Blog Tour + Review: "It Takes a Thief" by Sloane Steele

I'm pleased to participate in the blog tour promoting the release of "It Takes a Thief" by Sloane Steele, book #1 of the Counterfeit Capers series.

 

"It Takes a Thief" was something of a modern-day Robin Hood tale. For some time, Jared Towers and his cousin Mia Benson had been working to plan a series of art heists in order to generate funds to make reparations to the victims of a Ponzi scheme masterminded by their fathers. Jared and Mia assembled a team consisting of thief Nikki, forger London, and hacker Audrey to help them pull off the thefts from their fathers' rich friends, who had also benefited from the scheme. I really enjoyed the way those three came together and not only started solving problems as they arose, but also formed an unlikely friendship as the story progressed.

 

Jared had worked with hacker Audrey in the past, and they'd always had a bit of an online flirtation. Their relationship felt somewhat rushed to me after they met in person, however. Audrey and Jared had great chemistry, but I would have liked to see more emotional build-up. The conflict between them seemed a bit forced to me as well, and it dragged on for longer than necessary. Most of their problems could have been cleared up with a simple conversation, and it always drives me crazy when couples fail to communicate, no matter the extenuating circumstances.

Overall, while I think I enjoyed the heist part of the plot more than the romance, it was still a fun read and I would recommend it. Fans of light romantic suspense and TV shows such as Leverage are likely to enjoy this story. The next book in the series promises to be even more interesting IMO, now that much of the groundwork for the art thefts is in place.

 

*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

About "It Takes a Thief"

When catching a thief requires becoming one.

Jared Towers has skills. One of them is being able to talk his way out of—or into—anything.

Audrey Abbott has skills, too. Need something hacked and only the best will do? She’s your girl.

He’s charming.

She’s reclusive.

They have absolutely nothing in common—except for a driving desire to take care of those who need it the most.

For Jared, that means assembling a team of thieves to steal back what rightfully belongs to the victims of a crime perpetrated by his own father. For Audrey, it means doing whatever she can to make sure her grandma never has to worry again.

And now they have something else in common: the art heist of the century.

It was supposed to be all business. Get in and get out, then move on to the next target. But when Jared finds himself falling for Audrey, artwork isn’t the only thing at risk of being stolen...

The Counterfeit Capers Series

• Book 1: It Takes a Thief 
• Book 2: Between Two Thieves

Review: "Screw Flirting" by Lola West

Screw Flirting: A Small Town Brother's Best Friend Romance by Lola West
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Adventurous tomboy Brooke "Bug" Stewart was used to being just "one of the guys," overlooked by nearly everyone, including her brother's best friend, Jackson "Jack" Winters. She secretly had a crush on Jack for years, but never realized that Jack returned her feelings. He chose not to act on them because he considered his best friend's little sister to be off limits. They finally hooked up one summer night shortly before the beginning of their senior year of high school, but a misunderstanding the morning after prevented their relationship from blossoming into the romance they both wanted. A year later, a boating mishap on the way to a graduation party thrown in their honor by Bug's brother Ryan forced Jack and Bug to spend the night alone together. Would Jack be able to figure out what made Bug give him the silent treatment for an entire year and convince her to give him another chance?

I really enjoyed this fast-paced, sweet yet steamy story. Jack and Bug were super cute together, and while I understood their concerns about upsetting Ryan with their relationship, it was very easy for me to root for them to figure things out. Ryan was an interesting secondary character, and his unexpected role in Jack and Bug's reconciliation made me think that there was a lot more to him than his party boy image would suggest. I wouldn't mind getting to know him better in a future story.

I recommend "Screw Flirting" and look forward to whatever Lola West writes next.

*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

View all my reviews

Blog Tour + Review: "Reckless" by Adriana Locke

Today, I'm super excited to participate in the blog tour celebrating the release of "Reckless" by Adriana Locke, book #3 of the Mason Family series. Characters from previous books make appearances in this one, but it reads as a complete standalone.

 

"Reckless" was a funny, sweet, and heartwarming story that featured endearing characters and one of the most unique meet cutes I've ever encountered. Main characters Boone Mason and Jaxi Thorpe had fantastic chemistry, and I loved their adorably flirty, playful banter as well as the fact that they seemed to be so comfortable with each other right away. In the beginning, Boone was like the ultimate bachelor and had more money than he knew what to do with thanks to his family's successful business, but he was somehow incredibly kind and generous despite his privileged upbringing. He was immediately drawn to Jaxi and inspired to help her, though he couldn't explain why, even to himself. Jaxi had only planned to stay in town for a week and certainly wasn't looking for a relationship, but when an unexpected twist required her to stay in Savannah indefinitely, it became increasingly difficult for her to fight her growing feelings for Boone. The two of them were completely adorable together and it was easy for me to cheer them on to their HEA.

The book's secondary characters were also tremendously entertaining, particularly Boone's four older brothers. I loved the way the Mason brothers constantly teased each other as well as the fact that Boone's family immediately embraced Jaxi and made her one of their own. Prior to meeting the Masons, Jaxi didn't really have a support system aside from her cousin, who was going through challenges of her own. I've always enjoyed stories that feature found families, and Jaxi managed to find a great one in the Masons.
 

Overall, I adored "Reckless" and highly recommend it for fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. I can't wait to see what comes next for the Mason family.

 

*Review copy provided by the author via Social Butterfly PR. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

About "Reckless"

Reckless, an all-new swoon-worthy standalone romance in the Mason Family series from USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke is available now!

“How did you get in here?”

That’s not what you want to hear when you’re staring into the sea-green eyes of the hottest man you’ve ever seen. Yet I suppose it’s a fair question, considering I’m an uninvited stranger standing in Boone Mason’s kitchen.

If you think that’s bad—just wait. It gets worse.

This charming and wealthy playboy, who can’t pay his bills on time or find his way to the grocery store (but we all have flaws, right?), is sweet. Confident. Playful. He’s almost perfect. And, to make matters worse …

He’s smitten with me.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re rolling your eyes. You’re assuming this is some opposites attract situation—or that maybe we can be friends who turn into something more.

How can this be a bad thing?

Well, it’s simple. I’m not the kind of girl you fall in love with. Just to be sure, the universe reminds me of that in an unforgettable, in-your-face kind of way.

I might have broken into Boone’s house, but I won’t let him break my heart. I won’t break his either. There’s too much on the line to be that reckless.

Start reading today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Review: "The Introvert's Guide to Online Dating" by Emma Hart

Happy release day to author Emma Hart! Her latest novel, "The Introvert's Guide to Online Dating," book #1 of the Introvert's Guide series, is available now. It's a spinoff of the earlier Bookworm's Guide series set in the same town and featuring a number of recurring characters, but reads as a complete standalone.
 

Graphic designer Tori Sussex had been hooking up with her best friend's brother, frenemy Colton Lane, for several months but keeping the friends-with-benefits arrangement a secret from everyone around them. When their friends and family started to pressure each of them to try online dating, however, they were finally forced to decide if they were going to end the relationship or allow it to evolve into something more. Tori and Colton had a ton of chemistry, which usually manifested itself as bickering and snarky banter, but both were incredibly stubborn and refused to admit that they had feelings for each other. It took a lot of help from their family and friends to finally get them to realize how perfect they were for each other.
 

As always with Emma Hart's books, the secondary characters were a highlight of the story and added a tremendous amount of depth and humor. I continue to love the antics of the residents of the White Peak senior center, whose inappropriate crafts this time around made me laugh out loud. I also loved the names they came up with for their pet chickens and ducks.

Overall, "The Introvert's Guide to Online Dating" was super cute and fun, and I recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. I look forward to continuing the series. 

 

*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.  

 

 

About "The Introvert's Guide to Online Dating"

Online dating: the act in which you try to avoid the catfishes and D pics. And try not to get caught hooking up with your best friend’s brother.

With all my best friends off the market, it’s time that I, Tori Sussex, join them.
So where better to find my future husband than the internet? It’s great. I can get all the awkward stuff out the way and already know if I’m going to like the guy before we meet in person.
 

It’s a shame nothing is ever that simple.
My relationship with Colton Lane is the very definition of complicated—dirty little no-strings-attached hook-ups we’ve somehow managed to keep secret from all our friends for the past six months. We’re bound to get caught, and if I’m serious about dating, I only have one choice.
 

Call it quits. End our little covert booty calls for good. Tell him that this garage is closed.
It should be easy. It should be cut and dry. And I’m sure it would be… If only I wasn’t in love with him. 

Release Blitz + Review: "The Best Man" by Lydia Michaels

Today, I'm pleased to participate in the release blitz promoting "The Best Man" by Lydia Michaels, book #2 of the Jasper Falls series. It works well as a standalone, though characters from the previous book make appearances in this one.

As the story began, Patrick "Pat" Clooney had just finished his medical residency in Philadelphia and made plans to move home to the small town of Jasper Falls to open his own practice. He arrived just in time for his brother Ryan's wedding to Maggie ("Wake My Heart"), bringing his best friend Jo along as his fake girlfriend. Jo's family was also from Jasper Falls, and she, Pat, and Jo's twin sister Julie had been inseparable while they were growing up. They started to grow apart in high school when Pat developed an unrequited crush on Julie, who was dating the class jerk, Lance. Julie and Lance had been together ever since, but their relationship wasn't as picture perfect as it seemed from the outside. When Julie came home alone to attend Ryan and Maggie's wedding, it seemed as if Pat might finally get his chance to confess his true feelings. Julie thought Pat was involved with her sister, however, which created a uniquely sticky situation for them all.

I felt bad for both Julie and Jo because their parents weren't very supportive or accepting of them. They had each other as they were growing up, but as adults, they had grown apart as their lives took them in different directions. Julie was also struggling with a lot of complex emotions in the aftermath of her relationship with Lance. To be honest, I thought it was probably too soon for her to move on with Pat, but I could see why she wanted to be with someone who made her feel safe after everything Lance put her through. Julie and Pat's chemistry was only so-so IMO, but I think that was mostly because the story was so short. There wasn't time for them to get to know each other again as adults, so their connection was based entirely on their past friendship. It was sweet how gentle and caring Pat was with Julie, however, and I did believe that he loved her.

Overall, I enjoyed "The Best Man" and recommend it for all contemporary romance fans. Ryan and Maggie's book remains my favorite of the two, however. I look forward to finding out what happens in book #3.

*Review copy provided by the author via Grey's Promotions. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

About "The Best Man"

Patrick fell for Julie in kindergarten, when she shared her snack with him. As her childhood best friend, he adored and protected her for years, until she gave her heart to someone else. Loving Julie meant letting her choose her own path, so he did the gentlemanly thing and bowed out of her life, but never stopped loving her from afar.

When Patrick returns to Jasper Falls for his brother's wedding, Julie is there--alone--and he decides it's time to hang his heart on the line, but Julie has been keeping secrets, too.

Is it ever too late for a first love? When it comes to Julie Cook, there could never be another. And, this time, Patrick Clooney is determined to prove himself as the best man.

 

Blog Tour + Excerpt + Review: "Charming Billionaire: The Thatcher Kelly Collection" by Max Monroe

I'm delighted to participate in the blog tour celebrating the release of "Charming Billionaire: The Thatcher Kelly Collection" by Max Monroe. The novel and two novellas included in this collection are part of the Billionaire Bad Boys series, but the collection works perfectly as a standalone for readers new to Max Monroe's work.

 

Individual reviews for each title in the collection are included below, but in short, I loved all three of these hilarious stories because of the endearing characters and flirty, witty banter between protagonists Thatcher and Cassie. I highly recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. Even if you've already read the first two (previously published) stories in the bundle, it's totally worth the price for the new story alone.

 

"Banking the Billionaire" (previously published)

 

"Banking the Billionaire" features billionaire financial consultant Thatcher "Thatch" Kelly and photographer Cassie Phillips, the best friends of Kline and Georgia Brooks from "Tapping the Billionaire." Readers familiar with Kline and Georgia's story will likely recall Thatch as the cocky, charming, playful prankster whose efforts to "help" Kline ended in disaster on more than one occasion. I loved seeing Thatch get a taste of his own medicine from Crazy Cassie in this story. Their efforts to one-up each other made for a lot of laughs, but they both ended up winners when their escalating dares ended with them falling in love. Their chemistry and banter were truly epic, and I enjoyed the way Cassie brought out Thatch's kind, caring, and protective side. If ever two people were perfect for each other, it's Thatch and Cassie, though their friends should probably be afraid now that the two of them have joined forces!

Overall, I absolutely adored "Banking the Billionaire" and highly recommend it, either on its own or as part of the bundle. Cassie and Thatch are my favorite Max Monroe couple, and that's really saying something because they have so many great ones!

"Banking Her" (previously published)

 

"Banking Her" is both a bonus epilogue to Cassie and Thatch's story and a setup for their friends' Wes Lancaster and Dr. Winnie Winslow's story in book #3 of the Billionaire Bad Boys series ("Scoring the Billionaire"). Newly pregnant Cassie has rearranged her schedule to fit in as many photography assignments as possible before the baby comes, but Thatch worries that something will happen to her while she's traveling. The situation comes to a head while Cassie is in Phoenix on assignment for Wes's football team, the New York Mavericks. Overprotective Thatch has secretly followed Cassie from New York to keep an eye on her, but when Kline and Georgia figure out what he's been up to and decide to "help" him, hilarity ensues.

It was adorable to see how Thatch worried about Cassie and wanted to take care of her as soon as they found out she was pregnant. While he certainly took things too far, it was very entertaining to sit back and watch his antics, and his grand gesture at the end was incredibly sweet.

Overall, "Banking Her" was a super cute and funny story, and I highly recommend it.

"Crazy Fluffing Love" (new release)

In "Crazy Fluffing Love," pregnancy hormones have hit Cassie hard, and poor Thatch fears for his life after an unfortunate burrito incident. Desperate to do anything that will make his wife happy, he agrees to Cassie's suggestion to plan their honeymoon. Instead of the relaxing, post-baby break Thatch was expecting, Cassie decides on an immediate trip to Panama City, Florida, the spring break capital of the world, to experience her last bit of wild and crazy freedom before becoming a mom. It's October, so not exactly the height of spring break season, but that doesn't mean that Cassie won't have a few surprises up her sleeve for Thatch!

 

This was another laugh-out-loud funny, sweet story, and I loved getting to spend some extra time with Cassie and Thatch. For those who have already read the previous two stories, it's worth the price of the bundle for this novella alone.
 

*Review copy provided by the authors via Social Butterfly PR. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

About "Charming Billionaire"

Players gonna play, but can a wild, untamable, alpha billionaire player fall in love? 

 

Charming Billionaire, an all-new laugh out loud romantic comedy collection of Banking the Billionaire, Banking Her, and the all new novella Crazy Fluffing Love from New York Times bestselling author Max Monroe is available now!

Meet the most irresistible billionaire of all time in one sexy, steamy, downright hilarious, and binge-worthy romantic comedy collection (all for the price of one novella, too!)

This collection includes the following three books:

• Banking the Billionaire
• Banking Her
• And a BRAND-NEW novella, Crazy Fluffing Love

Banking the Billionaire
Uninhibited. Sarcastic. Confident. Beautiful.
With a thriving photography career that allows her to travel all over the world and capture the hottest of men behind her camera lens, Cassie Phillips is the woman who can’t be tamed.

Adrenaline junkie. Jokester. Billionaire. Hot-as-sin.
At six foot five, with muscles for days, and that perfect playful smile, Thatcher Kelly is the kind of man you don’t want to deny.

Wild for wild.
Prank for prank.
The two unlikeliest of people may be the only ones to see that some personality traits only run skin-deep.

Banking Her
Thatch and Cassie have finally found their perfect balance of good and sweet, crazy and playful, and most importantly, hot and insatiable.

But what happens when they’re faced with a surprise neither of them plotted or schemed?

While Cassie seems to be taking everything in stride, Thatch can’t stop himself from worrying about every little thing revolving around the woman he loves.

How does a man handle that kind of anxiety?

Doing the only thing he can to ease his mind without pushing away the woman he loves, Thatch proves that, once again, when it comes to him and Cass, you’ll never see what’s coming.

Crazy Fluffing Love
MISSING PERSON
Name: Thatcher Kelly
Age: Mid-thirties
Height: 6 foot 5 inches
Weight: A very sexy, lean, and muscular 250 pounds
Last seen: Panama City Beach, Florida
Important Note: This guy is a real good-looking motherfluffer.

Look, I know this might seem a little over the top to already prepare for my face to be plastered all over Missing Persons flyers, but trust me, it’s not.

My pregnant wife Cassie—whose hormones are swinging like a fluffing pendulum—has decided that we need a honeymoon.

Right the F now.

She wants us to go on a celebratory “spring break,” we-just-got-married vacation to none other than Panama City Beach, Florida. But the only problem is, it’s not spring.

It’s not even summer.

It’s October, my crazy-hot wife is pregnant, and things are starting to get really fluffing weird.

If you’re reading this, send help and plan a really nice memorial for my very super, beloved, *ahem* male member, who, for the sake of public decency, shall remain nameless. I’m not entirely sure he’s going to make it out alive.

Note from Author: Every book in this collection ends in an HEA. 

 

 

Read an Excerpt from "Charming Billionaire"

Intro

Thatch 

 
I’m Thatcher Kelly.

Harvard graduate.

Financial Consultant for Brooks Media and its subsidiaries and several other Fortune 500 companies.

What? It sounds familiar? Fuck that.
I can’t help it if Kline went first and stole all of my shit.

Net worth: $1.2 billion. Yeah, perfect Kline is worth more than me. But I have my hands on a lot more things. Important things.

Okay, maybe not important. But they’re…pussies. I have my hands on pussies.

Relax, I’m kidding. Well, mostly.

A man of many talents, I have more interests and jobs than you would expect.

Adrenaline Junkie. Jumps and falls, dives or climbs—orgasms. If it makes the bottom fall out of your stomach and end up in your throat with a wave of pleasure for your whole body to surf afterward, I’m in.

I’m built like a tree, but I’d rather do anything than just stand there.

Get out, get wild, fucking live life.

It’s also probably not a surprise I’m known for going through a laundry list of women. Quite frankly, I won’t fucking apologize for it. They’ve all meant something to me, regardless of the amount of time they’ve been in my life, long or short, and they’ve all taught me something about life or myself that I won’t give back.

But I’ve also longed for the kind of monogamy my friend Kline has for most of my life. A person who does their best to know you in and out and looks out for you when you can’t look out for yourself. The kind of person who wants to live life to its very fullest—but wants to do it with you.

Bottom line, I’m eclectic. A confusing mix of inappropriate jokes and heartfelt sentiment, you can dig and dig, and you’ll still be miles from the bottom of me.

At least, that had always been the case until Cassie Phillips.

She’s crazy and needy and borderline inappropriate at all times.

But she’s got the softest untamed heart when you’re someone she cares about, and fuck if that hasn’t become my singularly most important goal—mean something to the woman who already means all the things to me.

Because for the guy who wants wild and commitment in the same fucking breath, you better believe it’s going to be one bumpy ride.

Fasten that seat belt tight, ladies and gentleman.

This is us.

 

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