Search Results for: Chill Out

Chill Out by Jana Richards

June 21, 2016 By Leave a Comment

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Chill Out by Jana Richards
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday (Valentine’s Day)
Length: Short Story (92 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Renata Cabral needs to hide for the weekend. Her cousin’s Valentine’s Day wedding means she’ll face embarrassing questions from her large, extended family. Questions like “Why aren’t you married yet?” Since the breakup of her last relationship, she’s not ready to answer that question. She invents a work-related excuse and escapes to a friend’s lakeside cottage.

If used properly then these tadalafil in uk medicines assure the positive outcome that too without side effects. Though not widely prescribed, some drugs used to treat other conditions are also order viagra from india amerikabulteni.com effective in treating premature ejaculation. cheap cialis 5mg On the other hand, any kind of interruption can creates inability to make the organ disable to give proficiency of it part and man may feel hardening developing an erection. Vimax has no known side effects as it is made up of a number of similar hair strengthening phyto chemicals collected from rare natural check out my shop cheap viagra sources. Noah Brownlee has been hiding for two years. But now he’s ready to come home and mend his broken relationship with his brother. When a friend offers the use of his lakeside cottage, Noah arrives in the middle of a blizzard with his English Mastiff, only to find the place is already occupied. With her big brown eyes and quirky sense of humor, Renata stirs feelings he thought long dead.

As the blizzard rages, the candy hearts predict love. Can Valentine’s Day work its magic between them?

Renata is taking refuge in her best friend’s cottage – using it as a much needed escape for a few days. Unfortunately, Noah had also been allowed use the cottage and Renata is loathe to give up her weekend just because some guy happened to be there as well. Can she chill out when they’re both snowed in together?

This is an interesting “snowbound” style book. I found both Renata and Noah’s characters to be layered and complex, which was a big help since the book really did center around them with very little supporting cast. I found the “two steps forward one step back” style of the story a little frustrating at times. While it was perfectly understandable both Noah and Renata were a little prickly – they both have pasts and in their own way were running from their lives and themselves – after the first few times of one of them cutting off or shutting down on the other it got a bit repetitive. It was clear they were both interested in each other, and while Noah was prickly and secretive and Renata had been burned in the past they seemed to run very hot/cold with each other and this sent plenty of mixed signals – to each other but also to me as a reader.

Readers who like a slower pace with plenty of give-and-take between their hero and heroine should find this to be a good read. I thought there was a good length to the “getting to know you” period between Noah and Renata and they each shared plenty of themselves and their history while the attraction grew steadily between them. The only real conflict was the sometimes prickly interactions between them when one or the other closed off a bit emotionally. The plot was very character-centric – more than the first half of the book revolved around them learning about each other while snowed into the cabin. There was also only the one sex scene, so readers wanting a bit more spice might find this slower pace and less physical style of romance a bit slow. I personally found it satisfying, but not overly descriptive so I feel it shouldn’t be too much for most sweeter styled romance readers.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. For the most part I liked both Renata and Noah’s characters and while I got a little frustrated with them both a time or two it was a real pleasure to read about them finding love together and filing the empty place in each other’s lives.

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Rock of Salvation by M.J. Schiller

February 25, 2022 By 1 Comment


Rock of Salvation by M.J. Schiller
Love and Chaos Series, Book 4
Publisher: Kissmet Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

Jericho Tyler was comfortable in his role as the wild man of Just Short Of Chaos. Different gorgeous women throwing themselves at him every night? What self-respecting hetero male wouldn’t dream of that? But when Salvation steps out of his shower and into his life, things start to change.

Oh, yeah. I knew the second I saw her that she didn’t belong backstage. And she didn’t belong with a man like me, for sure. But I didn’t let that stop me from seeing just how far she was willing to go to keep up her little naughty girl charade. And if she had something to prove, why not prove it with me?

Salvation Jones was not like the rest of her family. In a parcel of toe-the-line, conservative preacher’s kids, she stood out like a piece of her costume jewelry at the Inaugural Ball.

I must have had a far-sighted stork reading the directions for my delivery. I was louder than they were. More boisterous. I got into more trouble. I’d heard, “Oh,Salvation,” in my mom’s disappointed voice for so long I began to think the O stood for Olivia, or something. It’s not like I meant to misbehave, but it just came naturally to me. I’d tried to be who they wanted; now it was time for me to truly be myself. They say, “Go big or go home,” so why not start out by seducing a rock star? And not just any rock star, the luscious, womanizing Jericho Tyler. Now that was somebody worth sinning for!

Sometimes it takes a bad boy to redeem a good girl. But will she become his Salvation in the end?

I want to start this review with paraphrasing a quote I saw somewhere, “The Love and Chaos series is M.J. Schiller’s way of rocking one fan at a time”. I can testify that each book in this series definitely ‘rocked me’. I’m officially a huge fan of M.J. Schiller and of her “Love and Chaos series”. Technically, each can be read as a standalone, but I’m biased after reading all four. I simply can’t recommend just reading one. That would be like eating one buttery piece of popcorn – impossible. Many people binge watch Netflix. Not me. I binge read, and I guarantee one day I’m going binge read this series now that I have them all.

Rock of Salvation is the fourth and final book in this series. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. It was finally Jericho’s turn to be the hero. Excuse me while I breathe with short, quick breaths, from my excitement over Jericho. Getting to know his character launched butterflies in my stomach multiple times. His stage personality was just that, ‘staged’. The real Jericho was just so “froggy”. When you read the story, you’ll get that innuendo. My speechlessness over Jericho is genuine. Just know that he is a rockstar that has a reputation and is performing when he’s on stage, and then, there is Jericho, the man. The real Jericho is to die for.

I can’t stop smiling as I am now about to talk about the heroine, Salvation Jones. Yes, that is her real name. Of all the character possibilities that M.J. Schiller could have chosen to create for Jericho, she chose a preacher’s daughter. I couldn’t believe it. Yet it was perfectly designed and masterfully executed. My face muscles hurt from smiling. Jericho and Salvation were complete polar opposites and yet they weren’t. The only way to describe them is to compare them to kettle popcorn. One is sweet and one is salty but when you put them together, they are delicious. I read this book in one day because I literally couldn’t stop reading it.

I got to know Jericho and Salvation’s families. Jericho’s was loving, funny and friendly. Salvation’s family fit the stereotypical ‘preacher family’. Some people suggest that there is a “preacher’s kid syndrome”, in which children of clergy reject religion and the church. This view is seen as a stereotype. I’m not debating that thought process one way or another but it’s one of my favorite plots. If you like the movies: Footloose, Dirty Dancing, Grease, Pretty in Pink, and Sixteen Candles, then you understand what I’m trying to explain.

Plot and theme are commonly confused. The plot is the sequence of events in the story. The theme is the message the author is trying to convey. In this book and the previous books in the series, I think the author did an excellent job creating plots that carried the theme of being redeemed and getting second chances. In this story, the hero, Jericho, was a prime example of being redeemed; and the heroine, Salvation, was appropriately named.

Like I said before, technically Rock of Salvation can be read as a standalone. However, Jericho is part of a rock band and in the previous books in the series each member had their own romance story. The rock band, Just Short of Chaos, is their own family unit. Therefore, when I read a story in this series, I feel like I’m part of the family unit. Just like in real life when one person in a family unit gets married the family grows. It has been an honor to be part of this rock group’s community and see them grow and develop.

As I said in the second paragraph, all good things must come to an end but at least I can reread this series as many times as I want to. I hope others will pick up this book and the others before it. It’s an awesome ride! Happy Reading.

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Rock it to the Moon by M.J. Schiller

February 18, 2022 By 1 Comment


Rock it to the Moon by M.J. Schiller
Love and Chaos Series, Book three
Publisher: Kissmet Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

While love had come to some of the other members of Just Short Of Chaos, Dex Rogan had no interest in getting tangled up in that mess. That is, until he stumbled upon Tatum backstage.

Before Tatum, I would have told you love was for chumps. But I would have been wrong.

The moment I saw her, it was like BAM! This driving urge to be with her was more jarring than someone smacking me in the face with my drumsticks would be. And every moment since has just solidified her place in my heart. By the time I found out she was off-limits, it was too late. I was all in.

Tatum Salvetti doesn’t have time for love. If it can’t be color-coded or found on the periodic table, she doesn’t need it. But when an ugly incident drives her into Dex’s arms, she’s shaken enough to step out of character for once.

I wasn’t looking for love that night, I was looking to escape, and Dex was the perfect distraction from my train wreck of a life. …He was perfect, period.

But I’m in astrophysics. I’m not stupid. I knew it wasn’t going anywhere. Even if he wasn’t just interested in a one night stand, we wouldn’t be able to hide a relationship from Zane. My brother seemed to still think of me as the ten-year-old he met when our parents wed. Well, it wasn’t any ten-year-old girl in Dex Rogan’s bed that night, and if Zane found out about it, he would go apeshit. I was trying to get away from chaos, not create it.

Tatum has sacrificed her whole life for others. But maybe this time she could think of her own desires. Could Dex’s brand of chaos be just what she needs?

Oh, my reading heart! I thought today was going to be the end of my relationship with the cast of characters in the Love and Chaos series because I thought this was a trilogy and I was reading the last great book. I thought I was going to be sad when Rock it to the Moon ended but lo and behold! Imagine my surprise and joy when I found out there is going to be a fourth. More on that later.

Dex Rogan isn’t one of the original Just Short of Chaos bandmates. That plot thread is explained in each book in the series. The story behind why and how Dex came to join the band makes Dex’s character heartwarming and relatable. Dex has big, virtually impossible shoes to fill. I couldn’t help but become a fan of Dex. He was sensitive, strong, and could play the typical rock star image just like all the other bandmates could.

Technically, each book in this series could be read as a standalone but I’m already craving to read this entire series again. I think that means I can’t objectively recommend reading just the one. The first book, Rocked by Grace, introduced the band, Just Short of Chaos and the hero, lead singer, Zane Sanders. The second one, Rocked by Love, was about the guitarist, Rafe Santiago. Rock it to the Moon is about their drummer, Sex, I mean Dex Rogan’s love story. Ha, ha…sorry, I couldn’t help it. I made that slip a few times while reading. Oooh, la, la, Dex. Who am I kidding? The entire band is drool worthy!

The heroine, Tatum, was just like the synopsis said, “a train wreck”. Her life was truly miserable. Tatum is actually Zane Sanders, the lead singer’s sister. Tatum’s tragic life allowed Dex to be a true heartthrob hero. Dex and Tatum had chemistry, a sense of humor, misunderstandings and melt-your-heart scenes. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough even though I didn’t want to reach the end too quickly, you know?

One of the reasons I treasure this series is because the books slightly overlap each other, and I get to relive a scene or two from a different perspective. There is a sense of family among the characters welcoming me home, giving me the sense that I’m part of the family.

Like I said in the beginning of my review, I found out that there’s going to be one more story and it’s going to be about the band’s other guitarist, Jericho Tyler. I’m beyond elated, ecstatic, overjoyed, tickled pink etc. The worst part is that it’s not released yet. I don’t think I’m going to make it. I need to read it this minute because I am still on cloud nine after reading Rock it to the Moon. I want to stay on that cloud; that’s how awesome this book is.

The ending of this book was spectacular, even more so for those that read Zane’s story. If you are new to the author, M.J. Schiller, and looking for a rocking good time, then pick up the entire series, Love and Chaos. That’s all I’m going to say.

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Rocked by Love by M. J. Schiller

February 15, 2022 By 2 Comments


Rocked by Love by M. J. Schiller
Love and Chaos Series Book two
Publisher: Kissmet Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

Rock star Raphael Santiago is haunted by the night his friend Devin died. Maybe because there’s something that no one knows about the overdose. But when he jumps in the crowd to defend a woman at one of his concerts, he finds he doesn’t want to keep the secret from her. Mia was a tight little ball of fire, and I was made of combustible material. She misunderstood my intentions the night we met, but I was given an opportunity to explain the next day. I wish that was our only miscommunication, but when I discovered she’d written an inflammatory article about Just Short of Chaos, I thought she was using me to get a story. The hurt that caused made me say some nasty things. Now I may have lost her forever. Mia Love doesn’t know if Rafe is truly interested in her, or if she is merely a new plaything for him. Oh, there was definitely a heat between us from day one. Sometimes volatile, sometimes scorching in a good way. But I’d been burnt before and I was stronger now. No way was I going to let a rock star break my heart. When fate throws them together again, things really start to heat up. But will they figure out how to control their passions or will their love story end in ashes?

You know how a parent tells a child to do something and the child asks why, and the parent says, ‘Because I said so’? This is how I feel writing this review. Just read this book because I said so. Ha, ha. Seriously though, Love and Chaos is a fun-filled series. I read book one and while this review is for the second book in the series, I can’t wait to start the third one as I already have it waiting for me.

Rocked by Love is a romance with a hero named Rafe. He is the guitar player in a rock band called, Just Short of Chaos. The reason why the band chose its name is a good one and is relevant and explained in this story. Rafe is an easy hero to love especially if you adore rock bands, more so if you are a rock band groupie. I consider the setting in this story to be an accurate description of that music industry’s lifestyle. A lifestyle I’ve only dreamt about with my favorite bands. Rafe has guilt over something that really wasn’t his fault, but I can see how he blames himself. That is a personal conflict that he struggles with and ultimately changes his life for the better.

Rafe is fortunate that he met the heroine, Mia. Mia is grounded and has a calming effect on Rafe’s inner turmoil. He is able to talk and tell her things that he has never told anyone else. They are like two magnets drawn to each other. Once they started to get to know and understand each other, it was inevitable that sparks would ignite. What I love about this relationship is that they communicate with each other a lot, with and without words. It’s a little chilly here, and their love filled me up with warmth.

While Rocked by Love can be read as a standalone read, I’d advise a reader not to. I feel that way probably because of the way I grew attached to the other bandmates from the first story. I feel I have a relationship with them. This sense of family is what has me eager to start book three. There is more to this series than just a rock group. Each band member has a family. They all tease each other and make me laugh. There is a sense of camaraderie among the cast of characters.

The plot is heartwarming. The author’s writing style has a way of provoking appropriate emotions from the reader during certain plot threads. Without giving spoilers, there is definitely more to this story than meets the eye. I am not happy with the synopsis because I believe it gives away much of the story. Thankfully, I can assure you that it still leaves much for a reader to discover and I am grateful for that.

This is a steady, fast paced book. I didn’t want to put it down at all. I wasn’t sad when it ended because I know I have the third book waiting for me to start as soon as I finish this review. Reviewing has been a blessing in many ways. One particular blessing is the introduction to new authors. I’m going to add M.J. Schiller to my favorite author list. I find that I really connect to her stories and enjoy the reading entertainment she provides. Other readers should give this book and its series a try.

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The Body Under the Bridge by Nick Louth

February 7, 2022 By Leave a Comment


The Body Under the Bridge by Nick Louth
Publisher: Canelo Digital Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

DCI Craig Gillard will be pushed to his limits… But will he break?

It seems like a routine disappearance, a case of musician’s stage fright. As a senior detective, Craig Gillard isn’t sure why he’s even involved. Until it turns out the woman’s father is the German Minister of Justice, and the British Home Secretary is on the case too.

But nothing about the case is simple. How does a woman on a train simply vanish? What do you do when a trail runs cold and the pressure is on?

Before long the perpetrator has another target: DCI Gillard himself. What if the detective isn’t just running the case, but is part of it? The victim merely a lure for a bigger fish.

The answer is under the bridge. The chilling setting for the biggest challenge of his life.

DCI Craig Gillard is called in on what appears to be a fairly simple missing persons case. At first he’s surprised to be called in so very early on what apparently is a completely routine situation. Until it turns out the missing woman is the daughter of a very important politician, and as the hours and then days pass this simple, routine case turns out to be anything but easy.

I found this to be a very interesting and complex story. While it is absolutely a police procedural style of mystery/suspense book, I was interested by the refreshingly different plot and a quite complex turn the missing person aspect of the case took. Before I’d reached the half-way mark of the story it was very clear this wasn’t a simple or straightforward plot but a very convoluted and well thought out story. I really enjoyed that rather than having two or three plots running simultaneously the events all unfolded quite neatly, with one aspect of the plot leading to the next and then the next after that. Often, I find it a bit difficult to believe that two or three mysteries/cases just “happen” to all dovetail and neatly intertwine – often that aspect to a story doesn’t feel realistic to me. But in this book while the missing person case is sometimes left on the backburner, the leads and red herrings and different threads the investigation leads to all widen until multiple – and not one – crime is being investigated concurrently. I found this really gripping to read and I was seriously impressed with the author’s handling of such a complex and multi-faceted plot.

I also really enjoyed the main characters. I had no idea when I picked up this book – and indeed didn’t realize until I was well past the mid-point of the book – that this story is in the middle of a series. Much of it can absolutely be read as a standalone, though I expect some of the back story to the secondary characters and police team likely would be given in the previous stories so from that perspective having read others might give the reader a deeper connection with the characters. From a plot perspective though at no time did I feel like I was missing pieces of the puzzle or that I needed more back-story to really understand the story I was reading.

Readers looking for a very complex and interesting plot – a solid mystery where there are many moving parts and is a lot more intense than your usual linear and straight-forward murder mystery, this is an excellent book to give a try to. While it’s a British based police procedural and more mystery than action based, I feel it is a solid and gripping read, and I am definitely planning on going back to the start of the series and reading more from this author.

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Rocked by Grace by M.J. Schiller

February 24, 2021 By 1 Comment


Rocked by Grace by M.J. Schiller
Publisher: Kissmet Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

Zane Sanders, lead singer of Just Short of Chaos, surprised everyone, including himself, when he plucked a fan out of the audience at one of his concerts.

I don’t know what possessed me to do it. I’d never done anything like that before. But something about Grace drew me to her. And within minutes of pulling her on stage, I knew I’d made one of the best decisions of my life. Since our drummer Devin’s overdose, I’d felt dead inside. Perhaps for even longer than that. But Grace was fun, sexy—and as I would discover later—good and selfless. And an irresistible magic surrounded us that made me feel alive again.

That is, until I blew it. In classic Zane style. Funny thing is, when I first got Grace up on stage, I had no idea what to do with her. Now I have no idea what I’ll do without her.

Grace Devlin was living out every girl’s fantasy.

There are a lot of reasons for the disease, but the medication cannot be prescribed for healthier people who have minor spikes in their levitra free samples http://frankkrauseautomotive.com/cars-for-sale/page/3/ cholesterol levels. When overnight cialis inflated by the pump, fluid from the reservoir flows into the inflatable balloons, creating an erection. Be sure the entity browse around for more generic cialis sample with whom you work has a solid track record. It can restore the balance between beneficial intestinal bacteria and colon hydrotherapy Anti-Candida Program Acupuncture cheap viagra tablet Herbs Nutritional Supplementation Visceral Massage Chiropractic Manipulations Relaxation, meditation, medical hypnosis or custom hypnosis CDs The alternative and holistic medicine healing program of can be used alone or as complementary approaches to conventional medicine. Only thing is, fantasies ended, and I realized pretty quickly that I didn’t want this one to stop. Zane had a magnetism about him that was more than mere charisma. That was evident the moment I—the girl who normally had to be dragged out onto the dance floor—practically became a pole dancer in his arms. Then it happened. The moment everyone kept referring to as “The Kiss.” But it was all part of the show, right? It didn’t matter that Zane made more than my feet move. He stirred up feelings that scared the crap out of me. The depth of his sadness called out to me even more than his unbelievable sex appeal, and that was saying something.

But it could never work between us. He may have come from a small town like me, but he was all rock star now and totally out of my league. I was a flower shop owner, not his saving Grace.

Are some actions beyond forgiveness or will he be rocked by Grace?

Oh my word, oh my gosh, this is my fantasy put into print. I read the synopsis and I was immediately interested in reading this story. It reminded me of the Bruce Springsteen video “Dancing in the Dark” where he pulled Courtney Cox on stage. I remember being disappointed when I learned she was hired to play the role of the adoring fan in the front row. I still had hope of this fantasy becoming real but with Jon Bon Jovi. Ha, ha….This was a fun read for me. It was like eating my favorite sweet candy, complete sugar high.

I fell in love with all the characters and I’m pumped that it’s book one in the series (Love and Chaos). There was an excerpt at the end for book two and now I’m dying for it’s release date. A funny tidbit was while I was reading this story – Justin Bieber’s new song, Lonely, came on. It made me think of the leading character, Zane.

Zane was exactly how I imagine my hero to be in my fantasy. The heroine, Grace, was better than I imagined. I love how Grace was developed. She lived up to her name. Together they “rocked” my world. The chemistry between them was more than sensual. I have to lean more to the spicy cinnamon side of candy on that one.

The synopsis states “Are some actions beyond forgiveness?”. Not in this case. I hope Zane and Grace make an appearance in book two. I didn’t want the story to end. I want more.

I totally recommend reading Rocked by Grace if you are at all a groupie in real life with crushes on famous people. It’s an easy read full of romance.

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Whiteout by Adriana Anders – Spotlight and Giveaway

January 20, 2020 By Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Adriana Anders who is celebrating the upcoming release of Whiteout, the first book in her new Survival Instincts series. Enter the Rafflecopter at the end of the post for a chance to win a set of her Blank Canvas series.

With a storm coming and a killer on the loose, every step could be their last…

Angel Smith is finally ready to leave Antarctica for a second chance at life. But on what was meant to be her last day, the remote research station she’s been calling home is attacked. Hunted and scared, she and irritatingly gorgeous glaciologist Ford Cooper barely make it out with their lives…only to realize that in a place this remote, there’s nowhere left to run.

Isolated with no power, no way to contact the outside world, and a madman on their heels, Angel and Ford must fight to survive in the most inhospitable—and beautiful—place on earth. But what starts as a partnership born of necessity quickly turns into an urgent connection that burns bright and hot. They both know there’s little chance of making it out alive, and yet they are determined to weather the coming storm—no matter the cost.

Enjoy an Excerpt

They finished dinner, cleaned up, and went about getting ready for bed.

“Better take care of those feet,” he said.

A low sound of protest emerged from inside the sleeping bag, where Angel had already taken up residence. “Can it wait till the morning?”

“Frostbite’s not something to mess with. Let’s see them.” He didn’t intend to sound quite so bossy.

“I’ll do it.” Her words were slurred.

“You can barely move.” He held on to the kit, obstinate—and something else. Responsible, maybe. “I saw you limping out there. Your knee’s bugging you. Don’t deny it.”

She threw him a glare, but surprised him by complying.

He took hold of one slender foot and stripped it gently but quickly, since even in shelter, the risk of frostbite was real. It was light in his palm and mostly warm enough to alleviate his worry, though her toes were chilly. He touched each one. “Any numbness?”

She shook her head.

With great care, he peeled the bandages off, cleaned her skin, and reapplied fresh ones where needed, slipping the sock back on before starting the whole process with the other foot.

He couldn’t say exactly when it occurred to him that he held her naked foot in his hand, but once the realization popped into his head, it wouldn’t go away. Hung around like an itch he couldn’t get to.

A foot, for God’s sake. Ridiculous.

But the foot didn’t feel ridiculous right now. He gently squeezed it and expelled a harsh breath.

It felt…improper. Especially in comparison with the rest of her fully clothed body. And secret, somehow. He knew things about her now. He knew her second toe was longer than the big one, that her arches were high and elegant, her skin already roughened from two days of marching in the freezing desert air. He knew she’d put on a bright red nail polish at some point. It’d worn mostly off, but it made her toes look like candy. And he’d never craved sugar so badly.

The best course of action, now that she was all bandaged up, was to give her back her foot.

But he couldn’t.

Instead, he ran his thumb along the central curve, pressed forward beneath her toes, then down to her heel. The sounds she made were—he swallowed—obscene. A shocked gasp that urged him to look her way. He didn’t, though, because if their eyes met, he might have to stop.

And that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Another rub, deeper this time, bearing down on aching muscles. But it didn’t sound like pain when she moaned, low and guttural, and though he knew better, he let his eyes slide up her body to her face.

He froze. He’d never seen anything hotter—not on-screen or in the throes of sex or in his darkest fantasy.

Mouth open, eyes closed, cheeks flushed, everything about her screamed pleasure. Just to be sure, he stroked back and pressed again, wanting—no, needing—to know which notes this spot would play on her ever-changing face.

And she didn’t disappoint. Every feature cringed, slowly, sensually, in a magnified expression of pleasure-pain. Sweeping up to caress her toes now was sheer torture, because he was hard—shocking in this cold—and her reactions, though subtle, were more intimately real than any peepshow.

He could’ve gone on forever, rubbing, rapt, eyes glued to her face as she showed him just how good he made her feel, picturing how amazing she’d look if he were kissing her, or—

Her eyes popped open, ensnaring his in their velvet trap.

Everything went quiet, stilling as if the storm had taken a breath. Or maybe it was him going a little deaf, like when his ears needed popping in a plane. Except he could hear the things happening in this tent. Could feel and smell with overwhelming precision every fine detail blown up under a microscope.

They shared a couple hard inhale-exhales, the tension between them as palpable as the frigid temperature.

The press of his fingers lessened, his caresses slowed, until he did nothing but grasp her foot while she just as steadily held his gaze.

“That feels amazing,” she said in a bedroom whisper that he could feel deep in his bones, though it couldn’t possibly be loud enough to hear.

Her mouth closed and his attention flicked down, watching her swallow with something awfully close to hunger before sliding back up to find her eyes boring into him.

***

Excerpted from Whiteout by Adriana Anders. © 2020 by Andriana Anders. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author: Adriana Anders is the award-winning author of the Blank Canvas series. Under Her Skin, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2017 and winner of two 2018 Holt Medallions, has been featured in Bustle, USA Today Happy Ever After, and Book Riot. Today, she resides with her tall French husband and two small children in France, where she writes the gritty, emotional love stories of her heart.

Website

Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, IndieBound, or BAM.

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Stormwatch Series: Wind Chill by Rita Herron – Guest Blog and Giveaway

December 17, 2019 By 13 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter. Please click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

STORMWATCH series blurb:

Winter storm Holly is the worst in eighty years bringing high winds, subzero temperatures and snowfall better measured in feet than in inches. The weather paralyzes everything in its path, but in this storm, weather isn’t the only threat.
A new installment of STORMWATCH releases each Thursday starting December 5 through January 9. Each thrilling full length novel is a standalone story with no cliffhangers. Don’t miss a single one from half a dozen of the genre’s bestselling storytellers!

December 5 – Frozen Ground by Debra Webb
December 12 – Deep Freeze by Vicki Hinze
December 19 – Wind Chill by Rita Herron
December 26 – Black Ice by Regan Black
January 2 – Snow Brides by Peggy Webb
January 9 – Snow Blind by Cindy Gerard

Stormwatch series page at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YZB1FZR

Freezing temperatures can kill…
A serial killer the press has dubbed the Christmas killer is taking lives…and he’s not finished yet.

All Special Agent Gia Franklin’s sister Carly wanted was for Gia to come home for Christmas.

But Gia avoids the holidays, using her job as an excuse to stay away. For weeks, she’s been tracking The Christmas Killer, a cold-hearted monster who strangles his victims and poses them with one of the Twelve Days of Christmas ornaments. With nine women dead, and only four days until Christmas, she must stop him before he kills again.

Then he makes the case personal by kidnapping Carly, and Gia must go home.

Aware she may be walking into a trap, she teams up with sexy, local Sheriff Murphy Malone to stop the madness, and save the holiday for her sister and the town.

But the clock is ticking.

And the CK has his own holiday plans – ornaments eleven and twelve belong to the Franklin sisters, and he won’t stop until they’re dead…

Enjoy an Excerpt

Gia pounded her pillow in frustration. She hadn’t slept in two days. But even exhausted, sleep eluded her.

The screams of the dead girls echoed in her ears.

When she closed her eyes, their beautiful gazes, frozen in the shock of death, stared back at her.

She had to stop this madness before he reached a dozen. He could disappear. Or start over again next year.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand and she snatched it, hoping again for a tip. Carly again.

The last thing she felt like doing was arguing with her sister tonight. She’d thought they had the holiday visit settled. It was just too hard for her to go back to that house. To the bedroom where she’d grown up. To the pictures on the mantle when they were together.

She rolled over and punched the pillow again. But the phone continued to ring. Battling anger and fatigue, she snatched it and connected the call. Before she could speak, a low wail echoed over the line.

“Help me, Gia…please help me!”

“Carly –”

Cold terror swept over Gia as the phone line died in her hand.

About the Author:

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. Although she wanted to be a writer then and actually scrawled her first novel at age twelve, she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a kindergarten teacher instead. Ten years ago, she traded her classroom storytelling and puppets for a computer and now writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job.

Having sold over fifty books to date, she enjoys spinning spine-tingling romantic suspense tales filled with murder, mayhem, and spicy romance as well as sexy romantic comedies. Rita Herron currently writes romantic suspense for Harlequin Intrigue and she’s writing dark, gritty romantic suspense thrillers for Amazon Montlake.

If you want to know more about Rita or have a question for her about her books, or writing in general, email Rita and she’ll be happy to answer your question.

Rita Herron online

Website | Twitter | Facebook


Buy the book exclusively at Amazon.

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No Flight Without the Shatter by Brooke Bolander

August 30, 2018 By Leave a Comment


No Flight Without the Shatter by Brooke Bolander
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

After the world’s end, the last young human learns a final lesson from Earth’s remaining animals.

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There was so much creativity woven into the storyline. More than once I was pleasantly surprised with clever twists to what I thought had been going on with the characters up until the moment the narrator decided to share an offhand comment that completely shifted my understanding of certain moments. I truly enjoyed the process of learning what was really happening to Linnea and her companions as I moved closer and closer to the truth about their destinies.

It would have been nice to have a few more details about the crisis that caused the main character to be orphaned early in life. The narrator spent so much time talking about her life after that point that I sure would have liked to have at least a basic understanding of what happened to make it possible for a child to be left completely on her own at such a young age. While I understood that she wouldn’t remember all or even most of the details, finding out at least a little bit about it in some way other than through her hazy memories would have lead me to give this book a higher rating than I already did.

The ending sent a chill down my spine. It fit the tone of this story perfectly, especially when it came to what I expected to happen to Linnea once she’d been living on her own for a while and began running out of critical supplies. I also appreciated the fact that this section finally reveal a few key pieces of the plot that had only been vaguely hinted at earlier on. Having that information made me feel satisfied by how everything was wrapped up in the end.

No Flight Without the Shatter kept me on my toes from the first scene to the last one. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys science fiction that’s set in the not-too-distant future.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Wind Chill by Patrick Rutigliano

April 12, 2016 By Leave a Comment

CHILL
Wind Chill by Patrick Rutigliano
Publisher: Crystal Lake Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Holiday, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (100 pages)
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

What if you were held captive by your own family?

Emma Rawlins has spent the last year a prisoner. The months following her mother’s death dragged her father into a paranoid spiral of conspiracy theories and doomsday premonitions. Obsessing him, controlling him, they now whisper the end days are finally at hand.

And he doesn’t intend to face them alone.

Emma finds herself drugged and dragged to a secluded cabin, the last refuge from a society supposedly due to collapse. Their cabin a snowbound fortress, her every move controlled, but even that isn’t enough to weather the end of the world.
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Everything she knows is out of reach, lost beyond a haze of white. There is no choice but to play her father’s game while she plans her escape.

But there is a force far colder than the freezing drifts. Ancient, ravenous, it knows no mercy. And it’s already had a taste…

It’s hard to reason with a kidnapper.

This was one of the most intense things I’ve read in a long time. I actually ended up devouring the whole thing in less than two days because of how eager I was to see what would happen next. The only thing scarier to me than being abducted would be if my abductor was someone I loved and trusted. Emma’s reaction to her new prison kept me perched on the edge of my seat from the first scene to the last one.

I would have liked to see more time spent developing the ending. The pacing in the beginning and the middle was excellent, but it suddenly sped up in the last few scenes. I went from breathlessly wondering what would happen next to feeling shocked that it was suddenly finished because of how quickly everything was paced. It would have been interesting to see how those scenes worked in a longer novella. There seemed to be enough material in the plot to warrant a longer storyline, and having that extra time would have made the end feel less abrupt to me.

Emma was so brave. I liked seeing how she reacted to her impossible circumstances, especially once she started to put the pieces together and figure out what was happening in her life. She was also such an easy main character to relate to because of how freely she shared her ideas with the audience.

Several other horror stories were included after Wind Chill ended. They surprised me because I didn’t realize this was an anthology when I originally requested it. It’s hard to say much else about this bonus content without giving away major spoilers due to how short each tale was. I definitely do suggest checking them out, though, as they were all well written and pretty scary.

Wind Chill made me shudder at the thought of being alone in a cabin in the woods in the middle of winter. I’d recommend it to anyone who has ever listened to the wind beat against their windows and shivered at the idea that there might be something other than a storm raging outside.

Filed Under: Horror, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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