Release Day Blitz: Stark Springs Academy by Ali Dean

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The young adult sports romance series that has captured readers of all ages is now available as a boxed set!

 

When Roxie Slade snaps into a pair of skis, there’s no one on Sugarville Mountain in Vermont who can keep up with her. Not even the boys. Still, Roxie was shocked when she received a scholarship to Stark Springs Academy, a boarding school that churns out Olympians in each graduating class. Entering as a high school junior, Roxie can’t wait to learn from renowned coaches and train with the fastest ski racers from all over the globe. But, upon arrival, Roxie discovers that Stark Springs lives under its own set of rules, and it appears one boy plays dictator.

 

Ryker Black is not friendly and Roxie cannot fathom why everyone wants to be his friend. Sure, he’s gorgeous and rides a snowboard like it’s his fifth limb, but he’s cold, ruthless, and holds way too much power over the Stark Springs population. Roxie won’t put up with it. She’s here to train, and she doesn’t care about impressing anyone off the slopes. The only problem? Ryker Black doesn’t permit defiance. Not without consequences.

Ali Dean lives in Colorado with her husband, twin toddlers, and golden retriever. In addition to reading and writing, she loves the outdoors- everything from marathon training and biking to snowboarding and skiing.

Exhilarating reading,

 

 

 

Release Day Blitz: Healing Love by Tammy Faith

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         Sleeping with your teammate’s girlfriend is not the best way to start the season, and the guilt is eating Mark Anderson alive.

        The best way to erase that awful night from his memory? A one-night stand with a blonde bombshell.

     Besides vlogging and make-up, sleeping with jocks is Savinne’s favorite pastime, but Mark is nothing like what she expected.

       Neither one is looking for forever, but one night turns into two, and then into three, four, five…

        Until their pasts knock on their doors.

Her bright green eyes pop against the smudged black mascara. There’s so much pain hidden inside those liquid pools, and I want to unravel her.

I’d like to soften up her edges till they’re so blurry I’m the only thing she can focus on, the only thing she can see. I need to light a fire where her heart has been left cold and hardened, rearranging her broken pieces around mine in a way I can make them fit together. I want to crawl inside of her so deep she can’t use me like she’s used to and then get rid of me and forget we happened.

 

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Tammy Faith is a twenty-one-year-old reader and writer. Her books are very heavy on the romance, and sometimes even a little steamy. She has a gigantic family she adores and an unrequited love for food. (Also, her addiction to cute animals is borderline creepy. #sorrynotsorry.)

 

Keep reading,

Release Day Blitz: The Pepper Jones Series by Ali Dean

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This series includes all five books in the coming of age series that has readers of all ages hooked. If you haven’t already fallen in love with Pepper Jones and the cast of characters in Brockton, Colorado, now’s your chance to follow Pepper through her high school and college years while she tries to balance books, boys, and being a track and field star.

Ali Dean lives in Colorado with her husband, twin toddlers, and golden retriever. In addition to reading and writing, she loves the outdoors- everything from marathon training and biking to snowboarding and skiing.

Dramatic reading, 

Release Day Blitz & Giveaway: Lessons In Falling by Diana Gallagher

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When Savannah Gregory blows out her knee – and her shot at a gymnastics scholarship – she decides she’s done with the sport forever. Without gymnastics, she has more time for her best friend, Cassie. She’s content to let her fun, impulsive best friend plan a memorable senior year. 

 

That is, until Cassie tries to kill herself.

 

Savannah wants to understand what happened, but Cassie refuses to talk about it and for the first time, Savannah has to find her own way. The only person she can turn to is Marcos, the boy who saved Cassie’s life. Being with him makes her see who she could be and what she really wants: gymnastics. 

 

But Cassie doesn’t approve of Marcos or of Savannah going back to gymnastics, and the tighter she tries to hold on to Savannah, the farther it pulls them apart. Without Cassie to call the shots, Savannah discovers how capable she is on her own – and that maybe her best friend’s been holding her back all along.

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Though Diana Gallagher be but little, she is fierce. She’s also a gymnastics coach and judge, former collegiate gymnast, and writing professor. Her work has appeared in The Southampton Review, International Gymnast, The Couch Gymnast, and on a candy cigarette box for SmokeLong Quarterly. She holds an MFA from Stony Brook University and is represented by Tina Wexler of ICM Partners. Her contemporary YA novel, Lessons in Falling, lands on 2/7/2017.

(1) Winner will receive an annotated copy of Lessons in Falling by Diana Gallagher (US only) Follow these rules to enter!

 

“Want to share your own Lessons Learned?? It’s easy! Tell us about a time in your life when you persevered, despite a bad situation, and what lessons you learned from that situation. Share it however you like – on your blog, your social media, wherever! Submit your link to the Rafflecopter during the blitz and share the giveaway with your friends to win an annotated ARC!

Ends on February 28th at Midnight EST!

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Insightful reading, 

Release Blitz & ARC Review: Safe Bet by Monica Murphy

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Sydney Walker’s new job is perfect. As the live-in nanny to the most famous quarterback in the NFL and his beautiful wife, she couldn’t have it any better. Their kids are adorable. Her bosses are more than generous. Plus, there are hot football players at the house all the time. Life can’t get much better than this.

 

Until her life turns into an absolute nightmare. The media is abuzz with rumors that she and her boss Drew Callahan are having a torrid affair. Everyone knows the truth—except the public. So Drew’s wife Fable comes up with the perfect idea.

 

She creates a fake relationship between Sydney and one of the rookie players on Drew’s team. Wade Knox is forever indebted to Drew and Fable and readily agrees to the set up. Pretending to be in a romantic relationship with the hot nanny for a week—how hard can it be?

 

Crazy how it only takes one week for two people to fall head over heels in love…

 

(This mash-up new adult romance features characters from both the One Week Girlfriend series and The Rules series)

 

 

***I received this eARC as a gift in exchange for an honest review via the author  

            Safe Bet is the perfect book to warm you up on these blustery, cold winter days. Playful, flirty, and so inviting, you can sit back, relax, enjoy the fun, and imagine you’re laying out on the beach, sipping a cocktail. 

               The best thing about Monica Murphy is her ability to craft imperfect characters. They’re all flawed, they make mistakes, and they recognize that they’ve done it. Sometimes it eats them alive and other times it’s the push they need to get up and make something of their lives. Real characters, despite the outrageous storyline. 

              Wade is compassionate, determined, a player, but reformed. His love for his single mom, he’s a total momma’s boy and in some ways that super hot, that soft side. 

             Sydney is a reformed, rich party girl. She recognized how selfish and horrible she’s been and she tries to be better. That makes her beyond likable. 

             Safe Bet is a meet cute, sports romance with a little taboo-the hot nanny. It’s engaging, sexy, occassionally steamy, and a lot funny. The dialogue and banter between Sydney and Wade will keep you flipping pages, longing for more of them together. No matter the circumstances, the chemistry is undeniable. They fit together. 

             While the storyline wasn’t as solid as I hoped it would be, some points are brought up and then kind of fall out of the book, never addressed again, the romance made up for it.

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of
nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

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If you like any of the following, you’ll enjoy this:

Playful reading, 

 

Excerpt Reveal: Safe Bet by Monica Murphy

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Sydney Walker’s new job is perfect. As the live-in nanny to the most famous quarterback in the NFL and his beautiful wife, she couldn’t have it any better. Their kids are adorable. Her bosses are more than generous. Plus, there are hot football players at the house all the time. Life can’t get much better than this.

Until her life turns into an absolute nightmare. The media is abuzz with rumors that she and her boss Drew Callahan are having a torrid affair. Everyone knows the truth—except the public. So Drew’s wife Fable comes up with the perfect idea.

She creates a fake relationship between Sydney and one of the rookie players on Drew’s team. Wade Knox is forever indebted to Drew and Fable and readily agrees to the set up. Pretending to be in a romantic relationship with the hot nanny for a week—how hard can it be?

Crazy how it only takes one week for two people to fall head over heels in love…

(This mash-up new adult romance features characters from both the One Week Girlfriend series and The Rules series.) 

“Drew!” Fable calls, waving him over. “Come meet Sydney.”

He starts to head over there and when he sends me a look over his shoulder, I reluctantly follow him. I really don’t need to be involved in this scenario, but I just can’t tell him that, can I? It would be rude. And I’m never rude to Drew and Fable.

Ever.

“Sydney, this is my husband, Drew. Drew, this is Sydney Walker. She’s going to be our new nanny,” Fable says, sounding pleased. She looks over at her husband with a little wince. “I hope you don’t mind that I went ahead and hired her.”

“Of course I don’t mind. I trust your judgment.” Drew turns to greet Sydney. “Good to meet you,” he says as he gives Sydney a firm handshake. She’s staring up at him, her lips slightly parted, her eyes wide. Full on awestruck, which is typical. He’s a superstar. That’s how most people look at Drew when they first meet him.

“Hi,” she squeaks, her cheeks going pink as she releases Drew’s hand. Her gaze slips to mine, and then flitters away. But that one quick glance was like a sucker punch to my gut.

The nanny is beautiful.

I take a deep breath, shoving my hands in my jeans’ pockets so I won’t do something stupid—like try to grab her. She has pretty blue eyes and a full mouth that’s
made for kissing. Her curves are even lusher than I first realized. She has full hips and a tiny waist and shapely legs. But I can’t worry about pretty nannies right now. I have to concentrate on work.

It still blows my mind that I might play for the NFL. That football is my job. I’m a lucky son-of-a-bitch.

“Sydney, this is Wade Knox. He’s an old family friend,” Fable says, knocking me from my thoughts. I blink and look down to find Sydney smiling up at me, interest clearly showing in her gaze. Hmm. “Wade, this is Sydney.”

“Hey Sydney.” I shake her hand, electricity pulsing between us the moment our palms touch. She jerks her hand away from mine as if I burned her. Guess she felt it too.

Interesting.

“Nice to meet you,” she murmurs as she takes a step back. Like she needs the distance.

Even more interesting.

We make small talk for a few minutes before Fable takes Sydney back to the house, and the moment the door shuts behind them, Drew’s talking.

“The nanny’s cute,” he observes, his voice way too nonchalant.

“Uh huh.”

“She looked at you like she thought you were cute, too.”

I roll my eyes. He never says stuff like this, so what’s his deal? “Cute? What are you doing? Trying to play matchmaker?” I send him a pointed look. “Give me a break. I don’t need the distraction.”

 

Playful reading, 

ARC Review: Dashing through the Snow by M. Leighton

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A dash of perfect for the holidays!

Dilyn Hart hates Christmas, so when her boss (and ex-boyfriend) hands her an assignment to interview champion snowboarder and gorgeous playboy extraordinaire, Dash Grainger, on Christmas Eve, she takes it. There are several things she doesn’t plan for—a surly driver, a chalet in the middle of nowhere, a freak snowstorm—but the biggest surprise of all is Dash himself.

Dash Grainger lives for the high, and so far in his twenty-six years, he’s never met anyone or anything he loves more. Nothing has ever thrilled him as much as slick snow, cold air, and breakneck speed.

Until he meets Dilyn.

But one perfect night doesn’t mean clear, blue skies the next day. Some storms can’t be weathered.

Christmas might just be one of them.

5/5 Stars 

***I received this eARC as a gift in exchange for an honest review via the author 

Dashing through the Snow is the perfect dash of seduction and warmth you need on  a snowy night. It’s the marshmallows in your hot chocolate, the bourbon in your cider, the crackling heat of a roaring fire. Dash and Dilyn are Christmas magic at its finest. 

M. Leighton never ceases to impress me with her characters. They’re always, always bursting with life and complexity that make you fall hard for them. Dashing through the Snow is fairly short. Less than 200 pages, but it’s packed with story. Somehow, I don’t know how she does this, but the smallest of details stick and satisfy. 

Dilyn has a tragic past. The kind that lurks under the skin and makes you see everything differently. Her apprehension, her sadness, it’s heartbreaking because she’s got everything going for her. She’s feisty, loud, sarcastic, independent, has a great job, and is gorgeous to boot. But she’s terrified to risk her heart and that backs her into a corner of unsatisfying relationships. Dilyn has some of the most outrageous, laugh out loud lines. She’s blunt, crass, and says exactly what’s on her mind and doesn’t apologize for it. Dilyn is a refreshing, whirlwind of a woman whose presence is exhilarating. She’ll fill you right up with light, laughter, and energy.

Dash is…mouthwatering? Is that a thing? If not, it should be. He’s sexy, beyond sexy. He’s magnetic, compelling, erotic, sensual. I mean the guy is just walking, talking sex-irresistable. On top of that he’s a romantic, with a big heart, and so compassionate. He’s basically girl kryptonite in a very, very hot package. Some of the things he says, with such conviction, sigh. You’ll lose track of how many times you swoon, trust me.  

Chemistry. Sweet mother of god that s’more scene. That tension. The anticipation. Off the charts. Past the charts. What are charts? The air ignites around them. Every interaction from the initial time they see each other to the last, it’s fire and want and a little angst. 

The story itself is a combination of playful, sinful, serious, and raw heat. You won’t be bored for a second. The pacing is fantastic. 

Some scenes are agony. You’ll hold your heart in your hand and hope that Dilyn and Dash get their happy ever after when everything seems to be falling apart.

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New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, M. Leighton, is a native of Ohio. She relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she can be near the water all summer and miss the snow all winter. Possessed of an overactive imagination from early in her childhood, Michelle finally found an acceptable outlet for her fantastical visions: literary fiction. Having written over a dozen novels, these days Michelle enjoys letting her mind wander to more romantic settings with sexy Southern guys, much like the one she married and the ones you’ll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren’t roaming in that direction, she’ll be riding wild horses, skiing the slopes of Aspen or scuba diving with a hot rock star, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.

Romantic reading,