Book Obsessed Chicks HARLEQUIN SPOTLIGHT IN MAY ~Truth and Consequences (Rookie K-9 Unit) by Lenora Worth ~

THE PROTECTOR'S MISSION 

Honoring a promise to a fallen comrade, former army medic David Evans heads to Arizona to check up on the soldier's sister. But as his train pulls into Desert Valley, David witnesses a drug run gone wrong and narrowly avoids the bullets flying his way. And when the police show up, he discovers the investigating officer is the woman he's supposed to look after. With a fiercely protective K-9 partner and a new badge, Whitney Godwin insists she can take care of herself and her infant daughter. But the criminals want both David and Whitney permanently silenced, so David will stop at nothing to protect the family he yearns to join. 

Rookie K-9 Unit: These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners

EXCERPT: 

A man scurried toward the train like a lizard, his head down and his back hunched. He wore a burgundy hat and dark shades.

Whitney spotted him when she glanced back while talking with David. She’d have to figure out the medic’s angle and his story later. Right now, she intended to nab two criminals. With her gun drawn and Hunter waiting for her command as he trailed along, she hurried around the stopped train and looked up and down the tracks.

Nothing. No one. Had she only imagined seeing someone? No, she’d seen the man, and his description had fit the one David Evans and Mr. Gallagher had given her. She hadn’t slept much last night, but she wasn’t imagining things. Fatigue weighed on her like a blanket of dry heat, but she kept her cool and went on with doing her job. Being a rookie meant she always had to go the extra mile. Being a female police officer meant she had to work twice as hard as the men around her.

She checked the front of the stopped train again and then walked by the narrow openings between the four small passenger cars and headed to the car where she and Hunter had found a kilo of heroin earlier.

“C’mon on, Hunter,” she commanded. Hunter went in ahead of her, doing his job with practiced excitement. He sniffed and moved on, sniffed again, dug around some and then kept up the search.

Could one of these men have come back for the package they’d dropped? Or did they have more stashed elsewhere?

A DATE NIGHT DINNER ITEM:

This is an easy, delicious recipe that has a Southwestern flair.  My characters in the book eat at the Cactus Café a lot.  They might find a quick lunch with this beautiful salad.  (Lenora Worth)

Avocado Salad from All Recipes

·         1 English cucumber

·         4 Roma tomatoes

·         3 ripe avocados

·         ½ red onion

·         ¼ cup cilantro

·         Juice of 1 lemon

·         Salt and black pepper to taste

·         2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1. Place sliced cucumber, tomatoes, avocados, onion, and cilantro in a large salad bowl.

2. Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Monique Daoust's Guest Review of ~ Wicked Need (The Wicked Horse, #3) by Sawyer Bennett ~

I had loved the previous book, Wicked Lust, and it was a given I was going to read WICKED NEED, while waiting for Bridger’s, of course! We had met both Cat and Rand before, albeit mostly in sexual situations at The Silo, a sex club. WICKED NEED picks up precisely where Wicked Lust left off, however it can easily be read as a standalone. 

Cat is now widowed and has been left penniless by her late husband – or is her husband the reason she is destitute? Rand, who knew her from The Silo, sees her sleeping in her car, and asks her to come home with him. Rand has a “White Knight” complex – he cannot help himself from rescuing damsels in distress – and he doesn’t apologise for the way he is. Rand is a particularly delicious character: a real gentleman, really sweet and considerate. Poor Cat has made too many bad choices in her sad life, but she slowly understands that she can make changes and, with Rand’s help, she begins to “woman up”. I love how Cat takes it one step at a time: nothing is rushed, and it was a pleasure to watch her become more assertive. Cat and Rand are both physically attracted to each other, but they also understand each other, and Rand is willing to give her all the space she needs, even if she doesn’t choose him. He honestly wants her to get her life back, and that was so nice for a change: to see a man who is sure of himself, confident, and not push the poor thing. Cat is not pathetic, far from it, but she is young and for the first time, she is allowed to do what she wants and hope for a better future as well.

Even given that the environment is the same, that is characters from The Silo and their mates, the tone WICKED NEED is a world away from Wicked Lust. WICKED NEED is written from Rand and Cat’s points of views, and it is gentler and not as sexually wild, but definitely not tame! It just reflects Cat and Rand’s personalities perfectly. I also marvel at Ms. Bennett exemplary use of language, as the more I read, the more I found how differently Rand and Cat express themselves, again as compared to Cain and Sloane. In a way, WICKED NEED reads a bit as a suspense, at least as far as I’m concerned, in following Cat’s personal growth and trying to find answers to unanswered questions. There were some exquisitely painful passages where Cat looks back on her life and the choices she made, and every woman should be so lucky as to find herself a Rand Bishop. The story unfolds as I wished it, and this definitely does not mean the author took the easy way out, but that she let her characters deal with their issues; it was simply perfect. And what a beautiful and emotional ending! Sawyer Bennett hasn’t failed to impress me yet: WICKED NEED is another superb book by this very talented author. Now on to the next book in this fantastic series!

~ MONIQUE~

COMING SOON! Into the Whirlwind (BOSS, Inc. #2) by Kat Martin

COMING MAY 31, 2016

A bodyguard, a bounty hunter, a private investigator, no one can handle the heat like the men of BOSS, Inc. 

Megan O'Brien is at her wit's end. Her three-year-old son has been kidnapped. No police, says the ransom demand. Fearing for her son's life, Meg has no choice but to turn to her former bodyguard, Dirk Reynolds. 

Dirk's never forgiven Meg for the way she left him after their brief affair. But with bounty hunter Luke Brodie on his side, Dirk knows he's got to help Meg rescue her son. 

The few clues they’ve gathered send them spiraling into a murky world of big banking and international crime. Meg may be way out of her depths, but she’s seeing a side of Dirk she never suspected—one no woman could possibly resist.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY

WORDS FROM KAT MARTIN

HOW I GOT PUBLISHED

I’m sure every author has an interesting tale of how he or she got published.  Mine is sort of a merry-go-round story that began when I met my future husband.  He had written a Western called Shadow of the Mast by L.J. Martin.  After we started dating, he asked me to read it. 

I ended up loving the novel, which was extremely moving and very romantic.  But Larry couldn’t sell it.  Since I had read a lot of great books and loved Shadow of the Mast, I couldn’t understand why.

After a second reading, I realized there were a number of grammar and spelling errors (no spell-check back then).  Since I was good at those things, I decided to help him polish the novel.

By the time I was finished, I was hooked on the idea of writing a book of my own.  I chose a Western Romance because I had a western background.  My great grandmother came West on a covered wagon.  My grandmother was one of the original rodeo cowgirls.  I was very familiar with the history of that era and so I wrote Magnificent Passage.

It was the beginning of my journey to publication.  With each of us having a book to sell, we did a lot of do-diligence, which included reading the voluminous Literary Marketplace, as well as studying novels on bookstore shelves to see what company might be interested in publishing our works.

At the same time, we were attending conferences, going to writing classes, and trying to find an agent.

At a conference in Fresno, California, we met a woman who had agreed to read sixty pages of any attendee’s manuscript.  We both sent our pages.  The agent took both of us on as clients.

Unfortunately, both our manuscripts were summarily rejected by every publisher in NYC.  Then I caught a break.  A new company looking for romance titles bought Magnificent Passage and made it the lead title for their new line!

It was a great start for me.  During that time, Larry’s manuscript, his second novel, got picked up by Kensington. After all the waiting, we were published six weeks apart, which meant we could travel and promote our books together.

Unfortunately for me, my first publisher closed its doors after two of my books were printed and I was out on the street again.  Again, I was rejected everywhere. 

Totally distraught, at the last possible moment, Berkely picked up Captain’s Bride, and again, I was chosen as a lead title.  But the money was not enough to live on so I was forced to move to another company. 

Over the years,  I’ve worked for nearly all the major houses.  Some were a real pleasure, others not so much. 

Currently, I’m writing for Kensington Books.  They’re publishing my contemporary romantic suspense novels, the latest being INTO THE WHILWIND, part of the BOSS Inc. Trilogy. 

INTO THE WHIRLWIND is out May 31^st, Meg and Dirk Reynolds’s story.  When Megan O’Brien's three-year-old son is kidnapped, the former lingerie model goes to the only man she trusts, private investigator, Dirk Reynolds, her former bodyguard, the man who was still owns her heart.  Desperate for Dirk’s help, Meg is willing to risk everything to save little Charlie.

INTO THE WHIRLWIND is a powerful tale that delves into the murky world of high stakes gambling, international crime, and terrible danger. 

I hope you’ll watch for INTO THE WHIRLWIND and that you enjoy Dirk and Meg’s story.  Till then, all best wishes and happy reading, Kat

        

The Lure of a Rake (The Heart of a Duke Book 9) by Christi Caldwell

Once again, the amazing Christi Caldwell slays me with her breathtaking storytelling and her fascinating characters.

Lady Genevieve Farendale was left jilted at the alter by her unscrupulous and unfeeling duke who spread evil lies about Genevieve and not just ruining her reputation, but pretty much burying it. Then to top off that lovely heartbreaking tragedy, her wonderfully obnoxious parents ship her off to the country estate of her maternal grandfather to ruminate for five years about the wrong SHE has done her family. This reader was a more than a tad angry and completely sucked into this story by this time.

Cedric Falcot, the Marquess of St. Albans is a complete rake who thrives on ticking his reprobate of a  father off whenever possible. Only problem is, his father, the duke holds the purse strings and if Cedric doesn't comply with his demands, he's going to cut him off. Seemingly unaffected by this pronouncement, Cedric vows to remain a bachelor until he sets eyes on the ruined Lady Genevieve brought back from the netherworld and thrust once again into a society who still whispers about her.

Cedric and Genevieve's chance meeting in the library is a shock to his system and even more to hers when she discovers his identity after sharing an interesting conversation and a mind blowing kiss with the handsome unrepentant rake. So hurt Genevieve has been by those close to her, that it's hard to normally let anyone in, but with Cedric's easy going manner of speech and his genuine interest in Genevieve's love of art, her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble with each meeting the two share. 

At his wits end and looking to seek the ultimate revenge on his progenitor, at the nudging of his best friend, Cedric seeks Genevieve's hand in marriage, and this is where things get even more riveting. The expectations by both bride and groom differ in each one's opinion and these differences strive to make of break this relationship. As much a I would love to continue to give you my take on THE LURE OF A RAKE by the brilliant Christi Caldwell, I would much rather you grab this highly emotional tale yourself. 

Wow is a word that comes out of my mouth repeatedly throughout reading this story. Both Cedric and Genevieve have been talked about amongst the ton. Rumors, lies and exaggerations have been bandied about and each knows how it feels to be the object of that talk. Knowing how rumor and and talk can change opinions about people, Genevieve still takes in what she's heard about Cedric being a rake, even though she has been the object of hurtful jibes, she still throws his reputation in his face. That is how much she was hurt but not only what her former betrothed did to her, but compounded by her mother and father's rash decisions to place blame on their innocent daughter all because she was born female. Cedric is the celebrated rake, the man who can pretty much do as he pleases and still be welcome into fickle society. The irony is astounding and all this irony is why I LOVE this story. Christi Caldwell does not push the envelope when it comes to telling it like it is. She dives in head first and succeeds in making a splash with THE LURE OF A RAKE. Bravo Ms. Caldwell.

~KIMBERLY~

RELEASE DAY BLISS WITH DEBUT AUTHOR ~ RUTH VINCENT * Elixir: A Changeling P.I. Novel *

Mabily "Mab" Jones is just a twenty-something, over-educated, under-employed New Yorker trying to survive as a private eye's unpaid intern . . . or is she? Once a powerful fairy, but tricked by the Fairy Queen into human form, Mab is forced to face her changeling past when investigating a missing person case at a modern speakeasy.

Obadiah Savage bootlegs fairy Elixir to human customers thirsting for a magical fix. But when Mab and Obadiah become joint suspects in a crime they didn't commit, the only way to prove their innocence is to travel back to the fairy realm. And when Mab confronts the Fairy Queen and learns the depth of her betrayal, she must decide if the fate of the fey world is worth destroying the lives of the humans she's come to love.

Ruth Vincent spent a nomadic childhood moving across the USA, culminating in a hop across the pond to attend Oxford. But wherever she wanders, she remains ensconced within the fairy ring of her imagination. Ruth recently traded the gritty urban fantasy of NYC for the pastoral suburbs of Long Island, where she resides with her roguishly clever husband and a cockatoo who thinks she’s a dog.

Ruth Vincent is the author of the CHANGELING P.I series with HarperCollins Voyager Impulse, beginning with her debut novel, ELIXIR.

Ruth loves to hear from readers. Get in touch at www.ruthvincent.com 
Facebook.com/RuthVincentAuthor or Twitter @ByRVincent.

Lessons In Pleasure by Victoria Dahl

Sarah Rose Hood and her husband James are newlywed. Married for a short time, they are still coming to know one another and the intimacies of marriage. Sarah seems content with her new  home and her new lot in life and feels James is as well.  But content in not exactly happy. James is a good husband, providing well for his gently bred wife, but something is missing and James is loathe to explore further into their relationship so as not to distrub her sensibilities.

One evening however, after Sarah imbibes in a bit too much spirits, feelings are awakened in her and she inspires James to explore their intimacies more deeply than she could have imagined. Soon, Sarah's desires are so piqued that she believes there must be something wrong with her. You see, Sarah's  mother was said to have been sex crazed and it was ultimately her downfall. Now Sarah thinks the same has happened to her and when she visits the same doctor who treated her mother and is told by him that she in fact is suffering from the same malady, the only thing Sarah can do is undergo this doctor's treatments and deny her husband her body.

After that wondering night of awakening, James is surprised and uncertain about his treatment of Sarah, but how could something that so good turn into something so bad? James will do anything to get to the bottom of his wife's sudden frigidity, but the journey that end is a difficult one.

Lessons In Pleasure is the first story I have ever read by Victoria Dahl and I found it to be quite entertaining. This story is more like a snippet into the newlywed's lives instead of a full story, but it was enjoyable quite the same.

~KIMBERLY~ 

His Forbidden Debutante (Regency Charms #4) by Anabelle Bryant

Author Anabelle Bryant is one of my go to authors. Her voice calls to me and keeps me intrigued and entertained. HIS FORBIDDEN DEBUTANTE, the fourth book in the Regency Charms series is no exception and had me engulfed in Ms. Bryant's charms from start to finish.

After a horrific accident which killed her parents and maimed her, Lavinia Montgomery struggled daily to learn how to walk again. Before her accident, Lavinia had been exchanging letters with Randolph. These letters were a bright spot in her otherwise bleak life.  Once the determined lady achieved her mission to walk again, she looked forward to finally having a come out that she was denied previously. The time has come for Lavinia  to look to the future. 

Through happenings in his own life, Randolph Caulfield becomes the Earl of Penwick  and is now betrothed to a woman out of necessity not love. Still his thoughts of Lavinia haunt him and when circumstances place them together, each of their lives are thrown for a loop. Once Randolph has Lavinia, the only woman he has ever been able to open his heart and mind to through the written word, in his arms for real, losing her would be a tragedy. 

Once again Anabelle Bryant has m melting for her characters. Lavinia has been through so much in her life in such a short time that any respite from hurt is a welcome one, but having her meet the man of her heart just is awesome. Randolph is a truly lovable hero who has the weight of a new title on his shoulders. I adored them both and their journey to their HEA is a delight. 

~ KIMBERLY ~