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Waiting on Wednesday #36: Truth or Beard by Penny Reid

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, it spotlilghts upcoming releases that we are dying to read.

This week my WoW is ... Truth or Beard by Penny Reid!


Beards, brothers, and bikers! Oh my!

Identical twins Beau and Duane Winston might share the same devastatingly handsome face, but where Beau is outgoing and sociable, Duane is broody and reserved. This is why Jessica James, recent college graduate and perpetual level headed good girl, has been in naïve and unhealthy infatuation with Beau Winston for most of her life. His friendly smiles make her tongue-tied and weak-kneed, and she’s never been able to move beyond her childhood crush. Whereas Duane and Jessica have always been adversaries. She can’t stand him, and she’s pretty sure he can’t stand the sight of her…

But after a case of mistaken identity, Jessica finds herself in a massive confusion kerfuffle. Jessica James has spent her whole life paralyzed by the fantasy of Beau and her assumptions of Duane’s disdain; therefore she’s unprepared for the reality that is Duane’s insatiable interest, as well as his hot hands and hot mouth and hotter looks. Not helping Jessica’s muddled mind and good girl sensibilities, Duane seems to have gotten himself in trouble with the local biker gang, the Iron Order.

Certainly, Beau’s magic spell is broken. Yet when Jessica finds herself drawn to the man who was always her adversary, now more dangerous than ever, how much of her level-head heart is she willing to risk?

Series Description:
Everyone in Green Valley, Tennessee knows that the six bearded Winston brothers have been imbued with an unfair share of charm and charisma… and are prone to mischief.

Truth or Beard is book #1 in the Winston Brother’s series. Each book is a standalone, full length (110k words), contemporary romantic comedy novel, and follows the romantic exploits and adventures of one of the six Winston Brothers.


Expected publication: July 23rd 2015 by Caped Publishing

2 words. PENNY. REID. Seriously, if you havent read any of her books yet, start now. The Winston Brothers series is a spin off of her Knitting on the City series and I CAN'T FREAKING WAIT. Also that cover? Gorgeous. 

Pre-order Links:
Amazon

About the Author:
Penny Reid is a part time author of romantic fiction. When she's not immersed in penning smart romances she works in the biotech industry as a researcher. She's also a full time mom to two diminutive adults (boy-8 and girl-5), wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.
Author Links:
Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads

Release Day Blitz: Excerpt & Giveaway: Insider by Olivia Cunning


Title: Insider (Exodus End #1)
Author: Olivia Cunning
Release Date: June 30, 2015
Find on Goodreads

Toni wants to be an insider.

Logan just wants inside her. 

She’s finally ready to rock... 

Toni Nichols set aside her dreams to raise her little sister, but now she's reaching for the stars as the creator of a revolutionary interactive biography about Exodus End. She’s on tour with the rock band to immerse herself in their world, but how will she ever gain the trust of four veteran superstars who've been burned by the media before? Nobody said this was going to be easy. Then again, good things can come in hard packages.

He's always ready to roll… 

Adrenaline junkie Logan Schmidt lives for the rush of playing his bass guitar before thousands of screaming fans. When he's not performing onstage or in the bedroom, he's looking for his next thrill in extreme sports. So why does a sweet, innocent journalist get his heart pumping and capture his full attention? Is Toni the real deal or just digging up dirt on his band? Logan’s eager to rock Toni’s world and roll her in the sack, but when she starts to get too close to his heart, she takes her insider look to a place he may never be willing to go.

“Good girls are easy,” Logan said.

“Logan, don’t fuck with her,” Max said. “This is business, not for your twisted sense of pleasure.”

“I can mix business with pleasure.” Logan peered toward the open bus door.

Shouldn’t Toni be climbing the steps now? He hoped he hadn’t scared her away. He found her incredibly attractive. He had a thing for women who understated their beauty, and Toni took understatement to a whole new level. And her rack? God, he could get lost between her enormous tits for hours. He hoped she wasn’t wearing a padded bra under that turtleneck sweater. He planned to find out really soon.

Dare thumped Logan on the side of the head. “You’re so full of shit.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You’re talking smack. You like her.”

“I don’t even know her. How could I like her?”

“Are you talking about me?” a soft, feminine voice said from the top of the bus steps.

Busted.

Logan turned his head and smiled at her. “Of course not.”

“Oh,” she said, her face falling.

“I already know I like you,” he said.

Her hand moved to her mouth. She touched her lips with two fingers, and a pretty blush spread across her face. Sweet, shy, and female, a combination Logan could never resist. Especially the female part. Her fantastic tits were just a bonus.

Combining her love for romantic fiction and rock 'n roll, USA Today Best-Selling Author Olivia Cunning writes erotic romance centered around rock musicians.

Raised on hard rock music from the cradle, she attended her first Styx concert at age six and fell instantly in love with live music. She's been known to travel over a thousand miles just to see a favorite band in concert. As a teen, she discovered her second love, romantic fiction -- first, voraciously reading steamy romance novels and then penning her own. 

Release Day Blitz & Review: The Allure of Julian Lefray by R.S. Grey


Title: The Allure of Julian Lefray
Author: R.S. Grey
Release Date: June 29, 2015
Find on Goodreads

From: JosephineKeller@LLDesigns.com

To: LilyNBlack@gmail.com

Subject: Justin Timberlake Nudes!

Lily, you predictable perv. I knew you’d open this email faster if I tempted you with a glimpse of JT's “PP”. Well, put your pants back on and grab some bubbly because I have much better news to share.

I GOT A JOB!

As of tomorrow, I’ll be the new executive assistant at Lorena Lefray Designs. I am SO excited, but there’s one itty bitty problem: I won’t be Lorena’s assistant. I’ll be working for her older brother, Julian.

I know what you're thinking- "But Jo, what’s the problem?"

Google him. Now. He’s the man in the fitted navy suit whose face reminds you that there’s hope yet for this cruel, ugly world. Keep scrolling…Do you see those dimples? Yup. That’s the Julian Lefray I will be reporting to tomorrow morning.

Lord, help us all...

XO,
Jo 


My Review:
Okay, I'm going to start off this review by saying phew. What a freaking summer it has been so far. I've been traveling a lot and while I've been reading a freaking ton, I haven't had a lot of time to write reviews *sad face* But when I saw that Ms. Grey had a new book coming out I jumped at the chance to read an ARC.
I just discovered R.S. Grey, Rachel, Ray (it's okay if were not on nickname basis yet but we are best freaking friends in my head) a few months ago and to say I'm obsessed with her writing is the understatement of the century. She has this way of injecting humor into her stories that is so real. It's like the banter I have with my friends (except way more clever).
Jo is someone that a lot of people will be able to relate to. She comes from a small town and wants to make it in NYC. She's living paycheck to paycheck and while the job she gets at  Lorena Lefray Designs is necessary to continue living in NYC, Jo never loses the positive attitude. And she's a blogger. Power to the bloggers!
Julian, Julian, Julian. Can we get married? Is there a more perfect human being than Julian Le-freaking-fray? He's helping clean house at his sister Lorena's company while she's recovering in rehab. He gives Jo the assistant job. Yeah, she may not be as qualified as some of the other applicants, and yeah, he may have been swayed by her beauty, but she was definitely the right choice.
The romance was awesome. Total slow-burn, forbidden boss/assistant, and when they finally gave in HOLY COLD SHOWER.
Overall, the plot may have not been the most original, but the humor and romance totally made up for that. Also can Lily and Dean please get a book? That man needs a good woman.
Thank you R.S. Grey for writing books that I love reading.

*An ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I am a lover of books, chocolate, reality TV, black labs, and cold weather. Seriously, if I had it my way, I would be curled up on the couch with all of those things... everyday.

I live in Texas where I spend my free time writing and reading. My favorite authors include Mindy Kaling & Jonathan Safran Foer. I'm a comedy geek and love all things "funny". Women like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling are definitely the biggest inspirations for my writing, though I think my work tends to skew a bit smuttier than theirs.

Blog Tour: Excerpt & Giveaway: Up in Smoke by Tessa Bailey


Meet Ex- Navy Seal Connor in UP IN SMOKE!
AVAILABLE NOW 

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1LeB123


Blurb

Never start a fire you can't control...

Connor Bannon is supposed to be dead. Dishonorably discharged from the Navy SEALs, he's spent the last two years working as a street enforcer in Brooklyn for his cousin's crime ring. Through a twist of fate, he's now in Chicago, working undercover to bust criminals. But when a cute little arsonist joins the team-all combat boots, tiny jean shorts, and hot-pink hair-Connor's notorious iron control slips.

Erin "she's getting away" O'Dea knows two things. She hates authority. And... Nope, that's it. When she's forced to operate on the "right" side of the law, her fear of being confined and controlled blazes to the surface. The last thing she expects is a control freak like Connor to soothe her when she needs it most. Worse, something behind the sexy ex-soldier's eyes ignites a dangerous inferno of desire. One that invites Erin to play with fire. And one that could get them both killed...


Excerpt:

As if her thoughts had made him appear, Connor strode into the courthouse. Her pulse started beating double time, her stomach muscles tightening. Good Lord, the man was a fucking panty dropper. She’d only been away from him for a few hours and it felt like years since she’d experienced his presence. In jeans and a fitted gray T-shirt that molded to his muscles like her hands itched to do, he personified confidence and authority. Hot, rugged male. His gaze connected with hers immediately and darkened. She thought back to that morning when he’d dressed in the early morning light, his abs flexing as he pulled the shirt over his head. His erection barely contained by his boxers. She’d never been one to beg for anything, but she’d been seconds from offering him her mouth. Pleading for the privilege of sucking him off.

Conner shook his head at her with a sexy half smile on his face, as if he could read her thoughts across the room. He stopped at the metal detector and walked through after the security guard beckoned him forward. When the woman grabbed her wand and instructed him to raise his hands in the air, something ugly reared its head deep inside her. The detector hadn’t even beeped. There was no reason for the personal service. When the woman smiled at Connor and ran a hand down her ponytail, Erin propelled herself forward, boots echoing on the polished marble.

Erin hissed as she drew even with the guard. “If you’re done feeling up my boyfriend, I’d love a turn. We were in a rush this morning.”

The guard dropped the wand, letting it dangle near her thigh. “Did you just hiss at me?”

Erin hissed again.

“Okay.” Connor stepped between them, winking down at her. “We should go. Don’t want to keep the clerk waiting.”

Appreciation spread in her belly like honey. He hadn’t chided her for her behavior or apologized to the woman on her behalf. Instead he’d given the impression they were on their way to get married, appeasing her jealousy in one fell swoop. “That’s right.” She sauntered toward the elevator. “There’s vows to be exchanged. Rings to put on fingers. Shit like that.”

She glanced behind her to find Connor staring at her ass as she walked, so she put a little swing in her hips and savored his groan. Damn. She’d definitely never had this much fun at a courthouse.

A moment later, she and Connor stepped into an empty elevator. She hit the button for the top floor even though the clerk was on the first, and leaned back against the wall, looking up at him through her eyelashes. “How was your morning, baby? Was it worth leaving me in bed, all hot and bothered for you?”

“Fuck no, it wasn’t.” He crooked a big finger at her. “Climb on up here.”


About the Author:
Thank you for your interest in my books! I'm Tessa and I live in the crazy, loud, overcrowded borough of Brooklyn, New York. I love it here. This city is a constant source of inspiration, which is why I've decided to set my most recent books in the Line of Duty Series here. 

I moved to New York when I was eighteen, the day after I graduated high school. Threw my suitcase in the back of a Chevrolet Cavalier and drove across the country to find my adventure. I'm still finding it, little by little.​Thank you for being a part of it. 


Giveaway:
Signed copies of Risking it All & Up in Smoke
$100 Amazon Gift Card (2 Winners)


Cover Reveal & Excerpt: Sinfully Mine by Kendall Ryan

Have you ever had your heart broken? Reece Jackson has, and he uses a peculiar kink to avoid intimacy. When the girl he’s always loved walks back into his life, will he be able to let his walls down? 

RELEASING JULY 14



She was forbidden.

I didn’t care.

As my best friend’s little sister, Macey Hale was off-limits, but the girl was tempting as sin and forbidden as fuck. I wish I could say that stopped me. I wish I could tell you I behaved like a gentleman.

I didn’t.

When she waltzes back into my life with that same spark I fell for, looking every bit the beautiful woman I knew she’d grow into, I have to force myself to remember I’m different from the man she once knew. I’m colder. Harder. And for good reason.

With my heart on lockdown and my hands aching to touch her, I set out to prove that I can keep myself in check this time.

No strings. No attachments.

And definitely no falling for her again.

If you love steamy romance, you won't want to miss this older brother's best friend romance. 

This is book two in the Lessons with the Dom series, following The Gentleman Mentor. Both are complete standalone novels featuring sexy Dominant men you're sure to fall in love with. 

Enjoy!


Excerpt:
"What do you think you’re doing?” I find her in my closet, down on her knees and rummaging through a black duffel bag that just happens to hold all my sex toys. Apparently she did see this when she cleaned up.

“Ah, here we go.” Her fingers close around a generously sized flesh-colored vibrating dildo. “You won’t do the job? Well, I have a feeling this baby will.” She waves it in the air like she’s found the damn golden ticket. Then she rises to her feet and smiles sweetly at me.

For the love of God, this woman does not fight fair. She never has. “Where do you think you’re going with that?”

“Probably my bed, then the shower.” A line creases her forehead. “Do you have spare batteries for this thing? It might be a long night.”

“No way. Not happening. Give me the toy, Macey.” I reach out a hand, my voice as stern as the set of my jaw, my fingers barely avoiding crushing the crystal tumbler in my other hand.

A slow smile uncurls on her mouth. “Why, Reece Jackson, are you jealous?” She eyes the toy in her hand and then lets her gaze slip seductively down to the crotch of my pants.

If she really thinks that toy’s size has me feeling insecure, she’s insane. Certifiably. “You really don’t remember, do you?” Now I’m the one smiling. She’ll be in for a pleasant surprise later.

“I remember everything. I remember how you always made me keep my underwear on, and that I never actually saw you”—her gaze flicks downward—”down there. I only felt you with my hand, and since I had nothing to base it on, I assumed all guys were like that.”

“Well, in that case, you’ll be sorely disappointed with this toy.” I snatch the dildo from her hand and toss it back in the open bag.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asks, planting a hand on her hip. “You left me hanging at the restaurant.”

“And you will stay like that until I say so.”


He calls himself the Gentleman Mentor.




Just reading his ad makes me feel more alive than I have in years. 

He promises to teach me the art of seduction … and show me the most sinfully erotic pleasures. He’s going to help me become the kind of confident, sexy woman men can’t ignore.

Six lessons … with the most gorgeous man … who happens to be a Dom.

The only problem … now that I’ve experienced his brand of delectable domination will anyone else ever compare?

She’s a client. That’s all.

Or it should be.

But with every lesson, she’s becoming more.

The secrets I’m hiding behind the image of the Gentleman Mentor make telling her the truth—and having anything real—impossible. 

I’m training her for another man, and that fact guts me every time I think of it.

I know she’s not mine … but part of me won’t accept that.

Am I willing to risk it all to keep her?

THE GENTLEMAN MENTOR is a full-length standalone novel.



Kendall Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance novels, including Hard to Love, Unravel Me, Resisting Her and When I Break.

She's a sassy, yet polite Midwestern girl with a deep love of books, and a slight addiction to lipgloss. She lives in Minneapolis with her adorable husband and two baby sons, and enjoys hiking, being active, and reading.

Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras



Waiting on Wednesday #35: Ruin & Rule by Pepper Winters

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, it spotlilghts upcoming releases that we are dying to read.

This week my WoW is ... Ruin & Rule by Pepper Winters!

"We met in a nightmare. The in-between world where time had no power over reason. We fell in love. We fell hard. But then we woke up. And it was over . . ."


RUIN & RULE
She is a woman divided. Her past, present, and future are as twisted as the lies she's lived for the past eight years. Desperate to get the truth, she must turn to the one man who may also be her greatest enemy . . . 

He is the president of Pure Corruption MC. A heartless biker and retribution-deliverer. He accepts no rules, obeys no one, and lives only to reap revenge on those who wronged him. And now he has stolen her, body and soul.

Can a woman plagued by mystery fall in love with the man who refuses to face the truth? And can a man drenched in darkness forgo his quest for vengeance-and finally find redemption?


Expected publication: July 7th 2015 by Hachette Book Group

Yes! Pepper has released a few teasers, and from what I've seen so far this book looks good.


Pre-order Links:
Amazon - B&N - iBooks - Kobo - Google Play

About the Author:
Pepper Winters is a NYT and USA Today International Bestseller. She wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.
She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends. She’s also honoured to wear the IndieReader Badge for being a Top 10 Indie Bestsellers, best BDSM series voted by the SmutClub, and recently signed a two book deal with Grand Central. Her books are currently being translated into numerous languages and will be in bookstores in the near future. She self-publishes most of her work, however if you’re interested in discussing Foreign Rights for any of her books, please contact Erica Silverman at Trident Media.
Author Links:
Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads

Release Day Blitz & Excerpt: On My Knees by J. Kenner


The next part in Jackson and Sylvia's story is available now - grab ON MY KNEES by J. Kenner today to get your hands on more of Jackson Steele!


About ON MY KNEES
Jackson Steele and Sylvia Brooks continue to thrill in the second novel of a scintillating, emotionally charged new trilogy that returns to the world of J. Kenner’s beloved Stark novels:Release Me, Claim Me, and Complete Me.

I never thought I’d lose control, but his desire took me right to the edge. 

Powerful, ambitious, and devastatingly sexy, Jackson Steele was unlike any other man I’d ever known. He went after what he wanted with his whole mind, body, and soul—and I was the woman in his sights. One touch and I surrendered, one night together and I was undone. 

Jackson and I had secrets, dark pieces of our pasts that threatened to swallow us both. We couldn’t outrun our demons, or the people trying to tear us apart. But in our passion we found salvation, and in each other’s arms we found release. 

I was scared to trust Jackson fully, to finally let go. Yet no matter the dangers that lay ahead, I knew I was his—and now that we’ve laid claim, there’s no more holding back. 

On My Knees is intended for mature audiences.

Read the first chapter of ON MY KNEES here!


Find out more about the first book, SAY MY NAME: AmazonBarnes & Noble - Kobo - iTunes - Google Play


Excerpt:
“I need you to tell me, baby. How should I touch you to get you there? Tell me what you want. Tell me what turns you on.”

My cheeks burn, which is ridiculous considering how open I am to him at this moment. But I can’t help it.

“Tell me,” he says, stepping closer. “Or have none of it.”

My eyes cut to him. “Cruel, Mr. Steele?”

“I can be. Or I can be very, very kind.” As he speaks, he moves his fingertip over my body. Literally over it, by about two inches. So that while I can imagine his touch, I do not get to experience it. Even so, it seems to me like he is leaving a trail of heat in his wake.

All that does, though, is drive home how much I will be missing if he doesn’t touch me for real.


About J. Kenner
Julie Kenner (aka J. Kenner and J.K. Beck) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over forty novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations,” J.K. writes a range of stories including super sexy romances, paranormal romance, chick lit suspense and paranormal mommy lit. Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner, is in development as a feature film with 1492 Pictures. 

Her most recent trilogy of erotic romances, The Stark Trilogy (as J. Kenner), reached as high as #2 on the New York Times list and is published in over twenty countries. 

J.K. lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and several cats.