Hacker Exposed: White Hat Security Series, Book 1 by Linzi Baxter
Hacker Exposed: White Hat Security Series, Book 1 by Linzi Baxter
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Alex Ross is the head of Ross Enterprises which he had taken over from his father. Alex is known for his short fuse when it comes to firing employees but this time he has a very good reason, a large sum of money has been stolen from company accounts.
Bridget Boggs had known the Ross family very well but has been in hiding with a name change since her father got involve in a pyramid scheme and went to jail. Now Bridget is back and Alex Ross notices she’s grown up quite a bit since she left. The two team up together to try to find who took the missing money and get more than the bargained for in more ways than one.
Hacker Exposed is the first book of the White Hat Security series by Linzi Baxter. As you can tell by my lower rating I wasn’t a huge fan of this one and that’s mostly a case of too much too quickly for a novella. The author tried to make the story a bit of a thriller along with a romance on the more erotic side and it just didn’t work in my opinion.
Quite honestly I didn’t care for Alex much starting the story so that probably didn’t help my opinion with him being an egotistical playboy. Then we have the usual I’m so not his type Bridget which didn’t impress me either. But I kind of felt I blinked and missed any chemistry whatsoever between the two before they hit the sheets. Then toss in all the extra story going on in a very short book and that left me at taking a pass on the rest of the series.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
Billionaires on the Beach blitz with giveaway
Billionaires on the Beach: The Anderson Brothers
Elizabeth Lennox, Gloria Silk, Leslie North, Lizabeth Scott, Noelle Adams
Publication date: June 27th 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Fake relationships, secret heirs, friends with benefits, hot nannies, and irresistible rivals… falling in love isn’t easy for five sexy, billionaire brothers.
Enjoy hot days and hotter nights on Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina with the billionaire Anderson brothers in this series of five steamy, original novellas from USA Today bestselling authors Elizabeth Lennox and Noelle Adams, as well as Leslie North, Lizabeth Scott, and Gloria Silk.
All profits from Billionaires on the Beach will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
The Billionaire’s Mistake by Elizabeth Lennox – Marie didn’t have time for a romance, but when Sloan Anderson walked into her coffee shop, all of her friends decided that it was time for her to fall in love. Even her dog was in on the matchmaking! Unfortunately, no one bothered to tell her heart that Sloan Anderson was a lying, horrible, son of a…No way was she going to fall for a man who was going to foreclose on her store!
Her Reluctant Billionaire by Noelle Adams – Katie has been friends with Logan Anderson for four years. He might be a smart, funny, adorable billionaire, but after her work as a divorce attorney, she’s just not interested in romance. But when she pretends to be his girlfriend for one weekend at the beach, she starts to see him as far more than a friend.
The Billionaire’s Babysitter by Leslie North – After BASE jumping from a NYC skyscraper, billionaire Wyatt Anderson has been sentenced to four weeks’ house arrest in his family’s beach house, but he won’t be there alone…. To get her dream job as a nanny for the wealthy, Laine Maguire will have to complete one last role: babysit a billionaire for a month. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?
Chased by the Billionaire by Lizabeth Scott – Grey couldn’t believe that the gorgeous woman with the adorable…ponytail, was none other than the girl from high school – the one none of the guys noticed because she was too timid. No longer! Gemma was smokin’ hot, owned a gym and…was one of the toughest women he’d ever charmed. But this time, there was more. Maybe too much more? Gemma intrigued him in ways that he wasn’t sure he wanted to be intrigued.
From Geek to Greek Billionaire by Gloria Silk – Olivia Moore has landed her dream job—to renovate a very special beach house. The last thing she needs is to bump into her teen crush, the geeky yet sexy Alexander Anderson. He needs her to help him with a makeover and an infusion of confidence with women, but getting closer to him means risking he finds out her secret past, which might tear them apart once again.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Elizabeth Lennox – Although she wanted to be a romance novelist since the eighth grade, that dream only became a paid reality for her in 2009 and a full time job in 2012. Along the way, she received a BS in History and held different jobs in the real estate, government consulting, and financial industries. All during that time, though, she was always writing, using her personal experiences, dreams, and travels throughout the United States, Europe and the Caribbean as backdrops for her stories. Elizabeth lives in Virginia with her husband and two children. Find her at elizabethlennox.com.
Noelle Adams – Noelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she reads any book she can get her hands on and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel. She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances. Find her at noelle-adams.com.
Leslie North – Leslie North is the pen name for a critically-acclaimed author of women’s contemporary romance and fiction. The anonymity gives her the perfect opportunity to paint with her full artistic palette, especially in the romance and erotic fantasy genres. Leslie fell in love with romance when she first picked up a scrappy, dog-eared romance book from her local library. She began writing soon after and the rest, as they say, was history. She now lives in a cozy cottage on the British coast and enjoys taking long walks with her two Dalmatians, George and Fergie. Find her at leslienorthbooks.com.
Lizabeth Scott – Who is Lizabeth Scott? A voracious reader and a full-time writer for about 4 months! Liz is a wife and mother of two grown children and the proud grandma of the sweetest little baby ever. She is the personal assistant to a
terrier terror named Moxie who she occasionally takes to the drive-through for a burger. Liz is a Carolina girl who loves sand between her toes as frequently as possible. At the prompting of a friend, Liz began living her dream of writing in 2013 and is now the author of several series. Find her at lizscottbooks.com.
Gloria Silk – Gloria Silk writes novels of powerful passion without cultural borders. Born in Russia, Gloria Silk has lived in various parts of Europe and the Mediterranean. She loves to travel. Her background in English literature, writing and psychology help her create well-rounded, unique characters for her stories. She’s also an artist (using watercolors and acrylics) and a designer, and is published in non-fiction under Tanya Freedman. Find her at gloriasilk.com.
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Excerpt From The Billionaire’s Babysitter by Leslie North
“Hey,” she said, but he didn’t turn around, “I’m sorry if I upset you, prying. It’s none of my business. I apologize.”
“I’m not nine, Laine,” he said. “So don’t try to be my understanding babysitter.”
“I know you’re not a kid,” she said softly, “I was having a nice time and I feel like I ruined it.”
Wyatt raked a hand through his hair and crossed his arms, closed off to her again. “I’d like to know you better,” she said, and laid her cheek on his back just for a second.
Laine wasn’t one to rub up against men, but the expanse of his strong back, and the closeness they’d shared moments ago over the basil overwhelmed her. She wanted to reach out to him. She wanted him to reach for her, to find comfort in her body and she longed to wrap her arms around him and open her lips for him. She was breathless, almost humid with the vividness of that desire, so when he turned and swept her around, his arm hooking her waist and hauling her up against him, she gasped.
“How much better would you like to know me?” he said, his voice low and rasping. Her fingers curled into his shirt front.
Laine felt lost in his intense hot blue gaze. He touched her cheek and she nestled into his palm. She felt as if every nerve ending was alight with the sizzle of his touch. She tried to answer him, knew somehow in the blur of desire that he had asked her a question and she ought to say something, but she couldn’t look away. She could feel the heat of his breath on her lips, his arms holding her against his hard chest. He tipped her chin up and she parted her lips, ready for him, dying for him to kiss her. She blinked, squinting as the sun came out from behind a cloud and shone right in her eyes so she had to look away from him.
He gave that wicked half grin that made her want to drop her panties. Wyatt turned her so the sun wouldn’t be in her eyes, “I’d rather you be blinded by my charm than the sun, come over here,” he pulled her toward the shadow of the fence and she wrapped both arms around his neck, a smile curving her lips as she reached up for him and his mouth brushed hers.
The loudest screeching sound she’d ever heard shrieked from the spot where they were standing. They broke apart and he swore. “Fucking house arrest.” He muttered, taking a step back into the boundaries of the property, “Might as well put a goddamn shock collar on me like a dog.”
“Wyatt—” she called after him but he was on his way back inside.
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Shag Lake by Susan McEachern
Shag Lake by Susan McEachern
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Geri McKenna has been busy focusing on getting her career as a journalist off to a start working non-stop for a big company for the past two years where she has been stuck writing about fashion. When Geri travels back to Shag Lake for her brother’s wedding she never expected to have the latest big story happening right there at home.
Sean Eastman was Geri’s brother’s friend that Geri had a huge crush on during high school but he had mysteriously moved away and hadn’t stayed in contact. When Geri arrives home to find that Sean will be attending the wedding events she’s excited to see him again but never expected Sean to be saving her in the woods when she went to investigate the missing girl in the news.
Shag Lake by Susan McEachern was such a fun read mixing in a lot of different elements to bring this story together. Much like romantic suspense focuses on a relationship building during the story this one would be a romantic sci-fi/fantasy type of read. From aliens to bigfoot there’s a whole world hiding near Shag Lake that the author brought to life with a bit of mystery with a missing girl involved too.
I love when characters have an existing background to build on so a story doesn’t seem like a rushed insta-love type of connection. Sean and Geri had grown up together so them developing feelings in this story fit easily within the action of the rest of the story. Also found the creative sci-fi side of things quite fun as things are brought in and explained as the book went along. Just a lovely read overall and would love to see this world explored more if the author chose to do so.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
King of Clubs (Aces & Eights #2) by Sandra Owens Release Blast with giveaway
Passions—and tempers—flare as one star-crossed couple gets a second chance at love.
KING OF CLUBS
Aces & Eights #2
Sandra Owens
Releasing June 27, 2017
Montlake Romance
In the second novel in acclaimed
author Sandra Owens’s Aces & Eights series, passions—and tempers—flare as
one star-crossed couple gets a second chance at love.
Covert FBI
agent Court Gentry loves his brothers, his job, and his Harley-Davidson. Once
he loved a girl, too, but when she broke his heart, he put his emotions on
lockdown…until she crosses his path again.
On vacation
six years ago, free-spirited Lauren Montgomery fell hard for Court Gentry. She
returned home happier than ever, only to descend into a spiral of abuse by her
ex-husband, Stephan. When Stephan threatened to kill any man who touched her,
Lauren cut Court from her life—but not from her heart.
When Lauren
and Court reunite after her friend marries his brother, Court guards himself
against the person who made him feel such intense passion and pain. Except the
undeniable spark between them is impossible to contain and heating up fast. Six
years ago, it was love. Now, it’s just lust. Keeping it merely physical is a
foolproof plan…right?
When Stephan is released from prison, Lauren can’t outrun her past anymore, and
Court vows to protect her. But with Lauren in imminent danger, Court must
question his heart and risk his life to save the woman he never stopped loving.
Court had wanted to let her know he was here, but Madison said if he did, Lauren would just kick him out. According to Madison, Lauren intended to go straight to bed. He tilted his head, listening to the sounds coming from her bedroom. She was moving around, opening and closing drawers. She definitely hadn’t gone straight to bed. What was she up to?
Suspicious, he waited. An hour later, the floorboards in the hallway creaked. A dark-clothed person walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, took out two bottles of water, and stuffed them into the backpack she carried, and then headed for the door.
Lauren. Lauren. Lauren. “Going somewhere my little midnight ghost?”
She yelped, the backpack falling to the floor with a heavy thud.
“Easy, G.G.” He pushed off the sofa.
“Court?” She pressed her forehead against the door. “Why are you here?”
“Guarding you. Going to be kind of hard to do if you’re not here, don’t you think?” He picked up the backpack. “Where you headed?”
“None of your business.” She slipped around him, backed up to the kitchen light switch, and turned it on. “You can leave now.”
“Don’t think so.” He frowned at the sight of a gun barrel in the partially unzipped bag. He pulled it out and held up the Glock 26, also known as a Baby Glock, preferred by women because of its smaller size. “You planning on shooting someone?”
“Again, none of your business.”
He shouldn’t like that fire in those golden brown eyes so much. “I’m making it my business. Do you even know how to shoot this?” When her gaze shifted away, he had his answer. Christ, she
was clueless. About everything. How to use the weapon she’d been careless enough to let him find, how to disappear, and she probably didn’t know how to fight off an attack.
What to do about that? As he saw it, he had two choices. Either let her go and hope she somehow managed to safely disappear or make her his project. He wasn’t stupid enough to tell her that last part since he doubted there was a woman in the world who’d appreciate being any man’s project.
“Are you that afraid of him?” he asked even though he was sure of the answer.
“Feeling like a broken record here because again, none of your business. I’d like you to leave now.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, probably to show him she meant business. It wasn’t working since she’d managed to push up her breasts so that the material of her T-shirt stretched against them, leaving her nipples outlined. He’d had those beautiful breasts in his mouth, had explored every inch of her body, had known all her sighs of pleasure. He’d once thought she loved him. Until she’d told him in a phone call it was over, not even having the courtesy to tell him to his face.
Nor had she given him a reason. Just, “Don’t call me again or try to see me.” That had happened only days after she’d told him she loved him. He’d learned the hard way women couldn’t be trusted, the first lesson on that coming from his mother. The one time he’d forgotten that lesson had been with Lauren. But never again.
“What are you looking at?” She lifted one arm, snapping her fingers. “My eyes are up here.”
Irritated with himself and her, he kept his gaze on her breasts to prove… What? That he was an ass? “So they are,” he said, lifting his eyes to hers. “Here’s the deal.”
“There is no deal, Court. You have no say so over my life. I’ll ask you one more time to leave.”
“Or you’ll what? Call the cops?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I’ll do.”
He chuckled, amused that she had no clue she was threatening to call the police on an FBI agent. “Let’s sit, and I’ll tell you the deal.” Ignoring the little growl deep in her throat, he settled on the sofa. “Come on, G.G. Just hear me out.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“Why? You used to like it.” She’d been his Gorgeous Girl for six days. It must have been the sun and beer and salty air that had tricked him into mistaking lust for love. He had to admit the woman had a lot to do with that, too. All six years had done to her was turn her from a cute
college girl with a love of life into a beautiful woman afraid of her own shadow. He could appreciate the physical change in her, but he didn’t like the fear her ex-husband had put in her eyes.
And when did she have that husband? Before he met her or after? Or even during? No, he couldn’t believe that she would have given herself to him so freely, showing no sign of guilt during their time together if she’d had a husband waiting in the wings. He wanted answers and he planned to get them.
“Lauren, please. Sit and hear me out.” Her cat jumped onto the sofa, climbed onto his lap, and peered up at him with curious blue eyes. “See, even… Hemingway, is it?” At her nod, he said, “Even Hemingway wants to hear what I have to say.”
Like a wary crab, she inched sideways to the nearest chair. “You have five minutes.”
Little did she know. He had as long as he wanted because she wasn’t going anywhere. She might not like it, but it was for her own good. As an officer of the law, he couldn’t stand by and watch her get herself hurt. From all the signs she’d unknowingly given him, she fully expected bad trouble was headed her way.
“I have an offer for you.”
A
best-selling, award winning author, Sandra Owens lives in the
beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Her family and friends often
question her sanity, but have ceased being surprised by what she might get up
to next. She’s jumped out of a plane, flown in an aerobatic plane while the
pilot performed death-defying stunts, has flown Air Combat (two fighter planes
dogfighting, pretending to shoot at each other with laser guns), and rode a
Harley motorcycle for years. She regrets nothing.
A member of Romance Writers of America’s Honor Roll, Sandra is a 2013 Golden
Heart® Finalist for her contemporary romance, CRAZY FOR HER. In addition to her
contemporary romantic suspense novels, she writes Regency stories.
His Semi-Charmed Life by Lisa Hughey blitz with giveaway
His Semi-Charmed Life
Lisa Hughey
Publication date: June 23rd 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Going from princess to pauper wasn’t exactly the fairy tale ending Penelope Hastings believed in as a kid. She grabs at the opportunity to work at Camp Firefly Falls—home of her most treasured childhood memories and the haven where her spoiled heart expanded, and her perspective changed, after an encounter with an older boy. Now she’s hoping that the camp can work its magic one more time and help her craft a new life.
Rags to riches entrepreneur, Diego Ramos, never wanted to see Camp Firefly Falls again—the site of the most hated year in his teenage life as camp counselor, and his most regrettable moment ever. That one clash with an entitled little girl had a profound impact on him, changing the trajectory of his future. So, when his assistant books a corporate retreat at Camp Firefly Falls, he’s more than a little unsettled at the irony.
Now, twenty years later, Penelope and Diego are reunited. A second chance at happiness won’t come easy when their reversal in fortunes and unexpected sexual attraction complicates everything. Will they be able to work through their regrets and memories, and learn that love is the greatest fortune of all?
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EXCERPT:
Diego lifted Penny’s hand to his mouth and licked the chocolate. “Don’t want any to go to waste.” His rough fingers circled her wrist, holding her in place. His tongue lapped at her skin and tingles spread from her fingertips throughout her body.
“What—” her throat suddenly tight. What was he doing? “—was that for?”
He pulled away and grinned. “Don’t want you to get dirty.”
A smear of chocolate clung to his upper lip. Without thinking she leaned in and sucked the sweet from his mouth.
The moment was fraught with an odd tension. The crackle of the fire, the scent of wood smoke filled her senses, and yet she could still smell the essence of him.
Amusement sparkled in his chocolate eyes, even more rich and sinful than the candy he’d just licked from her flesh.
“Nothing wrong with a little dirty,” Penny said.
Author Bio:
USA Today Bestselling Author Lisa Hughey has been writing romance since the fourth grade, which was also about the time she began her love affair with spies. Harriet and Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys later gave way to James Bond and Lara Croft and Jason Bourne.
Exploring the complex nature of a profession that requires subterfuge and lies fascinates her. She loves combining her two passions into fiction. As evidenced by her Black Cipher Files series.
Archangel Rafe was her first foray into the paranormal but after spending time in the Angelic Realm, it won’t be her last. At their heart, the Seven novels are about the dynamics of family relationships. But the really hot Archangels don’t hurt.
And recently she’s been immersed in the Stone Family novellas, four stories about a blended family of brothers and sister who have a lot more in common than they realize. But of course she couldn’t just write about family and romance. There are complex plots, bad guys, and suspense too.
Lisa loves to hear from readers and has various places you can connect with her, although, shh, Twitter is her favorite.
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