Giveaway Excerpt THE WAGER by RACHEL VAN DYKEN @ForeverRomance @RachVD #BookBlitz

Lose a bet, lose your heart...
What is it about a junior-high crush that can send an otherwise intelligent woman into a tailspin? TV reporter Char Lynn wishes she knew. Jake Titus is too rich, too handsome, too arrogant: a trifecta that once lured Char into the best night-and worst morning-after-of her life. Now they've been thrown together in a wedding party. It's awkward, but survivable . . . until Jake stops acting like a jerk, and starts acting like the man she'd always hoped he could be.
If watching your brother marry your best friend is weird, being attracted to your best friend's other best friend is downright bizarre. Unfortunately for Jake, Char hasn't forgotten how he once tossed her aside. Worse still, Jake's already-nutty grandma is even crazier about Char. Cue meet-cute shenanigans and all manner of meddling, and somehow, Jake's falling. For Char. Now all he has to do is make her believe it . . .

Buy it:

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Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at http://rachelvandykenauthor.com/

Blog  * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

EXCERPT 

“Jake!” Grandma peered around the mannequin and yelled. “Help her out of that dress! We have a wedding emergency! Hurry!”

“Right.” Jake released Char’s hand and shook his head as he took a step away. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve helped you out of your clothes, huh, Char?”

And special moment gone.

Ignoring the burning sensation on her face, Char walked into the dressing room and pulled the curtain.

“Don’t you need help?” came Jake’s voice.

“I think I know how to undress myself, Jake.”

“Yes.” His warm chuckle made Char want to smack him. Shivering, she reached for the zipper. “But when I do it, it’s unforgettable. That’s all I’m saying.”

Fine. She’d had enough. Refusing to let him think she was afraid of him touching her, she took his challenge. With a huff Char pulled open the curtain. “Prove it.”

His eyes widened and then a wicked smile curved his lips. “My pleasure.”

The way the man said “pleasure” did really unfortunate things to Char’s body, things that made her re-think her rash decision.

“Where’s the zipper?”

“Aww… can’t find it? That happen to you often, Jake? Can’t find the zipper, where does my equipment go…”

“Oh that, I never have problems with. You should know.”

Her eyes narrowed into slits as she watched him close the curtain and then do a turning motion with his finger.

She turned around and faced the mirror. Jake placed his hands on her shoulders then ran them down both of her arms. She would not shiver, she would not react!

He placed his hands on her hips, then unzipped the dress. Slowly he ran his hands back up the sides of her body, all the way until he hit just below her breasts. Her breath hitched as he winked at her in the mirror, bypassing her breasts and finding the fastener behind her neck.

Char chewed on her lower lip as she watched him delicately undo the fastener and then held the dress to her body so it wouldn’t fall.

“You have beautiful hair.” He ran a few pieces through his fingers and sighed, locking eyes with her in the mirror.

He wasn’t smiling. Was he seriously paying her a compliment? To her face? Or her reflection?

“I, uhh—”

“It’s just a compliment, Char. Not a proposal.”

She blushed profusely. “Thank you.”

The way he looked at her made her feel naked. And now she remembered why things had gone haywire in the first place. She never knew which Jake she was talking to. The one who had been her friend when she was little, or the millionaire playboy who had no soul.

Char doubted he even knew which one he was. She just needed to make sure she remembered, lest she end up with a broken heart again.

“Everyone decent?” Grandma called from the other side of the curtain.

Jake stepped back and winked. “Unfortunately.”

Char felt her face heat.

“Damn,” Grandma called. “You’ve lost your touch, son.”

“Don’t I know it.” He licked his lips and nodded one last time at Char before stepping on the other side of the curtain.

GIVEAWAY ! 

1  WINNER: "Wits and Wagers" Board Game, plus e-copy of THE WAGER

5 WINNERS: SIGNED Forever gift bag, print copy of THE BET and e-copy of THE WAGER

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Giveaway Excerpt SNOWBOUND WITH THE SOLDIER by JENNIFER FAYE @JenniferFaye34 @HarlequinBooks

Excerpt & Giveaway: 

Snowbound With The Soldier 

by Jennifer Faye

Maybe this Christmas…?  

It has been seven long years since Kara Jameson last saw Jason Greene. Returning home as a wounded war hero, Jason looks a shell of the man she once knew. Yet her heart still skips a beat as if it was yesterday…. 

Stepping back into civilian life, Jason looks to Kara for help. But there's too much water under the bridge—not to mention too much lingering attraction. 

But it seems that the mountain weather has other ideas, and when Kara and Jason end up snowbound together they are forced to confront the ghosts of Christmas past.

Available at:

Amazon   |   Amazon - UK   |   Barnes & Noble   |   Harlequin  |  iTunes  |  Waterstones

The Book Depository   |   IndieBound  |  eBooks.com  |  Mills & Book UK

Books-A-Million   |   Indigo   |   Walmart  |  Booktopia  |  Mills & Boon Australia

---

Excerpt

"How are you?"

He wanted to exchange pleasantries as though they'd parted on good terms? She didn't have time to beat around the bush. She should already be home, getting dinner for her daughter before they went over her homework.

"When you left Pleasant Valley, you swore you'd never return. So what happened? What finally changed your mind?"

His expression hardened. If he'd been expecting a warm welcome, he'd been sadly mistaken.

He shrugged. "Things change."

Well, most things did, and generally not for the better, but not in Jason's case. He hadn't gained so much as a beer gut or a receding hairline. Even the jagged scar on his face added to his sexiness.

Kara's gaze rose to meet his. At first glance, she thought his intense blue eyes were the same as she remembered, but a closer inspection revealed a hard glint in them. He no longer resembled the warm, lighthearted guy she'd dated for nearly four years. Or had he been that way all along? Had those rose-colored glasses she'd been wearing back then obscured his real character? Had she ever truly known him at all?

Jason hitched his thumbs in his jeans pockets. "I'm sorry about what happened between us. I handled it poorly."

"You certainly did."

"If I could explain, I would, but I can't—"

---

Author Bio

Jennifer Faye is a two-time RT Book Reviews TOP PICK author. Maybe that’s partly due to the fact that she has spent most of her life with her nose in one book or another. It was only natural that she dreamed of becoming a romance writer and spinning the tales of the imaginary people running around in her mind. But first life took her on a couple of detours. Refusing to give up on her dreams, she finally succeeded in getting her name on a book cover. She currently resides in Pennsylvania with her very, very patient husband, one amazing daughter (the other remarkable daughter has flown the coop to chase her own dreams) and two spoiled rotten cats. When she’s not glued to her laptop writing another contemporary romance (which isn’t often) or enjoying some family time, she loves to get lost in a good book, cross-stitch, embroider, quilt, knit, watch hockey (go Pittsburgh Penguins!), and garden. Jennifer loves to hear from readers--you can contact her via her website.

Author Links

Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Google+ / Tumblr

---

~Giveaway~

Snowbound With The Soldier Blog Tour Giveaway

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Giveaway Interview Review A GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED by DARA HORN @DaraHorn @wwnorton

1.      

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 2013

The incomparable Dara Horn returns with a spellbinding novel of how technology changes memory and how memory shapes the soul.Software prodigy Josie Ashkenazi has invented an application that records everything its users do. When an Egyptian library invites her to visit as a consultant, her jealous sister Judith persuades her to go. But in Egypt’s postrevolutionary chaos, Josie is abducted—leaving Judith free to take over Josie’s life at home, including her husband and daughter, while Josie’s talent for preserving memories becomes a surprising test of her empathy and her only means of escape.

A century earlier, another traveler arrives in Egypt: Solomon Schechter, a Cambridge professor hunting for a medieval archive hidden in a Cairo synagogue. Both he and Josie are haunted by the work of the medieval philosopher Moses Maimonides, a doctor and rationalist who sought to reconcile faith and science, destiny and free will. But what Schechter finds, as he tracks down the remnants of a thousand-year-old community’s once-vibrant life, will reveal the power and perils of what Josie’s ingenious work brings into being: a world where nothing is ever forgotten.

An engrossing adventure that intertwines stories from Genesis, medieval philosophy, and the digital frontier, A Guide for the Perplexed is a novel of profound inner meaning and astonishing imagination.



SOURCE: PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

Josephine has a brilliant mind and her imagination helps her create a program that lets users keep track of their memories using social networking, photos and even thoughts.  Judith was the center of attention growing up while Josephine was always a bit strange but now that Judith has drifted from job to job, her sister hires her to help out at the new company, Genizah.  The story weaves back and forth between the sisters and Solomon Schechter's tale of his life and ultimate discovery of a vast collection of Jewish historical artifacts in Egypt.  Also, explain is the life of Maimonides, the author of A Guide for the Perplexed, and one of Schecter's main discoveries.   There are several other minor historical characters scattered about as well.

The story really tells about the bond between sisters and brothers mixed with a thrilling contemporary of intrigue.  As Josie travels to Egypt to help the new library at Alexandria catalog, she leaves her young daughter, Tali at home with her business-partner husband, Itamar.  After helping to organize the library's catalog, she is kidnapped and thought to be murdered by a militant faction.  The outcome is anything that you could expect.  Told through multiple points of view, there is nothing that can prepare you for the ending.  One of my favorite things to do is guess how a plot will turn out and I was completely off guard with this one.

I love historical fiction, especially when it is related to current events and Horn does an amazing job with bringing these tales together.  The underlying themes of redemption and how blood is thicker than water are played out as each set of characters try to do the right thing for their families.  One interesting note is the role Asthma plays in each set of characters and their stories. Maimodes, a physician in ancient Egypt, tries to help a ruler treat his condition and sends his brother to his death seeking herbs that will help control it.  Schecter suffers from the condition as well and Josie also suffers from it.

The details and patterns that link each of these characters is amazing.  I haven't read anything this thought provoking in a long time.  I really didn't want this book to end and found myself looking a lot of things about the historical characters since I found myself fascinated by them.  This would make a perfect choice for a book club since there are so many different ideas that can spark discussions about technology, current world events and family.  I really enjoyed this one and I am going back to find more by this author.

About the Author

Dara Horn was born in New Jersey in 1977 and received her Ph.D. in comparative literature from Harvard University in 2006. In 2007 Dara Horn was chosen by Granta magazine as one of the Best Young American Novelists. Her first novel, In the Image, published by W.W. Norton when she was 25, received a 2003 National Jewish Book Award, the 2002 Edward Lewis Wallant Award, and the 2003 Reform Judaism Fiction Prize. Her second novel, The World to Come, published by W.W. Norton in January 2006, received the 2006 National Jewish Book Award for Fiction, the 2007 Harold U. Ribalow Prize, was selected as an Editor's Choice in The New York Times Book Review and as one of the Best Books of 2006 by The San Francisco Chronicle, and has been translated into eleven languages. She has taught courses in Jewish literature and Israeli history at Harvard and at Sarah Lawrence College, and has lectured at universities and cultural institutions throughout the United States and Canada. Her new novel, All Other Nights, will be published by W.W. Norton in March 2009. She lives with her husband, daughter and two sons in New Jersey.

WEBSITE * FACEBOOK * TWITTER 

PLEASE WELCOME DARA TO BOOKHOUNDS

What is the first book you remember reading by yourself as a child?

This is my big chance to pretend I was a child prodigy reading Crime and Punishment in my crib. Wait, that’s implausible. But how about A Wrinkle in Time? Believable, right? If I were a really, really smart baby?


Alas, it was the Berenstain Bears’ “Bears in the Night,” whose text consists of a grand total of twelve prepositional phrases. It’s about a bunch of bears who sneak out of their house and wander through a nighttime landscape looking for an owl. My children now read this book, and I will admit I still find it kind of scary.


What are you reading right now?

I just finished a hilarious novel by a Nigerian writer named Adaobi Nwaubani called I Do Not Come to You By Chance, about the 419 email scam. (You know, when there’s a deposed Nigerian prince who hasn’t emailed you by chance, but because he knows you are a person of great integrity who can be trusted to assist him in retrieving his $253 million inheritance in exchange for a 20% commission for your services—if you would first kindly front him a few thousand dollars to cover a few routine fees.) It describes, in high satire, a talented young Nigerian man who gets sucked into a “career” among the 419ers, in a comic voice that reminded me of 19th century writers like Mark Twain. I loved it.

And I just started Jennifer Gilmore’s novel The Mothers, about an infertile couple’s desperate quest to adopt a child. She describes the surreal adoption “process” (involving everything from laying bare the limits of your own generosity to subjecting yourself to strangers’ emotional exploitation) with such clarity that no reader will ever again console hopeful parents-in-waiting by admonishing them to “just” adopt. Her voice is so intelligent and lyrical and confident and empathetic, and I’m completely drawn into her story.

How does your garden grow?

With orange chalk, decapitated dolls, and mold-covered dinosaurs, all in a row. (My children are ages 8, 6, 4, and 1. Pretty much nothing grows around my house except for them.)

 What is the last thing you Googled?

My hotel in San Francisco, whose address I could not recall at 12:15am. (I met some nice people at my book event there. We had fun. Not that kind of fun, but I still couldn’t find my hotel afterwards.)

What makes you cringe?

Facebook.

WANT TO WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK?  

Ends 10/9/13
US only, no PO Boxes
Open only to those who can legally enter
Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary.
You must be 18 or older to enter .
The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified.
The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
Giveaway was organized by BookHounds and sponsored by the publisher

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Disclosure  I received this book from the publisher at no charge and in no way influenced my review.  If you are considering purchasing this book or anything else from Amazon, please use my link above since I earn a very small percentage of the sale which helps pay for shipping my giveaways!  

Giveaway ETERNAL STARLING by ANGELA CORBETT @AngCorbett @BookNerdTours

Welcome to the Nerd Blast for
Eternal Starling by Angela Corbett

A love so strong, even eternity can’t separate them. Evie Starling has lived a relatively uneventful life hanging out with friends, gossiping about boys, and driving her 1966 Mustang.

All of that changes when she moves to Gunnison, Colorado, to start college and meets two mysterious men. For centuries, Alex Night and Emil Stone have yearned for Evie but they each have their own reasons for wanting to be with her. When both men claim to be her soul mate and tell her about an unbelievable past, Evie learns that she s not the person she thought she was. Soon, Evie finds herself in the middle of an age-old battle between the Amaranthine Society the soul protectors, and the Daevos Resistance the soul destroyers. With a past she doesn t understand, and a future rife with danger, Evie has to decide who she can trust. But Alex and Emil aren t the only ones who want Evie, and her soul is about to become the rope in an eternal tug-of-war.

You can purchase Eternal Starling at the following Retailers:
    

GIVEAWAY
7 Winners will receive an E-Book Copy of Eternal Starling.
2 Winners will receive a Signed Copy+Swag of Eternal Starling.
Must be 13+ to EnterInternational Giveaway

About Angela Corbett
Website
  

As a child, Angela Corbett’s most prized possession was a set of read-along books. She used to follow along with the narrator on the stereo and dream of when she would be able to read by herself. Her childhood reading habit led her to consider her future career. However, after consulting with her parents, she realized she had already exceeded hobbit height and since fairies and dragonslayers were tricky jobs to get, she decided she wanted to create worlds of her own. She started writing poetry in elementary school and worked as a journalist in high school and college, but could never leave her love for writing fiction behind.

She is a graduate of Westminster College where she double majored in communication and sociology. She has worked as a journalist, freelance writer, and director of communications and marketing. She loves classic cars, traveling, and escaping in a good book. She lives in Utah with her incredibly supportive husband and their five-pound Pomeranian, Pippin, whose following of fangirls could rival Justin Bieber’s.

Eternal Starling is her debut novel and the first book in the Emblem of Eternity trilogy.

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Giveaway THE BRIDESMAID by JULIA LONDON @sourcebookscasa @JuliaFLondon

Show us your UGLIEST bridesmaid dress!

Sourcebooks is getting ready to release New York Times bestselling author, Julia London’s brand new novella, The Bridesmaid on October 1^st! In order to celebrate, they want to see the ugliest bridesmaid dresses out there! Have YOU been forced to wear one? Or do you have a friend or family member that had to put one on? Well we want to see it!

Tweet a picture of it and use the hashtag #UgliestBridesmaidDress anytime during October 1^st – October 4^th! We will then pick a grand prize winner on Monday October 7^th who will receive a wedding themed gift basket! We will also pick 10 more runner up winners who will receive a copy of Julia London’s novella!

You can also enter to win a copy of The Bridesmaid here by commenting and sharing your                                (worst wedding horror story, best wedding story, story of your engagement, etc.)! US & Canada only please and we will pick the winner on Friday October 4^th.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia London’s romantic twist on Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Getting her to the wedding on time is the least of his worries...

Kate Preston just moved to New York, but she has to get back to Seattle in time for her best friend's wedding. Joe Firretti is moving to Seattle, and has to get there in time or risk losing his new job. But fate's got a sense of humor. Kate goes from rubbing elbows on a plane with a gorgeous but irritating strange (doggone armrest hog) to sharing one travel disaster after another with him on four wheels. Joe thought he had his future figured out, but sometimes fates has to knock you over the head pretty hard before you see what opportunity is standing in front of you...in a really god-awful poufy bridesmaid dress.

WANT TO WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK?  

LEAVE A COMMENT ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE WEDDING MOMENT with your email address

Ends 10/3/13
US - CANADA only, no PO Boxes
Open only to those who can legally enter
Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary.
You must be 18 or older to enter .
The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified.
The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
Giveaway was organized by BookHounds and sponsored by the publisher

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Review RUNNING WITH MONSTERS by BOB FORREST @CrownPublishing @AskBobForrest

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2013

Celebrity Rehab star Bob Forrest's memoir about his drug-fueled life in the LA indie rock scene of the '80s and '90s and his life-changing decision to become a drug counselor who specializes in reaching the unreachable.

On Dr. Drew's Celebrity Rehab and Sober House, Bob Forrest is a counselor who helps some of the most unruly celebrities heal. He gets through to them because he knows what they're going through--he was once the frontman of Thelonious Monster, a cult-favorite band, and ran with a group of musicians that included the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis and Flea. Though his band's future looked bright, Forrest was in bad shape and let his career slip away as he sunk deep into chemical dependency. He went through many unsuccessful stints in rehab. When his sobriety finally stuck, he saw an opportunity to help others who were in his same predicament. Fed up with the traditional rehab approach, he eventually developed his own outpatient program called Hollywood Recovery Services. He has since helped guide many people back from the brink of death.

About the Author
BOB FORREST is a musician, certified addiction specialist and counselor, recovering addict who has been sober for 15 years, and the father of two sons.

SOURCE:  AMAZON VINE

MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

Bob Forrest has had a somewhat successful career as a musician and working in the music business until his drug habits catch up to him.  He spent massive amounts of money on his addiction, ruined relationships and barely made it out alive.  As the creative genius behind Thelonious Monster, he has seen his fellow musicians, like the Red Hot Chili Peppers succeed, while he was just barely surviving because of his addictions.  In his path to become clean, he found a career as a drug counselor, getting fellow musicians off drugs and partnered with Dr. Drew Pinsky on Celebrity Rehab.

I really enjoyed this memoir since it was so different from most of these music related stories that tend to follow a pattern.  Usually they follow the same series of events:  struggling to get noticed, fame and fortune, seduced by drugs, burnout and then getting clean/finding God.  This one didn't quite follow those ideas. Forrest admits he was addicted even before fame set in, that he would do anything for drugs and that his prior attempts failed because he couldn't get past the "God" element in the 12 Steps program that most sober programs use.

There is a wonderful balance between the music industry gossip and what it actually takes to become clean and sober.  His story also rings very true.  There is not a lot of embellishing to glamorize the drug use by celebrities, he lays the facts out while making it very interesting.  So come for the wonderful insider stories about a lot of famous musicians but stay for the fascinating story that is Bob Forrest's life.  This is a very well done memoir.

Giveaway Interview ROCKY ROAD by JOSI KILAPCK Win $25 @josiskilpack @toobusyreading

Tour Schedule

Rocky Road

It was supposed to be a girls’ weekend in scenic St. George, Utah that would include shopping, trying out the local cuisine, and participating in a breast cancer fundraiser. The fact that one of the organizers of the fundraising event, a local doctor, disappeared two months ago was not supposed to be Sadie’s problem. In fact, she refuses to participate in the grassroots investigation her friend Caro, and Caro’s cousin, Tess, have put together prior to her arrival. But then she meets the ex-wife of the missing doctor. How could she not ask a few questions . . . that lead to a few more questions . . . that lead to a small town and yet even more questions. Before she knows it, Sadie is in the middle of yet another murder investigation and trying to piece together a convoluted trail of good intentions, hidden motivations, and philanthropy turned big business.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Author Josi S. Kilpack


Born and raised in Salt Lake City Utah, I met my husband in high-school--well, he wasn't my husband then, just the cute guy in weight training with the permed mullet--and we married in 1993. I wrote my first book while on bed rest with my third child and have gone on to publish 20 novels, the most recent being part of The Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series.


I currently live in Willard, Utah with my husband, children, and cat.

Website * Twitter * Blog

PLEASE WELCOME JOSI TO BOOKHOUNDS 

1. What is the first book you remember reading by yourself as a child?

The Fire House Cat

2. What are you reading right now?

I am between books, but "Reached" by Ali Condie is the next book on my list

3. How does your garden grow?

I have grow boxes that have strawberries and daisys in them right now. But we have 3 acres that we lease to a local farmer and he's growing squash, pumpkins, and tomatoes and it's been lovely to watch.

4. What is the last thing you Googled?

The authors name for "The Glass Castle." It's Jeanette Walls :-)

5. What makes you cringe?

When people teach through criticism. Makes me nuts--it's lazy teaching to only harp on people's weaknesses.

Culinary Mysteries by Josi Kilpack

Blog Tour Giveaway


$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash


Ends 10/6/13





Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author.
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Giveaway Excerpt Review ALWAYS ON MY MIND by JILL SHALVIS @JillShalvis @GrandCentralPub #blogtour

Book Description

Publication Date: September 24, 2013

THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING
After dropping out of pastry school and messing up her big break on a reality cooking show, Leah Sullivan needs to accomplish something in her life. But when she returns home to Lucky Harbor, she finds herself distracted by her best friend, Jack Harper. In an effort to cheer up Jack's ailing mother, Dee, Leah tells a little fib - that she and Jack are more than just friends. Soon pretending to be hot-and-heavy with this hunky firefighter feels too real to handle . . .

No-strings attachments suit Jack just fine - perfect for keeping the risk of heartbreak away. But as Jack and Leah break every one of their "just friends" rules, he longs to turn their pretend relationship into something permanent. Do best friends know too much about each other to risk falling in love? Or will Jack and Leah discover something new about each other in a little town called Lucky Harbor?

EXCERPT

He stared at her. “That’s quite a list of shortcomings,” he eventually said. “Is that all?”

“No.” She shoved her wet hair from her face, though she managed to keep her regal stance, nose firmly in the air at nose-bleed height. “I held back because I didn’t want to be overly rude.”

He laughed softly. “Don’t hold back, Leah. Let’s hear all of it.”

“Well, your truck has more sporting goods than a store, you never say you’re sorry, and your girlfriends look like supermodels. I mean, what is that? There’s nothing wrong with real boobs, you know!”

“I fail to see the problem.”

She snorted again, and he was starting to feel greatly insulted. “You’re not exactly a walk in the park, Leah.”

“No?”

“No. You’re flighty, you live for your every whim, you downplay any real emotion you feel.”

She hugged herself tight. “Good thing this is all pretend then, isn’t it,” she said softly.

“Yeah.”

She was freezing. And hauntingly gorgeous, so damn gorgeous standing there wet and silvery by the moon’s glow, like a goddess. It’s Leah, he had to keep reminding himself. Leah, who’d once beaten him in a marshmallow-eating contest, only to puke all over him. Leah, whose dark-green eyes had a way of telling the world to bite her. Leah, who’d run off on him and left him heartbroken. He took a step into her—for what exactly, he had no idea—and she poked a finger into his chest.

“God,” she said. “You’re so…” Words apparently failed her, but she let out a sound that managed to perfectly convey how annoying he was.

“Ditto,” he said, and then grabbed the finger drilling a hole between his pecs and tugged her hard enough that she lost her balance and fell against him.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, entangling a hand in her wet hair.

She went still as stone and stared into his eyes. And then lowered her gaze to his mouth.

Yeah, they were in sync there. Suddenly he couldn’t breathe. Hers caught audibly in her throat, a good sign, he decided. Maybe she wouldn’t knee him in the balls. Testing the waters, he grazed her jawline with his teeth.

She shivered.

Then he slid his mouth to the very corner of hers and was rewarded by the clutch of her hands on his shirt. Having her hold on to him like this, like he was her only anchor, sent a bolt of lust straight through him. “Leah,” he murmured, hearing the surprise in his own voice, feeling the heat course through him as he finally—God, finally—covered her mouth with his.

Her lips parted for him eagerly, and he groaned, drowning in the erotic collision of her hot tongue and chilled, wet body.

Serious trouble. He was in serious trouble.

SOURCE: NETGALLEY - PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

Leah Sullivan grew up in Lucky Harbor with a domineering father and a mother who allowed him to bully her, so as soon as she could, she left and never looked back. Drifting aroung and never finishing school, she does succeed as a pastry chef so when her aunt has to have surgery, she comes back home to help out in her bakery.  She has competed on Sweet Wars, a televised reality baking show, which will have you rooting for her much like the people who live in Lucky Harbor to win.  Her best guy friend growing up, Jack Harper has remained an ally with Leah but there has never been anything more than sworn friendship, even though the sparks are present.  And considering, he is now head of the fire department, you know this is going to lead to a blaze of hotness.  (I know, for some reason these books bring out the puns in me.)

Oh, and Jack's mother is fighting breast cancer, so when Joe brings Dee into the bakery to tempt her to eat, Leah blurts out that they are now seeing each other which makes Dee overwhelmingly happy.  Jack figures something that makes his mother snap out of her depression is a wonderful thing and decides that he doesn't really want to lie to his mother so he gives it his all.  Even the little details like Leah's friends and their snarky comments all ring true.  Those girls have cornered the market on hot firefighter cliches!  I love reading about how Leah, with the help of Jack just makes everything come together.  It also wouldn't be a true "Jill" book without a bit of mystery and conflict.  In this case, it is a strange building fires around the small community.


The situation that Leah creates with one little white lie is so believable that everything just falls together so naturally in this story.  Every time I pick up one of Shalvis's books, I keep wondering if this will be the one that lets me down and every time I adore that one more than the last.  I instantly get sucked into the characters and the winning dialogue with just enough detail that isn't overwhelming or sticky sweet.  (ok, sorry, more puns).   So dig in, grab a glass of wine, or in my case water, and read this charming story.

About the Author
New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.





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Audio Excerpt THE WEDDING GIFT by MARLEN SUYAPA BODDEN @MarlenBodden @MacmillanAudio

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Giveaway Spotlight AGAINST THE ROPES by SARAH CASTILLE @sarah_castille @SourcebooksCasa

Book Description

Publication Date: September 3, 2013

He scared me. He thrilled me.
And after one touch, all I could think about was getting more...

Makayla never thought she'd set foot in an elite mixed martial arts club. But if anyone needs a medic on hand, it's these guys. Then again, at her first sight of the club's owner, she's the one feeling breathless.

The man they call Torment is all sleek muscle and restrained power. Whether it's in the ring or in the bedroom, he knows exactly when a soft touch is required and when to launch a full-on assault. He always knows just how far he can push. And he's about to tempt Makayla in ways she never imagined...

About the Author

Recovering lawyer, karate practitioner, and caffeine addict, Sarah Castille worked and traveled abroad before trading her briefcase and stilettos for a handful of magic beans and a home near the Canadian Rockies. Her steamy, contemporary romantic tales feature blazingly hot alpha heroes tormented or tattooed for your reading pleasure.

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WANT TO WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK?  

Ends 10/5/13
US only, no PO Boxes
Open only to those who can legally enter
Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary.
You must be 18 or older to enter .
The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified.
The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
Giveaway was organized by BookHounds and sponsored by the publisher

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway