Review: Heroes Are My Weakness by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Philips is back with a delightful novel filled with her sassy wit and dazzling charm.

Deepest winter.
An isolated island off the coast of Maine.
A man. A woman.
Puppets. (Yes, puppets..)
And... A mysterious house looming over the sea...

He's a reclusive writer whose imagination creates chilling horror novels. She's a down-on-her-luck actress reduced to staging kids' puppet show. He knows a dozen ways to kill his characters with her bare hands. She knows a dozen ways to kill an audience with laughs. But she's not laughing now.

Annie Hewitt has arrived on Peregrine Island in the middle of a snowstorm and at the end of her resources. She's broke, dispirited, but not quite ready to give up. Her red suitcases hold the puppets she uses to make her living: sensible Dilly, spunky Scamp, and Leo, the baddest of bad guys, Her puppets, the romantic novels she loves, and a little bit of courage are all she has left.

Annie couldn't be more ill prepared for what she finds when she reaches Moonraker Cottage or for the man who dwells in Harp House, the mysterious mansion that hovers above the cottage. When she was a teenager, he betrayed her in a way she can never forget or forgive. Now they are trapped together on a frozen island along with a lonely widow, a mute little girl, and townspeople who don't know how to mind their own business.

Is he the villain she remembers, or has he changed? Her head says no. Her heart says yes.

It's going to be a long, hot winter.

Review:
Heroes Are My Weakness has a slightly Gothic feel with a suspenseful plot perfectly married with the romance and the trademark SEP humor that I've grown to love. This book is different from any other romance book I've read before and it was 5 STAR amazing. I love when I think I've figured out a book by the half way mark and then by the last page I find I was TOTALLY wrong. Heroes Are My Weakness was like that for me.

There is enough mystery and suspense in this book to put a suspense writer to shame, but the romantic elements are also front and center. Theo has the sexy, dark brooding hero role down to a science.  Annie compares him to Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre.. and I definitely see the resemblance.  Annie is another lovable quirky heroine... I mean seriously, would you expect anything less? She is a ventriloquist for goodness sakes. The secondary characters including Annie's puppets are well written and add so much to this plot. I specifically love how Annie uses one of her puppets to help her friends mute daughter to open up. The puppets add to the story and give it a quirky, witty fun feel.

The more time Theo and Annie spend together the hotter the tension grows between them and when these two give in they burn up the pages. As things start happening around Annie with signs pointing to Theo as the culprit, the story really takes a turn I never saw coming. I loved this book in its entirety and refuse to spoil it by giving too may details here. If you love an unpredictable, well written romance that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page, pick up this book, trust me, you won't be sorry.

Books by Susan Elizabeth Philips are my weakness. I can't resist them, and own most of them in more than one format. I was destined to love Heroes Are My Weakness long before the title appeared on my Kindle and well before the UPS driver delivered the hard copy that I also had to have for my collection. Again, SEP has earned her spot as my favorite author of all time.

Buy Links:
Amazon,  Barnes & Noble, iTunes

Author Info:
Susan Elizabeth Phillips soared onto the New York Times bestseller list with Dream A Little Dream. She's the only four-time recipient of the the Romance Writers of America's prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award. A resident of the Chicago suburbs, she is also a hiker, gardener, reader, wife and mother of two grown sons.

If you are a SEP fan, make sure you are a fan on Facebook! She is very active over there and always sharing everything from glimpses inside her mind while writing, backstories of how her plots came together and great recipes!

Here is a link to her website- start there and there are links there to all of her social media pages, join the message boards. It is so fabulous when an author actually keeps a regularly updated website!

http://susanelizabethphillips.com/

I was provided with an ARC of this book from Harper Collins in exchange for an honest and unscripted review. All thoughts expressed here are my own. In fact, I loved this book so much that I purchased an e-copy and a hardcover after reading the ARC file, so I would own this for my collection. 

Review: Sinful Rewards 2 by Cynthia Sax A Billionaires and Bikers Novella

Blurb:
Belinda “Bee” Carter isn’t quite sure what she’s gotten herself into. She’s been receiving mysterious messages from a secret admirer who is sending her more and more erotic dares.

Each time she fulfills his desires, she gets rewarded. She’s convinced that her mystery texter is one of two super-hot men—Nicolas, the handsome billionaire, or Hawke, the sexy biker but  she can’t tell which one it is. And she’s coming to realize that beneath her peaches-and-cream exterior beats a heart that longs to play out all of her most secret fantasies.

As the stakes are raised again, will Bee succumb to the sensual allure of this latest dare?

Review: 
I read the 2nd part of this series almost as soon as it was delivered to my Kindle. The suspense from the last book to this one was killing me, I had to know what was coming next. Part #1 of this series warms you up, but Part #2 takes this story and turns the heat up on this story to HIGH.

 I am starting to find myself picking the one I want to come out "on top"- in this story. Cynthia Sax has me yet again, hook, line and sinker!  I am DYING for the next two parts of this story.. I have to know if and with whom Bee will get her happily ever after..

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buy Links:
Author Website: http://cynthiasax.com/
Blog: http://tasteofcyn.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthia.sax
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CynthiaSax

Author Info: 
Cynthia Sax lives in a world filled with magic and romance. Although her heroes may not always say, “I love you”, they will do anything for the women they adore. They live passionately. They play hard. They love the same women forever.

Cynthia has loved the same wonderful man forever. Her supportive hubby offers himself up to the joys and pains of research, while they travel the world together, meeting fascinating people and finding inspiration in exotic places such as Istanbul, Bali, and Chicago.Please visit her on the web at www.CynthiaSax.com

COVER REVEAL: Covering Kendall by Julie Brannagh

Covering Kendall by Julie Brannagh

A Love & Football Novel

On sale: 10/21/2014

I am totally addicted to Julie Brannagh's Love and Football series, so now I have even than just Football season approaching- a new book in this series! Add this one to your TBR List!

Blurb:

Kendall Tracy, General Manager of the San Francisco Miners, is not one for rash decisions or one-night stands. But, when she finds herself alone in a hotel room with a heart-stoppingly gorgeous man-who looks oddly familiar- Kendall throws her own rules out the window... and they blow right back into her face. 

Drew McCoy should look familiar, he's a star player for her team's arch rival the Seattle Sharks. Which would basically make Drew and Kendall the Romeo and Juliet of professional football... well, without all the dying. Not that it's an issue. They agree to pretend their encounter never happened. 

Nothing good can come from it anyway, right? Drew's not so sure. Kendall may be all wrong, but he can't stop thinking about her and he finds that some risks are worth taking. Because the stakes are always highest when you play for keeps.

Pre-Order Links:
Amazon, B&N, iTunes

Review: What I Love About You by Rachel Gibson

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Gibson returns to Truly, Idaho, and to the fate of a sexy SEAL Blake Junger.

GIMMEE A B-R-E-A-K!

Ex-high school cheerleader Natalie Cooper could once shake her pom-poms with the best of them. But she's paid for all that popularity- her husband's run off with what's left of their money and a twenty-year old bimbo named Tiffany. Leaving Natalie to manage a photo store and having to see some pictures she, well really shouldn't. 

GIMMEE A S-H-O-T! 

Then she comes toe-to-manly chest with Blake Junger. Exiled to a remote cabin in Truly, Idaho. Blake wants nothing to do with anyone. Instead, he's determined to struggle with his demons and win- all on his own. But the last thing he needs is Natalie distracting him with her luscious curves and breaking down the barriers of his heart.

GIMMEE YOUR H-E-A-R-T! 

Review:
This Rachel Gibson fan was super excited to return to Truly, Idaho. This town holds fond memories of great romance reads with a little bit of laughter and a whole lot of heat.

Natalie is a single-mom, she's surviving the scandal caused by her husband and she and her daughter are making it all on their own. Things seem to be calm... until the super sexy, grumpy neighbor moves into the adjacent property. Blake wants to be left alone- now he has a kid hanging around his property and he suddenly finds himself in a comical custody agreement with a puppy that he doesn't want. Suddenly this adversarial relationship ignites a spark that quickly turns into a full blown fire.

Add To Your Goodreads Shefl

This story reminds me of the Rachel Gibson that I fell in love with,  it is full of the small-town humor, intriguing back story, a sexy man, a lovable heroine, a quirky kid and throw a  cute puppy into the mix and this book becomes a 5 STAR contemporary read! I laughed at times so hard I thought I was going to pee my pants- (not giving away too much- but if you've read this all I need to say is mistaken identity).

If you are a fan of contemporary romance and you aren't reading Rachel Gibson, you should be. Her books are always destined for my keeper shelf.

Buy Links:

Barnes & Noble, iTunes

Author Info:

Rachel Gibson is a New York Timesand USA TODAY bestselling author of fast-paced contemporary romance novels. Publisher’s Weeklyproclaims Rachel’s “clever, snappy dialog amuses at every turn” and “With humor and eloquent prose, Gibson brings substance and depth . . . to modern day romance.”

Four of her novels were named among the Top Ten Favorite Books of The Year by Romance Writers of America. Two of her novels, True Confessions and Not Another Bad Date, were awarded the RITA, Romance Writers of America’s highest honor of excellence. Some of Rachel’s other awards and achievements include The Golden Heart Award, the National Reader’s Choice, Amazon Editor’s Top Pick,Publisher Weekly’s Quill nominee, Borders bestselling romantic comedy and Romantic Time’s Career Achievement award.

When not writing, Rachel can be found shopping for shoes or looking for strange and unusual flowers to plant in her garden.

http://www.rachelgibson.com/

 I was given an ARC copy of this book for an unscripted review, as always any thoughts expressed here are my own. 

Ted Beaudine is a VERY Irresistible Hero! Susan Elizabeth Phillips blog along!

Heroes Are My Weakness the newest Susan Elizabeth Phillips release is almost here! Oh the anticipation. I posted last week on one of my favorite SEP heroes, Dean Robillard from Natural Born Charmer.

This week I am here to discuss one of her most irresistible heroes.... none other than, Ted Beaudine from Call Me Irresistible- Wynette, Texas Book #6 (commence the swooning ladies!)

Blurb:
R.S.V.P to the most riotous wedding of the year...

Lucy Jorik is the daughter of the former president of the United States.

Meg Koranda is the offspring of legends.

One of them is about to marry Mr. Irresistible- Ted Beaudine- the favorite son of Wynette, Texas. The other is not happy about it and is determined to save her friend from a mess of heartache.

But even though Meg knows that breaking up her best friend's wedding is the right thing to do, no one else seems to agree. Faster than Lucy can say "I don't," Meg becomes the most hated woman in town- a town she's stuck in with a dead car, an empty wallet, and a very angry bridegroom. Broke, stranded, and without her famous parents at her back, Meg is sure she can survive on her own wits. What's the worst that can happen? Lose her heart to the one and only Mr. Irresistible? Not likely. Not likely at all.

My Thoughts:
Born the son of Francesca Day and Dallie Beaudine (Fancy Pants), Ted Beaudine was destined to be irresistible. He is the perfect son of legends and she is the adopted daughter of the first female president of the United States. Ted and Lucy have a relationship made in PR heaven.. until their cancelled wedding becomes the town scandal!

Ted Beaudine is the epitome of your classic romance hero, classically sexy, this guy knows how to do everything right.. he was doing it straight from the womb... or so say the people of Wynette. When Teddy walks down the street everyone sighs, he is a very swoon worthy hero.

Ted and Lucy have a comfortable relationship, but Meg sees that the passion is missing and when she points this out to Lucy... on her wedding day...the little doubt Lucy had been feeling multiplied, and she bolts, leaving Meg behind to endure the fallout.

Meg finds herself financially cut off from her parents and stuck in a town where everyone blames her for the breakup of their very own first couple. Ted's treatment of Meg from the start is a little un-hero like. The more time these two spend together the more sparks fly- proving true that opposites do attract.

Ted is fine with the situation when he is the one causing Meg distress, but once he sees others are also targeting her, in very heroic fashion his protective instincts come to the forefront. Meg may want to get out of Wynette, but after a few weeks with Mr. Irresistible her heart may have a different itinerary.

I gave this book 5 STARS the first time I read it and 6 STARS  (on a 5 scale) the second time around! I love a book that never gets old, no matter how many times I've read it and this book is certainly fits into that category for me. (PS >>>I highly recommend also listening to the audio version of this book, even if you've already read the book. I love the voices that the narrator gives to these characters!)

If you are looking for a new read or a reread to hold you over until the release of Heroes Are My Weakness here you go:

Buy Links for Call Me Irresistible- If you haven't read this yet- GET IT NOW! 
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iTunes
Harper Collins

Let's Chat: 
Do you have a favorite SEP hero? Who makes you swoon?

Author Links:
If you are a SEP fan, make sure you are a fan on Facebook! She is very active over there and always sharing everything from glimpses inside her mind while writing, backstories of how her plots came together and great recipes!

Here is a link to her website- start there and there are links there to all of her social media pages, join the message boards. It is so fabulous when an author actually keeps a regularly updated website!

http://susanelizabethphillips.com/

COVER REVEAL: Sinful Rewards 4: A Billionaire & Bikers Novella by Cynthia Sax!

The cover reveal is here! Now I really can't wait for the final installment Sinful Rewards. I am totally hooked on this series and can't wait to see how it all ends! If you aren't reading it, there is plenty of time to catch up before the final installment is released on October 14th! 

Blurb:

Four years ago, Bee Carter left her tiny hometown, escaping her tormenters. She concealed her tarnished reputation under a good girl persona, hiding her history from Nicolas, her strong and silent billionaire, Hawke, her tattooed bad boy biker, and Cyndi, her man crazy best friend.

Today, she’s returning home... and she’s not alone. Some of her deepest darkest secrets will be revealed. Trust will be tested. Clothing and inhibitions will be discarded. Bee and her hometown will never be the same.

When her past and her present collides, will any of Bee’s relationships survive?

Buy Links:

Part #1 & #2 are currently available. Parts #3 & 4 are available for preorder (#3 will be released on September 16th and #4 on October 14th- Part #4's cover will be revealed here on August 18th)!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Info:
Cynthia Sax lives in a world filled with magic and romance. Although her heroes may not always say, “I love you”, they will do anything for the women they adore. They live passionately. They play hard. They love the same women forever.

Cynthia has loved the same wonderful man forever. Her supportive hubby offers himself up to the joys and pains of research, while they travel the world together, meeting fascinating people and finding inspiration in exotic places such as Istanbul, Bali, and Chicago.  Please visit her on the web at www.CynthiaSax.com

WEBSITE   |   FACEBOOK   |   TWITTER   |   BLOG

Truly by Ruthie Knox- Promo Tour Stop & Giveaway!

SEXY COVER! 

May Fredericks hates New York. Which is fair enough, since New York seems to hate her back. After relocating to the Manhattan from the Midwest to be with her long-distance boyfriend, NFL quarterback Thor Einarsson. May receives the world's worst marriage proposal, stabs the jerk with a shrimp fork, and storms off alone- only to get mugged. Now she's got no phone, no cash and no friends. How's a nice girl supposed to get back to safe, sensible Wisconsin?

Frankly, Ben Hausman couldn't care less. Sure, it's not every day he meets a genuine, down-to-earth woman like May- especially in a dive in the Village- but he's recovering from an ugly divorce that cost him his restaurant. He wants to be left alone to start over and become a better man. Then again, playing the white knight to May's sexy damsel in distress would be an excellent place to start o if only he can give her a good reason to love New York.

Buy Links:
Amazon, B&N, iBooks

Author Info:

Author -Ruthie Knox

New York Times best selling author Ruthie Knox writes contemporary romance that's sexy, witty, and angsty- sometimes all three at once. Her debut novel, Ride with Me, is probably the only existing cross-country bicycling love story. She followed it up with About Last Night, a London-based romance whose hero has the unlikely name of Neville, and then Room at the Inn, a Christmas novella- both of which were finalist for the Romance Writer's of America;s RITA Award.

Her four-book series about the Clark family of Camelot, Ohio, has won accolades for its fresh, funny portrayal of small-town Midwestern life. Ruthie also writes New Adult romance as Robin York. She moonlights as a mother, Tweets incessantly, and bakes a mean focaccia. She'd love to hear from you, so visit her website and drop her a line.

Author Links:
Website, Facebook, Twitter @RuthieKnox, Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click here to follow this tour...

SHARK WEEK- An excerpt from Cynthia Sax- Sinful Rewards 2 to "get you in the mood"!

HAPPY SHARK WEEK! 

Bee, the heroine in Cynthia Sax's latest erotic novella collection encounters Shark Week fans on her commute to work...

This excerpt is from SINFUL REWARDS 2: A Billionaire and Bikers Novella... (insert creepy music they play as a shark approaches...) 

"The bus arrives six minutes late. It's crammed full of people. Painted faces are pressed against the steamed-up windows. I spot dorsal fins and giant foam fish, which can only mean one thing- it's Shark Week at the Shedd." Shark fans make Black Friday shoppers appear civilize, and these adversaries are locked in a to-the-death standoff, their hostility spiraling my anxiety skyward."

Looking for a HOT read to steam up your windows this week- make sure you add this to your list. I am a fan of Cynthia Sax before this series and now I find myself totally addicted once again!  She builds a story and the anticipation between the release of the next installment is delicious! I will be doing a full review of Sinful Rewards 2- on August 29th as part of my stop on the Tasty Book tour. If you haven't read the first part of this I suggest you one-click immediately!

Buy Links:
Part #1 & #2 are currently available. Parts #3 & 4 are available for preorder (#3 will be released on September 16th and #4 on October 14th- Part #4's cover will be revealed here on August 18th)!

Happy Reading & Happy Shark Week!

Review: Natual Born Charmer Susan Elizabeth Phillips Blog-Along

In great anticipation of the latest coming release of the new Susan Elizabeth Phillips book; Heroes Are My Weakness, I have hopped onto to the Susan Elizabeth Phillips Blog-Along.

This week I am re-visiting one of my favorite SEP books, Natural Born Charmer!

Blurb:
Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard is the luckiest man in the world: a bone-fide sports superstar and the pride of the NFL with a profitable side career as a buff billboard model for End Zone underwear. But life in the glory lane has started to pale, and Dean sets off on a cross-country trip to figure out what's gone wrong. When he hits a lonely stretch of Colorado highway, he spies something that will shake up his gilded life in ways he can't imagine. A young woman... dressed in a beaver suit.

Blue Bailey is on a mission to murder her ex. Or at least inflict serious damage. As for the beaver suit she is wearing... Is it her fault that life keeps throwing her curveballs? Witness the expensive black sports car pulling up next to her on the highway and the Greek god stepping out of it.

Blue's career as a portrait painter is the perfect job for someone who refuses to stay in one place for very long. She needs a ride, and America's most famous football player has an imposing set of wheels. Now, all she has to do is keep him entertained, off guard and fully clothed before he figures out exactly how desperate she is.

But Dean isn't the brainless jock she imagines, and Blue- despite her petite stature- is just about the toughest woman Dean has ever met. They're soon heading for his summer home where their already complicated lives and inconvenient attraction to each other will become entangled with a charismatic but aging rock star, a beautiful fifty-two-year-old woman trying to make peace with her rock and roll past; an eleven-year-old, who desperately needs a family; and a bitter old woman who hates them all.

Natural Born Charmer is for everyone who's ever thought about leaving their old life in the dust and never looking back. Susan Elizabeth Philips takes us home again... and shows us where love truly lives.

Review: 
I jumped on this blog tour in anticipation of Heroes Are My Weakness, so what better thing than to get in the mood than with a re-read of one of my favorite SEP books- starring one of my favorite leading men.. none other than Dean Robillard.

The title of this book, Natural Born Charmer is certainly a fitting title for Dean Robillard's (also known as one of my top five book boyfriends, back off ladies)- book. I love SEP's Chicago Stars series and couldn't wait for Dean's story- after meeting him in Match Me If You Can, I wanted to follow him off into the sunset- and what I wouldn't give for a glimpse of him in those tight bike shorts he was referenced to be wearing in that book.. sorry- back on track. When you are dealing with a hero as sexy as Dean Robillard it is a little hard to stay focused.

Dean has everything he could ever want... right? Then why does he feel so lonely?

Excerpt:
"It wasn't everyday a guy saw a headless beaver marching down the side of the road, not even in Dean Robillard's larger-than-life world. "Son of a..." Dean slammed on the breaks of his new Aston Martin Vanquish and pulled over in front of her.

The beaver marched right past, her big flat tail bouncing in the gravel, and her small, sharp nose stuck up in the air. Way up. The beaver looked highly pissed. 

She was definitely a girl beaver because her beaver head was missing, revealing sweaty, dark hair pulled into a short, scraggly ponytail. He'd been praying for a little distraction from his own depressing company, so he threw open the door and stepped out on the shoulder of the road. His newest pair of Dolce & Gabbana boots emerged first, followed by the rest of him, all six feet three inches of steely muscle, razor-sharp reflexes, and unsurpassed gorgeousness... or at least that's what his press agents liked to say. Still, it was pretty much true, although Dean didn't have nearly as much personal vanity as he let people believe. But emphasizing the superficial was a good way to keep people from getting any closer than he wanted them to be. 

"Uh, m'am... You need some help?"

Her paws didn't break rhythm. "You got a gun?"

"Not with me."

"Then I've got no use for you."

On she marched.

He grinned and set off after her. With his extra-long legs and her shorter, furry ones, it took just a few steps to catch up. "Nice day," he said. "A little warmer than I'm used to for May, but I'm not complaining."

She hit him with a pair of grape lollipop eyes, one of the few curvy things about her. Most of the rest of her came to sharp angles and delicate points, from a set of fragile bladed cheekbones, to a petite, arrow-tipped nose, to a chin keen enough to cut glass. But after that, things got dicey. A razor-edged bow marked the center of a wide and startlingly plump lip. Her bottom lip was even fuller, giving him the disconcerting feeling she'd somehow escaped from  an X-rated nursery rhyme.

"An actor," she said with a trace of a sneer. "Just my luck."

"What makes you think I'm an actor?"

"You're prettier than my girlfriends."

"It's a curse."

"Your not even embarrassed?"

"Some things you have to accept about yourself."

"Brother..." She gave a grunt of disgust.

"Name's Heath,: he said, as she picked up the the pace. "Heath Champion."

"Sounds phony."

It was, but not the way she meant.

"What do you need a gun for?" Dean asked.

"Murder an old lover."

"Is he the one who picked out your wardrobe?"

Her big old paddle tail smacked him in the leg as she spun on him. "Beat it, okay?"

"And miss all the fun?"

Dean quickly finds the distraction he was looking for, and when some people from his past start crawling out of the woodwork, this distraction becomes more of a shoulder to lean on.

Dean is vain, I know it, you know it, he knows it.. but deep down this guy has a heart of gold and once some parts of his past start to become a part of his future, he seems less vain and more like a man who just wants to be loved

This story is funny and beautiful. It starts with a girl in a beaver suit and only gets better and better. I loved every quirky character, I found myself singing along to songs that are original to one of the characters in the book, and wishing I could take a real life tour of Dean's summer home, and spend one night in his gypsy caravan (if you haven't read this book yet, you won't get this, but when you do- you will want to visit there as well!)

This like every other SEP book is a 5 STAR read. I am a SEPPIE for life and am slowly re-reading her backlist as I prepare myself for the new release. (HEROES ARE MY WEAKNESS COMING AUGUST 26th- CLICK HERE TO PREORDER!)

Buy Links for Natural Born Charmer: If you haven't read this yet- GET IT NOW! 
Amazon, 
Barnes & Noble
iBook Store

Let's Chat: 
Do you have a favorite SEP hero? Dean Robillard is one of my favorites, but I also love the Bonner brothers, Kevin Tucker.. Heath Champion.. who am I kidding- I love them all :)

Author Links:
If you are a SEP fan, make sure you are a fan on Facebook! She is so active over there and always sharing everything from inside glimpses into her mind while writing, to great recipes! (PS> This week she shared that the inspiration for the beaver suit from Blue came while sitting on the porch with her husband. She knew she wanted Blue in a costume, but wasn't sure what.. and Mr. Bill told her, not a beaver suit.. and off she went to write her story. She is such a wonderful author and the level)

Here is a link to her website- start there and there are links there to all of her social media pages, join the message boards. It is so fabulous when an author actually keeps a regularly updated website!

http://susanelizabethphillips.com/