'I Almost Forgot About You' by Terry McMillan

I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

From the Publisher's Website: The #1 New York Times bestselling author of How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Waiting To Exhale is back with the inspiring story of a woman who shakes things up in her life to find greater meaning

In I Almost Forgot About You, Dr. Georgia Young’s wonderful life–great friends, family, and successful career–aren’t enough to keep her from feeling stuck and restless. When she decides to make some major changes in her life, including quitting her job as an optometrist and moving house, she finds herself on a wild journey that may or may not include a second chance at love. Georgia’s bravery reminds us that it’s never too late to become the person you want to be, and that taking chances, with your life and your heart, are always worthwhile.

Big-hearted, genuine, and universal, I Almost Forgot About You shows what can happen when you face your fears, take a chance, and open yourself up to life, love, and the possibility of a new direction. It’s everything you’ve always loved about Terry McMillan.

— Library Journal – Best Books of the Year, African American Fiction

My Review: This is the first book I've ever read by Terry McMillan and now that I know how spectacularly talented she is, I'm a little sad about that. She's a writer with the magical gift of making me believe that she's writing about people, not characters. This isn't a straightforward romance novel but it is written in a really clever way that makes it more realistic but just as much fun. Of all the characters, I felt that Wanda was the most like me, but it was impossible not to love the protagonist, Georgia. And when Georgia fell in love, I fell in love with her beau, too.

McMillan's main characters are African-American women, but if you're not African-American and/or not female, please don't let that stop you from reading this wonderful writer. Honestly, she could be writing about fictional Japanese businessmen and she'd make them seem real and fascinating.

I received a copy of this book from BloggingForBooks.com in exchange for this review.

'Blood Kiss' by J.R. Ward #paranormalromance #vampires

Wow. Wow. Wow.

This is a return to the good old days. It's everything you want in a Black Dagger Brotherhood novel, even though technically it goes under the Black Dagger Legacy label:

1. More Butch and Marissa is always a good thing. They're probably my third favorite pairing, after Zsadist/Bella and Qhuinn/Blaylock.

2. Paradise, a kickass new(ish) heroine! We did meet her in The Shadows, and her father Abalone has been around for several books now. But here, she is absolutely the central protagonist. She does kick ass, and the heart-warming twist at the end is that her father supports her fully, even in her choice of (non-aristocratic) mate.

3. Craeg, the non-aristocratic mate, is a hot, hot hottie. I love it when J.R. Ward includes a character who's a person of color. Well, unless she's going to be mean to them, like she did to Trez. **takes Trez away from J.R. Ward and hides him so she can't hurt him anymore**

4.  Novo is not only a woman of color, but also canon!pansexual. J.R. Ward, I think I'm in love. I really hope Novo is the protagonist of the next BD Legacy novel.

5. Peyton and Novo - I ship it. Two warriors, one a brown-skinned woman, one a suit-wearing white man, in love? Sounds like my ultimate OTP of OTPs, Careese. Fingers crossed for a happier ending, though. (The Scribe Virgin knows we can no longer count on Ward to deliver us the happier-ever-after, true?)

'Vanilla,' a #FemDom Erotic Romance by Megan Hart

Vanilla by Megan Hart

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really could not have enjoyed this book more. Bless Megan Hart for writing Elise, a fully-formed character so realistic she practically could have walked off the page and into the nearest ice cream parlor. Yes, she's a woman who enjoys femdom (female-dominant) sex. No, she is not a caricature based on male fantasy. She's a well-rounded person with a past and a future, with a family, with a complicated Jewish mother.

I happen to like reading femdom. A lot. I have a hard time identifying with submissive female protagonists, but I can easily imagine myself slipping into the shoes of a woman who's used to giving commands and being obeyed.

Elise isn't perfect, but she is a likable protagonist. She's still grieving over the loss of her previous relationship with "George." They called each other "George" and "Lenny" in a teasing reference to Of Mice and Men. See, Ben Linus - Elise can quote Steinbeck too. And I bet she wouldn't mess up and say Ernest Hemingway fought in the Spanish Civil War.

Sadly, Supernatural does not come up again after the excerpt I quoted here. I wanted to know more about how Elise is the Sam and her boss/friend Alex is the Dean.

After her bad heartbreak with George, she's chagrined to find her heart is slipping into the hands of Niall, a "vanilla" guy who doesn't really understand femdom. He's seen too much bad porn.

But this book is NOT bad porn. It's beautifully written, demonstrating once again that good sex writing is just plain good writing, period. You may count me as a Megan Hart fan now.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review through Amazon Vine.

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Megan Hart's Vanilla Author Song List

...is what would go here if Grooveshark were still around.

https://amzn.to/4hMk8nX

The Final Straight by Charlotte Howard (@shy_tiger)

Blurb:

April Miller works for her best friend, Max Knight on his livery and competition yard. Their friendship has withstood many turbulent times, and while April is deeply in love with Max, she is also aware of his womanising ways and has refused to succumb to his flirtatious charms. When her ex, AJ, suddenly comes back with a business proposal, April finds herself torn between the two men.

Buy Links:

Kindle US: http://amzn.to/1Es09Cc

Kindle UK: http://amzn.to/1Dk0h2I

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/514851?ref=cw1985

Coming soon to all other eBook retailers.

Excerpt:

“You up there?” she called. The thud of footsteps grew louder as she made her way up the stairs. It wasn’t long before she was in the doorway, hands on hips, surrounded by a halo of curls the same colour as her temper.

The dog had followed and was panting by her leg. April batted her away, and Max rolled his eyes at the anger and frustration that exuded from her every pore, turning his back on her and dropping the towel.

“What the hell, Max?” she exclaimed, but it wasn’t because of his nudity. She’d seen him naked more times than any other woman.

He stepped into a pair of tight boxer shorts and turned around, preparing himself for the grief he had been hoping to avoid. “What have I done now?” he asked, walking towards the wardrobe and pulling out a pair of dark, shredded jeans.

“What’s the point? Do you even remember her name?”

He didn’t answer. She wasn’t expecting him to; she never did. Fastening the button on his waistband, he went to the chest of drawers and took out a clean T-shirt.

“Well, I’ll tell you what her name was,” April said, walking into the room. “Mellie Banks. Ring a bell?”

Max shrugged.

“It should,” she snapped. “Her father has three horses on this yard, or did until he turned up this morning and took them off.”

He moved behind her and started to massage at the knot of tension that had built at the base of her neck.

“Don’t try to appease me, Max,” she said, but he could tell that her anger was waning. He continued to press into her muscles, letting his thumbs make small circles either side of her spine. Bending his head to the curve of her shoulder, he placed his forehead on the sleeve of her polo T-shirt and took a deep breath, inhaling the dusty scent of straw and shavings.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured into her back.

She shrugged out of his touch and turned to face him. “You’re hopeless,” she sighed. The corners of her lips flickered into the smallest of smiles.

“We could just hide in bed all day,” he said, taking her hands and tugging her forwards. “Forget about Mellie Banks. Forget about the yard…”

“And who’s going to pay my bills when this place falls on its arse?”

The edge of the mattress connected with his knees and he fell backwards, pulling her with him. “You know I’ll always take care of you.”

She landed on top of him, inches away from his face. He lifted a hand and tucked a stray red curl behind her ear. With a frustrated groan, she rolled off of him and lay on her side.

“As much as I would like to be the next notch on your bedpost, we have a business to run.” She shoved herself up.

He watched as she straightened her clothes and ran her fingers through her hair.

“Anyway,” she said, glancing over her shoulder. “I’m not your type. I have a brain.” She flashed him a smile before bending down to pick up the towel and tossing it in his direction.

“Ouch.” He feigned a hurt expression before getting up to follow her. Bracken panted around his ankles.

“I’ll make you a coffee, and then if you need me I’ll be saving your business.”

Author Bio / Links:

Charlotte lives in Somerset with her husband, two children, and growing menagerie of pets and can always be found with a cup of tea in her hand. When she's not writing or running around after small people and animals, she loves to eat curry and watch action films.

Charlotte is an active (and vocal) member of the Yeovil Creative Writers.

http://www.charlottehowardauthor.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/CharlotteHowardAuthor

https://twitter.com/Shy_Tiger

http://choward2614.wordpress.com/

http://www.pinterest.com/choward2614/

http://instagram.com/choward_author/

OUT NOW – A Different Kind of Cosplay by Lucy Felthouse (@cw1985) #erotica #romance #geek

Blurb:

Zachary has a dilemma. His girlfriend, Reese, has a special birthday coming up soon and he has absolutely no clue what to get for her. It doesn’t help that Zach does not share or really understand Reese’s biggest hobby—comic books, superheroes and everything that goes with them. Zach raids Reese’s DVD collection for inspiration, and what he finds there gives him an idea…possibly the best one he’s ever had.

Sure, Reese has fantasized about her favorite superheroes. All those muscles and rakish smiles are to die for. She didn’t think Zach would ever really understand, though. But he proves her wrong in the best way possible.

Buy links:

http://www.ellorascave.com/a-different-kind-of-cosplay.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00RLQZ1NM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00RLQZ1NM&linkCode=as2&tag=lucyfelthouse-21&linkId=7XGGYH3JT5R3KSFO

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RLQZ1NM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00RLQZ1NM&linkCode=as2&tag=lucyfelt-20&linkId=2IHLOBUZ57VUL42Y

http://www.amazon.com.au/Different-Kind-Cosplay-Lucy-Felthouse-ebook/dp/B00RLQZ1NM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1419953574&sr=1-1&keywords=lucy+felthouse

http://www.amazon.ca/Different-Kind-Cosplay-Lucy-Felthouse-ebook/dp/B00RLQZ1NM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1419953574&sr=1-1&keywords=lucy+felthouse

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-adifferentkindofcosplay-1717072-340.html?referrer=6bdb1f9160564c0525b41f36e51861a0

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-different-kind-of-cosplay-lucy-felthouse/1120980387?ean=9781419992698

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/a-different-kind-of-cosplay

Excerpt:

Zachary sighed at the calendar entry in his phone, which was reminding him for the third time about Reese’s upcoming birthday. And it wasn’t just any birthday—she was going to be thirty.

There were perks to dating a doctor—the uniform was pretty hot, for example—but when that doctor had no particular fondness for jewelry, flowers or chocolates, buying her presents was nigh-on impossible. And because of her work schedule, a surprise weekend away was out of the question. He’d long since learned to always keep the receipts.

Most people get their partners something to do with their hobbies or interests. However, Reese was even awkward in that regard. Her main hobby was so complex that Zach didn’t have the first idea what to get her to do with it—Reese was an uber-geek. Films, graphic novels, collectibles, all that jazz.

Obviously he could just ask what she wanted, then go out and get it, but then it wouldn’t be a surprise. And it was too easy—he wanted her to know he’d really made the effort.

Snoozing the calendar reminder once more, Zach threw the phone onto the sofa, then walked over and started rooting through their combined film collection for something to watch after dinner, which was almost ready. Reese was on-shift at the hospital until silly o’clock, so he had the house to himself and could watch whatever he liked. An action movie it was, then.

Running his fingers along the spines of the DVDs and Blu-rays, he suddenly paused. The Avengers leaped out at him, for some reason. He’d seen snippets of it before, as Reese watched it pretty frequently. The parts he’d seen hadn’t looked too bad, actually. It was essentially an action film, he decided, but with superheroes in it.

He pulled the case off the shelf, an idea beginning to form. Maybe if he watched it beginning to end, he’d seen what drew Reese into that world so much, why she was so fascinated by the films, the graphic novels and so on. Even if he didn’t get it, though, maybe it would still give him some inspiration for a gift. He had nothing better to do that evening, in any case, so it was certainly worth a try.

After putting the disc in the player, he headed into the kitchen to see how his dinner was coming along. A meal in front of the television was the order of the day, it seemed.

A few minutes later, he settled onto the sofa with his lasagna and garlic bread, a bottle of beer on the table next to him. Time for some Avengers action.

Within half an hour, he’d ascertained that the film wasn’t just for geeks. In fact it was easy to see why it had such a wide appeal—the cast was supremely attractive, whatever gender you were into, the plot was interesting and the dialogue seriously witty. He’d already developed quite the crush on the Black Widow, and Nick Fury’s right-hand woman had a lovely pert backside.

Trying to put himself in Reese’s shoes, Zach looked at the male characters. Okay, when it came to this film, straight women clearly had more eye-candy than they knew what to do with. He vaguely remembered a bunch of crazy stuff going around on the Internet about Loki—even the villain of the piece had sex appeal, for heaven’s sake! So much so that it had spilled over into even Zach’s limited social media presence. He barely used Facebook, and he’d never gotten the hang of Twitter. And yet he knew about the rabid fangirls. That was another score for The Avengers, then—truly mass-market appeal. If only there were mass-market gift-buying options.

Sighing, he tried to empty his mind and concentrate on the film. The more he tried to force an idea to present itself, the less likely it would be to happen. He’d just enjoy the entertainment and keep his fingers crossed that his subconscious provided something useful.

Once he’d made the decision, it wasn’t difficult to get sucked back into the narrative. It was engaging, easy-going and fun. Zach surprised himself by thoroughly enjoying the entire thing. Reese would be pleased when the next film came out at the cinema and he offered to go along with her.

He’d keep his new found admiration quiet for now, though. He didn’t want to arouse her suspicions, although she was bound to know he was planning something for her milestone birthday.

The question remained—what the hell could he do or buy to blow her away?

Author Bio:

Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over 100 publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include several editions of Best Bondage Erotica, Best Women's Erotica 2013, and Best Erotic Romance 2014. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies, and also edits for a small publishing house. She owns Erotica ForAll, is book editor for Cliterati, and is one eighth of The Brit Babes. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9

Out Now – Desert Heat by Lucy Felthouse (@cw1985) #erotica #romance #gay #mm #military

Blurb:

Their love is forbidden by rules, religion and risk. Yet still they can’t resist.

Captain Hugh Wilkes is on his last tour of duty in Afghanistan. The British Army is withdrawing, and Wilkes expects his posting to be event-free. That is, until he meets his Afghan interpreter, Rustam Balkhi, who awakens desires in Wilkes that he’d almost forgotten about, and that won’t be ignored.

Please note: this book was previously published as part of the Unconditional Surrender bundle.

Buy links:

Amazon UK
Amazon US
Amazon AU
Amazon CA
All Romance eBooks
Barnes & Noble
iBooks UK
iBooks US
Kobo
Smashwords

Excerpt:

Captain Hugh Wilkes sucked in a deep breath, steeling himself for the heat he was about to be subjected to, though he already knew all the deep breaths in the world wouldn’t help. Darkness had fallen on Camp Bastion, in the notorious Helmand Province of Afghanistan, but there would still be residual warmth left to seep away throughout the small hours. Then the sun would rise, and it would start all over again. It was a damn desert, after all. But, all being well, it would be his last ever tour of the godforsaken place. The British Army was already preparing to pull out. The manpower had been reduced drastically over the previous months. It was time to leave the Afghans to get on with it. They weren’t being abandoned—far from it—they would still receive aid, training and money for years to come. But the British Army was no longer needed, apparently. It was still a volatile place, which would no doubt be monitored very closely, in case strategies needed to be reconsidered.

None of that was down to Wilkes, though. He was here with his platoon for six months, doing whatever they were ordered to do by their Company Commander, Major Hunter. It was unlikely they’d be doing any fighting—they weren’t here for offensive operations. More probably they’d be accompanying their vehicles, weapons and ammunition across the country as it was transported to the air base to be sent back home, or patrolling towns and villages as a show of presence, to reassure and protect the inhabitants.

There was only one way to find out. Grabbing his kit, he headed toward the ramp of the huge C17 aircraft with his colleagues, and followed them out onto the airstrip. Immediately, he was hit by the overwhelming smell of aviation fuel. As he moved away from the airplane this was replaced by the dry atmosphere.

Wilkes imagined he could feel the grains of sand coating his throat and tongue. He’d soon get used to it—he always did. Plus, on the bright side, he’d end up with a nice tan at the end of his deployment.

Mentally, he crossed his fingers for a nice, event-free tour of duty. Letting his guard down wasn’t going to happen, naturally, he just hoped it wasn’t necessary. Hoped the insurgents would play nicely. The country was completely different to how it had been when Allied forces had gone in after 9/11. Some fantastic progress had been made, but it still wasn’t completely safe. But then, where was? People died in picturesque villages in the English countryside—though generally not courtesy of IEDs, AK-47s or suicide bombers.

Author Bio:

Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over 100 publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include several editions of Best Bondage Erotica, Best Women's Erotica 2013 and Best Erotic Romance 2014. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies, and also edits for a small publishing house. She owns Erotica ForAll, is book editor for Cliterati, and is one eighth of The Brit Babes. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9

'Love and Decay' Episode 3 Book Blast (Zombie Dystopian Romance) & #Giveaway

Season Three, Episode One Blurb:

Zombies- as if that wasn’t enough to ruin any girl’s dream of a happily ever after.

It’s been six months since Reagan Willow fled the Colony and Matthias Allen’s tyrannical clutches. Six months since she broke Hendrix Parker’s heart. Six months since she watched Kane Allen sacrifice his life to save hers.

Whatever was left of her already-tattered life during the Zombie Apocalypse fell apart six months ago. Now, on the cusp of crossing the Mexican border, there is hope that she might lead her friends to a better existence.

Except Zombies are only the beginning of their problems. Reagan and her friends must battle the elements, armies of Feeders and bounty hunters desperate to drag them back to the Colony to face their greatest threat.

The Colony’s power stretches wide and far. Their only hope is to outrun Matthias and get to Mexico.

Love and Decay, Episode One is the first episode in Season Three of a novella series in a Dystopian Romance about Zombies, the end of the world and finding someone to share it with.

This story takes place over multiple episodes, with a release date every two weeks. Approximately 20,000 words.

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Haven't started the Love & Decay Series Yet?  Season One Episodes 1-6 are Free!

Free on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1sgIZTH

Free on B&N: http://bit.ly/1AlLItP

Free on iBooks: http://bit.ly/1sgJjBT

Free on Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1yEoEo4

 

Zombies- as if that wasn’t enough to ruin any girl’s dream of a happily ever after.

A vaccination gone oh so wrong and a huge portion of the world’s population was turned into Zombies. Reagan Willow is forced out of her home when her parents become casualties of the horrid Zombie Apocalypse. With the help of her best friend Haley, they’ve become somewhat of experts on surviving the dangers of a world thrust into chaos and decay.

Reagan and Haley are on a vague mission to find somewhere safe to live out the remainders of their terrifying life when they stumble upon the Parkers, a pack of brothers that seem to have the survival thing down in a much more efficient and successful way than Reagan could ever have imagined. They are also protecting their eight year old sister, Page, and will do anything to keep her safe.

The brothers decide that Reagan and Haley need help with being kept safe as well, and as a group they set off to find the Zombie-free utopia Reagan is dreaming of.

Zombies are a daily problem, constantly threatening the lives of their group, but they’re not the only peril on the journey ahead. Militia groups of power hungry men are also a constant concern. And settlements of paranoid, suspicious people turn out to be just as hazardous.

Danger looms over every inch of the way, but Reagan, Haley and the Parkers are determined to get to their goal and remain together. Soon the Parkers become more to Reagan than just traveling companions and more than friendship starts to develop between her and Hendrix, the second oldest brother.

But at the end of the world, nothing can be as simple as life and death. Now, Reagan is going to have to schedule falling in love between hunting and surviving. Hopefully she can last long enough to find out if true love can still exist when everything else has started to fall apart.

Love and Decay, Volume One is a compilation of the first six episodes in a twelve episode season. It is a Dystopian Romance Novella Series about Zombies, the end of the world and finding someone to share it with.

This story takes place over multiple episodes, with a release date every two weeks. Each episode is approximately 20,000 words.

About Rachel Higginson 

Rachel Higginson is the creator of The Star-Crossed Series, Love & Decay Novella Series, The Starbright Series, The Siren Series, Bet on Us and the soon to be released The Five Stages of Falling in Love! She is also the co-creator of the podcast "Zach and Rachel Take Over the World."

She was born and raised in Nebraska, and spent her college years traveling the world. She fell in love with Eastern Europe, Paris, Indian food and the beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka, but came back home to marry her high school sweetheart. Now she spends her days raising four amazing kids. In the few spare moments she has to herself, she is either reading for hours on end or writing her own stories.

'Pray the Gay Away,' Despite Its Title, Is a Pro-#LGBTQIA Romance

Pray The Gay Away by Sara York

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this young adult/high school romance novel about the new kid in town who gets involved with a popular football player. The edition I read has some typos, but I didn't think they distracted me too much from the story. The author can also get a little heavy-handed with the "prejudice against gay teenagers is bad" message, but that's okay too, because I really liked Andrew (the new kid) and Jack (the jock) as characters.

But I also understand why these kinds of stories are important, because sadly, abusive parents are still an issue faced by LGBTQIA youth. (ALERT: Jack's father is physically abusive toward him, and Andrew's parents punish him by starving him. This book may be a trigger if you are sensitive to reading about abuse and/or issues around eating.)

This is only the first book in a series, though. I hope Jack and Andrew get the happily-ever-after they're planning for and dreaming of. They're really a good couple. What York has written especially well in this novel is the gradual way the guys go from physical attraction to falling in love. It's realistic and it makes for a satisfying reading experience too.

I downloaded this book to my Barnes and Noble Nook when it was available for free on the B+N website. I was not compensated for this review, which represents my own honest opinion.

Bonus: You can change the name "Jack" to "Dean" and "Andrew" to "Castiel" and read this as a Destiel high school AU.

View all my reviews on Goodreads and check out Sara York's blog

Paranormal Romance: 'Caressed by Ice' (Psy-Changeling #3) by Nalini Singh #FridayReads

Goodreads Summary: "Nalini Singh explores new heights of sensuality, returning to the world of the Psy - where two people who know evil intimately must unlock the good within their icy hearts...

"As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now he is a defector, and his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins - cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna...

"Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted - and had her mind violated - by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives..."

When I read the first book in this series, Slave to Sensation, I thought, "Wow, Nalini Singh is REALLY talented." I wrote on Goodreads:

"More, please! I could totally get hooked on the Psy-Changeling series. It's like the movie Equilibrium, but instead of the entire society having no emotions, the Psy co-exist with humans and changelings. This book introduces us to DarkRiver, a pack of big-cat shifters (mostly leopards) and SnowDancer, the werewolf pack. This is a PNR, so it's a foregone conclusion that panther Lucas and Psy Sascha (who shouldn't have feelings, but does) will end up together, but there's also a thriller element: a serial killer has Brenna, a member of the wolf pack, and Sascha is desperate to help find her and bring her back alive. Everything is at stake for Sascha and Lucas, which made this a very compelling read. It was one of those books I read slowly because I didn't want it to end."

However, I wasn't nearly as impressed with the second book, Visions of Heat. I was afraid I would have to abandon the Psy-Changeling series because I got so bored with that book. My faith in Singh was restored with this third novel, though, and I think it's because this time, the Psy is the man and the changeling is the woman. It seems much less formulaic than the second book.

Plus, Judd Lauren is a hot, hot wounded hero. I like the boys when they're badly damaged. I didn't imagine Judd looking at all like the cover model above, on the edition that I own. The French edition shows him as looking a little more like I imagined.

...which is to say, a little bit like Jeremy Renner.

Shapeshifters are always fun, and a werewolf heroine makes for a sensual twist. But it's almost too bad I started the Psy-Changeling series instead of Singh's Guild Hunter series. That series has vampire hunters and angels. The Goodreads description for the first book, Angels' Blood, ends with, "For when archangels play, mortals break." So like Destiel fan fiction (my latest obsession), but hetero.

Romancing Robin Hood by Jenny Kane (@jennykaneauthor)

Blurb

Dr. Grace Harper has loved the stories of Robin Hood ever since she first saw them on TV as a girl. Now, with her fortieth birthday just around the corner, she’s a successful academic in Medieval History, with a tenured position at a top university.

But Grace is in a bit of a rut. She’s supposed to be writing a textbook on a real-life medieval gang of high-class criminals – the Folvilles – but she keeps being drawn into the world of the novel she’s secretly writing – a novel which entwines the Folvilles with her long-time love of Robin Hood – and a feisty young girl named Mathilda, who is the key to a medieval mystery…

Meanwhile, Grace’s best friend Daisy – who’s as keen on animals as Grace is on the Merry Men – is unexpectedly getting married, and a reluctant Grace is press-ganged into being her bridesmaid. As Grace sees Daisy’s new-found happiness, she starts to re-evaluate her own life. Is her devotion to a man who may or may not have lived hundreds of years ago really a substitute for a real-life hero of her own? It doesn’t get any easier when she meets Dr Robert Franks – a rival academic who Grace is determined to dislike but finds herself being increasingly drawn to…

Buy links

Ebook

Amazon UK -  http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00M4838S2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00M4838S2&linkCode=as2&tag=lucyfelthouse-21&linkId=ZIR3LEM54XPUDSKU

Amazon US -  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M4838S2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00M4838S2&linkCode=as2&tag=lucyfelt-20&linkId=OXCUILMMXKFUV3MS

Publisher: http://www.accentpress.co.uk/Book/11599/Romancing-Robin-Hood.html 

Paperback

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Excerpt

It was all Jason Connery’s fault, or maybe it was Michael Praed’s? As she crashed onto her worn leather desk chair Grace, after two decades of indecision, still couldn’t decide which of the two actors she preferred in the title role of Robin of Sherwood.

That was how it had all started, ‘The Robin Hood Thing’ as Daisy referred to it, with an instant and unremitting love for a television show. Yet, for Grace, it hadn’t been a crush in the usual way. She had only watched one episode of the hit eighties series and, with the haunting theme tune from Clannad echoing in her ears, had run upstairs to her piggy bank to see how much money she’d saved, and how much more cash she’d need, before she could spend all her pocket money on the complete video collection. After that, the young Grace had done every odd job her parents would pay her for so she could purchase a myriad of Connery and Praed posters with which to bedeck her room. But that was just the beginning. Within weeks Grace had become pathologically and forensically interested in anything and everything to do with the outlaw legend as a whole.

She’d watched all the Robin Hood films, vintage scenes of Douglas Fairbanks Jr and Errol Flynn, Richard Greene, Sean Connery, and Barry Ingram. As time passed, she winced and cringed her way through Kevin Costner’s comical but endearing attempt, and privately applauded Patrick Bergin’s darker and infinitely more realistic approach to the tale. Daisy had quickly learnt to never ever mention Russell Crowe’s adaption of the story – it was the only time she’d ever heard Grace swear using words that could have been as labelled as Technicolor as the movie had been.

The teenage Grace had read every story, every ballad, and every academic book, paper, and report on the subject. She’d hoarded pictures, paintings, badges, and stickers, along with anything and everything else she could find connected with Robin Hood, his band of outlaws, his enemies, Nottingham, Sherwood, Barnsdale, Yorkshire – and so it went on and on. The collection, now over twenty years in the making, had reached ridiculous proportions and had long since overflowed from her small terraced home to her university office, where posters lined the walls, and books about the legend, both serious and comical, crammed the overstuffed shelves.

Her undergraduates who’d chosen to study medieval economy and crime as a history degree option, and her postgraduates whose interest in the intricate weavings of English medieval society was almost as insane as her own, often commented on how much they liked Dr Harper’s office. Apparently it was akin to sitting in a mad museum of medievalism. Sometimes Grace was pleased with this reaction. Other times it filled her with depression, for that office, its contents, and the daily, non-stop flow of work was her life – her whole life – and sometimes she felt that it was sucking her dry. Leaving literally no time for anything else – nor anyone else. Boyfriends had come and gone, but few had any hope of matching up to the figure she’d fallen in love with as a teenager. A man who is quite literally a legend is a hard act to follow...

***

Author bio and links

Jenny Kane is the author of the contemporary novel Romancing Robin Hood (Accent Press, 2014), the best selling contemporary romance novel Another Cup of Coffee (Accent Press, 2013), and its novella length sequel Another Cup of Christmas (Accent Press, 2013)

Jenny’s first children’s book, There’s a Cow in the Flat (Hush Puppy Books) will be released later this year, and her third full length romance novel, Abi’s House (Accent Press), will be published in Spring 2015.

Keep your eye on her blog at http://www.jennykane.co.uk for more details.

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/JennyKaneAuthor

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JennyKaneRomance

Release Day Blitz: Lasting Summer #5 by Kailin Gow

Summer Jones thought she lost Nat Donovan, the boy she had always had a crush on since she could remember, when he went off on a mission to find his father, the founder and CEO of Donovan Dynamics, the billion dollar security and intelligence corporation who is now protecting her from the stalker who has attempted to kill her twice.

He had always been her rock, had always been there for her, but now Nat has disappeared. According to Donovan Dynamics, it was for good.

Could Summer continue on? Could Nat's playboy one-night stand legend brother Drew Donovan live up to Nat's legacy as the family's perfect son, as the one who could eventually run Donovan Dynamics? With Nat gone, could he finally get Summer to commit to him with all her heart and soul?

All the secrets, all the heartaches, come out in Lasting Summer as the Donovans and Summer learn to deal with the truth about Nat, Drew, and Summer that will test each others' love to each other and to family.

Lasting Summer is part of the Loving Summer Series appropriate for age 18+.

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Website     Facebook      Twitter

Kailin Gow's life is sometimes more fascinating and stranger than fiction, which is being chronicled in a feature film based on a treatment optioned and in development for a release date of 2018. (IMDB.com - The Colorful Worlds of Kailin Gow 2018). Her true life experiences as a world traveler where she has traveled to over 25 countries, logging hundreds of thousands of miles, absorbing the cultures and collecting stories relating to places and the romance of the land, and incidents in her personal life, has inspired her to write and publish over 170 books with over 30 series.

She is noted as an indie pioneer, as one of the first to publish in 2001. Breaking stereotypes, her books has crossed traditional and indie lines, gaining recognition in schools and libraries, as well as the indie community. Her action adventure young adult fantasy series, The Frost Series, an ALA YALSA Reader's Choice Nominated book series - had been optioned by an international film company and is currently in development as a game and a film at http://www.facebook.com/thefrostseries. Five of her fantasy/action adventure series have been optioned to be made into worldwide games.

Kailin Gow has been known in The World Journal, an international newspaper, to be a phenomenon. She was profiled on the homepage of Amazon.com as an Author Success Story who overcame personal obstacles to become a bestselling author, appeared as one of Amazon's top authors for the Kindle Fire launch release, and is one of the earliest indie authors who have sold over a million books. She writes for Fast Company as a publishing expert, had appeared on a major network Television News as a bestselling author who writes fiction and non-fiction with a social conscious, and has made speeches and appearances across the U.S. and on top 15 national radio regarding self-esteem and issues relating to women.

Kailin Gow was an invited speaker and signing author at Book Expo America (BEA) 2014. Having experienced bullying firsthand and slander as a woman, Kailin Gow is an active advocate against bullying in the workplace and in schools. She has written Shy Girls Social Club Handbook Against Bullying and has helped launch Stories for Amanda where all proceeds go towards the Amanda Todd Foundation against bullying. She has written several books with the theme of abuse towards women and children, especially the steamy international bestselling The Protégé Series, which launched a book club initiative in battered women's shelters and won The Indie Excellence Awards at NIEA for Erotica in 2014.

She holds a Masters Degree in Communications Management from The University of Southern California, and degrees in Drama and Social Ecology.

She resides in the American West with her husband and daughter, but had lived for a decade in Texas, and briefly in England. Besides being a full-time author, she volunteers for many organizations, is active in church helping build homes for the homeless and visit orphanages. A voracious reader, when she is not writing, she loves reading an entire series in one sitting! She spends way too much time on Facebook than she is supposed to at http://www.facebook.com/kailingowbooks, but loves meeting new people from all walks of life.

She has over 30 Series, written under Kailin Gow, and more under her middle grade, women's fiction, and mystery pen names:

***For 16 and up***

The Frost Series - COMPLETED. Bitter Frost Series Consists of 8 full-length novels.

The Wolf Fey Series - COMPLETED. Consists of 2 full-length novels and one novella.

Fairy Rose Chronicles - age 13 and up.

The PULSE Series - Next Book - Blood Ring (PULSE #9), releasing due to readers' demand to continue the series. Consists of 9 full-length novels and one novella.

FADE Series - COMPLETED. ALL Full-length novels.

DESIRE Series - All Full-length novels. Last Book, FRENZY - 2015.

Fire Wars Series - All Full-length novels.

Alchemists Academy - All Full-length novels.

Wordwick Games - All Full-length novels.

Wicked Woods Series - COMPLETED. Consists of 5 full-length novels.

Steampunk Scarlett - All Full-length novels.

The Phantom Diaries - All Full-length novels. Last Book, DARK VICTORY - 2015.

Stoker Sisters - All Full-length novels. Last Book, SISTER OF THE STRIGOIS - 2015.

Beyond Crystal River - 2015 NEW SERIES.

SHADES - 2015 NEW SERIES. This is a high concept psychological thriller.

***For 18 and up (New Adult/Coming of Age)***

Loving Summer - All full-length novels.

The Donovan Brothers - All full-length novels.

Saving You Saving Me (You + Me Trilogy)- COMPLETED. Consists of 3 Full-length novels.

Never Knights - COMPLETED. Consists of 3 Full-length novels.

Rock Hard Love Hard - 1st book, Rock Hard Love Hard is now Available.

Sawyer House Chronicles (Spin-off of You + Me Trilogy) - Coming in 2015

Canvas - Coming in 2015

***For 18 and up (Adult/Steamy Romance)***

The Protege - COMPLETED. 3 Full-length novels.

Master Chefs - COMPLETED. Consists of 3 Full-length novels.

The Blue Room (Spin-off of Never Knights Trilogy) - Romantic Suspense.

Barely Legal (Spin-off of The Protégé) - Romantic Suspense.

The Oyster House - Artistic Romantic Thriller set in Hong Kong and England.

- Coming in 2015.

For information on the series, new series and new book releases, contests, appearances, KG-Convergences, and more, sign up at http://www.KailinGowBooks.com.