Mean Girls Luv Books: 2015 Faves

Showing posts with label 2015 Faves. Show all posts

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Promo: When We Fall by Marquita Valentine

Title: When We Fall (Take the Fall #2)

Age Group: Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: Decemeber 8, 2015

The last time Piper Ross saw her best friend’s sexy older brother, Jase Simmons, he was being taken away in handcuffs. Seven years later, two things haven’t changed: Piper is still head-over-heels in love with him . . . and Forrestville’s chief of police—Piper’s dad—still hates his guts. So when Piper sees a chance to get close to Jase, she makes her move—literally. As his new roommate, and as the office manager of his tattoo shop, Piper won’t be satisfied until Jase knows that she wants to be his.

The quintessential good girl, Piper is pure temptation for Jase. The only reason he’s always kept his distance is because she’s the last person he’d ever want to hurt. But once he realizes that Piper is ready to take the leap, everything just makes sense. Suddenly Jase feels like a new man—until nasty rumors start swirling and Piper’s heartless father stirs up even more trouble. Now Jase must convince Piper that she wasn’t wrong about him . . . because falling in love never felt so right.

OMG. This book. It pulled me in from the very first words and by the end of the first chapter I was in deep. I felt an instant connection with Jase and Piper. They were made for each other.This story is pretty much perfection.

Jase has recently gotten out of prison, where he was for 7 years. He is the ultimate bad boy and always has been. However, there is more to him than that bad boy image. Piper has loved Jase since the moment she met him when she was just 14 years old. Shy, self conscious, and lonely, he treated her like a person. See, she is best friends with Jase's younger sister. He felt a connection at their first meeting, a connection to continues to strengthen, but he ignored it because of her young age and who she is.

Jase grew up on the wrong side of the tracks; Piper has had a "privileged" upbringing. Her parents expect her to marry a man from their inner circle and be a housewife. She finally stands her ground and moves out. Theirs is not the life she wants for herself. When her act of rebellion takes a downward turn, she finds herself working for Jase and living in his house.

Before, I said that this story is pretty much perfect. However, you'll notice that I gave the book 4.5 Hearts instead of 5. I really wanted to give it a 5, but the conflict just seemed to be resolved too quickly. Honestly, I don't know how the author could have dragged it out. I mean, the resolution makes perfect sense, so I don't know, maybe I just wanted more of Jase and Piper and wasn't quite ready to let them go. I just absolutely adored them.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Lo7aEZ
B&N: http://bit.ly/1FKI9Oy
iBooks: http://apple.co/1IeMgJ1
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1AWFAgG
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1DCErLy

NOW AVAILABLE!

Title: Take The Fall (Take the Fall #1)

Age Group: Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: July 21, 2015

As a teenager, Seth O’Connor went to jail for a crime he had nothing to do with. He took the fall to protect the girl he loved, but the cruel realities of prison hardened him. After doing his time, Seth shuts her out and enlists in the Marines—until his grandmother’s funeral forces him to come home and face Rowan Simmons once again. The woman she’s become puts all his high-school memories to shame, and Seth wants her more than ever. Can he be honest about why he denied her for so long?

After Seth pushed her away, Rowan swore that no man would ever hurt her again. But the boy who broke her heart has become a sexy Marine, capable of fulfilling her every desire—and now that he’s back in town, old feelings are simmering to a boil. Rowan wants to stay strong, even as her body surrenders to his expert touch. She only hopes that by taking him back, she can finally help heal the wounds that drove them apart.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1EeO7uI

B&N: http://bit.ly/1w7kPgs

iBooks: http://apple.co/1RW7oVg

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1AttPuT

Marquita Valentine is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Holland Springs and Boys of the South series.

Since first taking the plunge in July of 2012 to self publish, Marquita Valentine has sold over a quarter of a million books around the world. She's appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling Ebooks Lists on iBooks, Amazon Kindle, and Barnes&Noble. She's been called "one of the best new voices in romance" (Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews) and her books have been accused of being "a sexy, fun, and slightly addicting contemporary read" (The Book Queen).

When she's not writing sexy heroes who adore their sassy heroines, she enjoys shopping, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Married to her high school sweetheart, Marquita lives in a seriously small town in the south with her husband, two kids, and a dog.

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Friday, December 18, 2015

Release Blitz: The Firefly Effect by Allie Gail

Title: THE FIREFLY EFFECT

Author: Allie Gail

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: December 15, 2015

It was supposed to be nothing more than a fantasy.

All right, so I’ll admit that maybe steamy, impulsive sex isn’t the ideal way to cope with a total stranger wandering into your beach house unannounced. But discovering that my anonymous lover is none other than Shane-the-Pain Becker, the dirtbag spawned only to torment me throughout adolescence...well, somebody kill me now. To add insult to injury, there’s a major hurricane bearing down on us and we’re stuck together for the duration. I don’t know which force of nature scares me the most – Hurricane Elliott or Shane. *** Never in my wildest dreams would I have envisioned a scenario where Melanie Lane would be wrapping her sweet legs around me. Scratch that – there were, in fact, an abundance of wild dreams where Felony Melanie was concerned. I just never thought I had a chance in hell of making them reality. I mean, the girl thinks I’m sewer scum and always has. Even now. She still believes I’m not good enough for her. I’m assuming that’s why she seems bound and determined to shut me out. She keeps insisting this is just sex. But as long as the hurricane keeps her trapped in my arms, I will make it my mission to convince her otherwise.

This book! It was everything I thought it would be and more! I think I might have found a new favorite author in Allie Gail. Her writing was so fun, quick-witted, and flowed seamlessly. I was a little nervous (as I usually get) when I quickly realized that this story uses flashbacks. Sometimes (for me) when there is an abundance of flashbacks, the story can seem bogged down. However, this author did it beautifully and each flashback enhanced the story.

Melanie and Shane were enemies throughout their childhood until they graduated from high school and went their separate ways. The things they did and said to each other were awful! No wonder why they hated each other. However, underneath all the hate, pranks, and snarky comments, there was an undercurrent of want and attraction (that neither would ever admit). They meet again, years after graduation, when Melanie rents a beach home from her friend Leah (Shane's stepsister) to get away for awhile and concentrate on writing. Shane hears who is renting the house and he just has to see for himself. She is always the one who got away, the crush he can't let go.

They have a steamy reacquainting, before Melanie realizes that he is actually Shane the Pain, as she has always called him. He uses the excuse of the impending hurricane and the need to secure the house to buy more time with her. She reluctantly and begrudgingly lets him stay. He is determined to win her over and show her he isn't like what she always thought. She is determined to keep him out of her heart if not out of the bedroom.

I honestly cannot say one bad thing about this book. There was emotion and I love a good book with emotion. There was witty, sarcastic humor in spades. And of course there was steam and romance! This book has it all! The Firefly Effect is the perfect weekend read!

Purchase Today!

**Limited release price of 99 cents – will go up after the holidays are over!**

Amazon U.S. | Amazon U.K.

Forcing my attention back to the manuscript, I am just drafting one of the pivotal scenes in the story when Shane comes strolling in. Guess it was stupid of me to expect any privacy. He stands quietly behind me and I can sense that he’s reading what I’ve typed so far, but I am determined not to pay him any attention. That is, until I hear him snort a laugh. Irritated, I turn my head to glare at him. “Something funny?” “Come on, Felony. You can do better than that.” “I thought we agreed to retire that name. And what are you talking about?” He points to the screen. “Is this supposed to be realistic? I could drown in the bottomless depths of your eyes…give me a break. What guy has said that to you, ever?” I narrow my eyes. Am I really supposed to accept literary criticism from him? The guy who once put a stink bomb vial in my backpack? “It isn’t believable,” he explains, leaning across the desk on his arms. His face is unnervingly close to mine. “What makes you say that?” “Let’s look at this logically. Judging from what I’ve read, it appears your two characters are in the throes of passion. Sex is already imminent. They’re about to get hot and heavy. Am I correct so far?” “Yes...” “All right. Well, first of all, at this point the guy would no longer be thinking rationally and intellectually. By now he’s already deferred complete authority to his other head, if you get my drift. The last thing he’s going to be doing is reciting poetry. It would be like trying to solve calculus equations while masturbating.” I blink, surprised. Holy cow, did he just use the word masturbate? “Second of all, men are very forward and direct to begin with. Trust me, we are not the complex creatures you think we are. If you come across one who’s spouting off verbosity like that, you should probably run the other way.” “Verbosity?” I can’t help but smile. There’s another word I never would have pictured the Pain using. “You’re trying too hard with this. Cut out the ostentatious prose. Keep it simple.” “But simple is boring,” I argue. “Is it?” Running an index finger along his bottom lip thoughtfully, he says in a low, impassive voice, “Melanie, I’d love nothing more than to bury my cock in your sweet little pussy right now.” WHAT?! Fuck me sideways, did he actually just say that to me? I’m not sure but I think lightning may have struck my panties. The electric current flowing down to the most intimate part of me is almost painful. My startled heart flutters wildly before picking up the beat in double-time. I stare into his smoky eyes, completely and utterly speechless. “Tell me. What sort of reaction did those words elicit from you?” “Uh…” Oh my God, I’ve forgotten how to words. I mean talk! Gah! “That’s what I thought.” The faintest hint of a smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. “See? Simplicity.” Struggling to regain my composure, I turn my attention back to the monitor in front of me. “So that’s what he should say? I don’t know. It seems so…base.” “Sex is base. If you try to make it anything other than that, it won’t sound natural.” I contemplate this. While what he says may be true, I’m not sure it fits here. I’m not writing erotica, after all. It’s just a love scene in a romantic suspense novel. “I think something like that might be a bit too graphic.” “You can always go a shade more subtle with it. Take the crudeness down a notch.” He’s still watching me intently and I resist the urge to squirm in my seat. This is quite a riveting conversation. I should let well enough alone, but of course I don’t. I’m rather enjoying this. “What do you suggest?” “Hmm...” The errant finger trails languidly across his bottom lip again and my eyes follow it in fascination. “He would probably start by telling her what he wants to do to her.” “And what does he want to do to her?” “It’s your story, Miss Lane. What do you suppose he wants to do to her?” “That’s a very good question.” I watch the movement of his finger hypnotically. “The problem is, I’m not sure.” “I would imagine that the first thing he wants to do is strip her down to nothing. He wants to hold that beautiful body close to his. Feel her soft breasts against his skin. Let her touch him, so she knows the extent of his arousal.” Dear Lord, it’s getting hot in here. “And then?” “This is only speculation, you understand. But I would also imagine that he is aching to spread her thighs and slide his fingers inside, to find out if she’s as wet and ready as he believes her to be. Now we get the female character’s point of view. Is she wet, Melanie? Is she ready to be taken?” “I imagine she must be,” I rasp. “Yes.” “But this action distracts him from his ultimate goal, of course.” My face might be flushed, but my hands feel ice cold when I clench them in my lap. “How so?” “Now he knows he has to taste her.” The dark eyes become cloudy as he slides across the desk, so close I can feel his breath on my cheek. “He can’t prevent himself from teasing her with his tongue. Just enough to bring her close to the brink, so he can feel her thighs clenching and quivering against his shoulders. He needs for her to lose control. To forget every name in the world but his. He wants to hear her pleading for him to take her, fuck her, hard and fast and now. Now.” That last word is whispered. I wet my lips nervously. “And does he?” “Oh, yes.” His smile is slow and deliberate. “He most certainly does.”

I was born in a charming but microscopic town in Alabama with a book in each hand. Well, maybe not literally, but you get the idea. I don't think there's an author out there who didn't start out as an avid reader, and I'm no exception. It was only fairly recently that I decided to resurrect an old high school interest and once again began writing. There's something cathartic about breathing life into the quirky characters struggling to escape my imagination. These days I reside in the beautiful panhandle of Florida with my own blue-eyed Prince Charming and three fat, pampered cats who are just tolerant enough to permit us to share the same house with them. As long as they're fed on time, that is.

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