Review: Rock Hard

ROCK HARD
Rock Kiss #2
Nalini Singh
Contemporary Romance
387 pages
TKA
Available Now
Source: Bought

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Wealthy businessman Gabriel Bishop rules the boardroom with the same determination and ruthlessness that made him a rock star on the rugby field. He knows what he wants, and he’ll go after it no-holds-barred.

And what he wants is Charlotte Baird.

Charlotte knows she’s a mouse. Emotionally scarred and painfully shy, she just wants to do her job and remain as invisible as possible. But the new CEO—a brilliant, broad-shouldered T-Rex of a man who growls and storms through the office, leaving carnage in his wake—clearly has other plans. Plans that may be equal parts business and bedroom.

If Charlotte intends to survive this battle of wits and hearts, the mouse will have to learn to wrangle the T-Rex. Game on.

MY THOUGHTS
Rock Hard is another shining example of Ms. Singh's ability to write an engaging, poignant and funny romance all wrapped up in layers of sexual tension, keeping us on the edge of our seats waiting for the moment our lead couple is going to combust.

Thanks to an abusive ex-boyfriend, heroine Charlotte suffers from severe anxiety in her day to day life, anxiety that spikes to extreme levels when she's faced with imposing men like her new CEO Gabriel. It's impossible not to want to spend a good portion of our time reading wanting to hug Charlotte and never let her go as her nerves get the better of her repeatedly, but she is in no way meek, and finds a spine of steel when she needs it most. Once Gabriel makes his romantic interest in her known, she opens up to him about her past, and continues to be upfront with him when something he says or does triggers a flashback so that they can move forward instead of getting stuck in the past.

Gabriel is every bit as good at communicating as Charlotte (with a few small exceptions which only add to the humor and tension), asking for her honesty but never demanding it, and letting her know when his protective instincts are at an all-time high so she can take a step back and let him work through it. They two of them together are ridiculously adorable, and while waiting until well past the halfway mark for things to really heat up between them physically seems like it would kick their romance into frustrating territory, it instead feels perfectly paced, and Ms. Singh ensures that we're not left wanting for swoon.

Overall, Rock Hard is an outstanding contemporary romance, and one that easily stands alone despite being the second book in the Rock Kiss series. Longtime fans of Nalini Singh or newcomers to her work should add this one to the TBR list for a sweet and sexy summer read!

Rating: 4/5

Find Nalini:

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Friday Flourish: They Mostly Come Out At Night

Happy Friday Everyone!

It's been a little while since I've shared a recent cover design, and in light of a very cool honor for the one I'm posting today, I wanted you guys to see it!

Author Benedict Patrick told me early on in our talks that he had his heart set on one of my illustrated covers, and as soon as I read through the design memo he submitted, I knew what we came up with was going to be one of my very favorites. You all already know how much I love illustrated covers in general, and when they're in the dark fantasy genre I get even more excited (if that's even possible), so I was essentially vibrating with glee when I started the initial artwork for They Mostly Come Out At Night.

Benedict had asked that the focal point of the illustration revolve around the mask his Magpie King wears as it plays a vital role, so I started putting the core elements in place with a strong emphasis on movement and texture, and then added a large full moon and bare tree branches to up the ominous vibe. Lastly, I added the type, incorporating a font I fell madly in love with the moment I saw it and knew I had to have it for this cover.

After a few small tweaks, we had our finished cover! As I said before, it's in my top 5 covers I've done, so I was inordinately pleased and honored when Benedict entered They Mostly Come Out At Night into the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off and, out of hundreds of entries, it was shortlisted (along with Masque!) and joined 30 others for final voting. I'm in some exquisite company, so be sure and check them all out when you get a chance!

THEY MOSTLY COME OUT AT NIGHT

Releases June 16th

He locked himself away from the dark, but in the Magpie King’s forest nowhere is safe…

Lonan is an outcast, accused of letting the monsters that stalk the night into the homes of his fellow villagers. Now, he will not rest until he wins back the heart of his childhood love and reclaims the life that was stolen from him. However, locked safely in his cellar at night, in his dreams Lonan finds himself looking through the eyes of a young prince…

Adahy has a destiny, and it terrifies him. How can he hope to live up to the legend of the Magpie King, to become the supernatural protector of the forest and defender of his people? But when the forest is invaded by an inhuman force, Adahy must rise to this challenge or let the Wolves destroy his people.

Watching these events unfold in his sleep, Lonan must do what he can to protect his village from this new threat. He is the only person who can keep his loved ones from being stolen away after dark, and to do so he will have to earn back their trust or watch the monsters kill everyone that he holds dear.

Website • Amazon • Goodreads

You can check out more of my design work at Seedlings Design Studio!  

 

Torn Tour + Giveaway: Interview with Cynthia Eden

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming Cynthia Eden back to the blog as part of the promotional tour for the fourth book in her LOST series, Torn. I absolutely adore this series and highly recommend it to all who love a little thriller action mixed in with their romance. Cynthia was nice enough to answer a few questions for me about lead couple Wade and Victoria, so I hope you guys enjoy the interview!

To introduce those who haven’t yet met Wade and Victoria in the previous books, how would each member of the LOST team describe them in one or two words?

Now that is a fun question! ;)  So, for Wade, the quick & dirty description would be: Hard ass. (Yes, I’m afraid that is how the other agents of LOST—would describe him. Wade is a tough, ex-detective, a real rule follower, and he isn’t the most charming sort.

For Victoria, she’d be described as: Intense. Quiet.
Victoria is a forensic anthropologist, and she’s far more comfortable working with the dead, and not the living. 



If Victoria was to teach a class on forensic anthropology, what’s the first thing she would say or lesson she would teach her students?

The first thing she would say is, “The dead have secrets. Your job is to uncover those secrets, no matter how long it takes.” 



Though their work often leaves them little time for relaxing or leading any kind of social life, what would Victoria or Wade say their dream date would entail?

LOL, I think Wade would enjoy a night at a local bar, maybe a football or a baseball game, then some alone time with his lady. 

Victoria would be the total opposite. Her dream date would be a day at the beach, far away from crowds, a cozy picnic, and private time with Wade.

Opposites attract, right? 



You clearly do a great deal of research in order to write this romantic suspense series. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve typed into Google for research purposes?

Sometimes, my Google searches scare even me! Okay, the weirdest one may have been…How do you survive being buried alive in a coffin? I wanted to know exactly how long one would survive and if there were any possible ways of escape.  



What is one interesting tidbit or piece of trivia you learned about forensic anthropology that you didn’t know before you wrote Victoria’s character?

I actually learned a great deal, thanks to Victoria.  (She was a helpful lady. Now I have all kinds of conversation starters.)  One weird tidbit I picked up was this…if you are trying to determine the age of a person’s remains (say you are working with a skeleton and you want to know how old the victim was at death)…try looking at the ribs.  It turns out that as people age, the ends of our ribs will be less flat and more ragged right in the area where the cartilage connects with the sternum.  So if you’ve got a skeleton with ragged ribs, you’re looking at an older victim. 

Another little fact (sorry, now I can’t stop!) I picked up…if you are trying to determine ethnicity, the skull is the key.  You can measure the distance between the eyes or you can study the shape of the victim’s teeth in your quest to figure out ethnicity. 

Thanks for taking the time to interview me—and for letting me talk forensic facts! ;) It has been fun!

The more facts the better! Thanks so much Cynthia!

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TORN

In New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden’s latest novel featuring the Last Option Search Team (LOST), one agent’s investigation entices a killer into making her his prey.

PARTNERS . . . FRIENDS . . .

Forensic anthropologist Victoria Palmer has always been better with the dead than the living. Shutting down her emotions, she lets few people in. But then Victoria’s latest investigation takes her and agent Wade Monroe to Savannah, Georgia. Handsome, dangerous, and more than ready to play dirty on any case, Wade weakens Victoria’s aloofness with just one glance.

. . . LOVERS

Wade knows their recent cases have pushed Victoria beyond her limits. But her skills are crucial to finding a college student who went missing five years ago. Victoria is able to determine she was murdered, and that the killer is still on the loose.

And when the vicious murderer targets Victoria, Wade must do everything in his power to protect her . . . because he refuses to let a woman he loves be torn from him . . . again.
 

Amazon • B&N • iBooks • HarperCollins

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CYNTHIA EDEN

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes dark tales of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Cynthia is also a two-time finalist for the prestigious RITA® award (she was a finalist both in the romantic suspense category and in the paranormal romance category). Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over thirty novels and novellas. Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

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GIVEAWAY

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May 30

·         Got Fiction? – Review
·         Live to Read – Guest Post

May 31st

·         My Secret Romance – Review
·         Jeep Diva – Review

June 1

·         The Reading Café – Review
·         Waves of Fiction – Review

June 2

·         Book Reader Chronicles – Review
·         The Book Binge – Guest Post

June 3

·         SOS Aloha – Guest Post
·         Romance Junkies – Guest Post

June 6

·         Good Choice Reading – Review
·         Book Reading Gals – Guest Post
·         Paulette's Papers – Guest Post
·         HEAs Are Us – Spotlight

June 7

·         Romancing the Readers – Review
·         Books Books More Books – Review

June 8

·         Book Beacon – Review
·         Literacy Etc. – Q&A
·         Book Lovin' Mamas – Guest Post

June 9

·         Supernatural Snark – Q&A
·         I Heart YA Books – Review
·         Truly Simply Pink – Review
·         Sophia Loves Reading – Review

June 10

·         Cocktails and Books – Guest Post
·         Toots Book Reviews – Q&A
·         Ramblings From This Chick – Guest Post
·         Reese's Reviews – Guest Post

Waiting on Wednesday: Yesternight

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and is a fun way to see what books other bloggers just can't wait to get their hands on!

YESTERNIGHT

Cat Winters

Historical YA-ish/Paranormal

Coming October 2016 from William Morrow

From Goodreads:

In 1925, Alice Lind steps off a train in the rain-soaked coastal hamlet of Gordon Bay, Oregon. There, she expects to do nothing more difficult than administer IQ tests to a group of rural schoolchildren. A trained psychologist, Alice believes mysteries of the mind can be unlocked scientifically, but now her views are about to be challenged by one curious child.

Seven-year-old Janie O’Daire is a mathematical genius, which is surprising. But what is disturbing are the stories she tells: that her name was once Violet, she grew up in Kansas decades earlier, and she drowned at age nineteen. Alice delves into these stories, at first believing they’re no more than the product of the girl’s vast imagination.  But, slowly, Alice comes to the realization that Janie might indeed be telling a strange truth.

Alice knows the investigation may endanger her already shaky professional reputation, and as a woman in a field dominated by men she has no room for mistakes. But she is unprepared for the ways it will illuminate terrifying mysteries within her own past, and in the process, irrevocably change her life.

This cover makes me wish I could wander around in a gorgeous dress with parasol/fancy umbrella and not get the side-eye from all those I passed in the grocery store. *shakes fist at modern times* The pretty cover of course caught my eye and made me take a closer look at the synopsis, and once I did, I immediately added this to my list. I want to know what's going on with Janie/Violet. Is she an unreliable character? Or is she telling the truth? Or something in between? I NEED MORE INFORMATION! Also, I'm always rooting for a woman making her way in a male-dominated field. Show 'em what you're made of Alice!

Goodreads • Amazon 

Review: The Long Game

THE LONG GAME
The Fixer #2
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Young Adult/Political Thriller
368 Pages
Bloomsbury
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Tess Kendrick, teen fixer extraordinaire, returns in a pulse-pounding thriller about a deadly conspiracy at the heart of Washington.

For Tess Kendrick, a junior at the elite Hardwicke School in Washington D.C., fixing runs in the family. But Tess has another legacy, too, one that involves power and the making of political dynasties. When Tess is asked to run a classmate's campaign for student council, she agrees. But when the candidates are children of politicians, even a high school election can involve life-shattering secrets.

Meanwhile, Tess's guardian has also taken on an impossible case, as a terrorist attack calls into doubt who can--and cannot--be trusted on Capitol Hill. Tess knows better than most that power is currency in D.C., but she's about to discover first-hand that power always comes with a price.

MY THOUGHTS
The Long Game is one of those reads that’s sheer entertainment, the political maneuvering and government conspiracies a bit over the top but in a fun, perfect-break-from-reality kind of way that has us flipping the pages as fast as possible to see which player on the board is going to make the next move.

Tess is easy-to-root for, a bit cocky at times thanks to her familial connections in the political arena, but she’s a Robin Hood whose currency just happens to be information, and it’s impossible not to smile when those who seek to exploit weakness get their just deserts. Though she has the same unfortunate habit of keeping certain secrets as her mother, on the whole she’s good about sharing information with those who are in the best position to help her, never running off to solve a problem on her own without first notifying someone of her plan. Her relationship with Ivy can be frustrating at times, their shared inability to give voice to the things that matter most a bit trying in this second installment, but the drama between them is never so extreme as to detract from our overall enjoyment.

As with the first book, there’s little to no romance in this second book, and while that might disappoint those readers like myself who live for a bit of swoon in whatever they read, Ms. Barnes ensures this story never feels as though it’s lacking. The life and death game-playing by political big wigs and terrorists alike keeps our attention throughout, and secondary characters like Asher with his absurdly endearing sense of humor plaster smiles on our faces in a number of very welcome moments of levity.

All in all, The Long Game is a strong follow-up to The Fixer, leaving us with an important revelation that has us looking forward to the next book without facing a brutal cliffhanger that tears the rug out from under us on the last page.

Rating: 4/5

Find Jennifer:

Website • Tumblr • Twitter • Amazon • Goodreads 

This book was sent to me by the publisher  free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

 

Giveaway: Sea Spell Prize Pack!

Happy Friday Everyone!

I've been absent this week (obviously) which made me sad because I adore all of you and feel very out of the loop at the moment, but the good news is I got a lot of work done! I'm still swamped, but it's hard to be too upset about that because building my business makes me all warm and fuzzy inside:)

As promised, I'm popping in today to partner with Disney-Hyperion and bring you a very special giveaway for Sea Spell, the fourth and final book in Jennifer Donnelly's Waterfire Saga! Before we get to the giveaway though, below is a bit about the book so you know what you're getting yourself into:

Sea Spell releases June 14th from Disney-Hyperion

At the end of Dark Tide, Book 3 in the Waterfire Saga, Astrid leaves her mermaid friends to confront her ancestor, Orfeo, the evil force behind the rise of the monster Abbadon. Orfeo possesses one of the six talismans that the merls need in order to keep the monster locked up forever. But without the ability to songcast, how will Astrid be able to defeat the most powerful mage in history? 

Meanwhile, Serafina and her Black Fins train goblin troops for battle against her uncle Vallerio’s death riders. Will Sera ever see her beloved home—and her beloved Mahdi—again, or will the Volneros take over the mer realms while Orfeo takes on the gods themselves? Nothing less than the fate of the underwater world is at stake in this breathtaking finale. 

Amazon • B&N • Website

Read an excerpt here!

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JENNIFER DONNELLY

Jennifer Donnelly is an award-winning author of both adult and young adult books, including Deep Blue, Rogue Wave, and Dark Tide, the first three books in the Waterfire Saga. For adults she has written a trilogy of best-selling books that includes The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose, and The Wild Rose. Her first young adult novel, A Northern Light, received many accolades, among them the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Carnegie Medal in the UK, and a Michael L. Printz Honor. Her second young adult novel, Revolution, was named a Best Book of 2010 by Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal, and the audiobook received a 2011 American Library Association Odyssey Honor. She lives in New York’s Hudson Valley. For more information, visit www.jenniferdonnelly.com.

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GIVEAWAY

Thanks to my partnership with Disney-Hyperion, one lucky winner will receive a copy of Sea Spell as well as branded nail polish! Just in time for summer:) To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.

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