Weekly Winners

Below is a list of all of the winners from the past week.

Karen
Lovers Unmasked by Tessa Bailey

Jane
Rumor Has It by Jill Shalvis

Morena
Sophie
Jasmyn
Book of Choice from Nalini Singh

All winners have been notified via email. Thank you to everyone that stopped by and entered. =)

ARC Review: Playing the Maestro by Aubrie Dionne

I have zero musical talent, so after sports romances and foodie romances, music is one of my preferred (albeit admittedly underexplored) contemporary tropes. Sexy European conductor from the mother continent? Small-town orchestra near my favourite US city, Boston? Dedicated principal flutist with a hilariously disastrous dating history? I’m sold. In PLAYING THE MAESTRO, concert flutist-turned-author Aubrie Dionne delivers a lighthearted, character-driven, quick beach read high on sweetness and low on drama with an adorable heroine and a hero passionate about music that will leave you smiling.

The Easthampton Civic Orchestra is in dire straits, with decreasing concert attendance and the loss of sponsors threatening to shutter its doors and force the already-struggling musicians out of a job, and a sneaky first violin sabotaging specific chairs. His current target: principal flutist (and one-time date) Melody Mires. The Board of Directors’ plan to save the orchestra is to bring in the rising German maestro Wolfgang (Wolf) Braun, who’s all too willing to leave Europe and escape the toxic model ex-girlfriend who ruined his credit and almost his career. Between first violin Blake’s machinations to sabotage Melody and the fact that Melody looks like Wolf’s ex-girlfriend’s doppelgänger, their first meeting does not go well. And each is ridiculously attracted to the other but fears that any sort of relationship would ruin their respective careers. Melody has devoted her life to her flute and to proving her naysaying parents wrong about making it as a concert flutist—and let’s not forget the fact that she’s sworn off dating male musicians forever. Wolf is devoted to sharing his love of classical music and inspiring young minds to take up and preserve the dying artform—and the last thing he wants is to be duped by a woman again. How can they possibly make it work, even if they both really want to? That’s about the extent of the drama—there’s no angst, there are no irreparably broken characters to heal, and save for the moment the scheming ex crashes the party and throws a wrench in the budding romance, it’s all about the cuteness of Wolf and Melody falling for each other. And it is cute—almost tooth-achingly so. I really liked Melody: she’s a sweetheart through and through and loves her sister and niece, but she also has the strength to call Wolf out on his behaviour. And walking the streets of Boston in her shoes as she’s out on the perfect date with Wolf was a treat.

Now Wolf… he’s perfect, on paper: he’s passionate about music without the self-involvement characteristic of male musicians; he donates his time (and, given his Mozart get-up, some of his self-respect) to entertain and inspire sick children at the hospital; he’s once bitten twice shy but still incredibly adept at romance (and he definitely knows the way to Melody’s heart!); and he’s European. A superfecta of romance hero awesomeness! And yet he didn’t quite work for me. Being European myself, I felt that Ms. Dionne tried too hard with his Europeanness and it felt disingenuous—in fact, I found him entirely too American for someone supposedly just off a plane from Berlin.

Overall, PLAYING THE MAESTRO was an entirely predictable but heartwarming read. It’s well written, well paced, super short, and adorably cute, so if you like a little music and heap of sugar in your romance, give this one a try.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

Romance is Bliss Event with Aubrie Dionne

Meet Bliss author, Aubrie Dionne.

Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She recently signed her YA sci fi novel with Inkspell Publishing titled: Colonization: Paradise Reclaimed, which will release in October 2012. When she's not writing, Aubrie teaches flute and plays in orchestras. She's a big Star Trek TNG fan, as well as Star Wars and Serenity.

Places to find Aubrie:

| Site | Twitter |

ARC Review: Just for the Summer by Jenna Rutland

When I started reading Jenna Rutland’s JUST FOR THE SUMMER—the first book in the Lake Bliss series for Entangled’s Bliss imprint—I was expecting another heartwarming, feel-good, quick read high on sweetness and low on heat. What I discovered was a surprisingly satisfying emotionally-charged story with the right amount of sweetness to keep it awww-inducing but enough spice to set it apart from other sweet contemporaries. And despite the short length and a premise underlain by too much serendipity, I found myself devouring the book and wanting to know how the HEA would turn out.

Heroine Dani Sullivan is at a crossroads in her life, recovering from the death of the mother she was very close to and whom she took time away from her job as a nurse to care for. She’s in idyllic small-town Lake Bliss, Michigan for the summer to work on her cookbook and get her head back in the game. And to assure herself that the son she conceived in a cruel twist of fate and gave up for adoption 8 years prior is happy and loved. Enter Matt Reagan, unwitting divorced dad to Dani’s son Sam with entirely too much on his plate being the new town sheriff and a single dad. In a clever twist on the macho law enforcement hero stereotype, Matt is ridiculously attractive and fit but hearth and home to the core—and, fresh off a bad marriage to a woman who lied about her interest in children, he’s sworn to himself to never be duped again or have something temporary. Matt doesn’t want a woman, he wants a wife and a mother to his son… but one look at the sassy, sexy Ms. Sullivan, and his libido returns with a vengeance. A (ridiculously convenient, but check your scepticism and just go with it) life-threatening medical condition for Sam gives Dani the perfect in as a nurse to get close to her son… despite the fact that she’d promised herself she just wanted to see that he was happy and not get involved in his life. Throw in some scorching sexual attraction (and deliciously fun and flirty dialogue), the inevitable falling in love, a pinch of drama and a dash of asshattery from Matt after Dani’s big reveal, and a delightful small-town community and you’ve got the plot of any old small-town contemporary. But what really makes JUST FOR THE SUMMER work—even in 131 pages!!—is the characters.

I really liked Dani and the journey of inner peace and self-forgiveness that she’s on. She was put in a tough position at age 18 and forced to make a very difficult—but ultimately correct—decision, one that many people around her disapproved of. She’s lived with the doubt about whether she made the right choice for 8 years and wants to assure herself that her son is happy and cared for so she can finally be at peace with it… even if seeing him makes her yearn for all she gave up. She’s also burdened by the guilt of approaching Sam and Matt under false pretenses—especially with the store Matt sets by the truth—but is afraid to come clean because she knows she’ll lose them both. I haven’t been in her shoes, but her struggle felt real and deep, and her emotional growth surprisingly complete but not rushed given the short length and time frame of the story. I also really enjoyed her wit and humour: the way she flirted and bantered with Matt was priceless. Matt is a truly delightful hero: he’s hot, he’s compassionate, he hates asking for help but is man enough to do it anyway, he’s got quite the mouth on him, and he’d do anything for his son. Except for his momentary lapse into wankerdom when Dani finally ‘fesses up, he’s absolutely swoon-worthy… and he makes up for being a tosser in a big way at the end. You just can’t help rooting for the two of them and their chance to believe in a HEA again!

Overall, JUST FOR THE SUMMER is a great beach read: unabashedly romantic without being (excessively) saccharine and deeply emotional. It deals with some hard-hitting issues like sexual assault and adoption, which are perfectly balanced by the upbeat writing to leave you satisfied and happy. And, for those of us who like a little more spice than the usual sweet contemporary, there’s plenty of foreplay (beyond the sexy banter) to make up for the off-page main event. I can’t wait to return to Lake Bliss in the future!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo |

Romance is Bliss Event with Jenna Rutland

Meet Bliss author, Jenna Rutland.

Jenna Rutland lives in a small Michigan community with her husband, son, and senior cat. While her days are spent working as a medical transcriptionist, her nights are filled writing contemporary romance—stories of love, laughter and happily ever after. Guess which one is more fun?

She is a member of RWA and her local group, Maumee Valley RWA. After several years on the board, she now chairs the MVRWA annual Brainstorming weekend as well as acts as food coordinator for several other events.

Jenna enjoys spending time with her family and has recently been given the awesome title of grandmother! She also gardens and loves the challenge of a new recipe.

Places to find Jenna:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: Definitely, Maybe In Love by Ophelia London

I have loved Pride and Prejudice since the very first time I ever read it. Since then I have gone on to watch the movies and TV series about it as well. So when I heard about Definitely, Maybe In Love by Ophelia London, I knew that I had to read this story since it is P&P with a modern spin. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect when I saw that it was a New Adult story, but I figured it was definitely worth giving a shot. I ending up enjoying this story and I liked both the characters and the new twist on such a classic story. There were a few things that I didn't care for, but all in all this one was a quick fun read that allowed me to experience one of my all time favorites in a brand new way.

Spring Honeycutt is a junior at Stanford and is beginning to write her thesis. She is passionate about sustainability and knows that she wants to make a big difference with her life. When her advisor tells her that she needs to rethink a few points in her research and try to see things from a different perspective she has absolutely no interest in listening to anything the opposition has to say. Until she meets her knew neighbor, Henry Knightly and not only is he gorgeous, but he just so happens to be the perfect person to help her. They immediately get off on the wrong foot, but both of them feel the instant attraction and agree to work together. As they spend more time together, feelings start to develop beyond attraction. But with Spring being so set in her ways, is it possible for her to not only let her guard down, but also be with someone who is so different from everything that she believes in? Will Spring and Henry be able to get everything in order to risk having a chance at true love and a relationship together?

I liked Knightly. He was everything that you love about Darcy and yet he was also more. I loved seeing how he and Spring would challenge each other, and how much he liked her because of it. He was set in his ways, but he would also listen to what she had to say. I love that he had the same confidence bordering on arrogance as Darcy and yet he didn't come off as a jerk. He starts off a bit snobbish towards Spring and goes in with this idea about her having heard gossip about her, and yet he still offers to help her out. He was just such a likable character. I also really enjoyed Spring. She is strong and independent, and isn't afraid of what anyone thinks of her. I loved how much she really threw herself into what she believed in. It was really nice to see such a determined and smart heroine in this book, because that is not always the case with a New Adult book. I loved how Knightly and Spring would verbally spar and banter. It was always interesting watching these two interact and I really enjoyed watching as their relationship progressed throughout the story. There is not a lot of steam in this book, but you can definitely feel the chemistry and attraction between them. I wished that they had acted on a little more of the tension between them and that we would have been able to see more of them together. I think that because some of that was missing, it was harder to believe in their relationship and the love they declared and it just didn't seem as realistic as I would have hoped.

I also thought that even though the characters were likable and interesting, they seemed to be a little more immature than I would have expected for their ages. Some of the things that they did or said just didn't seem to be consistent with the age group and what you would expect for not only upperclassmen in college, but also grad students. I also thought that there were a few things that happened in the story that didn't quite make sense, and weren't really explained. They would be brought up a few times and then dropped. I just wished that we would have been given a better explanation on why some of the characters did a few of these things. Overall though, I really did enjoy this story. It is something new and different for fans of Pride and Prejudice, and there is enough of a twist that although you get parts of the classic story, you feel as though this isn't the same old thing. I recommend this book to anyone who loves Pride and Prejudice as much as I do and also to anyone who loves a good love story that is slow to develop. I really had a good time reading and enjoyed the fact that Knightly and Spring didn't just jump right into a relationship. This story is a sweet one and has a good amount of attraction, but if you are looking for a ton of steam and sexy scenes this is probably not one for you.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

Romance is Bliss Event with Barbara DeLeo

Meet Bliss author, Barbara DeLeo.

Barbara DeLeo’s first book, co-written with her best friend, was a story about beauty queens in space. She was eleven, and the sole, handwritten copy was lost years ago, much to everyone’s relief. It’s some small miracle that she kept the faith and is now living her dream of writing sparkling contemporary romance with unforgettable characters.

After completing degrees in Psychology and English then travelling the world, Barbara married her winemaker hero and had two sets of twins.
She still loves telling stories about finding love in all the wrong places, with not a beauty queen or spaceship in sight.

Barbara’s first Bliss – “Last Chance Proposal” - is out December 2013.

Places to find Barbara:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris

Bliss (and other sweet romance) titles are very hit-or-miss for me—I find them either delightfully heartwarming and fluffy and the perfect break from my darker romantic suspense reads, or excessively saccharine and making me feel like I need to get checked for cavities. Rachel Harris’s adult debut, TASTE THE HEAT—book #1 in the Love and Games series—is, thankfully, the former: it’s a thoroughly enjoyable short read that will have you smiling the whole way with its vibrant hometown setting, tight-knit families, and delightful characters. And have I mentioned that it’s a foodie romance with a hot firefighter hero and unrequited-teenage-crush-slash-best-friend’s-little-sister storyline? Even my preference for spice over sugar is no match for a trifecta of my favourite romance tropes, sweet-contemporary style.

My other major gripe with the Bliss line—or any of its ilk—is the short length: I generally feel like I don’t get a good sense of the characters or the setting and the romance is entirely too rushed and unrealistic in fewer than 200 pages. But TASTE THE HEAT manages to bring the vibrant food-and-tradition-steeped culture of Cajun Louisiana to life from the opening line and throughout. I’ve never been to New Orleans or small-town Louisiana, but I definitely feel as if I’ve experienced all the city has to offer vicariously through this book. Bring on the crawfish étouffée and jambalaya! Ms. Harris also lays out the dilemmas driving the story and character growth clearly and from the get-go: sexy fire captain and single father Jason Landry lost his one true love to random violence and now seeks to guard his heart and simply find a companion and mother figure for his daughter Emma; big-city chef Colby Robicheaux has been burnt by infidelity and has sworn off relationships and ever trusting a man again. She ran from tiny Magnolia Springs at 18 to escape a life-altering family secret and is only back in town temporarily to get the family restaurant back on its feet… but seeing her childhood crush all grown up and sexier than ever—and being the perfect dad to his delightful daughter—has her rethinking things. The same is true for Jason: one look at the woman his best friend’s little sister has become (and whom he doesn’t initially recognise in an adorably hilarious meet-cute that sets the tone for the entire novel) and his dormant libido and heart spring to life. Watching the two of them help each other heal from their respective heartbreaks and realise that they want (and deserve) it all is incredibly sweet and heartwarming without being over-the-top and cloying.

Jason is the perfect book boyfriend. Not only is he ridiculously hot, wears a sexy uniform (have I mentioned I have a thing for firefighters?), and knows his way around the kitchen, he’s also selfless (must be the firefighter thing), dedicated to preparing people (especially women) to deal with violence with the ninjitsu classes he teaches at his gym, and one hell of a father despite a crazy shift schedule at the fire station. A man that will brave the feminine products aisle with his tween/teen daughter for her first period (and knows to add a bottle of Midol to his purchases after some help choosing pads) is definitely a keeper. The way he woos Colby and restores her love for her Cajun roots by replacing her painful memories tied to food and the city with delightful, sensual ones… be still, my heart! I seriously want to take him home. I quite liked Colby as well—she has serious trust issues and is quick to jump to the wrong conclusion when it comes to men, but she knows it and acknowledges when she lets that mistrust get the better of her. Watching her learn to open up and the way she is with Emma despite believing she doesn’t have a maternal bone in her body is incredibly satisfying. And she’s hilarious, to boot, which makes her incredibly relatable and easy to root for, even when you want to slap her upside the head for letting her past threaten to ruin things with Jason.

Colby and Jason together are a delightful, awww-inducing couple, and there is plenty of heat between them despite the intimate moments being of the fade-to-black persuasion. In addition to the strong chemistry and all-around adorableness of the romantic leads, TASTE THE HEAT boasts a great cadre of secondary characters whose relationships to the hero and heroine and each other are an integral part of the story and the tight-knit community feel and add a surprising amount of depth and realism to so short a story. Colby’s bad-boy-who’s-really-a-math-nerd older brother Cane gets his own story in SEVEN-DAY FIANCE, and I hope her equally delightful younger sister Sherry gets her own shot at a HEA.

TASTE THE HEAT is one big ball of happy—in a good way. You can see the perfect HEA coming a mile away, but it’s so darn adorable and uplifting that it just makes you want to keep reading and bask in the feel-good vibes. It’s short enough to be read in one sitting, and if you don’t come out of it with a huge smile on your face, there’s no hope for you! I’m looking forward to returning to Magnolia Springs and reading Cane’s story in the next instalment in the series.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes |

Romance is Bliss Event with Roxanne Snopek

Meet Bliss author, Roxanne Snopek.

Roxanne Snopek is the author of ten books, more than 150 articles, and has had short fiction published in several anthologies. She is currently serving as Vice-President of the Romance Writers of America Greater Vancouver Chapter. She and her family live in the Pacific Northwest, where she’s at work on more love stories for Entangled Publishing.

Places to find Roxanne:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: Seven Day Fiance by Rachel Harris

Seven Day Fiance is the second book in the Love and Games series by Rachel Harris. This book features Cane and Angelle. I really enjoyed this story. Cane and Angelle are perfect together and I loved watching as their fake relationship turned into something real. This book is tied to the first book in the series, Taste The Heat, but it can be read as standalone. This is an Entangled Bliss imprint, meaning there isn't a ton of sex or steamy scenes. Usually that would disappoint me, but Rachel Harris's writing and the characters are so good that I didn't find myself missing it as much as I would have thought.

Tired of living up to everyone else's expectations, Angelle moves to a new town where she knows no one. She leaves behind her recent ex after having just turned down his very public proposal, and in the process not only upsetting him, but also her parents and the entire town. Angelle decides to become a firefighter and start living her life the way she wants to for a change. She has lusted after her roommate and friend's brother Cane from afar, knowing that he doesn't do relationships and even if he did she never thinks that he would notice her. But after winning a date with him at a charity auction, she asks him for a favor. She has told her family back home that he is her fiance and they have been asking her to bring him home with her for the holiday. Cane agrees to pretend to be her fiance for the week because not only did she just save him from having to go on a date with his crazy ex, but he has also been lusting after her. He figures with a week of pretending to be in a relationship, he can convince her to have a casual fling with him. But Cane and Angelle begin to really get to know each other as their fake engagement plays out, and there is an instant attraction between them beyond what either of them has ever felt before. The more they give in to their passion, the more they start blurring the lines between fake and real.

I really loved Cane. He was sexy with his tattoos and motorcycle, but also cute and nerdy. I loved that he wasn't your typical hero. I found him to be really interesting and completely unique. I loved that he was so sweet with his goddaughter and also with Angelle's. It was nice to see his soft side. I also really loved how great of a relationship he had with his sisters. You could really tell what a great guy he was and that just made him that much more likable. I also really liked Angelle. I thought that she was strong and determined and very brave. It was nice to see her go after not only a job that is usually a male dominated profession, but also leave everything and everyone she knew in order to change her life to how she wanted to live it. I think that she is one of those heroines that you just can't help but root for. I really liked her and Cane together. I thought that they made a great couple and were able to really help each other get over the issues that they both had. It was nice to see them go from admiring each other from afar to opening up and helping each other heal and grow. I think their relationship was extremely believable despite the short period of time that they actually took to fall in love. It was just so natural and even though they both tried to fight it at times and made some mistakes, when they were together they just had an easy and comfortable way of being without trying too hard.

Overall I really liked this story. This one was a quick and easy read, and I really enjoyed the characters. Not only was this story cute and fun, but I really felt that Harris did a great job of bringing to life the Cajun culture and lifestyle. It was very different from so many other stories that I have read, and I think that Harris described everything so well that the reader really gets drawn into the whole experience. Cane and Angelle were both very likable and interesting characters, but I also really enjoyed the other characters as well. This series is definitely one that I cannot wait to read more of. I am interested to get to know each of the other characters better, and hopefully get some little bits of Cane and Angelle again in the future. I was happy that they got their HEA, but I was wishing the book would have been a little longer so I didn't have to be done with them! I think that the Love and Games Series by Rachel Harris is one that romance fans will really enjoy. The series has so much to offer and I cannot wait to read more in the future. I highly recommend that you give this one a try if you like your romance stories sweet.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

Romance is Bliss Event with Rachel Harris

Meet Bliss author, Rachel Harris.

Rachel Harris grew up in New Orleans, watching soap operas with her grandmother, and staying up late sneak-reading her mama's romance novels. Today, she still stays up late reading romances, only now she does so openly.

A Cajun cowgirl now living in Houston, she firmly believes life's problems can be solved with a hot, sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

She homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches countless hours of Food Network and reality television with her amazing husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult Fun, Flirty Escapes, and LOVES talking with readers!

Places to find Rachel:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: Tempted in the Tropics by Tracy March

Sweet romances are not generally a staple of my reading diet—I tend to favour spice over sugar and usually find myself looking for a dead body and/or some plan to bring down the free world. But having thoroughly enjoyed Tracy March’s delightful THE PRACTICE PROPOSAL, book #1 in her Suddenly Smitten series of lighthearted romances, and wanting hilarious Paige Ellerbee to be my baker BFF, I jumped at the chance to read Paige’s story. TEMPTED IN THE TROPICS proves that Tracy March has mastered the art of the sweet romance, delivering a well-written story that is incredibly fun and sweet (without being saccharine) and full of warm fuzzies, but tempered with the right amount of heat to take it a step beyond your usual Bliss title. And what’s not to love about a Caribbean setting?

Having spent a decade surrounded by (medical) doctor-wannabes and doctors-in-training with overinflated egos, I must confess that I’m a bit prejudiced against doctor heroes. The genius and God complex attitude of many (both in real life and fiction) tends to drive me mad! So I was initially a bit wary of Dr. Lane Anderson and his by-the-book, uptight ways. After the professional and personal debacle of his practice in Austin, Lane arrives in tiny, sleepy Maple Creek, Maryland to run his uncle’s practice for a month while he figures out what’s next in his life (something I can relate to—minus the scandal). Having been burned professionally and personally by his ex-fiancée, he’s quite consumed with re-establishing his medical reputation & ensuring everything he does is completely above reproach and protecting his heart. I can understand his reasons for being so careful and uptight, but it really made me want to loosen him up! Especially since he’s really one of those great doctors who truly cares about his patients. And he saves the day. Plus, he’s ridiculously gorgeous, funny, and sweet. I may be cured of my doctor-hero aversion.

Paige Ellerbee was one of my favourite secondary characters in THE PRACTICE PROPOSAL. She’s smart, she’s sassy, she’s hilarious, and she’s full of heart—when her mother was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, she left her exciting life in DC to move back to Maple Creek and care for her mum. With her mum now gone and her dad’s barbershop struggling, she can’t bear to leave behind the only family she has left and runs her own struggling bakery in Maple Creek—despite dreaming of home and hearth, which seem hard to come by in a town primarily populated by seniors. She’s the type of character you wish were real so she could be your friend, and the relationships she has with Liza and the Sutherlands (from THE PRACTICE PROPOSAL) are genuine and heartwarming. Willing to wear an orange dress as the maid of honour in Liza’s wedding? That’s a true friend! Her first meeting with Lane is equal parts instant attraction and friction, and the two of them—unwitting subjects of a town-wide matchmaking effort—continue to be sweetly antagonistic until they find themselves in the lush tropical paradise of St. Lucia for Liza’s wedding and decide on a no-strings-attached island fling. Their fling is peppered with hilariously embarrassing scenes (loved the walk of shame and the thong(s)!) that had me chuckling the entire time and garnering strange looks from passersby. And, of course, the fling isn’t really a fling because they both fall for each other but see no way of making it work once they return Stateside. That scene at the end where they resolve their differences will have you going “awwwwww!”. Yes, the timeframe from being complete strangers to being together forever is ridiculously short and completely unrealistic, but it’s such an adorably cute, fun journey that it doesn’t matter.

I really like Tracy’s contemporary voice. It’s fresh, modern, and completely approachable—no big words or delusions of literary grandeur. It doesn’t set out to be anything other than lighthearted and romantic fun, and it reads like any conversation you’d have with your twenty-something friends. She does a great job of laying the groundwork for the physical chemistry between the characters and conveying passion and sensuality whilst having the actual intimate scenes occur behind closed doors, which greatly helped counter my major gripe with Bliss (or similar) titles and made it a more enjoyable read.

TEMPTED IN THE TROPICS is a thoroughly enjoyable, quick read, that will have you laughing out loud AND feeling warm & fuzzy. Definitely recommended for fans of Tracy’s Suddenly Smitten series and anyone who likes their romance of the sweet, lighthearted persuasion—particularly if you like hot doctors. I’m looking forward to the next instalment!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo |

Romance is Bliss Event with Tracy March

Meet Bliss author, Tracy March.

Award-winning author Tracy March writes romantic thrillers influenced by her career in the pharmaceutical field, and her interest in science and politics. She also writes lighthearted romances inspired by her real-life happily ever after.

Always up for travel and adventure, Tracy has flown in a stunt plane, snowmobiled on the Continental Divide, ziplined in the Swiss Alps, and been chased by a bull in the mountains of St. Lucia. She loves Nationals baseball, Saturday date nights, and Dairy Queen Blizzards—and rarely goes a day without Diet Coke and Cheez-Its.

Tracy lives in Yorktown, Virginia, with her superhero husband who works for NASA. They recently spent two years living in Washington D.C., and enjoy visiting often—especially when the Nats are in town.

Places to find Tracy: 

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | Dangerous Darlings Street Team | Pinterest | Goodreads | 

ARC Review: Wilde for Her by Tonya Burrows

Eva Cardoso and Camden Wild have known each other for five years. They were both homicide detectives and partners. Camden decides to start a security business with his brothers, Wilde Security. The Wilde brothers all seem like your typical alpha, testosterone filled males.

Eva is not a pushover. She is tough and can hold her own. She had a very tough childhood. Her mother is an addict and was never very “mothering”. Although Eva has other siblings she is only has a relationship with her sister Shelby.

Although Eva and Camden are best friends and attracted to each other they never tested the bonds of their friendship. Eva was in a two year relationship with Preston and Camden was always the best friend that she shared a beer with.

When the novel starts Eva and Cam are at his brother Jude's wedding. Evan and Cam are overwhelmed with their attraction for each other and after a couple of shots and much hesitation they finally give into their intense attraction for each other. This is definitely not your Judy Blume story! When Cam wakes up the following morning Eva is gone! He tries several times to get a hold of her but she refuses to answer the phone. Eva is terrified that their intense night of passion will cost her the only stable and healthy relationship she has ever known. When Eva is called on to investigate a homicide Cam is linked to the death of a homeless man named Soup who also happens to be Cam's informant. Eva finally has to come face to face with Cam and they agree that they don't want to ruin their great friendship, but hey they also cannot ignore that fantastic sex that they share! So they set up a “friends with benefits” type of relationship. Their relationship sizzles and fireworks explode between these two.

Complications arise as Eva learns that Cam has been keeping a secret from her. Someone has put a hit on Cam. Cam doesn't want to worry Eva and doesn't say anything about it to her. Eva also adds complications to their relationship when her ex-boyfriend Preston wants her back. Although Preston never wanted to marry Eva he somehow becomes engaged to another girl, but he realizes it’s a mistake and proses to Eva begging for a second chance. Cam is obviously not happy with this change of events.

As Cam's life is threatened his brothers step in and try to protect him. Eva realizes that she loves Cam and doesn't want to lose him. This is a dynamic story. The element of murder plays an undercurrent to the story and adds to the intrigue. Although both Eva and Cam are tough, they realize that they are exactly what the other one needs.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes |

Romance is Bliss Event with Jennifer Shirk

Meet Bliss author, Jennifer Shirk.

Jennifer Shirk has a bachelor degree in pharmacy-which has in NO WAY at all helped her with her writing career. But she likes to point it out, since it shows romantic-at-hearts come in all shapes, sizes, and mind-numbing educations.

She writes sweet (and sometimes even funny) romances for Samhain Publishing, Avalon Books/Montlake Romance and now Entangled Publishing. She won third place in the RWA 2006 NYC's Kathryn Hayes Love and Laughter Contest with her first book, THE ROLE OF A LIFETIME. Recently, her novel SUNNY DAYS FOR SAM won the 2013 Golden Quill Published Authors Contest for Best Traditional Romance.

Lately she's been on a serious exercise kick. But don't hold that against her.

Places to find Jennifer:

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