstage?”
          At her bossy tone, Muscle-man lifts an eyebrow. “The Easter Bunny?”
          “Excuse me?”
          “No one’s allowed backstage.” The arms he crosses over his chest warn that he isn’t messing
around.
         “I’m with Mike,” Danica lies, and after studying her for a moment, Muscle-man laughs.
          “Sure you are.”
          “I am!”
          When Muscle-man just smiles at her like she’s a petulant child, Danica resorts to acting like
one. She demands to see his boss and threatens to get him fired. When that doesn’t work, she
resorts to curse words. And when those have no effect, all hell breaks loose.
          She’s torpedoing her finger into his chest and shouting something about his inbred gene pool
when I try to pull her away from him. But Danica is on a rampage, and all my efforts get me is  
hard shove that nearly knocks me on my ass. At five-feet tall, one hundred and three pounds,
I’m not exactly in a position to throw my weight around, and I don’t make a second attempt to
try. I’m rubbing my tender collarbone when the security guy picks my assailant up off her feet,
and I helplessly follow as he carries her outside.
          After serving as an armrest for a sweaty gigantor inside the club, after obliterating my eardrums
in front of the world’s biggest speakers, after getting knocked around like a bratty child’s toy all
night, all I want is to take a hot shower and crawl into my own bed to sleep for a week straight.
           Instead, I stand on the sidewalk outside of Mayhem, frowning at the furious look on Danica’s
face as she glares at the big metal door the security guard just shut behind him.
            She came here for one thing, and I know she’s not leaving until she gets it.
            “You didn’t have to push me,” I mutter, and her eyes flare.
            “You should’ve had my back!”
            “And done what? Bite his ankles?”
            In her four-inch wedge boots, Danica towers above me. I stare way up at her, trying to
remember the girl who played dolls with me up in my parents’ hay loft. But she’s lost
somewhere behind fake lashes and fifteen years of getting everything she's wanted.
            “You’ve been nothing but a bitch this whole time,” she snaps, and I sigh and pull my shirt away
from my skin again, letting the cool night air dry the sweat beaded on my lower back. There’s no point in trying to defend myself. In Danica’s mind, she’s always simultaneously the victim and the hero, and as her non-rent- paying roommate, I’ve learned to just accept that.
             I appreciate everything she’s done for me. I do. If she hadn’t been the little voice in her father’s ear, persuading him to fund my schooling and begging him to make some calls to get us enrolled, I’d be home mucking stalls, not following my dreams. Her dad pays all of my bills—my tuition, my insurance, my living expenses, all of them. And while I suspect that Danica’s sudden interest in my life wasn’t entirely genuine—she’d flunked out of college before, and I think her dad was only open to the idea of her going back if she was living off-campus with a responsible roommate, AKA her boring farm-girl cousin—I owe her. I owe her the roof over my head and the massive student loan debt I don’t have.
             When her phone rings, she wastes no time dismissing me to answer it. “Katie?” she says. “Guess who just got kicked out of the fucking club. Yes! Because this asshole bouncer wouldn’t let me backstage.” She gives me a dirty look. “Just stood there doing nothing. I know! No, she didn’t even try. Getting a place with her was stupid.”
            An icy chill slithers up the back of my neck, and I chew the inside of my lip. Because of my uncle’s insistence that I focus all of my energy on school right now instead of also finding a part-time job, I have no income. My only “job” is not pissing off his daughter. And it’s a job that I’m learning I am very, very bad at.
            With my mouth shut, I slink away before my mere presence can enrage Danica further, and when she asks where I’m going, I make up the lamest excuse ever. “To read this flyer over here.”


Interview with the author:

How is Hailey different from the other heroines you’ve written?

Hailey’s character is really layered, and she rarely fell into any extreme: she wasn’t super confident, but she’d stand up for herself when she had to; she didn’t believe she was pretty, but she knew she wasn’t ugly; she couldn’t stand her cousin, but she had a sense of family loyalty ingrained in her values. All of these middle-of-the-road characteristics made her feel very real, but they also made her difficult to write. I often had trouble figuring out how she’d act in a situation—more like the story was pushing her instead of her pushing the story. All of my heroines develop and change throughout their stories—something that I feel is an essential element of the New Adult genre—but Hailey’s major obstacle was her confidence, and that involved a deep level of exploration and growth that I think a lot of readers are really going to relate to.

Did you have to do any special type of research for this story?

In each of my Mayhem series books, I try to throw in some cool rock star element. In MAYHEM, the heroine went on tour with the band. In RIOT, the heroine went to a giant music festival. In CHAOS, the heroine was part of the band, so we got to see performing and touring from her perspective. And in HAVOC, Hailey gets to see (and be part of) a big-budget music video shoot! I had the video all planned out in my head, but since I had no idea how music video production actually works, I contacted an actual music video producer to find out. Since Taking Back Sunday was one of the big inspirations for the band in my books, I decided to start by checking out some of my favorite music videos by them and seeing who produced them. Then, I emailed that person, hoping and praying that they’d take the time to respond, and I freaked the hell out when they responded right away! The producer taught me all sorts of cool things about the production process, staff, and equipment, and it really helped me make those music video scenes much more authentic and detailed.

Readers have always loved the group dynamics and cast of characters in this series—can we expect to see those side characters and the couples from earlier books in HAVOC?

Yes! Because HAVOC is the final book in the series, it was very important to me to not only make sure Mike and Hailey got the happy ending they deserved, but to make sure that I ended the entire series—all of the romances, from all of the books—in a way that left readers content and smiling. In HAVOC, we get to see Adam and Rowan from MAYHEM, we get to see Dee and Joel from RIOT, we get to see Kit and Shawn from CHAOS, and we even get to see a ton of other series favorites: Leti, Kale, Kit’s brothers, Van... and even a surprise mention at the very end that ties everything together in a way I couldn’t be happier with. J

If Mike had a Horcrux, what would it be?

Easy! His drumsticks!

A resident of South Central Pennsylvania, JAMIE SHAW's two biggest dreams in life were to be a published author and to be a mom. Now, she's living both of those dreams and loving every minute of it. When she's not spending time with her husband and their young son, she's writing novels with relatable heroines and swoon-worthy leading men. With her MS in Professional Writing and a passion for all things romance, her goal is always to make readers laugh, cry, squirm, curse, and swoon their pants off, all within the span of a single story. She loves interacting with readers, and she always aims to add new names to their book boyfriend lists.

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MISTER MONEYBAGS COVER REVEAL

 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Authors Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward have teamed up once again to bring you another chance meeting, another Cocky Bastard who will charm his way into your heart on April 10th, 2017.

 

Photographer: Maurizio Montani

Model: Richeli Murari

Cover designer: Letitia Hasser, r.b.a. designs

     

I met Bianca in an elevator.

She was on her way to interview me when we got stuck.

The beautiful, raven-haired reporter assumed I was a delivery guy because of the way I was dressed.

She had no clue I was really Dex Truitt, the wealthy, successful businessman she’d dubbed “Mister Moneybags”—her afternoon appointment.

Bianca told me how much she hated Dex’s type—snobby, over educated, silver- spooned men who didn't appreciate the simple things in life.

So, after the elevator finally started moving again, I cancelled the interview and let her believe I was someone I wasn’t—a bike messenger named Jay. I loved the way she looked at the fake me and didn't want it to end.

I began dating her as “Jay”—all the while letting her interview the real me over email.

I didn’t expect that our chemistry online would be just as hot.

I didn’t expect the mess I’d gotten myself into.

I didn’t expect that Jay and Dex would fall in love with her.

And she was falling for two men.

Only, both men were me.

And when she found out, we were both going to lose her.

Nothing could have prepared me for that day. And I certainly wasn't prepared for what came after.

All good things must come to an end, right? Except our ending was one I didn't see coming.

 

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Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author. With more than a million books sold, her titles have appeared in over fifty Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twelve languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.   Website | Facebook Fan Group | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram    
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She’s a fifteen-time New York Times bestseller of twelve novels. Having grown up in Boston with five older brothers, she spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 12-year-old girl with autism and a 10-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.   Connect with Penelope Ward Facebook Fan Group | Facebook | Website |Twitter | Instagram