Brazen Release Day Blog Tour and Giveaway

I'm extremely honoured and excited to be a part of this Brazen release day tour for two authors that I've both read and loved. My review for In Bed With Mr Wrong went live this morning. I haven't had the pleasure of reading Fighting for Irish yet but believe me when I say I will be reading as soon as I can. It's already pre-ordered to my Kindle so I can start reading it today.

Brazen has proven to publish some great authors and the covers always look fab, the colours always make them stand out.

So this is the official blog tour and giveaway for Katee Robert and Gina L. Maxwell:

The dynamic duo took the NYT and USA TODAY lists by storm the last time they released together, so we can't wait to see what shenanigans they have in store for 2014!

New York Times bestselling author Katee Robert kicks off her new Out of Uniform series with IN BED WITH MR. WRONG, a hilarious enemies-to-lovers story you don't want to miss. Air Force Pararescuer Ryan Flannery avoids his hometown at all costs, so he's not thrilled when he's set up on a blind date — until he meets mousy librarian Brianne Nave. Her sweet curves and kissable lips are a siren's call, but her smart mouth? Not so much. How can two people have so little chemistry outside the bedroom when they fit together so perfectly in it? When Ryan and Bri are stranded in a cabin by their friends, they'll be forced to find out ... if they don't kill each other first.



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Excerpt: In Bed with Mr. Wrong by Katee Robert

"Don't think for a second you're getting a good-night kiss."
"A kiss from you?" He stepped forward into her finger, forcing her to open her hand against his chest or take a step back. She refused to budge. He leaned down, crowding her. "I'd rather kiss a snake."
"Then it's too bad it's winter, because they're in short supply." She pushed at his chest again, nearly snarling when he didn't move. "You should just burn something else down. That might draw a few to the heat."
"Or maybe I'll just set fire to your goddamn granny panties. That's sure to create a big enough blaze."
Her jaw dropped open and she swallowed hard. "As if you could."
"Watch me."
He grabbed her hips and yanked her against him. Bri gasped. There was so much heat in his blue eyes, it was a wonder every single article of clothing she wore didn't go up in smoke. "You—"
But then she saw it. The challenge hidden behind the heat. He didn't think she could handle this. Handle him.
His mouth curled into a smirk, and his hands tightened on her hips. The feel of his fingers digging into her flesh through the thin fabric of her skirt made her want to throw all caution to the wind. He thought he'd won, did he?
"Screw it." She grabbed the lapels of his shirt and went up on her tiptoes to smash her lips against his. He froze, then stumbled backward and slammed into the wall of her screened porch, taking her with him. A wave of victory went through her. For all his talk, he hadn't expected her to make a move. She moved one hand to the back of his neck and tipped his head down so she could set her teeth into his bottom lip.
Just like that, he came alive in her arms and pulled her tighter against him. His tongue delved into her mouth, stroking hers with no hesitation, igniting her passion until she couldn't fight back a moan. How could one giant brute taste so decadent? She slid her tongue along his, not sure if she was searching for an answer or simply enjoying the way her very nerves seemed to spark and dance at every place they touched.
Would her whole body do that if they were naked?
Whoa. Where had that thought come from? She was proving him wrong, not jumping into bed with the man. She tried to pull away. "I think—"
"Stop talking."

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Gina L. Maxwell comes out swinging with the latest installment of her New York Times bestselling Fighting for Love series, FIGHTING FOR IRISH. When he learns a friend's sister has forty-eight hours to make good on an ex's debt to a crime boss, former MMA fighter Aiden "Irish" O'Brien heads to Louisiana to offer himself up as collateral. But to satisfy the debt, he has to do the one thing he swore he'd never do again: fight. With more than just money on the line, can Irish reclaim the man he once was for the woman he can't live without?

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Excerpt: Fighting For Irish by Gina Maxwell

Aiden dropped his hands to her hips and stepped closer. "Will you stay tonight?" he asked softly.
"I'll stay."
One night. He could do that, couldn't he? Then he could get this need for her out of his system and focus on winning the tournament to free her from any danger. His job would be done, his debt paid to Jax, and he could move back home to continue his daily penance and meaningless existence.
But right now he wanted to feel alive again, if only for a night in the arms of the woman who'd had his balls on lockdown for months. She was the reason no one else even appealed to him anymore. He needed her, just this once. But he wouldn't do it without an understanding between them.
"Kat, can I be honest with you?" Aiden was aware of the fine line he was walking. Now he just had to do it without sounding crude or disrespectful, which would be a challenge. He was no smooth-talking Romeo.
Meeting her expectant gaze, he took a deep breath and prepared himself for the possibility of getting slapped. "I wanna be with you tonight."
"As in, with me with me?"
"Yeah," he said, amusement lifting a corner of his mouth. "With you with you. It's been a really long time since I wanted someone as much I want you."
"Really?" she asked breathlessly.
"You sound surprised."
She offered a weak shrug and suddenly found interest in the floorboards. "You seem like you'd be more into exciting, exotic looking women. Like one of those sexy, new-age pin-up girls with the flawless skin and beautiful tattoos."
He almost laughed until he realized she was serious. She had no idea what she did to him. Grabbing one of her hands still resting on his shoulder, he slowly dragged it over his chest and down his stomach until they finally reached his stiff erection straining against the restrictive boxer briefs under his shorts.
Aiden groaned as he molded her hand over his cock. The feel of her gripping him nearly redefined the word "premature". She drew in a quick breath and raised her eyes to his. Her cheeks filling with a pretty shade of pink did crazy things to his insides. The more her innocence showed through the more he wanted her.
He couldn't make sense of it. She was right. Typically he went for the larger-than-life women who treated every day like it was their own personal thrill ride. Kat was something else entirely. Worldly beyond her years, yet somehow more innocent than she should be.
"This is how into you I am, sweetheart. Believe me when I tell you I couldn't fake this kind of interest," he assured her. "I want you, Kat. Wicked bad. But I don't have anything more to offer you than one night. That's me being honest. So if you wanna give me the red light now I'll understand, but you gotta let me know while I still have use of some of my brain."
"Green."

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In Bed With Mr Wrong by Katee Robert

The blind date from hell is about to get hotter...

Brianne Nave is never doing her friends a favour again. When they begged her to go on a blind date, she didn't expect someone so perfectly gorgeous. She's a mousy librarian — totally not in this man's league. And judging by his odd reaction when she opens the door, he knows it, too.

Air Force Pararescuer Ryan Flannery avoids his hometown at all costs. He's not thrilled about the date until he's shocked silent by the prickly little librarian's sweet curves and kissable lips ... and her smart mouth. But then an argument leads to a kiss that spirals out of control. How can two people have so little chemistry outside the bedroom when they fit together so perfectly in it?

When their friends strand them in a cabin to "work things out", Bri's not sure whether to kill him or put the industrial-sized box of condoms they find to use. Bottom line — Ryan's career military and hates the tiny town she loves. He'll leave, just like everyone else in her life. And if she's foolish enough to give him her heart, he'll take it with him.

Bri has been set up on a blind date with Ryan by Ryan's brother - who happens to be one of her closest friends. There's instant hatred between the two of them but they still go on the date, and when they kiss at the end of the date sparks fly. When the same friends strand them at a cabin to work things out, the sparks ignite big time. But can they get past their bad start to pursue a relationship?

I really like Robert's writing and have read all her Brazen books so far so when she offered and ARC for review, I jumped at the chance. And this story doesn't disappoint, it really continues on with what I've come to know and love about Katee Robert's writing.

I liked Ryan from the start but I really didn't like Bri - she was exceptionally defensive and rude from the start. And even after we find out the reasoning behind why she's like that ... I still didn't like her. I'm hoping she won't be in further books, that they'll follow different couples each time. Although I have this strong suspicion that Ryan's brother may be the lead in his own book at some point - only time will tell if I'm right.


Amazon UK: In Bed with Mr. Wrong

Divergent by Veronica Roth

In the world of Divergent, society is divided into five factions – Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful) and Erudite (the intelligent). Every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice Prior, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is. Her choice shocks everyone, including herself.

During the initiation that follows, Tris and her fellow initiates undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them, Tris must determine who her friends really are – and where the boy who seems to both threaten and protect her fits into the life she's chosen.

But Tris also has a secret, kept hidden because she's been warned it can mean death. As unrest and growing conflict threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris learns that this secret might save those she loves ... or it might destroy her.

Tris just turned sixteen, this means she must sit a test to help her make the biggest decision of her life - what faction she wants to belong to. Her test doesn't give her a definite answer, instead it gives her a huge secret - a secret that, if discovered, could mean her death. During her faction initiation period, she both gains and loses friends as she finds out a lot about herself.

My friend has been telling me to read this series for ages now but, for some reason I've never followed her advice. With the movie coming out this years, I felt it was time to read it since I prefer to read the books first.

I'm glad I read it 'cos I really liked it. There are differences between the factions and sometimes someone that's growing up might not feel like they belong in that faction, that's what the choosing ceremony is for. Unfortunately, Tris has trouble making the decision 'cos she feels like she'd be hurting her family if she chooses a different faction.

I liked Tris' character and her struggles to find out about herself, what she is and where she belongs. Roth's dystopian world is scary and weird but also kinda makes sense - in a way. I'm definitely going to read the rest of the series now and I'm almost looking forward to the movie (I say almost 'cos book-to-movie usually disappoints me).


Book Depository: Divergent
Amazon UK: Divergent

Grave Matters by Jana Oliver

A legendary Demon Trapper, Riley Blackthorne frequently battles with Hell's minions. So when she travels to Scotland to meet up with her hunky boyfriend, and celebrate her eighteenth birthday, she's thrilled at the chance to leave Atlanta and its troubles behind.

Denver Beck, who has been studying for months to become a Grand Master – a rare and highly dangerous job - is just as eager to see his girl. He's anticipating a romantic reunion, keen to take their relationship to the next level.

But Riley's twisted history with Hell has garnered unwelcome interest by people willing to use her for their own purposes. Trouble is brewing in the land of the heather, the kind that will drive a wedge between her and Beck, and prove the ultimate test of their love ... and their survival skills.

Riley goes to Scotland for her 18th birthday to meet up with Beck mid-training. As soon as she gets off the plane, she's in danger and then when she meets up with Beck - she's paranoid. They figure out what's wrong and aim to fix it - along with their relationship.

I was so upset when this series ended - especially as it came as a bit of a surprise to me, I never knew it was the last book until I was reading it! I love Riley and I love Beck. I love the world that Jana Oliver has built here and vaguely post-apocalyptic view on the world. So I was excited to get another wee (too wee) look at the world.

Also love that this is set in my homeland! Don't ask me why but I love reading a story with street names and places that I can actually picture, everything set elsewhere is a total blindside for me. Although as much as I love these books, this series and this author - I always hate reading Scottish characters written by non-Scots authors. The words don't read right for me, all the "ya" and "ta", I can't say that in my head - it sounds wrong. Of course, that may just be me - I am unaware of how other Scots feel on this manner but I feel this way about most Scottish characters I read. Our language is hard to write, especially if you don't speak it - considering the main differences in our language are all to do with pronunciation, it is hard to make it come across purely in the written word.

If you've read the other books in the series, read this. If you haven't read the rest of the books in the series they go Forsaken, Forbidden, Forgiven & Foretold - go buy them and you're welcome in advance.


Amazon UK: Grave Matters

Wild Justice by Kelley Armstrong

Ex-cop Nadia Stafford has a dark secret. After taking the law into her own hands she was kicked off the force ... and entered the shadowy world of guns for hire. She has her own strict code - works only for one crime family, only kills the really bad guys. But when a hit goes tragically wrong, Nadia is devastated. Is it time to leave the business for good?

Before she has time to decide, Nadia discovers that her own life is under threat. And worse - that terrifying events from her past may have triggered the attacks. With the help of Jack, her enigmatic mentor, Nadia is forced upon a dark path - towards the truth and towards her final destiny.

Nadia is on a job when it takes a turn for the worse and Jack helps drag her out of it, by giving her something else to focus on. Her childhood terror - the man that killed her cousin. Unfortunately that seems to put Nadia's name on a hit list and she and Jack have to figure out who's behind it before they manage to cross her name off.

For Nadia Stafford fans, this book has been a long time coming - 4 years in fact. Armstrong always said she wanted this series to end the way she wanted and was working on the book the whole time while waiting for a publishing company to pick it up, finally it happened and we were able to finish Nadia's story.

I really like the Nadia books, they're so vastly different from Armstrong's other series and you can tell that - not just from the lack of paranormal, but Armstrong's writing style is different in this series than in the Otherworld or her YA series. Not in a bad way, but it's definitely noticeable to fans like me that have read most of her work.

This was a good ending to the series. It starts out fast and ends with a bang, although admittedly it does slow a bit in the middle - took me a few days to read it 'cos I wasn't as interested during the 2nd quarter then it picked up and I didn't put the book down until it was finished. It's sad to see another series come to an end but it's good that the author got to finish it on her terms and the way she wanted.


Book Depository: Wild Justice
Amazon UK: Wild Justice

My Favourite Reads of 2013

As with previous favourites of the year posts, clicking on the cover image will take you to my review of the book. This list actually only has books I reviewed on here, there are some novellas and shorts that I read but only wrote a quick review on Goodreads. My full 2013 read list can be found here on my GR profile.

Brazen by Kelley Armstrong

nick Sorentino knows everyone in the supernatural world considers him the Pack's playboy, the pretty but not very useful werewolf whose only reputation involves his amorous exploits.
Usually, Nick couldn't care less what anyone outside the Pack thinks of him. But when it affects his hunt for Malcolm Danvers, a psychotic bogey-man from the Pack's past, it matters.
Necessity forces Nick to team up with mercenary half-demon Vanessa Callas to run Malcolm to ground in Detroit. Together, they discover Malcolm is more deadly than ever. And he wants to play.
It's time for Nick to prove he's not just a lover. He's a fighter.

Nick has been put on the case of finding Malcolm after he was discovered to be still alive during the events of 13. Elena and Clay want him dead and they don't want Jeremy knowing he's alive in the first place.

The Sub Press novellas have always been a nice way of easing the waiting time between Otherworld books, but now the series is on hiatus they're even more important to me. Armstrong knows her fans love the Otherworld and all the characters, I think she herself would also miss them if they disappeared completely. So to ease the pain, she's going to be releasing novellas and such until she brings the series back (for my sanity, it will always be a when not an if until she says different).

This one is nice to read, we finally get something from Nick's POV. Nick, who always comes across as laid back and so nonchalant, proves to us that he's just as protective of the Pack as Clay or Elena. The younger wolves are his responsibility and he's matured and settled since they've came into his home. Nick often gets looked over with Elena and Clay heading the adventures up so it was nice to see him come into his own in this book.

The book also ended with an obvious nod to another book which I can't wait to read.


Buy direct from Subterranean Press: Brazen
Amazon UK: Brazen

Aden by D.B. Reynolds

She was seeking revenge. What she found was a vampire who swept her into the darkest depths of passion.

Chicago, Illinois ... the windy city. Home to football greats, dinosaurs named Sue, and, when the sun goes down ... powerful vampires battling for the right to rule the city and beyond.

Born into slavery, Aden is one of the most powerful vampires in North America, waging war on others of his kind in a struggle to become the next Lord of the Midwest. But in the midst of the deadliest fight of his long life, the ghosts of his past have come back to haunt him. Slavery still exists, and Aden is hellbent on destroying it and the vampires who profit from it.

Sidonie Reid is an investigative reporter in pursuit of the biggest story of her career, until that story costs the life of a friend and Sid realises she has to do much more than write about it. Intent on bringing down the vampires and their slave network, Sid gains entry to the highest levels of vampire society, where she finds herself confronting the raw sexuality that is Aden.

Caught up in a dark passion that neither can resist, Aden and Sidonie join forces, determined to defeat the old regime and everything it stands for. The dangers are beyond calculation, but the ultimate reward is worth the risk. If they survive ...

Aden is next in line for Lord of the Midwest, all he has in his way is the pesky challengers. Sidonie has been trying to bring down a slavery ring that she knows the previous Lord had his hand in, so of course she thinks getting in with Aden is the best way to continue - problem is that Aden knows exactly what she's doing.

I love this series and it only gets better with each one. My only problem is that my favourite vampire wasn't in this at all - that'd be Duncan. Although Aden is delectable and thoroughly lickable.

Reynolds is building up to something epic with this series and I can't wait to find out what that is. There's hints and small teases in each new book, we now know where the threat is coming from and partly what Raphael's plans are.

I highly recommend this series to any vampire readers out there. Reynolds' vamps are brutal and aggressive, but still know they have to fit in to human kind. They're not afraid to show what they really are though.


Book Depository: Aden
Amazon UK: Aden

Why Vet Nursing is not a "Just for the Money" job

A lot of the time, I hear that Vets are all money grabbers. I've had people say to me at the desk that they can't believe how much A or B costs and people thinking I'm in my job for money. Because everyone knows how much Vet Nurses get paid, right? Do you know? Unless you're a Vet Nurse, no you don't.
I'd like to give you all a taster of what Vet Nursing is like as a job and you'll see why it's not a job you get into for the money.

My evening began with evening consults at 5pm, just after 5 a distraught owner ran in with her young family pet in her arms – it had just been in a Road Traffic Accident. This much loved family pet had sustained a fatal trauma that would be unfixable – even if it was fixable, the pet would likely be paralysed in the hind limbs. Our only option, and the owners hardest decision, was to put the animal to sleep ….. at 6 months of age.
It was heart breaking, it was horrible and it was the most upsetting euthanasia I've done in my career.

After that exceptionally sad case was over I, and the Vet, had to continue with evening consults. I had to pretend everything was fine and be cheery with clients, while feeling like all I wanted to do was sit and cry.

There are plenty of jobs out there that pay the same, or more than, I get at the moment. They don't have as much stress attached. They're mostly guaranteed to finish at the right time. And you don't have to go through the heartbreak of euthanasing people's family pets. This isn't a job I, or any other Vet or Vet Nurse, got into for the money. This is a job you get into for the love of animals and helping animals every day.

There are plenty of jobs where I wouldn't come home with a heavy heart. And I'll admit that I came home and cried about that case tonight – how many other jobs cause that to happen?

Daylighters by Rachel Caine

Something drastic has happened in Morganville while Claire Danvers and her friends were away. The town looks cleaner and happier than they've ever seen it before, but when their incoming group is arrested and separated - vampires from humans - they realise that the changes definitely aren't for the better.

It seems than an organisation called the Daylight Foundation has offered the population of Morganville something they've never had: hope of a vampire-free future. And while it sounds like salvation - even for the vampires themselves - the truth is far more sinister and deadly.

Now, Claire, Shane and Eve need to find a way to break their friends out of Daylighter custody, before the vampires of Morganville meet their untimely end ...

So everyone arrives back in Morganville only to be arrested and get split up. They discover the Daylight Foundation has taken over Morganville and ousted the vamps from their post as rulers. Everyone seems happier and Morganville is suddenly safer but Claire, Eve and Shane realise that it's not all it seems and that maybe it WAS better with the vamps in control rather than the weird Daylighters. They find out that the guy in charge has a "cure" for vampirism and is looking for volunteers, but nothing is ever as it seems, is it?

This book saddens me because it's the last book in an amazing series, it also saddens me that the cheesy ending really ruined the book for me. I kinda wish I could go back in time and tell me to just finish a bit earlier and leave on a high.

I don't think I'm going to be able to do a spoiler free review so I'm not going to try. The following section will contain spoilers, you can highlight to read if you don't mind.
{spoilers}The humans of Morganville have put all the vampires together in a sort of concentration camp (actually it's an old shopping mall) where they get limited blood and have to wear shock collars to keep them from attacking the guards. The Daylighters have a supposed cure for vampirism that they're looking for volunteers to test it on, if they don't get volunteers they'll force vampires into it - trouble is the cure has a higher fail rate than success rate and when it fails, the vampires get executed. Michael is grabbed as a test subject and the cure actually works on him - luckily enough just as his marriage to Eve is destroyed due to new laws. Shane's dog bite turns out to be an infection that changes him into some sort of vampire hunting werewolf - again luckily enough for him and Michael that the cure works on him since being around vampires causes Shane to change automatically.

And those last two sections are my problem with the ending, it all ended so happily and quite cheesy in my opinion. As much as I love this series, the ending was a HUGE disappointment. It's all so coincidental that Michael turns human again and happens to solve lots of problems all at the one time.{/spoilers}

The story itself is just as interesting as the rest of the series, it really is just the ending that lets it down. Despite that, I will still recommend the Morganville series to others - it's a great series with lots of ups and downs and some great characters, plus it's getting made into a TV show thanks to the fans (myself included). I love the series and it's sad to see it end.


Book Depository: Daylighters
Amazon UK: Daylighters