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Saturday 31 December 2016

GPI's Best of 2016

It seems to be that time again, I've been going over my favourite books of 2016 and am elated at the number of titles that stole my heart this year. Without any further preamble I present you with my top books of 2016.


The Platinum Lipstick is reserved for my favourite reads EVER!

These titles made me forget time and space, made hours blur into minutes, made me simultaneously rejoice and feel heartache. These are the books that I can't stop talking about and are automatic recommendations.

The Hating Game  by Sally Thorne


It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover




One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid


Coast by Jay McLean



Toward the Sound of Chaos by Carmen Jenner



Aced by K. Bromberg





The Gold Lipstick is reserved for my favourite reads of the year.

These are the titles that pulled me from book slumps, reminded me why I love reading, made my heart flutter and my skin prickle in the way you know something special is about to happen. These are the books that made my heart sing.



Bad Romeo Christmas by Leisa Rayven



Last Call by Staci Hart


One With You by Sylvia Day


Sweet Cheeks by K. Bromberg


Cream of the Crop by Alice Clayton



Chasing Spring by R.S. Grey


The Player and the Pixie by L.H. Cosway & Penny Reid






Keepsake by Sarina Bowen


Grin & Beard It by Penny Reid


Don't Wake The Dead by C.C. Wood


Wicked Heart by Leisa Rayven


The Spiral Down by Aly Martinez


US by Elle Kennedy & Sarina Bowen





Twelve Truths and a Lie by Christina Lee


Finding North by Carmen Jenner


A Way to Get By by T.Torrest



Game Saver by B.J. Harvey


Harley and Rose  by Carmen Jenner

The above books were my absolute favourite of 2016, these titles left footprints on my heart and scored themselves on my soul, when asked for a recommendation these books are the ones I will automatically recommend. 2016 brought with it so many amazing books, it's left me eager to see what 2017 will bring.




Friday 30 December 2016

Hate Story by Nicole Williams


Blurb:

Nina can’t let herself fall in love with the man she’s going to marry. Both of them have experienced the sting and sham of love and have no intentions of falling victim to it twice. Love is expensive—hate is free.

Three years. A million dollars. A solution to both of their problems. They planned it all, from the story of their first meeting to the date of their divorce. Nothing could go wrong.

But what they didn’t consider was chemistry, and Nina and Max have no shortage of it. After too many near-kisses, Nina convinces herself that hating Max is better than loving him, and the more she gets to know this soon-to-be-husband of hers, the more she discovers just how very much she truly, madly, and deeply . . . hates him.

This isn’t a love story. This is the other kind.
Find on Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2iFE1w8
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2hxhvtf
Amazon CA : http://amzn.to/2irK9vZ
Amazon AU : http://amzn.to/2irQmrD
Nook : http://bit.ly/2hkRN9u
iBooks : http://apple.co/2h0qYbz




Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: December 2016.

My forays into Nicole Willliams writing began way back with her hit Crash, as the title suggests Lucy and Ryder crashed into my life and I was immediately swept away with their story, so much so that I still remember so much of their trials and joys all these years later. When news of Hate Story was released I was instantly intrigued, a proposal, two strangers, and Williams' writing ability and how could I not be?

"I knew I wasn't the traditional Venus men wanted to take a piss on to mark their territory. I wasn't a head-turner, the body a guy pictured as he jacked off. I wasn't the first girl asked to dance... or the second or third."

Nina needs money fast, with mounting debt and her limited options to earn cold hard cash she accepts an indecent proposal from Max Sturm, unlike Demi Moore in the feature film by the same name there is no sex in her contract. Get married, present a picture perfect image of marital bliss and stay married for three years... in the grand scheme of things the $1million pay off is more than worth the inconvenience. For Nina it was as close to perfect as she could get until she met the man who would become her husband.

“I kind of hate you, you know that?”
His eyes challenged that. “I’m asking you to marry me, not like me. Hate me all you want.”

Max Sturm is a formidable business man, born in Germany but raised in the States, Max is desperate to stay in his adopted country. A marriage of convenience with a financial reward seems like the only plausible option. The rules are simple, the terms concrete, he's three short years away from being granted everything he desires.

"Hate was love not ready to be realized. Hate came from fear and doubt and burned at the same degree as passion.
Our hate story had become a love story."
The banter, the sexual tension, the chemistry between the these two left me desperately turning pages, from their initial meeting to them moving in together and beyond that Hate Story was the kind of book you don't want to put down, light, funny and easy to read. Max's conviction to have Nina hate him was absolute, desperate to keep their relationship strictly professional, the more they recognised something in other that ensured this marriage of convenience would blossom into something bigger, something bolder, the more Max fought to be the kind of man who was easy to hate. While this trope certainly isn't new, Williams managed to make it feel fun and fresh. Being on holidays and soaking up the Australian summer sun by the beach, Hate Story was the kind of book I needed, it was effortless in the best kind of way, I found myself giggling on the sand, smiling on a deckchair, and swooning on the balcony with a wine in my hand. Williams reminded me why I loved her writing all those years ago, humour, heat, and most importantly a genuine balance of heart, Hate Story left me sated and yet wanting more, just as a good book should.




About Nicole Williams:




I'm a wife, a mom, a writer. I started writing because I loved it and I'm still writing because I love it. I write romance because I still believe in true love, kindred spirits, and happy endings.

Nicole loves hearing from her readers.   


Connect with Nicole on Facebook

Tuesday 20 December 2016

The Way Back Home by Carmen Jenner - Cover Reveal





COVER REVEAL
Title: The Way Back Home
Author: Carmen Jenner
Genre: Standalone Military Romance
Cover Design: Be Designs
Photographer: K Keeton Designs
Models: Tessi Le'Anne & Dustin Adams
Release Date: February 2017



Blurb:

August Cotton shouldn’t be here. When a tragic accident calls him home to Magnolia Falls, this returned Veteran adds his parents to the list of things he’s lost in recent years, right along with his IED detection dog and his left leg. As the sole guardian of his four-year-old sister, August must rely on his Marine training in raising a tiny hellion who’s as stubborn as he is. But the Corps could never prepare him for this. Nor could they prepare him for Olivia Anders, a woman who’ll stop at nothing to get her way.


As owner of Paws for Cause, Olivia is no stranger to the broken men and women who return home from war. She’s no stranger to broken dogs either. In fact, she’s made it her mission to pair the two and enrich both of their lives, but pairing ornery and aloof August Cotton will take some work. The last thing August wants is some pushy southern woman occupying his parents’ bed and breakfast and forcing him to open up about the hell he narrowly escaped, but that’s exactly what Olivia intends.


They complete one another, and yet they can’t stand to be in the same room.


Can Olivia make this hardened Marine feel again and finally show his heart the way back home?

Find on Goodreads


About Carmen Jenner:



Carmen Jenner is a thirty-something, USA Today and international bestselling author.

Her dark romance, KICK (Savage Saints MC #1), won Best Dark Romance Read in the Reader’s Choice Awards at RWDU, 2015.

A tattoo enthusiast, hardcore makeup addict and zombie fangirl, Carmen lives on the sunny North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, where she spends her time indoors wrangling her two wildling children, a dog named Pikelet, and her very own man-child.

A romantic at heart, Carmen strives to give her characters the HEA they deserve, but not before ruining their lives completely first … because what’s a happily ever after without a little torture.


PUBLISHED TITLES TO DATE:

Connect with Carmen:


Hate Story by Nicole Williams - Chapter Reveal



Nicole Williams and Ardent Prose are pleased to present you with Chapter one of Hate Story. Hate Story is expected to be released on December 26th 2016.




Blurb:



Nina can’t let herself fall in love with the man she’s going to marry. Both of them have experienced the sting and sham of love and have no intentions of falling victim to it twice. Love is expensive—hate is free.

Three years. A million dollars. A solution to both of their problems. They planned it all, from the story of their first meeting to the date of their divorce. Nothing could go wrong.

But what they didn’t consider was chemistry, and Nina and Max have no shortage of it. After too many near-kisses, Nina convinces herself that hating Max is better than loving him, and the more she gets to know this soon-to-be-husband of hers, the more she discovers just how very much she truly, madly, and deeply . . . hates him.

This isn’t a love story. This is the other kind.
Find on Goodreads





Second thoughts. I was having them.

Experiencing these any time before stepping into the lobby of the swanky hotel I was meeting him at would have been helpful.

“Sure you’re ready for this?” my best friend, Kate, asked, surveying the lobby like he was going to be lurking there with a sign hanging above his head.

“I’m sure.”

It was a lie. I wasn’t sure I was ready, but I didn’t have a choice. The bills had gone from a pile to a pillar, and if I didn’t do something soon, I would lose the house. I couldn’t lose the house. Not ever. It was the only home I’d ever known.

“You don’t have to do this, you know? There are other options. When I mentioned this a few months ago, it was just a far-off suggestion, not one I thought you’d actually run with.” Kate slowed down as we got closer to the hotel lounge where he was supposed to be waiting.

“There are no other options that include me keeping the house. At least not ones that are any less illicit than this one.” I licked my lips out of nervousness. With the way things had been lately, it was a miracle they hadn’t turned into sandpaper.

“You know you could go to jail, right?”

My tongue touched my lips again. “Only if I get caught.”

Kate shook her head, and her light hair whipped across her shoulders. She was everything I wasn’t. Tall, rail-thin, straight blond hair that cooperated, skin that looked like she’d been gilded in something ethereal, and dressed like life was one endless party. Our personalities were a stark contrast as well. She was effervescent, where I fell somewhere closer to the jaded end of the scale. She wrung the life out of each day, loved like she’d never been hurt, and laughed like she’d never known sorrow.

What she saw in me that kept our friendship enduring, I didn’t know. I just hoped she hadn’t hung around when others bailed because she felt obligated. I didn’t want to be anyone’s pity penance.

She snagged my arm when I walked in front of her, braking me to a stop when I was a few steps from the lounge’s entrance. “Do you know what he looks like?”

I tempered my irritation before glancing at her. She was coming from a place of concern, but I was committed. I just needed to get this over with already. “No.”

“About how old he is?”

My armpits were starting to sweat. I hadn’t even seen him yet and I was already pitting out. “No,” I answered, lifting my arms a little for ventilation.

“Do you know what he’s going to be wearing tonight?” Kate glanced over my shoulder, almost glaring into the lounge.

“No.” I twisted from side to side to create as much of a breeze as I could. I so should have splurged for the clinical strength deodorant instead of this cheap dollar-store junk that was probably going to give me cancer one day. If my budget hadn’t been worked out to the last quarter, I would have.

“Do you know anything about him?” Kate sighed, motioning at me like I was the lamb who’d just brayed as the first volunteer for the slaughter. “Other than, you know . . .” She swallowed. “What he wants?”

My stomach rolled. I definitely knew what he wanted.

“I know his name.”

Kate waited a moment. “And his name is . . .?”

“Sturm.”

Her nose wrinkled. “What kind of a name is that?”

“Sturm’s his last name. I don’t know what his first is.”

Kate’s nose went back to normal, but a high eyebrow took over its job of disapproving. She was especially expressive. That was another way we were different. Kate seemed to have no desire or inclination to hide what she felt, whereas I had every desire and inclination to hide.

“So what is he expecting you to call him? Mister Sturm? Because this twenty-first-century feminist is so not okay with one of her best friends addressing this guy like that.”

“Yeah, neither is this twenty-first-century feminist.” I flapped air in the direction of my armpits because they were only getting worse.

“The same feminist agreeing to marry a man for money?” Kate drew her hand up to her hip and stretched into every inch of her nearly-six-foot frame.

The word still sucked the air out of my lungs, but it had lost some of its potency. “Exactly—agreeing to marry him for money instead of lame reasons like love or feelings or to grow old together. How much more feminist does it get?”

Kate looked down at me. “Eh, how about instead of marrying him for money, you could turn him into the authorities for trying to commit green card fraud?” She peeked over my shoulder and craned her neck to look into the lounge. “Besides, what is a million dollars really? That chick in that Indecent Proposal movie got a million and she only had to spend one night with him. Plus if you factor in inflation, since that movie’s almost as old as I am, you are getting the proverbial and literal shaft. In the ass.”

I gave up the armpit sweat battle and hung my arms at my sides. Why did I care if this guy’s first impression of me was as a profuse sweater? I wasn’t asking for his approval or even expecting it. He was a business transaction to me. I was a means to an end to him.

A case of two people embracing the capitalist spirit of America.

“Yeah, but she had to sleep with the guy. That’s not part of our deal,” I argued. “But if it was part of the fine print, believe me, I’d ask for a hell of a lot more.”

We had an agreement. Kind of. It was more a rough draft that had just as many amendments as it had bullet points, but I preferred having everything ironed out in advance. I wanted to know exactly what I was getting into before sinking up to my neck in it, which I was minutes away from doing.

“So you’re saying you would sleep with him if the price was right?” Kate’s other hand flew to her hip.

I gave her the most indifferent face I could. I might have been able to look the part, but I certainly didn’t feel the part. “Hey, Morality Police, I’m already agreeing to marry a guy so he can get a green card. Give me a break.”

Kate’s phone chimed in her clutch. She’d wrangled up a couple of friends to meet her at this lounge tonight so she could keep an eye on me. I guessed she was worried the guy might not be on the up-and-up and might be using a green card as a cover for wanting to sell me off for internal organs or into the sex trade. I wasn’t worried about that, but I was thankful she was here for support if nothing else.

After punching in a quick text, Kate circled her phone at me. “And what are you wearing? Did you think there was going to be a ribbon handed out at the end of the night for the most colorful outfit?”

I glanced down at myself. I liked color. Lots of it. Living in a place like Portland, Oregon, a person had to find a way to fight off the perpetual gray. This was my chosen method.

“I wanted to make sure he knew who I was,” I said, just barely peeking inside the lounge. Dozens of bodies, all of them different shapes, sizes, and colors, and all of them were dressed like they’d conspired to match. “If I’d known everyone would be in some shade of gray or blue, I wouldn’t have dressed in a green polka-dot dress, fuchsia shoes, and a blue checked scarf.”

Kate bit her lip to keep from laughing. “You’re a fashion intervention begging to happen.”

I stopped rubbing at a wrinkle in my dress. If an iron hadn’t been up to the challenge of smoothing it out, my thumb wasn’t going to do it. “I don’t care. I’m not here to impress him or earn his approval.”

“Yeah, that’s obvious,” she mumbled just loud enough for me to hear. When I went to give her a little shove, she slid out of the way. “And if you’re not trying to impress him, why are you wearing the first dress I’ve seen you in since, god, probably when you wore that very one at spring fling of our senior year?” Kate was looking inside the lounge now, her gaze skimming the space like she was looking for something. Her friends must have already been there because she waved at someone before lifting her finger in a just-a-minute kind of way.

“Because I didn’t think this place was a holey jeans and sneakers kind of place,” I argued, wondering why I was defending my wardrobe choices to someone who dressed by the less-is-more standard.

“Let’s hope Mister Sturm is fashion blind.” The way she said it earned her another little shove.

“He’s a single, foreign man who’s paying someone a hell of a lot of money to marry him.” I crossed my arms at her as she kept peeking into the lounge. “I think it’s safe to say I’m not about to come face-to-face with a guy who spends his nights flipping the pages of GQ. And if you call him Mister Sturm again, I’m going to pull your hair.”

Kate winked at me. “My scalp’s a little sensitive from the hair pulling last night.”

I rolled my eyes. “Alexander?” The last man du jour she’d mentioned to me.

“Trenton.” She kind of sighed his name. Actually, it held the hint of a moan. God. I could never imagine sighing-slash-moaning some guy’s name. Ever. The closest I’d ever gotten to a sigh-moan was over the peanut butter pie my grandma had made for my last birthday.

“Fine,” I said, interrupting the last notes of her moan.

“Then I’ll slap your ass if you say it again.”

She flashed a wicked smile my direction before giving her hips a shake. “Just as sensitive.”

“God, fine,” I groaned. “Just stop. Your sex life nauseates me.”

“Jealous is not a good look for you. Besides, someone needs to make up for your lack of it.” Kate waved at me like my sex life was visible for all to read.

“At your rate, you’re making up for the entire city’s lack of sex life.”

She nodded solemnly. “You’re welcome.”

“Besides, sex is not all it’s cracked up to be.” At this point, I was stalling, but I was nervous.

“Believe me, with the right person who knows what they’re doing, it is all, and more, it’s cracked up to be.” Kate bounced her brows. “Some guys just know how to use their dick better than others.”

I frowned. “Wow. I’m about to orgasm all over the place.”

Kate laughed as she slid in front of me and teased my hair with her fingers.

“Oww,” I whined as she ripped and pulled at my hair. “And I hope you washed your hands with bleach after the last dick you touched.”

She responded by smearing her hands down the sides of my face. “Most action you’ve ever seen.” She scrubbed them down my face one more time. “You’re welcome.”

I stepped out of the reach of her filthy little paws and waved her toward the lounge.

“I’ll be right there. Just give the signal if the guy turns out to be a serious creeper, okay?” She waited for me to nod, then she kissed the air in my direction. “Go get him, tomcat.”

I didn’t know how to reply to that, so I went with an okay signal.

I waited a minute after Kate had disappeared into the lounge. Then I waited one more before forcing my feet forward. It wasn’t like my dwindling courage was going to find its way back the longer I stalled.

Taking in a slow breath, I pictured my house. The one I’d grown up in. The one that had housed a Burton for sixty years. The one that would probably be gutted or ripped down and replaced by whatever rich a-hole bought it at the foreclosure sale. I pictured relief from the stack of bills, the freedom to have choices, and a future that wasn’t already painted with bleak hues and dark strokes.

Then I moved inside the lounge and took my first step toward my future husband.
About Nicole Williams:




Nicole Williams is the New York Times and USATODAY bestselling author of contemporary and young adult romance, including the Crash and Lost & Found series. Her books have been published by HarperTeen and Simon & Schuster in both domestic and foreign markets, while she continues to self-publish additional titles. She is working on a new YA series with Crown Books (a division of Random House) as well. She loves romance, from the sweet to the steamy, and writes stories about characters in search of their happily even after. She grew up surrounded by books and plans on writing until the day she dies, even if it’s just for her own personal enjoyment. She still buys paperbacks because she’s all nostalgic like that, but her kindle never goes neglected for too long. When not writing, she spends her time with her husband and daughter, and whatever time’s left over she’s forced to fit too many hobbies into too little time.



Nicole is represented by Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.

Monday 12 December 2016

The Dead Come Calling (The Wraith Files #2) by C.C. Wood



Blurb:

I'm Zoe Thorne and I speak to the dead. Unfortunately, dead isn't always synonymous with good-natured. In fact, most of the spirits I meet have dirty minds and a tendency to create mischief and mayhem.

For the past two months, I've been traveling with the cast of The Wraith Files, a paranormal investigation web show. Stony and Blaine are like the perverted, annoying brothers I never had. Our boss, Malachi Flemming, well, he makes my heart beat faster and my hormones dance.

During a break from filming, I've returned home to my resident ghost, Teri, an exotic dancer who died thirty years ago. I'm on a mission to find the man who murdered her and see that justice is served.

Preoccupied with my search for a killer, I'm unaware that something dark and twisted lies in wait for me. Not one, but two faceless entities intent on terrorizing me before moving in for the kill.

With unseen enemies shadowing my every move, it's time to discover how deep my abilities run. I need every bit of power I possess...or I'll be taking my place among the dead.

*This book contains a perverted ghost, two men who act like teenage boys, and lots of sarcasm.

Find on Goodreads


Purchase Links:





Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: December 2016.

As a self confessed non reader of the paranormal genre I always find myself at a bit of a loss with C.C. Woods books, there's something inherently special about her words, some magical culmination of her storylines, covers, and witty prose that have me so utterly invested that I can't put them down. The Wood Effect usually takes hold in the first chapters, it's in those initial pages that I forget about werewolves this and vampires that, it's when I don't even notice that a main character is a ghost, it's when I forget entirely that I have an aversion to the fantastical and just allow the Author to capture my imagination and take me wherever she pleases.

"I'm sick and tired of you using our working relationship as an excuse to deny our feelings for each other."
Right there is one of the many reasons I adore Wood's work, in between stories of fiction, some that absolutely profit on her ability to make believe is those brilliant reminders of the human condition. For those already introduced to the newest paranormal offering from Wood, you would of no doubt fondly remembered the slow burning chemistry of our hero and heroine. She created so wonderfully this smouldering connection between Mal and Zoe that it was palpable, you could feel it clawing it's way off the page, and yet much like it's predecessor, Don't Wake The Dead didn't rely on sexual intimacy to strengthen the story.

"I'm a man who knows what he wants and had the patience to wait for it."
I found myself devouring the pages, skimming in parts, not out of boredom but in desperation to know what came next, as the drama intensified, and the action increased I found myself restless and deliberately jumping ahead so I could get to the end quicker, for a usually fast reader, you can only imagine the utter excitement that was coursing through my veins as I absolutely devoured this book. Wood mixes her trademark wit with her ability to build tension perfectly here, Don't Wake The Dead was addictive, utterly impossible to put down. As Zoe frantically searched for Teri's murderer, and the pressure mounted, I found myself on the edge of the seat, yelling at my kindle like a childhood pantomime "look behind youuuuuuuu". Wood's latest offering was a breath of fresh air at a time when I find myself more and more underwhelmed by lackadaisical sex scenes that seem to only serve as filler. With a strong push toward character development and really crafting a story that I can't wait to continue, The Wraith Files has easily become one of my newest favourites.


  


About C.C. Wood:


A native Texan, C.C. grew up either reading or playing the piano. Years later, she’s still not grown up and doing the same things. Since the voices in her head never shut up, C.C. decided to share their crazy stories and started writing books.

Now that she has a baby girl at home, C.C.’s non-writing time is usually spent cleaning up poopy diapers or feeding the poop machine. Sometimes she teaches piano, cooks, or spends time bugging her hubby and two beagles.

Connect with C.C. on Facebook





Monday 5 December 2016

Hate Story by Nicole Williams - Cover Reveal


Blurb:

Nina can’t let herself fall in love with the man she’s going to marry. Both of them have experienced the sting and sham of love and have no intentions of falling victim to it twice. Love is expensive—hate is free.

Three years. A million dollars. A solution to both of their problems. They planned it all, from the story of their first meeting to the date of their divorce. Nothing could go wrong.

But what they didn’t consider was chemistry, and Nina and Max have no shortage of it. After too many near-kisses, Nina convinces herself that hating Max is better than loving him, and the more she gets to know this soon-to-be-husband of hers, the more she discovers just how very much she truly, madly, and deeply . . . hates him.

This isn’t a love story. This is the other kind.

Find Hate Story on Goodreads

About Nicole Williams:





Nicole Williams is the New York Times and USATODAY bestselling author of contemporary and young adult romance, including the Crash and Lost & Found series. Her books have been published by HarperTeen and Simon & Schuster in both domestic and foreign markets, while she continues to self-publish additional titles. She is working on a new YA series with Crown Books (a division of Random House) as well. She loves romance, from the sweet to the steamy, and writes stories about characters in search of their happily even after. She grew up surrounded by books and plans on writing until the day she dies, even if it’s just for her own personal enjoyment. She still buys paperbacks because she’s all nostalgic like that, but her kindle never goes neglected for too long. When not writing, she spends her time with her husband and daughter, and whatever time’s left over she’s forced to fit too many hobbies into too little time.



Nicole is represented by Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.