Release Day Blitz: Ten Reasons to Stay by Candace Knoebel

We are thrilled to be sharing with you the release of TEN REASONS TO STAY by Candace Knoebel. TEN REASONS TO STAY is the first standalone in the Risky Hearts duet and fans of contemporary romance won't want to miss this one! Be sure to grab your copy today!

About TEN REASONS TO STAY

One day a week—Thursdays—my husband and I could do whatever or whomever we pleased. Protection was non-negotiable. And no matter what, we had to be home by midnight. Jack was the one who wanted an open marriage, but we were supposed to keep things simple. No strings. No commitments. It seemed so easy…until it wasn’t. Devilishly handsome Cole Blackwater was only supposed to be a fling, but everything about him made me feel alive. Wanted. Seen. When I realized he was my husband’s boss, I should have broken things off right then…but I didn’t. One day a week, I could pretend that I was his and he was mine…until Cole wanted more. But how could I decide between the man I’d promised to love, honor, and cherish, and the man who tempted me to break every single vow I’d made?

Add TEN REASONS TO STAY to your Goodreads TBR here!

 Get your copy of TEN REASONS TO STAY today!

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Don't miss FIVE REASONS TO GO, book two of the Risky Hearts duet, out October 25th!

Add it to your Goodreads TBR today!

 About CANDACE KNOEBEL

Candace Knoebel is a hopeless romantic with an affinity for whiskey and good music. Her love of words began when she met the boy who lived in the cupboard under the stairs. She's a self-proclaimed Lost Girl. Words are her mirror. With two completed series, her work ranges from paranormal to contemporary, all centered heavily around romance. Currently she lives in Florida with her husband and two children, and has just completed her thirteenth novel, The Taste of Her Words. 

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Virtual Tour + Giveaway: One More Moment by Samantha Chase

One More Moment by Samantha Chase

Expected Publication: September 4, 2018

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Julian Grayson is taking a break

     …from his cheating fiancée

     …from his band

     …from his life in the spotlight

Charlotte Clark is devoted to her work

     …to save the world

     …to help the homeless

     …to get a broken man back on his feet

When Charlotte Clark offers to pay for Julian Grayson’s coffee, the world-famous drummer assumes she wants something from him. But Charlotte has no idea who he is, and Julian can’t resist keeping up the charade—being incognito is a novelty and a relief. He’ll have to tell her...eventually. But as Charlotte cheerfully undertakes to transform his life, Julian realizes there’s something about her that gives him what he hasn’t felt in years: hope.

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One More Moment

Samantha Chase

Excerpt

She relaxed against him and her breathing was starting to even out as he kissed her again and began to hum. The melody had been in his head all week—a ballad. For almost a year, Julian had blocked music from his mind. Long before the wedding. He’d been so consumed with what was happening in his personal life that it had been impossible to think of anything other than what was going on around him.

But now the music was back, demanding to be heard.

Back at the house he was selling sat a magnificent baby grand piano. If he were there right now, he’d be sitting at it and working through the song in his head.

Instead, he hummed softly. It was so loud and strong in his head that he was surprised Charlotte couldn’t hear it with him. When he was certain she was asleep, he slid from the bed and gently covered her with the blankets before putting on a pair of sweatpants and heading out to the living room.

Grabbing a notebook, he walked out onto the deck and breathed in the beach air. He sat down on one of the lounge chairs and began to write down as much as he could about what he was hearing—he wrote out the melody, made notes on how he would like to see it orchestrated, and then played around with some lyrics. Those were always the hardest for him, but when the four of them were together, the lyrics always seemed to come.

That was why Riley couldn’t write.

That was why Matt couldn’t perform.

They were a unit, and no matter how much Julian tried to convince himself it wouldn’t bother him to retire from music, he was finding it was a lie. He wanted to play. He wanted to write and create and record and perform for the fans.

There were so many obstacles to overcome, however. And although most of them were his own mental issues, it didn’t make it any easier to work through.

Tonight had left him feeling what he hadn’t felt in far too long. Mainly happiness and hope. Could he really keep that going? Keep the momentum and work toward getting back to that place where he had been when he was maybe twenty or twenty-five? That was when Shaughnessy was new and everything they did gave him a sense of accomplishment. Wouldn’t going back to that time be as counterproductive to him as focusing on the past five wasted years with Dena?

No. It took him less than a second to realize that. In one instance he was focusing on positive, where the other was purely negative.

Only…sometimes it wasn’t.

Tossing the notebook down, Julian leaned back in the chair and sighed. The reality was that in the beginning, things with Dena were good and the two of them were happy. At least…he was. With nothing but calmness around him and his mood better than it had in a while, he could look back on those years with more of an open mind.

Yes, some of the time together had been good, but he knew now the exact point when he should have walked away.

And it was certainly before he was standing at the front of a church for his own wedding.

Raking a hand through his hair, he stared up at the sky. It was cloudy and dark with not a star to be seen. How could he have been so blind for so long? How could he have given up so many years to something that left him feeling nothing but rage and emptiness? Because of his own stubbornness, he lost everything. Okay, not everything. He still had his friends, his health, and most of his finances—damn Dena for that payoff he’d made to get rid of her—but there was still a large part of himself that was missing.

“Julian?”

Charlotte’s soft voice called from behind him. He turned and saw her standing in the doorway wrapped in the afghan from the sofa. Holding out a hand, he silently beckoned her to him. She seemed to float like an ethereal vision toward him. When she was next to the lounge chair, he carefully guided her down until she was cradled in his arms.

“What are you doing awake?” he asked softly, combing the hair away from her face that was blowing in the ocean breeze.

She kissed his jaw. “I woke up and you weren’t there.”

Everything negative that he’d been thinking was gone. This woman—this amazing woman in his arms—was all he wanted to think of. He kissed her forehead. “My brain wouldn’t be quiet, so I came out here to write a bit and then I was enjoying the peacefulness of the night.”

“Mmm… It’s good isn’t it?” she asked. “That’s why you found me on the beach that night. Sometimes it just helps quiet my soul.”

He shifted to get them more comfortable and when the afghan slipped, he noticed she was naked beneath it. His eyes met hers and she gave him a shy yet mischievous grin. “Had I known what was going on underneath this blanket, I would have come back inside. You must be cold.”

But Charlotte shook her head. “Not when I’m near you. You always keep me warm.”

Holding her close, he felt so many emotions that he had no idea how to put them into words. Did she have any idea how the things she said made him feel? Affected him? Did she know that every day with her had him this much closer to falling in love with her?

And even saying it in his mind didn’t scare him.

Reaching up, he cupped her cheek and kissed her lips. They were soft kisses. Gentle kisses. Shy kisses. Charlotte was warm and sleepy in his arms and with nothing but the moonlight over them, she was beyond lovely.

Review: We're Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union

We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union

Published: October 17, 2017

Publisher: Dey Street Books

Format: audiobook via Overdrive

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

In this moving collection of thought-provoking essays infused with her unique wisdom and deep humor, Union uses that same fearlessness to tell astonishingly personal and true stories about power, color, gender, feminism, and fame. Union tackles a range of experiences, including bullying, beauty standards, and competition between women in Hollywood, growing up in white California suburbia and then spending summers with her black relatives in Nebraska, coping with crushes, puberty, and the divorce of her parents. Genuine and perceptive, Union bravely lays herself bare, uncovering a complex and courageous life of self-doubt and self-discovery with incredible poise and brutal honesty. Throughout, she compels us to be ethical and empathetic and reminds us of the importance of confidence, self-awareness, and the power of sharing truth, laughter, and support.

My Thoughts

I must admit I’m not the biggest fan of Gabrielle Union but when I saw this was available and heard good things about it I wanted to see how this was for myself and after I was done I had a new found respect for Gabrielle Union. I found this collection of essays enlightening and seeing her an in a whole new light. Seeing how she grew up and making a name for herself in the industry was inspiring. I also found some of the stories so funny that I was literally in tears, but it’s the ones where I found that she let us in those turned out to be the most touching ones. The stories that dealt with her family and especially when she tells us about being sexually assaulted those are the ones I felt I saw and understood the real Gabrielle. She always came across as guarded to me in a sense and reading about these stories I understood why. The fact that she let everything go in this book I felt she came across so strong. Regardless if you like her or not you will find out some interesting things about her and will definitely see her in an entirely new way. This is one read that is utterly so entertaining that you can't help but to fall in love with her.

Book Blitz: Counting On You by Laura Chapman

This is my stop during the book blitz for Counting on You by Laura Chapman. Read on for more information about this book and there's a US only giveaway. This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 27 August till 2 September. See the tour schedule here.

Counting on You (Amarillo Sour #1) By Laura Chapman
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 28 August 2018

Blurb

Is love worth the risk?

Math teacher Haleigh Parde has no desire to change her single status until she receives an invitation to her high school reunion. With her ex spreading rumors she needs a date and fast. Desperate times call for desperate measures and Haleigh finds herself meeting a blind date at a neighborhood bar called Amarillo Sour . . .

After watching Haleigh crash and burn, app developer Ian Henning makes her a proposition. If she'll provide honest feedback on his new dating app, he'll guarantee her a date to knock the socks off her former classmates. Even better, he—and the other Amarillo Sour regulars—will help her navigate the rocky road of dating.

Through setups ranging from awkward to absurd, Haleigh discovers her matchmaker might just be better than the matches. And Ian wonders if she's the answer to everything he's worked for professionally. Or is she something much, much more . . .

You can find Counting on You on Goodreads

You can buy Counting on You here:

- Amazon

- Barnes & Noble

- Kobo

- Google Play

- iTunes

About the Author
Laura Chapman is the author of sweet and sexy romantic comedies. A born and raised Nebraska girl, she loves watching football, traveling, crafting, and baking. When she isn’t writing her next story, she is probably working at a museum by day and binge-watching Netflix with her cats Jane and Bingley at night. So, basically, she’s living large.

You can find and contact Laura Chapman here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- Instagram
- Newsletter

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the book blitz of Counting on You. One winner will win an Amarillo Sour Starter Kit, that includes two shot glasses, two coasters, a bottle opener and pens with the bar’s logo on them plus a $10 Amazon card. U.S. Only.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

EXCERPT

She must be crazy. While she’d cut someone out of her life for calling her that, it was the only logical explanation Haleigh could come up with as she downloaded a beta copy of XO On Demand onto her phone.

Only the day before she’d been set up on her first blind date ever. Now, here she was, giving online dating a shot.

What a difference a day made.

She’d been completely serious about never considering online dating. She knew people who had tried it—and successfully. Not that she judged, but it seemed like such a direct and confrontational way to meet someone. By putting your profile out there, you were proclaiming to the world that you were on the prowl.

In another five minutes, she’d be one of those people. After she finished the setup and the survey Ian assured her would be fun, she’d have her first string of potential dates. Brought to her through the magic of technology.

All because she couldn’t stand the idea of her classmates judging her.

If she was one of her own students, she’d tell them it didn’t matter. That after high school, no one cared what people thought. And she’d be lying.

The download completed, and the app opened on her screen. She followed Ian’s directions to create her account. His play-by-play wasn’t entirely necessary. The directions were pretty self-explanatory, but he seemed eager to help. It eased her nerves. Some.

“This where it gets interesting.” Ian clicked a button, taking her to the next page. “Instead of having you answer fifty questions about who you are and what you want, we’ve created a quiz of sorts. Would you rather go camping or stay in a five-star hotel? Which breakfast looks most appetizing? What—”

“I’ve got it.” She flashed him a grin to soften her tone, but she needed to concentrate.

There were so many questions. None of them were too complicated or earth-shattering, but she had to choose correctly. Her future lineup of men depended on it.

Question One: Which of these dishes would you order right now?

She selected a basket of chicken strips with fries.

“That’s what I’d pick, too,” Ian said. “What do you use for dipping?”

“Honey mustard.”

“Barbecue.” He shook his head. “I knew there had to be something wrong with you.”

At least his teasing made this a little less nerve-racking. “You guys aren’t going to use these answers and sell my information to restaurants now, are you?”

“Of course not.” But he tapped his chin thoughtfully. “It isn’t a bad idea, though.”

Question Two: Where would you rather spend a Saturday afternoon?

She didn’t even have to consider this one. She picked “Binge-watching TV in my bed.”

“What’s your go-to show?”

“You heard that one last night,” she reminded him. “Doctor Who. But I’ve been known to do a Lord of the Rings or Star Wars marathon from time to time”

“Which episode is your favorite?”

“Five.” That’s what everyone always said. There was probably something about the bad knocking down the good at the end of the Empire Strikes Back that made a person seem deep. After Greg had explained that to her years ago, she’d made it her customary response.

Only when she was being totally honest, she’d admit she liked Return of the Jedi best. She loved those Ewoks.

Review: Intercepted by Alexa Martin

Intercepted [Playbook #1] by Alexa Martin

Expected Publication: September 11, 2018

Publisher: Berkley Books

Format: via E-arc

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Marlee thought she scored the man of her dreams only to be scorched by a bad breakup. But there's a new player on the horizon, and he's in a league of his own...

Marlee Harper is the perfect girlfriend. She's definitely had enough practice by dating her NFL-star boyfriend for the last ten years. But when she discovers he has been tackling other women on the sly, she vows to never date an athlete again. There's just one problem: Gavin Pope, the new hotshot quarterback and a fling from the past, has Marlee in his sights.

Gavin fights to show Marlee he's nothing like her ex. Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to let her escape her past. The team's wives, who never led the welcome wagon, are not happy with Marlee's return. They have only one thing on their minds: taking her down. But when the gossip makes Marlee public enemy number one, she worries about more than just her reputation.

Between their own fumbles and the wicked wives, it will take a Hail Mary for Marlee and Gavin's relationship to survive the season.

My Thoughts

Right now I’m in football mode so when I saw this debut by Alexa Martin had football in the storyline I knew I had to see what this was all about. Intercepted focuses on Marlee who has been dating Chris since high school and now is his biggest cheerleader since he made the NFL. However, when she finds out he has been cheating for who knows how long this was the last straw and decides to move on. Just as she declares she is done with athletes here comes Gavin Pope someone from her past she never thought she would see again.

During one of her breaks from Chris, Marlee spends one night with a mysterious stranger who blows her mind like no other. He was sexy and treated her so well but the next day he was gone and she never knew who he was and where to find him. So Marlee gets the biggest surprise of her life when she sees the newest quarterback on her ex’s team is no other than her one night stand…Gavin. When she and Chris break up Gavin is there like a knight in shining armor to help her pick up the pieces of her life but she is cautious she can't let some smooth talking hot guy make her weak in the knees. However no matter how hard she tries Gavin is someone she can't resist and soon everyone will be talking about her and how she is just jumping from athlete to athlete.

I loved the chemistry between Marlee and Gavin, talk about HOT! And yes while all that was so steamy I also loved how they balanced each other out. Marlee can be a hot head at times but Gavin was always there to tell and show her that he didn’t care what others thought or said, that he just truly loved her for her. He was so romantic and she needed someone like that in her life to show her she was appreciated. So towards the end of this read when Marlee must make a decision I was kind of upset but I also knew where she was coming from. She had to do what was right for her and she felt like she had to do what was right for herself for the first time in her life. I really enjoyed how this ended and I can't wait for the second book in the series, and as a super fan of football, I really loved how it was a character of sorts in the book. All in all, this was fun, sexy and a romantic read with lots of laughs in between, so if you want something with a lot of sass and sexiness look no further than Intercepted.

Review: Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

Published: September 4, 2018

Publisher: Gallery

Format: via Edelweiss

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take—and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter means she’ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She’s a good soul in search of honest fun.

Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met—when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes—to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.

Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them...right?

My Thoughts

There is just something nice and comforting when I read a really great rom-com book and this is my favorite one so far this year. Josh and Hazel meet in college under the most embarrassing way but it isn’t until years later that they become friends. Unknown to Hazel, Josh is her best friends brother and when they meet up again they soon become friends. After Josh breaks up with his cheating girlfriend Hazel decides that it is best that they try and hook each other up with dates and help each other out. These dates never end up well and Josh and Hazel just end up back together hanging out. 

We all know where is this going to end, it’s the most used toupe when it comes to books…friends that end up together in the end. However, I am not complaining because Josh and Hazel are so freakin’ adorable!! I loved everything about them and how they balanced each other out. You see Josh is so…perfect to say the least and Hazel is quirky and definitely moves to beat of her own drum, but they just work somehow. So when they finally get together I was so happy and cheering for them. I loved how Josh was so protected of her and how Hazel didn’t care what people thought of her, which I found so refreshing! So while I saw the outcome from a mile away I didn’t care because I loved seeing these two fall in love. Though I wish they would’ve admitted it to each other quicker, seeing them go from friends to lovers was so fun. This is definitely my favorite Christina Lauren book thus far it was fun, cute and utterly romantic if that is something you are looking for then look no further than this book.

Spotlight: Come Back to Me by Sharon Sala

Come Back to Me by Sharon Sala

Published: August 28, 2018

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Synopsis

Love always endures the test of time

After a devastating fire pitted their families against each other, high school sweethearts Phoebe Ritter and Aidan Payne were torn apart. Twenty years later, Aidan is called back to Blessings, nervous about confronting his painful past. And that’s BEFORE he knows about the nineteen-year-old secret Phoebe has been harboring all this time.

As Aidan tries to make up for lost time with the family he didn’t know he had, Phoebe and Aidan rediscover long-suppressed feelings. But the past won’t lie buried, and old enemies threaten to destroy the peace they’ve fought so hard to find.

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**GIVEAWAY** 

Enter to Win the first 3 books in the series

Excerpt  

Seeing the porch light on as she pulled up to the house was just like old times. He'd done that since he'd been old enough to stay home alone, and she'd missed it. She grabbed her things, ran up the steps, and let herself into the house.

"I'm home," she yelled.

"Me, too," he yelled back.

She laughed. Just like old times. She left her purse on a table as she hurried into the kitchen, and found Lee at the stove, heating up food.

He gave her a big hug.

"I waited for you," he said. "Go change and get comfy. I'll set the table while you're gone."

"Wonderful!" Phoebe said and hurried down the hall to her room.

She changed out of work clothes into a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt, and changed work shoes for sandals, washed up and hurried back to the kitchen.

"You cooked," she said, eyeing the table and the inviting food.

"I just added some baked beans and fries to the ribs and slaw. Sit, Mom. Let me wait on you tonight."

"I won't argue," Phoebe said and smiled at him when he brought glasses of sweet iced tea to the table, followed by the food.

After filling their plates, they began to talk as they ate.

"My grade point for the year is 4.0 and I was accepted into an accelerated Physics program next semester," Lee said.

Phoebe beamed. "Oh, Lee, congratulations. I'm so proud of you. I know you didn't get that from me."

Lee took a deep breath. "Did I get it from my father?"

Phoebe's smile slipped a little. The sorrow she lived with was once again, evident on her face.

"Yes. He was very smart."

Lee ate a few more bites, then took his phone from his pocket, pulled up the picture, and pushed it toward her.

Phoebe smiled. "A new girlfriend?"

He shook his head, then waited as she looked down.

Her fork clattered onto the table. She pressed a hand over her mouth, but it didn't muffle the moan.

He grabbed her arm. "Mom. Are you okay?"

"Where did you...oh my God. That's the store parking lot."

She looked up. "You took this today."

He nodded. "I saw him by accident. Wasn't for sure, so I took a picture, then came home and compared it to yours. He's older, but it's him, isn't it, Mom? That's my father."

She nodded, then started to cry.

Across town, Aidan was already asleep, more at ease in this old house in Blessings, than he was in his New Orleans home, sleeping with the best security system money could buy. But there was no way to control where sleep took him, or enough locks on a door to keep Phoebe out of his dreams.

****

He saw Phoebe running toward him. He'd been waiting for days and days for her to come but she had not. She'd been part of the people who'd shunned them and seeing her now, the pain in his heart hurt so much it was hard to draw breath.

"I'm sorry," she said.

He hardened his heart and turned away.

"Don't leave," she cried. "I'm sorry, so sorry."

He remembered how soft her lips were against his mouth, and how her body curled into his when they embraced and kept walking.

"Aidan, please," she begged.

He wanted to bury his face against her hair and cry, but he didn't, and then the dream hit fast-forward and they were driving away and she was running behind them, but this time she didn't stop. She was behind their car as they drove out of town. She was running right behind their car all the way to the interstate, and then all of a sudden she was gone. He turned around in the seat, searching for sight of her, but she had disappeared.

He was screaming at his Dad, "turn around, turn around. We can't leave Phoebe behind."