CUFFED (Everyday Heroes #1) by K. Bromberg

Blurb:

From the New York Times bestselling author, K. Bromberg, comes a new series about three brothers, the job that calls them, and the women who challenge them.

“I hate you. I never want to see you again.”

Grant Malone is not the reason I moved back to Sunnyville—at least that’s what I tell myself. Yet, those parting words I said to him back in third grade, ring in my ears every time a townsperson brings up one of the Malone boys. I thought time had healed my wounds. I was wrong. Nothing could have prepared me for how I felt when I finally saw him again.

Twenty years does a lot to turn a boy into a man. One who hits all my buttons—sexy, funny, attractive, and a police officer. But Grant is off limits because he knows too much about my past.

But I’m drawn to him. That damn uniform of his doesn’t hurt either. It’ll be my downfall. I know it.

What’s one night of sex going to hurt . . . right?

***

I’ve always loved Emmy Reeves.

That’s why I’m shocked to see her all these years later. The shy girl I once knew is all grown up.

Adventurous and full of life, she owns my heart now, just as much as she did back then. Convincing her of that is a whole different story.

I’ll give her the one night she asks for—like that’s a hardship—but when it comes to letting her walk away after, she has another thing coming. There’s no way in hell I’m letting her go this time without a fight.

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Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2gEAFKF
Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/2zR5vID

iBooks: http://smarturl.it/CuffediBook
B&N: http://smarturl.it/CuffedBN
Kobo: http://smarturl.it/CuffedKobo1

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: October 2017

I am adrift in a sea of emotion, I feel as though I'm struggling to find words to do this story justice despite how many rereads of passages and quiet moments of contemplation I've had since picking up Cuffed for the first time. In true Bromberg style, this story tested me, there were moments where I teetered over the edge of a snicker right into a loud boisterous guffaw, and in the next moment I sat stunned with tears streaming down my cheeks, heart breaking. I went into Cuffed absolutely blind, with that hot cover I expected light and sexy, but the thing about Bromberg's books is that while they may be laugh out loud funny at times, and absolutely bursting at the seems with sizzingly sexy escapades there is *always* so much damn heart and soul that her words change you, they implode and set your world on fire, in a dazzling technicolour display that simultaneously shatters your heart and gently pieces it back together. 

"She’s sunshine with a little bit of hurricane thrown in, and I’m willingly walking straight into her storm with nothing more than the clothes on my back."

Grant Malone was once upon a time a little boy who would take on the world to protect his best friend, the years have passed and little Grant is now a man but who he is hasn't changed, Grant now spends his days trying to keep his community safe, as a police officer with a predetermined hero complex and father who once protected and served there was never going to be another choice for Grant.

Emerson Reeves was once the little girl with the big eyes who loved her best friend Grant, but Emmy had secrets, secrets that break and shatter and when her world exploded she turned her back on everything she had known. Emerson is back for the first time in twenty years and she's fiery and independent and she's definitely not a little girl in need of saving anymore.

"You’re used to calling the shots and being in control. News flash, I don’t budge when I’m pushed and no one controls what I do."

As Grant and Emmy collide and memories of a past one wants to remember and the other wants to forget rise to the surface, only the strongest will survive the fall out that remains. With rich characterisation and a story that had the ability to absolutely decimate me one moment and leave me joyous the next I found myself putting Cuffed down several times to revel in the sheer unrelenting beauty of Bromberg's words and shroud myself in her raw and jagged imagery. Bromberg has never shied away from tackling heavy or sensitive topics, in fact it was her ability to do so with sensitivity and grace that cemented me a long time fan of her work, but even with that I was unprepared for the effect this story would have on me, how much this book would make me feel.

"We forget the memories and just chase the moments."

Years ago I would of read Cuffed and handled the heavy subject matter in the abstract, because while I knew of it happening, my world was untouched. Now, well now however I know differently, and my heart shattered over and over again reading this story, because it hit too close to home, and like Grant I know with certainty that I can't save everyone, I can't take away someone's hurts, nor can I erase their memories. Therein lie the beauty of Cuffed, in the subtle message of Bromberg's words, words that shake even the strongest resolves and leave you knowing with absolute certainty that the greatest gift we can give someone is support, that they are already the hero of their story and don't need saving, that sometimes love is found in the darkest of places. It only thrives once it hits the light.

"This hurt doesn't take away my pain, only being strong will. I am in control of me. I will survive despite it. I am loved regardless of it." 

About K. Bromberg:

New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines, and damaged heroes who we love to hate and hate to love.

A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs and soccer practices, more often than not with her laptop in tow.

Since publishing her first book in 2013, Kristy has sold over one million copies of her books across sixteen different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over twenty-five times. Her Driven trilogy (Driven, Fueled, and Crashed) is currently being adapted for film by Passionflix with the first movie slated to release in the summer of 2018.

She recently released a two book, sports romance series, The Player and The Catch. Cuffed is the first book in her new Everyday Heroes trilogy. This three-book series will be about three brothers who are emergency responders, the jobs that call to them, and the women who challenge them. The remaining standalones in the series are Combust (January 29th) and Cockpit (Spring 2018).

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The Foxe and the Hound by R.S. Grey

Blurb:

A full-length STANDALONE romantic comedy from USA TODAY bestselling author R.S. Grey.

When your life is a hot mess at twenty, it’s cute. At twenty-seven…well, not so much.

It’s just that my lofty dreams—making it as a real estate agent, paying rent on time, showering daily—have stayed just that: dreams. Oh, and love? I’ve decided love might be a little ambitious for me at the moment. Instead, I’ve settled for the two guys who will never leave me: Ben & Jerry.

That is, until Dr. Adam Foxe takes up residence as the town’s new vet.

With his strong jaw, easy confidence, and form-fitting scrubs, it’s not long before every housewife in Hamilton is dragging neglected tomcats in for weekly checkups.

Like everyone else, I’m intrigued. Even after I spoil my chance at a good first impression, he still offers me a proposition I can’t refuse: play his girlfriend at a family function and he’ll hire me as his real estate agent. Welcome to love in the 21st century.

It’s too bad I underestimated Adam’s irresistible charm and the undeniable attraction that burns between us. The day he pins me to the wall and silences me with a kiss, the line between reality and ruse begins to blur. Every teasing touch brings me to my knees. Every kiss promises more.

It looks like my hot mess of a life is about to get a little hotter.

ind on Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2qEkIHI

Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/2t500lr
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2srdyHr
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2qJrdsb

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2sddCP0

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: June 2017.

I fell in love in with R.S. Grey's words way back when with  With This Heart and Behind His Lens, as her back catalogue has grown, so has my affection for her stories, from the quirky and fun, to the heartfelt and serious, Grey has ensnared my heart and captured my mind with her witty dialogue, relatable characters and explosive chemistry, her writing always leaving eager for more, and yet entirely sated. After a period of failing to connect with books, I finally hit my stride, discovering titles that left me giddy and desperate for more, I'll be honest, with each book I finished feeling overjoyed and elated there was also a sense of trepidation, because what if the next book doesn't continue your loved up book spree, what then... I shouldn't have been worried, especially not where Ms Grey is concerned, because while I have been a long time fan of the authors words, The Foxe and the Hound became a new top recommendation.

“I didn't plan to be this dysfunctional at 27, but dysfunctionality has a way of creeping up on you. One second, you're 22, wrapping up your undergraduate degree from a top business school, and then suddenly, you're sitting alone in your car at 27, wondering how five years slipped trough your fingers without so much as a blink.”  

To say Madeleine Thatcher has had a tough run would be an understatement, ever the eternal optimist even Madeline is starting to doubt how long she can continue, perennially single, regularly behind on rent, and working a job she loves but never seems to be making it in is starting to take its toll. Once again running late for work, her life and giant mountain dog of a puppy sends her careening into the newest addition to her small town, unbeknownst to all involved Madeleine's life is about to change.

Adam Foxe relocated from Chicago after some messy personal issues, he's quite content to just jump into his new practice and keep a low profile, after all who needs messy personal entanglements after everything he's just left behind? His first meeting with Madeleine Thatcher left a sour taste in his mouth, unfortunately he can't stop thinking about her either. Adam's not the only one, despite his surely demeanour, Madeleine can't deny the attraction she feels, everything about their tenuous interactions is almost laughable and yet neither seems to be able to stay away.

"I like you. If I were dating right now, I'd want to be with you, okay?

He bends down so his gaze meets mine. Even still, I do my best to focus on the gym floor.

"The reason I've been ignoring your calls  and emails is because I like you too much." 

Grey writes adorkable romantic entanglements like no other, there's a cringe worthy element to Madeleine and Adam's interaction that makes it absolutely impossible to put down, there's a realness there, despite the settings created that allow the reader to truly believe in the story unfolding between not only the hero and heroine but their friends and peers. The push and pull Grey creates is utterly spellbinding, I found myself so enchanted to that I didn't want to put it down, the snarky banter had me laughing out loud, the pure absurdity of certain moments felt so incredibility right that I lapped up her words, telling anyone who would listen to buy this book!

Uproariously funny, scintillatingly sexy and stunningly sweet, The Foxe and the Hound hit all the right notes for me, even with all of that, what I truly adored was the story beneath, the story of a young woman who's quietly questioning her life, and the choices she's made up to this point, the one who's questioning if she should pack up and start again somewhere new, or whether she's destined to stay where she is right now, coupled with the young man, who had thought he had life completely figured out, and had his happily ever after in his sights, who instead if left questioning if all the decisions he made were the right ones, there's a beautiful dichotomy in these two characters, who the reader knows are perfect for each other but can't quite step out of their own heads for long enough to realise it. Hands down a TOP Recommendation of 2017, and a MUST READ for all book lovers.

About R.S. Grey:

I am a lover of books, chocolate, reality TV, metaphors and similes, black labs, and cold weather.

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Mister Romance (Masters of Romance #1) by Leisa Rayven

Blurb:

Max Riley is the man of your dreams. Or at least he will be, for a price.

As his alter-ego Mister Romance, Max is a drop-dead gorgeous escort who makes romantic fantasies come to life. No sex, just swoon-worthy dates to die for, and the cream of New York's socialites can't get enough. Whether they want a dominating billionaire, bad boy with a heart of gold, hot geek, sexy biker, or best friend who loves them from afar, Max can make it all happen, but he's careful to keep his real identity a secret.

Enter investigative journalist Eden Tate. Having caught wind of the urban legend of Mister Romance from a lovestruck client, Eden is determined to publish a scathing expose on Max and his ability to swindle lonely society women out of their fortunes.

Desperate to protect his anonymity and his clients, Max challenges Eden to give him three dates. If she doesn't fall in love with him, she can run her story with his blessing. If she succumbs to his charms, the story dies.

Cynical Eden has no doubt she can resist his fake romance personas, but when the real Max admits he’s falling for her, she has to decide if the professional liar is telling the truth, or if the passionate man with the mysterious past is just one more character designed to con her out of her career-making story.

Don’t miss this sizzling new standalone from the internationally best selling author of Bad Romeo, Broken Juliet, and Wicked Heart.

Find on Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2pjAaMS

Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/2q4Ypvx

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2qqzVjn

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2pvVwCd

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2q5g8D3

iBooks: https://goo.gl/xxaFdI
B&N: https://goo.gl/cEunKT
Kobo: https://goo.gl/NK49GZ

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: May 2017.

So here's the thing, I'm a sucker for certain tropes, childhood best friends, brothers best friend, enemies to lovers, and male escorts... it's with an almost giddy sense of anticipation that I find myself diving into these stories, add to that, the author has easily become an automatic 1click for me and you may be able to guess reaction to the idea alone of Mister Romance, I mean Leisa Rayven is the woman who created Ethan Holt and Cassie Taylor... and for those who have been following GPI for a while now, you'll no doubt remember my reaction the Starcrossed series, in truth, I still have that same reaction, it's part awed by the story and part far too emotionally invested in fictional characters to be classified as sane.

Now that you know my trope loves, let me add that the idea of opposite's attracting is another one of the things that makes me giddy, so combining Eden Tate, perhaps the worlds most cynical and anti love young woman, with Max, Mr Romance himself, who's goal is to create the most romantic of situations for his clients and you're almost guaranteed to make me just about beg for more.

Eden, is young, smart and sassy, she's knows all about failed relationships, and partners that split when things get hard. She's seen first hand the devastation a broken relationship can have on a person, let alone on a family. Despite those around her seemingly charmed by the notions of forever loves and happily ever afters, Eden is determined not to end up distraught after believing in something that isn't real, instead she's focusing on fixing her stalling career and finally busting out of the click bait nonsense articles her boss is forcing her to write. Eden is determined to become the savvy investigative journalist she's always dreamt of, when she stumbles on Mister Romance - a $5000 a date escort who is servicing the social elite and making romantic dreams come true, she might just have found the key to her professional success.

"Is that why I'm hesitating? Because on some level, I think this man, who's sitting there pretending to be another man, sees through the person I'm pretending to be."

Max AKA Mr Romance has created a lucrative career out of wining and dining rich women and fulfilling their romantic fantasies. He's not trading sexual acts, and all parties involved are consenting adults, so he's hardly doing anything wrong...right?? When Eden infiltrates his inner sanctum and threatens to expose not only his business but his wealthy clients, his only option is to issue a challenge he knows Eden won't be able to refuse.

"I'm trying to ignore how goddamn attracted I am to you."

I've been finding myself more and more drawn to the not quite slow burn books of late, where I once craved lots of sex and fast gratification in my books, I now find myself gravitating to that deliciously sexy chemistry that you only find in stories where the build is just as important if not more than the climax. I want that edge of my seat feeling, you know the one...where you're desperate to read more, to live and breathe the story, where you're so enamoured by the characters that you want to be them, know them, everything about the story draws you in and demands you pay attention, you're hungry for that first touch, first kiss, first everything... gahhhhh...it's that heady feeling of need and desire and love and lust that tickles your senses that I crave, and within the first chapter I was feeling those initial stirrings pulsing through my blood, in a matter of pages I was so utterly invested that I was buzzing and on edge ready for everything Rayven was bound to throw at me. The more I read, the more intense my reaction, before I knew it I was desperate, the authors ability to convey emotion and elicit a response from the reader overwhelming.

"Their partners give them sex, but what they truly crave is for someone to see them. Value them. Love them. That's what Maxwell does."

The beauty of this story lies in not only Rayven's exquisite prose, but her snappy dialogue and sharp characterisation. Eden and Max leapt from the page, I craved their interactions as much they did, feeling rather than simply reading their conversations. Everything about Mister Romance flowed effortlessly from the page, creating a story that felt more film than book, making it utterly addictive leaving me entirely unable to put it down.

About Leisa Rayven:

Writing has always been a passion for Leisa, and even though she originally intended to be an actress, it wasn't long into her time at drama school that she began writing plays.

Those plays were bad. Very bad. Well, her friends thought they were good, but that's because they were always cast in them and any opportunity to be on stage was met with an obnoxious amount of enthusiasm.

Since then, she's honed her craft, and several of her plays have been produced and toured throughout Australia.

These days, playwriting has given way to fiction writing, and she is now the proud mother of numerous book babies, including BAD ROMEO, BROKEN JULIET, and WICKED HEART. (Macmillan New York)

Leisa lives in Australia with her husband, two little boys, three judgmental cats, and a kangaroo named Howard. (*NB: Howard may or may not be her imaginary marsupial friend. Everyone should have one.*)

Contact with Leisa on Facebook

Anything You Can Do by R.S. Grey

Blurb:

Lucas Thatcher has always been my enemy.

It’s been a decade since I’ve seen him, but our years on opposite coasts were less of a lasting peace and more of a temporary cease-fire. Now that we’re both back in our small town, I know Lucas expects the same old war, but I’ve changed since high school—and from the looks of it, so has he.

The arrogant boy who was my teenage rival is now a chiseled doctor armed with intimidating good looks. He is Lucas Thatcher 2.0, the new and improved version I’ll be competing with in the workplace instead of the schoolyard.

I’m not worried; I’m a doctor now too, board-certified and sexy in a white coat. It almost feels like winning will be too easy—until Lucas unveils a tactic neither of us has ever used before: sexual warfare.

The day he pushes me up against the wall and presses his lips to mine, I can’t help but wonder if he’s filling me with passion or poison. Every fleeting touch is perfect torture. With every stolen kiss, my walls crumble a little more. After all this time, Lucas knows exactly how to strip me of my defences, but I’m in no hurry to surrender.

Knowing thy enemy has never felt so good.

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Purchase Links:

Amazon US:  http://amzn.to/2kv32y9
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2kGbloA
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2kLZoN7...
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2jvvVGd

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: February 2017.

Positively giddy, that's the only way to describe how I'm feeling right now. It's no secret that I've been suffering through something akin to reader's burn out of late, injury, illness and some family issues coupled with a packed reading schedule over the last few years have impacted on the joy I once found in reading. I had this looming sense of what if I can't get into this book when it landed on my kindle, and yet instantly, and I mean instantly, on the very first page I was hooked, my fears and doubts were replaced with loud cackles of laughter, R.S. Grey set the scene for a fast paced, fresh take on frienemies turned lovers and even as I'm typing this I still have huge smile on my face.

"I am Daisy Bell, rival to Lucas Thatcher, and the weight of carrying around that hatred has started to wear on me. Deep down I'm starting to forget what exactly it is I hate about Lucas."

The ongoing rivalry between Daisy and Lucas is the stuff legends are made of, neighbours since birth, the pair have seemingly been in competition since conception. Where once upon a time their rivalry caused nothing but fights and friction, as they grew older it also served to push them both to strive for the best, their careers as Doctor's is a testament to that. With dreams of owning their own family practice Daisy and Lucas return to their hometown of Hamilton after a decade away, even with years apart their need to one up each other still burns bright, now fighting over the same practice it seems the games have only just begun.

"Lucas Thatcher, bane of my waking life and lead role in my nightmares is kissing me, and my good hand is wrapped around the collar of his white coat and tugging him. Hard. Against me."

The animosity between these two is humming just below the surface, the chemistry between them white hot, the angst, oh God the angst of will they/won't they is EXPLOSIVE, it's a living breathing thing, tangible and so very real that it seeped from the pages and left my body buzzing in the way that any avid reader longs for. I was clutching my kindle to my chest and grinning like a fiend, every fibre of my being twisted in anticipation desperate for more.

"You listen here, Lucas Thatcher. I hate you, but you're going to kiss me. You're going to kiss me and you're not going to stop."

I have been a long time fan of R.S. Grey, from the moment I read Scoring Wilder all those books ago I was enamoured, with a style that is inherently hers, I found myself #1clicking without preamble, sight unseen, I just knew that I needed to dive into whatever she released next, while I have loved her previous titles, Anything You Can Do was a step above the already high standard she had set. With it's electric chemistry, laugh out loud banter and relatable human connection that Grey excels at, Anything You Can Do deserves my very first GOLD LIPSTICK of 2017, absolutely impossible to put down, my only complaint is I wish I could experience it for the first time again.

"For 18 years, I loved you. Now, I've loved you for 28. It sounds like quite the accomplishment, but it's always been so easy for me to love you. Through all the pain, all the conflict, I've always known the truth. We cared about each other. Nobody fights over something that doesn't matter - they just walk away..."

About R.S. Grey:

I am a lover of books, chocolate, reality TV, black labs, and cold weather. Seriously, if I had it my way I would be curled up on the couch with all of those things… everyday.

I live in Texas where I spend my free time writing and reading. My favorite authors are Mindy Kaling & Jonathan Safran Foer. I’m a comedy geek and love all things “funny”. Women like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling are definitely the biggest inspirations for my writing, though I think my work tends to skew a bit smuttier than theirs.
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