VBB Weekly - 05.18.2016 - Vilma Iris | Lifestyle Blogger

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VBB Weekly – 05.18.2016

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Gorgeous new cover and the beginning of a sizzling paranormal romance…
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New Reviews
New Releases

The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon (Available Now) – Read my review
Top Recommendation

the bird and the swordThe day my mother was killed, she told my father I wouldn’t speak again, and she told him if I died, he would die too. Then she predicted the king would trade his soul and lose his son to the sky.

My father has a claim to the throne, and he is waiting in the shadows for all of my mother’s words to come to pass. He wants desperately to be king, and I just want to be free.

But freedom will require escape, and I’m a prisoner of my mother’s curse and my father’s greed. I can’t speak or make a sound, and I can’t wield a sword or beguile a king. In a land purged of enchantment, love might be the only magic left, and who could ever love . . . a bird?

Standalone novel.

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Smut by Karina Halle (Available Now)
Lots of buzz

SmutWhat happens when the kink between the pages leads to heat between the sheets?

All Blake Crawford wants is to pass his creative writing course, get his university degree, and take over his dad’s ailing family business. What Amanda Newland wants is to graduate at the top of her class, as well as finally finish her novel and prove to her family that writing is a respectful career.

What Blake and Amanda don’t want is to be paired up with each other for their final project, but that’s exactly what they both get when they’re forced to collaborate on a writing piece. Since Amanda thinks Blake is a pushy asshole (with a panty-melting smirk and British accent) and Blake thinks Amanda has a stick up her ass (though it’s a brilliant ass), they fight tooth and nail until they discover they write well together. They also may find each other really attractive, but that’s neither here nor there.

When their writing project turns out to be a success, the two of them decide to start up a secret partnership using a pen name, infiltrating the self-publishing market in the lucrative genre of erotica. Naturally, with so much heat and passion between the pages, it’s not long before their dirty words become a dirty reality. Sure, they still fight a lot, but at least there’s make-up sex now.

But even as they start to fall hard for each other, will their burgeoning relationship survive if their scandalous secret is exposed? Or are happily-ever-afters just a work of fiction?

Standalone novel.

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The Spiral Down by Aly Martinez (Available Now) 

The Spiral DownI was afraid to fly.
He made me soar.

After years of climbing the ladder of success in the music industry, I finally had everything I could want. Yet I still found myself wandering through life alone.

Captain Evan Roth was the one man I never saw coming.
Tall, dark, mysterious… Straight.

We were both damaged beyond repair and searching for something so elusive we weren’t sure it even existed.

But, when two broken souls collide in midair, falling is a given.

I just never expected to crave the spiral down.

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Showmance by L.H. Cosway (Available Now)

ShowmanceDamon Atwood was Hollywood’s golden boy. Having won an Oscar at the tender age of thirteen, he had the life many could only dream about. But his success came at a price, and after a short but fruitful film career, he chose to live a life of obscurity on a remote Scottish island. Almost a decade later he’s finally ready to make his return, starting with a lead role in a musical on London’s West End.

As a choreographer’s assistant, Rose Taylor has always faded into the background. She watches shows come to life from the side lines, but has never craved the attention of stardom. When rumours begin circulating of Damon’s involvement in her latest gig, she doesn’t predict how she will be thrust into the limelight, nor how the mysterious and strangely introverted man will need her to teach him how to be a star again.

Rose knows that show crushes don’t last. Actors fall for each other during the intensity of a production, often losing themselves in their roles. These kinds of affairs burn bright and then they fade. The question is, should Rose let herself shine with Damon, or guard her heart from being broken after the final curtain call?

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The Moorehouse Legacy (4 books) by J.R. Ward (May 17)

moorehouse legacyFour heroes you’ll never forget…and the women who bring them to their knees. A four-book collection from New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward writing as Jessica Bird.

The Rebel

Nate Walker leaves behind his family’s wealth to strike out on his own. And then his car breaks down on a dark road, leading him right to White Caps Inn…and Frankie Moorehouse. Suddenly Nate has a job he doesn’t need—and an affair that has to end when summer does. Except Frankie gets under his skin and makes him want to do what he never thought he could: stay forever.

The Player

Ruthless might as well be Gray Bennett’s middle name. When the DC insider talks, people listen. But Gray hasn’t come home to play politics. Or to play at all. A tragedy has brought him back to face everything he left behind. Including sweet Joy Moorehouse. Gray won’t lay a hand on the innocent…until the night comes that he can no longer resist. That’s when he discovers a secret that leaves him wanting more.

The Renegade

Alex Moorehouse has always yearned for his best friend’s wife, but when an accident makes her a widow, the grief—and the guilt—threaten to sink him. But as they reluctantly work together to rebuild his family’s bed-and-breakfast, and his anguished heart in the process, will their growing bond be strong enough to survive both of their secrets?

The Rogue

Michael “Spike” Moriarty has a thing for Madeline Maguire. But he’s not the man for her. He has a dark past and it’s all coming to the surface. Madeline’s been burned enough to know better. Yet when she needs help to ward off her scheming family, Spike is the one at her side. He says they can only be friends, but his actions tell a very different story…

Four reader-favorite stories originally published asÿBeauty and the Black Sheep, His Comfort and Joy, From the First and A Man in a Million.

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Dirty Girl by Meghan March (May 17)

Dirty GirlDesperately seeking rich, famous, single guy with a giant cock to make my lying, cheating, should’ve-been-born-dickless ex-boyfriend realize what he’s just lost.
Oh, and I give great head. Just sayin’.

No man in his right mind would answer that ad.
Except thousands did.
My name is Greer Karas, and I should never be allowed near another bottle of booze again. Because when I drink, my friend and I do stupid things. Like take a page out of my older brother Creighton’s playbook and post something completely asinine on the Internet. Waking up with a giant hangover to find my humiliating personal ad has gone viral is not my finest moment.
Cue my look of shock when one of Hollywood’s hottest new bad boys, Cavanaugh Westman, comes knocking at my door and drops his pants to prove that he does indeed have a giant cock.
What he doesn’t have is an explanation for why he disappeared from my life without a word three years ago, only to show up on the big screen two years later, killing bad guys in action flicks.
Now he wants me again.
What the hell do I do now?

Dirty Girl is the first book in the Dirty Girl Duet, and Greer and Cav’s story will conclude in Dirty Love, releasing May 31st.

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Wicked Heart by Leisa Raven (May 17) Read my review
Top Romance Recommendation

Wicked HeartThe one guy she can’t have is the one she can’t forget.

Liam Quinn is one of the biggest movie stars in the world…and the only man Elissa Holt has ever truly loved.

After being out of her life for six years, he and his gorgeous fiancé are set to star in the new Broadway show Elissa is stage managing. The only trouble is, when late night rehearsals bring Elissa and Liam together, the line between what is and what could have been gets blurred. Now one moment of weakness is about to create a scandal that will echo around the world.

Elissa knows that falling for Liam again would be a tragedy in the making, but as any good romantic knows, love doesn’t always follow the script.

Can be read as a standalone novel.

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Scarlett Rain (#2, Escaped) by Kristin Cast (May 17)

scarlett rain amber smokeIn Amber Smoke, Kristin Cast introduced her legions of readers to Alek and Eva. Alek, immortal son of the Furies, has been charged to save his home and recapture the souls of the damned, evil creatures who escaped Tartarus into the Mortal Realm. He can’t, however, do it alone…

Eva has discovered that she has been both blessed and cursed with powers beyond her comprehension. With a destiny to fulfill, she cannot escape the beings who will stop at nothing to destroy her.

Now, in Scarlet Rain, the Nosoi—spirits of plague—have been unleashed on the Mortal Realm, releasing a pandemic as clever and adaptable as it is insidious. Alek and Eva must capture and banish the Nosoi back to their Underworld prison—but Eva has yet to harness the abilities needed to defeat such a powerful enemy, and Alek sustains catastrophic wounds in the attempt. They must rely on detective James Graham, and Eva’s best friend Bridget, if they are to even slow down the plague. But can mere mortals come through in the face of such overwhelming peril?

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Don’t You Cry by Mary Kubica (May 17) Read my review

Don't You CryIn downtown Chicago, a young woman named Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her friend and roommate Quinn Collins to wonder where Esther is and whether or not she’s the person Quinn thought she knew.

Meanwhile, in a small Michigan harbor town an hour outside Chicago, a mysterious woman appears in the quiet coffee shop where eighteen-year-old Alex Gallo works as a dishwasher. He is immediately drawn to her charm and beauty, but what starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into something far more dark and sinister than he ever expected.

As Quinn searches for answers about Esther, and Alex is drawn further under the stranger’s spell, master of suspense Mary Kubica takes readers on a taut and twisted thrill ride that builds to a stunning conclusion and shows that no matter how fast and far we run, the past always catches up with us in the end.

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Spark by Holly Schindler (May 17) 

SparkAcclaimed author Holly Schindler writes a compelling contemporary tale with a dash of magic. The theater comes to life in this story of family ties, fate, love, and one girl’s quest to rewrite history.

The local Avery Theater was just a run-down building to Quin—until her mother told her about the tragic love that played out on the theater’s stage many years ago. Quin is convinced it’s the perfect story to re-create for her drama class. And when she does, the Avery begins to magically regain its former splendor, clearly setting the stage for her classmates Dylan and Cass to relive the romance from a time before. Quin can see the spark between them, but it’s up to her to make sure her friends—and the Avery—can both be saved this time around.

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The Problem With Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout (May 17)
Top Recommendation

The Problem With ForeverFor some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone–spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of–that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory must make a choice between staying silent and speaking out–for the people she loves, the life she wants and the truths that need to be heard.

Standalone novel.

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The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye (May 17)  Read my review

The Crown's GamePerfect for fans of Shadow and Bone and Red QueenThe Crown’s Game is a thrilling and atmospheric historical fantasy set in Imperial Russia about two teenagers who must compete for the right to become the Imperial Enchanter—or die in the process—from debut author Evelyn Skye.

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know.  The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love . . . or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear . . . the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

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Too Hot to Handle by Tessa Bailey (May 17)

Too Hot to HandleWhen rescue looks like a whole lot of trouble . . . 

The road trip was definitely a bad idea. Having already flambéed her culinary career beyond recognition, Rita Clarkson is now stranded in God-Knows-Where, New Mexico, with a busted-ass car and her three temperamental siblings, who she hasn’t seen in years. When rescue shows up—six-feet-plus of hot, charming sex on a motorcycle—Rita’s pretty certain she’s gone from the frying pan right into the fire . . .

Jasper Ellis has a bad boy reputation in this town, and he loathes it. The moment he sees Rita, though, Jasper knows he’s about to be sorely tempted. There’s something real between them. Something raw. And Jasper has only a few days to show Rita that he isn’t just for tonight—he’s forever.

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The Prince & the Player by Tia Louise (May 17)

the prince and the playerCinderella plays dirty…

One crown prince; one “playboy prince”…
One con artist; one petty thief…
One twisted plot for revenge.

When Grand Duke Reginald Winchester is exiled in disgrace, he vows he won’t go down without a fight. Crossing paths with Zee Wilder and her younger sister Ava at a gambling resort in Miami is the stroke of luck he needs.

Zee is the counterfeit courtier in Reggie’s plan to humiliate Rowan, the controlled heir who kicked him out of the kingdom. In return, the sisters get a permanent spot on Easy Street.

If only Zee didn’t keep finding herself in a clutch with Cal, Rowan’s playboy younger brother. Ava’s no help, as she finds quiet walks in the moonlight discussing poetry and leadership with the brooding, future king irresistible. Even more irresistible is kissing his luscious lips.

The whole plan is falling apart, and neither sister is sure she wants to stop it.

Standalone romance.

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A Way To Get By by T.Torrest (May 19)

A Way To Get ByWhat happens after The Ballad of Brenda and Eddie?

This is not a romantic comedy.
This is not a fairytale.
This is not what you’re expecting.

Lies, secrets, betrayal.
Marriage, divorce, sex.
Love, heartbreak, money.

Best friends.
Old enemies.

Soul mates.

Happily Ever After comes in many forms.
A WAY TO GET BY is the story of how Brenda and Eddie found theirs.

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A student-teacher romance you won’t want to miss
Available now >

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(Click images to purchase – you will not be charged until book is released. Stars indicate books I’ve already read and loved.)

★ Visit THIS PAGE for the full list of upcoming releases ★

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Current sales list for Amazon U.S. Click on image to purchase; click here to search my reviews.

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Young Adult

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New Adult and Adult

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