Feature and Giveaway: Romancing the Bachelor by Diane Alberts

Eric Hamilton isn’t looking for love. Hell, he isn’t even looking for a girl. He has a five-year plan, and he’s one hundred percent focused on that. But then Shelby walks into his life, and suddenly, he can’t think about anything else. Unfortunately for him, she hates his guts, and wants nothing to do with him. But he’s a man who loves a challenge.

Shelby Jefferson can’t wait to get out of the city, and back to her country roots. She moved to Atlanta for a guy who promptly left her, and the last thing she wants is to fall for another man who might make her want to stay. But Eric is nothing if not persistent, and before long she’s inside his arms, in his bed, and she’s falling for him. Hard. But when history repeats itself, and she has to choose between a man and herself––again.

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo |

ARC Review: Say You're Mine by Diane Alberts

Say You're Mine is the fifth book in the Shillings Agency series by Diane Alberts. Each book is a standalone story with interconnected characters, and if you read Taking What's His you will recognize Steven as Lydia's brother from that story. It isn't necessary for you to have read any of the previous books, though you will see some familiar faces. 

Steven Thomas has always been able to count on his best friend Lauren Brixton no matter what he has been through. They have known each other since they were kids and no one knows them better than they know each other. Steven has managed to mess up a lot of relationships, but Lauren is the one he has never screwed up. But when Steven continues to try and drown out the things he can't forget, one drunken night changes everything between them and Steven starts seeing Lauren differently. Lauren has always loved Steven, and she has watched him go through women and booze while never giving her a second look. But when one night changes everything, can she show him what they could have together or will they ruin everything between them?

I liked both Lauren and Steven, and it was obvious how close they were. They had always been there for one another, and I loved their connection. I did think it was a bit weird that Steven just randomly started seeing her in a different light and that the attraction seemed so sudden for him. It was as if a switch just flipped and that didn't really feel genuine to me. The other problem I had here was that these two were so immature at times. They didn't communicate, they made assumptions and flat out just didn't seem to really know what they wanted at times. Things seemed to be blown out of proportion and the drama seemed forced. It just didn't really work for me and I didn't care for the back and forth that was constant here. 

While I did like parts of this book and believed that they had a connection and chemistry, I didn't really believe the way everything happened. It just seemed to be so rushed and forced, and I wanted to see more of their natural connection and chemistry without all the hot and cold behavior. Lauren had wanted Steven for so long and yet she didn't want to take the chance and Steven wanted to take a chance, but yet he couldn't say it and neither could she. It just got to the point that I was exhausted and didn't really care anymore. I think that this one could have been great, but unfortunately it was just okay for me. I have really loved books by Diane Alberts/Jen McLaughlin before and I know this wont be the last book I read by her. This series is really good and while this one wasn't my favorite, I did like it.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depository | iTunes | 

ARC Review: Beauty and the Boss by Diane Alberts

I have read quite a few books at this point from Diane Alberts/Jen McLaughlin, so when I saw she was doing a series based on fairytales I was really excited. I really love modern fairytales and I couldn't wait to see what she would bring to the table with Beauty and the Boss. While this one was okay, I did have some problems with the story. 

Benjamin Gale III (as he is referred to multiple times here, in case the reader might forget) doesn't believe in love. He has a lot to prove when it comes to his family's business, and he has no time for anything else but work. Maggie Donovan has had her share of back luck with men, and at this point she isn't looking for love ever. But the attraction between her and her boss Benjamin (also known as The Beast around the office) comes to a head one night while they are working late, despite the fact that office relationships are forbidden. So when Maggie claims to be his fiance when they are confronted with his mother and a difficult situation, Maggie and Benjamin agree to go along with the ruse to benefit them both. But as they spend more time together, the lines between real and fake begin to blur. When Benjamin is given the ultimatum to give her up or lose everything, will he choose the life he has known and been expected to live, or the chance at love and a future with Maggie?

While Maggie and Benjamin (I refuse to call him Benji like Maggie did) were likable enough characters, I felt like they were so cliched and too cookie-cutter to really stand out here. Benjamin was your typical workaholic rich alpha, grumpy and unapproachable to all but Maggie. Maggie was your cute and sweet, yet terribly naive small town farm girl transported to the big city. They did have chemistry and were sexy together, but I honestly just didn't connect to them at all. They were just your run of the mill characters and I didn't feel invested in their story or relationship. 

I also felt like the big conflict here was just as cliched and over the top as Benjamin and Maggie's characters. Benjamin's villain of a mother was hell bent on destroying everything around her and she was just as ridiculous and over the top as you would expect for a classic evil mother to be in a fairytale. While I do love fairytales re-imagined and given a modern twist, this Beauty and the Beast meets Cinderella story just missed the mark for me. It fell flat and I found myself skimming at times to get to the end and see how everything turned out. This one felt like it had all been done before, with nothing new or exciting brought to the table. While it was a quick light read, it wasn't overly memorable. If you are looking for something with some sweet and sexy moments that you can read in a few hours, you might give this one a shot. But if you are looking for something new or different, you might want to skip this one.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depository | iTunes | 

Feature and Giveaway: Beauty and the Boss by Diane Alberts

Beauty is about to tame her beast...

Researcher Maggie Donovan has no luck with men, and it doesn't help that she can't keep her eyes off of her sexy boss - the one everyone else in the office calls The Beast. Relationships in the office are forbidden. So no one is more surprised than Maggie when she pretends to be his fiancée to save him during a difficult situation. Not only has she put her job on the line, but the future of the company.

Billionaire Benjamin Gale III doesn't believe in love or romance, but the look on his mother's face when Maggie tells her that she's his fiancée is worth millions. Instead of firing her for her insubordination, he goes along with the ruse. In his arms-and in his bed-she'd be everything he could ever want…which is why he can't have her.

But if he doesn't let her go, they'll lose everything…

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo |

ARC Review: Taking What's His by Diane Alberts

I loved this story. This book may not have been one of the epic life changing literary works of art but I loved it all the same. This is my first Diane Albert book but apparently it's #4 in the "Shillings Agency" series. This is absolutely a standalone so feel free to dive right in. I'm already planning to check out other books in the series.

Holt is a tortured former Marine dulling his pain with a variety of sketchy sex. Liv is the younger (but fully grown) sister of one of his best friends who is fresh off a relationship with a true a-hole. Liv tries to sneak in one night with Holt before he figures out who she is but of course following the one night he immediately figures out who she is and spends the rest of the book doing a really bad job of staying away from her.

Ok so maybe I'm a little twisted because I love a tortured Hero and Holt fed my fetish. What sets Holt a part from other tortured Hero's is that his PTSD issues were so well depicted that they didn't feel contrived for the sake of the plot. Diane Albert must have bothered to do some research into the experiences of soldiers following war and I really appreciated how genuine Holt's struggles come across. I can't say enough about how I loved Holt and the way he tried to suffer in silence. I just loved it.

As for Liv, I loved her too. I didn't get as much from Liv as I got from Holt but that's ok. Liv's role was mostly to support Holt and remain open to him despite his continued eff ups. I like that role in a heroine, especially when it's accompanied by some back bone which Liv definitely had.

I love a back and forth relationship where one party is trying to resist while the other is telling them to just let go. Of course they never get it until it's too late (sort of) but the conflict is so delicious. Even though you know we're headed for a HEA, the emotional volley is still delicious to watch.

For my lovers of smoking hot steam (like me), this was like a 3.8 on the steam scale. It was nothing inspiring but it was pretty good.

This was my first "sexy nerd" read. I'm more of a bad boy type of girl but I gotta say, this totally worked for me.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N | iTunes |

ARC Review: Seducing the Princess by Diane Alberts

Seducing the Princess is the third book in the Shillings Agency series by Jen McLaughlin writing as Diane Alberts. This book is a standalone with interconnected characters, and you do not need to have read the rest of the series to understand this story though fans of the series will recognize some familiar faces. I thought that this book was a quick and easy read that was enjoyable. While there were parts that I enjoyed, this story wasn't anything really new or fresh. It was good, but I just didn't love it.

Gordon Waybrook has just received the assignment to protect a princess for the Shillings Agency, and is not looking forward to dealing with an entitled snob. To make matters worse, she shows up late to their first meeting. But once he starts to get to know princess Isabelle, he quickly realizes that he was all wrong about her. She is feisty and sexier than he would have thought, and they decide to spend a passionate night together. Though Isabelle wants Gordon, she knows that they can't have anything beyond a quick fling with her duty being to her country. She is set to marry a prince that will help her country regardless of the fact that she doesn't want to marry the stranger. But soon Gordon and Isabelle are developing real feelings for one another, and both of them would do anything to keep Isabelle from marrying someone else.

Gordon was a sexy bodyguard and former marine that was also a really great guy. He had a great code of ethics, and was determined to be an honorable guy after what his father put his mother through. Though he wanted Isabelle, once he found out there was a possibility of someone else in her life he did his best to keep his distance and remain professional despite his feelings. I really admired that about him, and it made me think he was that much greater. He was commanding and alpha, and I enjoyed seeing him boss Isabelle around in the bedroom. Isabelle was feisty and I loved that she wasn't a mild and meek Disney type princess. She was committed to doing the right thing for her country, but she also wasn't afraid to be who she was or go after what she wanted. I liked that what Gordon did had no bearing on her feelings for him, and she wasn't stuck up or entitled at all. These two had amazing chemistry right from the start and were super hot together. I thought that their sexy scenes were definitely the highlights of this book.

I will say though that I felt like this book was pretty rushed, and I didn't fully buy into their emotional connection. Yes, they did share things with one another that they typically didn't with others, but I really saw more of the lust between them than actual love. Gordon even admitted that he wasn't sure what love was or that he felt it for Isabelle. I wish that we could have seen more of the depth and developing bond between them, rather that just the physical side and the constant push and pull. I think that her indecision on if she should put herself or her country first hurt the development of her relationship with Gordon, and I would have liked to have seen her figure things out a bit sooner. It wasn't all Isabelle's fault though, as Gordon made plenty of mistakes himself. I also thought that their relationship suffered from so many outsiders interfering, but with Isabelle being a Royal it was realistic. I wish that Isabelle and Gordon had actually talked more though, as I think that better communication would have cleared up a lot of the problems and assumptions between them. While I enjoyed and liked this story, it isn't one that I would read over and over. I thought that the sex between them was hot and steamy, but beyond that the story to me was just okay. If you are looking for a good story with plenty of sexy times, you might give this one a shot. But if you are looking for more depth, this might not be the story for you.

**ARC Provided by Entangled Publishing**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N |

A Naughty New Year...Brazen Style with Diane Alberts and Giveaway

Diane Alberts is a multi-published, bestselling contemporary romance author with Entangled Publishing. She also writes New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling new adult books under the name Jen McLaughlin. She’s hit the Top 100 lists on Amazon and Barnes and Noble numerous times with numerous titles. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. Diane is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

Diane has always been a dreamer with a vivid imagination, but it wasn’t until 2011 that she put her pen where her brain was, and became a published author. Since receiving her first contract offer, she has yet to stop writing. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and a cat. Her goal is to write so many fantastic stories that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

Find Diane at:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: Stealing His Heart by Diane Alberts

Diane Alberts (Jen McLaughlin) is always able to deliver a good sexy read, and I love her stories and writing style. I was super excited when I found out that Stealing His Heart featured Jake Forsythe after reading his sister Christine's story in Falling For the Groomsman which was her contribution to the Wedding Dare series. This book was a lot of fun to read, and I really liked this second chance romance between Tara and Jake. This book is the second book in the Shilling Agency series, but is a standalone story that can be read without reading the first book.

Tara Harris steals for a living, but she only targets those that stole the items she is to retrieve. When she gets caught breaking into a home, the last person that she expects to see is Jake Forsythe. Jake and Tara had known each other forever and then one night things got hot between them, but he left her before finishing what he started. He went overseas in the military and Tara hadn't seen him since. Now he is back to figure out how Tara was able to break in and steal a vase from a system he designed. Jake will stop at nothing to figure out what he needs to know, even if that means sending Tara to jail. But Tara isn't willing to give him the information to help his sleazy client, even though she still has feelings for him. As things heat up between them, their feelings for one another are brought back and before long they are both feeling more for each other than is good for them. Can they both find a way to make it through everything to have a relationship together, or will there be too many things standing in their way for them to have a shot?

I liked Jake a lot. He was smart and sexy, and really protective of Tara. He wanted to find out what he needed to, but he also didn't want to ever hurt Tara or allow someone else to. I loved how he was able to loosen up with Tara after everything that he had been through, and she really brought him back to life. Their banter and tricking each other was so much fun to read about. I really liked how Jake remembered everything about Tara though, and it really showed how much he had always cared about her. Tara was strong and independent, and I loved the idea of a thief with a conscience. She was an awesome heroine to read about and I thought that she was so smart. I could really feel the chemistry between her and Jake and loved their history together. It was great to watch them fall for one another all over again while trying to keep each other at arms length.

While I really liked Jake and Tara, I did also feel like there were a few things that could have been better in my opinion. I felt like some of the dialogue got repetitive at times, and I would find myself going back to see if I had just read the same thing a paragraph or two previous. I also felt like the urgency of her telling them the code wasn't as dire as they made it out to be considering all the steamy times and the trip to the carnival, but otherwise I thought that this was a good story. This book was fun and sexy, and I really enjoyed the dirty talk and Jake's dominant ways. These two were really hot together and I loved that they couldn't keep their hands off each other. If you are looking for a fun and sexy story with a good amount of steam and sweetness I definitely recommend this book or anything by Diane Alberts/Jen McLaughlin. I can't wait for her next book, and she is one of those authors that I know will always deliver a story that I am going to really like!

**ARC Provided by Entangled Publishing**

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N |

ARC Review: Falling for the Groomsman by Diane Alberts

Falling for the Groomsman by Diane Alberts is the first book in the Wedding Dare Series that centers around Kady and Colt's wedding from Dare to Resist by Laura Kaye. This series is all based around their wedding and each novella can be read as standalones with interconnected characters. I really enjoyed seeing Kady and Colt fall in love and would suggest starting at the beginning but it wasn't necessary. Falling for the Groomsman features Kady's friend Christine and Kady's brother Tyler.

Christine is a journalist that is getting ready to move back to Maine where she is from. She makes a list of sexual goals for herself to complete while at her friend's wedding to loosen her up a bit. But when she crashes into the sexy Tyler, she realizes that her list needs some changes made. Tyler took her virginity years before while they were on a trip to Mexico with friends and then left her right after apologizing to her. Tyler is determined to win her over after his mistake years ago, but Christine has ideas of making him pay. Can Tyler and Christine get over the past and find a way to turn their undeniable connection into something more for the future, or will there be too many obstacles for them to overcome?

Tyler and Christina both had their moments for me. I liked them at times, and then others they irritated me. I felt like both of them reacted horribly at times and that they both were a bit immature about things. They wouldn't listen to each other most of the time, and jumped to conclusions while running away from each other. But I did like them together and thought that they had really great chemistry. They were really hot together, and I was rooting for them to figure things out all along. I enjoyed some of their banter though, and the way that they interacted when they weren't sniping at each other. I also thought it was cute that Tyler called her Red because he wanted something that was just his for her.

While I felt that the big conflict at the end was a little weak, I really liked how things ended altogether. Diane Alberts was able to give these characters a very real and satisfying ending, and I thought that it was perfect for the characters. I definitely recommend this story and series, and I really love this whole concept. It's so great to get to see how all these characters fit together, and I think it offers readers such a unique experience. I really enjoyed this installment by Diane Alberts, and look forward to reading more from her in the future.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N |

Feature and Giveaway: The Wedding Dare Series by Laura Kaye, Diane Alberts, Tessa Bailey, Katee Robert and Samanthe Beck

The Wedding Dare Series

1 Wedding...4 Hot Stories

Guest Post with Diane Alberts and Giveaway

Meet Diane Alberts, author of Temporarily Yours.

Diane Alberts is a multi-published, bestselling contemporary romance author with Entangled Publishing. She also writes New York Times and USA Today bestselling new adult books under the name Jen McLaughlin. ON ONE CONDITION hit #18 on the Barnes and Noble bestseller list, and TRY ME hit #76 on Amazon. CAPTIVATED BY YOU hit #31 on the Barnes and Noble bestseller list. Diane is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency. Her goal is to write so many fantastic stories that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

Diane has always been a dreamer with a vivid imagination, but it wasn’t until 2011 that she put her pen where her brain was, and became a published author. Since receiving her first contract offer, she has yet to stop writing. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, a cat, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she’s not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another.

Find Diane at:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: Love Me by Diane Alberts

At first glance this book has so much promise. The cover is hot and the blurb sounds fabulous! I wanted to love this book, but the more I got into it, the more I realized that it was not going to happen. Thomas is in town to try and acquire a new account. Brianna happens to be the client he is meeting and although the attraction is instant, they get off to a rocky start. Both Thomas and Brianna come to this relationship with a lot of baggage. He has an ex-wife who cheated on him and treated him horribly, which seriously damaged his confidence and his ability to open up to people. Brianna is a widow with three young children at home and is afraid to let go of her husband and move on.

Although I liked both characters, I found that there was a lot of repetition in their behaviors. They didn't really seem to develop individually or as a couple. I also found the relationship between them to be unbelievable. The entire relationship progresses over a period of two weeks. In this time not only are they seeing each other, but Thomas is spending time with her children and instantly bonding with them. He also has to decide within the two week period if he will return to California where he is currently living or if he will accept a permanent position in Las Vegas where he will be closer to Brianna and her kids. It just felt too rushed and unrealistic to me. I think I would have felt differently if it would have been a few months rather than a few weeks.

Overall, the few sex scenes there were had a lot of chemistry and were really hot. I wish the author would have shown more of Thomas and Brianna interacting and really allowing a relationship to develop. I think a longer time period would have really helped, and made this a completely different book. If you are looking for a quick romance with a lot of fluff, then you would probably enjoy this. However if you are looking for a realistic developed romance I probably wouldn't recommend this book for you.


**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

Guest Post with Author Diane Alberts and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome back to RFTC author Diane Alberts  Diane is celebrating the newest release in her Take a Chance series, Love Me and has stopped by to chat. Please give Diane a warm welcome.

Diane Alberts is a multi-published, bestselling author with Entangled Publishing, Swoon Romance, and Decadent Publishing. She has, as of this date, four books with Entangled Publishing, one book with Swoon Romance, and five older books with Decadent Publishing. Her February release with Entangled Publishing, ON ONE CONDITION, hit #18 on the Barnes and Noble bestseller list, and TRY ME hit #76 on Amazon. Her Swoon Romance novella, CAPTIVATED BY YOU, hit #31 on the Barnes and Noble bestseller list. Diane is represented by Louise Fury from the L. Perkins Agency.

Places to find Diane:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

Weekly Winners

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


Virna DePaul
Mine To Hold by Shayla Black

Sienny
Invitation to Scandal by Bronwen Evans

Filia
Divinely Ruined by Diane Alberts

Shannon
Worth the Risk + $10 Gift Card from Robin Bielman

Yvette
Desires Unleashed by D.N. Simmons

Juliana
Dancing Naked in Dixie by Lauren Clark

**Replacement Winner**
Joanne
Melody
Choice of Renegade Passion or Wicked Werewolf Night by Lisa Renee Jones

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

Guest Post with Diane Alberts and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome back to the blog author Diane Alberts. Diane has stopped by today to chat about her new book Divinely Ruined, but before we chat let's get to know Diane a bit more.

Diane Alberts has always been a dreamer with a vivid imagination, but it wasn’t until 2011 that she put her pen where her brain was, and became a published author. Since receiving her first contract offer, she has yet to stop writing. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she’s not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another.

She is a multi-published, bestselling author with Entangled Publishing and Decadent Publishing. She is repped by her fabulous agent, Lauren Hammond of ADA Management. She has, as of this date, three books with Entangled Publishing, and five books with Decadent Publishing. Her February release with Entangled Publishing, ON ONE CONDITION, hit #18 on the Barnes and Noble Bestseller List.

Places to find Diane:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |

Interview with Author Diane Alberts and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome back to the blog author Diane Alberts. Diane is currently on tour and has stopped by the blog to chat, but before we chat let's get to know Diane a bit more.

Best-selling author of all things romance. Diane believes strongly in a happily-ever-after for everyone. She especially loves tortured heroes and heroines, as can be seen in her stories. She is repped by the fabulous Lauren Hammond of ADA Management. In addition to being a writer, Diane also reads slush for Entangled Publishing as an intern.

Diane Alberts lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her husband, four kids, and a bird. She lives in the mountains-but wishes it were the beach. She has been writing since she was in elementary school, but only recently fulfilled her dreams of being published in 2011. Enjoys dyeing yarn and knitting in her “spare” time.

Places to find Diane:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |

Reclaimed Winner

Congratulations to

Bre A 

On winning an eBook copy of Reclaimed by Diane Alberts

Book Spotlight: Reclaimed with Diane Alberts and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome back to the blog author Diane Alberts. Diane is currently on tour promoting her recently released book Reclaimed, and has stopped by to share an exclusive excerpt from her book. So take a look and let Diane know what you think.

After moving to England, Sabrina tumbles into an unknown world when she meets the man who has appeared to her in her dreams. After recovering from shock, she wonders how it is possible that Isaac could be in her dreams-before she met him. The shocking answers catapult her into a world where ruthless creatures roam freely along unsuspecting humans, and battle lines are clearly drawn.

While embarking on a dangerous and passionate affair, a bitter enemy appears from Isaac’s past that will stop at nothing to remove her from Isaac’s arms. Permanently. In order to establish a foreseeable and solid future, Sabrina must first deal with a tumultuous past. Navigating a shadowy world she never knew existed; Sabrina fights for her newfound love…and her life.