Uncategorized

Sunny Shelly’s Review: Reckless Memories, by Catherine Cowles

RM - BT banner.jpg

“Reader be warned: Catherine Cowles will steal your heart with this overflowing-with-feels second chance romance and you won’t ever want it back.”
– Karla Sorensen, author

Reckless Memories, an all-new beautiful and heartwarming not-to-be-missed friends-to-lovers romance from Catherine Cowles is available now!

Reckless Memories Cover (1)

I loved him before I knew what the word meant.
From skinned knees to first dates and everything in between.
But he was never mine to love.
I settled for friendship, even though I always wanted more.

That was before.

Before he ripped my world apart and didn’t bother sticking around to help me pick up the pieces.
I knit every last shred back together all on my own.
And I’ve all but forgotten his name.

Now, he’s back, and everything is torn apart once more.
But he’s not the only one doing the tearing this time.
And there might be no stopping the person who has it out for us both.

RM - AN

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QDwvo9
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/recklessmemories
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2QjXYw2
Nook: http://bit.ly/39vwkUl
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2QhJcpG

 

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2FdqQzB

Excerpt:

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I stood to pull it out. My brother’s name flashed on the screen, and I winced. My finger hovered for a count of three before I hit accept. “Hey, Hunter. What’s up?”

“You need to come home.”

My blood turned to ice. “Dad?” My voice grew hoarse on the single word. Memories of the call I’d gotten from my hysterical mother, telling me that my father had suffered a stroke, flooded me.

“He’s okay. The same. But I need you to help out at the bar.”

I eased back in the chair, my gut souring. “I can float the bar some money to hire more permanent help.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Ford? This is your family’s legacy. The Catch has been run by a Hardy for generations. We don’t need your fancy Hollywood money, we need you. Or are you too good for your family now, too?”

I gripped the arm of my chair, the sleek metal frame biting into my palm. “You know that’s not why I left.”

Hunter blew out a long breath. “You were never going to be able to avoid this place forever. Mom and Dad miss you, and I can’t keep covering for your ass.”

“I see Mom and Dad plenty.” It was true. I regularly flew them out to LA or some other place they’d been dying to visit, but I hadn’t set foot on the island in years. Shit, it had been over a decade now, eleven years. At first, my parents hadn’t minded. They’d understood. And they’d gotten a kick out of seeing new and exciting places. But over the years, I’d seen the sadness, the disappointment.

“They need their sons. Both of us. I’ve been trying to run the bar and my construction business at the same time, and I just can’t do it anymore. They’re both suffering. It’s time for you to step up.”

A vise tightened around my rib cage. “I can’t.”

Hunter was silent for a few moments. “If you don’t come home, we’re going to have to sell.”

His words seemed to slice at my chest. I hadn’t seen the bar in what felt like forever, but somehow, the idea of losing it, letting go of something else that felt like it was a part of me, was more than I could take. “Okay.”

“Okay?” There was shock in my brother’s voice. Maybe he’d expected me to tell them to sell, but I couldn’t. Because he was right. The Catch was our family’s legacy. I wasn’t going to let them down because I couldn’t deal with the ghosts of my past.

“Yeah, okay. I need a couple of days to close up shop here and get a manager in place at my LA bars. But I’ll be there soon.”

Hunter cleared his throat. “Thanks, man.”

The words seemed to be dragged out of him. And didn’t that make me feel like an asshole? When had things gotten so strained with my brother that thanking me was akin to pulling teeth? “Thank you for all you’ve been doing. I’m sorry I haven’t been pulling my weight.”

“You covered all the medical bills, that helped a lot.”

I heard the unspoken words, “but you haven’t been here.” God, I was a selfish prick. Sure, I’d spent a month in Seattle with my parents when my dad was in the hospital and then a rehab clinic, but as soon as they’d returned to the island, I’d run straight back to LA like the coward I was. I couldn’t pull that this time. I’d just have to hope that I could get the bar back on its feet quickly.

“I won’t leave the hands-on stuff to you anymore, Hunt.” I’d get the pieces we needed in place before I came back to LA so there wasn’t such a heavy load on my brother’s shoulders.

“It’d be a nice change,” he grumbled.

Shit. I had a lot to make up for with my brother. “I’ll see you in a few days.”

“In a few days.”

Hunter hung up without a goodbye, and I let my phone clatter to my desk. A few days. Seventy-two hours to wrap up my life in LA. Four thousand, three hundred, and twenty minutes before I had to face a daily reminder of the cruelest truth. I’d killed the one person I should’ve protected above all others.

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

Reckless Memories is a killer start to a new series by Catherine Cowles. It’s full of angst, hurt, insecruity, guilt, and most importantly, healing.

Eleven years ago, Isabell and Ford survived a car accident that killed her sister/his girlfriend, Violet. Not only was Bell left physically scarred, but emotionally scarred as well. And she felt abandoned by Ford, who felt so guilty about driving the car that rainy night that he left town. When Ford’s brother calls him home to help save the family restaurant (which Bell now manages), both of them are forced to face the ghosts of their past while trying to rebuild their friendship with a clean slate.

While Bell has always been in love with Ford, she now feels incredibly guilty for the feelings she has for her dead sister’s boyfriend. And the more time he spends with a grown-up Bell, the more Ford realizes that she knew him even better than Violet did, and he reflects on all of their teenage experiences with a different perspective.

It takes a long time for Bell to get over the hurt she feels by Ford’s disappearance in her life. And when Ford admits that he feels the same way for her, is a romantic relationship worth the scrutiny of the small-town gossip mill? Will she always feel like she’s in her sister’s shadow? Is Ford with Bell because he really wants to be with her, or out of care and concern?

I really liked the way Catherine Cowles wrote the perspective of both characters, and how Bell’s manipulative parents played a huge part in the breakdown of their friendship. There’s also a bit of a mystery involved as Bell keeps receiving “presents” and reminders of her late sister, and the twist of who the attacker actually was blew me away.

In the end, Reckless Memories was a book that broke my heart in so many ways, but it is also so full of hope as Bell and Ford carve out their own path to happiness. I loved getting to know the rest of the gang, and can’t wait to see what comes next for this crew in the rest of the series.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

About Catherine

 

CC Author Photo med res (1)

Writer of words. Drinker of Diet Cokes. Lover of all things cute and furry, especially her dog. Catherine has had her nose in a book since the time she could read and finally decided to write down some of her own stories. When she’s not writing she can be found exploring her home state of Oregon, listening to true crime podcasts, or searching for her next book boyfriend.

Connect with Catherine

 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2IEQXSw
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2Lc4mU0
Twitter: https://twitter.com/catherinecowles
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2RFY7Jv
Instagram: http://bit.ly/31TE3rJ
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2xdUZLn
BookBub: http://bit.ly/2J3dWWF
Website: https://www.catherinecowles.com/
Stay up to date with Catherine by joining her mail list:
http://bit.ly/2JZE0DH

 

Uncategorized

Sunny Shelly’s Review: That’s The Way I Loved You, by Carrie Aarons

Release Banner

That’s The Way I Loved You by Carrie Aarons is AVAILABLE NOW!

Savannah

This town ain’t big enough for the two of us.
Which is why I left.

I was determined never to return to Hale, Texas. But when my new life in the Big Apple throws me a curve ball, I have to go back to tie up loose ends. One of those being him.

Jason Whitney was my first everything. Kiss, love, epic heartbreak. He shattered my world once upon a time, and apparently, he’s not done yet.

With old demons lurking around every corner, hightailing it out of my hometown is at the top of my list. Complete my unfinished business, and I get to leave any memory of my country existence behind.

Only, with each day I spend in it, with each moment I spend with him, I’m turning back into the girl who laid in the tall grass and swam in the creek all those years ago.

And I’m not sure that who I was is ready to let me go again.

Jason

We drew a line down the middle, and neither of us has crossed it.
That is, until Savannah Reese blew back into our hometown.

The day my high school sweetheart left, she took my whole heart with her. We promised each other forever, made plans that only teenagers could believe in, and crashed and burned on the grandest of scales.

When Savannah last saw me, I was a disgraced high school athlete. All washed up, I took it out on the only person who loved me. Then her world really fell apart, and I was too selfish to care.

Now she’s back, ready to sell the only remaining thing tying us to each other. I’ve been breaking my back for the last ten years not to think about her, not to be reminded of the love we shared.

But now that she’s right here, it’s impossible to forget how we used to be. Or let go of what we still are.

Beautiful couple spend time in a summer park

Check out all of the graphics in this folder! bit.ly/TTWILYgraphics

  • Book Links

One-click That’s the Way I Loved You now! mybook.to/ThatstheWayILovedYou

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars


I love that Carrie Aarons was inspired by one of my favorite movies, Sweet Home Alabama, when it came to writing Jason and Savannah’s story in That’s The Way I Loved You. If you are a fan of the movie, you can clearly see the correlations, but it’s full of Carrie Aarons goodness.

After her life in small-town Texas imploded, Savannah took off for New York City and never looked back. Leaving behind her family and her boyfriend, she built a new life for herself and compartmentalized all the hurt and grief and sadness. Ten years later, Savannah and her businessman beau are looking to buy a swanky Manhattan apartment — but she’s got a black mark on her credit since Jason never sold the tiny cabin they’d bought together.

When she heads back home to Texas to settle things up with Jason, Savannah is forced to face all that she ran from. Her siblings have kids she doesn’t even know. Her old friends have lived lives she knows nothing about. Jason is nothing like the man she left behind who was grieving a career-ending injury. And as much as Savannah wanted distance between herself and all of that, she can’t help but feel a sense of peace in visiting her roots.

I loved the tension between Jason and Savannah when she first arrives back in town. I love that he’s still been in love with her all of this time, and even her family is rooting for them to get back together. CA does a great job of exploring a new relationship between who these characters are now.

That’s The Way I Loved You, from start to finish, was perfection. Jason never gave up on Savannah being his soul mate, and little by little, showed her how they still belong together. There were a few kisses that they share before she eventually ends things with Perry, but it was so clear to me that Jason was the one she belonged with.

That’s The Way I Loved You is full of swoony, sweet moments. It’s a heartfelt second-chance romance that you will keep coming back to! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

 

Beautiful couple spend time in a summer park

 

Author of romance novels such as The Tenth Girl and Privileged, Carrie Aarons writes books that are just as swoon-worthy as they are sarcastic. A former journalist, she prefers the love stories of her imagination, and the athleisure dress code, much better.

When she isn’t writing, Carrie is busy binging reality TV, having a love/hate relationship with cardio, and trying not to burn dinner. She’s a Jersey girl living in Texas with her husband, daughter and furry son.

 

Author Links

Visit Carrie’s website: authorcarrieaarons.com
Sign up for Carrie’s Newsletter: bit.ly/2LzzxXA
Check out Carrie’s books on Amazon: amzn.to/2Pn3XkR
Like Carrie’s Facebook page: facebook.com/carrieaarons
Join Carrie’s Reader Group: bit.ly/2DDt1xX
Follow Carrie on Instagram: instagram.com/authorcarriea
Follow Carrie on Twitter: twitter.com/authorcarriea
Follow Carrie on BookBub: bookbub.com/profile/carrie-aarons
Follow Carrie on Goodreads: goodreads.com/carrieaarons

Uncategorized

Sunny Shelly’s Review: Dare To Resist, by Carly Phillips

Release Date: 5/12


He’s about to find a baby on his doorstep … and his assistant in his bed. 

 

Austin Prescott is a lot of things. Ex football player. Sports agent. And as of this morning? Father. Finding a baby on his doorstep should have been a joke but the pink sticky note and baby carrier she came in is deadly serious.

 

 

 

What’s an out of his depth bachelor to do? Call his tempting and beyond gorgeous executive assistant and beg her to move in.
 

 

Quinnlyn Stone agrees to help Austin until he can straighten out his messy life. It’s just another item on her very long To-Do list. It’s absolutely not because she’s attracted to her very single and extremely handsome boss.

 

 

 

Close quarters. A baby. Undeniable chemistry. What could possibly go wrong?

 

 

 

Grab Your Copy Here:

Kindle | Apple | Nook | Kobo | Google Play | Paperback

 

 

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

He’s a former football pro turned sports agent. She’s his sexy assistant. Aside from one kiss that they never spoke about, Austin and Quinn have kept their relationship strictly professional…. until a baby arrives on his doorstep and he calls Quinn for help. As she steps into the role of pseudo-nanny for baby Jenny, Austin and Quinn find themselves playing house… and feeling a lot like a family. She’s never wanted kids of her own, but is this hot single dad too much to resist?

This book was a binge read for me; I read it in an afternoon. Austin and Quinn are likable and relatable as characters, and they way they kind of fall into a relationship of convenience was organic.

I’m not a fan of third-person dual POV because I find it hard to keep track of whose side I’m reading, but that seems to be Carly Phillips’ writing style. Aside from that personal preference, I enjoyed this story very much. Austin and Quinn sizzled when they needed to, were sweet when they needed to be, and fell in love while falling in love with sweet baby Jenny.

Dare To Resist is the first book in another spinoff series of Carly Phillips’ popular OG Dare series. I have never read any of those books, but Austin is apparently the biological kid of Paul Dare and is the cousin of Ian Dare and others. There are some appearances of Dare family members, which are nice winks for CP’s fans. And since Austin and his sister work at the Dare Nation sports agency where his pro athlete brothers are clients, I imagine these siblings are the focus of this Dare Nation series.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet Carly Phillips

NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller, Carly Phillips gives her readers Alphalicious heroes to swoon for and romance to set your heart on fire. 
 
She married her college sweetheart and lives in Purchase, NY along with her three crazy dogs: two wheaten terriers and a mutant Havanese, who are featured on her Facebook and Instagram. 
 
The author of 50 romance novels, she has raised two incredible daughters who put up with having a mom as a full time writer. 
 
Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa as a romance club pick and was the first romance on a nationally televised bookclub. 
Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers. 
 
Want to keep up with Carly? Sign up for her newsletter (below) and receive TWO FREE books at www.carlyphillips.com.

 

Connect with Carly Phillips
 
Hosted By:

 

Uncategorized

Sunny Shelly’s Review: The Rival Roomies, by Piper Rayne

Release Date: May 12

I’ve loved him from afar.
 
Though most times he’s only a foot away. 
I’m smart enough to know he’ll never be anyone’s forever.
He checks all the bad boy boxes. 
Tattoos. Check. 
Motorcycle. Check. 
Chip on his shoulder. Check check.
If he wasn’t my neighbor and friend I may have thrown myself at him. Okay, yeah. I wouldn’t. Because guys like Dylan don’t want a woman who writes kid’s math textbooks under him in bed. Instead, I pathetically savor morsels of moments where I have his sole attention.  

 

That was until his archenemy moved in with me. Now suddenly, Dylan’s moving in too and warning off the first guy in a long time who’s showing me interest. Could he finally see me as more than a friend, or am I just a prize to win and show off to his enemy?


Grab Your Copy Here:

 

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU  

Amazon DE | Apple | Nook | Kobo | Google Play

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Meet Piper Rayne: 

Piper Rayne, or Piper and Rayne, whichever you prefer because we’re not one author, we’re two. Yep, you get two USA Today Bestselling authors for the price of one. Our goal is to bring you romance stories that have “Heartwarming Humor With a Side of Sizzle” (okay…you caught us, that’s our tagline). 



A little about us…. We both have kindle’s full of one-clickable books. We’re both married to husbands who drive us to drink. We’re both chauffeurs to our kids. Most of all, we love hot heroes and quirky heroines that make us laugh, and we hope you do, too.



Connect with Piper Rayne:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | BookBub | Goodreads 



Join our newsletter & get 2 FREE BOOKS!



Be one of our Unicorns!

 
 
 
Hosted By:

 

Uncategorized

Sunny Shelly’s Review: Crazy Beautiful, by Jessica Prince

Title: Crazy Beautiful
Author: Jessica Prince
Series: Redemption
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Our marriage was only supposed to be a business transaction…
Until I went and fell for my wife.

 

Their marriage was nothing more than a business transaction. Or at least that was what they told themselves.

Poppy Weston had been burned enough times by undeserving men to know her heart was best left under lock and key. She was content with her life, even with the lack of romance. Then Jase Hyland walked into Redbud Inn and offered her something she couldn’t refuse. In return, all she had to do was marry him.

Jase had seen firsthand the kind of damage relationships caused, and he wanted nothing to do with it. He’d been taught from a young age that the only things that should matter to a man were wealth and power. However, all it took was a series of events to lead him down a path he never expected to travel.

It was supposed to be simple. No feelings, no emotions, just two friends entering into a mutually beneficial arrangement.

He thought he had it all figured out . . . until he went and fell for his wife.

 

**The Redemption series is a series of interconnected, standalone, small town romances.**

Goodreads

Read for #free with #KindleUnlimited

Amazon US | Amazon Worldwide

 

 

Quiet rained down on the dimly lit back porch, oppressive and thick with the tension I’d unwittingly walked into.

I’d never done well with awkward silences. I had the nasty habit of rambling in an effort to fill the void any time I found myself in that situation. That compulsion came over me then, spurred on even more by the fact that any time I was in Jase Hyland’s orbit, I turned into a flustered, bumbling disaster.

“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t lurking, I swear. I honestly didn’t know you guys were out here. Then when I did, I wasn’t sure what to do. I kind of froze.”

The sigh he released before bringing the tumbler in his hands to his full, pouty lips and sucking back some of the amber liquid inside sounded like it carried the weight of the world.

“It’s all right, sweetheart. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

I began to fidget in place, shifting from foot to foot and wringing my fingers together in front of me as the full force of his attention hit me like a wrecking ball.

My heart was at risk of doing a Kool-Aid Man impersonation and busting through my chest at any second.

Even with half of his features still shrouded in darkness, I knew exactly what he looked like. I’d spent enough time watching him during his visits to see his sister that I’d managed to memorize every sinful inch of him. And yes, I realized that made me sound like a psycho creeper. But I couldn’t help myself.

His well-trimmed brown hair had just enough product in it to keep it from flopping over his forehead but wasn’t overly styled. By this time of night, there was bound to be a five-o’clock shadow dusted across a strong, square jawline. The bridge of his nose had a tiny bump, making it slightly imperfect, but still attractive on such a handsome face, and his sharp cheekbones made him look almost regal. He was like a slightly scruffed-up Chris Evans. In other words, gorgeous.

He wasn’t like any of the men I’d grown up around. Redemption, Tennessee had its fair share of attractive guys, believe me. But this man was different. Where the men in my town lived in T-shirts, jeans, and flannel, Jase was well-groomed, usually in slacks and a button-down.

From my vantage point, I could see that his shirt was opened casually at the collar, and the cuffs of his sleeves had been rolled up to expose solid, veined forearms. Arm porn at its finest. The shirt was fine quality, tailored to fit his broad shoulders and thick biceps perfectly.

As usual, his look screamed money, but not in a flashy way that said he was trying to show off. It was how he carried himself. His calm, cool confidence gave off that impression.

God, he’s gorgeous, I thought, as I continued staring, unable to pull my attention away from his perfect, masculine features. I’d never been so thankful for dim lighting. It was the only thing hiding the insane blush that burned through my cheeks and chest—just one of the curses of being a redhead. “I’ll just, uh . . .” I trailed off pathetically, hooking my thumb over my shoulder and taking a step back.

“No, stay.”

Two little words from his gorgeous mouth, and I felt the need to fan myself. Clenching my fists to keep from doing that, I took hesitant steps in his direction, bracing my hands on the railing around the porch once I finally reached his side.

I didn’t have the first clue what he and Bennett had been arguing about, but I couldn’t stand to see the blank, stoic look on a face that was normally so happy. I arched a playful brow and stated, “You look like you’re about two seconds away from making a run for it.”

His head twisted toward me, one corner of his mouth kicking up in a smirk that made my belly flutter like a million hummingbirds had taken flight. Those golden-brown eyes, lined with long, dark lashes, danced with humor in the pale glow of the porch light. “You wouldn’t be too far off the mark, Flower.”

My heart did an Olympic gymnast-style flip at the name he’d christened me with on his very first visit to Redemption. Said in that husky voice of his, I nearly melted into a puddle of goo right then and there.

I twisted to face him full on and sucked in a dramatic gasp. “And risk the wrath of Farah? She’d murder you so dead.”

His smile was still there, but for the first time that night, I noticed just how tired he looked. There were faint purple smudges beneath his eyes. The scruff on his jaw was longer than I’d expected it to be, his hair unrulier.

Don’t get me wrong, he was still hotter than a damn forest fire, but it was evident in the lines on his sexy face that something was weighing on him.

“Hey,” I started, lowering my voice. “You all right?”

He downed more of his drink, bourbon, judging by the smell of it, and used that time to school his features and paste a carefree expression on before responding. “I’m good, Pop.”

With how often Jase had come to town to visit Bennett and his sister, staying at the inn most of those times, I’d gotten to know him well enough to consider us casual friends. More than acquaintances, but not besties by any stretch of the imagination. Still, I cared that something was plaguing him.

“You know, it’s none of my business if you don’t want to talk, and I’m certainly not gonna push, but if you ever need someone to listen, Jase, I’m never more than a phone call away.”

His glass came down on the iron banister with a clank. The intensity in his gaze as he stared down at me—like he was seeing something deep inside me at that very moment, something I didn’t understand— stole my breath and caused my lungs to deflate.

“You’re something else, Poppy. You know that?”

My blush grew so furious I thought I might actually catch fire at any second. “I’m just me,” I said quietly, looking up at him through the fan of my lashes. “Nothing special.”

His voice took on an even huskier timbre as he said, “That’s where you’re wrong, Flower. So very wrong.”

With that, he downed the last of his bourbon, placed the glass on the railing, and shocked the hell out of me by leaning down and placing a kiss on my forehead. “And I’ll keep your offer in mind.” Then he turned and headed back into the house, leaving me reeling.

 

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

I love Jessica Prince’s small-town Redemption series! Crazy Beautiful is book #2, and it is the story of big-city exec Jase (Farah’s brother from Bad Alibi) and small-town inn owner Poppy.

Ever since his little sister settled down in Tennessee, Jase has been spending more and more time in the small town. He hates everything about his big-city life, the pull his father still has over him when it comes to the family business, and how empty and shallow his life feels. After usurping his dad from the seat of power at Hyland Steel, Jase is forced to get married or lose the CEO position to his slimy cousin. With the way he grew up — parents who barely tolerated one another and saw their kids as accessories — Jase has never wanted a committed relationship. But when he’s forced to take a wife, sweet, sexy, sassy Poppy is the perfect business partner. Her inn is falling apart, so Jase’s payment for the repairs benefits them both.

Of course, along the way, lines get blurred and feelings develop, as they always do, and before either of them know what happens, none of it is fake anymore. Their chemistry is amazing, their relationship evolves nicely and I fell for them as a couple as they were falling in love with each other.

Jase has always been his little sister’s protector, and now he feels the same sense of protection for his fake wife. So when his parents threaten to destroy Poppy’s life, Jase will do whatever he can to protect his precious Flower.

Once again, Jessica Prince delivers a fantastic small-town romance with all the feels, great characters, and a dash of trouble. Jase plays hero in the most amazing way when Poppy is in trouble. I loved catching up with Farah and Cannon, and getting the little morsels about Shane’s relationship (which I hope will be the next book!). There were even some appearances from JP’s Hope Valley characters, which I loved!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

 

Read for #free with #KindleUnlimited
Amazon US | Amazon Worldwide

 

Born and raised around Houston Texas, Jessica spent most of her life complaining about the heat, humidity, and all around pain in the ass weather. It was only as an adult that she quickly realized the cost of living in Houston made up for not being able to breathe when she stepped outside. That’s why God created central air, after all.

Jessica is the mother of a perfect little boy–she refuses to accept that he inherited her attitude and sarcastic nature no matter what her husband says.

In addition to being a wife and mom, she’s also a wino, a coffee addict, and an avid lover of all types of books–romances still being her all time favs. Her husband likes to claim that reading is her obsession but she just says it’s a passion…there’s a difference. Not that she’d expect a boy to understand.

Jessica has been writing since she was a little girl, but thankfully grew out of drawing her own pictures for her stories before ever publishing her first book. Because an artist she is not.

Facebook | Website | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads

Sign up for Jessica’s Newsletter

Hosted By LAWF profile

 

Uncategorized

Sunny Shelly’s Review: Love Under Quarantine, by Kylie Scott & Audrey Carlan

LUQ - BT banner copy.jpg


Love Under Quarantine, an all-new feel good strangers-to-lovers romance about finding love in the most unexpected ways from
New York Times bestselling authors Kylie Scott and Audrey Carlan, is out now!

 

thumbnail_LUQuarantine_eBook_HighRes

While the world is ravaged by a global pandemic, hotshot NFL running back Evan Sparks is locked in his own personal hell. With a career-ending scandal on his back, Evan hides out in his best friend’s empty San Francisco home, the full city shutdown locking him in a lonely twenty-story apartment in the sky.

Romance writer Sadie Walsh is having the worst case of writer’s block ever…until the incredible, muscular stranger staying next door gets her muse going strong. The pair of loners, never expecting to find a friend in all the madness, meet each day out on their balconies like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet.

Each new day brings unique challenges for the pair as they navigate the unknown and find solace together. They quickly figure out that as long as they have one another, they can handle anything.

Even falling in love under quarantine.

***

Writing together for the first time, New York Times bestselling authors Kylie Scott and Audrey Carlan team up to tell a story that not only is a beautiful escape during a trying time, but a true lesson on the power of humanity’s ability to survive. Through a sexy, hopeful, strangers-to-lovers romance, the authors prove with love, trust, and faith, we can conquer anything.

LUQ - AN

Download your copy today or read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2xb7wmo
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/loveunderquarantine

 

Excerpt

SADIE

Okay, reposition feet hip-distance apart and centered on the mat. Inhale and let it all go on the exhale. I look over the balcony across the barren city and try to find perspective. What did the teacher say? Set your intention? My intention is to maintain a modicum of good health and to not go insane during self-isolation. Fingers crossed on both fronts. Getting some work done wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

“They locked down the fucking city, man!” The voice blocks me from finding my zen spot. Some big blond dude is pacing back and forth in the neighboring apartment. Guess we’ve all got to get our exercise one way or another. A nice quiet doctor owns the place, but he’s overseas right now. No idea who this guy is. The new cat sitter, maybe? If so, I hope Gloria housetrains him quickly because all of this shouty behavior is not okay. Not if I have to share a wall with him for the next few weeks.

My new neighbor’s voice lowers to a more tolerable level and I take a deep, calming breath before moving into my next pose. Much better. Despite having questionable balance and being new to this whole yoga thing, I’m not doing too badly. It’s weird how quiet the city is with everything on lockdown. Peaceful, almost.

“Two weeks! I’ll be stuck here for two weeks!” he rants once more.

Ugh.

Due to the architect’s penchant for floor to ceiling windows—perfect for letting in the light—I have quite the view of my new neighbor’s performance. Much angst. Such woe. Like we’re not all going to go stir crazy during lock in. Even if it has only just started. I for one can’t wait to see how many divorces and break-ups this causes. Call it morbid curiosity. Though, being a romance writer, my mind would be better served dwelling on the possibilities for true love in this situation.

A random casual hook-up turning into so much more due to weeks of forced interaction? Roommates bonding over newly revealed shared interests? Nuh. Roommates entering into a sex pact to stave off boredom! Now that could work. Broken beds and broken hearts. That’s how to get things done. With the requisite happy ever after at the end, of course.

“Excuse me!” he shouts, shoving a frustrated hand through his head of thick, wavy, dark blond hair. New phone call, I think. After all, you can’t yell at the same person all day long. How tedious would that be?

Call me distractible, but watching him is actually a hell of a lot more interesting than perfecting my Downward Dog or doing yet another inventory of my pantry. Damn Oreos. I could have sworn I had another package. Day one and I’m already out of my favorite snack. Just bring on the apocalypse already. Without Oreos my life is already functionally over.

“Are you kidding me!” The man sure has a set of lungs on him. Unfortunately, at this point, he about-faces and strides back into the apartment. Still yelling, of course, though I can’t quite make out what he’s saying.

On the plus side, in those blue jeans, his ass is a thing of wonder. Honest to God. In less pandemic-y times, I’d charge my friends a bottle of wine to come over and witness the beauty of that thing. So tight. So nice. I lick my lips. Impressively broad shoulders beneath his T-shirt too. When he paces back to the front of the apartment, I’m presented with a strong jawline, high forehead, and a nose that could be slightly crooked. At least, it will be in the book. Readers dig that shit. The hint of a complicated past with a dash of violence thrown in for good measure. Ideally, he’d have broken it defending a small child or rescuing puppies. A combination of the two, perhaps?

Yes, it’s a definite. Apart from the anger management issues, this guy is officially hot stuff. Not that I’m after an actual love interest. Just inspiration for the hero of my next book.

Which is when it hits me…big buff dude reveals surprisingly sensitive side to sexy single introverted neighbor during quarantine. Hmm. It has possibilities. I stop procrastinating and move onto the next pose, arms out in a T, legs wide, and a slow bend at the waist. I exhale, pondering the plot idea along with the thickness of his thighs. The way the denim lovingly embraces every inch of his musculature. It’s like it’s on a loop playing over and over in my head. Okay, maybe I’m a little sex starved. He can feature in my masturbatory fantasies as well. After all, he’s that kind of can-do, helpful guy. Or at least, he is in my mind. And that’s where the man will stay. At a safe and appropriate distance. For both the virus and my heart.

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

With all the madness that is going on in the world right now, this collab between Audrey Carlan and Kylie Scott was a fantastic escape!

As the coronavirus pandemic hits San Francisco, football star Evan pet sits in his buddy’s apartment, hiding out amidst a steroid scandal that is threatening to ruin his career. Living next door is romance writer Sadie, who has hit a bit of a slump. But when the hot guy next door gives her a new book idea, Sadie hits romance gold as she fictionalizes their own flirty banter.

Day by day, these neighbors grow closer through balcony yoga, healthy smoothies, and video chats. Their relationship exists in a bubble due to quarantine, but it forces Sadie and Evan to get to know one another on a deeply personal level. So by the time they agree that enough time has passed that they can quarantine together, they are already madly in love with one another.

But once the real world infiltrates their bubble, will the words she’s written and the drama surrounding his scandal rip them apart?

This story was fantastic! I fell hard for Sadie and Evan. Their romance was sweet and sexy, and I could relate so well to them as characters. I love how they fell in love under quarantine — and joked that it’s a book nobody would want to read.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet the Authors

About Kylie Scott

Author-Kylie-Scott


Kylie is a
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013, 2014 & 2018, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet.

Connect with Kylie

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XujcZh
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2GngiQq
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2OiXx3I
Twitter: http://bit.ly/391pjJM
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2EUrx11
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2Imusk3
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2S7cc32
Book+Main Bites: http://bit.ly/2ETz5RQ
Stay up to date with Kylie by joining her mailing list:
http://bit.ly/2TOOivT
Website: https://kyliescott.com/

About Audrey Carlan

image-asset

Audrey Carlan is a #1 New York Times and International bestselling author. Her titles have appeared on USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. Audrey writes wicked hot love stories that have been translated in over thirty different languages across the globe. She is best known for the world-wide bestselling series Calendar Girl and Trinity.

She lives in the California Valley where she enjoys her two children and the love of her life. When she’s not writing, you can find her teaching yoga, sipping wine with her “soul sisters,” or with her nose stuck in a steamy romance novel.

 

Connect with Audrey
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2V0qWSS
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2V0zr0j
Bookbub: https://bit.ly/2x2rwaK
Instagram: https://bit.ly/39DdB8g
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2R9cIxM
Stay up to date with Audrey by joining her mailing list: https://bit.ly/2V050Y1
Website: https://audreycarlan.com/

 

 

Uncategorized

Sunny Shelly’s Review: Harvest Of Sighs, by Sierra Simone

 

HARVEST OF SIGHS (Thornchapel #3) by Sierra Simone
Release Date: May 1st

 

Add to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44451017-harvest-of-sighs

 

 

AVAILABLE NOW!
Amazon: sierrasim.one/kindlesighs
Amazon Universal: mybook.to/harvestofsighs
Apple Books: sierrasim.one/applesighs
Nook: sierrasim.one/nooksighs
Kobo: sierrasim.one/kobosighs

 

 

START THE SERIES TODAY WITH
A LESSON IN THORNS (Thornchapel #1)
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2OgiJGp
Amazon INTL: mybook.to/ALIT
B&N: http://bit.ly/2UO1VsN
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2HJxKiI

 

FEAST OF SPARKS (Thornchapel #2)
Amazon US: http://mybook.to/feastofsparks
Amazon INTL: http://mybook.to/feastofsparks
Apple Books: https://sierrasim.one/iSparks
Nook: sierrasim.one/NookSparks
Kobo: sierrasim.one/KoboSparks

 

 

Blurb:
The genius and the sunshine girl. As children, we fought bitterly and often, bickering every chance we got.

But then we grew up.
Then we came back.

Delphine Dansey carries her heart on the outside of her body; she’s looking for love and chasing dreams. She’s spoiled and selfish, the kind of beautiful that’s made for money and fame. But somehow she’s ended up in my keeping: a pretty submissive I can’t seem to resist, a lover who obsesses and tempts me.

I thought I’d locked my heart away a long time ago, along with all my other weaknesses. But some doors won’t stay closed, no matter how hard I fight to keep them shut. She unravels me, just like our friends are unraveling, just like Thornchapel itself is unraveling.

All year long, we’ve been sowing lust and jealousy and pain, heedless of the consequences. But a harvest is inevitable, and so now we must reap our sorrows.

And our sighs.

*Harvest of Sighs is Book Three in the Thornchapel series.*

 

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

Without giving anything away… Harvest Of Sighs is just as decadently twisted as the previous two books in Sierra Simone’s Thornchapel series.

Harvest Of Sighs primarily focuses on the evolution of the Domme/Sub relationship between Delphine and Rebecca — but the whole crew is involved as the secrets and lies and twists and turns unfold after the way book 2 ended. There is a lot to digest in this book when it comes to the history of Thornchapel and how that ties into the modern-day relationships between Auden, Poe, Saint, Rebecca, Delphine and Beckett.

As with the previous two, there is a major twist in the ending, paving the way for the conclusion of this series with Door Of Bruises. Honestly, I can’t wait to binge-read this series in one sitting, because the time lapse between the releases of the books is killing me!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

About the Author:
Sierra Simone is a USA Today Bestselling former librarian (who spent too much time reading romance novels at the information desk.) She lives with her husband and family in Kansas City.

Connect w/Sierra Simone:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sierra-Simone-497450453680395/?fref=ts
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SierraSimonesLambs
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSierraSimone
Amazon : http://amzn.to/1PDR4K4
Goodreads : http://bit.ly/1oo9WEh
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/thesierrasimone/
Website: http://authorsierrasimone.com/

Subscribe to Sierra’s newsletter:
sierrasim.one/getmyemails

 

Uncategorized

Sunny Shelly’s Review: Like You Care, by Kaydence Snow

🔥🔥 NEW RELEASE 🔥🔥

Like You Care by Kaydence Snow is LIVE and FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

“Gripping is an understatement when it comes to this book. From start to finish this book is an emotional roller coaster that keeps you captivated. I ugly cried, I raged, I cheered so freaking hard for both Mena and Turner it’s not even funny.” ~Saucy Southern Readers Blog

I am nothing.

Nobody.

I’d rather be invisible than deal with what happens on the days my classmates decide to acknowledge my existence.

But then Turner Hall shows up – all cool confidence and witty banter – and all of a sudden I don’t want to be invisible any more. I want to be seen.

I want him to see me.

I’m not who he thinks I am but I’m starting to suspect he’s not all he says he is either.

Just my luck that he starts to make friends with my tormentors. How am I supposed to tell him who I really am? How am I supposed to show him my true face? What if the boy I’m falling in love with decides I’m nothing too?

★ ★ START READING TODAY!★ ★

Amazon: https://geni.us/likeyoucare

Goodreads: bit.ly/LYC-GR

 

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

I first read Like You Care as part of the Bully Me charity anthology, and I was hooked on Turner and Mena’s sweet romance. So I was anxious to jump into the full novel and see what happens where the novella left off!

From opposite sides of their apartment balcony, these two high school seniors got to know one another in the purest of ways: by talking. Mena is definitely at an advantage as she’s figured out who Turner is amongst her high school classmates — but he is clueless that the girl next door is actually Phil/Philamena, the girl with the birthmark on her face who is the target of the cool kids’ bullying at school.

When Mena’s hand is forced by the mean girls and Turner figures out who she actually is, my heart broke for her. I was glad to see her stand up for herself and rip into Turner for standing by silently. And when the bullying reaches an awful, horrible climax, Turner redeems himself by being Mena’s white knight coming to her rescue. (Seriously, teenage girls suck.)

There’s an interesting subplot with Turner’s family going on, and I’m curious to see if that will continue to play out in the rest of this series — hopefully his little sister gets a book of her own because I’d love to see how the trauma she went through impacts her relationships moving forward. I wouldn’t classify this as a bully romance since Turner isn’t one of the bullies himself — but he does stand by silently as the popular kids torment Mena before he knows who she is. But once he becomes her savior, he really goes above and beyond to let Mena know that she’s beautiful with or without the makeup she wears to cover the birthmark marring her face. And through the love of the hot new guy and the support of her cousins, Mena gains an inner strength and confidence that she so desperately needed.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

 

The author is giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card on her Facebook author page. Stop by to enter! https://www.facebook.com/KaydenceSnowAuthor/

 


Kaydence Snow has lived all over the world but ended up settled in Melbourne, Australia. She lives near the beach with her husband and a beagle that has about as much attitude as her human.

She draws inspiration from her own overthinking, sometimes frightening imagination, and everything that makes life interesting – complicated relationships, unexpected twists, new experiences and good food and coffee. Life is not worth living without good food and coffee!

She believes sarcasm is the highest form of wit and has the vocabulary of a highly educated, well-read sailor. When she’s not writing, thinking about writing, planning when she can write next, or reading other people’s writing, she loves to travel and learn new things.

FOLLOW KAYDENCE

Website: kaydencesnow.com

Newsletter: kaydencesnow.com/newsletter

Reader Group: facebook.com/groups/KaydenceSnowLodge

Facebook: facebook.com/KaydenceSnowAuthor

Instagram: instagram.com/kaydencesnowauthor/

Twitter: twitter.com/Kaydence_Snow

Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/18388923.Kaydence_Snow

Amazon: amazon.com/author/kaydencesnow

BookBub: bookbub.com/profile/kaydence-snow

Uncategorized

Sunny Shelly’s Review: Life Forgotten, by Layne Deemer

 

Release Date: May 7
 
When you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, you’re bound to fall apart. Who will be there to help pick up the pieces?
 
Nellie Campbell is a fixer. She’s selfless in her need to solve the problems of the people she loves. 



When her mom is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, she puts her own life on hold and dives head first into caretaker mode. Her days are spent consumed with the troubles of others—her mom, her wayward sister, the neighborhood stray cat, the single mom next door. She tackles every issue as though it were her own, ignoring herself in the process.



Until she meets Jude Hargrove. After one brief encounter, he manages to awaken something inside of her that she had long left for dead. Herself.



But is it too late for Nellie? Can Jude help her see her own worth or will she be destined to see herself as a problem that just isn’t meant to be solved?


 

Grab Your Copy Here:

 

Free in KU

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Life Forgotten was such a wonderful surprise! Nellie has put her own life on hold as she cares for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s, her elderly neighbor and her single-mom neighbor. Nellie cares for everyone else in her life, but never takes the time to do anything that makes her happy.

That all changes thanks to a handsome, charismatic Starbucks barista. Jude is everything Nellie needed at the exact time she needed — and she didn’t even know. Jude has been through some family trauma himself, and he helps Nellie live again, put herself first. But when life becomes unbearable and Nellie is forced to choose between what she wants to do to make herself happy and what she feels guilt about when it comes to her ailing mother, will she push away the best thing that has ever happened to her?

Nellie and Jude’s story is a wonderfully sweet romance, and this story is full of heart. I don’t want to give too much away, but if you are looking for a feel-good, clean romance, check out Life Forgotten. But this story is so much more than a feel-good romance.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet Layne Deemer
Layne Deemer aims to push boundaries with her writing. Her stories deconstruct the ordinary until it becomes something else entirely. 
She has a degree in Communications with a minor in English and has worked in the fields of public relations, marketing, and advertising, but writing has always been her true passion. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading. Her wish list of books will take her a lifetime to get through. 
She resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, Adam, their two kids, Stella and Jasper, and their bulldog, Archie. In addition to Life Forgotten, she is also the author of Frayed, a psychological thriller.
 
Connect with Layne Deemer
 
 
Hosted By:

 

Uncategorized

Sunny Shelly’s Review: Trey, by A.M. Madden

 

🎸🎸TREY IS LIVE! 🎸🎸

What happens when a cocky, sexy, arrogant rock star has been dealt one crappy hand after another? Find out in this heartwarming, stand-alone spin-off novel from The Back-Up Series by USA Today bestselling author, A.M. Madden! #One-click today!

🎸🎸Blurb:

They say time heals all wounds. And maybe they’re right. But what about wounds no one sees? The kind that open again and again? The kind that have you feeling like you swallowed glass?

 

Those are the wounds I carry. Years of heartbreak have created layer after layer of scar tissue over my whimpering heart.

 

Everywhere I go, I play the part of rock star, shameless with my cocky attitude and salacious smirks. I deserve an award for how well I can fake being happy.

 

But then everything changes in my life—again.

Turns out they were right.

 

After all I’ve been through, I discover my heart can mend itself after all.

 

Even in the wake of tragedy, the tiny fragments of my heart are fusing back together.

 

What’s the magic elixir? In my case it turns out to be a stunning beauty with bouncy, caramel waves, a smile that has me forgetting my name, and crystal-blue eyes just like mine.

 

🎸🎸TREY is a spinoff of The Back-Up Series. If you haven’t met him, you can start at the beginning for 50% off the boxed set which includes 5 novels, 1 novella, and 1 short story, all for $4.99. (Reg 9.99).

 

Purchase here ➡️ http://ow.ly/FY0330nBexU

🎸🎸Amazon Purchase Links

 

US: https://amzn.to/2JtjRoy

UK: https://amzn.to/2JF1RaA

CA: https://amzn.to/2V2KkyJ

AU: https://amzn.to/2wO9FUZ

 

*Free on Kindle Unlimited

 

🎸🎸Add to Goodreads ➡️ http://bit.ly/Trey_AMMadden_GR

 

GIVEAWAY

🎸🎸For a chance to win seven signed paperbacks (winner choice) and some surprise swag, enter here: https://bit.ly/3bWo4xu

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 3.5 Stars

 

Trey is an epic story of redemption, forgiveness, overcoming abuse, learning to love yourself and be loved, and coping with mental health. Trey is just kind of muddling through his life in the wake of his wife’s death, struggling every hour of every day with depression. But when a former fling reappears in his life, Camilla turns this fragile guy’s life upside down — and whether he will take control or spiral out of control is the question.

I thought AM Madden wrote a great story here… but it was lacking that WOW factor for me. I’m sure it’s because I haven’t read the other Lair series books, so I didn’t have that connection to wanting to see Trey find his HEA that some other reviewers had. This book is technically a stand-alone, but I felt like I was missing pieces of Trey’s backstory (specifically his breakdown after Tara’s death) that must have been in previous books. But since this story focuses on Trey’s present with Camilla, there isn’t a lot of space for his personal history when they have their own history that needs to be hammered out. And I get that. But that made the difference for me in a 3-star versus a 5-star read.

Is this book good? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Yes. It’s raw and hard to read at times, and there is so much that Trey still has to overcome in his daily struggles. But there’s a damn good HEA as this guy gets a second chance at living life.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

A USA Today bestselling, award-winning author, A. M. Madden is also a Jersey girl whose addiction to romance started at twelve after reading Judy Blume’s Forever.

As a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic, she truly believes that true love knows no bounds.

In her books, she aspires to write fun, sexy, realistic love stories that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. She creates realistic characters and believes there’s no better compliment than when readers feel they know the characters personally.

When not writing, she’s busy being a wife to her soul mate, and a mother to two boys who she believes are the most handsome men on earth. She loves to cook, hates to bake, and dreams about living at the beach someday.

AWARDS:

2016 eLit Gold Medalist – Best Romance Ebook – The Shortstop

2016 IPPY Silver Medalist – Best Romance Ebook – The Shortstop

2018 Book Excellence Finalist – Finding Mr. Wrong (co-written with Joanne Schwehm).

2019 Book Excellence Finalist – Scoring Mr. Romeo (co-written with Joanne Schwehm).

 

Sign up for A. M. Madden’s newsletter at www.ammadden.com to get up-to-date information on new releases, cover reveals, and exclusive excerpts.

 

AUTHOR LINKS

Website www.ammadden.com

BookBub: www.bookbub.com/authors/a-m-madden

Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/AM-Madden-Author/584346794950765

Twitter @ammadden1

Instagram @ammadden1

Goodreads www.goodreads.com/author/show/7203641.A_M_Madden

Email am.madden@aol.com

A.M.’s Mad Reader Group www.facebook.com/groups/893157480742443/