Weekly Winners

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

Rebe
May
Save the Date by Susan Hatler

Emilia
Meet Me at Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan

Lindsey
Archer by Debra Kayn

Yadira
Spin by Bella Love

Donna
Forgotten Sins by Rebecca Zanetti

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

ARC Review: Dark Waters by Toni Anderson

Toni Anderson’s DARK WATERS skillfully straddles the line between thriller and romantic suspense: action-packed, suspenseful, and dark, but primarily character (and relationship)-driven. Though technically a follow-up of sorts to 2012’s DANGEROUS WATERS, it can be read as a standalone without spoiling the preceding storyline—in fact, Ms. Anderson is careful to refer to some of the major events in that book without revealing the villain(s). The hero of DARK WATERS, Brent Carver, and some of his backstory are introduced in the previous title, but that backstory is revisited and further explored to make him a complete, three-dimensional character without having read the preceding book. Having been thoroughly intrigued by Brent’s character in DANGEROUS WATERS, I was looking forward to his story, and Ms. Anderson does him justice by delivering a gripping tale that is equal parts page-turning suspense with a truly depraved villain and heartwarming romance between two skittish, reluctant characters with dark pasts—with the refreshing addition of a Canadian setting.

[NOTE: Sexual assault plays a key role in the heroine’s and main villain’s psyches, so anyone for whom this is a trigger should avoid this novel]

I was sucked into the story from the prologue, where a frantic phone call from her ex-con father about diverting $60 million of stolen (laundered) funds and mailing the evidence before he is killed thrusts schoolteacher Anna Silver’s staid life into a pulse-pounding conspiracy of murder and intrigue. Warned that she is now in imminent danger, her father’s final message instructs Anna to turn to the only other person he trusts: former cellmate and current brooding recluse Brent Carver. Torn between his reluctance to get involved and his loyalty to Anna’s father, he agrees to help her find the truth and the two of them soon find themselves running for their lives from a cadre of military-trained killers who will stop at nothing to get their money back and eliminate all witnesses. But despite the well-written and tautly-paced murder, mayhem, and edge-of-your-seat action that will keep you feverishly turning pages to see how things unfold—all of which are typical of well-crafted thrillers—what makes DARK WATERS a gripping read is its focus on its hero and heroine and their emotional arc as they overcome their pasts and build a relationship.

Anna Silver’s safe, unremarkable life and tendency to date uninspiring beta males is the product of a turbulent childhood: her father’s humiliating arrest and conviction for (supposedly) stealing city money, her mother’s subsequent emotional detachment and hasty remarriage, and an unreported sexual assault on prom night that drove her to attempt suicide. She has secrets, she has never openly discussed her attack, and she has major trust issues—especially with men—and yet she finds herself inexplicably attracted to and falling for Brent: an ex-con like her father and a man who, by all rights, should terrify her. Despite all she has endured, her way of dealing with it has mostly been denial and settling into a controlled, insipid life without a whiff of further scandal, and seeing how her deepening relationship with Brent enables her to face her demons and have the courage to be honest about her emotions is incredibly rewarding. Even with the bordering-on-TSTL moment at the end. Brent Carver is equally scarred: having spent 20 years in prison for killing his abusive father at age 16, he is brooding, guilt-ridden over his inability to protect those he loves, and hell-bent on isolating himself because he doesn’t believe he deserves happiness and love. Especially not from a ‘good girl’ like Anna. He wants to be left alone to live out his days in peace and paint, but he cannot turn away from his promise to Anna’s father to look out for her and his mile-wide protective streak when she shows up at his door seeking help. Initially, he doesn’t trust anyone—not even his younger brother and his RCMP Sergeant fiancée—and will do anything to never return to prison, but whilst trying to protect Anna and running for their lives, he learns to open up and let people in. He may be all surly and gruff and feel like he can’t be trusted with emotional entanglements of any sort, but a man willing to give up his freedom—the only thing he’s valued since being released from prison—to save the woman he loves but doesn’t feel like he deserves can be my book boyfriend any day. The two of them are perfect for each other and bring out the best in each other, and the way they help each other heal is compelling—even if it takes only a couple of weeks.

Overall, DARK WATERS is a great character-driven romantic thriller with plenty of action and great writing. I especially liked the opportunity to catch up with kickass supercop Holly Rudd and Finn Carver from the previous novel and the fact that it’s set in Canada, an uncommon setting for mainstream romantic suspense. I felt that the main villain, Rand, strayed sometimes into cookie-cutter uber-depraved evilness (but bonus points for the extra high creep factor!) and that a secondary plot involving the heroine’s mother could’ve been more thoroughly developed in order to have greater impact during a key plot twist, but these were minor grievances that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of Ms. Anderson’s work that I have read and recommend it to lovers of romantic suspense and romantic thrillers.

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Guest Post with Author Melissa Kendall

Welcome author Melissa Kendall. Melissa is here to chat about her newest release, Curve My Appetite.

I am a 37 year-old stay at home mum and part-time Software Support Consultant. I live in Perth Western Australia the second most isolated capital city in the world with the nearest city over 2000km away.

I've always loved to read and write and spent most of my teens scribbling poetry and short stories on any scrap of paper I could get my hands on. Over the years as daily life pressures got in the way I lost the passion for it. After my son was born, I discovered e-books and my interest in writing was rekindled. It has been a large part of my life ever since.

I write a little bit of everything but contemporary erotic romance is my favourite genre. Keep up with what's happening with me by clicking the images below.

Places to find Melissa:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: Unexpected by Maisey Yates

Having thoroughly enjoyed UNBUTTONED, the sexy novella that kicked off Maisey Yates’s Silver Creek small-town contemporary romance series, I was really looking forward to reading the next full-length entry into the series. In UNEXPECTED, Ms. Yates puts a unique spin on the intimate strangers trope (with a dash of kind-of-secret-baby) to craft a sensual, emotional story with two great characters loaded with issues that’s thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying.

Heroine Kelsey Noble is the odd woman out in her family, having traded her rural Oregon town for the city and the burning desire to marry straight out of high school for a university education and a job as a syndicated health & wellness columnist. When the book starts, she’s at her youngest sister’s wedding, tired of fielding questions about her nonexistent love life and marriage prospects after catching her then-fiancé in bed with another woman. Six years ago. Not feeling particularly favourable toward the male species but desperately craving a family of her own, she finally decides to brave her family’s inevitable disappointment and (secretly) have a baby on her own. Enter sexy-as-sin cowboy hero Cole Mitchell, a man who’s come out of a hellish marriage and has no interest in children of his own. A clerical error at the fertility clinic where his ex-wife had made him bank sperm for their future children has made him the unwitting father of Kelsey’s baby. His sense of chivalry and need for order won’t let him turn his back on his unborn child, so Kelsey relocates to his eastern Oregon ranch temporarily so they can get to know each other and figure out how to co-parent their future child. Throw in a healthy dose of pregnancy hormones, a scorching sexual attraction they try their best to ignore, and a boatload of relationship issues on both their parts, and the forced proximity of the ranch makes for a powder keg of drama—and fun for us readers.

And, boy, is there drama, and a satisfying amount of growth in both Cole and Kelsey on their journey to the HEA. Kelsey has lived her whole life feeling like she doesn’t belong, striving for independence where her family is stalwartly traditional, and feeling the disapproval of her parents and her hometown for the choices she’s made and where her life is going. The mere idea of telling her parents she’s unmarried and pregnant (by choice) terrifies her, and the fear of that disapproval and disappointment is a key part of what makes her such a relatable character. Who hasn’t strived to meet a goal of personal importance and worried about the outcry from friends and family? On top of that, the debacle of her only serious relationship has left her with lasting insecurities about herself, her sexuality, and romantic relationships. Spending time on Cole’s ranch and falling for him helps her find where she belongs and makes her finally realise that it’s okay to be her ‘real’ self and not try to be what she believes other people expect her to be.

And, oh, Cole—he’s equal parts sweetheart and hot mess. Being the oldest of three and having lost their mother at a young age, he’s always had a strong sense of responsibility and doing the right thing. A disaster of a marriage and the discovery that the father he’d admired and modelled himself after was not all he seemed have turned Cole’s life upside down and left him soured on relationships and with no sense of self. He needs things neat and organised to feel any semblance of control—and in the situation with Kelsey, that involves marriage (with commitment rather than love) so he can always be there for her and the baby. It’s both heartwarming and hilarious to watch him stumble through several proposals as a convenient solution to their situation before seeing him shake off his fears and hang-ups and do it for real. All that (somewhat misguided) nobility and determination to resist the sexual attraction he feels for Kelsey in order to not complicate an already-complicated situation further makes him both swoon-worthy and realistic as a character. Cole and Kelsey are an excellent reluctant couple that will have you rooting for a HEA, and once they finally give in to their attraction, the love scenes are delightfully steamy!

Overall, UNEXPECTED is a great addition to what is shaping up to be a great new small-town contemporary series. With a great balance between heartfelt emotion and humour, tight prose, snappy dialogue, and a great sense of community and family, it definitely delivers on the promise that was evident in UNBUTTONED and makes for a great read. Cole’s geeky younger sister Lark is a delightful character, and I’m looking forward to reading her story next!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

Guest Post with Author Lindsey Piper and Giveaway

Welcome back to RFTC author Lindsey Piper. Lindsey has stopped by to chat about her newest book, Blood Warrior. Please give her a warm welcome.

Lindsey Piper is the alter ego of an award-winning historical and contemporary romance author. Her hotly anticipated DRAGON KINGS series is her first foray into paranormal fiction. She lives and writes in Chicago.

Places to find Lindsey:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

Guest Post with Author Dixie Lee Brown

Welcome author Dixie Lee Brown to RFTC. Dixie Lee is celebrating the release of her newest book, When I Find You and has stopped by to chat.

DIXIE LEE BROWN started writing romantic suspense nearly twenty years ago. Then life took a few unexpected turns, and the writing career was put on hold in favor of starting a new life and a new job. One’s passion is not easily forgotten, however. Two years ago, Dixie started writing again-a YA novel-but, before she could finish, another idea pushed to the forefront and wouldn’t go away until a full-fledged novel was completed.

That idea became All or Nothing, the first book in the Trust No One series. All or Nothing placed third in the 2011 TARA Contest (Tampa Area Romance Authors) in the romantic suspense category.

Dixie now lives in sunny Central Oregon with two small dogs and a cat for company while she writes the third book of the Trust No One series. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, movies and trips to the beach.

Places to find Dixie Lee:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | 

ARC Review: Facade by Nyrae Dawn

Facade is the second book in the Games Series by Nyrae Dawn, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one after having read Charade. I loved Colt and Chey, but I was really excited to get Adrian's story. On the surface Adrian seems to be just a typical guy out to have fun and party, but I knew there was something below the surface that we just weren't aware of yet. This book was an awesome follow up to Charade and I loved getting to see some more of Chey and Colt.

After her father commits a horrible act Delaney's family is left in ruins. She decides that she needs to set out to try and make amends to the family that her father hurt in one of the worst possible ways. She never expects that in doing so, that she will end up in a huge mess of lies and develop feelings for the one person that she should never be with. Adrian is good at hiding behind his charming and easy going facade, but underneath he suffers with a secret he cannot share with anyone. He chooses to let others see what he wants them to see, and never actually letting them get to know the real him. But when he meets Delaney, for the first time he begins to think that he has found someone who he can actually begin to share his life with. Delaney and Adrian begin to form a friendship, but the attraction between them becomes something that neither of them can fight. With both of them bearing the damage of the past and keeping secrets from each other, its just a matter of time before the truth comes out. Can they help each other heal from the past, or will the truth tear them apart?

I loved Adrian. He was sexy and charming and a little bit damaged. Having been through a tragedy he places a lot of blame on himself and runs away to try and escape. He keeps up his facade even with his closest friends, but when Delaney comes along he finds that he starts to have feelings and actually wants to share parts of himself with her. I really loved seeing him start to let her in and watch as he began to heal. Delaney was strong and brave and had a general kindness to her that I really enjoyed reading. She was constantly trying to help others, even if they didn't deserve it. I also enjoyed seeing her growth, and it was nice to see her stand up for herself at the end. These two were absolutely perfect for each other and I really felt the emotions and connection that they shared. The attraction was also there from the beginning and that made for some really hot scenes together!

Overall, I really enjoyed this story! I didn't want to put it down. With Facade, Nyrae Dawn has written an emotional roller coaster of a story and I enjoyed every minute of the ride! There were some absolutely heartbreaking moments to this story and they were so well written that I felt every bit of them. But there were also many uplifting parts as well, and at its heart this story is the beautiful process of two broken people finding themselves and each other. I'm really looking forward to reading book number three, Masquerade, which centers around Delaney's brother Maddox. I think this is a must read for fans of the New Adult genre, but also for those who just love a good romance about people overcoming their past and finding love in the process.

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Guest Post with Author Caroline Linden and Giveaway

Please give a very warm welcome to Caroline Linden  Caroline is no stranger to RFTC and I just love having her come by. Caroline is celebrating the release of her newest book, Love and Other Scandals and has stopped by to chat.

Caroline Linden knew from an early age she was a reader, but not a writer. Despite an addiction to Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew, she studied physics and dreamed of being an astronaut. She earned a math degree from Harvard College and then wrote software for a financial services firm, all the while reading everything in sight, but especially romance. Only after she had children, and found herself with only picture books to read, did she begin to make up a story of her own. To her immense surprise, it turned out to be an entire novel--and it was much more fun than writing computer code. Seven years, eight books, two Red Sox championships, and on dog later, she has never been happier with her decision. She lives with her family in New England.

Place to find Caroline:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

Guest Post with Author Robbie Terman and Giveaway

Please give a warm welcome to Robbie Terman. Robbie is celebrating the release of her book, Some Like it Spicy and has stopped by to chat.

 began her journey as a writer in third grade, when she completed her first (24-page) "novel." Many years later, she is published in contemporary romance. Her heroines are feisty, her heroes Hot (yup, that's with a capital H!). And, when you read her books, if you cry a little and laugh a lot, that's just the reaction she was hoping for.

When she's not writing, Robbie can usually be found doing one of three things: shopping for shoes and handbags at Nordstrom; trying a new restaurant (or attempting a new recipe); or relaxing on the couch and catching up on her favorite television programs (if you're wondering which ones, open up a TV Guide and take your pick. You've probably guessed right!).

Places to find Robbie:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | 

Monthly Giveaway - August

Want to win some books and swag?

So in the last few months I've been away at Book Bash and RWA and I've amassed quite a bit of books and swag that I want to giveaway to you. Each month here at Ramblings From This Chick a new prize pack will be up for grabs for one lucky winner. Here's a peek at this months prize.

1 lucky person will win a Ramblings From This Chick tote bag signed by a some of the authors that attended Book Bash. Some of the authors include: Sylvia Day, Shayla Black, Maya Banks, Abbi Glines, Karina Halle, Temmara Weber, Katy Evans, Colleen Hoover, Cora Cormack and many, many more. Also included in the tote bag will be a few books I collected at Book Bash as well as some swag.

ARC Review: Dancing With the Devil by Keri Arthur

Dancing With the Devil is one of Arthur’s earlier works and while finding this book not as cleanly written as her later titles it was still a very entertaining beginning to her Nikki and Michael urban fantasy series.

Nikki James grew up on the streets. A tough life made even more so by her telekinetic gift. Working as a PI now gives her the opportunity to use her power for good. Accepting a case from a wealthy father looking for his daughter Nikki quickly discovers that she’s passed through a door into a world in which her idea of evil pales exponentially to the reality that threatens to take her mind, body, and soul.

Michael Kelly is a vampire, of the non-human blood drinking sort. Being three centuries old and working endlessly to curb his bloodlust has left him in control of his urges, but in turn viewing the world in dim interest. Hunting down a dangerous and vicious vampire named Jasper was one of the drivers in his existence to keep him going. Working for the Damask Circle, a ruling body over being of a paranormal nature, generally let him be. However seemingly times were changing and he found himself tasked with keeping a particular woman with powerful psychic gifts alive.

Drawn together by danger, duty, and simmering chemistry Nikki and Michael work together to solve the case of the missing girl Monica Trevgard. Both carry their fair share of baggage and trust issues. This plus the several obstacles the outside world throws between these two coming to realize and accept what their feelings for each other mean is a long and arduous process. There are a few moments of sizzle and brief glimpses of emotions that lead me to believe that their romance beginning at a slow burn will grow to something solid and steamy as the series progresses. Personally in urban fantasy laced with romance I prefer the natural build up and though there were several moments when I wanted to scream at these characters to ‘get over it already’ I truly did enjoy reading their journey so far and continue to wish for their happiness in the future.

If you are a fan of Keri Arthur and urban fantasy in general I definitely suggest you check out this book. It’s not as well fleshed out and crisply written as her later works but it was a really good read. Also, it is always a treat for me to see how authors grow in depth and skill throughout their career and for being one of her first I think it is great to get such a sense of potential in early publications. I am looking forward to reading the next installment in this series and see how these characters grow.

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Guest Post with Author Lisa Kessler and Giveaway

Please welcome back to RFTC author Lisa Kessler. Lisa is celebrating the release of her newest book Moonlight and has stopped by to chat.

Lisa Kessler is an award winning author of dark paranormal fiction. Her debut novel, Night Walker, won a San Diego Book Award for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror as well as the Romance Through the Ages Award for Best Paranormal and Best First Book.

Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.

When she's not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, performing with the San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego.

Places to find Lisa: 

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: Hotshot by Julie Garwood

I keep hoping that Julie Garwood—once (and still) an institution in romance and my gateway to the genre—will return to my auto-buy list, but she keeps letting me down. Some time after FIRE AND ICE (her last decent contemporary title) in 2008, and discounting SHADOW MUSIC (the debacle that was her return to historicals) in 2007, it’s like she underwent a writing lobotomy. The quirky heroines, the alpha-but-loveable heroes, the witty dialogue, and the pizazz of the writing have been replaced with wooden characters, flat prose, and ridiculously formulaic plots—especially as she’s edged away from the straight-up romantic suspense that characterized her early contemporary releases and toward more mainstream contemporary romance with slight suspense undertones. Her latest release, HOTSHOT, continues in that same vein, though it is an improvement over her previous novel.

My biggest problem with the last few Garwood releases has been my inability to connect with the hero and heroine, who’ve turned into incredibly perfect people doing incredibly perfect things and wanting each other from the get-go without any character development. Finn MacBain is a typical new-Garwood hero: academically gifted, a triple Olympic gold swimmer (before age 18!), a crack FBI agent, a natural-born protector, and soured on love thanks to a woman. I know this is romance and a combination of qualities no mortal man would possess is common, but COME ON! This is really taking it too far. And Ms. Garwood’s unwillingness to describe her male lead (presumably so her readers can imagine whomever they want) irks me—I don’t need a complete character sketch that includes whom you’d cast in a movie version, but at least tell me what colour his eyes are! With heroine Peyton Lockhart and her long list of hilarious romantic failures Ms. Garwood’s tried to return to her endearingly clueless but quirky heroines of yore, with mixed results: her determination and perseverance make up the mould of a potentially great character and her misadventures in dating make her personable and relatable, but her naiveté almost edges over into TSTL territory. The way she swoons every time Finn is in the room and goes from hero worship of the boy that saved her life to being helplessly in love with the man he’s become is typical for a contemporary Garwood novel, but it’s hindered by the lack of emotional chemistry between the protagonists. Yes, they both pontificate about the other’s hotness (repeatedly), but their connection feels entirely physical—despite being the most earth-shattering sex for both of them—and, in turn, makes it difficult to become emotionally invested in either of them or the HEA.

There’s a decent attempt at a plot—though I wouldn’t really call it ‘suspense’—and a moderately heinous letch of a ‘villain’, but the stilted writing makes the bad guys feel a bit like caricatures. With the exception of Christopher and Finn’s FBI partner Ronan (surely the hero of a future book), the secondary characters go a bit overboard with the melodrama, and cousin Debi is so blatantly overdone that you can’t help but wonder if Ms. Garwood did it on purpose just for fun. If you don’t take her seriously as a character, she and her shenanigans are truly laugh-out-loud hilarious. The secondary romance feels a bit rushed, but it does provide an additional point of interest and a way to become somewhat invested in the characters.

Overall, HOTSHOT was only a mediocre read for me—which, sadly, has been par for the course with Julie Garwood’s books lately. It reads very much like SWEET TALK and THE IDEAL MAN before it, so if you enjoyed those books you’ll surely enjoy this one. Her recent writing style just doesn’t work for me.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Feature and Giveaway: Undone by Shannon Richard

Things Paige Morrison will never understand about Mirabelle, Florida:

Why wearing red shoes makes a girl a harlot
Why a shop would ever sell something called “buck urine”
Why everywhere she goes, she runs into sexy-and infuriating-Brendan King

After losing her job, her apartment, and her boyfriend, Paige has no choice but to leave Philadelphia and move in with her retired parents. For an artsy outsider like Paige, finding her place in the tightly knit town isn’t easy-until she meets Brendan, the hot mechanic who’s interested in much more than Paige’s car. In no time at all, Brendan helps Paige find a new job, new friends, and a happiness she wasn’t sure she’d ever feel again. With Brendan by her side, Paige finally feels like she can call Mirabelle home. But when a new bombshell drops, will the couple survive, or will their love come undone?

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Interview with Author Juliana Haygert

Please welcome author Juliana Haygert to RFTC. Juliana is here to chat about her book, His Allure, Her Passion. Please give her a warm welcome.

While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

Places to find Juliana:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | 

ARC Review: Undone by Shannon Richard

Undone by Shannon Richard is the first book in her Country Roads series. It was a quick and cute read, and a promising start to her series. I was originally drawn in by the cover, but once I started reading I found that I really enjoyed the characters. I love a good small town story where you get to meet a lot of characters and begin to see how they all are connected, so I knew once I started that this one was going to be right up my alley.

Paige has had a lot of bad luck recently. She lost her roommate and best friend to a better job in another state, she lost her own job after the company was bought out, and then she lost her boyfriend after they moved in together. She packs up and moves to live with her parents while she figures out what to do. Now that she is in the small town of Mirabelle Florida she is having trouble finding a job and to make matters worse her Jeep breaks down. But her luck changes when mechanic Brendan shows up and the sparks instantly fly! After getting off to a rough start the two begin to ease into getting to know each other and seeing if there is more than just chemistry.

I really liked the characters in this story. Brendan was sweet and sexy and everything you could want for a book boyfriend! He went out of his way to help Paige and he was always supporting and encouraging. I really loved that he not only was a good friend and good boyfriend, but that he also had a good relationship with Paige's parents. He was absolutely a gentleman and that was nice to see. Paige was fun and feisty and refused to let others get her down. I loved that she didn't care what other people thought and didn't change who she was. In a small town, being unique is usually not a good thing but she was her own person and remained true to herself. I loved her friend Abby and their conversations. One of the high-points of this book for me was the secondary characters. I really enjoyed Grace, Brendan's sister and his two best friends Jax and Shep.

I did have a few problems with this book. The pacing on this story was off for me. The first half of the book was pretty slow and then the second half of the book just seemed to take off. It was as if most of the story had been squeezed into the second half. I also felt like there wasn't a lot of conflict in this story, and the small amount there was was somewhat unresolved. There were a few villains that were intent on making Paige's life miserable and although one is slightly taken care of, the rest are completely forgotten. I felt like this book was just missing a little bit of the story and it seemed somewhat incomplete.

Overall, this book was enjoyable and I will still be reading more from this series despite the few problems i had with this one. I loved the characters and their interactions. I'm really looking forward to the next book and seeing Jax and Grace's relationship develop. I just can't resist a best friend's little sister to lover story! I think that this series shows promise and I am excited to see where the author goes from here.

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Guest Post with Author Linda Katmarian and Giveaway

Welcome author Linda Katmarian to RFTC. Celebrating the release of her debut book, Dreaming of Laughing Hawk, Linda has stopped by to chat. Please give her a warm welcome.

Author Linda Katmarian grew up in the Midwest and graduated with a Master's Degree in French literature from Illinois State University. She has studied under Sol Stein, prolific author and former owner of Stein & Day publishing company in New York, and Louella Nelson, an experienced romance writer and teacher of fiction writing. In 2012, after a long career as a technical writer, Linda committed herself to writing fiction full time. She lives in Southern California. DREAMING OF LAUGHING HAWK is her debut novel.

Places to find Linda:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | 

Interview with Author Jeanette Murray and Giveaway

Please welcome author Jeanette Murray to RFTC. Jeanette has stopped by to answer a few questions and to chat about her newest release, The Officer and the Secret. Please give Jeanette a warm welcome.

Kat (or Jeanette!) spends her days surrounded by hunky alpha men…at least in her imagination. In real life, she’s a wife and a mother, keeping tabs on her husband of seven years, her four year old daughter (often called Tot) and the family dog, a lovable (but completely stupid) Goldendoodle named Clyde. Hang around long enough and you’re guaranteed to hear at least one or two stories about these three.

What’s with the two names? Great question. Kat (or Jeanette) writes for a few different publishers. And due to the timing of some releases, two names just seemed like the right option. But Jeanette (or Kat!) can assure you, no matter which pen name you’re reading, you’re going to get sexy contemporary love.

Places to find Jeanette:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

Guest Post with Author Hailey Edwards and Giveaway

Please give a warm welcome to Hailey Edwards. Hailey is celebrating the release of her newest book, A Time of Dying and has stopped by to chat.

Born in the Deep South, Hailey is a lifelong resident of Alabama. Her husband works for the local sheriff's department and her daughter is counting down the days until she's old enough to audition for American Idol. Her doxie, Black Ilex, helps Hailey write by snoozing in his recliner in her office.

Her desire to explore without leaving the comforts of home fueled her love of reading and writing. Whenever the itch for adventure strikes, Hailey can be found with her nose glued to her Kindle's screen or squinting at her monitor as she writes her next happily-ever-after.

Places to find Hailey:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | 

ARC Review: Vicious Moon by Lee Roland

Vicious Moon is the third book in the Earth Witches series by Lee Roland. The story centers around Nyx Ianira. An ex-mercenary who found work in the field of private investigations. She’s also an Earth Witch, but not having much interest in devoting her life to mastering her craft as a child, and therefore a poor reaction from the local Coven leaving her with a sour taste in her mouth she tends to keep herself as far from that particular group of people as possible. All this however blows up in her face as out of the blue she finds herself being hauled home against her will by the Sisters of Justice. The police force of the Witch World.

Upon reaching her childhood home she learns from her Grandmother that her sister has gone missing. Gran trusting only her to locate her and bring her home safe she quickly makes her way to Duivel, Missouri. A town which keeps many secrets. Being home to a couple Sisters of Justice, a handful of Earth Witches, a troublesome gang, an organized merc unit, and oh...a demon. Just to name a few. Nyx struggles against the maelstrom of characters and obstacles thrown into her path fighting to keep her away from finding her. Eventually she discovers that if she wants to get out of Duivel with her sister safe and sound, she’ll have to work to master her magic use the tremulous ties she’s made in the community.

One of these ties is Etienne. Head of the mercenary group who had taken it upon himself to keep an eye on her, and try to steer her clear of danger. If nothing else he was there to help her out of perilous situations. Etienne was also the love interest of our heroine and though there were some steamy moments, for the most part what I witnessed was his non-subtle hatred and mistrust of witches, as well as cold indifference to our heroine’s plight. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy experiencing characters grow throughout a story. Transcend their scars from the past and become the better for it, but for me this didn’t happen here. The romance was seemingly an afterthought to the main plotline that drove this story. It didn’t seem to connect our heroine and hero in anyway other than being in the right place at the right time to itch a particular scratch. I would have liked to see these two come together a little more naturally. Maybe then it wouldn’t have been such a struggle for these two to find some common ground to grow from.

There were some really interesting aspects in this story revolving around the world this town exists in. Magical practices and beings, portals to other dimensions and the creepy crawlers that call those places home, and a feeling of much more to come from this author in the future. If you are a fan of Urban Fantasy of the magically witchy variety then I can easily suggest you pick this one up and give it a go. If you like your reads to rate a little higher on the romance scale then this may not be the one for you.

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

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Feature and Giveaway: The Lords of the Underworld Series by Gena Showalter

Long ago, twelve immortals warriors – each more dangerously seductive than the last -- stole and opened Pandora’s box, unleashing the evil from within. Now they carry that evil within themselves. Violence, Pain, Death, Disease, Disaster, Misery, Doubt, Promiscuity, Defeat, Lies, Secrets, and Wrath. When a powerful enemy returns, they will travel the world in search of a sacred relic of the gods – one that threatens to destroy them all.

LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD Series Reading Order:

The Darkest Fire (Lords of the Underworld, #0.5)

The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, #1)

The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, #2)

The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld, #3)

The Darkest Prison (Lords of the Underworld, #3.5)

The Darkest Whisper (Lords of the Underworld, #4)

Heart of Darkness Anthology (Includes: Lords of the Underworld, #4.5)

After Dark Anthology: The Darkest Angel (Lords of The Underworld, #4.5)

The Darkest Passion (Lords of the Underworld, #5)

The Darkest Lie (Lords of the Underworld, #6)

The Darkest Secret (Lords of the Underworld, #7)

The Darkest Surrender (Lords of the Underworld, #8)

The Darkest Seduction (Lords of the Underworld, #9)

The Darkest Craving (Lords of The Underworld, #10)

Feature and Giveaway: Love of Truth by C.T. Oliver

For the next eleven days all Amelia Adler wants is a nice relaxing vacation on the beach. All she’ll do is drink pineapple margaritas and read sexy steamy romance novels. She doesn’t want to think about the stress of her daily life nor the fact that she doesn’t know what to do with her life.

Craig Patrice just wants to spend his last spring break catching wave after waves during the day in the Pacific Ocean, and relax as much as he can at night. This is his last break before finishing law school and starting at a firm this upcoming summer. He has no desire for a fling or a girlfriend. All he wants is to buckle down and finish this year off right. That is until he gets a glimpse of his vacationing neighbor, and for the life of him, he can’t look away.

Though Craig and Amelia are somewhat reluctant for a relationship, they seem to find comfort in one another and can’t let go of each other. Finding romance on vacation is one thing, but can their relationship withstand the demand of real life and once their past catches up with them will believing in each other’s truth save their future.

Purchase: | Amazon |