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VBB Weekly – 04.11.2016

This week, I’m headed to Las Vegas to attend 2016’s RT Convention! I’m so excited! I get to see authors, friends and bloggers I’ve not seen in a long time and meet new authors I’ve fallen in love with over the past year! I’m also helping out with the YA Track, so you’ll see me fangirling in many of those panels, plus I’ll be moderating the super fun Unskimmable Sex Scenes panel, so check that out if you’re around! Make sure to follow me on Instagram, where I’ll be posting most of my pics!

In addition, you need to mark your calendars for May 9th! We’ll be chatting with the wonderful Renee Ahdieh all about The Rose and the Dagger (which is so amazing!), so make sure to join us in the Vixens group if you loved The Wrath and the Dawn as much as we did!

Currently Reading:

Listening To:

Up Next:

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If you’re looking for quick-read, tension filled novella, pre-order this one now >

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New Reviews

Bounty by Kristen Ashley (Adult Contemporary Romance)
The Star-Touched Queen by Rouhani Chokshi (YA Fantasy)
The Year We Turned Forty by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

Bookish News

USA Today HEA Interview with Kimberly McCreight, author of The Outliers
See the new Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them trailer (J.K. Rowling)

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Provocative, intriguing and sexy as hell!
READ AN EXCERPT NOW >

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Releasing This Week

Stuck-Up Suit by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward (Available Now)

It started out like any other morning on the train.

Until I became mesmerized by the guy sitting across the aisle.

He was barking at someone on his phone like he ruled the world.

Who did the stuck-up suit think he was…God?

Actually, he looked like a God. That was about it.

When his stop came, he got up suddenly and left. So suddenly, he dropped his phone on the way out.

I might have picked it up.

I might have gone through all of his photos and called some of the numbers.

I might have held onto the mystery man’s phone for days—until I finally conjured up the courage to return it.

When I traipsed my ass across town to his fancy company, he refused to see me.

So, I left the phone on the empty desk outside the arrogant jerk’s office.

I might have also left behind a dirty picture on it first though.

I didn’t expect him to text back.

I didn’t expect our exchanges to be hot as hell.

I didn’t expect to fall for him—all before we even met.

The two of us couldn’t have been any more different.

Yet, you know what they say about opposites.

When we finally came face to face, we found out opposites sometimes do more than attract—we consumed each other.

Nothing could have prepared me for the ride he took me on. And I certainly wasn’t prepared for where I’d wind up when the ride was over.

All good things must come to an end, right?

Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.

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Kissed by Reality by Carrie Aarons (Available Now)

Falling in love is hard. Falling in love on national television is impossible. Right?

Leighton Aldridge did not sign up to meet her soulmate. She signed up for the lights, camera and action. So when the Hollywood-native ends up with the wounded war veteran and a ring on her finger, it’s a surprise to everyone. What isn’t a surprise is the way she breaks Finn Wyatt’s heart, or the massively public breakup that follows. But a year later she’s back, ready for another round on the reality TV show that brought them together. She knows he was the real thing, and she’s ready to fight for him.

Finn is the new Mr. Right. The country’s favorite single guy, and the object of 25 women’s affections. But when his ex-fiance steps onto set and back into the limelight, he wishes he never agreed to another season. Leighton shattered his heart for the world to see, and he’s not ready to face that reality. Can Leighton convince him, and America, that she’s the one? Or will her future with Finn only consist of 15 more minutes of fame?

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Men of Courage II by Lori Foster, Jill Shalvis and Donna Kauffman (Available Now)

Ready to risk it all…Three men come face-to-face with physical danger…Their courage, their choices, will make these men heroes.

Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton Wulf’s career ambitions cost him the one woman he ever wanted—Liv Avery. Now he’s determined to win back her love…even if it means risking his life.

Helicopter pilot Wyatt Stone attempts to rescue his former high school sweetheart, Leah Taylor—stranded on a houseboat in the path of a tornado. And vows he’ll give their love another chance…if they make it out alive.

Tornado chasers Cooper Harrison and Marty McKenna once spent an incredible night of passion taking shelter from a twister. Now a tornado has Marty in Cooper’s arms again. Only this time Cooper isn’t about to let her go.

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Hush by E.K. Blair (Apr 12)

I’ve come to learn there is no escaping your past.

It doesn’t matter what you do, it will follow like a phantom–haunting you–reminding you.

Final book in the thriller series, Black Lotus.

Reading Order: Bang FREE | Echo | Hush

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The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry (Apr 12)

I must write this account, and when I have finished, I will burn it.

Buried deep within the archives of a convent in medieval France is an untold story of love, loss, and wonder and the two girls at the heart of it all.

Dolssa is an upper-crust city girl with a secret lover and an uncanny gift. Branded a heretic, she’s on the run from the friar who condemned her mother to death by fire, and wants Dolssa executed, too.

Botille is a matchmaker and a tavern-keeper, struggling to keep herself and her sisters on the right side of the law in their seaside town of Bajas.

When their lives collide by a dark riverside, Botille rescues a dying Dolssa and conceals her in the tavern, where an unlikely friendship blooms. Aided by her sisters and Symo, her surly but loyal neighbor, Botille nurses Dolssa back to health and hides her from her pursuers. But all of Botille’s tricks, tales, and cleverness can’t protect them forever, and when the full wrath of the Church bears down upon Bajas, Dolssa’s passion and Botille’s good intentions could destroy the entire village.

From the author of the award-winning All the Truth That’s in Me comes a spellbinding thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page and make you wonder if miracles really are possible.

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Listen to Me by Kristen Proby (Apr 12)

In New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby’s brand new series, five best friends open a hot new restaurant, but one of them gets much more than she bargained for when a sexy former rock star walks through the doors—and into her heart.

Seduction is quickly becoming the hottest new restaurant in Portland, and Addison Wade is proud to claim 1/5 of the credit. She’s determined to make it a success and can’t think of a better way to bring in new customers than live music. But when former rock star Jake Keller swaggers through the doors to apply for the weekend gig, she knows she’s in trouble. Addie instantly recognizes him—his posters were plastered all over her bedroom walls in high school—he’s all bad boy…exactly her type and exactly what she doesn’t need.

Jake Keller walked away from the limelight five years ago and yearns to return to what’s always driven him: the music. If he gets to work for a smart-mouthed, funny-as-hell bombshell, all the better. But talking Addie into giving him the job is far easier than persuading her that he wants more than a romp in her bed. Just when she begins to drop her walls, Jake’s past finally catches up with him.

Will Addie be torn apart once again or will Jake be able to convince her to drown out her doubts and listen to her heart?

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The Player by Kresley Cole (Apr 12)

A madman with a shadowed past . . .
In Las Vegas, Sin City, Dmitri Sevastyan finds her, Victoria Valentine—sexy, vulnerable, and in need of a protector. Obsession takes root deep inside him. Despite a history tainted with violation and betrayal, he will stop at nothing to possess her.

A grifter with nothing to lose . . .
Descended from a long line of con artists, twenty-four-year-old Victoria, a.k.a. Vice, needs the score of a lifetime to keep her loved ones safe. She sets her sights on gorgeous and rich Dmitri Sevastyan. Even as the irresistible Russian toys with her body and mind, he tempts her heart.

Love is the ultimate wild card.
When Vice and her associates maneuver Dmitri into a hasty Vegas wedding, he refuses to protect himself with a prenup, trusting her with all that he has. But can she trust him? As secrets unfold, the newlyweds share days of doubts and nights of the wickedest pleasures. Yet once Vice discovers her husband’s past, will she stay to fight for her marriage or cut her losses and run?

Reading Order: The Professional $1.99 | The Master $1.99 | The Player

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Island in the Sea by Anita Hughes (Apr 12)

Juliet Lyman is a senior executive at Yesterday Records. Music is her passion and she’s very good at her job. That’s why her famously philanthropic boss Gideon sends her to Majorca, Spain to work with a very tortured, but talented client. Lionel Harding is one of the best song writers of the 20th century, the multi-Grammy award-winning lyricist of the third most recorded song in history. But now he’s 42 and six months overdue on the his latest paid assignment. Juliet is not leaving Majorca without either new lyrics or a very large check.

To Juliet, business comes first. Emotions are secondary, and love isn’t even on the menu. But to Lionel, love is everything, and he blames Gideon for his broken heart. He’s determined to show Juliet that nothing is more important than love, but Juliet is just as determined to get Lionel to create the music that made him famous. If she can sign up local talent, even better. Her new friend Gabriella has a voice like an angel, but she’s not interested in fame. Her grandmother, Lydia, wants the world for Gabriella, and she wants Juliet’s help to give it to her.

As her professional and personal lives start to mix for the first time, Juliet is forced to reevaluate her priorities. Gideon hasn’t been totally honest, and love may be the only thing that gives them all what they need.

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The Randy Romance Novelist by Meghan Quinn (Apr 12)

It finally happened, I lost my virginity. Cue applause and cheers.

For a while life was all rainbows and kittens prancing in a sky full of cotton candy clouds…that was until the demands of the real world set in.

My best friend is getting married and she asked me to be her maid of honor. She’s not worried about flowers, or the dress, or the food at the venue. No, she’s worried about the bachelorette party, what kind of penis crown she will wear, and the nipple size of the stripper who will be attending.

I’m in way over my head trying to balance life with a boyfriend, planning a penis party, and writing my romance novel. Something is bound to give.

This is my life after my happily ever after…

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Models on Top – Danny by S.L. Scott (Apr 12)

Everything you’ve heard about modeling is true, and you haven’t heard the half of it.

It’s glamorous.

It’s sexy.

And yes, the line between work and reality often blurs.

We’re not just prototypes of perfection. Models have feelings and desires, too. We may be genetically gifted, but we’re still human.

I’m only human. Yes, an extraordinary specimen that earns more in a day than most make in a year, but this eight pack didn’t create itself. I spend hours working on this body. The good looks just come natural. *Winks* Thanks, Mom and Dad.

I’m Danny Weston, Supermodel.

But one path was traded for another when I chose this career. Ten years later, I would trade my career to have it back. To have her back.

Reese Carmichael is the one woman I would give it all up for, and the only one I can’t have. Yet.

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The Player and The Pixie by Penny Reid (Apr 12)

How can someone so smokin’ hot be so bad in bed? I mean, Sean Cassidy is absolute rubbish. RUBBISH. He is the epitome of walking, talking false advertising and I want a refund! Plus he’s an arsehole. So… what is wrong with me that I can’t stop thinking about him?

THE PIXIE
Lucy Fitzpatrick doesn’t like rugby.
As the little sister of Ireland’s most infamous rugby player, Lucy can’t seem to escape the championship-sized shadow cast by her big brother, or her mother’s frequent attempts to micromanage her future. Her rainbow hair is as free-spirited as her quest for inner peace, yet overbearing expectations keep bringing her down. And when she’s down, her compulsive little problem lands her in seriously big trouble.

THE PLAYER
Sean Cassidy is a cold-hearted brute… or so he’s been told. Frequently. By everyone.
His blonde locks, baby blues, and rock hard bod make ladies the world over drool with desire. As the rugby world’s second most infamous player, he should be basking in his success. But Sean has never been content settling for second place, and his frequent confrontations with Lucy’s big brother leave him cold. And when he’s cold, his compulsive little problem lands him in the lap of Lucy Fitzpatrick.

THE PLAN
Sean has a problem only Lucy can solve. Lucy has a problem only Sean can fix. The solution seems obvious: you scratch my back, and I’ll bail you out of jail. But when their business arrangement unexpectedly leaves Sean scorching hot and Lucy on the precipice of inner peace, can they convince the world–and Lucy’s big brother in particular–that this is the real deal?

Either way, both the Player and the Pixie are about to teach each other some pretty monumental lessons about family, life, but most importantly, love.

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Spy Girl by Jillian Dodd (Apr 12)

Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

Get close to the hottest Prince on the planet.
Keep him safe.
Uncover the plot to assassinate him.
Kill the bad guys.
Don’t blow your cover.
And don’t fall in love.

She’s been trained kill a man with a paper clip, tail a mark without his knowledge, is a master of disguises, and once during a training jumped out of a three-story building using nothing but an embroidered hankie as a parachute. She’s the star student at Blackwood Academy. Only instead of excelling at normal collegiate activities like keg stands and frat parties, she’s an expert marksman, speaks seven languages, is skilled at covert affairs, and can hack into any computer. She’s only a few months away from graduation and, hopefully, a coveted spot as an agent for the underground anti-terrorist agency, known only as Black X.
But is Spy Girl ready?
And at what cost?

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Slow & Steady by Kendall Ryan (Apr 12)

Are you ready to meet the most extreme, over the top alpha male I’ve ever written?

When Greyson tosses $20 on the stage of a strip club, the last thing he expects to see are the haunted green eyes staring back at him. Finley should be home raising her infant daughter and baking cookies, not tucking singles into her G-string and giving lap dances.

Greyson can’t deny that he’d like his own private show, but there’s not a chance in hell of that happening. The last time the former Navy SEAL saw her she was dressed in black, holding a folded flag and sobbing that it was all his fault… and he agreed with every single word. He couldn’t do anything to help her then, but he can now.

Finley deserves better than this dingy club, and when an obsessed customer crosses the line, Greyson leads the rescue and will do whatever it takes to make amends for their broken past.

He never expected to want to settle down, but with Finley, everything is different. For the first time ever, he can breathe. But Greyson will have to fight for what he wants in order to keep the woman with the green eyes he’s dreamed about so often.

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Devoted: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella (1001 Dark Nights) by Lexi Blake (Apr 12)

A woman’s work

Amy Slaten has devoted her life to Slaten Industries. After ousting her corrupt father and taking over the CEO role, she thought she could relax and enjoy taking her company to the next level. But an old business rivalry rears its ugly head. The only thing that can possibly take her mind off business is the training class at Sanctum…and her training partner, the gorgeous and funny Flynn Adler. If she can just manage to best her mysterious business rival, life might be perfect.

A man’s commitment

Flynn Adler never thought he would fall for the enemy. Business is war, or so his father always claimed. He was raised to be ruthless when it came to the family company, and now he’s raising his brother to one day work with him. The first order of business? The hostile takeover of Slaten Industries. It’s a stressful job so when his brother offers him a spot in Sanctum’s training program, Flynn jumps at the chance.

A lifetime of devotion….

When Flynn realizes the woman he’s falling for is none other than the CEO of the firm he needs to take down, he has to make a choice. Does he take care of the woman he’s falling in love with or the business he’s worked a lifetime to build? And when Amy finally understands the man she’s come to trust is none other than the enemy, will she walk away from him or fight for the love she’s come to depend on?

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