Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Winners Post

I have three winners to announce today. Two winners from the Lisa Kessler giveaway, and one winner for the Racing to Love by Amy Gregory giveaway.


NOTE: The original drawn winner of Racing To Love didn't provide the extra information in their entry so they were disqualified and a new winner was chosen. Please remember that if I ask for extra info in the Rafflecopter, that it is a required field. Failure to follow the instructions will result in disqualification as shown here.

Anyway, congrats to all the winners! All winners have been confirmed.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Retribution by Dana Delamar (Book Review)

retributionTitle: Retribution
Blood and Honor #2
Author: Dana Delamar
Publisher: Dana Delamar
Release Date: May 11, 2012
Pages: 286
Buy Here: Amazon|Barnes & Noble

An Interpol agent playing a dangerous game. A Mafia princess. A man determined to exact retribution...

Nick Clarkston, a young Interpol agent, threatens to undo the fragile peace between the Lucchesi and Andretti families when he tries to take down the Mafia don father who abandoned him. He allies with his father's sworn enemy, a mobster both devious and ruthless. The mobster's alluring daughter helps Nick negotiate the murky criminal underworld, but he soon learns she's using him. Trapped, and with nowhere to turn, Nick makes a tragic mistake that plunges him further into danger.

Delfina Andretti appears to be the typical Mafia princess--but this princess wants out. Delfina dreams of being a fashion designer, and hooking up with Nick is her ticket out of an arranged marriage. Her feelings for Nick are genuine, but he's leery of her. Even worse, his heedless drive for justice threatens to get them both killed and to put everyone Delfina loves behind bars--unless she and Nick can forge a new future for their warring families.


Video Review:

Written Review:
Retribution was great... oh so damn great. So this is the second book in the Blood and Honor series and I loved it even better than the first one. In this book you are introduced to the illegitimate son of Enrico Lucchesi, Nick Clarkson. When Nick was little his father left him for good reasons, but Nick doesn't see it like that at all. Nick hates his Father or so he thinks and wants to put him in jail for all of the things he has done.

When he finds a letter about his Father he tries to get information and when he can't he turns to Dario Andretti, which is a BAD freaking idea. The Lucchesi's and Andretti's have been at war with each other for a long time and Dario wants to use Nick to get back at Enrico for killing his father. When Nick goes to the Andretti household he runs into Delfina (Dario's daughter) and she tries to tell him to leave... but he misunderstands and doesn't listen. Nick really doesn't know what he has gotten himself into until it is too late... he gets himself into a WORLD of trouble and it is great seeing how he figures things out, and begins to see that his Father isn't actually the bad guy he thought he was.

He also starts to have a thing for Delfina which he is too damn stubborn to admit... their encounters with eat other are HOT HOT HOT! You will love them, they are both stubborn and it makes for an interesting relationship between the two haha.

Dana has written another wonderful story filled with action, love, forgiveness, and some awful hot steamy scenes! This story was beautifully written and I hope you pick it up and read it!

Book provided by Author for honest review

Catch up with Dana here: Goodreads|Facebook|Twitter|Website

4STARS

ABSOLUTELY STEAMY!

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Back to School BOOK SALE!

Hey Guys Kayla here, yes it is about time to go back to school. This year I'll be leaving for college.

"I have decided to sell all of my books for various reasons. "


I need the money to get my car out of the shop ($488.00), I can't take all of my books with me to college, and I would like to have some extra money in case anything were to happen. Here are pictures of all of the books I will be selling:

Note: I am NOT selling the ARCS listed in these pictures, I will be getting rid of them but at this moment I'm not sure what to do with them. If you would like to swap/trade ARCS just shoot me an e-mail at bengalreads@gmail.com (IF there is an ARC you REALLY want just send me an e-mail and we can work something out :)



I have set up the page I am selling these books at over at my Young Adult Book Blog Bengal Reads! If you would like to go to this page to see the LIST of EVERYTHING I’M selling, what the prices are, and instructions on HOW to buy some of these awesome books:


10-Day Meme: Day 10: One Confession

This meme was originally from http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/10+day+meme.

We have come to the end of this journey. Are you all ready for this final post? Ready to find out what my ONE confession is? Are you?!!








Scroll down...









Just a little more....










Are you sure you're ready?









Here goes...











As the icing on the cake, I actually have a shirt that looks just like the picture above, minus the sparkles.

Now you know more about me and Kayla. I hope you enjoyed this 10-day meme. If you have other suggestions, let us know :)



Sunday, July 29, 2012

Married by Monday by Catherine Bybee (Review & Spotlight)

I'm happy to be participating in this tour for Catherine Bybee. I love brides in books. Check out the blurb and my review!



Title: Married by Monday
Weekday Bride Series
Author: Catherine Bybee
Release Date: May 25, 2012
Pages: 296
Buy links: Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle)

If you are interested in getting the first book, Wife by Wednesday, here are the buy links: Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle)

Carter Billings: Sandy blond hair and Hollywood good looks, Carter Billings could have any woman he wants. However, when he makes his bid for the Governor's seat in the state of California, he needs to settle down and become a family man. Eliza, the woman he secretly adores, embodies the perfect amount of spice and passion to suit his marital needs, but she’s not interested in becoming Mrs. Billings. She can't even stand to be in the same room with him.

Eliza Havens: It’s much easier to drive Carter away than to give into desire. Matching couples is how she earns a living, but getting married isn’t an option. The secrets she carries are too dangerous to entangle anyone else. When her hidden identity and past threaten her future, she’s left with little choice. Carter is quick to offer solutions to both their problems, but saying yes could mean endangering the man she’s growing to love. 

Excerpt:

He folded his arms over his chest. “I suppose you could say I’m following Blake’s lead. Marriage solves a few fundamental problems in my career path.”

She stared at him full on now, not trying to look away. “Your problems. Not mine.”

“Problems you helped play a role in.” He saw the spark in her eye before she managed her first syllable of defense.

She sat the tea down and placed a hand on the counter. “That’s low, Carter.”

“And true or you’d be the first to tell me I’m wrong. If I had a choice, I’d be married by Monday to help dispel all the media crap created by yours and Gwen’s night on the Texas town. I thought I could come to you and obtain a little bit of cooperation.”

“A little bit of cooperation. Marriage is a tad more than a little bit of anything.” Her voice rose and her knuckles started to grip the counter.

“Yet you earn your living arranging marriages or partnerships on trite reasons less important than mine.” How dare she follow a moral high ground. Maybe she’d forgotten how well versed he was on her and Samantha’s business.

“You forget that our clients have to approve of the relationships we arrange. They have to like the person—”
He laughed, interrupting her. “Do you really want to pretend we aren’t friends to prove your point?”

Her cheeks grew rosy which he had to admit was a much better than the pasty color she’d been sporting when he walked into the house. He felt the fire burning inside her as she shot daggers with her eyes.

“You’re my best friend’s husband’s friend. If you’re looking for a wife you might peek into your little black book, or whatever it is you use, and draw another name.”

Carter let his arms drop and took two steps closer. The angrier she became, the more his blood churned. His body responded to her outrage, but not in anger. “I don’t want to draw another name.”


*sniff* *sniff*
What a beautiful book!

Dislikes: There were considerable amount of misspellings and grammatical errors that were noticeable. However, the book was so good, I would let it slide.

Eliza - she was strong, brave, independent, and Carter's heaven. She had a secret and it all came out as soon as she married Carter (by Monday, get it?). It was marriage of convenience as opposed to a marriage of love. But as with most romance novels, we all know how they ended up.

Carter - he was running to be the next governor in California. He sounded like such a really good candidate. If there was a candidate like him in real life, I'd go against my habits and actually sign up to vote. He was very protective of Eliza and probably the first man I've read about who showed fear in his eyes for the woman he loved. It was so endearing when he would be fearful for her and would start freaking out about her safety.

Samantha and Blake - If I'd read the first book of this series (Wife by Wednesday), I could understand more of their story. But they were such amazing friends to Eliza and Carter. No one could ask for better friends.

Gwen - she was Blake's sister. She's so adorable! She had such cute expressions and she sounded very regal and proper with a hint of sin ;)

Neil - he was the lead bodyguard who was guarding Gwen. He sounded super cool, too. I like a man with power such as his.

Sanchez - he was the bad guy. It was irritating how a criminal, IN PRISON, would still have connections to the outside world and attempt to do damage. That is just wrong.

Overall, this book was absolutely amazing, not to mention unexpected. I definitely didn't expect the climax to be as it was. When an author surprises me like that, I believe they are made for greatness. I would recommend this book for sure!

Check out my favorite scenes!
Eliza: "So who is going to watch these cameras, Neil?"

Neil: "You'll have 24-hour surveillance from the same eyes watching Samantha and Blake. Any questions?"

Eliza: "Just one." Neil was silent on the line. "How come Samantha didn't call me with these details?"

Neil: "I told her I would take care of it."

Eliza: "She's afraid I would talk her out of it?"

Neil: "Something like that."

Eliza: "And there's not arguing with you."

Neil: "Few have even tried."

Eliza: "I'll bet."
Eliza: "You do know that women are told never to pick crab to eat on a date, right?"

Carter: "They are?"
Eliza: "It's messy and usually expensive. Nothing says class like eating with your fingers."

Carter found himself worrying if he'd pick the wrong restaurant. He'd enjoyed playing golf and listening to Eliza talk about her parents, and he'd hoped to keep the night moving in the same easy-going direction.

Carter: "So what are you going to order?"

Eliza: "King crab legs with extra butter." Her answer was quick.

He tossed his head back and laughed.

Carter: "What about first date impressions? Aren't you worried about setting your gender back a notch or two?"Eliza: "I like crab."
Carter: "What does desirable smell like?"

Eliza: "Mmm. Sexy. I think I understand what pheromones are now."

Carter: "Pheromones? As in what animals emit when they're ready to mate?"

Eliza: "Exactly. I've heard females have a unique scent, but I think it's men who draw women in."

Carter: "All men?"

Eliza: "I've never smelled a man's need like I do yours."

Carter: "Be careful...my ego is growing."

Eliza: "That's not the only thing growing."
Gwen: "You worry too much."

Eliza: "I have to be able to take care of myself. No one knows better than I that guarantees in life are nonexistent."

Gwen: "Poppycock. Carter cares for you deeply, and you've nothing to worry about."

Eliza: "Poppycock? Did you just say poppycock?"

Gwen: "Don't make fun of my expressions. You know what I say is true."
Eliza: "So when will you be home tomorrow?"

Carter: "I have that luncheon and then I'll be outta here."

Eliza: "By dinner then?Carter: "You sound excited to see me."

Eliza: "Need to feed your ego much?"

Carter: "I missed you, too."

Eliza: "Call me from the airport. I'll order our pasta and chill the wine."

Our pasta from our place. God, he loved this woman.





Author of New York Times Bestseller, Wife by Wednesday presents, Book Two in the Weekday Bride Series

New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Catherine Bybee has been addicted to romance since her teens. After spending a decade of her life working as an RN in urban emergency rooms, Catherine is now dedicated to writing happily-ever-afters for the world to love. Catherine is married and raising two sons in Southern California.

She loves hearing from her readers so feel free to visit her at:





Friday, July 27, 2012

Public Displays of Eroticism Anthology (Promo)


The secret fantasy, sex in a public place. Once couple's sexual antics at a local park inspires four other couples to bare it all in the open air.

Back to Nature by Cassandra Carr: A sub and her Master play hooky to indulge their exhibitionism kink and unknowingly start an entire chain of events.

Hail Mari by Jami Davenport: Meeting Mari Simm’s for one night of hot sex each year for the past four years is no longer enough for Wyatt Bedford, a ten-year veteran of professional football. This time, he plans on telling her he wants more. While waiting for her in a park, he stumbles upon a sight that changes his game plan and takes their relationship to whole new level. Can Wyatt and Mari find love in the final quarter with the clock ticking?

Taking it Outside by Cristal Ryder: Val sets up an afternoon of play with long-time boyfriend Tyler at a secluded beach.  After packing a goodie bag with playthings, she leaves a note for Tyler. While waiting for his arrival, through binoculars Val spots lovers on the distance shore, and when Tyler arrives, together they watch the couple. Voyeurism at its best. Turned on by watching the couple have sex, Val and Ty have their own public display of eroticism.

Taking their loving outside is a surprisingly erotic treat neither expected to enjoy as much as they do. But a bigger surprise awaits them, leaving them wondering if there is more to come.

A Whole New World by Cassandra Carr: After witnessing some dirty deeds in the woods, Miranda finds she has some kinks she didn't know about and discovers her boyfriend, Ross, is more than happy to help her explore them.

In the Open by Jami Davenport: Once a year, Jaid Angelini takes a break from her demanding career as a criminal defense attorney for a night of passion with young, hot pro-football player Alex Greeley. Despite misgivings about their age difference, Jaid desires a more permanent relationship and concocts a scheme to brand her name on his heart. After witnessing an exhibitionist couple in the park, her plan takes a turn toward the great outdoors. Will Alex and Jaid finally go for the long bomb or settle for minimum yardage?

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Hope’s Betrayal by Grace Elliot (Book Review)

hopesbetrayalTitle: Hope’s Betrayal
Author: Grace Elliot
Buy Here:
Amazon|Barnes & Noble

One wild, winter's night two worlds collide.

Known for his ruthless efficiency, Captain George Huntley is sent to stamp out smuggling on the south coast of England. On a night raid, the Captain captures a smuggler, but finds his troubles are just beginning when the lad turns out to be a lass, Hope Tyler.

With Hope as bait, the Captain sets a trap to catch the rest of the gang. But in a battle of wills, with his reputation at stake, George Huntley starts to respect feisty, independent Hope. Challenged by her sea-green eyes and stubborn loyalty Huntley now faces a new threat - his growing attraction to a sworn enemy. And a love where either Hope betrays her own kind, or Captain Huntley is court-martialed, is not an easy destiny to follow.

click on the cover above to add this book to your TBR list on Goodreads.

So, as I may have said before… Historical Romances really aren’t my cup of tea. I don’t know why but they just don’t click with me. Which doesn’t mean that they’re bad because this book definitely wasn’t bad. Anyways, I’ll just get to the review.

So yes I am a sucker for romance and for the guy rescuing the girl in a sense and this book gave me exactly that! I also love steamy reads and this book gave me that also! I will just say that I really enjoyed this book… it is only $2.99 as an e-book and you should definitely go pick it up! Hope and George are just SO good together… I love how they work out their differences which is key in any relationship.

Hope is into illegal smuggling along with her family and George is against anything illegal… he always follows the rules until he meets Hope. Enough said? I don’t want to spoil anything… you have to go find out what all happens on your own! This is the perfect book to read on a sunny day while at the pool.

3STARS

This e-book was provided via a Blog Tour for an honest review.

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Wednesday, July 25, 2012

10-Day Meme: Day 8: Three Turn Ons

This meme was originally from http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/10+day+meme.

For this post, I think I'll let the photos speak for themselves ;)
Bright Smile
Friendly/Open Personality
Book Lover

I just wanted to add an extra picture :)


Did everyone get the idea?



Tuesday, July 24, 2012

10-Day Meme: Day 7: Four Turn Offs

This meme was originally from http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/10+day+meme.

I am not very tolerant of people so I have a lot of turn offs. However, I suppose I have to narrow it down to four. Depending on my mood, it might vary sometimes. When I wrote this post, the following were my top 4.

Stupidity
-I admit, I can be stupid sometimes, but only because I'm doing it on purpose, perhaps to annoy someone. What is unacceptable to me is people who are stupid when I need them to be competent. I've worked with many "stupid" people and it baffles me how many there are in the world. My female supervisor even implied that the world is crawling with them. Why? Is that really what America has come to? I'm usually very impatient when dealing with such people.


Uncensored Mouths
-I curse except around family. I don't mind if you curse, either. What I do mind if is you curse OFTEN, or if your mouth simply spews vulgar words such as someone's body parts, etc. I don't appreciate people with such filthy mouths. I lose respect for them almost instantly.


Absolutely No Inhibitions
-I admire people who feel comfortable in their own skin. However, there is a thin line from being confident, to being trashy. I don't like trashy people. It tells me they don't respect themselves enough to carry themselves with pride, grace, and class.


Know-It-Alls
-One of my biggest pet peeve are know-it-alls. These people make me cringe. They won't stop talking because they just have such a wide knowledge of a subject and they think they must voice out their opinion at every single opportunity. It really is annoying when you are in a classroom or a group of people and the same person is the one answering all the questions and they have that air of superiority around them.


So tell me, what are four things that turn you off?

UPDATE: I totally forgot to mention one BIG turn-off: Stinky people. Seriously, even poor people can afford DEODORANT. 


Monday, July 23, 2012

Demonically Tempted by Stacey Kennedy (Review)


Title: Demonically Tempted
Frostbite Book 2
Author: Stacey Kennedy
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: May 2, 2012
Pages: 150
Buy HereAmazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle)
Source: Received a free copy for blog tour review from Bewitching Book Tours.

Blurb:

Tess Jennings, now a member of the Memphis Police Department, is on her first cold case. The suspected suicide of Lizbeth Knapp ten years ago isn’t a theory her family accepts—they believe she was murdered.

But the case is only one of Tess’s worries. Ghosts are talking, and word of her abilities rapidly spreads. A dark ghost is terrifying the spirits of Memphis, and she must force the entity to cross over.

Tess doesn’t have to do this alone. Not only does she have her ghost-lover, Kipp McGowen, but the department has brought in a medium. Dane Wolfe might answer all her questions, but he also brings a world of trouble. Will Tess finally have all she’s ever wanted, or will everything she’s vowed to protect be ripped away?


*SERIES DOES NOT CONTAIN STANDALONE STORIES. MUST BE READ IN ORDER. FIRST BOOK IN FROSTBITE SERIES IS SUPERNATURALLY KISSED*




This book was scarier than the first and less humorous.

In general, I didn't quite enjoy this book as much as I did the first one. This book was more serious and darker, possibly because of the demon issue. Reading about the demon for the first time freaked me out that I was scared to pick this book up again and finish reading it. Thankfully, I found my courage (during the daytime) and read it. It got considerably less scary towards the end of the book which was good for me.

Tess and Kipp were very much in love but there were issues that were breaking them apart. Knowing Tess, though, she would fight for what she loved and believed in. I especially loved when she kicked Dane's groin as hard as she could when he finally crossed the line. Dane was a medium that could sense ghost, but not see them like Tess could. Anyway, Tess was SO mad, I was surprised she didn't make Dane a ghost right then and there. I probably would have been blinded with rage.

There were new things in this book such as magic spells and a witch. It seems that this series is becoming magical as it goes on. I just read the blurb for the third book, Mystically Bound, and I'm not sure I like it.

This is why I don't like it: I want the final climax of this second book to be resolved already. But obviously, the third book doesn't seem like it would give that to me. That doesn't make me happy. At all. But I suppose I should just have to wait. *Sigh*

Overall, I enjoyed the first book better than this one. I'm not used to Stacey Kennedy not having super steamy stories, but I'm glad she has other genres to explore. It tells me that she's not just a one-dimensional author. Keep writing Stacey! :)



About the Author
 
Stacey Kennedy’s novels are lighthearted fantasy with heart-squeezing, thigh-clenching romance, and they even give you a good chuckle every now and again. But within the stories you’ll also find fast-paced action, life-threatening moments and a big bad villain who needs to be destroyed. Her urban fantasy/paranormal and erotic romance series have hit Amazon Kindle and All Romance eBooks bestseller lists.

Stacey welcomes comments from readers. You can find her at www.staceykennedy.com


Website | Blog | Facebook |Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Check out this banner for the third book!




Sunday, July 22, 2012

10-Day Meme: Day 6: Five People Who Mean A Lot

This meme was originally from http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/10+day+meme.

In no particular order, the five people who mean a lot to me are:

Mom
-Even though we fight more than we get along, I still fear the day when she would be gone. I don't want to find out what life would be like without her.

Brother
-Behind all his tough acts and crazy arrogant behaviors, my brother is pretty caring and protective of family. He continues to surprise me every time I expect the worse from him and he comes out proving me wrong. He's quite an inspiration sometimes.
God
-If everyone turns their back on me, I know He never would.

Aunt Julie
-She is somewhat my mentor. When I have a question or I need advice, she's the one I run to. I'm closer to her than my own mother. She supports me even though she thinks my decision is a bad idea - so that I could make a mistake and learn from it.

Uncle Roger
-He is very supportive just like his wife (above). I cherish the moments I spend with him because I don't get to do it as often as a few years ago. He's always busy as am I. Every time we see each other, we try to catch up or see what the other is up to.

So, tell me in the comments, who are the five people that mean a lot to YOU? :)