Feature and Giveaway: Mr. Misunderstood by Sara Jane Stone

Rule #1: Maintain Control.

You think you know me. The cars, the penthouse, the reputation for delivering women to that “Oh, yes, Gavin” moment… Yeah, I’m the bad boy billionaire who drives your fantasies.

But I’ve traveled a long road to get here. And I played by the rules—the ones I wrote to guarantee I didn’t return to whom I was before.

Until now. The pictures, the story—it’s my past coming back to haunt me. I’ve lost control. And to get it back, I need to change the story.

So I asked my best friend and neighbor for help. Kayla agreed—if I support her growing pack of four-legged misfits.

My life is under control again.

Only I’m falling for my best friend. Now, my New York City apartment is full of rescued pups, my country retreat looks more like an animal sanctuary, and Kayla’s guarding her heart.

And I’m running out of time to prove the girl next door belongs with the billionaire.

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Blind Date with a Book Event with Sara Jane Stone

Sara Jane Stone lives near New York's Hudson River with her very supportive real-life hero, two lively young children, a lazy Burmese cat, and a very active dog. When she is not finger painting with the kids, she loves writing sexy stories, staying up past her bedtime reading red-hot romance, and chatting with her readers on Facebook.

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Feature: The Cinderella Fantasy by Sara Jane Stone

A princess who has lost her faith in love . . .

Lucy Linden’s prince charming (a.k.a. her fiancé) disappeared three months before the Big Day. Determined to pick up the pieces, she dives into the world of online dating. But the only men interested in a woman whose day job involves playing Cinderella leave Lucy looking for an exit strategy before the main course. And the man rushing to her rescue isn’t the solution to her problems. Jared is a walking, talking fantasy—if Lucy’s daydreams began and ended in the bedroom. No one would ever mistake South Florida’s bored billionaire bachelor for a long-term prince.

A man willing to risk everything to prove he’s her prince . . .

Jared Mitchell pushes the limits, in the boardroom and in bed. When his best friend and business partner’s little sister sends up red distress flares, he’s thrust into the role of pseudo-big brother. He’s never had a thing for Cinderella. But now he’s fighting his desire to make the princess his—even if he has to risk his empire to deliver her happy-ever-after ending.

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ARC Review: Mixing Temptation by Sara Jane Stone

Mixing Temptation is the third book in the Second Shot series by Sara Jane Stone. Each book is a standalone story that has interconnected characters. I was interested to get Caroline and Josh's story and I have to say that this has been my favorite book in the series so far. It definitely wasn't an easy journey for these characters, yet I really felt that these two were perfect for one another and deserved their HEA. 

After being in hiding, Caroline Andrews wants nothing more than to take back her life and return to normal. But after everything she has been through, she finds it hard to trust. Josh Summers knows what he wants and he also knows that he has to be patient. But he is willing to wait for Caroline as long as she eventually sees that they belong together. But just as Josh is finally making progress with convincing Caroline to try dating him for real, the past comes back and threatens to destroy everything.

I really liked these two. They were so great together, and Josh could not have been more amazing with Caroline. He was patient with her and never gave up. I loved how caring and supportive he was, with her pushing him away and his loved ones telling him to move on, he insisted that she was the woman for him and I loved that he stuck with it. Caroline had been through so much, and the fact that she was able to come back from it spoke so much about her character and strength. With Josh's help, she was able to move forward after something that no one should ever have to go through. Josh always believed in her though, and that made all the difference. These two had great chemistry and I loved seeing their friendship grow into more. Their connection was so natural and genuine, and I believed that these two were meant for one another all along. 

Overall, this was a great story. I really loved the bond between Caroline and Josh. These two were both a bit broken after what they had been through, but together they were able to heal and grow. Though it was a slow build for them, it felt like everything happened exactly as it should for them and I was so glad to see how everything played out. I have enjoyed this series, and if you are fan of contemporary romance and second chance love stories, this is definitely a series worth checking out.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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Guest Post with Author Sara Jane Stone and Giveaway

Meet Sara Jane Stone author of Mixing Temptation.

After several years on the other side of the publishing industry, Sara Jane Stone bid goodbye to her sales career to pursue her dream-writing romance novels. Sara Jane currently resides in Brooklyn, New York with her very supportive real-life hero, two lively young children and a lazy Burmese cat. Join Sara Jane’s newsletter to receive new release information, news about contests, giveaways, and more!

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ARC Review: Serving Trouble by Sara Jane Stone

Serving Trouble is the first book in the Second Shot Series by Sara Jane Stone. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone story. I have really enjoyed books by Sara Jane Stone before, and I was excited to start this new series of hers. I love a good second chance romance story as well as a best friend's little sister book, but while I liked this one I didn't love it. 

Five years after leaving, Josie Fairmore returns home to look for a job. Suffering from a loss and a ton of debt, Josie is forced to turn to the one man she wishes she didn't have to. He is the same man who gave her one amazing night and then left her behind, also known as her brother's best friend Noah Tager. Noah is home from serving overseas as a Marine, and managing his dad's bar. Noah is determined to get a second chance with Josie, and Josie is determined to protect herself from Noah this time around. But when trouble shows up and Josie is caught up in it, Noah will do whatever it takes to protect her and show her that they are worth taking a chance on. 

Noah and Josie had both been through so much. Each of them had a lot that they had been put through, and they were still suffering because of that. Josie was a fighter though, and I admired her strength. Same with Noah, he had seen so much and was still living with it even after returning home. I thought that these two were great for each other and I really believed that together they were even stronger and could help heal one another. They had chemistry and history, and I liked that even though they were different people than they had been they still fit one another and had a connection to one another.

While I liked them though, I had trouble believing that these two went from having one night together and some history to being fully in love. It felt like something was missing, and it wasn't entirely realistic. I just couldn't see how they got to be where they were, and I wanted to see them really develop that relationship and there just wasn't enough shown here for me to buy into them fully. There also were times that my interest just wasn't held here, and I found myself wanting to either put the book down or skim through and because of that I just didn't love it. It was an okay story and there were things I liked, but there wasn't really anything new or memorable here. I do think that if this sounds like one you are interested in reading, that it is worth the chance. While I didn't love it, it was still a good story and there was a lot to like here.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Stirring Attraction by Sara Jane Stone

Stirring Attraction is the second book in the Second Shot series by Sara Jane Stone. Each book is a standalone story, so you do not need to read these in order to understand them. I have enjoyed everything that I have read from Sara Jane Stone before, and I think that if you are a fan of contemporary romance her books are ones worth reading. 

Dominic and Lily were together before he left to be an Army Ranger. Though he always planned to come back to Lily, a career ending injury left him broken so he stayed away from her. But when Dominic finds out that Lily has been attacked, he heads home to keep her safe. Though Lily has missed Dominic and still wants him, she is also afraid that as soon as she is out of danger he will leave her once again. But as the attraction between them heats up once more, so does the danger. Can Lily and Dominic get through it and find a future together, or will Dominic leave Lily yet again?

I liked both Dominic and Lily. You could see that these two really loved one another despite all the time and distance between them. I never once questioned the feelings between them though. I will admit that Dominic was frustrating here though. While I understood him being broken, I hate that he had left Lily and hurt her. Lily just wanted Dominic, and yet he didn't seem to be able to see that. Lily had never stopped caring about Dominic, yet she was scared to put herself back out there with Dominic after how he had hurt her before. I really felt for her, and I hated that she had been through that. These two had a lot of chemistry though, and I was glad that while they were apart there weren't a ton of other people between them. It was refreshing to see a couple that genuinely loved and cared about each other that didn't start sleeping around despite that just because they weren't together. 

Overall, this was a good story and I did like the characters even when I was a bit frustrated. There were some times that things felt a bit repetitive and I found myself skimming. While I liked the story, I didn't love it. I also felt like I was a bit more invested in the secondary characters here and I found myself wanting to get more of them than the main characters at times. I am looking forward to the next in the series and seeing what Sara Jane Stone has in store for them. I think if you are a fan of second chance romance or contemporary romance novels, this series is one worth checking out. Sara Jane Stone is a great writer and I enjoyed Stirring Attraction.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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

Guest Post with Author Sara Jane Stone and Giveaway

Meet Sara Jane Stone author of Stirring Attraction.

After several years on the other side of the publishing industry, Sara Jane Stone bid goodbye to her sales career to pursue her dream-writing romance novels. Sara Jane currently resides in Brooklyn, New York with her very supportive real-life hero, two lively young children and a lazy Burmese cat. Join Sara Jane’s newsletter to receive new release information, news about contests, giveaways, and more!

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May Brazen Release Blast with Jennifer Bonds, Megan Erickson and Sara Jane Stone

I know how much you love a good binge! Forget those TV shows that have left you hanging for months and grab the latest releases from Brazen. These final titles complete each series which means you get commercial free binges that'll keep you entertained all month long.

Guest Post with Author Sara Jane Stone and Giveaway

Meet Sara Jane Stone author of Serving Trouble.

After several years on the other side of the publishing industry, Sara Jane Stone bid goodbye to her sales career to pursue her dream-writing romance novels. Sara Jane currently resides in Brooklyn, New York with her very supportive real-life hero, two lively young children and a lazy Burmese cat. Join Sara Jane’s newsletter to receive new release information, news about contests, giveaways, and more!

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ARC Review: To Dare A Seal by Sara Jane Stone

This is one of those kind of weird book experiences for me. When I started this book I thought I was going to love it and there were things about it that I did love. But then there were things that I really didn't love or even like. When I take it all in, the book winds up being ok but not great.

I feel like I'm on a bad streak of book heroines and Natalie was par for a really bad course. I just didn't like Natalie. Now if you know me, you know I hate weak heroines and Natalie was not that. My problem was that in an effort to make Natalie "not weak" I felt like the author over constructed Natalie's walls. There was just too much time in the book where Natalie was rude to Jack because she was all "I can't let him in, I won't let him in, I can't let him in." WHATEVER, we get it, you're emotionally closed off but what's next?

As for our hero Jack, I like Jack. Jack is the strong alpha male hero that always gives me the warm fuzzies. The problem I have with Jack is what always happens when we have heroines like Natalie, when the heroes tolerate their ridiculous behavior, I start to get tired of the heroes.

In this book, Jack makes a bet that he can get in Natalie's pants before he leaves on another tour. Natalie overhears the bet and decides 'game on' because she is not going to let it happen. Then Natalie and Jack take a long road trip. Jack tells Natalie a nasty bedtime story, weird ish happens, Natalie makes an emotional connection to Jack against her better judgment and you get where the rest of this is going.

I couldn't really understand a lot of Natalie's reactions to things. She was like 3 different characters. There was emotionally vulnerable, weepy Natalie, there was sexy Natalie and then Natalie the witch. Which iteration of Natalie appeared in the story seemed totally unrelated to what was actually going on in the story and she would change very rapidly.

The sex in the book is pretty good (once we get there), the writing is good, the book is easy to read but ugh, I just did not like Natalie. I like this author and I will definitely pick up other books by her.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: To Tempt a Seal by Sara Jane Stone

To Tempt a Seal was a short and sexy read from Sara Jane Stone. It is the first book in her Sin City SEALs series, and it can be read as a standalone. This one was a quick and easy read, and I liked the characters. That being said, I did have a few things that I would have liked to have seen done differently though and that is why this one was good not great in my opinion. 

After a tough childhood and living her life with the constant looks that her scars seem to attract, Lucia Lewis heads to Las Vegas in order to fulfill her fantasies. She is attending a masquerade ball for a restaurant opening, and thinks it will be the perfect night to achieve her desires with a stranger who never has to see what her face really looks like. When she meets the sexy Navy SEAL Cade Daniels, she knows she is in for the night of her life. Cade and Lucia instantly hit it off, and the chemistry between them is off the charts. But Cade is in Vegas on a mission for his best friend, to protect her little sister from making a huge mistake. Even though Cade promised to keep her out of trouble and keep his hands off her, he can't fight what is happening between him and Lucia. But can these two possibly have anything together when Lucia doesn't know the truth?

I liked these two characters. Cade was sweet and sexy, and I liked that he was so encouraging with Lucia. He showed her that she was beautiful inside and out, and that her scars didn't change who she was. He was great with her, and I liked how he didn't pity her. Lucia was easy to like, and I felt bad for her because of all that she had been through. It wouldn't be an easy life to have such a prominently placed set of scars, and unfortunately some people treat others different because of that kind of thing. But Cade didn't even flinch, and it didn't change the way he viewed her at all. Besides her appearance, Lucia was a strong and successful woman and I really liked that she was so creative and helpful to others. It was good to see her gain more confidence in her physical appearance as well, and I think that her growth was great to watch. Cade and Lucia had chemistry right away, and these two were extremely hot together. I do feel like their emotional connection felt rushed though, and I would have liked to have seen them connecting more than just physically most of the time.

Besides the relationship being so rushed for these two, (we are talking love in a matter of days), I thought that the ending was a bit predictable and cheesy. I thought that once the truth came out Lucia forgave both Cade and her sister far too easily. There seemed to be no real fallout, and I just found that to be unrealistic. Things were all tied up with a neat bow, and I was hoping and expecting more than that. I still think that these characters were great, but their story could have been better, especially when it came to the ending. I would read more from Sara Jane Stone though, and I think that if you are looking for a short and sexy story this might be one worth looking into.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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

Guest Post with Author Sara Jane Stone and Giveaway

Meet Sara Jane Stone author of To Tempt a Seal.

After several years on the other side of the publishing industry, Sara Jane Stone bid goodbye to her sales career to pursue her dream—writing romance novels. Sara Jane currently resides in Brooklyn, New York with her very supportive real-life hero, two lively young children and a lazy Burmese cat.

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ARC Review: Wild With You by Sara Jane Stone

Sweet, easy read.

I immediately liked the premise of this book. Kat is a doctor in NY but she's from Independence Falls ("IF") where she got a rough start in life. As an IF resident, Kat was basically the invisible foster child that nobody wanted. Brody is a lifetime resident of IF who has been taking care of his brothers and sister. Brody is always the responsible self sacrificing one and for once he wants the chance to get what he wants (which is apparently hot sex with a bit of kink). Kat wants to avenge her entire youth by hooking up with the hot guy who starred in her high school crush fantasies. Kat returns to IF to provide her medical expertise to Brody's brother and that's where the party starts.

I liked the connection between Brody and Kat right from the beginning of this book. What I particularly like is the fact that even though both Brody and Kat are trying to get their rocks off from jump, their interactions immediately go deeper. I'm ok with insta-love but I really appreciate when I have a sense of what is the characters love about one another. In this book, it was clear to me that Brody needed someone who he could lose control with and Kat needed someone who she could give control to. It was the perfect combination.

I found the depiction of Kat, her background and her reaction to being back in IF to be touching. I liked that the author explored the fact that sometimes we outgrow our past even while the people from the past are not quite as...evolved. I also really felt Kat trying to prove to herself and Brody that she was not the poor girl with the raggedy sneakers anymore. I had moments where her introspection on that point got a little redundant but I got the picture and I think it added to the story.

Brody is a book boyfriend in the truest sense. He's an all around guy, caring, a little alpha and a little kinky (very very low on the kink scale but he's from a place called Independence Falls so I guess he did the best he could). I like that Brody has an internal struggle about whether it's ok for him to be with Kat and I love that he gets the effect that her past has on her. Brody is literally the guy you want to be your boyfriend (unless you're super kinky in which case your nasty self will need to find somebody else).

The writing of this book is good, the plot is interesting and moves at a good pace. The supporting characters enhance the overall story line without overshadowing it. Speaking of which, shout out to Amnesia Josh. I thought it was so creative of the author to write in someone with short term memory issues. I appreciate when authors do a little research so that they can include something unique in the story line and that was done here. The sex wasn't all that great but this is contemporary romance so I can deal with the so-so sex.

I definitely recommend this book, especially for you contemporary romance fans and I will be back to see what this author is up to next.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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