RFTC Hall Pass Event with Shana Galen

Shana Galen is the bestselling author of passionate Regency romps, including the RT Reviewers' Choice The Making of a Gentleman. Kirkus says of her books, "The road to happily-ever-after is intense, conflicted, suspenseful and fun," and RT Bookreviews calls her books “lighthearted yet poignant, humorous yet touching." She taught English at the middle and high school level off and on for eleven years. Most of those years were spent working in Houston's inner city. Now she writes full time. She's happily married and has a daughter who is most definitely a romance heroine in the making. Shana loves to hear from readers, so send her an email or see what she's up to daily on Facebook and Twitter.

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ARC Review: Still the One by Jill Shalvis

Jill Shalvis is a very successful contemporary author. Her books are frequently seen on the New York Times bestsellers list but I’ve just recently started to read her books. “Still the One” by Jill Shalvis is an example of why Shalvis is so successful. Her books are impossible to put down and her characters are impossible to forget.

Let’s start with the heroine- Darcy Stone. I just loved Darcy. She is a mixture of strength and vulnerability. I love that her last name is Stone because it fits her so perfectly. When the story begins Darcy is working for hunky physical therapist A.J. Colten. A.J. and Darcy are night and day. He is very organized and straight laced. Darcy is definitely not. She loves to live on the wild side. Previous to her accident she was a writer for a traveling magazine. She loved to wander around the world. When she had a horrible car accident it was A.J. that helped her heal with his physical therapy. A.J. is like a member of the family. He is very close to both of Darcy’s siblings. When in a moment of vulnerability Darcy turned to him he rejected her. Darcy has a lot of anger and frustration because of this but takes it out on A.J. by bickering with him. Although Darcy comes off very tough she is a very sweet and loyal person. She is also incredibly passionate about rescuing dogs.

A.J. comes off as he has it all together but he really doesn’t. He carries his own insecurities and his own wounds from the past. Even though A.J. seems indifferent to Darcy, unless it’s to get on her case for not taking care of herself and not eating healthy, he is really trying to be honorable and not cross the line of friendship. A.J’s stoicism is challenged when he has to ask Darcy a favor. A.J. is a successful physical therapist but he often has to get grants in order to help patients pay for their care. He has a meeting with a potential investor that is willing to help and Darcy would be a perfect example of his abilities as a physical therapist. Needless to say A.J. and Darcy can’t resist their mutual attraction and as the elements conspire against them they are forced to extend their trip and their relationship finally changes.

I really enjoyed this story and the characters. Even though this is a part of a series “Animal Magnetism” and characters from other books make an appearance this is easily a stand alone. I was so happy to see Darcy and A.J. finally work up the courage to admit their feelings for one another. A.J. was such a great guy. He really did so many things out of love for Darcy, it was so sweet and endearing to read. Needless to say I really enjoyed this beautiful story and highly recommend it. Shalvis delivers a fun, sweet, romantic and steamy story. Looking forward to reading more by her!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Taking the Fall: Vol 1 by Alexa Riley

Taking the Fall is a four part serial by Alexa Riley. Though each part does end with a cliffhanger, the reader knows that Carter and Layla are going to be together going in. I have to say that is what convinced me to read this one. While I have really liked everything I have read by Alexa Riley, I am over serials. They frustrate me and I tend to lose track of release dates and then completely forget the story by the time that the next part comes out. But with this one, I knew that I was going to feel better going in and that is what made me want to read it. 

Layla O'Leary has tried for years to remember what happened one night. When she goes to the one man that could answer everything, he turns her away. She vows to never return and that everyone from her past life will never hear from her again. Four years later, she lives somewhere else and has a new identity. But Carter has waited eight years to finally claim her, and he will do whatever it takes to show her that she is his. 

I really liked Carter. I felt bad for him seeing how much he wanted Layla and yet there were so many obstacles standing in his way. He was sexy and alpha, and I loved how possessive he was of Layla. She was his, and he would make sure that everyone knew it. But he also had a lot that he wasn't telling her, and I felt like things would have been so much easier if he would have just filled her in on some and talked to her. Layla was strong and determined, yet she could never fully move on and forget Carter. I felt bad for her as well, and I don't know what I would have done had I been in her situation. It was clear that they both had feelings for one another, but I really just wanted them to talk to one another and have better communication between them. I didn't see why Carter didn't talk to her about what he had to do, even if he couldn't give her any details. He should have been able to at least let her know what was ahead of them. The one thing that was never a problem though was how hot these two were together! They were perfect for one another when it came to their desires and they just clicked on that level.

Overall, this was a good first installment. I like these two together and they were definitely on the same page when it came to the steamy stuff. I will be interested to see what happens next after where we left off in this part. Alexa Riley always brings the heat with her stories, and she writes some of the hottest sex scenes I have ever read. Though I love her stories, I always feel like I want more. Luckily this time, it feels like we are definitely going to get that since there are four parts instead of just one. If you are looking for something short and sexy, I definitely recommend giving any of her stories a try. Carter and Layla's story is one that I enjoyed so far, and I cannot wait to get more of.

**ARC Provided by Flirty Subs PR**

Purchase: | Amazon | 

RFTC Hall Pass Event with Elle Kennedy

A USA Today bestselling author,Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle writes romantic suspense and erotic contemporary romance for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

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ARC Review: Hard To Be Good by Laura Kaye

Hard to be Good is a M/M novella in the Hard Ink series by Laura Kaye. Though this is a part of the series, it can be read as a standalone story. I was really excited for Jeremy and Charlie's story, as I loved both of their characters. Jeremy Rixey is the owner of Hard Ink Tattoo and is the brother of Nick Rixey. Nick's special forces team was almost killed a year before, and they have been trying to get to the bottom of what happened ever since. Charlie Merritt was kidnapped and got drawn into the team's investigation. He instantly had a connection with Jeremy and they have formed a friendship. But besides that friendship, they have both been feeling more and have been scared to make a move. But after Jeremy nearly gets killed, they both realize that it is time to see what the connection between them could be if they gave it a chance. 

Jeremy has always been one of my favorites from this series. He is fun and flirty and he is comfortable with who he is. He is bisexual and loved based on the person rather than their sex. But he also had a ton of stuff beneath the surface, and he really connected with Charlie. They understood each other in a way that no one else did, and Charlie really saw all that Jeremy was. He was able to reach him in a way that even Jeremy's siblings Nick and Kat couldn't. Charlie had always been a bit awkward, preferring to spend his time with computers rather than people. He had also been afraid to be himself because of what his father put him through. While he was out, he was also scared of what others would think of him and I really hated that his father had made him that way. But Jeremy was exactly what he needed, and I loved that he got Charlie to finally make a move and step a bit outside his comfort zone. These two were great for one another and had such a strong connection and friendship. I enjoyed seeing them take that to the next level and explore the attraction between them as well. 

While I really liked both of these characters, I will say that this was extremely short. I found myself wanting more as their relationship seemed a bit rushed. They had a great friendship and foundation for more, but it happened really quickly. I wanted to see more of these two together, and I really thought that they deserved more of a story. I guess that is just me being greedy, but I really loved both of these guys and wanted to see more of them. I think that this was a great addition to the series though, and I liked seeing both of these guys acknowledge and accept what was between them. They both deserved to be happy, and I was glad that they had found each other. I think that this series is a great one if you like romantic suspense, and this installment was a great addition to that. I look forward to reading more from Laura Kaye and to seeing more of these characters as the series continues.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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