Blog Tour {Excerpt & Review}: Revenge Best Served Hot by Jackie Braun

Sign: Virgo 
He's all business...until he's all hers 

Brody Flynn waited years to get his revenge on Douglass Shipping for his parents’ accidental deaths. Now the company is fumbling, profits are down, and it's the perfect time for a hostile takeover. Vengeance. But the former CEO's daughter Kate Douglass has other plans...   

Kate’s been waiting for her chance to take on a real role at Douglass and prove to her family that she's not the fragile piece of glass they all think she is. There's no way she'll give up without a fight. All she has to do is convince the gorgeous new CEO to hire her...and not fall for him.   

But Brody was never supposed to feel attracted to the daughter of his enemy. He was never supposed to want her as hard as he does. And the only thing stronger than his hunger for revenge is his hunger for her... 

 Buy Links:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * iBooks * Goodreads

Excerpt 1

Revenge Best Served Hot

by Jackie Braun

She walked with him to the front entrance, telling herself it was half a glass of chardonnay on an empty stomach that left her feeling so off balance. Just as she wanted to believe that, earlier, it had been responsible for that near miss that surely would have been a kiss had he not backed away. Kate certainly hadn’t been going anywhere. She’d been waiting.  Wondering. All but holding her damn breath in anticipation.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he told her. One hand was on the doorknob, but instead of opening it, he turned. His expression was oddly fierce, his poker face having gone the way of the dodo. “For the record, this won’t happen again.”

She thought he meant coming in for a glass of wine, but he shot the assumption all to hell when he reached for her arms and tugged her closer. His mouth pressed against hers an instant before their bodies bumped together. His was unyielding, a solid wall of hard muscle and bone that her softer flesh was forced to mold against. His lips, however, were surprisingly gentle as they skimmed hers before his tongue sought entry into her mouth.

As her practical side screamed for her to push him away, Kate’s hands went to his shoulders. Then she slipped them between their bodies, opening up a small gap. But she didn’t push. Beneath her palms, she could feel his heart beating fast, its unsteady rhythm still managing to be in sync with her own. She grabbed a couple handfuls of his dress shirt, and then she simply hung on for dear life as the room tilted and her head spun.

God, the man knew how to kiss!

MY REVIEW

When Brody Flynn was in his early twenties, tragedy struck when his parents were killed by a shipping truck owned by Douglass Shipping. Years later, Brody is set on getting his revenge on the CEO of Douglass Shipping, Jonathan Douglass. Involving himself in a hostile takeover, Brody puts himself in the perfect position to bring Douglass Shipping and Jonathan Douglass down on their knees. What he didn't expect is Jonathan's daughter, Kate.

Kate Douglass has a keen business sense, but her father would never listen to her advice. When Brody Flynn acquires her family's shipping company, Kate works hard to get Brody Flynn to notice her and hopefully hire her. Her plan is to show her father that she is so much more than what he thought of her and show Brody that the shipping company can be a profitable business. 

Placing Kate in the company as VP of operations, Brody intends to keep his enemy close, but finds himself getting too close to Kate herself. With her friendly personality, intelligence and wit, and great business sense, Kate attracts Brody even more. Now it's up to Brody to decide to cut ties on revenge and offer himself to Kate or keep his eyes on the end game.

Revenge Best Served Hot is a sexy contemporary romance that features anger, betrayal, tragedy, revenge (of course), but also has it's fair share of love and romance. I loved the interactions and relationship between Kate and Brody and thought that they were well suited to one another as a couple. Kate is such a strong heroine, full of wit and a mind as sharp as any business man's. A very likable, approachable, and engaging character, Kate is a character that readers can relate to. Brody's character is cunning, determined, and strong. He has his mind on revenge and has been thinking of this moment for years. He has worked for years to come to this present moment and nothing has been able to stand in his way so far...that is until Kate. 

The romance scenes in Revenge Best Served Hot are sexy, steamy, and hot. The chemistry between Brody and Kate can be seen within the pages as well as the tension as they try to not cross the line and not fall in love. 

From beginning to end, Revenge Best Served Hot does not fail to keep a reader entertained and wondering how this book will end. Will Brody and Kate be together or is Brody's revenge more important?

I absolutely loved this book and recommend it to readers. 

FIVE 'HOT' STARS for Revenge Best Served Hot!





About the Author: Jackie Braun is the author of more than thirtycontemporary romances. Her books have been nominated for three RITA Awards and four National Readers' Choice Awards. She makes her home in Michigan with her husband, two sons and a rescued poodle-mix. 

FIND THE AUTHOR HERE:
@Jackie_Braun 
Facebook 
Website 

Re-Release Blitz: Rough by Skye Warren

Title: Rough

Series: Chicago Underground #1

Author: Skye Warren

Release Date: May 26, 2015

Blurb

I’m a cautionary tale. A statistic. A victim. A single teenage mother from the poor part of town. Most of the time I’m too busy working and struggling to care what people think. Survival doesn’t come easy.

I have a dark secret, a pressure valve, a rare moment just for myself. On these nights I visit a club. There I find men who give me what I need.

Men like Colin.

But he wants more than a few stolen hours. He demands more than my body. He wants my heart and soul—my happily ever after. I never thought I’d be Cinderella. I never thought a man that rough could be my prince.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Links to Buy

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ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE

CHICAGO UNDERGROUND BOXED SET

BOOK ONE

AMAZON US / UK

Excerpt

He walked me backward, and we made out against the round fake-wood table, his hands running over my sides, my back. Avoiding the good parts like we were two horny teenagers in our parents’ basements, new to this. I shuddered at the thought. This was all wrong. His hands were too light. I was half under him already, my hips cradling his, so I surged up and nipped at his lip. Predictably his body jerked, and he thrust his hips down onto me.

Yes. That’s what I need. I softened my body, surrendering to him.

“Bed,” he murmured against my lips.

We stripped at the same time, both eager. I wanted to see his body, to witness what he offered me, but it was dark in the room. Then he kissed me back onto the bed, and there was no more time to wonder. The cheap bedspread was rough and cool against my skin. His hands stroked over my breasts and then played gently with my nipples.

My body responded, turning liquid, but something was wrong.

I’d had this problem before. Not everyone wanted to play rough, but I was surprised that I’d misread him. His muscles were hard, the pads of his fingers were calloused. I didn’t know how he could touch me so softly. Everything about him screamed that he could hurt me, so why didn’t he?

I wanted him to have his nasty way with me, but every sweet caress destroyed the illusion. My fantasy was to let him do whatever he wanted with me, but not this.

“Harder,” I said. “I need it harder.”

Instead his hands gentled. The one that had been holding my breast traced the curve around and under.

I groaned in frustration. “What’s wrong?”

He reached down, still breathing heavily, and pressed a finger lightly to my cunt, then stroked upward through the moisture. I gasped, rocking my hips to follow his finger.

“You like this,” he said.

Yes, I liked it. I was undeniably aroused but too aware. I needed the emptiness of being taken. “I like it better rough.”

Colin frowned. My eyes widened at the ferocity of his expression.

In one smooth motion he flipped me onto my stomach. I lost my breath from the surprise and impact. His left hand slid under my body between my legs and cupped me. His right hand fisted in my hair, pulling my head back. His erection throbbed beside my ass in promise. I wanted to beg him to fuck me, but all I could do was gasp. He didn’t need to be told, though, and ground against me, using my hair as a handle.

That small pain on my scalp was perfection, sharp and sweet. Numbness spread through me, as did relief.

The pain dimmed. My arousal did too, but that was okay. I was only vaguely aware of him continuing to work my body from behind.

I went somewhere else in my mind. I’d stay that way all night.

At least that’s what usually happened. Not this time. Instead I felt light strokes on my hair, my arms, my back. His cock pulsed hot against my thigh, but he didn’t try to put it inside me, not in any of the places it would almost fit. His hands on me didn’t even feel sexual. He petted me, and I arched into his caress.

“Why did you stop?” I meant it to come out demanding, but instead I sounded weak. I hated sounding weak, especially about sex. He may be the one with the cock and the fists, but I called the shots. I had to.

“Allie, shhh. It’s okay.” He was trying to soothe me, and it was working. He turned me back over and began to kiss me, still murmuring words against my lips. “I’ll give it to you. Don’t worry. Relax.” More words than he’d spoken all night.

I was lost, my emotions all jumbled up from my arousal and my high and subsequent low, at the mercy of this stranger.

What’s happening to me? I needed to get back to something I knew. I wanted him to fuck me, to be inside me, to center me. I whimpered, hoping he’d understand. “Shhh.” He arranged my arms and legs so that they were splayed open on the bed and then kissed his way down my stomach.

My Review

Allie is a woman trying to survive life the best way she can. A teenage mother, Allie is raising her two year old daughter Bailey with help from her friend. 

On a night out Allie meets Colin, a mysterious man with a dark side. The connection is there yet Allie tries to fight it and pretend that he is like every other guy. 

When Allie no longer can resist Colin, she gives in. At the same time Bailey's dad comes storming back into her life.

Can Allie and Colin protect little Bailey? And what could Colin possibly be hiding?

As usual with Skye Warren's books, Rough is dark, but not as dark as others. Allie is in a tough situation and doing her best, but she is strong and a good mother who cares for her daughter. Colin is rough around the edges and mysterious. He's hiding something but as to what it is, I can't even begin to imagine. 

Rough is intriguing and leaves readers in the dark waiting for what comes next in the next installment, Hard. Full of suspense, there are different twists around each corner and I'm sure we can be expecting more from Warren. 

Warren has a talent for the dark and twisted and captures the essence perfectly within the pages of each book. Her writing stays with a reader long after the last page is turned.

*4 STARS*

 Author Bio

Skye Warren is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of dark romantic fiction.

 Author Links

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Pre-Order Blitz: The Cat Cafe by Caroline Bell Foster

★★ PRE ORDER BLITZ ★★

#PreOrderBlitz #InterracialRomance #CarolineBellFoster #BookEnthu

The Cat Cafe by Caroline Bell Foster Pre-Order Blitz

Genre: Interracial Romance

Release Date: April 2nd, 2015

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions (http://bookenthusiastpromotions.com

@BookEnthuPromo )

 

Synopsis:

Trinity Peters has three great loves in her life; books, cake, and mostly cats - her CAT CAFÉ in Nottingham allows her to indulge in all three. Amiable, attractive and ambitious, she knows what she wants in life and sets about making it happen. Everything is going nicely for her until a handsome city slicker, with the suits to match, enters her café by mistake one evening. Nothing would ever be the same for her again.

Blake Lawrence is the well heeled city boy who loves to play big city games. He wouldn't normally venture too far from the bright lights of London, but business interests direct him to the East Midlands. He meets, and is captivated by, the sexy, mad cat woman Trinity Peters.

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The Cat Cafe Pre-Order Links

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1LZlXtB

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1IvTO7S

Add the book to Goodreads ➜ http://bit.ly/1GVGs3M

Excerpt

The Cat Café

As much as Blake liked seeing his friend Becca, being at her house, her stomach swollen with baby number two, whilst baby number one was still in nappies was not his idea of dinner party bliss. He’d escaped as soon as he could, not missing the look of mischief on his dear friend's face.

He and Becca went way back, she was the only female friend he hadn’t slept with. They’d been at boarding school together in France, or was it Italy? He couldn’t remember, but they’d been friends. He was Godfather to baby number one, Dominick and he did all his Godfatherly duties like be there at the Christening, buying bonds in the little boys name and generally asking how he was once a month. Yes he was a good Godfather.

Too early to go home, well to the flat he used whilst in Nottingham, Blake decided to walk around. It was barely nine o’clock, all the shoppers had gone as Nottingham still operated by the antiquated five o’clock shop closure system that was a pain for busy people like his PA when he needed him to get him something. He always grumbled about the early closing times.

People were heading out to restaurants, no doubt filling up before dancing off the excess of calories he thought, as he walked through Hockley. He could see his building in the distance and knew he only needed to walk for another fifteen minutes and he'd be there.

A group of women dressed in a haze of fluorescent pink and white surged out of a pub and surrounded him like a swarm of angry bees.

"Oi, here’s a nice one," one of them said.

Smiling tightly Blake tried to extricate himself, but two looped their arms through his stopping him.

"She’s getting married next week," one with spiky black hair explained. "See?" She pointed to a blonde wearing a pink tutu and white sash and a gleaming plastic crown.

"Congratulations." Blake murmured, trying to hustle the women along up the narrow lane.

"Would you like to come for a drink? Her last hurrah and all that?" another one asked hopefully, batting her overly long false eyelashes at him.

"No thanks."

"Aww please," spiky black-haired woman pouted up at him. "You're a nice looking bloke, tall and handsome. What colour are your eyes?" she moved in closer to look into his eyes. "Blue or green?"

Blake gritted his teeth. What was it with these northerners and harassment? Sexual harassment worked both ways.

Peeling himself away as firmly as he could he quickly walked around them and into the nearest shop. Then stopped.

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

There were cats everywhere. He blinked just to see if the curry he’d had for dinner wasn’t playing with his brain cells.

Yes, there were cats of all different sizes all different colours on the other side of the glass wall.

He turned to go, but a girl with a red rose in her hair caught and held his attention.

She’d changed. It was criminal to hide what she’d been hiding in that boxy suit she’d worn earlier at the bank.

Now, as she was bent over a cat, he could see her cute derrière and slender legs in a pair of blue faded jeans. The fabric was worn and faded where it cupped her bottom.

The door opened behind him.

"Go on in please mate, before that hen party change their minds and find me." A man, not much younger than Blake said taking off his shoes.

"Take your shoes off or Trinity will eat you alive," the man advised. "You don’t bring outside dirt near the cats."

"What is this place?" Blake asked, puzzled.

The man grinned.

"The Cat Café, I come here every chance I get," the man explained. "My girlfriend is allergic to cats but I like to come here and chill out and watch some football if I can wrangle the remote off Trinity."

"Cat café?"

"Yes mate," the man stuck his hand out. "I’m Travis,"

"Blake."

They shook hands.

"Take your shoes off and stick 'em in there," Travis advised, pointing to a row of wooden lockers with keys, watching as Blake followed his instruction with obvious reluctance. "Use this."

After placing his shoes in the locker he palmed the key the young man gave him, then following his example Blake put on a pair of disposable socks. Travis then pumped hand sanitiser on his hands and indicated for Blake to follow his example

"Are you ready?" Travis asked, practically bursting with excitement.

"What for exactly?"

Travis grinned, wriggling his pale eyebrow. "To fall in love of course." He pushed open the glass door.

Blake looked at the girl with the red rose in her hair and perfect golden brown skin, he exhaled and went in.

 

Meet the Author

 

Caroline Bell Foster was born in Derby, England and with her family went on a six week holiday to Jamaica. She stayed for 18 years!

Ever the adventurer, Caroline bought her first pair of high heels in Toronto and traded her pink sunglasses for a bus ride in the Rift Valley at 18. She wrote her first short story on that bus and had it published the following year in a local newspaper.

With themes of substance, Caroline's latest novels' defy convention and celebrate modern day Britain.

Other Novels' - Ladies' Jamaican, Caribbean Whisper's, Saffron's Choice, Call Me Royal and Call Me Lucky (The Call Centre Series)

The Call Centre Series is written as a tribute to all those who work the night shift in a call centre, as she has done. The first novel, Call Me Royal, became an Amazon best seller.

The author now lives in Nottingham, England with her husband and two children.

Social Links

https://www.facebook.com/carolinebellfosterauthor

https://twitter.com/cbellfoster

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3370362.Caroline_Bell_Foster?from_search=true

http://www.carolinebellfoster.com/

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Promo & Giveaway: Playing With Temptation (The Player’s Club, Book #1) by Erika Wilde

Playing With Temptation (The Player’s Club, Book #1)

Erika Wilde

Release Date: March 23, 2015

 

Blurb:

When Raina Beck is given an invitation to The Players Club, all she wants is a night of decadence with a gorgeous, sexy stranger. The seductive, mysterious man she meets fulfills her deepest desires and most erotic fantasies, giving her a night she’ll never forget. But forgetting him isn’t quite so easy.

 

Logan Cruz prefers his women submissive and compliant in the bedroom . . . everything the independent Raina is not. Yet from the first moment he lays eyes on her, he’s determined to make Raina his. Despite her resistance.

 

When Logan is assigned to protect Raina from a stalker, everything between them changes. Sex becomes more than just physical, and emotions run deep. Falling in love was never on Raina’s agenda, but can she let go of the past and surrender the one thing he wants the most . . . her heart?

   

 

Buy:

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---

Raina stepped back inside the store, closed and locked the door, then faced Logan, who was blocking her way back into the boutique. She nearly laughed when she saw his surly expression. “Wipe that scowl off your face, or you’re going to scare away the customers.”
He grunted like a caveman. “The only one I wanted to scare off was your infatuated delivery guy.”

“Infatuated?” she repeated, unable to keep the amusement from her tone.

“Oh, yeah,” he drawled. “There was a hell of a lot of posturing going on, and he was just a little too defensive for my liking.”

She laughed at his poor reasoning. “Yeah, well, so were you.”

He closed the distance between them and backed her up against the nearest wall, trapping her there with his hands braced on either side of her arms. He wasn’t touching her at all, but she could feel the seductive heat emanating off of him. Her breasts tightened at his nearness, and her entire body melted and liquefied. 

He dipped his head and brushed his lips against the side of her neck, just below her ear, in a slow, sensual tease. “I have every reason to make sure he, and any other man who looks your way, knows you’re off-limits.” 

The gruff, territorial note to his voice thrilled her, but she wasn’t about to let him know how much she liked that dominant side to his personality and give him that much emotional power over her. “I’m not off-limits to anyone.”

“Yeah, you are.” He lifted his head and stared down at her, his dark green gaze as intoxicating as a shot of hard liquor on an empty stomach. “While we’re together, you belong to only me, no one else.”

She opened her mouth to dispute his statement, but before she could argue, his lips covered hers in a hard, fierce, possessive kiss. The deep, sinful kind that stole her breath and made her instantly wet and aroused. One hand curled around her neck, his thumb pushing her chin up so she couldn’t turn away — not that she intended to, despite the fact that she had a store full of customers and employees who could walk in on them at any second.

None of that mattered when she craved the addictive taste of Logan Cruz.

The man kissed like he fucked…down and dirty and without an ounce of shame. He kissed her like they were a couple, like they were exclusive, like she was his. Logan’s mouth ate at hers, his tongue licked and stroked, and with a soft moan of surrender, she gave him everything he demanded, every hesitation stripped away in favor of the pleasure he offered.

Just when she was on the verge of pulling him into her office so he could bend her over her desk and ease the throbbing ache he’d ignited between her thighs, he lifted his mouth from hers, but not before he bit gently on her plump lower lip, then soothed the sting with a slow lick of his tongue.

“Mine,” he growled adamantly.

The heady, masculine claim made her shiver — and what did it say about her that she couldn’t even bring herself to refute something she was beginning to want very badly — to belong to him, and no one else?

---

About Erika Wilde:

Erika Wilde (aka Janelle Denison) is the USA Today bestselling author of over 50 contemporary romances for multiple print publishers.

 

So, why the new pen name?

 

As Janelle Denison I’ve always written sexy books, but lately my writing has taken on more erotic elements that I wanted to keep separate for readers because not everyone likes their reading material on the spicier, kinkier side of romance.   However, please be assured that even as Erika Wilde, you will still get an emotionally layered story with characters you’ll care about and fall in love with.   That is always my goal, whether I’m writing straight contemporary romances, or more erotically charged stories.

 

Currently, I’m working on The Marriage Diaries and making sure that Dean and Jillian enjoy exploring the more erotic side to their marriage.  The series will be on-going, with no foreseeable ending as of right now, for as long as readers want to be voyeurs to Dean and Jillian’s sizzling new relationship. I’m also planning a spin-off series in the future, featuring the hot military men that work security for Dean at Noble and Associates.

 

Find Erika Online: 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | TSU

---

Author Q&A:

How did you come up with the idea for this story?

PLAYING WITH TEMPTATION is a spin-off series from The Marriage Diaries. While writing those stories, other characters started appearing on the page, and once I introduced The Players Club, I knew that those secondary characters needed to get their own stories!

Where do you find your inspiration?

I find my inspiration in everyday life, watching a TV show where a situation I'm watching turns into an idea, or reading a magazine article that sparks my imagination. Nothing is off limits!

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Everything, LOL! Seriously, the more books I write, the harder it gets, probably because I'm always striving to write better, and fresh and new plots and conflicts. Luckily I have a great critique partner who helps me through those challenges.

What are your current projects?

I just finished up the 6th volume in my Marriage Diaries series, and I'm now concentrating on The Players Club. I don't write more than one series at a time.

Tell us about your first book. What would readers find different about the first one and your most recent published work?

Well, my first book, published back in 1995, was written as Janelle Denison, and it was a paranormal/angel type story called KISS OF AN ANGEL. Considering that was 20 years ago, I think my writing style has changed dramatically. I also think my writing is tighter, and much sexier, too!

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

The main message is to be who you are, and don't change for anyone. You will find someone who will love you just the way you are.

Does music play any type of role in your writing?

None at all. I find listening to music while I'm writing too distracting!

Are there any new authors that have grasp your interest?

I've really enjoyed Lauren Blakely's "Seductive Nights" series. Super hot and sexy!!! Other favorite new authors are Claudia Connor, Skye Jordan, and Kit Rocha.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

PLAYING WITH TEMPTATION features Raina Beck and Logan Cruz. This story, along with all the stories in this series, revolve around The Players Club . . . which is a sex club. But while the story is super sexy, it's also very emotional, too. Raina has a lot of issues to work through, and it takes a strong, confident guy like Logan to give her everything she needs. He's one of my favorite heroes to date!

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

I have a website that will keep readers up to date on upcoming releases: www.erikawilde.com

I have a Facebook Page and a Erika Wilde Author Fan Page:

www.facebook.com/erikawildeauthorfanpage

www.facebook.com/erikawildesfanclub

Twitter: @erikawilde1

Tsu: http://www.tsu.co/ErikaWildeAuthor

Do you have a special time to write? How is your day structured writing-wise?

I'm not really a morning person and I like to sleep in. Most of my writing gets done in the afternoon hours. Evenings are for doing things on social media and working on the promotion side of a writing career! I'm always busy doing something!

Why did you choose to write [genre] stories?

Because it's what I LOVE to read!!!

What is for you the perfect book hero?

A hot, sexy, dominant alpha man who is also caring, patient, and completely dedicated to the heroine!

When you start a book, do you already have the whole story in your head or is it built progressively?

I have a large part of the story in my head, as well as scene snippets. From there, it's a matter of piecing it all together, LOL!

When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing over 28 years ago. (OMG, I'm ancient, LOL!) I never intended to be a writer, but when I was newly married, I was reading a couple of books a day, which was quite expensive. One day, my husband made the comment that instead of reading all these books, I should write one. And I did, LOL!!! Now, I have over 60 books published!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

The first time I truly considered myself a writer was when I saw my first book in print in 1995, a paranormal/angel romance titled KISS OF AN ANGEL.

List three books you have recently read and would recommend.

Carly Phillips' DARE TO HOLD (because I'm her critique partner and I always get to read them before they're published -- lucky me!), WORTH THE FALL by Claudia Connor, and TAKE by Ella Frank (if you like m/m books!).

Tell us something that people would be surprised you know how to do.

When I'm not writing (or reading) I love to make crystal and wire jewelry!

Will you write more about these characters?

Absolutely! PLAYING WITH TEMPTATION is the first book in The Players Club series and will introduce a whole slew of characters that will also get their stories. As of right now, I have seven more stories planned for the series!

 

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