Release Celbration Blitz - Come to Me Softly by A.L. Jackson - #review, #giveaway & #trailer

Happy Release Day to A.L Jackson as we celebrate her new book Come to Me Softly!!

 

From the New York Times bestselling author of Come to Me Quietly comes

a scorching new adult romance in the Closer to You series.

 

A second chance at life…

A second chance at love…

  Jared Holt never thought he deserved either—until he found both in the arms of Aly Moore. Aly has loved Jared for as long as she can remember, and she’s more than ready for the future they’re making together. But Jared can’t help remembering his own family. And he’ll never forgive himself for what happened to them. How can he allow himself the very happiness he once destroyed? To live a life worthy of Aly, Jared knows he has to stop running and finally put his past to rest. But when he decides to face his demons head on, he encounters more than he bargained for: a dangerous mix of jealousy, lies, and dishonest intentions. When those intentions threaten Aly, Jared loses all control, giving into the rage that earned him his bad boy reputation years before. And he’ll fight to protect her no matter what it costs…even if he destroys himself in the process.

*Enjoy the trailer created by the wonderful Becca the Bibliophile*

♥BUY YOUR COPY OF COME TO ME SOFTLY♥

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

Be sure to join us for the Come to Me Softly Read Along Party! We’re kicking off the celebration on June 24^th with a ton of prizes, then the read along begins. Daily prizes all the way up to grand prize on July 2^nd!

Grand Prize: Coach Bag stuff with A.L. Jackson Goodies!

♥JOIN THE COME TO ME SOFTLY READ ALONG PARTY!♥

Come to Me Softly Release Celebration Giveaway!

Grand Prize: Coach Bag, Kindle Paperwhite, and A.L. Jackson Swag

Second Prize: Come to Me Quietly Custom Charm Necklace

Third Prize: A.L. Jackson Swag Pack

a Rafflecopter giveaway

♥BUY BOOK 1 IN THE CLOSER TO YOU SERIES♥

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

Aleena Moore is content with her life. She has goals and dreams and an easy smile. She also has a secret she holds locked inside. Jared Holt believes he doesn’t deserve to love or be loved. He destroys everything he touches. Haunted by the mistake that shattered his life, he’s fled from the memory of that pain. Jared doesn’t know why he’s compelled to return, but finds himself drawn back to the place where it all began. The exact place where it ended. When he runs into his childhood best friend, Aleena’s older brother Christopher, he agrees to share Christopher and Aleena’s apartment while he looks for a place of his own. Aleena is no longer the little girl Jared remembers from his past and evokes feelings in him he never wanted to feel again. Terrified of destroying her, he fights to keep her away. But her touch is something he can’t resist—the touch that sealed his fate. Their pasts are intertwined and their futures uncertain. The only truths they know are the secrets they whisper in the night.

 

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Take This Regret and Lost to You, as well as other contemporary romance titles, including Pulled, When We Collide, If Forever Comes, and Come to Me Quietly. She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student. She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life. Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three children. Look for Come to Me Softly and When We Met: Behind Her Eyes coming soon. 

Facebook † Twitter † Website

Instagram @aljacksonauthor Pinterest @aljacksonauthor


Source: eARC for Honest Review from NAL via NetGalley
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Part 2 of a series.  Reading the first one is a must. 

My Come to me Softly Review ...

Oh! Boy! Jared is one broken boy. 

 
Gah! My heart! Poor Jared.  He so badly wants to move forward but his demons have a fierce hold on him that could destroy everything because his life line is a very fragile thing.

Jared and Aleena can finally move forward.

 
Or Not. 

God! Jared is trying to shove it all under the rug but you can't live like that and it all comes to a head.  Aleena is the strong one for sure in the book as she powers through and makes tough choices knowing she has to in order to have the full package of love and happiness.

Jared has to deal with his past and learn to forgive himself.  For Jared it's so much more than that terrible accident.  It is also about abandonment when he needed it most and the ability to say goodbye

 Gah! I loved this heartbreaking story.  I think A.L. Jackson is a bloody genius when it comes to emotional turmoil.  She has a way to grab your heart and make you feel like you are going through everything that her characters are going through.   You heart breaks for poor broken Jard but love, hope and redemption are powerful and beautiful things.  I loved this tragic story and I especially loved Jared.  My heart bleeds for the broken men who become whole with true love.  I am such a sucker for that story line. ;) 

4.5 Gah! I love Jared thumbs up! 
. 5 
Lauren

My Come to me Quietly (Closer to you #1) Review  

Nothing But Smoke (Fire & Rain #3) by Daisy Harris Review Tour - #review, #giveaway & #excerpt

Nothing But Smoke

by Daisy Harris

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Sometimes good boys do bad things.

Fire and Rain, Book 3

Michael Larson considers himself one of the good guys. He recycles, eats mostly vegan, and volunteers. But one night, while on a jog through a Seattle park, he encounters a sexy man on a motorcycle he wants to be bad with.

Firefighter Nicky O’Brian barely has time to even think about a sex life. Between his job and caring for his critically ill mother, his only pleasures involve a few racy videos and occasional nighttime forays to find men willing to help him forget his troubles.

It was supposed to be a one-time, anonymous hookup—until fate intervenes and their mutual attraction blossoms into a furtive affair. Michael doesn’t date closeted guys, but for the haunted, lonely Nicky he makes an exception.

When Nicky’s mother takes a turn for the worse, Michael is forced to make a choice between idealism and compassion. And as Nicky’s needs spiral out of control, Michael realizes that a new set of ideals could be exactly what he needs to keep love in his life—for good.

Warning: Contains sex in the trees, sex in parked cars, and sex in other uncomfortable places. Tissues are required, because the ending will make you cry—and maybe make you want to call your Mom.

BUY LINK : AMAZON

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT

Where would I have seen…?

The answer snapped into his head, like a whip cracking against his consciousness.

Leather Dude from the park. F**k, f**k, f**k.

Michael dropped his gaze to his plate.

“Well, hurry up, or we’ll be done by the time you get around to eating.” Henri grabbed a chicken leg out of a bucket and headed to their spot.

Scooping casserole onto his plate, Michael snuck another glance at the man he’d blown in the park.

The guy’s friends moved away from him, leaving him standing awkwardly on the outer edge of a conversation between a middle-aged man—who Michael figured was a boss of some kind—and a couple women.

Not that Michael cared, but he couldn’t help wondering if the younger woman was the guy’s girlfriend. He guessed not, since Leather Dude didn’t lift his chin when she said something to him. Instead he kept his eyes on the grass like he was measuring its growth for a science experiment.

In the bright afternoon, Leather Dude’s bulk was even more pronounced than it had been at the park. His shoulders and chest strained his shirt, his biceps so pumped they barely fit through the sleeves.

With a nervous scratch to the back of his neck, the guy darted his gaze Michael’s direction before dropping it back to the grass.

What…? Oh!

Michael spun away, realizing the guy was ignoring him on purpose. God, that was weird. Normally when Michael ran into guys he’d messed around with, Michael was the one ducking behind trees or slipping into the nearest coffee shop to avoid conversation. He headed back to his friends before he was tempted to stare at the guy any longer. Something about Leather Dude had Michael wanting to twist around again, check out the guy one more time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Birkenstock-wearing glamour girl and mother of two by immaculate conception, Daisy Harris still isn't sure if she writes erotica. Her romances start out innocently enough. However, her characters behave like complete sluts. Much to Miss Harris's dismay the sex tends to get completely out of hand.

She writes about fantastical creatures and about young men getting their freak on, and she's never missed an episode of The Walking Dead.

Want to learn more about new releases, general news and my latest inappropriate boy band crush? Sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/b96xX

Website: www.thedaisyharris.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daisy.harris.31

Daisy will be awarding a $50 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Author & Goddess Fish Promotions  

Genre: MM Contemporary Romance

Part of a series but can be read as a standalone 

My Nothing But Smoke Review ...

 

In the last couple of books I have to admit that I was not a big fan of Michael but Daisy has found a way to transform Michael into a sweetheart and not as much of the dick that he has come across as before. 

Michael has been once burnt by a closeted case so he is a little gun shy when it comes to relationships especially if they are still in the closet.  

For Nicky, he thinks he knows what he wants just has never really wanted to rock his mother's religious beliefs or has he had the time to jump up and grab it.  I liked the idea of Nicky but I didn't quite connect with his character. 

For Nicky, once he meets Michael and gets to know him a bit better he realizes what he truly needs and wants.  To be together with Michael he has to come out of the closet but why rock the boat when his mother is dying.  

For Michael, he has rules to guard his heart but I felt like he wasn't patient enough to Nicky's situation.  Nicky wasn't remotely like his ex, but Michael safe guarding almost pushes Nicky away.  But Nicky is the strong one who fights for them.

Sweet coming out story!  I'm a big fan of Daisy Harris and I do like this series as it is quick, sweet and a light MM read. 

3 Coming out Thumbs up! 

Lauren

My Other Fire and Rain reviews :  From the Ashes (Fire & Rain #1) |

After the Rain (Fire & Rain #2)

Rusty Nailed (Cocktail #2) by Alice Clayton Blog Tour - #review

Rusty Nailed (Cocktail #2)

by Alice Clayton (Goodreads Author)

In this sequel to Wallbanger, the second book in the Cocktail series, fan favorites Caroline and Simon negotiate the rollercoaster of their new relationship while house-sitting in San Francisco.

Playing house was never so much fun—or so confusing. With her boss on her honeymoon, Caroline’s working crazy long hours to keep the interior design company running—especially since she’s also the lead designer for the renovation of a gorgeous old hotel on Sausalito. So with her hotshot photographer boyfriend gallivanting all over the world for his job, she and Simon are heavy-duty into “absence makes the heart grow fonder” mode. Neither has any complaints about the great reunion sex, though! Then Simon decides he’s tired of so much travelling, and he’s suddenly home more. A lot more. And wanting Caroline home more, too. Though their friends’ romantic lives provide plenty of welcome distraction, eventually Caroline and Simon have to sort their relationship out. Neither wants “out of sight, out of mind,” but can they create their own happy mid-ground cliché?

USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton delivers another delicious, frothy cocktail of a book, shaking up her characters, stirring in laugh-out-loud humor, and serving sizzling romance straight up

Click Here for all the purchase links

Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Gallery Books (Simon and Shuster)

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

It is sequel to Wallbanger the first book of the series.

My Rusty Nailed Review ...

So, Wallbanger was one of my favorite books so I could NOT wait for more Simon and Caroline.  

But the reality of the situation is sadly this book felt too long.  After reading it I would have been just as content with a long epilogue or a novella with a sneak look into Simon and Caroline.  In Rusty Nailed it just felt like a really drawn out epilogue.  There were still funny parts, and I absolutely LOVE Simon (even more with this book) but the rest was just okay.  I liked it, I just didn't love it. 

The chemistry was still there, the evolution of Simon and Caroline was good but predictable.  The one constant for me was my ever growing love for Simon.  For someone who has never really been in a relationship he sure does excel at it. 

However, even though I didn't enjoy this one as much I still love the shit out of Alice Clayton and her story writing.  I think after the epic of Wallbanger it's hard to have something just as amazing the second go around because people's expectations are so high in comparison.   Since the story of Caroline and Simon is basically done, I can't wait to continue and find out more with some new characters.

3.5 I love Simon Thumbs up!  

. 5

Lauren 

Click link for My Wallbanger Review

Needing You (Broken Road #2) by Becca Siller Blog Tour - #review

Needing You: Book Two of the Broken Road Series

by Becca Siller (Goodreads Author)

Jealousy, Erotic Infidelity, Traumatic Recovery: Needing You, the Second Book in Becca Siller’s Acclaimed Series, Sweeps Readers Further Down the Broken Road

Following Charlotte McElroy’s scintillating sexual reawakening in Wanting You, Book One of the Broken Road Series, readers were left with a violent and abusive cliffhanger. Becca Siller follows up her steamy debut novel with a more emotional but no less lusty and provocative continuation of her highly praised erotic series.
 
Dealing with the trauma of her kidnapping and vicious treatment at the hands of her ex-boyfriend Tony, Charlie struggles to find her way back to normality. Life was never supposed to be like this. Once she met the sexy, loving heartthrob, Wyatt Grayson, everything should have been OK. But will the repercussions of her abuse be too much for the couple to handle? Can Wyatt give Charlie the time she needs to recover without reverting to his promiscuous ways while filming in Scotland? Will Charlie's growing feelings for Ian, a gorgeous, supportive and attentive detective, supplant her love for Wyatt? Will jealousy and misunderstandings finally drive them apart, or is love really enough?

Praise for the Broken Road Series

“I will definitely be reading book two in the series. If you are looking for something that is hot and steamy mixed with a little nail biting suspense, this is definitely a book worth reading.”
— Loverly’s Book Blog

“If you are a lover of hot, erotic stories this is the book for you. It touched on some tough subjects but Becca Siller did so with grace and respect for those that might have lived through what Charlotte did.”
— Charlotte Lynn, A Novel Review

About the Author
After releasing her first novel, Wanting You, to rave reviews, Becca Siller is back with the second installment in the Broken Road Series. When not writing steamy romantic stories, she enjoys time with her family and works on her ranch in Oregon. 

For more information, visit http://beccasiller.com/.

ADD TO GOODREADS
 

LINKS: AMAZON (USA) | AMAZON (CAN) | AMAZON (UK)  | B & N |  | My Review of Wanting You (Broken Road #1)

Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Inkwater Press

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Part 2 in a series.  It is NOT a stand alone.

My Needing You Review ...

I will admit that Wanting You the first book was not my fave but the damn cliffhanger kept me holding on. So, when I got the opportunity to review I jumped on it dying to find out what happened with Charlie and Wyatt.  I'm so happy that I gave this series a second chance because this book was leaps and bounds better than the first book.  It kept me captivated and was less predictable. 

This was about how Charlie recovers from her traumatic event with her ex Tony.   Charlie is having a hard time moving forward and is lashing out and pushing everyone away.  Almost all of her friends understand this but poor Wyatt has some personal demons which cause him not to see what is actually going on.  Instead he goes back to his player ways to deal with his emotions.  

For Charlie, since Wyatt is moving on, she also does with Ian.?  

 I was so frustrated with Wyatt and Charlie's choices.  In this part of the book it was the part that made me pretty mad with how Charlie and Wyatt reacted but the clincher was that it was like only a week after the 'event' and then all of a sudden they are both moving on. 

But this book was not only about Charlie and Wyatt it was also about Riley and Miles (whom I adored), Scott & Darius and the rest of the gang.   As Charlie and Wyatt muddle through their relationship trying to fix what is broken, many other layers are being created with Ian whom has some secrets and the unknown issues with Olivia.

I felt this book was much better written than the first. The dialogue felt more natural and not as forced and there was more substance than Wyatt and Charlie just having sex all the time.   We were almost left with a HEA then Becca Siller decided to play with our emotions again leaving another open ended ending sucking us in to find out all the answers in the next book but I don't have a hot clue about the future of book 3 and there are no answers on Goodreads ;(.  Fingers crossed that the next book will be out sooner than later so we can find out if Charlie and Wyatt get there HEA.

3.5 Getting Better Thumbs up! 
  . 5
Lauren

Flat-Out Celeste (Flat Out #2) by Jessica Park - #review

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Whether you were charmed by Celeste in Flat-Out Love or are meeting her for the first time, this book is a joyous celebration of differences, about battling private wars that rage in our heads and in our hearts, and—very much so— this is a story about first love.. 

For high-school senior Celeste Watkins, every day is a brutal test of bravery. And Celeste is scared. Alienated because she’s too smart, her speech too affected, her social skills too far outside the norm, she seems to have no choice but to retreat into isolation. 

But college could set her free, right? If she can make it through this grueling senior year, then maybe. If she can just find that one person to throw her a lifeline, then maybe, just maybe.

Justin Milano, a college sophomore with his own set of quirks, could be that person to pull her from a world of solitude. To rescue her—that is, if she’ll let him. 

Together, they may work. Together, they may save each other. And together they may also save another couple—two people Celeste knows are absolutely, positively flat-out in love.

About the Author:

Jessica is the author of LEFT DROWNING, the New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE (and the companion piece FLAT-OUT MATT), and RELATIVELY FAMOUS. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.

Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicapark and Twitter @JessicaPark24

  

Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy from Author and Wordsmith Publicity

Genre: YA/NA Contemporary Romance

Part of a series and possibility could be read as a stand alone but would recommend to read it part of a series to get the full effect.

My Flat Out Celeste Review ...

First lets just start with the fact that I flat out Love Jessica Park and this series.  I fell in love with Celeste in Flat Out Love and again in Flat Out Matt and I was so happy to get to see the in-depth version of Celeste.  

Finally getting to know Celeste caused me a whole gamut of emotions.  You heart breaks for her and all her intricacies but what is so special about Celeste is those are also what makes you love her so much more.

As Celeste is trying to find her place in this world she stumbles across Justin who happens to be just as quirky and enduring as Celeste.  On their own they are specially fantastic but together they melt my heart with how right they are together. 

Celeste has always been able to count on her brother Matt but she is saddened with his heartbreak with not being with Julie anymore (*gasp!!!!).  Celeste has never really experienced any kind of romantic relationship before but now that she is starting to experience this type of joy she wants Julie & Matt to re-experience as well.  For it only to blow up in her face.

Celeste knows she is different but can't accept that people would be okay with that prospect so she pushes away everyone so she can't hurt anyone or be hurt in return.  This also causes more angst but also healing as she is forced to finally let go of her heartbreaking pain with the loss of Finn.  But Celeste is not the only one who has to heal so that they can move forward and learn to love and accept being loved forever. 

This was such a heartbreakingly sweet story that I absolutely adored.  It was so well written and Jessica was able to capture all of Celeste and Justin's enduring personality quirks so magically that you couldn't do anything but fall in love with them and of course Matt & Julie as well.   Loved it!

4.5 So Sweet Thumbs up! 

. 5

Lauren