RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW for "Knight’s Salvation (Knights of Hell, #2)" by Sherilee Gray

Title: Knight’s Salvation

Series: Knights of Hell, #2

Author: Sherilee Gray

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date: November 26, 2018

Blurb

Demon hunter Zenon lives with a dark secret. When he escaped Hell, he didn’t leave alone — and he’ll do anything to keep the shameful reason hidden. But when an intoxicating demi-demon, new to her powers, has him breaking all his own rules just to be near her, he knows he’s in serious trouble.

Painfully aware of being different, Mia Westbrook has always kept herself apart from others. Yet her new demon life comes with strings attached, namely one scarred and broodingly seductive knight who storms into her world — and her heart — and may just be her perfect match.

But a formidable evil has been watching, and is determined to tear them apart. They want Zenon back in Hell, with them, where he belongs…

~BOOK REVIEW~

****(4) out of 5 Stars!

Oh my gosh!  These books might very well be the end of me.  So much drama, angst and heartache.  It was almost more than I could take.  As sad as I found the situation Lazarus was in when he met his mate Eve, it was nothing compared to what Zenon had to go through with Mia.  These two had SO much to overcome!

Thanks to help from her sister Chaya, and having known beforehand that she is a demi-god, Mia is much more prepared to deal with her new reality as opposed to Eve and others.  Still, it is quite an adjustment for her once she reaches the compound, especially because of the attraction she feels toward Zenon, and the slew of mixed signals that she receives from him.    

As usual in these types of books, and so far in this series, good (or any!) communication between the two main characters would have solved about 90% of their problems.  But then we would have been deprived of all the wonderous glory of this story.  

Additionally, once again, neither of our protagonists felt worthy of each other or of any good thing that happened to them.  I guess it should be comforting to know that even demon hunters and demi-gods have insecurities just like the rest of us!  

Because this was the second book in the series, there was a lot less world-building that needed to be done, just some additional information provided and areas filled in.  This seemed to provide more leeway for the actual narrative to occur.  

There is one main story about Zenon contained in these pages, involving an entirely new figure (whom I absolutely hate, but in order to avoid spoilers will not name).  There are also a couple of other people introduced who provide plot twists that I also do not want to reveal.  But suffice it to say that a fascinating one comes to act as a savior for Mia, and the other appears to perhaps be of some signifigance to Chaos.  Additionally, there are different subplots involving other people and various situations that are occuring alongside Zenon's main area of focus.  Some of these are a continuation from the prior volume, and a few branch out into new territory.  I didn't quite follow all of them, but I expect we'll continue to learn more as the series progresses.  

It was fun to see characters from the last book again, and I look forward to seeing more of all of them in future installments.  

The relationship that develops between Zenon and Mia, despite all the odds stacked against them, is amazing to behold, and I was entirely thrilled that (other than all of the outside drama that is also going on) they were FINALLY able to achieve their happily-ever-after (or at least their happily-for-now).

 I received a free eBook copy of this title from the author, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

ADD TO GOODREADS 

Purchase Links

 AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

 

Excerpt:

“I have to do something, Mia.” As he spoke, the fierce mask fell away. He looked almost boyish then, shy, uncertain. 

Licking her lips, she curled her fingers into the wall, trapping them behind her back. “Okay.” She didn’t know what was going on, but whatever was about to happen, she knew she wanted it.

“Please, just…you can’t touch me,” he said.

“I told you I wouldn’t,” she whispered.

He surprised her by running gentle, barely there fingers down the side of her face and across her jaw. “You’re beautiful.”

Was he going to kiss her? She didn’t move, didn’t breathe, wanting to taste him more than anything she’d ever wanted in her entire life.

His hands moved to the wall, either side of her head, and his gaze dropped to her mouth.

Oh my God.

He leaned in. 

She forced herself not to squirm as his lips hovered above hers for several seconds, his breath mingling with hers. It took all her strength not to close the gap. But finally, he did, his lips coming down on hers, dry and soft and warm. 

His entire body jerked at the contact, and he went completely still, breath puffing in and out of his nose.

Please, don’t stop.

But he didn’t. Slowly, ever so slowly, he opened his mouth. Mia’s heart was pounding when he finally made a rough sound and ran his tongue across her top lip. 

She moaned.

His big body shuddered. “Open,” he said against her mouth.

Author Bio

Sherilee Gray is a kiwi girl and lives in beautiful New Zealand 

with her husband and their two children. 

When she isn't writing sexy, edgy contemporary and paranormal romance, 

searching for her next alpha hero on Pinterest, 

or fueling her voracious book addiction, 

she can be found dreaming of far off places with a mug of tea in one hand 

and a bar of Cadburys Rocky Road chocolate in the other.

 Author Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SherileeGrayAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sherilee_Gray

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherileegrayauthor/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.nz/SherileeGray/

Website: https://www.sherileegray.com

Newsletter: https://www.sherileegray.com/contactsubscribe.html 

BOOK REVIEW for "The Return Home: The Aegis Network (The Sarich Brothers, #4)" by Jen Talty

***(3) out of 5 stars!

SUMMARY:

Major Dylan Sarich, knows only one thing: Delta Force. He has dedicated his life to the Army and his country and can’t imagine doing anything else.

Until the unthinkable happens.

During a top-secret operation, Dylan is nearly sent home in a body bag with the rest of his team. With his wounds still fresh and on extended medical leave, Dylan returns to his hometown in Jupiter, Florida to heal his body. However no amount of physical therapy will destroy the demons lurking deep in Dylan’s soul.

Dr. Kinsley Maren is an expert in PTSD and brain trauma. When her neighbor comes to her, begging for help with her son, Kinsley can’t say no, especially when she meets Dylan. She’s certain she can break through the anger and help restore his confidence and mend his broken heart. Only she never expected he’d steal hers. 

REVIEW:

Even though this is (at least) Book #4 in the series, and I haven't read any previous ones, it wasn't hard at all to pick up on what was going on in the story.  There were probably lots of backstory to many of the peripheral characters, but nothing that seemed to impact this tale.

There was not much action (other than Dylan's flashbacks and recollections about a failed military mission that he wasn't allowed to talk about).  Mostly this book was just talking and discussing feelings and the like.  Which shouldn't come as much of a surprise given that the entire premise was a therapist unofficially helping her neighbor's wounded son work through some issues from his most recent deployment.  

In addition to the substantive lack of activity in general, there is a lot of telling rather than showing in this novel.  (Still, I enjoyed it more than the previous book by this author that I reviewed [Burning Heart].)  Not to mention a LOT of wishy-washy back-and-forth, especially by Dylan, but also Kinsley.  Still, it was fairly tolerable, up until the near-ending - where Dylan goes off camping by himself for several days - which was just totally lame.  Additionally, the epilogue seemed really forced and tacked on.  But at least it had a happy ending.  

I received a free eBook copy of this title from Xpresso Book Tours, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW for "Burning Heart (Fire Protection Specialists, #5)" by Jen Talty

***(3) out of 5 stars!

SUMMARY:

Air Force Fire Protection Specialist, Declan Rivers, gave his heart once, and it got charred beyond recognition. While deep down he still wants it all, the career, the wife, the family, he can’t put himself out there. That is until his best friend’s wedding where he finds comfort in the arms of Becca Knowles, a sexy senior firefighter and co-worker. He’s had eyes for Becca since she first stepped onto the base, but after one hot night, they decide it’s best if they remain friends. 

Well, he decides thanks to that aforementioned reluctance. 

Becca Knowles understands a broken heart and after a one-night stand with Declan, she vows to give up on men for a while and focus only on her career. Only that declaration lasts just one measly month when she first finds out she’s pregnant, and then that her younger sister is missing. Not knowing where to turn, she asks Declan for his help, to which he readily agrees, not knowing about the baby. 

While searching for her sister, they find themselves dealing with betrayal, lies, and a love so deep it burns the heart.

REVIEW:

After reading this book and then seeing all of the positive reviews -- I really wondered if I had read the same book!  I was just so not impressed by it.  It wasn't awful, just not very good.  

Basically, the entire gist of the story is Declan being all over the board on how he feels about Becca.  Okay, sure, the guy suffered a big blow from his last girlfriend.  But GET OVER IT ALREADY!!  My goodness!  He just whined like a toddler, incessantly, forever.  And, of course, in typical male fashion, he apparently wanted to have his cake and eat it too with Becca, not committing to her because of how badly damaged her was, but still screwing her, and getting her pregnant no less.  

And Becca doesn't do much more than vascillate between whether or not she can live with not getting anything more from Declan out of their relationship than solid friendship and occasional interest.  Not that she has much of a choice in the matter!  The one time they are together even, he sneaks out of her house before she's even had a chance to change her shirt.  

There are some subplots and sidetrips that don't coalesce into much of a coherent plot, but which do give the various players a chance to interact.  But there were just so many things that didn't jive, such as Becca's Mennonite parents' are way too chill about her not only bringing home a non-believer apparent boyfriend, but certainly about her being pregnant out of wedlock with his child.  And the whole human trafficking thing leaves a lot to be desired as far as addressing the seriousness of the issue, let alone the ease they had in thwarting this obviously well-funded and organized criminal group.  

There were a lot of inconsistencies in items both big and small within the story.  And I really hope that the copy I read was an early version, because the editing was horrible.  Being the fifth in a series of books, I would definitely expect this one to be more polished at whatever stage it was in.  

I received a free eBook copy of this title from Xpresso Book Tours, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW for "Miss Demeanor" by Beth Rinyu

**(2) out of 5 stars!

Miss Demeanor 
by Beth Rinyu
Publication date: August 16th, 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

SUMMARY:

Spoiled. Privileged. Brat.

What others saw as entitled, I saw as standards, and mine were high, especially when it came to men. The boys I wasted time on in college were now a thing of the past. I was setting my eye on the real deal: Rich, successful, nice looking, good personality preferred — but not required.

I had it all figured out, I’d live off my family’s good fortune as I waited for my wealthy Prince Charming to sweep me off my feet. That was until my father decided to come up with his own ridiculous plan:

Move to New York City (good)
Take a job at a magazine owned by one of his friends (bad) 
Cut me off financially after three months (worse)

All out of options, I headed to the East Coast to start my job. Feeling much like a princess being thrown into court with the commoners, I intended to fail, and fail miserably — that was until I was given an office with a view and my own advice column. Suddenly, working for a living wasn't so bad after all...except for him. Obnoxious, boorish, rude… take your pick. He was the exact opposite in my quest for Prince charming — except for nice looking and good personality not required. He hated me the moment he laid eyes on me and was determined to make my life a living hell whenever I was in his company. Little did he know, he had no idea who he was up against, I planned on matching his animosity toward me in ways he never imagined. But the funny thing was, the more he got under my skin, the closer he was getting to my heart, making me reassess the girl I once was and focus on the girl I wanted to become.

REVIEW:

I generally don't like to write bad reviews, because I like to support authors as much as I can, but with this book... I don't even know where to start!  I cannot begin to offer a good review here, or find much in the way of redeeming qualities about it.  I picked it up and put it down several times because I just didn't enjoy it - at all!  

Rose, the main female character, was apparently plucked out of the 1950's or something, because she has a very antiquated view about having a man support her.  In fact, her only real criteria in a potential husband is that he have lots of money!  It's disgusting, ridiculous, and sets women's rights back about 60 years!  Not to mention the fact that she supposedly has an advanced degree, but she can't do anything, and she's about as dumb as a box of rocks.  She doesn't even know when she is being played, as is so obviously the case right from the beginning with the first query to her "Miss Demeanor" online advice column.

Alex, the main male lead, judges Rose - correctly! - as a lecherous, money-grubbing snake, who only cares about the value of a man's portfolio.  Nevertheless, he is inordinately rude to her on every possible occasion, well beyond what would be considered appropriate behavior in polite society.  

The subordinate characters are somehow even more one-dimentional than this pair.  With just a few strokes of a makeup brush and a few words her opinion couched as advice, Rose somehow wins over Lucy and Marisa, her subordinates at work, who then all become the best of friends.  And Alex's work buddy, Kent the IT guy, who is apparently gay, which Rose somehow doesn't know, even though everyone else in the place supposedly does (so surely one of her pals would have told her?) is even more flat and devoid of character than the girls in the office. 

There are some side events and subplots that occur, but the gist of the story is that - miraculously! - Rose and Alex somehow end up seeing past their differences and falling madly in love!  Although, of course, it doesn't even end there, and we have more angst to wade through before the happily ever after.  Really, it was just way too much to take.  The prose of the book itself was like something written by a high school student.  The dialogue was stilted at best, and did not at all even sound real or natural.  And nearly every interaction between the main players was an excuse to pontificate on the speaker's worth and the error of everyone else's ways.  Sadly, this is definitely not a book that I would recommend spending any time on.  

I received a free eBook copy of this title from Xpresso Book Tours, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW for "Balance of Mayhem (Mayhem Wave, #4)" by Edward Aubry

****(5) out of 5 Stars!

SUMMARY:

For five years, Dorothy O’Neill has had someone else living in her brain. Strontium, the witch who sacrificed herself to save Dorothy and the two children in her care, saved her own consciousness by fleeing into Dorothy’s mind, a tactic she thought would be temporary. Despite the best efforts of the Council of Mages to regenerate Strontium’s body and restore her to it, that state of affairs is starting to look permanent. So, when an opportunity presents itself to Dorothy to free Strontium and have her own mind to herself again, it sorely tempts her. All she has to do is embark on a quest with Felicia Kestrel, an assassin who has been until this point Dorothy’s mortal enemy.

Felicia seeks a scale from the armor of the legendary dragon Hypatia, a relic of the non-real world she believes has survived the Mayhem Wave, and whose sole purpose is to heal. She needs a witch to help her employ its magic and use it to heal herself of an undisclosed malady, and claims it has the power to restore Strontium to her own body. Joining her will make Dorothy a fugitive. Passing up this opportunity could mean spending the rest of her life with Strontium exiled in her head.

Enlisting the aid of a pixie to protect her, and armed with a magical sword, Dorothy leaves her home, trusting that the woman who tried to kill her once won’t do so again. The quest for the Scale proves trickier than expected, with dangers beyond Dorothy’s experience, and the threat of an unknown enemy who apparently desires very badly for her to fail. Each step along the journey brings her closer to getting her life back and freeing her friend, but also brings new and contradictory information about the object they seek, and Felicia’s reasons for seeking it may be far more sinister than she has revealed. 

REVIEW:

Once again, as this story begins, a significant amount of time has passed since the last novel ended; this time five more years.  As with previous volumes in the series, I anticipated being upset by the perceived missed events during that time, but it really wasn’t an issue.  We drop right back into the lives of these characters whom we’ve come to know so well, have some brief catch-up as to what their lives are like now, and then just jump right into the story!

Something happened.  A fight?  No, an argument.  Hurt feelings.  Strontium had made a joke about Ian, once her son, now Dorothy’s.  She laughed.  Claudia, Dorothy’s life-partner and co-parent, didn’t like being left out.  Sometimes the complicated nature of their family overwhelmed them all.

And what a story it is!   This book is pretty much entirely Dorothy’s tale to tell.  (Apparently, since Harrison had his own book, the author determined that it was only fair for Dorothy to get hers as well.)  Of necessity (after the events of Mayhem’s Children), Strontium obviously plays a significant role here also.  Claudia makes some brief appearances in the beginning and takes on a more significant part later on.  Bess and Sparky both came along for the ride, too.      

“I would ask you what this is about, but I think I’ll save you the trouble of making up a cover story.  Thanks for trusting me.  I won’t let you down.”

“Let me down?” said Dorothy.

Sparky grinned.  “Every quest needs a pixie.  We come in very handy.”

Dorothy avoided eye contact.  “I never said anything about a quest.”

“Yeah, that’s cute.  When you’re ready to roll, give me a ring.”

The biggest surprise of this book is quite simply the identity of the other main player.  Next to Dorothy, the most significant character is Felicia, formerly Agent Kestrel, the assassin who last-seen was trying to kill Dorothy and her compatriots in the previous volume.  Having now been cursed with an empathy spell, however, Felicia is not the same person we became familiar with in Mayhem’s Children.  And it is in fact her desire to lift this curse from herself that starts them on the path to this grand adventure. 

What’s the catch?

“What makes you think there’s a catch?”

Life is a tradeoff, kiddo.  Magical fixes don’t come cheap.  It’s the balance of mayhem.  That’s a powerful good take, so what’s the give?

“I had to make a deal with an assassin,” said Dorothy.

Apart from brief appearances here and there by Harrison and some other minor male characters, this narrative contains an almost exclusively female cast.  That being said, however, this is certainly not what would normally be considered a “girly” story at all.  In fact, the females pretty much spend their time fighting, treasure hunting, and otherwise kicking butt.  Indeed, this is a great example of female empowerment, even more impressive when considering that it was written by a male author, who still manages to produce characters that ring true and appear quite real. 

Dorothy wrapped her hand around Bess’s hilt and drew her slowly from her scabbard.  As she lifted the blade vertically in front of her face, Eric giggled.

Do you need my protection?

“I don’t think so,” said Dorothy.  “Not at the moment.”

“Did she just ask if she should kill me?” asked Eric.

“Something like that.”

“Ha! Fantastic!” He clapped his hands once.

There are some down times where the pace slows down and it occasionally even gets a tad boring, but by and large things keep moving at a strong clip, with lots of action throughout the narrative.  As usual in the Mayhem world, things are not always as they seem and there is a LOT going on at all times.  There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader entertained and on their toes (or totally confused, if you don’t pay attention!).

“How much trouble am I in?”

“We’re still sorting that out,” said Harrison.  “Claudia? Can you take a walk, please?”

“You okay here, Dotty?” asked Claudia.

“I have no idea.”

The next volume is purportedly the last in this series, and while I am hesitant to see visits to this world come to an end, I am anxious to discover what the author has in store for us!

I received a free eBook copy of this title from the author, 

and have willingly provided an honest review.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle Edition    Amazon - Paperback

#BalanceOfMayhem  #MayhemWave

COVER REVEAL for "#Vacay" by Cambria Hebert

#Vacay 
by Cambria Hebert
Publication date: December 3rd, 2018
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

A #Hashtag and BearPaw Resort Crossover Novella.

VACATION MODE ON 

#Vacay Itinerary: 

—Make new friends

—Meet a big dog

—Kiss in the snow

—Don’t get lost

—Ignore the press

—Don’t make national news

—Drink all the cocoa

—Wear all the hoodies

—Eat all the food

—Get lit!

Add to Goodreads

Author Bio:

Cambria Hebert is an award winning, bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. 

Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house). 

Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo. 

Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC. 

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

FREE BOOK: "Winter Nights: Ten Book Boxed Set" of Steamy Romance!

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Her Seductive Dare by Lena Hart

Black Edge by Charlotte Byrd

Bidding on Brooks by Katy Regnery

BOOKS BLITZ for "Merciless (Alpha Bodyguard, #2)" by Sybil Bartel

Merciless
(Alpha Bodyguard, #2)
by Sybil Bartel
Publication date: November 6th, 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Bodyguard.

Mercenary.

Gun for hire.

I didn’t care what you called it, the end result was always the same. 

You paid me for a job, you got results. The Marines trained me to shoot, but life taught me to aim. Working for the best personal security firm in the business was a stepping stone. Put in my time, build the résumé, then move on. I didn’t do attachments, on any level. 

Until a smoking-hot former one-night stand crossed the street in front of me, holding a kid who was my spitting image. She tried to play it off, deny he was mine. She said she didn’t remember me, right before she turned around and ran. She thought she’d made a clean escape. 

But she was about to find out how merciless a bodyguard could be. 

*MERCILESS is a sexy new standalone book in the Alpha Bodyguard Series. 

The Alpha Bodyguard Series:

SCANDALOUS

MERCILESS

RECKLESS

RUTHLESS

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Excerpt:

Holding a pile of bar towels, wearing clothes two sizes too big, her hair was a fucking mess of curls. Her gaze cutting to Dax, then me, she faltered. Pulling her arms in close, she rasped out an apology. “Sorry. I didn’t know we were open yet.”
Scratchy, sleep rough, and sexy as fuck, her voice went straight to my dick.
Dax gentled his tone. “It’s okay, Brookelyn. This is my friend, Collins.”
Unable to look away, I stared at her deep blue eyes. “Hey.”
Skittish like a cornered animal, her stormy-eyed gaze locked on mine for a split second then darted to Dax. “I’ll finish up later.”
Dax held his beer up. “You want to join us?”
Before he’d even finished asking the question, she was shaking her head. Her silky, almost black curls bounced around, and she tossed the towels on the cooler. “I gotta go.” She hightailed it back the way she came.
I stared after her, feeling like I’d just been sucker punched. Then said more than I should. “She’s pretty.” Even in her baggy clothes I could tell she had curves that’d make a man weak.
“Don’t even think about it,” Dax warned, practically growling at me. “She doesn’t need your brand of trouble.”
“I’m not trouble. I don’t fuck with women.” I was never around long enough.
He leveled me with a look. “The only thing you do is fuck with them.”

Author Bio:

Sybil Bartel grew up in Northern California with her head in a book and her feet in the sand. She dreamt of becoming a painter but the heady scent of libraries with their shelves full of books drew her into the world of storytelling. She loves the New Adult genre, but any story about a love so desperately wrong and impossibly beautiful makes her swoon.

Sybil now resides in Southern Florida and while she doesn’t get to read as much as she likes, she still buries her toes in the sand. If she isn’t writing or fighting to contain the banana plantation in her backyard, you can find her spending time with her handsomely tattooed husband, her brilliantly practical son and a mischievous miniature boxer…

But Seriously?

Here are ten things you probably really want to know about Sybil.

She grew up a faculty brat. She can swear like a sailor. She loves men in uniform. She hates being told what to do. She can do your taxes (but don’t ask). The Bird Market in Hong Kong freaks her out. Her favorite word is desperate…or dirty, or both—she can’t decide. She has a thing for muscle cars. But never reply on her for driving directions, ever. And she has a new book boyfriend every week—don’t tell her husband.

To find out more about Sybil Bartel, be sure to follow her on Twitter (she loves to hear about your favorite book boyfriend!), visit her website, like her on Facebook or join her Facebook group Book Boyfriend Heroes for exclusive excerpts and giveaways. 

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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