Falling for the Back Up by Toni AleoReview & Giveaway!

Hi, my name is Melissa and I am an Assassins hockey SUPERFAN!

I picked up the first book in Toni Aleo's Assassins series after a friend told me it was a "good" read. I finished the book and thought to myself, "good read? good read? What was she smoking? That was AMAZING!"

Currently there are three published books in the Assassins series:

Taking Shots- (featuring Ellie and Shea)
Trying to Score- (featuring Fallon and Lucas)
Empty Net- (featuring Audrey and Tate)

I read all three of these books in one weekend and immediately wanted more.. well more is finally here with the release of Falling for the Backup, an eBook novella that introduces us to backup goalie,  Jordan Ryan and teacher, Aynslee Shaw. 

Blurb:
"Toni Aleo's new eBook original novella featuring the Nashville Assassins will have you believing in the power of love at first sight... and second sight.. and the third.

After serving as the dutiful bridesmaid in the wedding from hell, Aynslee Shaw just wants to slink home to Nashville and forget the whole trip. That is, until the hottest guy she's ever met is seated next to her on the flight and dazzles her with his easy laugh and killer smile. But just when she thinks things are getting good, he vanishes, leaving Aynslee wondering, was that the guy the one? And did she just let him slip through her fingers?

Former superstar goalie Jordan Ryan is back on the ice- finally. After a crippling knee injury that had him wondering if he'd ever play pro hockey again, he's got his full attention on rebuilding his career. So a pretty- okay, beautiful- girl on a plane shouldn't be a distraction. But Jordan is very, very distracted. And when Aynslee crosses his path again, he's not sure any job in the world is worth missing his second chance with a woman like her."

I have a feeling that a lot of readers will fall in love with this backup, I know I did!  I strongly recommend reading this entire series. You can read them in any order, or as stand alone books, but I recommend reading them in order, you get to know a lot of the characters along the way and by book three they feel like family! I have given all three books and this novella 6 STARS on a 5 STAR scale.. they ROCK! Toni writes stories that make you feel every emotion her characters are feeling and creates a world full of hot hockey players... strong women and smoking hot love scenes (and her heroine's also wear some pretty amazing shoes!). 

Falling for the Back Up is available for pre-order now, it's official release date is set for June 24th! I am going to include pre-order links for Falling for the Backup and as a true SUPERFAN, I am also including buy links for the first three books in the series- all three full length books are available NOW! 

Falling for the Backup- PRE-ORDER NOW FOR ONLY .99! 
Falling for the Backup on Amazon
Falling for the Backup on BN.com
Falling for the Backup on iTunes

Taking Shots- Assassins Book #1- CURRENTLY ON SALE FOR .99- (get it fast!)
Taking Shots on Amazon
Taking Shots on BN.com
Taking Shots on iTunes

Trying to Score- Assassins Book #2- CURRENTLY PRICED $2.99
Trying to Score on Amazon
Trying to Score on BN.com
Trying to Score on iTunes

Empty Net- Assassins Book #3- CURRENTLY PRICED $2.99
Empty Net on Amazon
Empty Net on BN.com
Empty Net on iTunes

Author Info: 
Toni Aleo is the author of the Nashville Assassins series: Taking Shots, Trying to Score, Empty Net, and Blue Lines (releases this summer). When not rooting for her beloved Nashville Predators, she's probably going to her husband's and son's hockey games and her daughters dance competitions, taking pictures, scrapbooking, or reading the latest romance novel. She lives in the Nashville area with her husband, two children and a bulldog. 

Find more about Toni and her books using these links:
http://tonialeo.com
Find Toni on Facebook
Follow Toni on Twitter @tonilovesweber6
Find Toni on Goodreads

As part of the Tasty Book Tour for Falling for the Backup, author Toni Aleo is doing a fabulous giveaway! Please use this Rafflecopter to enter! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back to You- GUEST POST by Author Natalie-Nicole Bates

I am turning over my blog today to Author, Natalie-Nicole Bates. Here is the blurb for her new release, Back to You.. I look forward to reading this one: 

On the surface, Lynsey Reznor seems to have it all. She is beautiful, brilliant, and a successful true-crime writer who has been living the past decade in Miami. But what Lynsey lacks is what she needs the most—a family.

After the death of her mother, and yet another failed relationship, Lynsey makes an impulsive decision to return to her hometown of Unity. But Unity will present its own bittersweet memories, most notably, her first love, Nick Lincoln. 

Twenty years ago, Nick broke teenager Lynsey's heart when he decided to marry another. He had his own private reasons- reasons he never explained to Lynsey. Now she is back, along with a chance to reclaim her love. But Lynsey wants answers from him that he may never be able to give out of duty and guilt.

My Inspirations for Writing Back To You

By Natalie-Nicole Bates

First and foremost, Back To You is a romance. It follows the relationship between Lynsey Reznor and Nick Lincoln. Two basically polar opposite characters who have been in love with each other since they were teenagers.

I wanted to write a story with a true love never dies kind of theme, and explore the situation of dating again after the demise of a long-term relationship, which is difficult to understand unless you’ve actually been through it.

But there is also another reason I wrote Back To You, but unfortunately, it got a little mixed up along the way.

For those of you familiar with me, you know I have another Unity-based story called Change of Address. Change of Address was released before Back To You. In reality, Back To You is actually the first story in the Unity series, not Change of Address. But that is life, that is publishing.

When I envisioned the series in my mind, I saw Lynsey Reznor as the central character. Through Lynsey, the reader would be introduced to the town of Unity, and the characters who live there.

In Back To You, I introduce the reader to the most eligible bachelors of Unity. As Lynsey looks for love, she encounters a number of potential suitors.

We meet Evan Monroe, who is perfect marriage material. We find out he has recently been in a serious accident, and is still recovering. He’s an absolute doll, but Lynsey never felt an instant chemistry with Evan.

Lynsey then reacquaints herself with Owen Mitchell. Lynsey jokes that she met Owen over an open grave. Owen is an extremely complicated man. I call him a provocateur. He also has a very shocking, heartbreaking past which is not explored in Back To 

You, but the reader knows there’s more than just an ordinary man beneath the skin of Owen Mitchell.

And then there is Caleb Smith. The gregarious, larger-than-life man that the women love and the men despise. Like Lynsey, Caleb is looking for love, and it’s hinted that Lynsey and Caleb had a relationship in the past. Caleb is Nick’s greatest completion for Lynsey’s heart.

We also briefly meet Ryan Maine, but Ryan is off limits ladies, he has eyes strictly for Amii Sloane, and he’ll do whatever he must do to have her—whether Amii wants him or not.

By the end of Back To You, the reader has a pretty good idea of what might be coming in the future. We have bachelors looking for love and just waiting for their stories to be written.

I hope you enjoy Back To You and Change of Address. Look forward to Amii and Ryan’s story in Amii’s Angel, the next Unity story coming soon.

Thank you Natalie-Nicole for stopping by Save Your Money for Books, and readers if this book sounds as good to you as it does to me here are a few quick links on where you can find it: 

Buy Back to You on Amazon.com (Features bonus stories, Remember The Stars & Antique

Buy Back to You as a Single Release on Amazon.com

Author Info: 

Natalie-Nicole Bates is a book reviewer and author.

Her passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography and antique poison bottles. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in Russia.

She currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19th century post-mortem photos.

Follow her on Twitter @BatesNatalie

Like her on Facebook

www.natalienicolebates.com

http://www.youtube.com/natalienicolebates

Join Her Street Team!

COVER REVEAL Kiss It Better by Linda Kage

Today the cover was revealed for Linda Kage's new novel Kiss It Better. Enjoy the cover and blurb for the book, this book will go on sale in July 2013 :) Happy Reading! 

Kiss It Better
Contemporary Adult Romance
61,000 Words
Republishing July 2013

Blurb:

A PAST TO PLAGUE HIM...
When his sister is sexually assaulted, memories of his miserable childhood haunt Reed Walker and interfere with his perfectly structured life. To add to the chaos, just when dating becomes the last thing on Reed's mind, Sophia Eschell, the very woman he's been dreaming about for the past three years, barrels into his life. 

AND A WOMAN TO HEAL HIM...
After hooking up with too many troubled men, Sophia is determined to find a normal, average guy, sans baggage. She turns her attention to Reed, only to discover he has more issues than anyone. But if he can learn to open up to her, can she honestly reject him or will she kiss it all better? 

Author Information:

Linda grew up on a dairy farm in the Midwest as the youngest of eight children. Now she lives in Kansas with her husband, toddler daughter, and their nine cuckoo clocks. She works a day job in the acquisitions department of a university library and feels her life has been blessed with lots of people to learn from and love. Writing's always been a major part of her world, and she is thrilled to finally share some of her stories with other romance lovers.

You can find Linda on the web at:
http://www.lindakage.com
Click here for Linda's Facebook page!

RELEASE DAY BLAST One True LoveA Cupid Texas Novella by Lori Wilde

"In Cupid, Texas, they say everyone has one true love. And if you write a letter to Cupid, you will get an answer in return...

Now, from New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde, read how the legend of Cupid began.. All it took was one great love story!

Too bad for pretty young housemaid Millie Greenwood that her one true love is John Fant, the handsomest, wealthiest man in town. But in 1924, a maid- not matter how lovely- isn't about to marry into the town's foremost family, and John is on the verge of becoming betrothed to another. Everything seems hopeless until Millie writes a desperate letter to Cupid, and the most romantic legend of all is born"

I love Lori Wilde's writing, so I was super excited to participate in the Release Day Blast for One True Love. This novella is published by Avon Impulse is 100 pages and will kick off her new Cupid Texas series.

I've also had the pleasure of reading the ARC copy of Love at First Sight, the first book in this series (I will be reviewing Love at First Sight here in the coming weeks).   I suggest you pick up this novella, enjoy the read and buckle up for the ride, because I think this series is going to be wonderful.

Here are a few buy links for One True Love:
Click here to buy One True Love on Amazon.com
Click here to buy One True Love at BN.com

Here are the other upcoming release dates for the Cupid Texas Series:
Love at First Sight- Release Date: May 28, 2013
All Out of Love- Release Date: June. 25th, 2013

Author Info:
LORI WILDE is the New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty books. A former RITA finalist, Lori has received the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award, the Holt Medallion the Booksellers Best, the National Readers' Choice and numerous other honors. She lives in Texas, with her husband and a wide assortment of pets. Lori teaches Romance Writing Secrets via the internet through colleges and univiersities worldwide at www.ed2g.com. Visit her at www.loriwilde.com or on Twitter @LoriWilde or on Facebook.

Until next time... Happy Reading (and if Cupid's arrow hasn't already hit you, I hope his aim is dead on soon!)

The Enforcer by Nikki Worrell

As most of you  know sports romance (especially hockey) is my thing!  I was excited for the chance to read and review The Enforcer, the debut book for a new author , Nikki Worrell. The Enforcer is book #1 in her NHL Scorpion series. 

Blurb: 
Lacey Benoit is in need of a fresh start. Her best friend, Dr. Zoe Millis, has been begging her to make the move from Maine to California. Taking a leap of faith, Lacey does just that. 

Living in San Diego definitely has its perks, such as, sunshine and beaches. The best part of moving to the west coast, however, is that Steven is still on the east coast. Catching your almost husband having sex with one of your bridesmaids on your wedding day would make even the strongest woman jaded. Therefore, Lacey has sworn off men for a while, especially men who travel a lot that have easy access to loose women.

When Lacey meets the new enforcer for the San Diego Scorpions, she thinks she might be in trouble. But she is determined to fight her attraction to the sexy NHL hunk. And she is successful ... for about a day.

The book is told from multiple POV's. Some other reviewers had questioned this writing style, but it worked for me. I felt like I could follow the conversations and the characters thoughts well. I thought that this book started well and got better as it progressed. 

Jody and Lacey have chemistry from their first text message interaction to their first encounter in the bar, (where Lacey rescues the Alpha Male- this was one of favorite scenes).  Ms. Worrell writes a pretty awesome on-ice hockey scene and even better... she writes one heck of a toe curling love scene. Some of the interactions between Jody and Lacey are so hot you may need to read them somewhere you don't mind blushing. Jody is the typical Alpha Male- super protective.. jealous.. but he is trusting and he and Lacey develop a wonderful relationship on the pages.

The back story impossible romance of Lacey's friend and team Psychologist, Dr. Zoe and team Goalie, Vlad is great and I look forward to reading their story. Zoe and Vlad are set to star in  Book #2 in this series, Goalie Interference. We meet several other players along the way and I in particular look forward to also reading Cage's story- Cage Booker is the wild hot shot rookie, who earned a place in my heart for beating up Lacey's ex, Steven, when he sees him smack Lacey.. "no one hits a woman"- he definitely has potential.

I think for a debut book by a new author this is a pretty solid start. I give it 4 out of 5 stars and I will definitely be reading the other books in this series once they are released.

Here are a few links for this author and where to get this book! 
Like Author Nikki Worrell on Facebook! 
Find Author Nikki Worrell on Goodreads
Click here to purchase The Enforcer for $3.99 on Amazon
Click here to purchase The Enforcer for $3.99 at BN.com 

Until next time... Happy Reading!