Tuesday, July 25, 2017

#BOC RELEASE DAY BLISS! Misconduct: Birmingham Rebels (Book 4) by Samantha Kane


The Birmingham Rebels play both sides of the field, proving that the hottest action isn’t always in the arena.

Rookie running back Tom Kelly loves the perks of football stardom. Men, women—there’s no shortage of companionship for a pro athlete who’s hot, young, and willing, and Tom is definitely willing. But deep down he wants a committed three-way relationship, especially if the female in the middle is Carmina de la Cruz. The undeniably sexy Army veteran may not say much, but her body speaks loud and clear.

After a traumatic tour in Afghanistan, Carmina is struggling to regain her speech and rebuild her life. More than anything, she wants to feel like a woman again. Tom may be a wholesome All-American, but he knows just how she needs to be touched—and he’s not the only Rebel who arouses her interest. With his scorching intensity, Tom’s best friend leaves her wondering if two players might be better than one.

Danny Smith is no stranger to his team’s kinky reputation. He gave in to temptation once, but he’s not going down that road again. Sure, Carmina’s curves promise pleasure, but her eyes guarantee it comes with baggage—and Danny has enough of his own. Still, giving up control can feel so good. And when it comes to everything Danny craves, Carmina and Tom make the perfect team.

Read an Excerpt! 

“Hey, Carmina.” Tom grinned when he saw defensive lineman Sam Taylor’s sexy best friend. She was waiting in the hallway outside the Rebels locker room at Gulf Coast Arena, and she had her dog with her as usual. Buster K was the smartest dog Tom had ever met. He watched Tom approach but didn’t bark or jump on him. Sam had told him therapy dogs were trained not to do that.

Practice had just ended and Tom was the first guy to leave the field. He had a date with this cute dude he’d met a couple of weeks ago at a bar. He loved being a big football star. He was getting all the pussy and dick he could handle. Thank God some of the guys on the team had gone public about being bisexual and had showed Tom the ropes. He’d be forever grateful. It had opened up a whole new world for him, and he thought he was a better person for it. He was certainly more open and accepting of himself and other people now. Fucking pussy was sweet and he still loved it, but fucking a guy in the ass was a forbidden thrill he didn’t think he’d ever get over.
But the truth was he was getting a little tired of the merry-go-round. He didn’t seem to attract the kind of people who wanted more than a night in the sack. That had been good for a while, but he wasn’t really the one-night-stand type of guy. He wanted what a lot of his friends had—long-term bi relationships. But he wasn’t fooled by how easy it had been for them to find the right ones. What he wanted wasn’t the norm and he knew it.
His best friend wasn’t helping, either. Danny wasn’t bi, despite the fact he’d had sex with Tom and a few other guys from the team—that had been strictly a one-time thing, and there had been a woman involved. That night had opened Tom’s eyes to what he felt and what he wanted. But Danny was still strictly het. He didn’t even like to talk about that night. But it had been so fucking hot Tom had a hard time not thinking about it. A lot.
What Danny did like, though, was going out and getting lucky. He’d never partied much in college; he’d been too screwed up by something that happened in college, too angry and hurt. Now he was trying to make up for lost time. So Tom put his own goals on hold while he helped Danny out. That’s what best friends did. But for a guy who used to think a big night out was ordering pizza and playing videogames, the last few months had been exhausting.
He’d sure like to get something going with Carmina. She had curly, dark hair that she wore natural, just skimming the top of her shoulders. Her skin was the color of cappuccino, and he wanted to lick her all over until he got to her creamy center. Which actually made it a metaphor—or simile, whatever—about a candy bar, not coffee. He’d been a psychology major in college and barely passed English. The point was, he wanted to eat her, pussy and all. Then he’d like to fuck her. She had a Boricua ass that put J-Lo’s to shame. But he hadn’t been able to figure out how to get close to her yet. She was really closed off.
Carmina raised her hand in greeting, blushing as she met his eyes briefly, then looking away. Tom knew about her speech issues, so he wasn’t offended she didn’t actually say hello. He talked enough for two people anyway, so he figured they’d get along just fine.
“How’s it hanging, gorgeous?” he asked, just to be a smart-ass and get a reaction from her. It worked. She turned back to him with wide, incredulous eyes and then looked down at her crotch.
“It’s not,” she said slowly. Tom laughed, thrilled he’d gotten her to talk. She had a little bit of an accent that was very cool and sexy, just like the rest of her.
“Are you here to meet Sam?” he asked, wiping the sweat off his neck with his damp practice towel. Carmina nodded. “He’s still out on the field. You can go out there. We’re done for the day.” He noticed she was wearing workout gear. “You going to work out with him?” Damn, he’d be sorry to miss that if they were going to do it here. She was probably sexy as hell all wet with sweat.
“Run,” she said. She blinked slowly, biting her lip. “Going running,” she corrected herself. Tom was pretty excited that they seemed to actually be having a conversation.
“Cool,” he said. “You run here a lot? At the arena?” She nodded. Buster K had his head tipped to the side as if he were listening to their conversation. Tom waited patiently. He remembered Sam telling him that it was important to give Carmina time to think when you were talking to her. He squatted and reached over to pet Buster K, who made a rumbling noise at the attention and butted his head into Tom’s hand, asking for more.
“Yes,” she said finally. “I like the track.”
“Better for your knees,” he agreed. “I think they’re supposed to have the US Track Championship here in a couple of years. You always been a runner?”
She shook her head. “Since the Army,” she explained. “And it’s good for Sam.”
“You ever run the stairs here?” Tom asked, grinning. “We did that a few months ago and I thought it would damn near kill me.”
Her eyes went wide again and she shook her head with a smile. “Not for me,” she said. “Too hard.” Tom stared a few seconds too long at her eyes. They were the prettiest eyes he’d seen in a long time. The brown in them was so light it looked almost gold. He’d never seen eyes like them. She looked away and he noticed she was blushing again as she shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.
“Anyway,” Tom said a little too loudly as he stood up. “I’ve got a date. Got to go. But Sam and King are still out there with most everybody else. I’ll see you around, Carmina.” He waited.
“See you,” she said at last, with a wave, as she hurried down the hallway to the tunnel that led out to the field. Tom watched her until she was out of sight. That ass in running shorts ought to be illegal.
Carmina ran out of the tunnel onto the track around the field. She could feel how hot her face was from blushing. She mentally cursed. She could talk better than that now. It had taken a couple of years of speech therapy, but she could carry on a normal conversation, even if it was a little slow. But she always froze when she talked to Tom. Memories of her very naughty fantasies last night hadn’t helped. As she stood there talking to him, all she could see in her mind was him and Danny wrapped around her fucking her brains out. Nice. It had clearly been the farthest thing from his mind. He had a date. Which meant he’d be fucking someone else tonight and she wouldn’t. She growled and made two fists but there wasn’t anything around to punch.
“Whoa.” Carmina spun around to face the man behind her. Nigel Locke, a former soccer star in Britain who was now a kicker for the Rebels, stood there frowning at her. They’d become friends when she’d kicked his ass at pool at a party at Tom and Danny’s, the first time she’d met them all. “Someone looks upset. Care to share what’s the matter, love?” She shook her head. “Well, don’t hurt yourself,” he teased. “You should never run angry.” She made a face at him and rolled her eyes. He snapped his towel at her and then waved as he headed for the tunnel.
When she turned around her breath caught in her throat. Danny Smith was standing there staring at her. He was surrounded by other players, but she barely noticed them. His dark skin gleamed with sweat in the fading light of early evening and she wanted to lick him clean. She’d run from one fantasy just to confront another. As he watched her, Danny had that same intensity she’d noticed before. Tom wasn’t around this time. Did that mean Danny’s intensity was focused on her and always had been? Several of the guys called out hello and she absently waved at them, unable to break away from Danny’s stare. Beside her, Buster K whined softly as if sensing her confusion. Just then, Danny was jostled from behind and broke their eye contact. Before he could say anything or she could make more of a fool out of herself, she ran off toward the sidelines, where she’d spotted Sam and King waiting for her.
Danny watched Carmina de la Cruz run over to Sam and give him a hug. Danny totally got how a man could be best friends with a woman. His oldest and best friend in the world was a woman. Marian Treadwell was the Rebels’ assistant offensive coach, and she and Danny went way back. They’d survived college, Marian’s prick of a dad who’d been Danny’s football coach, and Marian’s near rape by half the starting offensive line on the college team. He was tighter with her than any other living soul, including his own family. Sam and Carmina had history, too. They’d both been injured by the same IED. That kind of shit glued friends together for life.
He wondered if Tom had seen Carmina. The kid had a serious crush on her. Danny totally got that, too. He was just as attracted to her as Tom was. But she had the sort of broken, world-weary eyes that Danny avoided. Been there, done that. He didn’t need to take on someone else’s shit when he had enough of his own to deal with. And Carmina de la Cruz had a lot of baggage, for sure. He respected the hell out of her for what she’d been through and how she dealt with it. But he felt sorry for her, too. She had some messed-up brain and couldn’t talk right. Although he’d heard her talk, and even though she spoke slowly, she seemed okay. Truth was, he guessed Tom had a crush on her ass more than anything else. She had one fine ass, that was true, and Tom loved him some ass. Danny turned around with a grin as he headed to the locker room. Danny loved that kind of big, firm, round ass on a woman, too. Made you want to smack it just to watch it jiggle. And if Sam knew what he was thinking—hell, what half the team was thinking—he’d probably kill them all.

Biography

Reviewers have called Samantha Kane “an absolute marvel to read,” and “one of historical romance’s most erotic and sensuous authors.” Her books have been called “sinful,” “sensuous,” and “sizzling.” She is published in several romance genres including historical, contemporary and science fiction. Her erotic Regency-set historical romances have won awards, including Best Historical from RWA's erotic romance chapter Passionate Ink, and the Historical CAPA (best book) award from The Romance Studio. She has a master's degree in American History, and taught high school social studies for ten years before becoming a full time writer. Samantha Kane lives in North Carolina with her husband and three children.



Monday, July 24, 2017

#BOC COVER SHOUT OUT HAPPINESS: Submit To The Fire (Interstellar Matchmaker Book 4) by Abby Gordon

OUT SEPTEMBER 8TH 2017


The youngest of the family, Tina Andersson has been fighting for respect her entire life. She's tired of being seen as “the baby,” everyone telling her what to do. Even her sexy boss, the town doctor who stirs her most submissive fantasies, treats her like a child. Flirting seems to have no impact at all on his stoic manner. A pole dancing class is exactly what she needs to work off her sexual frustration, but there's no remedy for getting over the good doctor.

Abandoned by his parents, Dr. Jake Simmons holds onto two things—his medical practice and his older cousin the local judge. But his obsession with his newest nurse makes it difficult to focus. Besides being his employee, she's too young, too innocent. He struggles to control his attraction to the sweet seductress. She wouldn't understand his need to dominate. But when his cousin hatches a plan that throws them together, he's forced to expose his true nature and risk losing her forever.

With the help of Allura, the Interstellar Matchmaker, can Jake show Tina that the she freedom craves is the freedom to submit?

Sunday, July 16, 2017

#BOC Summer Must Reads: Lord of Pleasure (Rogues to Riches #2) by Erica Ridley

Lord of Pleasure ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️written by Erica Ridley
(Rogues to Riches #2)

Michael Rutland, Earl of Wainwright, is faced with his notorious reputation. The gossip paper has a caricature of him daily his good looks and suave manners have both single and married women dropping at his feet. All his actions are out of proportion to his actual deeds. He just cannot overcome this demonizing by the papers.

His best friends cast a wager with him to stay out of the daily papers for forty days. He takes them up on this bet as a way to reassess his life.

Camelia Grenville is the eldest of the three Grenville girls. At 26 she is all but on the shelf. She has always but the good girl the mouse never refusing her sisters and family and to her demise her own
desires have never been fulfilled. Camelia possesses a beautiful operatic voice and holds a longing to be on stage. 

Camelia is presented with a ticket and opportunity to attend a scandalous masquerade event. She snatches this moment to finally rebel and see the other sides of life. It is at this masquerade she meets unbeknownst to her the rake Lord Wainwright both being in disguise.

The two immediately share moments together revealing their inner selves to each other. Both have never shared their secret emotions before with anyone. They continue to meet weekly for this masquerade event and the attraction deepens beyond what either expected.

The encounters are just magical and Cinderella like. Ms Ridley works her storytelling abilities in this simply touching romance. Will they be able to overcome their personal fears to make the leap of love. You must read this book to see.




~~JOANN MAGGIO ~~

Saturday, July 15, 2017

#BOC Summer Must Reads: Lord of Chance (Rogues to Riches #1) by Erica Ridley



Anthony Fairfax is in a gambling hell, on the border between Scotland and England, where he is gambling. Again. Gambling is Anthony’s way of supporting his family, and the difference between living decently or in the gutter. Anthony had noticed a particularly lovely woman, sitting by herself in a corner and watching. Anthony’s evening was going pretty well, and he surmised it might be because of the presence of “Lady Luck”, Charlotte Devon. Anthony has huge debts in England, and one big win might do it. He invites the pretty lady to join him, and he wagers everything he has. And of course, the silly fool loses everything to Charlotte, who is searching for her father. Then, because of Anthony’s very gallant gesture towards Charlotte, they both end up married. What are the chances that what happened in Scotland remain in Scotland? Not bloody likely!

Anthony really got himself in a dreadful pickle, and then inadvertently dragged Charlotte along as well, the poor thing, as if she didn’t already have enough worries. But what a delight it is to follow these two wonderful characters’ adventures! Charlotte has a fantastic and sad backstory, yet she is the strongest one; she is clever, ingenious, and straight as an arrow. Anthony has a debilitating gambling addiction, which occurred because of his family’s lofty ideals, and the issue is treated very realistically, it is not glossed over; he has to crawl his way out of the hellhole he got himself into. Granted that Anthony is rather impulsive, but I was never quite sure why he blurted out what he did, when he did; it could have been dealt otherwise, but then again, if he had, we would not have had this interesting marriage of convenience story, or rather marriage by accident! 
The author mentions that LORD OF CHANCE is an expanded edition of a previously published story, and in certain places, unfortunately it shows. There is a scene, albeit cute, which serves no purpose, and there are several unnecessary repetitions, which is very unusual for Ms. Ridley. 

In spite of Anthony being a reckless fool, I loved him so much; he is truly adorable, exceedingly naturally charming, kind, and utterly irresistible. Anthony and Charlotte are opposites in very unusual ways, and I loved the dynamic it created between them; Charlotte is endearing, easy to relate to, but Anthony is one of the best characters I have ever read: I saw him, his gestures, his smiles, his debonair attitude; he has charisma in spades and he felt so real to me, it was uncanny! So much in Anthony and Charlotte’s lives has to do on keeping up appearances, the meaning of family, of love, and it is riveting. And Anthony and Charlottes’s road to romance is absolutely lovely; they are two good people forced into an odd situation, but they are determined to succeed, whatever it takes. The ending was somewhat predictable, but still very satisfying.




~~MONIQUE DAOUST ~~

Friday, July 14, 2017

#BOC Summer Must Reads: Highland Hellion (Highland Weddings #3) by Mary Wine




Cross dressing heroines. Chicks in pants. Whatever you want to call it, it’s an old familiar plot trope but one that I love because it makes for such an adventurous story. And what an adventure it is in Mary Wine’s Highland Hellion. There’s just something about a strong highland man with the right woman. Together, they’re unstoppable. 

Katherine Carew was the illegitimate daughter of an English earl. Abducted to Scotland at age 14 by the Earl of Morton, regent to the Scottish King, the earl had plans to marry her off. Marcus MacPherson, a war chief, rescued her. She’d been disguised and trained as a boy under Marcus to protect her from her English heritage being discovered. Marcus had been more of a brother to her than anyone she’d ever known. He’d made certain she grew strong and skilled in fighting. Katherine had gladly discarded the often tedious ceremonies of England as she’d settled into the highlands. Now that she was 20, life in England was just a memory. She was free and, as a boy, allowed to run wild. To enjoy the freedoms that women weren’t allowed to enjoy. She took pride in her riding, fighting and archery skills. 
When her true gender was discovered, Katherine’s whole world changed. Now she felt like a stranger in her own clan. The men she’d thought of as her friends, now turned traitor, calling her English. She didn’t know the women. She lacked the skills of other women her age. Where she’d been able to hold her own with the men, she knew little about being a woman. She longed for the times when she could escape the drudgery of woman’s work and ride her horse through the countryside. Those moments were her only time to restore her spirit. 
On one such escape, she ran into Rolfe McTavish and his men who were on MacPherson land to do some innocent cattle stealing. They were surprised when the woman they captured took a flying leap onto her horse and rode off like a man. Rolfe was intrigued by this unique woman and knew he had to have her. Later, on another escape from woman’s work, Katherine came across another clan on her land. The violent, vengeful clan of the Gordons. Realizing that the men were about to attack Rolfe and his men, Katherine made herself a target to distract them. Unfortunately, this time her escape attempt failed and though she fought bravely, she was captured and taken to Gordon Castle. When it was discovered that the captive boy was a woman, the laird declared her a witch and ordered that she be burned at the stake. When Rolfe discovered that Katherine had been captured, he had no choice but to save her. He owed her. She had protected him and his men from attack by the Gordons. So Rolfe and his men entered the castle grounds and managed to rescue Katherine in the nick of time. But rather than return Katherine to her clan, Rolfe decided to take her home and ransom her to the MacPhersons. She needed to be taught a lesson about running wild through the countryside with no thought for the consequences. Unfortunately, Rolfe’s father, Laird McTavish had other plans. He intended to give her back to the king’s regent in exchange for the regent ennobling his line. 
As Katherine traveled to court with Rolfe and his men, she learned much about him. Not only was he very attractive, he had honor. She knew he didn’t want to follow his father’s orders but he would obey the laird. Rolfe, though aggravated with Katherine, was mesmerized too. They couldn’t fight the attraction, and once they kissed, they didn’t want to fight it. Katherine had never realized her body could feel so much delight. She enjoyed Rolfe’s kisses, craved his touch, and wanted more. She felt practically wanton with him. Rolfe tried to hold back but the more he was near Katherine, the harder that became. Their feelings for each other strengthened with every moment they were together. Could Rolfe give Katherine up and deliver her to an uncertain future?
What a fabulous story by new-to-me-author Mary Wine. I was captivated from the start by Ms. Wine’s writing style. With just the stroke of her pen, she manages to masterfully portray both the beauty and the ugliness of the time period. Her multi- faceted characters are hard, tough, proud, fearless, and loyal. I loved Katherine. Living in a world where her blood was hated, her courage was her soul possession. Her evolution from boy to woman was a delight to read, and I loved that the outcome was the best of both genders. She could be a woman but still embrace those “manly” things that made her unique. I also loved that Rolfe realized her hellion ways were what he loved most about her. The secondary characters of neighboring clans were every bit as captivating as the main characters. I enjoyed seeing the opposing clans working together for a common goal. I’m anxious to see what’s in store for them as well. Though #3 in her Highland Weddings series, I had no trouble reading this story as a stand- alone. It won’t be a stand-alone for long though as I intend to read the others in the series as soon as possible. Let’s face it, who can resist the adventure and romance of these Highland hunks?

 A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection.

~~AMY COMPTON~~

Thursday, July 13, 2017

#BOC Summer Must Read : Forbidden Knight (Forbidden #2) by Diana Cosby



Forbidden Knight ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ written by Diana Cosby

Alesone has grown up thinking she was a by-blow of Lord Comyn and cast out to live with the local healer Grisel Buchanan. When Grisel is killed Alesone finds herself alone and on the run. Grisel had given her a ring that belonged to King Robert and Alesone is on a mission to find him for protection. 

Alesone,among all her accomplishments as a healer, is remarkable with a bow and arrow and quite capable to handle herself with most weaponry. King Robert welcomes her and accepts her offer as a healer. 

It is on a trip to gather herbs she meets Sir Thomas MacKelloch a displaced Knight Templar. When Thomas sees how proficient she is with a bow he suspects her to be an assassin. When he returns her to camp Robert explains her position I the camp. 

Soon after King Robert learns of an attempt by Lord Comyn to apprehend Alesone and barter her in a marriage for gold. 
Robert charges Sir Thomas to deliver Alesone to a safe castle. It is on this journey Thomas is injured and Alesone care pulls him through. The closeness they experience begins and feelings of love emanate. 

The plot of Thomas reconnecting with his family after a tragedy that occurred years before is quite touching and the revelation of Alesone's true father was something the reader could not have suspect. I enjoyed this story. The depth of these character and the masterful way the author wove the tale was excellent. 




~~JOANN MAGGIO ~~

#BOC REVIEWS: Plain Haven by Susan Lantz Simpson


 When librarian , Lilly Brandt witnesses a crime in her hometown, her only option is to go into hiding. The criminals in question will stop at nothing to find Lilly and make sure she can't identify them. When the authorities decide to send Lilly into witness protection within an Amish community in Southern Maryland, it's not only a shock to her system, but a whole way of life. Trying to fit in is a work in progress and any mess up could cost her as well as those around her. 

With the requisite name change and lessons on how to be plain, Lilly, AKA Hannah Kurtz begins her stay in Cherry Hill where she stays with an Amish family who are happy to have her there. As a guest at Rebecca and Samuel Hertzel, Hannah becomes an integral member of their lively household where she not only helps with the children, but takes some stress off the pregnant Rebecca. 

Jake Beiler is an Amish man nursing a broken heart. When he discovers the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with turned her back on the Amish, he vows to never fall in love again. Meeting the fascinating Hannah Kurtz changes all that when the two begin a friendship that  quickly morphs into something deeper. But Hannah is really not Amish and the closer she gets to these people, the more she may be putting them in danger. The only thing is, everyday it's harder to keep herself at a distance and being in Jake's company makes her yearn for something she cannot have...or can she?

PLAIN HAVEN by Susan Lantz Simpson is a wonderfully written book that sucked me right in, beginning with page 1.The entire atmosphere is electric, between the imminent danger Lilly is in and the way she takes to life in Cherry Hill. I simply couldn't put this book down and I am anxious to read more by this talented author. 

~~KIMBERLY~~

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

#BOC Summer Must Reads : The Bad Luck Bride (The Cavensham Heiresses #1) by Janna MacGregor



The Bad Luck Bride ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ by Janna MacGregor
(The Cavensham Heiresses #1)

Lady Claire Cavensham believes she carries a curse and she fears it will follow her for the rest of her life. That being said, Alexander Hallworth, Marquess of Pembrooke will not rest until he gets revenge for his sister Alice's death. Alice committed suicide because she could not face her family, and tell them she was pregnant out of wedlock.

Alex believe the father of this child was Lord Paul Barstow one of his best friends. Lord Paul in currently betroth to Lady Claire and Alex wants to destroy Paul and marry Claire himself even though he does not love her. Lord Paul is in tremendous gambling debt and Alex buys up all his vowels and forces him to break his engagement. 

As Alex becomes more and more acquainted with Claire he see the women who is very unsure of herself. She has been betroth three times each story sadder than the previous. She believes she carries a curse. 

This is truly a heartfelt story of how revenge reveals a fragile person and how revenge turns to friendship and love on both sides. Alex falters quite a few times but rights himself up to prove his worth and love.

I really enjoyed this tale and will continue to follow this author.




~~Joann Maggio ~~