Taking the Ice Blog Tour & Giveaway

Series: Ice #3
Release date: August 17th 2015
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Olympic rings and an engagement ring.

Courtney Carlton is ready for both.

She and her boyfriend Josh have skated together and dated for four years, and they’ve reached a critical point in their partnership both on and off the ice. With the Winter Games coming up and their career nearing an end, they are fighting to win a spot on the Olympic team, something Courtney has dreamed of since she was ten years old.

She also has another wish she hopes comes true soon. She’s waiting for a marriage proposal from Josh that she expected to happen by now. Will she realize either dream or will her heart be broken from disappointment?

Review

It's time for Josh and Courtney's Olympic dreams to come true! Taking the Ice brings us back into the competition.

While their sights are set on Olympic gold, Courtney can't help but wonder when Josh will propose! I totally related to the few "is he about to propose" moments, and when Josh finally does get down on one knee it was definitively worth the wait! What a truly magical moment.

Taking the Ice wraps up Josh and Courtney's story perfectly and got me pumped for the next winter Olympics!

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars. It's obvious I'm a HUGE fan of this series, as well as the rest of Jennifer's books. Josh and Courtney's love story was beautiful and I loved going through their highs and lows together. They were truly unbreakable, never once did you think 'It's over', we just waited to see how they worked through it all. 

About The Author

Jennifer Comeaux is a tax accountant by day, writer by night. There aren’t any ice rinks near her home in south Louisiana, but she’s a die-hard figure skating fan and loves to write stories of romance set in the world of competitive skating. One of her favorite pastimes is traveling to competitions, where she can experience all the glitz and drama that inspire her writing.

http://jennifercomeaux.blogspot.com/
facebook.com/jennifercomeauxauthor
twitter.com/LadyWave4

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Getting Dirty Review

Getting Dirty (Jail Bait #1)
by Mia Storm

Dirty
A poem by Blaire Leon

If sex is dirty, why would I do it with someone I love?
If sex is dirty, then didn’t we all come from the dirt?
What if I like the dirt?
What if I want to get dirty?
What if I want to roll in the mud until I’m so fucking filthy that I’ll never be clean again?

When twenty-five-year-old graduate assistant Caiden Brenner asked Blaire Leon how old she was, she said she was a senior. He chose to believe she meant in college. They connect over Lord Byron’s Don Juan and, as their conversations become increasingly thicker with sexual innuendo, Caiden finds himself obsessing over a totally off-limits undergrad who’s bold, beautiful, brilliant, and one of the most passionate poets he’s ever met.

But it turns out Blaire hasn't been totally honest. She's the seventeen-year-old valedictorian of her high school class, taking courses at Sierra State while awaiting her acceptance to Stanford.

Will Caiden get too deeply into Blaire to back away before he finds out the truth? Or will their connection be enough to seduce him into risking his entire future on Jail Bait?

Excerpt

Without realizing I’m doing it, I find I’m leaning toward her. I catch myself and stop. But before I can pull back, she closes the rest of the distance and presses her lips hard against mine.

Any thought that I shouldn’t be doing this evaporates like fog in a stiff breeze at the taste of her mouth, moving hungrily on mine. She’s scotch and fire on my tongue as she devours me. Right or wrong, I’m powerless to stop her.

Her fingers run down my face to my chest as she opens her mouth wider, inviting me deeper inside. I take the invitation, tasting as much of her as she’ll give me. Her hands tug at the hem of my shirt and my breath catches when cold fingers meet my warm abs.

I press harder against her, drawing her closer, and fire rips through my veins as our tongues and hands explore the new landscapes of each other’s mouths and bodies.

But a shard of coherent thought finally manages to pierce the bubble I’ve constructed to justify what I’m doing. “You’re a student,” I say against her mouth.

Her lips skim to my ear. “I like you, Caiden,” she whispers, and her saying my name with that hot breath, that wet mouth, is nearly enough to break my resolve. “I like you a lot.”

I take her by the shoulders and gently peel her away, my heart hammering out African drumbeats against my ribcage. “You’re so damn incredible, but I can’t do this. It’s totally against university rules. I’m sorry.”

“You’re not my professor,” she says, her expression wounded. “If we like each other, I don’t see why it should matter.”

“I’m Dr. Duncan’s graduate assistant. My boss is your professor. It’s a conflict of interest, since I do most of his grading.”

“So you are conflicted.” It’s clear from the predatory shift her expression takes that she hears that I’m trying to convince myself as much as her.

I drop my head against the headrest. “I am.”

She leans closer again, her breast pressing against my arm through the thin cotton of her top. “I’ll never say anything. No one needs to know,” she whispers, her breath feathering over my neck.

Review

I decided to read Getting Dirty because it was described as a very taboo book and the summary of a high schooler and 26 year old really pushed the envelope on what is 'taboo'.

This book was bold and tests what you think is right and wrong. Is age really just a number? Should relationships be based on maturity rather than ethical rules?

There will be times when you want to stop reading just because you feel something isn't right, but give Getting Dirty a chance and you will be surprised.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars. I enjoyed Caiden and Blaire's story and can't wait to read the next book in the Jail Bait series.

Buy Getting Dirty on Amazon, B&N, iBooks, KOBO, Google Play.

About The Author

Mia Storm is a hopeless romantic who is always searching for her happy ending. Sometimes she’s forced to make one up. When that happens, she’s thrilled to be able to share those stories with her readers. She lives in California and spends much of her time in the sun with a book in one hand and a mug of black coffee in the other, or hiking the trails in Yosemite. Connect with her online at MiaStormAuthor.blogspot.com , on Twitter at @MiaStormAuthor, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MiaStormAuthor. 

Easy Chicken and Kale Soup

With wedding and swimsuit seasons coming up, I've been trying to eat healthier and exercise more. I find making a big pot of healthy soup a great way to stay on the healthy path.

Over Easter weekend we went to Natchez, Mississippi for the Spring Pilgrimage. It was amazing! I loved touring the antebellum homes and antique shopping.

And of course I enjoyed plenty of good food, like the tamales at Fat Mama's.

(Hands down the BEST tamales I've ever eaten).

So when we returned home I knew I needed to get back on track. I decided to make a Chicken and Kale soup.

I started by cooking 3 large chicken breasts in my crock pot. I find this the easiest method to get juicy chicken that shreds perfectly. I just seasoned the chicken with salt, red pepper, garlic and onion powder and added a splash of water. I cooked the chicken on high for 4 hours.

When I got home from work, I sauteed an onion and some sliced carrots in a little olive oil. I seasoned the veggies with salt and pepper. After the veggies cooked for a few minutes, I added 3 cloves of minced garlic.

Once the veggies were tender, I added 2 boxes (about 10 cups) of chicken stock, the shredded chicken and my secret ingredient - a Parmesan cheese rind. I try to save cheese rinds for soups because they had a nice depth of flavor and saltiness to the soup.

I let the soup simmer for 30 mins while I worked out. (Multi-tasking!) Then I added about 2 cups of fresh cheese tortellini and let them cook for 2 minutes. Finally, I stirred in 2 cups of kale and turned off the heat. I tasted for seasoning and added a little more salt and pepper. 

The soup is delicious! It has about 7-8 servings with about 295 calories per serving.

Beautiful Secret Book Blitz!

Beautiful Secret

by Christina Lauren

Excerpt

A silence fell over the table as everyone turned to watch Ruby leave the bar and head upstairs to bed. She had been utterly charming throughout dinner, and the group had groaned in unison when she’d excused herself because of our early morning. I, too, had been quite sad to see her go.

“Well, well.”

I looked up to see my brother’s smug expression.

“Now that we’re alone,” Will began, “I think we can all agree to drop any pretense that we’re not ruined for civilized conversation, yes?” Each of them nodded in agreement and beside me, his glass now refilled, Will raised his tumbler to take a small swallow of scotch. “I also think we can all agree Bennett will be an important consultant on this case.”

Max snickered.

“The conference?” I asked, confused.

“It’s an all-too-common predicament,” Bennett added dryly. “Knockout intern. Boss in denial. I’ll draft up a step-by-step plan of containment.”

I blinked, swallowing thickly as I realized what they meant. “She’s not my intern. I have absolutely no say in her career.” I shook my head, frustrated because it was exactly the wrong thing to say. “I’m not . . . that is to say, she’s not interested. Nor I.”

All four men laughed.

“Niall,” Will said, leaning his elbows on his knees. “She nearly dropped her drink in your lap when George asked if she was interested in anyone.”

“Was going to say the same thing,” Bennett said.

“And something tells me she’d be first to volunteer to clean it up,” Will added.

“Well, maybe that’s because she’s interested in someone who works with us at R-C.”

“Yeah. You.” Max lifted his glass and finished the last of the amber liquid.

“Sincerely,” I said, fighting a smile. “She’s a fantastic girl, but she’s certainly not a romantic option for me.”

Tilting his head, Bennett asked, “What color are her eyes?”

Green, I didn’t say. I shook my head as if I didn’t know.

“What was she wearing?” Will asked.

A blue dress that hit just above her knee, I didn’t say. A delicate gold chain around her neck and a ring on her right ring finger that I had to resist asking her about until George bulldozed in and asked about a boyfriend.

I rolled my eyes, and my brother laughed again, this time pointing his drink at me. “Blokes don’t notice these things unless they’re interested.”

“Or George,” Will added, and George reached over to grab the back of his neck and try to pull him in for a kiss.

“Well, it’s apparent I needn’t think on this any further,”

I said. “You’ve all decided for me.”

“It’s what we do,” Will said, adjusting the skewed collar of his shirt as he settled back into his chair.

“It’s a sickness, we know.”

“I thought we’d lost that muscle, honestly,” George said.

“It’s a relief to know we still have it in us. The ladies will be so proud.” Max rapped his knuckles on the table as he made to stand. “Alas, I’d best be off. New routine: Sara gets the baby to sleep; I do the midnight bottle feeding.”

“Finally taking a bottle from you then? Guess you smell like a woman, too,” I said to Max, reminding him of the little dig he’d thrown my way on my last visit.

Max laughed and patted me on the back, and we all stood, a silent agreement in place that we were ready to call it a night. I watched my brother gather his things and say his goodbyes, feeling the same mix of pride and longing for what he was headed home to: a wife, a daughter. A proper home.

“Kiss the girls for me,” I requested as he made his way out of the bar. He waved a hand, retreating, and then disappeared from view.

PreOrder Beautiful Secret Today!

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Connect with Christina Lauren

http://christinalaurenbooks.com/  |  @christinalauren  |  @seecwrite  |  @lolashoes

Love's Suicide Review

Love's Suicide
By Jennifer Foor

Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  B & N  |  iTunes

My heart belonged to Branch and Brooks Valentine since we were children, when we were all too naïve to know what that even meant. We didn’t understand that when we became adults, love would change us. I had to make a choice and when I did, it ripped our bond apart. Brooks left town, and he took half of my heart with him. It was difficult, but I coped and planned my future with Branch. I thought I’d made the right decision. I loved him and I always had.

Brooks showed up to be our best man the night before our nuptials. After drinks and too much reminiscing, I ended up in bed with the wrong brother. To avoid the humiliation and the fact that I’d ruined all of our lives, I left Branch and the only family I’d ever known.

That’s where my story should have ended.

Two years, one beautiful little girl and an abusive marriage later, I was standing there staring at the man that would always hold my heart.

The only question was…

Would I give it to him

I’m Katy Michaels and this is my story.

My Review

After reading the synopsis for Love's Suicide I was very intrigued. A girl in love with two twin bothers was not a story you heard everyday.

Soooo much happened to Katy, it almost felt like too much for one book! While I felt sorry for many of the things she had to deal with, I did not agree with some of the decisions she made. Certain things could have been handled better which would have spared some of the problems and hurt.

The reason I kept reading was Brooks. He was a great character, a good person. I had to find out if he would get his HEA.

Through it all I was always rooting for Katy and Brooks. They were truly soul mates and deserved to be together.

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars. After reading Love's Suicide, I was emotionally exhausted! The 2nd story Love Survives is out now and it is told from Brook's POV. 

About the Author

Jennifer Foor is an award winning Contemporary Romance Author. She's best known for the Mitchell Family Series, which includes ten books.

She is married with two children and spends most of her time behind a keyboard, writing stories that come from her heart.

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Amazon Author  |  Goodreads

Losing the Ice Blog Tour and Giveaway

Losing the Ice
by Jennifer Comeaux
Series: Ice #2
Release date: February 23rd 2015
Purchase: Amazon

Courtney and Josh are in love and excited to finally compete as skating partners. When they take the ice for their first competition, they want to show everyone, especially Josh's family, they are the perfect pair.

But ice is slippery, and one misstep puts all their dreams in jeopardy. Now they must show each other both their love and their partnership are strong enough to survive.

My Review

Losing the Ice jumps right into the action. It's been a few months since the end of Crossing the Ice, and Josh and Courtney are at their first big skating competition as a new pair. Courtney and Josh are an amazing couple, and even though their love and partnership is put to the test, I never once worried it wouldn't work out. Jennifer has created such a strong, loving bond between the two that nothing could break them up.

Even dealing with his injury, Josh is still a hunky, swoon inducing lead. Courtney handles everything in stride, including Josh's horrible family, while still being her sassy self! Surprisingly, by the end of the book I was hating Stephanie (Josh's sister) much less. Turns out the witch has a heart after all!

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars! My only complaint was that Losing the Ice ended so quickly - I think I read it in one sitting! But no worries because Jennifer has already started on the next book in Josh and Courtney's series!

About the Author

Jennifer Comeaux is a tax accountant by day, writer by night. There aren’t any ice rinks near her home in south Louisiana, but she’s a die-hard figure skating fan and loves to write stories of romance set in the world of competitive skating.

One of her favorite pastimes is traveling to competitions, where she can experience all the glitz and drama that inspire her writing. Jennifer loves to hear from readers!

jennifercomeaux.blogspot.com | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

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The Ghost of You Blog Tour and Giveaway

The Ghost of You
by Amanda Burckhard
Release Date: 12/30/14
Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:
Emmy has everything she’s ever wanted: a hot boyfriend she adores, great friends, a promising future, and even a well-connected family. But one night rips it all away.

A car accident shatters her world, claiming the lives of her twin brother and her best friend. In the wake of the accident, her friends drift away, her family falls apart, and her boyfriend cheats.

The grief is more than she can handle, so she finds escape at the bottom of a bottle of painkillers. Taking the pills makes her brother alive again, if only in her head. Seeing and talking to her brother as if he were still alive is the only thing that keeps her going. Until Logan King moves to town.

Logan sees past the mask of pristine popularity she wears in public and he’s the only one who can tell she hasn’t moved on. His uncanny ability to read her forces her to open up and she starts to fall for him, no matter how unwilling she is to admit it. But Emmy isn’t the only one keeping secrets and when a close brush with death sparks events that bring everything to light, Emmy will have to decide what’s more important: learning how to forgive and move on, or holding onto the pills and the ghost of her past.

My Review

The Ghost of You drew me into the story, I felt compelled to finish once I started reading. While the subject matter (drugs, losing a loved one) are very heavy, Burckhard balances the story very well. 

I found it very intriguing that Emmy knew the hallucination of her brother Derek was all in her mind, even though she was taking pain pills to keep seeing him. I was very interested to find out what happens to Emmy, if she would ever get the help for her addiction that she needed.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars. The Ghost of You told the story of a teen struggling to deal with the death of her twin brother. The ending gave hope for others who may be struggling with similar issues and by spreading this message maybe they can get the help they need.

Buy The Ghost of You on Amazon.

About the Author

Amanda Burckhard grew up exploring bat caves and hunting for dinosaur bones in the Black Hills of South Dakota. When she wasn’t crossing paths with mountain lions, she was making up stories and devouring books at the library. Although, she still does that.

Amanda loves to travel and cross out things on her adrenaline packed bucket list. Some of the things she's been able to cross out include see an active volcano erupt, ride a gondola in Venice, and pet a tiger.

She currently lives in North Sioux City, South Dakota and works as a microbiologist by day. Some of her obsessions include comic book movies, hot chocolate, sushi, sunshine, and Doctor Who.

Website │ Goodreads │ Twitter │ Facebook

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