The Cogsmith’s Daughter (Desertera #1) by Kate M. Colby
The Cogsmith’s Daughter by Kate M. Colby
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Aya Cogsmith was the daughter of the last cogsmith in King Archon’s kingdom but when her father failed to make a repair at the request of the king he was sentenced to death. Losing her father Aya was subjected to turning to selling her body to survive even at her young age. But now years later Aya is approached by Lord Varick with a scheme for them both to obtain revenge against King Archon.
Lord Varick’s daughter had been the previous wife of King Archon but she was also ordered to be executed on the grounds of adultery as were the King’s previous wives. Varick has now decided that Aya is the perfect person who through her profession could seduce the King and turn the tables upon him to get revenge for the both of them.
The Cogsmith’s Daughter is the first book in the Desertera series by Kate M. Colby. The world building within this one was rather interesting, a sort of mix between a steampunk and dystopian read. There had been an apocalyptic flood that had caused the water in the land to dry up so the survivors had moored their steamship in a wasteland they named Desertera but now the King ruling the land has become a tyrant.
With the story within the book I found that some things were rather predictable in nature when it seemed like it should have been a surprise. I also found Aya a bit all over the place as a character, she was incredibly naive even with how she had spent her time since her father’s death making her seem younger than she should. The story started feeling more of a young adult type of read due to Aya but with the sexual situations involved even though not overly graphic it still is definitely not young adult so it all felt a bit off at times to me.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
Romancing Dr. Love by Rebecca Heflin blitz with giveaway
It’s all about the chemistry.
ROMANCING DR. LOVE
Sterling University #1
Rebecca Heflin
Releasing March 7th, 2017
Dr.
Samantha Love says it’s all about the chemistry. A brainy psychology professor
and researcher, Sam has based her entire academic career on the theory that
what we call love is simply a chemical reaction. She is currently running a
study to prove that her compatibility blood test reveals perfect matches—sort
of like an organ donor, but for relationships. No romance required.
Along comes
sexy literature professor, Dr. Ethan Quinn, who says it’s all about the
romance. He thinks the pretty psychology professor has taken love and all its
mysteries and reduced it to something as romantic as a cholesterol test, and he
sets out to prove her theory wrong.
When Ethan
signs up for her study, Sam discovers to her horror, that according to her
compatibility test, they are a perfect match. Sam faces an existential crisis
over her career and her research. If she believes in her science, shouldn’t it
follow that she believes Ethan is her perfect mate? And if she doesn’t believe
he’s her perfect mate, doesn’t that bring into question her research? Her
compatibility test? Her reputation? And her very career?
As Sam struggles with her dilemma, Ethan pursues her with all the romantic
tactics in his arsenal. Will Sam’s theories succumb to his challenge? Or will
Ethan lose the battle for Sam’s heart?
ONLY .99 CENTS
SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE
Rebecca
Heflin is
an award-winning author who has dreamed of writing romantic fiction since she
was fifteen and her older sister snuck a copy of Kathleen Woodiwiss’ Shanna to
her and told her to read it. Rebecca writes women’s fiction and contemporary
romance. When not passionately pursuing her dream, Rebecca is busy with her
day-job as a practicing attorney.
Rebecca is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Florida Romance
Writers, RWA Contemporary Romance, and Florida Writers Association. She and her
mountain-climbing husband live at sea level in sunny Florida.
Second Circle Tattoos Box Set by Scarlett Cole blitz with giveaway
Start #BingeReading the Second Circle Tattoos series by Scarlett Cole with the new box set containing all four novels and an exclusive extended epilogue with your favourite heroes! Get all four books in the series now for a discounted price!
Synopsis:
The tattoo artist with a heart of gold.
The playboy with his own hidden scars.
The international rockstar who longs for a home.
The mechanic with a dark past.
These are the heroes of Second Circle Tattoos. Trent, Cujo, Dred, Reid. And now all four books are together for the first time in a fabulous, low priced eBook box set featuring an exclusive epilogue. Why pick one book boyfriend when you can have all four?
The Strongest Steel
Harper Connelly never expected to find herself outside of a tattoo parlor at one in the morning. The scars that decorate her back are just one more reminder of things she’d rather forget, the past she wants to leave far behind her, but before she can move on, she needs
him. Trent Andrews has his own reasons for specializing in inking over scars. And there’s no way in hell he’s going to turn Harper away. Being with Harper is like going ten rounds in the ring—exhilarating, powerful, and dangerous. She stirs feelings in him he thought were long gone… if he can only get past her carefully constructed defenses.
The Fractured Heart
Tattoo artist Brody “Cujo” Matthews knows how to keep things simple. In life and in love.That all changes when he meets Drea Caron, the definition of high maintenance and sizzling curves. And the one woman he doesn’t want to walk away from. Andrea “Drea” Caron is broke and tired. After years of caring for her ailing mom, she’s at the end of her rope trying to manage the piling medical bills, two jobs, and a life placed on hold. She certainly doesn’t need the added frustration of a sexy playboy tattoo artist messing up her carefully balanced life. Too bad the universe has other ideas.
The Purest Hook
Rugged, hot, and rock hard, Dred Zander is exactly the type of man that normally sends Pixie running. Not dreaming about running her hands down his washboard abs…and lower. The lead singer and guitarist for the band Preload embodies trouble behind his quick smile and guarded eyes, and Pixie left trouble behind her years ago along with the name Sarah Jane Travers and the pathetic trailer her mom called home. But Dred has other ideas. Pixie’s sweet hazel eyes, purple hair and kaleidoscopic tattoo of exotic flowers that swirl up her arm haunt his dreams, and he’s ready to fight like hell to keep that feeling.
The Darkest Link
When her car breaks down off the side of a lonely highway far from her sunny Miami home, tattoo artist Lia never expected her very own white knight to ride up on the back of a barely street-legal motorcycle…and she never expected to fall for her dark savior. A bruised heart Lia is not looking for forever, and the hot mechanic, with his sexy scruff and shaggy hair, is simply impossible to resist. He’s the perfect candidate for a mind-blowingly-perfect, no-strings-attached one-night stand. But when their fling becomes something more and Reid surprises her at her tattoo studio, Second Circle Tattoos, he’s in for a shock—and a fist to the face—when his past and present collide.
Find out more at: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N
Exclusive excerpt:
“So, I don’t want you to get mad, Shortcake, but I have a surprise for you,” Cujo said. Nervously, he ran his hand through his blond hair as the opulent elevator of the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas took him and his unsuspecting soon-to-be fiancée up to their room. He studied Drea’s hazel eyes. Eyes that lit up when she smiled, that became red and blotchy when she cried, and went wide when she came apart in his arms like she had in bed that morning. Right now they looked at him suspiciously.
“More of a surprise than this morning when you woke me and told me I had an hour to pack and get ready?” She grinned at him and flicked her long-layered hair over her shoulder. “A surprise I am very grateful for. It’s a nice break before I go back for my second year of school.” Confidently, Drea stepped toward him, lifted up onto her toes, and brushed her lips
against his in a kiss which had him second guessing the surprise waiting for them in their room. He should have ensured it would be empty so he could throw her down on the bed, claim one more state on his places-I-fucked-Drea map. But that was going to have to wait, because first he had to get down on one knee and ask the one question he’d been so certain she’d say yes to when he’d put all of the plans in place. Now he was less than ten minutes away from doing the deed, he wasn’t feeling quite so confident. He loved her with every fucking cell in his body and was certain she felt the same way. So why was asking her to confirm that with a ring so nerve-wracking?
He’d inked her name on his body. Hell, all the tattoos on his left arm were dedicated to her. So why should putting ink on a piece of paper, a marriage certificate, feel so much more important?
Copyright © 2017 by Scarlett Cole
Coming soon from Scarlett Cole: Jordan Reclaimed (Preload #1)!
Jordan Steele’s life began when he was ten. When he was taken from his parents and a house that was never a home. When he met his brothers, the other lost and abandoned boys in his group home. When he learned what friendship and family and love looked like.
Now he’s made good, touring the world with the band he and his brothers formed in that crowded group home. No one but his found family really knows the man under the fame and fortune, the scars he hides behind the rockstar lifestyle. Until he sees her through the windows of the National Ballet, dancing, and suddenly the world doesn’t seem so dark.
Aleksandra Artemov ticks all the ballet boxes. Father a legendary Kirov dancer. Check. Prepping since birth for classical ballet. Check. Compulsive control over the food she eats. Check. Principal dancer at The National Ballet of Canada. Check. But what she craves is freedom.
She craves Jordan.
Everything about him should terrify her. His size, his tattoos, his edge. But he doesn’t. He stirs her very soul. Jordan has nothing but himself to offer her, and he’s never been good enough for anyone. Can he figure out how to face his own demons before he loses his light
for good?
Find out more at: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N | iBooks
About Scarlett Cole
Scarlett Cole is a writer of contemporary romance and a two-time RITA finalist. Her debut, THE STRONGEST STEEL, has already become an Amazon best seller in romantic suspense, was a Best Debut Goodreads Author Finalist 2015, and Authors On The Air Global Radio Network Contemporary Romance Pick of 2015.
When Scarlett isn’t writing, she spends her time reading, hoarding mason jars, and working out to off-set an epic sour candy habit. She likes hot men, cold beer, and expensive shoes.
Having travelled the world for work and fun, Scarlett is a citizen of both Britain and Canada. A true city-dweller, she considers Toronto and Manchester home and likes to set her books in vibrant locations such as Miami and Los Angeles.
Rep’d by Beth Phelan at The Bent Agency, and published by St. Martin’s Press.
She’d love to hear from you on twitter @itsscarlettcole
Connect with Scarlett: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Enter the giveaway! One grand prize winners will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card and the runner-up prize will be a copy of the box set including all four books in the series and an exclusive extended epilogue.
The Rule Maker by Jennifer Blackwood blitz with giveaway
All her rules are about to change…
THE RULE MAKER
The Rule Breakers #2
Jennifer Blackwood
Releasing January 16th, 2017
Entangled Embrace
Ten
Steps to Surviving a New Job:
1. Don’t sleep with the client. It’ll get you fired. (Sounds easy enough.)
2. Don’t blink when new client turns out to be former one-night stand.
3. Don’t call same client a jerk for never texting you back.
4. Don’t believe client when he says he really, really wanted to call.
5. Remember, the client is always right—so you can’t junk punch him when he
demands new design after new design.
6. Ignore accelerated heartbeat every time sexy client walks into room.
7. Definitely ignore client’s large hands. They just mean he wears big gloves.
8. Don’t let client’s charm wear you down. Be strong.
9. Whatever you do, don’t fall for the client. You’ll lose more than your
job—maybe even your heart.
10. If all else fails, see rule number one again.
~ Coming January 16th ~
He scrubbed
his palms over his face and rested his elbows on his knees. “This was not how I
saw this night going.”
“Big
Valentine’s Day plans?”
He lowered his
hands and looked at me like I’d just claimed I single-handedly caused the storm
raging outside. “I didn’t even know that was today. Does this mean we’re each
other’s valentines by default?”
I scoffed.
“Not a chance.”
He chuckled.
“Always so blunt. I like that about you.” He quickly cleared his throat as if
he hadn’t meant to say that. “Well, non-valentine, looks like we’re going to be
stuck here a while. Have anything in mind?” he said.
against packing on another insult. He was being nice, and this sure as heck
beat staring at the wall the rest of the night. “My form of entertainment is at
6 percent battery, so I’m open to suggestions.”
“Mine is fully
charged. Want to watch something?”
“Sure.” What
else did I have to do? Before I knew it, I was sitting on the bed next to him, leaning
against the ornately carved headboard. Snow gusting against the window was the
only sound in the room as he searched for a show for us to watch.
So quiet.
Way too quiet.
I fidgeted
with my necklace, moving the small diamond back and forth on the chain. The
last time I was in bed with Ryder… I didn’t even want to finish that thought,
because it’d do nothing but make this situation worse. I chanced a peek in his
direction.
He chewed the
inside of his cheek, swiping through our options. “This is awkward, huh?” he
said.
“We’ve
achieved Urkel status.”
He chuckled
and scrolled through the show queue. “Would you rather watch Law
and Order: SVU or Criminal
Minds?”
“That is quite
possibly the worst Would You Rather question ever asked.”
His eyes cut
to mine. “I didn’t know I was playing a game.”
“You’ve never
played it?”
He shook his
head.
Lainey and I
played this game all the time in college, and when we’d take road trips
together. She always came up with the grossest ones. “It’s simple. All you have
to do is ask the person which horrible thing they’d rather do. The harder the
question, the better. Like would you rather lay in a pit of snakes, or eat
questionably dead roadkill?” I pointed to his phone. “Oh, John
Tucker Must Die. I like that one.”
“Negative,
ghost rider.” He scrolled past my suggestion. “And what the hell does questionably
dead mean? Is it still twitching, or are we talking
suspicious cause of death?”
I shrugged.
“The interpretation’s up to you.”
“You’re
absolutely no help.” He swiped his thumb across his beard and contemplated. “I
guess I’d go with the snakes.”
“Okay, now
it’s your turn,” I said.
“Do I really
have to play? I thought we were picking a show.”
I shot him a
look.
“Fine. Would
you rather have me or Chewbacca as your valentine?”
“Too easy. The
spider.”
He put his
hand to his heart. “You wound me.”
“Stop being
such a baby.” I swatted at his chest and immediately pulled my hand back. Nope.
Would not go there. “Okay, would you rather not be able to see or talk for a
month?”
He answered
instantly. “See.”
“Right. You’d
probably go nuts if you couldn’t open that big mouth of yours.”
His lips
twitched. “You’re one to talk.”
“Excuse me?”
Okay, I did have a tough time keeping my thoughts on lockdown outside the
office, but that was my own cross to bear.
“Don’t even
try to play it off like you’re innocent.”
I’d dated a
lot of losers in the past, most who hadn’t even bothered to get to know me, but
even after only hanging out a few times, Ryder had me pegged. He was
perceptive. I saw the look in his eyes whenever I dealt with Jason. His attention
focused solely on me was unnerving. “Jerk,” I sputtered.
“Now I know
you’re holding back. You can do way better than that.” He scrolled through his
phone again. “How about Die Hard?”
“Are all your
show selections about death? I’m starting to worry I made a mistake coming over
here.” My lips pulled into a smile and I quickly extinguished it. God, I wanted
to hate him.
“Fine.” He
continued looking at the Netflix queue. “Would you rather eat sushi from a taco
stand, or lick an airplane armrest?”
“Good one.
Sushi.” I pointed to his screen. “How about 10 Things I
Hate About You?”
He shook his
head and chuckled. “Are all of your suggestions
going to not-so-subtly tell me you hate me?”
I smiled
sweetly. “Maybe.”
“Just think,
most people would find this to be a romantic escape. Two people, stuck in the
mountains on Valentine’s Day,” he said.
“We’re
Hallmark movie material, all right,” I deadpanned.
“Okay, fine.
How about The Walking Dead?”
“Your show
picking powers have been officially revoked.” I grabbed the phone from his
hand.
“Hey!” He
grabbed for the phone, and I held it out of reach. “You’re going to regret
that.” Within seconds he was on top of me, playfully pinning me to the bed, his
strong hands circling my wrists. Air evaporated from my lungs as our gazes
connected.
I was
immediately transported back to that night.
Tell
me what you want, Zoey. Tell me what you need from me.
I swallowed
hard. That was months ago, and those words still haunted me from time to time.
Because he did exactly that, gave me what I wanted and needed. Repeatedly.
Jennifer
Blackwood is
a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. She lives in Oregon
with her husband, son, and poorly behaved black lab puppy. When not chasing
after her toddler, you can find her binging on episodes of Gilmore Girls and
Supernatural, and locking herself in her office to write.
Diffraction by Jess Anastasi and From the Ashes by Xen Sanders Release Day Blast
Rocket into the new year with some out-of-this world sci-fi romances from Jess Anastasi and Xen Sanders! Diffraction and From the Ashes are engaging, emotional, and entertaining reads. So, I hope you’re prepared for some disruption to your sleep schedule because these titles are impossible to put down. Pick up your copies today!
About Diffraction:
After his unusual reaction to a weapon, Commando Varean Donnelly is accused of being a shape-shifting alien and imprisoned onboard the Imojenna. Sure, he has abilities he keeps hidden from everyone—including the gorgeous doc examining him—because the government makes sure people as different as him disappear. For good.
Imojenna doctor Kira Sasaki knows there’s something different about the handsome commando the captain’s thrown in their brig. She doesn’t think he’s Reidar, although he might have been a victim of their cruel experiments. But when Kira learns the stubborn commando’s racial make-up, she finds herself torn between defending him to Captain Rian Sherron and his crew or urging Varean to escape while he still can.
The Atrophy series is best enjoyed in order:
- Book #1 Atrophy
- Book #2 Quantum
- Book #3 Diffraction
Find it online:
Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Goodreads
About Jess Anastasi:
Jess has been making up stories ever since she can remember. Though her messy handwriting made it hard for anyone else to read them, she wasn’t deterred and now she gets to make up stories for a living. She loves loud music, a good book on a rainy day, and probably spends too much time watching too many TV shows. Jess lives in regional Victoria, Australia, with her very supportive husband, three daughters, two border collie dogs, and one cat who thinks he’s one of the kids.
Connect with Jess: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter
About From the Ashes:
Sociopath. Killer. Deviant.
Monster, devoid of morals, incapable of human emotion. The villain known as Spark has been called this and more, and as a super-powered aberrant has masterminded countless crimes to build his father’s inhuman empire. Yet to professor Sean Archer, this fearsome creature is only Tobias Rutherford–antisocial graduate researcher, quiet underachiever, and a fascinating puzzle Sean is determined to solve.
But one kiss leads to an entanglement that challenges everything Tobias knows about himself, aberrants, and his own capacity to love. When his father orders him to assassinate a senator, one misstep unravels a knot of political intrigue that places the fate of humans and aberrants alike in Tobias’s hands. As danger mounts and bodies pile higher, will Tobias succumb to his dark nature and sacrifice Sean–or will he defy his father and rise from the ashes to become a hero in a world of villains?
Find it online:
Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Goodreads
About Xen Sanders:
Hi. I’m Xen. Cole. Whatever you want to call me; both are true, and both are lies. My pen names are multitudes, my nicknames legion. Tall, bi/queer, introverted, author, and of a brown-ish persuasion made up of various flavors of Black, Asian, and Native American. I’m cuter than Hello Kitty, more bitter than the blackest coffee, and able to trip over cats in a single half-asleep lurch; I’m what happens when a Broody Antihero and a Manic Pixie Dream Boy fight to the death, and someone builds a person from the scraps left behind. Beardless, I look like the uke in every yaoi manga in existence; bearded or not, I sound like Barry White. About half my time is spent as a corporate writer, and the other half riding a train of WTFery that sometimes
results in a finished book. Romance, erotica, sci-fi, horror, paranormal; LGBTQIA and cishet; diverse settings and diverse characters from a diverse author.
Connect with Xen: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Fan Group | Goodreads | Newsletter
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