BLOG TOUR & REVIEW - Maverick (A North Ridge Novel #2) by Karina Halle

Maverick by Karina Halle 

Release Date: October 17th 

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Maverick, an all-new contemporary STANDALONE by New York Times Bestselling author 

Karina Halle is LIVE!!!

Maverick is a complete standalone novel and the second book about the rough and rugged Nelson brothers. Get ready for one wild alpha mountain man - Canada's never felt so hot!

Forget playing it safe.

John “Maverick” Nelson likes to live his life on the edge – literally. A crucial member of the search and rescue team in the mountainous British Columbian town of North Ridge, Maverick’s brash and bold attitude means he’s the first one to ascend into danger, no matter the risk.

When it comes to women, though, Maverick errs on the side of caution. For all his cocky charm, rugged good looks and sexual swagger, he remains as unreachable as the surrounding peaks. Hot, wild sex? He’ll tell you there’s no better way to spend a cold, wintry night. Relationships? He’d rather freeze.

That is until he lays his eyes on American Riley Clarke. Trading in the crippling expenses of Aspen for BC, Riley is North Ridge’s newest member of their search and rescue team and the only woman on the job, which means spending a lot of time with Mav in adrenaline-pumping situations.

With the chemistry between them hot enough to melt snow, keeping their hands off each other is detriment to the success of their team. Besides, Maverick’s her boss and she didn’t work her ass off in Colorado just to throw it all away for some mind-blowing sex.

But when the worst winter in years sweeps in, Riley and Maverick will have to battle the elements along with their attraction for each other. And if either of them slip up, both of them will be in for a deep freeze.

Good heavens, this book is all kinds of hot! So this book is about the second Nelson brother (we got to meet Shane in the first book),  and Riley, and their not-so-smooth road to a HEA.

First, I liked Riley's career choice; I haven't read many books in which the female main character has a job where they're on a search and rescue squad. And the fact that she's the only female on the team? I've got nothing but respect for her.

The chemistry between Maverick and Riley is pretty dang hot, but there's a no fraternization policy in place at the department, and neither one is willing to jeopardize their careers...or are they? As much as I liked Shane, I gotta say that Maverick is 110% alpha, and Riley is perfect for him, because she gives just as good as she gets.

Read Today!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2yvfC70

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2ghnwqQ

iBooks: http://apple.co/2y9gYoh

Nook: http://bit.ly/2zcY4KC

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2zq2JK1

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/Trpi1f 

Meet Karina: 

Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of The Pact, Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, Dirty Angels and over 20 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books. Halle is represented by the Root Literary and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK.

Connect with Karina: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkarinahalle/

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http://authorkarinahalle.com

RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW - Put Out (Kilgore Fire Series #5) by Lani Lynn Vale

Title: Put Out

Series: Kilgore Fire Series #5

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: January 26, 2017 

Cover Model: Matthew Hosea

Photographer: Furious Fotog

Angie is a survivor. Anything you could throw at her, she could overcome.
After her father left her like a pile of unwanted trash, she began fighting. Fighting to build a life. Fighting to keep her child. Fighting to matter.

She thought she had it all figured out.

Then Bowen Race Tannenbaum walks into her life, turning it into a flurry of confusion, hope, and then ultimately despair. He tore down, brick-by-brick, her carefully constructed world, leaving her heart in tatters and longing for more. Such as a happily ever after, something that wasn’t ever going to happen for her. Not when she couldn’t give him what he wanted. He’d break her, and she couldn’t be put back together a second time.

Bowe wasn’t always so jaded, but when you keep drawing a losing hand, it tends to affect a man. He didn’t mean to lash out so carelessly. But he was so over being told no. He was done being lied to. He was through with being cheated on.

This time, his heart was getting what it wanted. If Angie wasn’t able to see what he was offering, what was right here in front of her, well then, he’d just have to damn well show her.

I'm not sure how Lani Lynn Vale manages to write each story so that it catches you from the start and you don't want to put it down, but I'm glad she does because I love Bowe and Angie's story. If you've read this series from the start, you've already met both Bowe and Angie. Angie's a bit of a mystery in Controlled Burn, so now that we get to know to her she's actually a surprise character, because her personality isn't what we knew from the previous book. And that is something that drew Bowe to her from the start. 

We've learned that Bowe is quite the catch from the previous books, so I'm glad we finally get his story. One thing to know about the men in Lani Lynn Vale's stories: they aren't ashamed to admit their feelings for their women; well, except for Dean, but goodness, that book wasn't an easy read. There is one particular part to the story early on that skewed my view of Bowe just a bit, and while he's positively swoon-worthy throughout the book, that one scene tips the balance just enough to remind me that everyone has flaws and doesn't always have the best life choices lol.

I will say that I grew irritated with Angie's constant pushing Bowe away; I get her abandonment issues truly (my dad wasn't a part of my life growing up either), but for me, it got to the point I wanted to yell at Angie "either get with Bowe or give him up girl!" Fortunately for my sanity, Angie got her head on straight finally.

Now, if you've read a Lani Lynn Vale book, you know the woman knows how to write a sex scene. Be prepared when reading this book because Bowe knows how to bring it! The only endorsement I can offer is that my husband is already wanting to know when I'll be reading this book again :)

But the best part? Seeing Bowe with Elise. Melts your freakin' heart with every interaction. Who doesn't love a big sexy dirty-talkin' man who is wrapped a small human's finger? So stinkin' cute and precious. As much as I love LLV's books, this might be one of my favorite top three, it's that good!

“As always an amazing story from Lani Lynn Vale. Her writing always draws me in so that I am fully immersed into her stories.” - 5 Star Review from KinkyGirlsBookObsessions

“It kept me on my toes and had some hot and steamy scenes in too. Loved it!” - 5 Star Review from Hellbenders Book Blog

I headed toward the yelling. The closer I got, the louder it became.

At first I wasn’t sure what it was. Then the closer I got, the more I realized that it was someone cheering. Some sort of competition from the sound of it.

The moment I rounded the corner of the firehouse, I could see what everyone was cheering and yelling about.

The firehouse stood on a large hill or sorts, and the moment I cleared the building, I could see down into the valley below the hill, not far, but far enough that I could see over the men’s heads, straight for the obstacle course below.

Bowe had already started his testing.

Feeling like shit that I’d left him with Elise too long, and he’d had to bring her with him, I automatically started scanning for her, and found her with PD.

Once I saw that she was happy, I moved my gaze back to the course, and was amazed by how fast Bowe was moving.

A man was also running with him, and upon closer inspection, I realized it was Booth.

Booth, I’d heard, held the best time on the course.

And it looked like Bowe was holding his own.

He wasn’t winning, no, but for him being off for so long, I thought he was doing pretty damn good.

Then instead of taking the last flight of stairs with his patient, he jumped over the side, cradling the dummy.

It, of course, wouldn’t work in real life.

Not with someone that was sick or in need of life saving measures.

But it worked for now.

Laughing out loud, I yelled.

“Go, Bowe! Go!” I screamed, cupping my hands around my mouth to project the sound further.

He didn’t hear me over the crowd, but my daughter did.

She turned her head, and immediately started to clap her hands as she realized it was me.

Grinning from ear to ear, I walked towards her, glancing over her shoulder at Bowe as I moved.

I weaved through the throng of men, some firefighters

Bowe had just crossed the finish line, Booth very close at his heels, when I reached Elise.

“Hey there, baby,” I cooed.

She giggled, but didn’t hold her hands out for me, so I chose to let PD hold her for a few more seconds as I turned to the field.

That’s when I saw Bowe.

Shirtless.

Laughing his ass off while he shook Booth’s hand, who, conveniently, was also shirtless.

Both men were wiping sweat out of their faces with their shirts, talking about what I’d guess was the course they’d just run, when Bowe’s eyes lifted and found mine.

I waved, and he grinned, full out.

His beard and sweat slickened hair made him look rough and delicious, and I wanted to freakin’ throw myself at him.

I had a little bit of decorum, though, and managed to give him a small peck on the cheek the moment he arrived at my side.

“When did you get here?” he asked, slightly out of breath.

I started to lean back when he started to lean forward, and his eyes started to dance as he moved with me.

“About two minutes ago,” I giggled when he captured me around the waist and hauled me against him.

“My wife doesn’t kiss me like that when I’m sweaty,” a man from my side whined.

Yes, a grown man with six foot two inches of solid muscle, whined.

I gave him a look, which clearly, he read, causing him to grin.

“The name’s Luke.” He offered me his hand. “And I’m the SWAT team leader.”

I shook his offered hand and dropped it after two pumps, trying in vain to disentangle my body from Bowe’s.

“The problem, old man, is that you give her a choice,” another, a redhead this time, called from somewhere behind me.

“Miller,” someone said. “Mercy would kick your ass if she thought you were not letting her have her way.”

 

I’m a married mother of three. My kids are all under 5, so I can assure you that they are a handful. I’ve been with my paramedic husband now for ten years, and we’ve produced three offspring that are nothing like us. I live in the greatest state in the world, Texas.

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RELEASE BLITZ REVIEW & GIVEAWAY - Temptation by Robin Covington

Burn up the sheets one page at a time with Robin Covington and her sizzling romance, Temptation!!

About Temptation:

She needs to be good.

Five years ago, Kit Landry was homeless and alone at sixteen. Determined to ditch her crappy life, she moved to Nashville with only $200, her guitar, and a notebook full of songs. She hit it big as America’s country sweetheart, but a year of living like a rock star plus a stint in rehab has killed any good will she had with her label. The suits have ordered Kit to shape up or ship out of the limelight. The last thing she needs is a hot, sexy distraction with a sinful smile.

He doesn’t know the meaning of the word.

Max Butler is as far from a celebrity as you can get and he likes it that way. A Nashville firefighter, he’s living the single life with a revolving door of parties, friends, and a different woman in his bed every night. When his normal life suddenly collides with the girl on his favorite Rolling Stone cover, he sees the perfect chance to fulfill his ultimate fantasy and see just how bad Kit can be.

Sometimes bad is so very good.

With three weeks until Kit leaves for her big tour, Max promises to give her a break from being the good girl--no strings attached. But when hot days lead to sultry nights, the lines get blurred and suddenly three weeks of bad might not be good enough.
   

EXCERPT:

I couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss. How she’d tasted, how she’d felt in my arms. Despite the difference in our size, Kit fit perfectly against me—like she was made to be there. We had chemistry, alright. But that was all it was or would ever be.
“Excuse me, can you tell me where I can find Shannon Jones?”
The voice came out of nowhere and I lurched up, banging the top of my head on the edge of the fire truck door. Biting back the “fuck me” that could get me written up, I straightened, turned, and found myself looking right into the eyes of the woman I’d just been obsessing over.
Kit was standing there in my station, an expression of surprise and then concern on her face as she glanced to where I’d clonked the living shit out of myself just seconds before. She was wearing a low-cut, little blue sundress and cowboy boots and everything else was miles of bare skin and dark curls. My brain went mushy. Maybe I’d hit my head harder than I’d thought.
Her voice was full of concern as she moved closer. “Max, are you okay? I didn’t mean to sneak up behind you.”
I stared at her like an idiot. In person, I was reminded again of just how gorgeous she was. She walked towards me and I couldn’t move, couldn’t take my eyes off of her. If you looked up “dumbstruck” in the dictionary, you’d see my goofy-ass face pasted right next to it.
I still hadn’t answered when she stopped in front of me. Standing on tiptoe she touched my recent injury. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Her voice was feminine, with a whiskey-edge that tied my gut up in knots. Her hand was cool on my over-heated skin and, as she moved closer, I could smell her sweet, summery, honeysuckle scent. All I wanted to do was pull her lush curves against my body, take her mouth, and find out exactly where this crazy chemistry would take us.
I definitely had a head injury because suddenly I realized that I had her close enough to do all those things and I wasn’t doing anything about it. Get your shit together, Butler. Carpe the fucking diem.
I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her towards me, turning us so she was backed up against the door of the fire truck. She still held her packages in her hands and I missed the feel of her touch on my body, but I could work with what I had.
She stared up at me, her big, blue eyes wide with shock but mostly what I saw there was curiosity. She licked her lips and that was all the invitation I needed. I leaned into her, bypassing the prize of her mouth to press a kiss to her throat, just above the place where her pulse pounded against her skin. She was delicious all over, sweet and warm, and I wanted to drag her down to the floor and bury my cock inside her body for hours.
I looked down and realized that my hands were shaking, my breath as quick as hers—and I hadn’t even kissed her yet.
“When we fuck, it’s probably going to kill me.” It came out as a growl, as I tipped her face up to mine and wasted no more time in taking what I wanted.
Kit didn’t play games, no pretending that she didn’t want this, too. She opened to me, meeting my tongue more than halfway when I dove inside. She was as hungry as I was and the kiss was anything but the usual finesse I used on women. There was no slow seduction here. It wasn’t in my power to play games. I was at the mercy of whatever she would give me.
I slanted my mouth over hers, barely giving her a chance to take a breath before I went at her again like I was starving.
And I was famished. For her. It was the craziest thing I’d ever experienced, but I wasn’t going to let a little insanity stop me. It never had before.
I wrapped my arms around her waist, inserting my body in between her legs. The skirt of her dress rode up high on her thighs as I pressed my hard-on against the hot cleft of her pussy. I rolled my hips against her and she dropped the bags in her hands with a thud against the concrete, weaving her fingers into my hair with a pressure that brought a little pain with the pleasure.
I didn’t care. She could do whatever she wanted to my body as long as I got to do exactly what I was doing right now. As long as she let me do this and so much more.

Purchase:

Amazon | Amazon Print copy | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

Listen to the songs that inspired Temptation:

About Robin Covington:

Robin Covington, who NYT Best Selling authors, Robyn Carr and Carly Phillips, said was their new “auto-buy author”, writes sizzling hot contemporary and paranormal romance.
A Night of Southern Comfort, her best-selling debut novel was a 2012 finalist in the RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Awards, earned 4.5 stars and was touted by RT Book Reviews as bringing a “fresh, modern feel to the genre while still sticking to the things that get our adrenaline pumping — sex and danger”. When she’s not exploring the theme of fooling around and falling in love, she’s collecting tasty man candy, indulging in a little comic book geek love, and stalking Joe Manganiello.
Robin is a member of the Romance Writers of America, the Washington and Maryland Romance Writers, a faculty member at Romance University, a member of the Waterworld Mermaids, and a contributor to the Happy Ever After blog at USA Today. You can find Robin on her website, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter (@RobinCovington).
Robin lives in Maryland with her hilarious husband, brilliant children, and ginormous puppy.

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Review:

Sooo, this is my first time reading anything by this author but I can sure promise it won't be my last. This book had me hooked from the first page, which finds Kit trapped in a burning building, yet still able to find some thread of humor in the dire situation "the thought that I might end up as one half of a morbid trivia question--I'll take "name the music stars who died in the bathroom for $400, Alex". How can you not love a spunky young woman like her? She's young, but has been in the music business long enough to have already had a meltdown and endured rehab, although the real reason why she went to rehab is not the same reason that her label used to tell the public. But Kit is smart enough to realize that she's blessed for this second chance and she doesn't want screw up again, not when so many people are counting on her.

She was on the right path until she was rescued from the fire by Max, hunky firefighter extraordinaire, who just happens to be one of Kit's biggest fans (I wonder if there is a male version of fangirling?) There is instant attraction on both sides, and although neither one wants anything permanent, is there really any harm in just enjoying the moment? But as it always happens in a good story, what starts as just "enjoying the moment" leads to something more, but are Kit and Max prepared to handle it? See, I won't tell you because then you might not read the book. Not saying you should the book, but if you did I bet you would enjoy it. The sexy times are plenty hot, with the right amount of counterproductive issues thrown in to balance out the story.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a fun, romantic book with just enough humor to keep you smiling but not overly angsty where you want to gouge out your eye with a dull spoon.

Rating: