January 2017 was an amazing reading month! I read a lot more than this, and need to catch up on my reviews this week, but I rarely have two 5 star reviews in a month. This month I had FOUR, and one at 4.75.
So here is my January Review Recap & Bestsellers list. Sorry for the delay, but as you all probably know, I just got back from the Masquerade Ball and Premiere of Fifty Shades. Make sure you check out that giveaway!
Book Review – Rock Chick Reawakening by Kristen Ashley
“You’re a dream a girl like me never thought she could dream.”
Kristen Ashley gives readers everything we didn’t know we wanted and more with Rock Chick Reawakening. With so many huge fans clamoring for this story Kristen Ashley rose to the challenge and made it even better than I could have dreamed, and did it all in a novella that felt full-length. Marcus has always been a background character. I wondered how sweet Daisy ended up with a criminal, but I never really knew him. Well to know him is to love him, because Marcus is the bomb! Both Daisy and Marcus’s background will tear you up and piece you right back together again, better than you were before, just like they did for each other. Rock Chick Reawakening brought the Rock Chick Series full circle, and I couldn’t have imagined a better end (or beginning) to a favorite series.
See My Full Review | Purchase on Amazon | See the Complete Guide to Kristen Ashley
Audiobook Review – Wicked Impulse by Chelle Bliss
“There’s only one thing worse than dating a friend’s sister—sleeping with his mother.”
I am torn on Wicked Impulse. I love the story, but where I’m torn is whether the audio made it better or worse. I think it made the story a comedy, where if I read on kindle I think I would have found it a much sexier read with some funny moments. Fran seemed a bit older than the age she’s supposed to be, because she seemed old to me even though I’m about the same age. But I love Chelle for writing an older couple as still very sexual and HOT and including it in a series for all ages. It’s funny, the story that first made me fall for Chelle’s writing was The Gallos which is no longer on Kindle, but it was about the parents of the characters in Men of Inked who were married a long time, older, and still cool and sexy.
All in all I totally recommend Wicked Impulse. If you are looking for more of a comedy with a unique and fun narrator, get the audible. If you are looking for a hot read with an older couple, get the print version. Either way, it’s a great story, and I’m ready for more, because this doesn’t quite stand completely alone, you will want the next.
See my Full Review | Purchase on Amazon | Audible
Book Review – Retreat by Jay Crownover
“Even mounted on the horse and handling the animal like it was second nature, he still didn’t look like any kind of cowboy I had ever imagined . . . he looked so much better.”
Retreat was much more than I expected. Well, I guess I didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t a full-fledged dangerous adventure as well as a deep, very hot romance. I love books with some adventure, so Retreat really fit the bill in a completely unique storyline. It brought out every emotion in me and left me desperate for the next book which will focus on one of the other brothers. Bravo to Jay Crownover for having the nerve to break her own mold and try something new for her. It worked spectacularly.
See My Full Review | Purchase on Amazon
Book Review – Dear Life by Meghan Quinn
*Has different cover now*
“Life is work. Life is a journey of triumphs and sorrows. Of successes and failures. Of learning experiences and growing opportunities.”
Meghan Quinn proved her existence with this book. I have loved all of her comedy, but Dear Life was a complete departure for her. Sure, there was some comedy, but those moments came at the perfect times because this was one of the most emotional books I have read. It’s not even the storyline that is so emotional, but the telling of it put you right there in the story, experiencing it with the characters. This is one of the hardest reviews I’ve ever written because my words just can’t do this story justice, and I don’t want to give away anything, so you need to just pick it up and experience it yourself. Don’t let the tears scare you. I hate to cry. But I cried good tears (like the ones I cry every single year at the end of It’s A Wonderful Life). I am so glad Meghan is not following this up with another book. Because honestly, it was perfect as is, and more might mar that perfection. *Note: This book did feel a little long, but remember we are telling 4 stories, not just 2.
See My Full Review | Purchase on Amazon
Audiobook Review – Full Package by Lauren Blakely
“I’m fucking my friend. I’m screwing my roommate. And more than that, I’m also making love to the woman I’m falling in love with.”
If Full Package was the first male POV book I had read from Lauren Blakely, it probably would have been 5+++++ stars the way Big Rock was, but now that I know what to expect, the new, shocking perfection of these stories have faded into more of an expectation. In fact, I get nervous as she releases them that each book can not live up to the standards of the previous, but they do! Lauren Blakely has a magical way of telling a story filled with humor, total hotness, romance, respect, friendship, love and real people. Full Package was the full package of all of my favorite things in a book, and the narration by Sebastian York is perfect for the male POV RomComs more than anything else. I can’t recommend this entire ‘series’ more. It is definitely an all-time favorite.
See my Full Review | Purchase on Kindle | $1.99 Audible Upgrade
Audiobook Review – Royally Screwed by Emma Chase
“How many rooms does it have?”
“Five hundred eighty-seven, not including the staff bedrooms.” He leans up and licks the shell of my ear, making the wet and quivering plan come to fruition. His next words almost make me come on the spot. “And I want to fuck you in every one of them by the end of the summer.”
I wasn’t sure I’d like the fairytale type of Royal books that are coming out now. But let me tell you, I was wrong. I should know better, because you can never go wrong with an Emma Chase book. I have loved them all, but this may be a favorite (but I might say that after each one). Royally Screwed by Emma Chase had everything I love in a book and more. It had characters I love, a compelling story with built-in angst but not too much, a sexy alpha, hot sex, and lots of laughs. Most of all it had an epic romance. I couldn’t put it down and found myself cleaning my entire house so I wouldn’t have to stop listening (a true miracle!) I can’t wait for the next one!
See my Full Review | Purchase on Kindle | Audible
Book Review – Taking Turns by JA Huss
“Number One is mostly silent. He watches me with them very carefully. His gaze never wanders. His interest never wanes. Number Two is mostly gentle. But it’s the other side of him I like best. The wild side. Number Three is mostly reserved. He refuses to cross the line. Even when I beg.”
I’m still a little lost for words on Taking Turns. There are so many twists and turns, and it took a good portion of the book to figure out how the game is played. There is hot kinky sex, but rest assured, this IS a romance, and the sex doesn’t overpower the story at all, in fact, I wouldn’t have minded more. There are some loose ends though, and I am starting to think this may be a trilogy having each guy find their own happy ending. I liked all the characters, and though this is billed as dark, I think it’s more mysterious than anything. I’ll tell you this, I need to see this Turning Series through. There are still some unanswered questions, but despite a mild cliffy, there is still a happy ending, and this can stand alone for the most part. My curiosity is too strong for that, and I will be grabbing the next on release day. (Eek! I just read the blurb for the next one! I NEEEED IT!)
See my Full Review | Purchase on Amazon
Book Review – Preppy Part Two by T.M. Frazier
“Hey, Doc?” he asked, searching my eyes. His laugh quieted and his smile fell.
My stomach flipped. “Yeah?”
“This time… I’m gonna keep you.”
Preppy Part two is my favorite T.M. Frazier book to date, and that’s saying a lot. It focuses a little less on the crimes and the wars and the sex and much more on relationships, growth and family. It shows every character’s growth and changes. Preppy was much more subdued in this installment, and even though he had been my favorite character, and I love his silly, crazy antics, I loved him in a different way during Preppy Part two. Seeing him vulnerable and noble and loving and hurting and confused just made me love him even more. I loved how Dre was now the one saving him, because she has grown and healed so much. King and Bear both play important roles in this installment, as do Ray and Thia. We even get a visit from Rage and another cameo or two. T.M. Frazier could have dropped the cliffy ending and ended the series right here and I would have been very happy with it. But honestly, I am so glad she didn’t, because I wasn’t more. No I NEED more. Hurry up Part Three!
See My Full Review | Purchase on Amazon
Book Review – Raw Deal by Cherrie Lynn
“The hand that had beaten her brother to death had held hers as if it were something precious.”
I’m so glad to see Cherrie Lynn with a new series of brothers who are all totally different. I loved the very unique forbidden romance storyline. I am a first person girl, and the third person storytelling kept me from fully falling in love with this story, and may have contributed to the slow-down in the middle. But I still really thought it was a great storyline by a wonderful storyteller. I look forward to reading the next two in the series.
See my Full Review | Purchase on Amazon
Audiobook Review – Separation Games by CD Reiss
“You made me like this. You woke me up. You dragged me out of the darkness and now you don’t want me in the light. Well, fuck you.”
Marriage Games was one of my favorite audiobooks of 2016. Unfortunately, the small things that bothered me a little bit in the first book were magnified by a thousand in Separation Games. The main thing was that I just didn’t like Diana. It was a good story, well written, extremely complex and had a lot of emotion, but I have problems with manipulative heroines and Diana was extremely manipulative. I never quite bought that she wanted Adam for Adam rather than for his business skills or Dom skills. I am torn on the rating here, because it was a very compelling, well written story, but I need to love my heroine more. This may be a case of “It’s not you, it’s me”, but I just never really believed they were made for each other.
See my Full Review | Purchase on Kindle | Audible Upgrade
Audiobook Review – Arrogant Bastard by Winter Renshaw
“He’s my brother now, and that will never change. Our parents are eternally sealed to one another.”
Arrogant Bastard was a step-sibling book, but it was also about the AUB polygamist religion. I felt like it was too many taboo storylines combined and nothing was quite fleshed out well enough, but knowing that people really live like that is pretty interesting. I wish I knew how accurate it was. Despite the excellent narration, I was kind of just left feeling like “that was different”. I didn’t dislike it at all, in fact, it kept me interested. But I didn’t love it. I would however, read this author again if I read the blurb and some reviews more and know what to expect.
See my Full Review | Purchase on Kindle | $1.99 Audible Upgrade
Bestsellers for January 2017
These are based on sales through my amazon links.
1. Big Rock by Lauren Blakely
It’s not just the motion of the ocean, ladies. It’s definitely the SIZE of the boat too.
And I’ve got both firing on all cylinders. In fact, I have ALL the right assets. Looks, brains, my own money, and a big c&$k.
You might think I’m an as%*$le. I sound like one, don’t I? I’m hot as sin, rich as heaven, smart as hell and hung like a horse.
Guess what? You haven’t heard my story before. Sure, I might be a playboy, like the NY gossip rags call me. But I’m the playboy who’s actually a great guy. Which makes me one of a kind.
The only trouble is, my dad needs me to cool it for a bit. With conservative investors in town wanting to buy his flagship Fifth Avenue jewelry store, he needs me not only to zip it up, but to look the part of the committed guy. Fine. I can do this for Dad. After all, I’ve got him to thank for the family jewels. So I ask my best friend and business partner to be my fiancée for the next week. Charlotte’s up for it. She has her own reasons for saying yes to wearing this big rock.
And pretty soon all this playing pretend in public leads to no pretending whatsoever in the bedroom, because she just can’t fake the kind of toe-curling, window-shattering orgasmic cries she makes as I take her to new heights between the sheets.
But I can’t seem to fake that I might be feeling something real for her.
What the hell have I gotten myself into with this…big rock?
BIG ROCK is a standalone rom-com written from the guy’s POV by NYT Bestselling author Lauren Blakely…
Big Rock is on my Best of 2016 List
2. Black Swan Affair by KL Kreig
I’ve loved him as long as I can remember.
The gangly boy with big brown eyes and unruly hair who grew up into an intoxicating man. He wears scruff like he invented it and ambles with a swagger that makes panties drop.
Killian Shepard.
Shep.
We grew up together. We played Ghost in the Graveyard. Had our own rock band. It didn’t matter that he was five years older than me. It didn’t matter that he looked at me as a kid sister even as I grew into woman. It didn’t even matter when he left me behind to go to college and start his adult life.
He’d be back.
He was always meant to be mine.
He came back, all right. But instead of smelling of promises, he stunk of betrayal. And he destroyed me—us—the day he married my sister instead of me.
So I did the only thing a girl like me in my position could do.
I got my revenge.
I married his brother, Kael.
Now we’re one big happy f*cking family.
***mature content appropriate for 18+
I want him to be my first.
I want him to be the one.
I want him to be my everything.
I didn’t expect to spend my eighteenth birthday stranded in the pouring rain with no way to make it home.
I didn’t expect to be rescued from the worst night of my life by the most amazing man I’d ever seen.
His name is Nick, and he says he wants to take care of me, says he’ll look after me, says I don’t need to be alone anymore.
He treats me like a princess, like the fragile little girl he saved from the cold.
But I like him… I like him like that.
I’ve never liked anyone like that before…
And it’s weird, this thing we have…
It’s like I can’t decide how we’re supposed to be… what we are…
Until he says the words…
Call me Daddy.
A STANDALONE ROMANCE.
Keir McGregor has a deep, dark secret that could destroy the woman he loves…
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Pact and The Lie comes a new standalone contemporary romance to make you laugh, cry and swoon.
Jessica Charles shouldn’t have even been in London when the unthinkable happened.
She should have been back at home in Edinburgh, perhaps hanging with her boyfriend, having drinks with her sister or doing yoga with her group of friends. She should have been going on in her normal, dependable life as always.
But on that fateful day in August, when a mentally-ill ex-soldier opened fire in public, Jessica’s world changed forever.
Now single and crippled from the gunshot wounds, Jessica finds herself scared and alone, losing faith in herself and humanity with each agonizing moment that passes.
That is until a stranger enters her life. A stranger who makes her live again.
Keir McGregor has always been the strong, silent type. Throw in tall, dark, and handsome and you’ve got pretty much the perfect Scotsman.
Except Keir is anything but perfect. He’s got a past he’s running away from and a guilty conscience he can’t seem to shed. But the more time he spends with Jessica, the more he falls in love with her.
And the more his secret threatens to tear them apart.
He may have been a stranger to her.
But she’s never been a stranger to him.
NOTE: The Debt is a complete STANDALONE novel…you do NOT need to read any of the other McGregor books to read this one.
The Debt is rated 18+ for dirty-talking Scotsmen, profanity, and numerous sexy times. For those sensitive to bad language and explicit sex, please be aware.
5. Falling for the Babysitter by Penny Wylder
My next door neighbor is a single dad. A very, VERY hot single dad.
And he wants me to be his babysitter.
I could use the extra money so that part’s easy. What’s NOT easy is the fact I’ve had a crush on Deacon for years. He never knew, and it never mattered. I was too young then.
But I’m not now.
He looks at me like he wants to rip my clothes straight off. His brother hates me, though–thinks I’m no good, just another woman trying to wreck Deacon’s life. If he catches us together, he’ll probably throw him AND his cute daughter out on the street just to prove a point.
I can’t let that happen.
But after seeing Deacon shirtless… noticing how stiff his whole body gets around me… I’m not sure I can keep resisting.
Or if I even want to.
This is a standalone novella with a HEA and NO cheating!
6. Full Package by Lauren Blakely
I’ve been told I have quite a gift.
Hey, I don’t just mean in my pants. I’ve got a big brain too, and a huge heart of gold. And I like to use all my gifts to the fullest, the package included. Life is smooth sailing….
Until I find myself stuck between a rock and a sexy roommate, which makes for one very hard…place.
Because scoring an apartment in this city is harder than finding true love. So even if I have to shack up with my buddy’s smoking hot and incredibly amazing little sister, a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.
I can resist Josie. I’m disciplined, I’m focused, and I keep my hands to myself, even in the mere five-hundred square feet we share. Until the one night she insists on sliding under the covers with me. It’ll help her sleep after what happened that day, she says.
Spoiler–neither one of us sleeps.
Did I mention she’s also one of my best friends? That she’s brilliant, beautiful and a total firecracker? Guess that makes her the full package too.
What’s a man stuck in a hard place to do?
FULL PACKAGE is a standalone friends-to-lovers rom-com!
7. Taking Turns (The Turning Series Book 1) by JA Huss
I’ve never been afraid of the dark…but that doesn’t mean I wanted to live in it. And maybe everyone wants what they can’t have, but I should’ve thought it over before I accepted the key and unlocked the door to their forbidden world.
Number One is mostly silent. He watches me with them very carefully. His gaze never wanders. His interest never wanes.
Number Two is mostly gentle. But it’s the other side of him I like best. The wild side.
Number Three is mostly reserved. He refuses to cross the line. Even when I beg.
It was carnal, it was sensual, and it was erotic. That’s it. That’s all it was supposed to be. A trip into the dark. A peek into the forbidden.
I just didn’t expect to like them.
A new standalone novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author, Vi Keeland.
The night I met Drew Jagger, he’d just broken into my new Park Avenue office.
I dialed 9-1-1 before proceeding to attack him with my fancy new Krav Maga skills.
He quickly restrained me, then chuckled, finding my attempted assault amusing.
Of course, my intruder had to be arrogant.
Only, turned out, he wasn’t an intruder at all.
Drew was the rightful occupant of my new office. He’d been on vacation while his posh space was renovated.
Which was how a scammer got away with leasing me office space that wasn’t really available for rent.
I was swindled out of ten grand.
The next day, after hours at the police station, Drew took pity on me and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. In exchange for answering his phones while his secretary was out, he’d let me stay until I found a new place.
I probably should have acted grateful and kept my mouth shut when I overheard the advice he was spewing to his clients. But I couldn’t help giving him a piece of my mind.
I never expected my body to react every time we argued. Especially when that was all we seemed to be able to do.
The two of us were complete opposites. Drew was a bitter, angry, gorgeous-as-all-hell, destroyer of relationships. And my job was to help people save their marriages.
The only thing the two of us had in common was the space we were sharing.
And an attraction that was getting harder to deny by the day.
Loved it! My review will be up this week
This was also my #1 Selling audiobook
9. Rock Chick Reawakening by Kristen Ashley
From New York Times bestselling author, Kristen Ashley, comes the long-awaited story of Daisy and Marcus, Rock Chick Reawakening. A prequel to Kristen’s Rock Chick series, Rock Chick Reawakening shares the tale of the devastating event that nearly broke Daisy, an event that set Marcus Sloan—one of Denver’s most respected businessmen and one of the Denver underground’s most feared crime bosses—into finally making his move to win the heart of the woman who stole his.
Purchase on Amazon | See the Complete Guide to Kristen Ashley
10. Reed’s Reckoning by Ahren Sanders
Arianna ‘Ari’ Williams thought she experienced the depths of true love until the man of her dreams dismissed her with no explanation. Heartbroken and humiliated, she found herself changing the course of her life and picking up the pieces of her shattered heart. Now four years later, she has a successful career, amazing friends, and a young son with crystal blue eyes that reminds her every day of the love she imagined. Emotionally she has moved on but the wounds never healed.
Reed Matthews has it all. Playing professional football was his always his dream. Being one of the most successful wide receivers in the league comes with money, fame, and all the women he wants. Even with all his wishes coming true, he never stops thinking of the one woman that owned his soul four years ago.
A chance encounter brings Reed to the realization that Ari Williams not only hid a life changing secret from him, but also things weren’t as they seemed all those years ago. He’s determined to get her back and build their lives together.
When the truth behind their deception is revealed- friendships are tested, families are torn apart, and the one person behind it all is relentless.
Can Reed protect those he loves and build the future he dreamed of?
11. The Hearts Series: Books 1-4 by LH Cosway
Get the first four books in L.H. Cosway’s Hearts series, plus BRAND NEW bonus novella, Cross My Heart. From quirky heroines to heartthrob heroes and exhilarating plot lines, The Hearts Series is a collection of interconnected standalone novels that will have you glued to the pages.
The Hearts Boxset Bundle includes:
Six of Hearts (book #1)
Hearts of Fire (book #2)
King of Hearts (book #3)
Hearts of Blue (book #4)
Cross My Heart (bonus novella #5.75)
Cross My Heart Blurb:
Iris Garrigan has nothing.
Well, that’s not entirely true. She has her trusty Doc Martin boots. She has her Bowie obsession. And she has the stray cat that sneaks into her bed and keeps her company at night – it’s a quid pro quo relationship. The cat gets a warm body and she gets something alive beside her when she would otherwise be alone.
She also has a job. Sure, washing dishes hardly has her rolling in dough, but with no permanent abode it’s the best she can do. She knows her new boss only lets her work in his restaurant out of pity, but she isn’t above cashing in on a little human compassion if it means she can survive to live another day.
Everything is going fine until Liam Cross starts to take notice of her, poking his newly minted police badge where it doesn’t belong. And if he doesn’t quit soon her not so legal living situation could find her in hot waters. Little does she know, Liam isn’t just being nosy, he’s trying to help. Iris has no idea that he’s been watching her for months, and that he’s completely enamoured with her strange and peculiar ways.
When Liam discovers her secret Iris has two options: stay and face the music or run for the hills.
Every once in a while, you need to get away from it all.
I was a woman on the edge, shaken and shattered after a breakup that felt like it tore my entire world apart.
My best friend, sick of watching me drown in misery and melancholy, harassed me until I agreed to go with her on a week-long wilderness retreat.
She promised days spent bonding and getting in touch with our inner bad-asses. It was supposed to be all about the two of us roughing it and making do with the bare minimum. She assured me we were going to be pushed to our limits in ways that were unimaginable. Neither one of us could have ever guessed just how right she was.
Nowhere in the glossy brochure did it say anything about the fact I was going to have to battle the insufferable but deliciously rugged and sexy trail guide instead of the elements. The brochure also forgot to mention the part that warned when you left civilization behind, there was no place to pack your inhibitions and fears.
I was told that I would be facing a week where the only thing I should expect was the unexpected. However, no one mentioned that I was going to have to fight for my life…and my heart as soon as I ventured into the unknown.
I was a pro at hiding from my feelings but when it came time to face a real threat, one that could change everything, I learned I was more of a no surrender, no retreat kind of girl.
Retreat is a standalone novel, the first in the Getaway series which centers on the hardheaded and brokenhearted Warner brothers and the women that dare to love them.
These boys are very good at putting the wild in wilderness.
From New York Times bestselling author, Emma Hart, comes a brand new standalone novel. BEING BROOKE is a laugh-out-loud, witty, and sometimes highly inappropriate romantic comedy about being in love with your best friend. And how much that freaking sucks.
My name is Brooke Barker…
And I’m a freaking disaster.
No, seriously. I’m a college drop-out working a dead-end job, my best friend Carly’s dog gets more action than I do, and I have more bad dates in my diary than there are movie remakes.
Not to mention I’m completely and utterly in love with Cain Elliott.
The problem? He’s in a relationship. With a girl who’s so plastic she makes Barbie cry herself to sleep with jealousy.
The second problem? He’s my best friend.
My shut-up-and-put-on-Harry-Potter, yes-this-is-your-shirt, help-I-have-no-power, crap-I’m-out-of-tampons, kinda best friend.
And that’s all he can be, right?
Right.
Being Brooke is on my Best of 2016 List
Scarlett-
When going to war, there are three very simple rules one must abide by.
1.Know thy enemy
2.Be prepared to sacrifice.
3.Always wear good shoes
After all, revenge is a dish best served in stilettos.
I’ve got an eye for it, and nothing’s going to stand in my way.
Not even Rory ‘The Saint’ Brodrick.
He’s a fool if he thinks he can change me. By the time I’m through with him, I’ll make his mafia look like child’s play.
Cross me, Mr. Brodrick?
You better cross your heart and hope to die.
Rory-
I’m a fighter. A hustler. A mobster.
I’ve seen a few things in my day.
But I’ve never encountered anything like her.
She’s a beauty with a beast of a heart. The poison apple I just can’t resist. And in her trail she leaves a wake of men crawling on their knees.
What she doesn’t know is that I like my women wild.
It only makes it that much more fun to tame them.
**This is a DARK mafia romance. A full-length standalone novel with HEA and no cheating.**
15. The Butterfly Garden (The Collector Trilogy Book 1) by Dot Hutchison
Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.
In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.
When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself.
As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who’d go to any length to hold beauty captive. But the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she’s still hiding…
16. No Trespassing by KD Robichaux
Being the daughter of world-renowned archaeologists, it’s in Emmy’s blood to want entry into the many off-limits historical places around the United States. Having graduated with her degrees in history and archaeology, you’d think she could just waltz right in wherever she wanted, right?
Wrong.
Dean Savageman, host of The Adventure Channel’s No Trespassing, is the rock star of documentaries, and is always called first to explore the most forgotten, dangerous, and inaccessible places around the country. No one gets dibs before him—certainly not the huffy wanna-be archeologist who keeps showing up at the most obscure undocumented locations, no matter how beautiful she is.
After years of run-ins—and unwanted fantasies—with her self-proclaimed mortal enemy and having given up on gaining entry to one of her dream sites the legal way, Emmy sneaks into the NOLA Catacombs, having no idea Dean is in their depths.
What happens when these two get trapped together, alone, twenty-five feet under the streets of New Orleans is one for the history books, or at least an episode of… No Trespassing.
17. Delivery Girl: A contemporary sports romantic comedy (Minnesota Ice Book 1) by Lily Kate
USA TODAY Bestseller
Good things come in extra-large, smoking hot packages.
Things like pizza.
The very pizzas that I deliver for my dad’s restaurant, Peretti’s Pizza. It’s a temporary job, something to pay the bills until I graduate from school, but it does the trick. In fact, it’s working quite well until Ryan Pierce of the Minnesota Stars decides to order a pizza from me, and life as I know it turns upside down.
You see, Ryan Pierce doesn’t just open his front door. He opens it buck naked. And suddenly, I’m not the one boasting the biggest, hottest package in the room. However, it’s what happens next that gives me butterflies whenever my phone beeps. Ryan starts to call, and then text, and then fifteen pizza deliveries and one fantastic night later, we’re friends with benefits.
So when he asks me to be his fake girlfriend at his brother’s wedding, I’m happy to help. But the longer we pretend, the more I worry that this is one package I might not be able to handle.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
This is a full-length, standalone romantic comedy with an HEA. It is intended for audiences 18+ due to mature content including romance, language, and ridiculously fun times.
18. The Providence Trilogy Bundle: Providence; Requiem; Eden by Jamie McGuire
Now available in a single volume, #1 New York Times bestseller Jamie McGuire’s debut, The Providence series has been hailed by Tough Critic Review’s Mollie Harper as ‘Beautifully talented writing”. Beginning with Night Owl Reviews’ Top Pick, Providence, the Providence Trilogy will ignite your curiosity, break your heart, and have you looking over your shoulder.
This bundle includes the following novels:
PROVIDENCE: In the old world shadows of Providence, Rhode Island, Nina Grey finds herself the center of a war between Hell and Earth.
Struggling with her father’s recent death, Nina meets Jared Ryel by chance…or so she believes. Although his stunning good looks and mysterious talents are a welcome distraction, it soon becomes clear that Jared knows more about Nina than even her friends at Brown University. When questions outnumber answers, Jared risks everything to keep the woman he was born to save—by sharing the secret he was sworn to protect.
When her father’s former associates begin following her in the dark, Nina learns that her father is not the man she thought he was, but a thief who stole from demons. Searching for the truth behind her father’s death, Nina stumbles upon something she never expected—something Hell wants—and only she holds the key.
REQUIEM: Dreaming of the dead might mean a restless night for anyone, but for Nina Grey it was a warning.
Still healing from her last run-in with Hell, Nina struggles with not only her life as a Brown University student, but also as an intern at Titan Shipping, her father’s company. Recurring nightmares about her father’s violent death have become a nightly event, but being overwhelmed with guilt from Ryan’s unexpected departure to the Armed Forces, and heart ache over Claire being across the ocean to protect him, Nina believes her sleepless nights are the least of her problems—but she’s wrong.
Worried about Nina’s declining health, Jared must steal back Shax’s book for answers. Fighting new enemies, and with the help of new friends, Jared’s worst fear comes to fruition. Desperate, he is faced with a choice: Fight Hell alone, or start a war with Heaven.
EDEN: She had seen the unspeakable. She had learned the unknowable. Now, she would fight the invincible.
In the third and final installment of the Providence series, Nina Grey will marry the wrong man, carry the child that was never supposed to be born, and fight a war she can’t win.
Faced with the impossible task of protecting his new wife and unborn child against the throes of Hell, Jared Ryel is allowed no mistakes. Pressured to return the Naissance de Demoniac to Jerusalem, he revisits St. Ann’s to learn the answers were in front of him all along.
Together, they must survive long enough to let their child save them—and the world.
19. Real Good Man: A Dirty Series Spin-Off (Real Duet Book 1) by Meghan March
From USA Today bestselling author Meghan March comes a sexy new duet. We’ve all had the bad boys, now it’s time for a Real Good Man.
Fall for a woman over text messages? No way in hell.
Reality can never be as good as the fantasy, right?
Wrong. It’s better.
Banner Regent is smart, funny, and she’s so far out of my league, she might as well be royalty.
I’m a mechanic from Kentucky. She’s a New York City party girl.
We were never supposed to meet, but one text started something neither of us saw coming.
How do you seduce the woman who already has everything?
Show her what it’s like to be with a real good man.
Review to come this week, I loved it!
20. Vicious (Sinners of Saint Book 1) by LJ Shen
NOW A TOP TEN AMAZON BESTSELLER
Emilia
They say love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances, and it’s true.
The man who comes to me in my dreams also haunts me in my nightmares.
He is a brilliant lawyer.
A skilled criminal.
A beautiful liar.
A bully and a savior, a monster and a lover.
Ten years ago, he made me run away from the small town where we lived. Now, he came for me in New York, and he isn’t leaving until he takes me with him.
Vicious
She is a starving artist.
Pretty and evasive like cherry blossom.
Ten years ago, she barged into my life unannounced and turned everything upside down.
She paid the price.
Emilia LeBlanc is completely off-limits, my best friend’s ex-girlfriend. The woman who knows my darkest secret, and the daughter of the cheap Help we hired to take care of our estate.
That should deter me from chasing her, but it doesn’t.
So she hates me. Big fucking deal.
She better get used to me.
Christine says
Big Rock was so HOT.
Sonja says
I haven’t read any but a couple of them are on my TBR pile
Amanda Adams Steward says
Thanks for these. I’ve bought a few added a few to my wishlist. Also thanks for the chance at the giveaway Ana!!♥
Melissa Jones says
OMG….Vicious was one of my most favorite reads, am loving LJ Shen!! Also read and loved Real Good Man/Real Good Love by Meghan March and Egomaniac by Vi Keeland!! Thanks for sharing your great list and for the great giveaway!!!
Kathy says
Loving the Hearts series by LH Cosway.
Zilpha S Owens says
Vicious was awesome. One of my favorites
Marcy Meyer says
I have read Big Rock, Black Swan Affair, The Debt and Rock Chick Reawakening. I’m reading Cross My Heart in the Heart series by L.H. Cosway. All really good.
Loraine Oliver says
I have only read a few of these but most of the others are on my tbr list! Thanks for giveaway!
Kim Perry says
I’ve read Full Package and Raw Deal. Many of the other books are on my TBR list!
Ashley J says
I read a few of your January picks…Preppy (oh man do I NEED part 3- like yesterday), Full Package & Wicked Impulse.
Kumiko S says
Haven’t read any of these, but I’m interested in some of them, including Jay Crownover’s Retreat. It’s on my TBR list. 🙂
Karen Gagnon says
I have only read and listened to Big Rock, and Full Package. I have several waiting on my kindle tho!
H Dee Swan says
I have read Dear Life, Bog Rock, Vicious, The Debt, Egomaniac, and Being Brooke! Thanks!
Melissa Murray Quintanilla says
I’ve read Big Rock, Vicious & Egomaniac. Thanks for the chance
Amy R says
Rock Chick Reawakening by Kristen Ashley and Call Me Daddy by Jade West are the only ones I have read on the list.
Anna Bergman says
Big Rock by Lauren Blakely, The Providence Trilogy by Jamie McGuire, Being Brooke by Emma Hart & Call Me Daddy by Jade West.
Karen says
I’ve read Big Rock, The Black Swan Affair (so good!) and the first two in the Hearts series. I want to read so many more!
Jacqui Minchin says
Because January is our summer holidays, I have read quite a few books. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it and I have to say it was a great month.
Vicious, Real good man, Saint, Being Brooke (can’t wait for the next one), Retreat, Egomaniac and Call me Daddy.
Thanks for the chance and I love your lists. All of them.
margaret weekes says
I have read Rock Chick Awakening and Vicious.
Jackie U says
I’ve read “The Butterfly Garden” and ” The Debt”. Several of the others are on my TBR! Thanks for the chance!
Shannon says
Haven’t read them yet.
Carrie J says
I have read Dear Life. : )
Maria Theresa Santos says
I read Big Rocjk by Lauren Blakely
Jane Nelson says
I haven’t read any yet but my TBR just got bigger!!
Nicole Ortiz says
I’ve read Full Package and loved it!
A lot of these books are on my TBR list.
Thanks for the chance!