Good Boy (WAGs #1) by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

Blurb:



Hosting her brother’s wedding for an MVP guest list is the challenge of Jess Canning’s life. Already the family screw-up, she can’t afford to fail. And nobody (nobody!) can learn of the colossal mistake she made with the best man during a weak moment last spring. It was wrong, and there will not be a repeat. Absolutely not. Even if he is the sexiest thing on two legs.

Blake Riley sees the wedding as fate’s gift to him. Jess is the maid of honor and he’s the best man? Let the games begin. So what if he’s facing a little (fine, a lot) of resistance? He just needs to convince the stubborn blonde that he’s really a good boy with a bad rap. Luckily, every professional hockey player knows that you’ve got to make an effort if you want to score.

But Jess has more pressing issues to deal with than sexy-times with a giant man-child. Such as: Will the ceremony start on time, even though someone got grandma drunk? Does glitter ever belong at a wedding? And is it wrong to murder the best man?

Caution: May cause accidental aspiration of tea or coffee. Do not read in a public place where loud laughter is inappropriate. Contains hot but hilarious hockey players, puppy cuddling and a snarky pair of underwear.










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Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2o4HgUt
Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/2nuIPcT
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2nckVQU
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2npshBD
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2mKQ6GC
iBooks: http://geni.us/gbibooks
Kobo: http://geni.us/gbkobo
B&N: http://geni.us/gbnook










Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: March 2017.

When Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy first released their co-written work HIM I was instantly enamoured, it quickly rose to one of my favourite books of the year and with the subsequent release of US, they became one of my all time favourite duets. I was already a fan of Kennedy but with HIM's release I found myself downloading Bowen's back catalogue and devouring them at will. In US we were introduced to Blake Riley, the loveable larrikin with a huge heart and incidentally a huge *ahem*. Blake's loud and gregarious nature there was something inherently good about him. Something warm and nurturing, something that incited loyalty, there was a sense that there may be more to the big lug than met the eye.

“She’s staring at me like she wants to rip off my clothes. Or just rip something. I’m not quite sure which.”  

Jess Canning is loved by her family, there's no doubt of that, and yet her constant jumping from one career to the next has left her feeling on the outs, crushed by the wave of guilt for once again not following through on a career plan her parents have helped fund leaves her questioning her next steps. As she finishes the final touches on her first and last party planning venture for none other than her brothers wedding she should be prepared for any eventuality, including steering clear of the best man Blake Riley. Riley is every mistake she's ever made, he's bad decisions and reckless abandon rolled into a delicious package.

“That dude is a lot like a big, drooly dog. Doesn’t matter if he just met you, he wants to lick your face and hump your leg”

Blake Riley can't deny his attraction to Jess Canning, nor does he want to, she doesn't want a serious relationship, that's fine, neither does he, Jess doesn't want to revisit their little sex-capade, that's fine, he'll convince her otherwise. For every argument Jess puts forward, Blake can find a reason to refute her decision, Blake is after all a man with a plan and he'll stop at nothing to convince Jess to give him a shot even if it's only for a mutually beneficial somethin' somethin'.

“We’re friends?”
“Are we?”
I smirk at her. “Would you rather I said ‘former lovers? Or maybe soon-to-be-lovers-again?”
She smirks back. “In your dreams.”
“F*ck, yes. Absolutely in my dreams. The wet kind.” I reach over and cover her knee with my palm. “How about we make those dreams a reality”  

Filled with moments of absolutely hilarity, Good Boy felt much lighter than the Duet that spurned it's release, Bowen and Kennedy cement their ability to create the type of banter that effortlessly draws you in, whether it be the sizzling chemistry between Blake and Jess, or the bro-code worthy banter between Blake and his team mates, there was seldom a moment that was not engaging. I found myself desperate for more of this story and yet desolate at the idea of finishing it and being left bereft without their presence. Everything about the story had me invested, every scintillating sexy moment of back and forth between Blake and Jess, every moment of growing doubt over what they are to each other, every sweet moment of side glances and knowing smiles, every moment of growing lust and animal attraction only cemented Good Boy as a new favourite. With a whole new series to read and love on the way, Bowen and Kennedy have easily become one of my top writing duo's.

“He just laughs, that deep, boisterous laugh that seems to come from the centre of his soul, because Blake doesn’t do anything half-assed. He laughs the way he lives his life—loud and fierce and without inhibition. He f*cks that way, too.”  





About Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy:

Sarina Bowen is the USA Today bestselling author of steamy, angsty Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction. She lives in the wilds of New England.

She is the author of The Ivy Years, an award-winning series set amid the hockey team at an elite Connecticut college. Also, the The Gravity series.

With Elle Kennedy, Sarina is the author of the RITA award winning HIM, and its sequel, US, as well as the WAGs novels.

Sarina also has a new Vermont contemporary romance series, True North. She's also unrolled new hockey novels from Penguin Berkley including Rookie Move.

Sarina enjoys skiing, espresso drinks and the occasional margarita. She lives with her family, eight chickens and more ski gear and hockey equipment than seems necessary.

A New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle currently writes for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

Down Shift (A Driven Novel) by K. Bromberg

Blurb:

The New York Times bestselling Driven series continues with a standalone story about finding love where you least expect it…

Behind the wheel, racing champion Zander Donavan is at the top of his game. But after too much excess in his personal life, he’s forced to step away. He needs to accomplish something all on his own—outside of his famous father’s shadow.

Getty Caster is running away from the abuse that clouds her past. She thinks she’s found the perfect escape—until she discovers a stranger in the beachside cottage she’d been promised. He’s undeniably sexy, but she’s there to heal. Alone.

Before long though, fighting with each other turns into fighting their attraction. And giving into desire sets off a chain reaction that has their pasts colliding. With an unexpected love on the line, can they overcome the fallout to build a future?

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Purchase Links:

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

Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/2cLKDKG
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2beXGVq
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2bg3ATq
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1ViqTO8
iBooks: http://apple.co/1PlnyM9
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1KeJzKE

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: October 2016.

"She's beautifully scarred, gorgeously flawed, irresistibly captivating."

I've become very familiar with procrastination lately, in fact it's most evident in the fact that Down Shift has been sitting on my kindle for over a month and yet I couldn't bring myself to read it, this may not seem overly concerning in and of itself unless you know that Down Shift is one of my most anticipated reads of 2016. Bromberg cemented herself as a MUST READ author way back when I picked up Driven for the first time, over the years that followed and with each subsequent book she has released I've fallen more in love with her words, more in love with the deeply flawed characters she's created, more in love with the worlds she so eloquently breathes life into.

"I've seen a lot of sh*t in my life...more than you could probably imagine. So phrase it any way you want to, deny it every which way from Sunday, but until you face whatever it is, nothing's going to get fixed."

Zander Donovan was a child when he first made on impression on readers minds and scored himself on their hearts, in the years that have followed he's grown up, he's become every inch of the man Colton and Rylee were sure to raise, a young man that despite having the world at his feet is currently crippled by the memories that are flooding his mind, his past enough to derail even the strongest of men. When his life veers even further offcourse, Zander takes a much needed respite from his usual high octane, privileged existence to reconnect with himself, to unpack all the baggage that is clouding his mind and to make peace with the man he is.

"Everybody's running from something Getty."

Zetty Caster grew up in a world of privilege and excess, her early childhood from memory seemed almost perfect, until the death of her mother detonated her perfect existence, left with a father that saw her as nothing more than pawn used and traded for professional gain. When Getty leaves that only life she's even known and runs to PineRidge to start over, she's going to be self sufficient, and depend on no one but herself, she'll prove to herself that everything she's been conditioned to believe isn't true.

"The invisible scars are the ones that cut the deepest and stay with you the longest."

Admittedly my procrastination was due largely to the impossibly high expectations I was creating in my mind, every time I decided to bite the bullet and dive in, I found myself creating roadblocks, what if my anticipation overshadowed my reading enjoyment, what if in my desperation to devour Bromberg's words my reaction was merely lacklustre, what if I'd built it up to be more than what it was....that fear, the anxiety, the uncertainty of taking a leap of faith, that knowledge that sometimes you need to just jump is exactly the message that the author weaves throughout her tale. Instead of allowing my fears of anticipation to cloud my mind further, I spent my day lost in Bromberg's words, reading and rereading, revelling in that moment that every reader dreams about, the one that hit's you like a freight train, that demands your attention, that stifles your breath and captures your heart. I allowed her words to wash over me, set fire to my senses, invigorate my soul, I sat there helpless to do anything other than FEEL and by gosh....that heart thumping, goose pebbled skin, eyes bright and breathing shallow feeling can't be replicated, in truth, it can barely be explained. Now as I sit here deliciously sated, mind and soul enriched, heart soaring I see the relevance of Bromberg's hashtags, I'm reminded that sometimes the best advice you can hear is to JUST JUMP.

"You've left your old life behind, leapt without looking, and I think before you face your father tonight, you need something to ground you too. Something to remind you that you did this on your own, started a new life, your way, and that you're not the woman your father or Ethan thought you were. You're strong. And beautiful. And brave. Maybe doing this will help you see it."

About K. Bromberg:

Multi-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.

She’s a mixture of most of her female characters: sassy, intelligent, stubborn, reserved, outgoing, driven, emotional, strong, and wears her heart on her sleeve. All of which she displays daily with her husband and three children where they live in Southern California.

On a whim, K. Bromberg decided to try her hand at this writing thing. Since then she has written The Driven Series (Driven, Fueled, Crashed, Raced, Aced), the standalone Driven Novels (Slow Burn, Sweet Ache, Hard Beat, and Down Shift (Releasing 10/4/16)), and a short story titled UnRaveled. She is currently finishing up Sweet Cheeks a standalone novel out at the end of 2016.

Her plans for 2017 include a sports romance duet (The Player (#1) and The Catch (#2)) and the Everyday Heroes series (Cuffed (#1), Combust (#2), and Cockpit (#3). She’s also writing a novella for the 1,001 Dark Night series that will be out in February 2017.

She loves to hear from her readers so make sure you check her out on social media.
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Game Maker (Game #2) by BJ Harvey - Review

Blurb:

From the USA Today bestselling author of the Bliss series comes a new spin off series featuring your favourite Bliss series characters who are yet to meet their match. This time it is Zach and Danika's turn.


I’m a gamer by nature and by profession. I’m all about strategy, performance, and coming out on top.

Five months ago I threw caution to the wind, and in the first miscalculated step of my twenty-one-year life, I made a move on my brother’s best friend.

The first mistake we made was keeping our relationship secret. The next was going off half-cocked when a train wreck of epic proportions hit us.

Now our secret is secret no more. As I struggle to deal with all of the swirling emotions, conflicted feelings, and the multitude of burned bridges that I need to mend, the one person who can help me through it all is the same man I need space from.

To fix it I’ll have to pull on my big-girl panties, focus on what I truly want in life, and put everything I have into winning the most important game I’ll ever play.

Life is a game, and it is what you make it.

Coming out unscathed is a whole other matter.

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Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1WBrWZW

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1sriImU
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1R3QVwN
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1qnjyiI
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/book/id1096092153

B&N: http://bit.ly/GameMakerNook

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/ebook/game-maker

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: May 2016.


Danika Roberts spent her a good deal of her adolescence standing on the sidelines idolising her brothers best friend Zach Cooper, from childhood hero to object of her affection, Zach caught her eye early on and she never out grew the swarm of butterflies in her belly when he was near. Danika isn't just Zander's little sister anymore, she's grown up in everyway possible, she's carved out a successful like for herself, with her dream job as a professional gamer and an apartment she loves and a friend and roommate she adores in Abi. Life is good, no scrap that, life is great, granted she spends more time at work than she should, and she doesn't really have a raging social life, and her love life is pretty much non existent... anyway Dani is happy with where she is and knows where her priorities lie, especially when the man she's always looked to as her ultimate doesn't look at her as anything more than her brothers little sister.

Zach Cooper is an inherently good guy, growing up a only child with a single mother he knows all about the bonds of family, when he met Zander Roberts they became firm friends, the brother he always wanted, with Zander came three sisters including the baby of the family, little Dani. When a kitchen fire brought him face to face with a career he never dreamed of he found his calling, for over five years he's been a fire fighter with the CFD, which pretty much guarantees that women swoon in his wake, unfortunately the girl who caught his eye he can't have.

"That's what makes it so hot. You have no f*cking idea how irresistible you are or what it's doing to me having you this close and not being able to touch you."

When Dani and Zach realise that they weren't alone in their mutual infatuation thing quickly heat up, starting something on such rocky ground could have dire consequences, sneaking around and basking in the joy and excitement of a new relationship is half the fun, but falling for the one person that's supposed to be off limits can be devastating.

"That's me, the cliché man falling for his best friend's baby sister. The thing is, I have no plans to stop doing it."

Game maker is the perfect blend of everything I adore about Rom Com's, Dani's voice is both young and vibrant, and yet at times she has a wisdom beyond her years, the characters in the Bliss and subsequently the Game series have wildly different voices, in what has become an ensemble cast creating clear and developed character's that don't bleed too heavily into one another is a feat not to be underestimated, getting inside the Roberts girls minds in this new series has been equal parts sweet and hilarious, the sassy no nonsense heroine's that Harvey seems to create somehow still feel fresh and new, never the author to write about the poor lost girl awaiting a big strong man to save them, she has instead created a slew of characters, both male and female that compliment each other instead of merely completing one another. Where Dani had a level of naivety that comes with age, it's Zach standing steadfastly beside her knowing what he has found, knowing how special a connection  like theirs truly is, despite the set backs, despite the fears and doubts.

Right now, I need to hear the words because I can't fight with only one hand while the other is desperately trying to hold onto the one thing I'm fighting for."

I expected a fun, sexy adventure, which Harvey never fails to deliver, but what surprised me was how earnestly I felt the fear and trepidation, the self doubt, the honeymoon stage of any relationship is always meant to be the most fun, but when obstacles stand in the way, whether imagined or created, the worry that hangs in the air shrouds that happiness and excitement over something new. There was a rawness here that I haven't often experienced, Game Maker felt real, dream jobs and fire fighters aside, watching the relationship bloom before my very eyes ensured I was invested, that I truly cared for Dani and Zach, it meant I felt what they felt, cheered them on, and rallied behind them when needed.
There's something exhilarating about diving into romantic comedy, it's akin to the flutters in the belly before something good happens, it's trepidation and excitement, it's familiarity and ease of contentment knowing that the authors KNOWS how to knock it out of the park, it's their wheelhouse, but most of all its turning the last page, smile wide, belly aching from giggling, sated and yet desperate for more that comes with BJ Harvey's words.

About BJ Harvey:

BJ Harvey is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Bliss Series. She also regards herself as a smut peddler, suspense conjurer and a funny romance thinker upper.

An avid music fan, you will always find her singing some hit song badly but loving every minute of it. She’s a wife, a mom to two beautiful girls, and hails from what she considers as the best country in the world—New Zealand.

Connect with BJ on Facebook

The Summer Games: Settling The Score by RS Grey - Review

Blurb:

As an Olympic rookie, Andie Foster has spent far more time in her cleats than between the sheets. For 21 years, her Friday nights have consisted of blocking shots rather than taking them. But now that she's landed in Rio, she's ready to see for herself if the rumors about the Olympic Village are true:

The athletes are all sex-crazed maniacs...
The committee passes out condoms like candy...
The games continue long after the medals have been handed out...

As Andie walks the line between rumor and reality, she's forced into the path of Frederick Archibald, a decorated Olympic swimmer and owner of a sexy British accent—too bad he's unavailable in a way that "it's complicated" doesn't even begin to explain.

In other words: off limits.

It doesn't matter that he has abs that could bring peace to the Middle East and a smile that makes even the Queen blush; Andie fully intends on keeping her focus on the soccer field. But the Village is small. Suffocating. Everywhere Andie goes, Freddie happens to be there—shirtless, wet from the pool, and determined to show her a whole new meaning of the phrase "international affairs".

 

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Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1W312KH
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/21pKAUj
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/21pKNXl
Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/1NioYGU
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1rcDEgt

 

 

 

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: May 2016.

"For so long I'd focused all my energy on soccer, but we had one week until our first match and I was ready to see for myself what kind of mischief the village had to offer. Viva Brazil!"

Andie Foster has trained for her Olympic debut for as long as she can remember, no social life in high school or usual teenage years hijinks, no problem because she had her eyes on the prize, and Olympic Gold medal was exactly what she's after. Flying into Rio for the Olympic Games with the US Women's Soccer team is an overwhelming experience for Andie despite having the support of her team seniors Kinsley and Becca (for those who have read Scoring Wilder, yes that Kinsley and Becca...insert squeeeeee here). Everyone's heard the rumors, the Athlete Village is like Cancun on Spring Break, an over abundance of adrenaline and hormones made for one big frisky, extremely good looking and athletically gifted bunch, with constant parties, an incredible location and plenty of people who are single and ready to mingle, finding ways to keep herself entertained shouldn't be too hard.

"She'd tossed her panties at me, a red, lacy pair that felt like heaven in my palm. That's it. I'm moving to America after the game. It's such a beautiful, beautiful country."

From the moment Andie lays eyes on Frederick Archibald she's intrigued, the rumors are true, he is incredibly sexy, he's also a worldclass athlete and a Duke with a bevvy of woman waiting to beat down his door. While the media swarms for any scoop possible, Freddie just wants to focus on his swimming, until he crosses paths with America's Rising Soccer Star Andie.

"I'd stood in line for a smoothie for a solid twenty minutes and then I'd walked away empty handed, too dumbstruck to care. All because of Freddie-freaking-Archibald - who by the way, was still watching me."

Their connection was instantaneous, electric, instalust in that way that is utterly captivating, everything about Andie held me transfixed, from her bubbly personality, to the zippy retorts, her sheer bewilderment and joy at experiencing her first Games, to her dedication and talent. Her relationship with Kinsley and Becca only further cemented my love for her. Andie never felt like one of those unobtainable heroines, she had all those qualities that made her enviable as a leading lady, but what I truly adored about her was that she wasn't quite perfect, she was quirky and funny, and honest and real, she was the kind of young woman you could relate to, in so many ways she was still a young girl after sacrificing so much of her social life in order to reach her Olympic dream, and watching her experiencing all of the soaring highs and devastating lows of crushes, of first loves made me want to simultaneously wrap my arms around her, and jump up and down cheering her on.

"I was tired, so f*cking tired of fighting a losing battle. My body ached, my heart ached, my wrist ached, and no one seemed to believe I had any fight left in me. Maybe they were right."

The Summer Games isn't all fun and games, pardon the pun, sure there's adrenaline pounding games, there's scintillatingly sexy moments, there's moments of pure hilarity, but what makes this story so special is the absolutely gut wrenching tender moments, when Andie and Freddie are just a man and a woman learning each other, sneaking away from the world of high flying sport, of news reporters, and inquisitions about every inch of their lives, when outside forces conspire to keep them apart, it's in those moments that Grey truly shines, making the reader feel every second of lust, desperation, love and anguish, in those quiet moments where everything they wanted was just within reach and yet so far away was when I felt every emotion wash over me, wave after wave knocking me down, feeling every bit of the desolation and hopelessness that Andie and Freddie undoubtedly felt. RS Grey drew me in immediately with her quirky characters, she held my attention with the sights and sounds of Rio, the adrenaline fuelled rush of competition, but she absolutely stole my heart with a story that had the perfect balance of heart, heat and humour, a story that has a grin permanently etched on my face.

 

 

 

 

About RS 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 include 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.

Facebook – http://on.fb.me/1P1szVn
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Website – http://rsgrey.com/
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