REVIEW: ROWDY by Jay Crownover

ROWDY by Jay Crownover (Marked Men #5)
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: October 21, 2014
Source: Edelweiss
Rating: 5/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

After the only girl he ever loved told him that he would never be enough, Rowdy St. James knocked the Texas dust off his boots and set out to live up to his nickname. A good ol’ boy looking for good times and good friends, Rowdy refuses to take anything too seriously, especially when it comes to the opposite sex. Burned by love once, he isn’t going to let himself trust a woman again. But that’s before his new co-worker arrives, a ghost from the past who’s suddenly making him question every lesson he ever learned.

Salem Cruz grew up in house with too many rules and too little fun—a world of unhappiness she couldn’t wait to forget. But one nice thing from childhood has stayed with her; the memory of the sweet, blue-eyed boy next door who’d been head over heels in love with her little sister.

Now, fate and an old friend have brought her and Rowdy together, and Salem is determined to show him that once upon a time he picked the wrong sister. A mission that is working perfectly—until the one person that ties them together appears, threatening to tear them apart for good.

My Review

Oh Rowdy! I never thought the day would ever come that I finally got to read your book and get to know all about you and your Anchor tattoo and pompadour styled hair. You absolutely, positively, indefinitely, slay me. You really really do. You were everything I hoped you would be, book and character and so much more. So much more. What can I say, I was a big fan from book one til now and wowza, I seriously could not get enough of you!

I already knew there was something special and unique about Rowdy, as was for the Marked Men. But Rowdy had that eat your heart out, play boy, will never ever settle vibe going on and then and then...I get a glimpse of the broken hearted, I let the one pass me by side that had me wishing I could cuddle him to my side forever. His story and past became a mystery I wanted to uncover. Each bit I did unravel while reading this book had me irrevocably attached. I was hit by Rowdy’s compassion, his loyalty, his desire to loved and wanted and cherished. There was just more depth to his personality, to who he was as a person and as a man. He had some major vulnerabilities and insecurities that you wouldn’t have thought was there, but this just made him more human, more reachable as a fictional character. 

When it came to Rowdy’s romance with Salem, this was where he showed that broken side of him and the fear he harbored. Watching these two fall in love was beautiful. They weren’t perfect, both had issues to contend with whether it was from the past or the unknown future ahead of them. I liked that Rowdy and Salem had history. They had room to learn from their mistakes and grow to be independent people who can love one another. Salem was a great match for Rowdy. She was his perfect girl with her flirtatious nature and come right at you attitude. She was bossy, and witty, and caring all wrapped in her tattooed pin-up girl look that totally rocked. They worked even though they felt like it wasn’t going to and lets be honest, they were hot as hell together. They had the best chemistry and sexual tension that just built up nicely and exploded epically. Rowdy and Salem were just amazing together.

Jay Crownover continues to floor me with each and every book she delivers brilliantly in the Marked Men series. I always end up devouring the current book and aching for the next. It’s an addiction I refuse to shake off. Every book keeps giving glimpses of characters that I have fallen so deeply in love with and when it comes time for their turn to be front and center, it’s inevitable that my love for that character expands and extends and gives me all kinds of ooey gooey feels. And boooooy was I feeling them feels with Rowdy 100 percent of the way! 

ROWDY was exceptional and I cannot wait for more!

Release Day Launch: ROWDY by Jay Crownover

 

We are over the moon excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for ROWDY by Jay Crownover!! ROWDY is the fifth novel in her Marked Men Series published by William Morrow, and imprint of HarperCollins and you do NOT want to miss it!

ROWDY by Jay Crownover (Marked Men #5)

After the only girl he ever loved told him that he would never be enough, Rowdy St. James knocked the Texas dust off his boots and set out to live up to his nickname. A good ol’ boy looking for good times and good friends, Rowdy refuses to take anything too seriously, especially when it comes to the opposite sex. Burned by love once, he isn’t going to let himself trust a woman again. But that’s before his new co-worker arrives, a ghost from the past who’s suddenly making him question every lesson he ever learned.

Salem Cruz grew up in house with too many rules and too little fun—a world of unhappiness she couldn’t wait to forget. But one nice thing from childhood has stayed with her; the memory of the sweet, blue-eyed boy next door who’d been head over heels in love with her little sister.

Now, fate and an old friend have brought her and Rowdy together, and Salem is determined to show him that once upon a time he picked the wrong sister. A mission that is working perfectly—until the one person that ties them together appears, threatening to tear them apart for good.

Amazon / iBooks / B&N / Kobo / IndieBound

EXCERPT-

WHEN I PUT THE key he had given me in the door to his apartment it felt like the end of a long journey. Really it was only a little over twelve hours and I had stopped to nap once along the way, but it still felt like too long since I had seen his face or been able to touch all that toned and tattooed skin. Jimbo greeted me at the door when I pushed it open. His tongue lolled out of his mouth and he jumped up and put his paws on my legs. He was going to be huge when he finally grew into his fuzzy body and I was overwhelmed at how happy I was to see him. I dropped to my knees and rubbed my face in his neck as he licked me all over my face. I was obviously missed and I had to say it was just one more reason I knew I was finally where I was supposed to be. It was late, so the apartment was dark.

I checked the dog’s food and water, trying to be quiet in case Rowdy was already asleep. I was winding my way toward his bedroom when a haphazardly discarded sketch pad lying on the couch caught my eye in the dim light. I paused for a minute to pick it up and felt my heart stop and then start to race as I flipped through the first few pages. There were a couple of drawings that were obviously for clients, tattoos that hadn’t made it from paper to skin yet, but most of the pristine white pages were covered with images wearing my face. There was mermaid me, and naughty- sailor- girl me. There was sassy Indian girl me with long Pocahontas braids and there was sexy devil me standing next to angelic me. There were dozens of them all in different shapes and sizes, but every single image was undoubtedly modeled after my distinct look. I wasn’t sure if he had drawn them all over this last week while I had been gone or over the months we had been chasing each other in circles.

Either way it made my heart swell and the full certainty that I was it for him settle deep inside my bones. I set the pad down and tiptoed through the hall. Jimbo took one look at where I was going and huffed out a disgusted- sounding snort. The poor guy had learned early on that he wanted no part of what happened between his humans when they were together in the bedroom. The light was off and Rowdy was sprawled on his stomach across the covers. His blond hair was sticking up every- where and he hand one arm bent up under his head. The only thing that could have made the sight better would have been if he hadn’t bothered with the black boxers before crashing out.

Even with them obscuring the view, I couldn’t complain. I let out a breathless sigh and crept closer so that I could lean over and touch my lips to that anchor on the side of his neck. I felt his pulse leap and tasted the salt on his skin as he murmured sleepily and rolled over onto his back. Those infinitely blue eyes glowed at me in the dark as a grin pulled up the corner of his mouth.

“Hey.”

About Jay Crownover

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series. She will also be introducing the dark and sexy world of The Point in a new series this summer starting with ROWDY. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.       

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REVIEW: Seeking Her by Cora Carmack

Seeking Her by Cora Carmack (Losing It #3.5)
Publisher: William Morrow Impulse
Publication Date: January 28, 2014
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

A few months after being honorably discharged from the military, Jackson Hunt is still struggling to adjust back to the real world. He needs to get a job and find a sense of normalcy if he’s going to keep his own demons at bay. The job that falls into his lap, though, is anything but normal.

Bodyguard (and baby-sitter) to spoiled-rich-girl Kelsey Summers isn’t exactly what he’d been looking for, but it’s a chance to travel, to get away from the home that has felt stifling ever since his return. It would be a pretty sweet gig if it weren’t for the fact that Kelsey’s father doesn’t want Kelsey to know she’s being followed. Hunt feels guilty (and a little bit creepy) as he watches her from afar. She’s vibrant and infuriating, exciting and reckless, mysterious and familiar. When he sees her falling into the same patterns that he suffered years ago, he decides it’s time to stop watching and help her instead. But getting to know her is more difficult than he thought, especially because the more he knows her, the more he wants her.

My Review

Seeking Her was a good prequel to Finding It. I didn’t really get to know Hunt in that book, but this one I got a sense of who he was. The good thing about Seeking Her was how it was not a retelling of Finding It. We follow Hunt just before Kelsey’s backpacking to Europe and just to the point where they finally meet in person. 

I was happy to see how tortured and imperfect Hunt was. I knew he was going through some stuff, but I didn’t really sympathize or understand until I read all about the depth of his emotions and all the demons he continued to battle. It was great to see how he saw Kelsey. There was something soft and deep about the way Hunt was. He saw things in a bad and good light and I liked that he was trying his hardest to be a good, better person for himself. 


While Seeking Her complements Finding It really well, I thought it was unnecessary to read and can be skipped without harm. I wish the book was longer, but then it would have been more of a retelling through Hunt’s eyes more than anything. While I did not completely love Seeking Her, I still appreciated being in Hunt’s head and getting a different perspective. 

All in all, Seeking Her was a good addition to the series. It only enhances it rather than hurts it, but it was not a need to read type of novel. 

REVIEW: Better When He's Bad by Jay Crownover

Better When He's Bad by Jay Crownover (Welcome to the Point #1)
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: June 17, 2014
Source: Edelweiss
Rating: 4/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

Welcome to the Point

There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who’s bad . . . meet Shane Baxter.

Sexy, dark, and dangerous, Bax isn’t just from the wrong side of the tracks, he is the wrong side of the tracks. A criminal, a thug, and a brawler, he’s the master of bad choices, until one such choice landed him in prison for five years. Now Bax is out and looking for answers, and he doesn’t care what he has to do or who he has to hurt to get them. But there’s a new player in the game, and she’s much too innocent, much too soft…and standing directly in his way.

Dovie Pryce knows all about living a hard life and the tough choices that come with it. She’s always tried to be good, tried to help others, and tried not to let the darkness pull her down. But the streets are fighting back, things have gone from bad to worse, and the only person who can help her is the scariest, sexiest, most complicated ex-con The Point has ever produced.

Bax terrifies her, but it doesn’t take Dovie long to realize that some boys are just better when they’re bad.

My Review

I was so excited to read Jay Crownover’s new book that wasn’t already a part of the Marked Men series that I’ve become so obsessed. I had a feeling that Better When He's Bad would be something fresh with a lot of edge and I was sold by the sound of such a bad guy, not a bad boy, like Bax. 

And let me tell you all about Bax. He was a criminal, a thief, and a thug. His reputation certainly preceded him. He could be tough, he could be rough and most definitely he was cold and ruthless. He had a map of scars all over his body, he wore a hard glare with his emotionless dark eyes like a mask, and had a star tattoo right next to his eye that made him unforgettable in every sense of the word. He loved fast, beautiful cars and the same went for the women he took to bed. He wasn’t the type of person to back down from a fight and could be in your face and break it in a minute. Bax never pretended to be something he wasn’t and he never made himself out to be the good guy or even said he could be the good guy someday which was evident throughout the whole book. 

When Dovie came into the picture, Bax was still Bax. They didn’t have some lovey romance. Sometimes Bax just straight up manhandled and barked at Dovie. However, we do get little tiny glimpses of someone who could be compassionate. This was shown by the little things that Bax did for her: held her while she slept, brush her hair away from her face, buy her clothes, and protect her when need be. This was what made him salvageable. Dovie was a tough little cookie and survived as best as she could too, but in the work-your-ass-off-on-the-right-side-of-the-law type of way. She was scared shitless by Bax, but she saw something in him that was wedged deep in there, someone within Bax she knew of as Shane. And what I truly appreciated about Dovie was her ability to accept Bax for who he was. She didn’t make him change or didn’t try to fix him either.

I rated this book down a star because most of the focus shifted to Dovie and Bax’s “romance” for a lack of a better term. Not saying that I didn’t enjoy those after the dark on the counter top sexy times, because let’s face it, this is me we’re talking about and I enjoyed them a lot. However, when I was in Dovie’s head, I wanted to be in Bax’s because I thought that’s where all the action was going to be.  A lot of the answers Bax was looking for just got told instead of shown if that makes sense at all. I’m not sure if it was the plot itself or maybe the pacing that made it seem like the information was just tossed at once. But I really loved this book because I was so darn invested into the story. I wanted to know what went down that night Bax got arrested. I wanted to know what the deal was with Dovie and her brother Race and why on earth Novak wanted Bax so much. When we do get answers, things pick up and several revelations come out; some I expected and others that threw me for a loop. I was also shocked by the extent of what Bax would do during the whole shebang and it was well worth the bumpy ride. 

The best thing about this book besides Bax, of course, was how Crownover allowed readers to conjure up our own view of the Point and the Hill and all the dirty stuff in between. She made us feel that this neighborhood does indeed exist and that people do live this way and that there is not a shortage of danger, action, guns, strip clubs, dirty fights, money laundering, blackmail and jail time when you’re in this type of neighborhood, living this type of life that Bax continues to live in. She brought this world to life so easily and I would be lying if I wasn’t stoked to read more in this series.

REVIEW: Tease by Sophie Jordan

Tease by Sophie Jordan (The Ivy Chronicles #2)
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: May 27, 2014
Source: Edelweiss
Rating: 5/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

What happens when a girl who always calls the shots meets a guy who's too wild for even her?

A born flirt and good-time party girl, Emerson has never had a problem finding a willing guy. She's always chosen her hookups carefully, and she's never broken her three cardinal rules:
Never let them see the real you.

Never fall in love.

Always leave them begging for more.

Then Shaw comes along. A hottie from the wrong side of the tracks, he's immune to her flirtatious banter and come-hither smile. After rescuing her from a disastrous night at a biker bar, he doesn't even try to take her to bed—he calls her a tease and sends her home instead. Unable to resist a challenge, or forget the sexy, dark-eyed, bad-boy biker, she vows to bring him to his knees.

But instead of making Shaw beg, Emerson finds herself craving him. For the first time in her life, she's throwing out her rule book. Suddenly, she's the one panting for a guy she can't control—a guy who won't settle for anything less than the real Emerson and who forces her to do things she's never imagined, including facing a past she thought she'd buried.

A guy who just might leave her wanting more. . . .

My Review

I really love what Sophie Jordan started with in the Ivy Chronicles when she wrote Foreplay. I fell in love with Reece and Pepper and now even more so with Emerson and Shaw in Tease. 



What I really like about this series is how the male love interest is a really good guy and not the typical bad boy the girl falls for. This time around Emerson was portrayed as the bad girl with Shaw trying to win her over completely. From the way Emerson was described in the first book, she seemed wild, promiscuous and like the title of this book, a tease. But getting to know her, she wasn’t like that at all. It was all a front to keep control of her life, to make sure she protected herself and her heart. 



It was slightly harder to totally love Emerson because of the way she acted, but like Shaw I didn’t give up on her. And speaking of Shaw, he was amazing through and through from the beginning. He resisted Emerson, but when he gave in to her he gave her his full attention. He continued to try to see her, to get to know her, and ended up caring for her deeply. He got under her skin, pushed to know who she really was underneath and even though she pushed and pushed, he persevered. I loved Shaw so much because he wasn’t afraid to push Emerson in the right direction of not being scared and not running away any longer. He allowed her to see this for herself and it was awesome. 



Sophie Jordan did a stunning job with this book because she totally added in the perfect amount of sexual tension and even some suspense too. She made it so that you really wanted to get to know Emerson and Shaw and just wanted to root for them all the way into the end. Just their make out scenes alone were smokin’ hot, I couldn’t get enough. They were on fire! The issues both Emerson and Shaw faced were real and genuine and Jordan was not afraid to give an ending that wasn’t entirely happy all around. I also liked that I got to see Pepper and Reece again and Jordan even set up this book for what’s ahead in the next installment. I’m just itching to read Georgia's book!

*Thanks to William Morrow for sending a copy for review purposes

Favorite Quotes

"No. I don't have a boyfriend. What about you?"
"No. No boyfriend either."

"You might not think you deserve more respect than that, but I do. You deserve better."

"I don't know what it is you do to me. But I'm not going to fight it anymore."

"You'll know it's coming. You'll want it. Mind and body. You'll beg me to make love to you. I'll make sure of that, Emerson."

"I know you've tried really hard to keep me out, but it didn't work. I'm in your blood. And you're in mine. I know that."

"Don't leave me."
"Oh, Emerson, I couldn't if I wanted to."

"Look at you. You try to act so tough, but you're just a big softie, Emerson."

REVIEW: NASH by Jay Crownover

NASH by Jay Crownover (Marked Men #4)
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: April 29, 2014
Source: Edelweiss
Rating: 5/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

Will their past determine their future?

Saint Ford has worked hard to achieve her childhood dream of becoming of nurse. Focused on her work and devoted to her patients, there’s no room for love. She doesn’t need a guy making waves in her calm, serene life—especially when he’s the unforgettable hottie who nearly destroyed her in high school. Dark, brooding Nash Donovan might not remember her or the terrible pain he caused. But he turned her world upside down... and now he’s trying to do it again.

Saint has no idea that Nash isn’t the cocky player he once was. Uncovering a devastating family secret has rocked his world, and now he’s struggling to figure out his future. He can’t be distracted by the pretty nurse he seems to meet everywhere. Still, he can’t ignore the sparks that fly between them —or how she seems so desperate to get away from him. But the funny, sweet, and drop-dead gorgeous Saint is far too amazing to give up on—especially since she’s the only thing in his life that seems to make sense.

When Nash discovers the truth about their past, he realizes he may have lost her heart before he could even fight for it. Now, Saint has to decide: is Nash worth risking herself for all over again?

My Review


Jay Crownover’s NASH has done wonders to my heart and to be quite honest, it totally tickled my fancy. She totally did a number on me because of Nash’s story and she continued to solidify my absolute knows no bounds type of love for the Marked Men series. 


I’ve been waiting for Nash’s story since that moment he showed up in RULE and now that I have gotten to know him, I have to say that I’m in awe. Nash was even more spectacular than I thought he was. Out of all the Marked Men, he seemed to be the most mellow and chill. Diving into NASH, I realized that he was wounded and a little bit broken because of the rejection he felt by his mother picking her husband over him. It sucked to see how much she regarded Nash, how she couldn’t see that he was an amazing person altogether. 

I loved Nash’s story because in his darkest hour, Nash finds love in Saint and finds out a shocking truth that was hidden from him for years. I really got to see how Nash connected with Saint, how he built something stronger with Phil, and saw just how much support he got from his friends. His story was beautiful and touching because of all he went through and the love he poured to Saint and most especially to Phil. I got to see a sensitive, vulnerable and more open side of Nash. The best thing was how Nash never gave up on the things he cared about, but he also knew when enough was enough. He realized that he was good enough and that he deserved the best. 

Nash’s relationship with Saint was probably my least favorite so far in the whole series. Not because I didn’t love them together or because I didn’t like Saint, I did. It was just so hard to read Saint being so down on herself because she lacked confidence and self-esteem. I always struggle with characters like that because I’m still trying to do what Saint ended up doing at the end of this book. But what I really enjoyed about these two was their chemistry and the ease at which they were around each other. I also loved how Nash continued to shower Saint with truthful compliments. He allowed her to realize that she needed to see what he saw in her. Even though Saint was awkward and timid, she had a strong sense of familial love, she was loyal to the core, and she cared about Nash despite the misunderstanding all those years ago. I loved watching her blossom out of her shell. 

NASH comes within half an inch of topping RULE for me. The fact that this book had me tearing up in heart break for Nash was a testament that showed how terrific it/he was. Crownover gave me exactly what I was looking for while still keeping everything familiar, warm and loving. NASH was stunning.

*Thanks to William Morrow for sending a copy in exchange for an honest review

Favorite Quotes

"I had a sinking suspicion if I was ever lucky enough to get her naked, I would never let her put on clothes around me again."

"'Saint, you can attack me with any part of you at any given moment of any day. I will not complain...ever.'"

"I was trying to be coherent and reasonable, but my dick was starting to pay way closer attention to what she was doing than my brain was."

"'I hated him, but you...this Nash...all I do is want him.'"

"Jesus.' No, not quite, just Saint"

"'You are the greatest thing I ever created. Don't doubt it.'"

"'Why is your penis wearing a ring?'"

Release Day Launch: BE WITH ME by J. Lynn

We are extremely excited to say that J. Lynn's BE WITH ME has been released!!! BE WITH ME is a New Adult contemporary romance being published by Avon (William Morrow), an imprint of HarperCollins, and is a part of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s With You Saga. This book is smoking hot and one you need to go get today!

From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Wait for You

Do Teresa and Jase have a real shot at getting together or will life get in the way?

Teresa Hamilton is having a rough year—she's in love with her big brother's best friend, but he hasn't spoken to her since they shared a truly amazing, mind-blowing, life-changing kiss. Then she got out of a terrible relationship. Now an injury is threatening to end her dance career for good. It's time for plan B: college. And maybe she'll have a chance to convince Jase that what they have together is real.

Jase Winstead has a huge secret that he's not telling anyone—especially not his best friend's incredibly beautiful sister. Even though he and Teresa shared the hottest kiss of his life, he knows that his responsibilities must take priority. He certainly doesn't have time for a relationship. But it doesn't help that all he can think about is kissing the one girl who could ruin everything for him.

As they're thrown together more and more, Jase and Teresa can't keep denying their feelings for each other. But a familiar danger looms and tragedy strikes. As the campus recovers, the star-crossed couple must decide what they're willing to risk to be together and what they're willing to lose if they're not. . . .

EXCERPT:

“You got a visitor, Tess.” He rested his chin atop my head, which caused my pulse to try

to outrun my heart. “Two of them to be exact.”

“Okay.”

There was a pause. “Are your eyes closed?”

“No.”

His chin slid off my head and then his chest rumbled as he laughed. “Your eyes are

closed.” He laughed again. “Open them up.”  

Cursing under my breath, I pried one eye open and then jerked against him. His arm

tightened. “Oh wow …”

The black-and-white horse was the closest, standing mere feet away from me. The brown

one wasn’t too far, shaking its head and making soft snorts. My eyes were wide as they bounced

between the two creatures. “They’re not carnivorous, right? Because at their size, they could eat

me.”

Jase laughed deeply as his hand shifted up, resting in the center of my stomach, just

below my breasts. “Horses do not eat people, you little idiot.”

I started, eyes narrowing. “There’s always a first.”

The lips pulled back on the black-and-white horse as if it was smirking at me. 

            “This one right here? Mr. Friendly? Jack calls him Bubba One,” he said in a quiet,

calming voice. But air hitched in my throat when his thumb moved in a slow circle over the thin

material of my tank top, hitting against the wire in my bra. “And the brown one is Bubba Two.”

Mouth dry, I wetted my lips. “That’s good for remembering names.”

He chuckled as his pinkie and forefinger started to move up and down, reaching my belly

button and then sliding back up. It was almost as if he was unaware of what he was doing, or the

electrifying response the tiny motions were dragging out of me. “I think so too, but his real name

is Lightning.”

Said horse shook his head, tossing the shaggy mane.

“Lightning seems to be a more suitable name,” I admitted, relaxing as the seconds

passed. Maybe that was his intention. Distract me with the soft, almost innocent touches. It was

working. “What about Bubba Two?  

“Ah, the one who is staring at the pail like it’s the holy mecca of grain?” His cheek

grazed mine as I laughed. “That’s Thunder. And we’re going to feed them. Together.”

The friction his fingers created with my shirt sent tiny shivers up and down my back.

“With our hands?”

His answering laugh tipped the corners of my lips up. “Yes. With our hands.”

“After checking out the choppers on them, I’m not so sure about that.”

“You’ll be okay.” He slid his hand off my stomach and wrapped it around my wrist.

Slowly, he lifted my hand out in front of me. “Hold still.”

My heart lurched. “Jase—”

Lightning trotted forward and pressed his wet nose against my hand. I cringed, waiting

for him to eat my poor fingers. The horse didn’t. Nope. It nudged my hand as it whinnied softly. 

He guided my hand up over Lightning’s jaw, all the way to the pointy, twitchy ears.

“See?” he murmured. “That’s not too bad, is it?”

I shook my head as my fingers curled along the soft coat. Lightning seemed to anticipate

the direction of the petting, pressing his long head against my hand as my fingers tangled in his

mane. It wasn’t bad at all. 

Jase shifted behind me, and in an instant all thoughts of the horses evaporated. His hips

lined up against my backside, and I bit down on my lower lip as I focused on the white splotch

covering Lightning’s muzzle. 

I could feel him—feel Jase. And there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that he was

affected by how close we were standing. That knowledge and the hard length of him left me

dizzy, just like it had done that Saturday night. An all too warm flush spread down my neck. In

the back of my head, I was rationalizing his physical reaction. He was a guy. Our bodies were pressed

together. If a wind blew on a guy’s private area, they got hard. So I should just ignore it,

but my body was so not on board with my head. My body was operating on a different playing

field. An ache centered low in my stomach. A sharp and sweet yearning raced through my veins. 

“Not so scary, right?” His voice was deeper, richer. “They’re like dogs. Well, like a dog

that can carry around two hundred pounds, if not more.” Hand sliding off mine, he stepped back,

and the sudden emptiness of his body was like a cold shock. “Trust me.”

Then he smacked my ass.

Buy Links
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About the Author

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

 J.Lynn Goodreads /  Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads

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Release Day Launch: SEEKING HER by Cora Carmack

We are so excited to share in the Release Day Launch and giveaway for Cora Carmack's SEEKING HER!! SEEKING HER is a novella in Cora’s bestselling Finding It Series, published by William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins)! Go out and grab your copy today!

Jackson Hunt gets his turn in this Finding It prequel novella…

Jackson Hunt hasn't been out of the military for long, but he needs to get a job and find a sense of normalcy if he is going to keep his demons at bay. The job that falls into his lap, though, is anything but normal.

Becoming bodyguard (and babysitter) to spoiled rich girl Kelsey Summers isn't exactly what he had in mind, but it's a chance to travel, to get away. The catch: Kelsey's father doesn't want her to know she's being followed.

She's vibrant and infuriating, exciting and reckless, mysterious and familiar. When Jackson sees her falling into the same patterns he suffered years ago, he decides it's time to stop watching and help her instead. But getting to know Kelsey is more difficult than he thought, especially because the more he knows her, the more he wants her.

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SEEKING HER Excerpt:

I was going to have to find some way to cope with this. If not, I was better off calling Mr. Summers and suggesting he find someone else to take over his daughter-watch.

I felt a pang of something at that thought. It was a general kind of discomfort, and I wasn’t sure whether it was the thought of returning home or something else that made that thought so unappealing.

After the cooling walk earlier, and now standing under the cool, calming rush of water, it was easier to think that I could control myself, but I knew better. It always seemed easier in my head than it really was.

I wiped the water from my eyes, and tried to think of some other way to deal. There was always the hope that Kelsey would get bored. That she would mellow out. If she only partied a couple nights a week, I should be able to resist. But that seemed unlikely.

All that restless energy; the way she’d soaked up the attention from the people around her. I couldn’t see her giving that up. And it was working for her. She was still in the phase where partying made her feel good. That was the one thing that helped me stay clean. The few times I’d slipped up since I started the program had left me miserable and angry, and even more frustrated than when I started. I’d found new ways to chase the high. And maybe that wasn’t any healthier, not when one way involved being in the midst of flying bullets.

It wasn’t the same kind of rush, but it did the trick. I pictured Kelsey again, laughing with her head thrown back, her shirt falling off her shoulder and displaying the gentle curve of her neck. It reminded me of the way she’d tossed her head back that first day out in the woods.

The memory of that caused a different kind of rush in me, and I groaned, pressing my forehead into the tile. Before I could help myself, I pictured her long legs straddling that guy in the gardens. The bright green material of her bra, and the way it conformed to her perfect chest. She leaned back, her fingertips trailing from the bark of the tree to his shoulders.

In an instant, the memory shifted into fantasy, and those were my shoulders she clung to, not his.

That was my undoing. There was only so much resisting I could do in one night.

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About the Author

 Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

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