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VBB Weekly – 11.03.2014

Highlights

Exclusive VBB Interview: I had the honor of interviewing A.L. Jackson, Molly McAdams, Tiffany King and Christina Lee, on their upcoming new adult anthology, When We Met.
Cover Reveal: Check out the gorgeous cover of The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon, plus read an excerpt!
Character Tour for The Collectors’ Society: I’ve got a spotlight on the White King of Wonderland, plus a special giveaway in this feature! Learn all about one of my very favorite characters in this fantastical adventure romance.
Excerpt for Baby, It’s Cold Outside: Read up on a special excerpt for the holiday anthology by some of today’s bestselling authors, plus a giveaway!
New JR Ward book coming: I practically jumped up and down when I heard JR Ward will be releasing a new, contemporary romance series entitled The Bourbon Kings. Read up and pre-order! Coming next July!

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood delivers the first novel in an enthralling new series set amid the shifting dynamics of a Southern family defined by wealth and privilege—and compromised by secrets, deceit, and scandal….

For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege—as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet.

For Lizzie King, Easterly’s head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted—and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane’s beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the ironfisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets.

As family tensions—professional and intimately private—ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.

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Releasing This Week

Nocte by Courtney Cole (Available Now)
✩ VBB Recommendation ✩

SAVE ME AND I’LL SAVE YOU….

My name is Calla Price. I’m eighteen years old, and I’m one half of a whole.
My other half– my twin brother, my Finn– is crazy.

I love him. More than life, more than anything. And even though I’m terrified he’ll suck me down with him, no one can save him but me.

I’m doing all I can to stay afloat in a sea of insanity, but I’m drowning more and more each day. So I reach out for a lifeline.

Dare DuBray.

He’s my savior and my anti-Christ. His arms are where I feel safe, where I’m afraid, where I belong, where I’m lost. He will heal me, break me, love me and hate me.
He has the power to destroy me.

Maybe that’s ok. Because I can’t seem to save Finn and love Dare without everyone getting hurt.

Why? Because of a secret.

A secret I’m so busy trying to figure out, that I never see it coming.

You won’t either.

Reading Order: Nocte (My review) | Verum

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The Muse by Raine Miller (Nov 04)

What if the truth about a famous painting was not what it’s been told to be? What if it was not even the original work and a different painting had inspired its creation? The story of a painting… The motivation behind the work, Flaming June—Romanticist painter, Lord Frederic Leighton’s magnum opus—a woman sleeping in a chair. Hauntingly beautiful, but with its inspiration locked away in the mystery of times past.

1811…
Burdened with family skeletons and agonizing guilt, an unwilling Lord Rothvale, one Graham Everley, returns from a long sojourn in Ireland to attend to the obligations awaiting him in England. The last thing he imagines to find is his destiny, but find her he does. Imogene Byron-Cole, a girl as lovely as her past is tragic. Graham can’t walk away from her, and so he marries her instead, in spite of an increasingly tangled web of troubles that threaten to destroy the very foundation of his entire existence.

As Graham and Imogene start out on their journey together, they express their love through a series of portraits. The art ensnares them completely, and in the end, becomes their salvation, bearing them through their deepest pain of loss, and inspiring a masterwork.

This will be book one of a three part saga in the Rothvale Legacy Historical Prequel series.

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Work of Art by Ruth Clampett (Nov 04)

In a life driven by passion, famed artist Maxfield Caswell lives in a world of brilliant color and drama, pushing his art and affairs to his emotional edge. He’s stunning, charismatic and celebrated in the art world, but are the trappings of fame also destroying him?

For years intelligent and bright-eyed Ava Jacobs has worked diligently toward a career in the art world. Ava is swept off her feet when she meets the passionate artist. She soon realizes, however, that he’s on a destructive path—one she doesn’t intend to join him on.

In the decadent world of patrons, art groupies, and predators, feisty and beautiful Ava knocks Max off his pedestal. A stunned Max sees something special in Ava and offers her an opportunity she can’t refuse. As their lives and passions collide, will he realize that she alone has the power to heal him? Can their hearts come together to create their own work of art?

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When We Met by A.L. Jackson, Molly McAdams, Tiffany King and Christina Lee (Nov 04)

When four girls decide to live off campus together as juniors at a college in Michigan, they expect it to be their best year yet. Little do they know, it’s a year that will change the rest of their lives.

BEHIND HER EYES by A.L. Jackson
Unable to live down her ex-boyfriend’s deception, Misha is determined to avoid betrayal. When, the new guy next door, Darryn starts to get under her skin, her defenses start to crumble. But trusting Darryn seems impossible, especially if he’s not sure he can trust himself.

SAVING ME by Molly McAdams
On the outside, Indy is always ready for a party—but inside she’s breaking. Kier makes a weekly routine of saving the girl next door from herself on Saturday nights… but when will she be ready to remember him on Sunday morning?

FOULING OUT by Tiffany King
Working at a sports bar, Courtney has become a pro at sidestepping propositions from arrogant jocks—which makes her a more elusive catch for campus basketball star Dalton than he expected. But when he falls for the saucy waitress, Dalton will have to rethink his game plan to prove he’s not the jerk Courtney expects.

BENEATH YOUR LAYERS by Christina Lee
In order to ace her fashion internship, Chloe must team up with local college dropout and set builder, Blake—much to her chagrin. But after some “hands-on” experience, Chloe will have to ask herself if Blake factors into her carefully laid plans…

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I Saw Her Standing There (#3, Green Mountain) by Marie Force (Nov 04)

There’s a budding romance on Butler Mountain, but in the hornets’ nest known as the Abbott family, keeping a secret is no easy feat…

Colton Abbott and Lucy Mulvaney have a secret. Colton’s nosy siblings have begun to put the pieces together, but it’s not like Lucy to keep things from those closest to her—especially her best friend, Cameron, who recently moved to Vermont to live with her true love, Will. But Lucy isn’t about to tell Cam she’s having a fling…with Will’s brother.

Flitting between New York and Vermont is exhausting, so Lucy is looking forward to a long weekend with Colton at the Abbott family lake house in Burlington. Too bad Will and Cameron have the same idea, and once Colton and Lucy are caught red-handed (and red-faced), will their clandestine romance lose its appeal or will their secret beginnings be the start of something lasting?

Each book can be read as a standalone.

Reading Order: All You Need Is Love | I Want To Hold Your Hand | I Saw Her Standing There

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Dirty Rowdy Thing (#2, Wild Seasons) by Christina Lauren (Nov 04)
✩ VBB Recommendation ✩

From the New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Bastard, Beautiful Stranger, and Beautiful Player, Book Two of the brand-new Wild Seasons series that started with Sweet Filthy Boy—a story of friends, love, and lust.

Despite their rowdy hookups, Harlow and Finn don’t even like each other…which would explain why their marriage lasted only twelve hours. He needs to be in charge and takes whatever he wants. She lives by the Want-something-done? Do-it-yourself mantra. Maybe she’s too similar to the rugged fisherman—or just what he needs.

Dirty Rowdy Thing is the second book in the Wild Seasons series and can be read as a standalone.

Reading Order: Sweet Filthy Boy (Review) | Dirty Rowdy Thing (Review)

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The Retribution of Mara Dyer (#3, Mara Dyer) by Michelle Hodkin (Nov 04)
✩ VBB Recommendation ✩

Mara Dyer wants to believe there’s more to the lies she’s been told.
There is.

She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.
She should.

She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.
She will now.

Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.
Retribution has arrived.

Reading Order: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer | The Evolution of Mara Dyer | The Retribution of Mara Dyer (See series page)

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Fighting the Fall (#4, Fighting series) by JB Salsbury (Nov 04)

The toughest fighters aren’t created in the octagon but are born of necessity. When life delivers blow after punishing blow, you fight back or get destroyed.

Eve Dawson has had her fill of bad luck. A string of unhealthy relationships has left her angry, bitter, and frustrated. She’s given up on being happy and settles for content. Swearing off men, she repels advances and makes herself a challenge to even the most persistent suitors. After all, how much can the fragile human heart take? But life isn’t finished with her, and when things can’t possibly get worse . . . they do.

Stay on your feet.

It’s Cameron Kyle’s motto, but with his fighting career ripped from his grasp, a child he wasn’t strong enough to save, and a marriage that even the brawn of a heavyweight couldn’t hold together, it’s getting harder and harder to stay upright. He takes on the position of CEO of the UFL, intent on hiding his biggest weakness in order to forge a path that leads him back into the octagon.

When an old rival mysteriously gets wind of Cameron’s plan to fight again, he comes out of retirement to settle old debts, but secrets, lies, and betrayal threaten to deliver the death-blow. The distraction of a sass-mouthed girl seventeen years his junior is the last thing he needs until a tragic accident shatters the firm foundation of his resolve and he realizes just how far he’s fallen.

Will they risk it all and fight to be together?

Or does defeat lie within the fall?

Reading Order: Fighting for Flight | Fighting to Forgive | Fighting to Forget | Fighting the Fall – First three books currently on sale in a boxed set ($0.99)

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Letting Go by Molly McAdams (Nov 04)

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author returns with a sizzling novel of love, loss, guilt, and forgiveness.

Grey and Ben fell in love at thirteen and believed they’d be together forever. But three days before their wedding, the twenty-year-old groom-to-be suddenly died from an unknown heart condition, destroying his would-be-bride’s world. If it hadn’t been for their best friend, Jagger, Grey never would have made it through those last two years to graduation. He’s the only one who understands her pain, the only one who knows what it’s like to force yourself to keep moving when your dreams are shattered. Jagger swears he’ll always be there for her, but no one has ever been able to hold on to him. He’s not the kind of guy to settle down.

It’s true that no one has ever been able to keep Jagger—because he’s only ever belonged to Grey. While everyone else worries over Grey’s fragility, he’s the only one who sees her strength. Yet as much as he wants Grey, he knows her heart will always be with Ben. Still they can’t deny the heat that is growing between them—a passion that soon becomes too hot to handle. But admitting their feelings for each other means they’ve got to face the past. Is being together what Ben would have wanted . . . or a betrayal of his memory that will eventually destroy them both?

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Mistletoe & Hollywood ($0.99) by Natasha Boyd and Kate Roth (Nov 04)

A Christmas bundle featuring two novellas.

My Star, My Love by Natasha Boyd is an Eversea Series novella featuring Jack Eversea, the Hollywood superstar whose heart was stolen by innocent small town girl, Keri Ann Butler. It’s their first Christmas and Jack has brought Keri Ann home to England, land of crazy paparazzi, to meet his mother. Full of funny, sexy and stolen moments, it’s a Christmas treat sure to delight fans who have been pining for Jack!

Many Times, Many Ways by Kate Roth is a Desire Resort Series novella featuring Evan Weston. A Hollywood hottie himself, he escaped for a few weeks of sun, sand and sex only to find himself head over heels with sassy Danielle Ward. Vacation is over and now this couple are spending their first Christmas together. Can Evan convince Dani that the rest of their lives can be as sexy, beautiful and filled with even more love that they’ve experienced so far?

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15 Minutes by Bethany Lopez (Nov 04)

Raised to be the “perfect” wife, Victoria has spent her days maintaining her impeccable outward appearance and her nights mingling with the rich and entitled. When her engagement to Scott ended, Victoria thought she’d be rid of him and his circle of friends forever, but a chance encounter with Brock will change not only the way she sees him, but the way she sees herself.

Brock is a man who’s happy and content with his life. A surrogate parent to his now-adult brothers, he spends his days running the company he built himself and his nights playing in his brothers’ local band. When he runs into Victoria in the bar after a show, sparks unexpectedly fly, and he’s interested in seeing where it goes.

But can the man who’s happy with his life, convince the woman who always wants more, to give him a shot with only 15 Minutes on the clock?

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Caged In Winter by Brighton Walsh (Nov 04)

In this emotional and sexy New Adult debut from Brighton Walsh, the only thing more frightening than commitment is hope…

Aspiring chef Cade Maxwell is immediately, viscerally attracted to Winter Jacobson. But it’s not her mouthwatering curves he’s drawn to–it’s the strange emptiness in her eyes. When Cade saves her from a drunken customer with grabby hands, he’s shocked at her response…

Winter doesn’t need Cade’s help. After a lifetime of getting by on her own, she’s happy to rely on herself. She’s exactly seventy-six days away from graduating college, and if she can hold it together that long, she’ll finally be able to rise above the crappy hand she was dealt.

But now, every time she turns around, Cade is there, ready to push her, smile at her, distract her from her plans. Winter knows she can’t afford to open up–especially to a man she’s terrified to actually want…

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One Night – Denied by Jodi Ellen Malpas (Nov 06)

Meet Livy and her mysterious ‘M’. Aloof, addictive and intriguing – ever since he offered her 24 hours of adoration and satisfaction, M has turned Livy’s life upside down. It seems they both have secrets – and following their hearts will risk everything.

Passionate, authentic and utterly gripping, this brand new novel will be a must-read for all of Jodi’s devoted fans as well as readers of Sylvia Day, J. Kenner and anyone who needs to escape from the day-to-day with a love affair that will take your breath away.

Reading Order: One Night – Promised | One Night – Denied

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For Now by Chelsea M. Cameron (Nov 06)

Two people. A one-night stand. What could go wrong?

Javier Cruz definitely isn’t relationship material, but that suits Hazel Gellar just fine. She’s not a relationship girl and doesn’t plan on ever being one.

But after a mind-blowing, panty-ripping, bed-breaking night, she knows once isn’t going to be enough. Fortunately, Javi feels the same way. Soon, what started as just one night turns into a lot of nights, and Hazel doesn’t know what to do.
Will she and Javi make the choice to be together for longer than just right NOW?

Reading Order: For Real | For Now

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