After the Lie by Kerry Fisher
After the Lie by Kerry Fisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lydia has spent her whole life living a lie. She’s married to the right kind of man, her kids go to the right know of school, her business is winning awards making her life seem perfect from the outside but now her past is catching up to her. She’s never shared what happened to her at thirteen, her husband doesn’t know, her children don’t know and now her secret is coming back to haunt her.
For thirty years Lydia’s family has held the secret and covered up the truth. Now the one person that could let the secret out has moved into town and shown up at her children’s school. In fear that her world is going to shatter around her Lydia begs that the truth stay buried before her world falls apart.
After the Lie is a bit of a mix of a psychological thriller with a whole lot of family drama. I was completely hooked as soon as I started to read this story. Wonderful writing and such an intriguing plot of how one lie can snowball into so much more.
The characters in this story seemed very real. Lydia’s parents did what they could to protect their little girl years before but the outcome of the events has turned into so much more. Lydia herself has her own issues from what had happened and struggles the entire read trying to cope. I have to say though I loved the humor thrown into the mix with the family dog Mabel, she may have ended up my most liked character in the story completely stealing the show with her antics.
There’s also a very real and very good message mixed into this story once the reader learns all about what happened thirty years before. Lydia spends a good deal of the book trying to teach her kids what she learned herself the hard way years before and you can’t help but feel for her as she can’t tell her family why she is so upset about certain things.
Overall, wonderful writing and an engaging page turner, definitely one I’d recommend!
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Mr. Perfect by J.A. Huss book blitz with giveaway
Mr. Perfect
J.A. Huss
Publication date: April 27th 2016
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Wanting the perfect man doesn’t make me crazy. I just know what I like.
A powerful billionaire in a suit wasn’t even my first choice. Mcallister Stonewall was never on my radar, I didn’t even know he existed.
But I do now.
His hands are all over me at work. The heat of his chest pressing against my bare back as he bends me over the desk is the only thing on my mind.
He is my most forbidden desires unleashed. He is my new secret obsession. He is my Mr. Perfect.
Until the moment I realize… There’s no such thing as perfect.
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EXCERPT:
“We own most of the land in the Tech Center. My father bought up the land thirty years ago before any of this was here. And we lease it out.”
Jesus. What kind of money is that? I can’t even begin to understand it.
“Anyway,” Mac says, standing. “I’m waiting in here for a reason.”
“Is that right?” I stand up too, but my heart beats a little faster when I take him in. He’s wearing a dark gray suit today, a blue shirt that is so light it’s barely a color, and another brilliant cerulean-blue tie that makes his matching eyes shine as they stare into mine.
I don’t know why, but I step backwards. His full attention on me suddenly feels more like a force than a look. He steps forward, hands reaching for me. I bump against the wall, no escape, and then he fists the front of my blouse and rips it open, revealing my silk cami.
My mouth opens in surprise.
He rips the cami apart too. And then, with one forceful whoosh, both garments are lying in a puddle of fabric on the floor.
“What are you doing?” I yell.
The intense stare turns to a boyish smile. “I’d like you topless for breakfast. And I get to call the shots for our dates.”
“Why do I even bother with you? Just why?” I refuse to cross my arms and cover my tits. Fuck him. Just fuck him. “Every time I start to think you’re not a pig, you go and do something like this.”
“It’s fun, right?” His smile never cracks.
“No,” I say. “It’s humiliating.”
“Your tits are nice, Ellie. You should not be ashamed of them.”
“I’m not ashamed of them—”
“Good. Because I’d like to stare at them while we have coffee and discuss our date tonight.”
A knock comes from Mac’s office and I might have a panic attack that someone will come in and find me bare like this.
“Hold that thought,” Mac says, leaning down to kiss my lips. “Breakfast is here. Sit,” he says, pushing on my shoulders until I slump into the window seat again. “I’ll be right back.”
And then he enters his office, pulling our connecting door closed.
I listen to the conversation in there as I look down at my clothes. What the hell was he thinking? The cami is dust. Ripped straight down the middle. At least the silk button-up shirt is only missing all the buttons. I can probably tie it around my waist to make it out to the parking lot, but—
There’s a jingle of a cart and plates. We have… room service? What kind of company has room service?
I guess I’m not all that surprised they have it up here. We have several restaurants on campus. The Atrium has a cafeteria. Maybe this came from the cafeteria?
Mac is laughing on the other side of the door, then I hear a polite thank you just before the sound of a closing door.
The connecting door swings open again and Mac is there, a wide grin on his face. “I hope you like pancakes.”
“This is not happening.”
“Oh, this is happening, Miss Hatcher. You are sitting here.” He points to the middle of the window seat as he pushes the cart towards me.
“I have no clothes, Mac. You ripped my cami. I’m going to have to tie that over-shirt on and go home to change. In fact,” I say, reaching down to get my blouse and pull myself together, “I’m not coming back. I’m done. Just when I think you’re a human, you act like an ape.”
“Would you just relax, Ellie?” He rips the shirt from my hands, balls it up, and then tosses it in the air, where it arcs perfectly and sails into the new trashcan that matches the desk. “Three points,” he says.
“It’s like you live in your own world or something. I think it’s funny that you accused me of living in some delusional fantasy, but you, Mr. Stonewall, you’re a raving lunatic who thinks the world is his asylum.”
“I’m going to take that as a compliment. Now sit. I’ve got it all under control.”
—
EXTRA!!
COVER REVEAL – MR. AWESOME:
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Author Bio:
JA Huss is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty romances. She likes stories about family, loyalty, and extraordinary characters who struggle with basic human emotions while dealing with bigger than life problems. JA loves writing heroes who make you swoon, heroines who makes you jealous, and the perfect Happily Ever After ending.
You can chat with her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AuthorJAHuss), Twitter (@jahuss), and her kick-ass romance blog, New Adult Addiction (www.newadultaddiction.com).
If you’re interested in getting your hands on an advanced release copy of her upcoming books, sneak peek teasers, or information on her upcoming personal appearances, you can join her newsletter list (http://eepurl.com/JVhAr) and get those details delivered right to your inbox.
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House of the Hanging Jade by Amy M. Reade Blog Tour with review and giveaway
Enter to Win a Copy of HOUSE OF THE HANGING JADE!
HOUSE OF THE HANGING JADE
Amy M. Reade
Releasing April 26th, 2016
Lyrical Press
Tired
of the cold winters in Washington, D.C. and disturbed by her increasingly
obsessive boyfriend, Kailani Kanaka savors her move back to her native Big
Island of Hawaii. She also finds a new job as personal chef for the Jorgensen
family. The gentle caress of the Hawaiian trade winds, the soft sigh of the
swaying palm trees, and the stunning blue waters of the Pacific lull her into a
sense of calm at the House of Hanging Jade–an idyll that quickly fades as it
becomes apparent that dark secrets lurk within her new home. Furtive whispers
in the night, a terrifying shark attack, and the discovery of a dead body leave
Kailani shaken and afraid. But it’s the unexpected appearance of her
ex-boyfriend, tracking her every move and demanding she return to him, that has
her fearing for her life . . .
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I knew I should have stayed home.
I bent my head as the wind whipped down Massachusetts Avenue, hurling snowflakes at my face, stinging my cheeks with hard, frosty pellets. The icy sidewalks were treacherous, making my walk to work precarious and slow. There were very few others brave or foolish enough to be out in this weather. I passed one man out walking his dog and silently praised him for being so devoted.
I finally arrived at the restaurant. I stamped on the snow that had piled up against the front door and slipped my key into the lock with fingers stiff and clumsy from the cold. Once inside, it only took me a second to realize that no one else was there. On a normal day, one without a blizzard, my assistant Nunzio would already have come in through the back and flipped on the kitchen lights before I arrived. I groaned. Even Nunzio, whom I could always count on, had stayed home. I moved through the darkened dining room and turned on the lights in the kitchen. As they blinked to life, I heard a heavy knock at the front door.
Hurrying to open it, I recognized the face of Geoffrey, the restaurant’s owner and my current boyfriend, bundled up in a thick scarf and hat.
“Kailani, what are you doing here?” he exclaimed, brushing snow off his boots in the vestibule.
“Someone has to be here to get things started,” I answered testily. “I don’t think we can open today,” Geoffrey said. “There’s no way the delivery trucks can get through, and I don’t think we’d have any customers even if they could.”
“You mean I came all this way for nothing?” I whined. Geoffrey smiled down at me. “Sorry. I just assumed you’d know not to come in on a day like this.”
“Why did you come in, then?”
“To catch up on paperwork. Plus, snowstorms don’t bother me.” “Ugh. They bother me. Well, I guess if you don’t need me here, I’ll head back home.”
“Want me to stop by later?”
I didn’t, but I nodded. Geoffrey and I hadn’t been dating for long. He was already becoming a little too clingy.
He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “Be safe getting home. I’d call you a cab, but there isn’t a single one on the streets.” “Believe me, I know.”
I trudged home the same way I had come, the snow falling even harder now and blowing sideways, making it difficult for me to see. When I finally made it to my apartment building, I clumped up the stairs in my heavy boots and stood inside my apartment, leaning against the door for several moments to catch my breath. It took me a while to peel off all my layers. I left them lying on the floor while I heated up milk on the stove for hot chocolate. As the milk warmed, I gazed at a canvas photo that hung in my front hall. It was a faraway view of the beach, taken from my parents’ backyard, overlooking the black sand and the curling waves of the azure Pacific Ocean.
“We’ve got to go home,” I said aloud to my cat, Meli, as she stepped daintily around me. This wasn’t the first time I had expressed this sentiment to Meli, but this time she stopped and looked up at me. She blinked and twitched her ears.
It was the sign I needed.
I watched the snow continue to fall for several hours from the warmth and safety of my apartment. Meli and I curled up on the couch while I tried to read a book, but I couldn’t concentrate. My thoughts returned again and again to palm trees and warm, caressing trade winds, to the faces of my mother and father, of my sister and her little girl. Geoffrey eventually stopped by, bringing with him an icy blast of air as I opened the door to the hallway.
He laughed. “Looks like this storm may never end.”
I invited him into the warmth of the apartment. “Take off your stuff. Want some hot chocolate?” I called over my shoulder as I walked into the kitchen.
“Sure,” he answered, struggling with one of his boots. I joined him in the living room a few minutes later. He was trying to stroke Meli’s chin, but she apparently wanted none of that. Her ears flattened back and she squirmed out of his reach.
I handed him the mug of hot chocolate and sat down opposite him. “Geoffrey, I have news,” I told him warily, knowing he probably wouldn’t be as happy as I was.
“What is it?”
“I’m going back to Hawaii.” I waited for his reaction.
“That’s nice. It’ll do you good to get out of this weather for a while.”
He obviously wasn’t getting it. “No, not for a while. I’m moving back. For good.”
I was right. He was not happy. In fact, he looked stricken, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. “What do you mean, for good?” he asked, choking on his hot chocolate.
“I mean, I just can’t stand it here any longer. I’m never going to get used to the weather, I miss my parents, and my niece is growing up without her auntie. It’s time to go back. This is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. I’ll miss you, Geoffrey, but this is what’s best for me,” I added, trying to soften the blow.
He looked like he was struggling for words.
“But . . . but . . . what will you do?”
“I’ll do the same thing I do here, Geoffrey. Sous-chefs are not unique to DC.”
“Okay, but what will I do? Without you, I mean?”
I felt sorry for him. He looked crestfallen.
“Geoffrey,” I said gently, “there are lots of women in Washington who are looking for someone as wonderful and kind and handsome and successful as you are. I have to do what my heart is telling me to do, and that’s to go back to Hawaii.”
He nodded slowly, his eyes downcast. “Is there anything I can say to keep you here?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“When are you leaving?”
“I don’t know. I just made the decision this morning.”
He sighed and leaned back against the couch cushions, holding his mug on his lap and staring into space.
“Geoffrey? You okay?” I asked.
He set his mug on the coffee table and pushed himself up from the sofa. “I guess I should get going, then. Will you keep working at the restaurant until you leave?”
I was surprised that he wanted to leave already, but I didn’t mention it.
“Of course. I’ll give you plenty of time to find another fabulous sous-chef.”
I watched Geoffrey as he walked down the hallway of my apartment building. His shoulders were stooped and his gait slow. He looked like a forlorn little boy. Poor Geoffrey. At the end of the hallway, right by the elevator, he turned around and made a pleading motion with his hands and walked back toward me.
Uh-oh.
“Kailani, how can you just throw away all the time we’ve spent together?”
I was a little taken aback, but I suppose I shouldn’t have been. Such dramatic statements were normal with him. “Geoffrey, we haven’t really spent too much time together. We haven’t been dating very long.”
“But doesn’t that time mean something to you?”
“Yes, of course it does. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you and we’ve had fun together. But it’s time for me to go home. And I’m afraid a long-distance relationship just isn’t possible. It’s too far away.”
“There’s got to be a way, Kailani. I just can’t stand the thought of losing you.”
“I’m sorry, Geoffrey. I’ve got to go. I’ll see you at work tomorrow.” I closed the door gently and stood there until I heard the ding of the elevator.
I waited a few hours before calling my mother since there was a five-hour time difference between DC and Hawaii.
She and my father were both thrilled by my news, as I knew they would be. They had a million questions for me, like when I would be coming home, where I would be looking for a new job, and whether I could live with them for a while.
“I don’t know!” I laughed. “I’m going to start putting out some feelers right away for jobs in restaurants and resorts along the Kohala Coast. Someone must need a sous-chef. Or even a head chef. But I’ll be home soon, don’t worry. I can’t stand another day of this winter weather.”
I hung up, promising to keep them posted about my job hunt. Suddenly, the winter seemed a little warmer.
Getting tired of the cold winters in Washington D.C. and missing her family Kailani Kanaka wants nothing more than to return to Hawaii. Trying to get her resume out and a find a job before she makes the big move she receives a call offering her a job to be the personal chef for the Jorgensen family. Looking to get back home and away from the guy she had been seeing she accepts the job and packs for home.
Unfortunately for Kailani as much as she loves her new job she finds herself in the middle of secrets and lies and soon a dead body turns up. Everyone is a suspect and to make matters worse Kailani’s ex boyfriend shows up on the island and won’t take no for an answer and leave Kailani alone.
House of the Hanging Jade starts off feeling a bit like a nice little cozy mystery but I think what hooked me into enjoying this read was it turned more into a soap opera-ish type of drama read. Everyone in the book has a story and their lives are intertwined with not only each other but with the mystery going on.
One of the things I also loved the most about this read was the setting. I could honestly feel as if I were hanging out on the lanai watching the ocean waves along with everyone in the story. Hawaii is a beautiful place that I would love to go myself someday and it just felt as if the sun and surf just oozed right off the pages while reading, such a lovely place to set a story. Kailani also being a personal chef was constantly cooking up such lovely things that reminds one of being on an island which adds to the fun of the read, be careful not to read while hungry the book just may give you more cravings.
The characters in this read were sometimes over the top with their actions but the drama kept me hooked regardless. Affairs, lies, deceit, stalking, and a murder added into the mix all kept the pages turning to see how it would all turn out.
Overall, not necessarily the best mystery out there but I still found myself quite intrigued with the drama and enjoyed the setting.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
My rating 4/5 stars
USA Today
bestselling author Amy M. Reade is also the author of Secrets of
Hallstead House and The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor. She grew up in northern New
York, just south of the Canadian border, and spent her weekends and summers on
the St. Lawrence River. She graduated from Cornell University and then went on
to law school at Indiana University in Bloomington. She practiced law in New
York City before moving to southern New Jersey, where, in addition to writing,
she is a wife, a full-time mom and a volunteer in school, church and community
groups. She lives just a stone’s throw from the Atlantic Ocean with her husband
and three children as well as a dog and two cats. She loves cooking and all
things Hawaii and is currently at work on her next novel. Visit her website at or at her blog.
Not the Hot Chick by N. Raines book blitz with giveaway
Not the Hot Chick: Complete Boxed Set
N. Raines
Publication date: April 26th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Contains Not the Hot Chick, Not the Stand In, Not the Friend with Benefits and Not the Placeholder
No one would call curvy Layla Messner hot. Sweet and smart, yes, but not hot. All that changes when she meets sexy bartender Cam. This bundle contains all four of parts of the Not the Hot Chick serial featuring a BBW heroine with heart and a hero with plenty of substance beneath his seductive style. Contains hot hook-ups, bitchy neighbors, ice skating blunders and—just possibly—love to last a lifetime.
This boxed set contains the complete Not the Hot Chick series.
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Not the Hot Chick (Book 1 in the Not the Hot Chick series) Blurb:
Can she be the hot chick for just one night?
No one would call curvy Layla Messner hot. Sweet and smart, yes, but not hot. She doesn’t stand a chance with Cam, the sexy bartender with the teasing grin—especially since her neighbor Jessi has him dead in her sights. Jessi, who is every man’s centerfold fantasy. All Layla has to look forward to is another night with her trusty vibrator.
But when his hook up with Jessi tanks, Cam looks to Layla. He wants her. Here’s her chance to take what she wants and finally be the object of desire—the Hot Chick. If she says no, she may regret it forever. If she says yes, one night may not be enough.
Please note this is a serialized romance. Not the Hot Chick is Book 1 in the series.
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EXCERPT FROM BOOK 1:
Jessi Wallace eyed the cute bartender’s butt the way a hungry cat might eye an unsuspecting bird. She actually licked her lips. “I am so going to do him.”
Layla Messner held back a sigh, took another sip of her lemon-drop martini, and asked herself for the sixth time that night, Why am I here, again?
She should have known better than to accept Jessi’s invitation to go out tonight. They weren’t really friends, just across-the-hall neighbors in the same apartment complex that housed many of the Buff State students here in Buffalo, New York. She and Jessi would nod and smile when they passed each other, occasionally stop and chat, but they’d never partied together. So it had been quite the surprise when Jessi tapped on her door two hours ago with a smile and an invitation: “Feel like cutting loose tonight?”
Silly Layla, thinking Jessi was trying to be friendly. More likely, she just wanted a wingman—or wingwoman in this case—and had no one else to step out with.
Jessi leaned over the bar provocatively in her low-cut top, calling to the bartender and pointing to her empty glass. “Can I have another down here?”
Oh, God, she was actually batting her eyelashes. And the way she was leaning to flash her cleavage, it was a wonder her boobs didn’t fall right out onto the bar.
Layla glanced down at her own chest, pulling back her shoulders. Her boobs weren’t so bad, even if they weren’t shown off as blatantly as Jessi’s. Layla knew she had nothing to be ashamed of in that department. If anything, she’d been generously blessed.
The problem was, she was a little too blessed in other areas as well. “Curvy” would be a kind description. “Chubby” might be more to the point.
Jessi, on the other hand, had a body that was every guy’s wet dream. She had big breasts and a tiny little waist that curved out to a rounded pair of hips. The tight, short skirt she wore had every guy in the room craning his neck for a second look at her ass.
The place was pretty quiet for a Friday night. But then again, it was the weekend before spring break, and much of the college-age crowd that usually frequented the Shamrock had already left town. Layla had a four-hour drive to get to her parents’ house and was wiped from spending the day with a class of hyper first graders. Morning would be soon enough to make the trip home.
The bartender ambled down their way and gave them both a smile. “Ready for another, ladies?”
Layla’s heart warmed at the way he included her in the offer. He didn’t just ignore her, the way some guys did, to focus on her prettier companion.
Jessi smirked and tapped the rim of her glass. “I’d like another Hard Fast Screw please.” She practically purred the order for the Shamrock’s variation of a screwdriver.
“You got it.” He directed his gaze at Layla, and her heart gave a little flip. It was too dark in the bar to tell what color his eyes were, but she knew they were beautiful. Just like the rest of him. Dark hair, a buff body, and a gorgeous face. High cheekbones, a
straight nose, chiseled lips. Those lips moved, but Layla was too mesmerized by his looks to pay any attention to what he was saying.
She blinked. “Uh, excuse me?”
“He asked if you want another drink.” Jessi’s cutesy moves were forgotten as she gave Layla the death stare. Don’t poach on my territory.
As if. Still, a girl could dream, couldn’t she?
—
Author Bio:
N. Raines (who also writes as Nona Raines) is a former librarian who lives in upstate New York with her many pets. She’s currently working on her next novel between walking the dog and shooing the cats off the laptop. Her erotic romances are published with The Wild Rose Press and Loose Id. Her transgender romance His Kind of Woman was nominated for the 2014 DABWAHA sponsored by the Dear Author and Smart Bitches, Trashy Books review blogs. Her most recent work is the romance novella Write to Me and the transgender romance Her Kind of Man.
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It Takes One by Kate Kessler
It Takes One by Kate Kessler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Audrey Harte hasn’t been home to visit in years. After finishing college to become a criminal psychologist she moved out to L.A. and has been involved in a T.V. show profiling young criminals. Audrey herself did time in a youth facility when she was younger after she and her friend Maggie had killed Maggie’s abusive father. The time in lock up gave Audrey the motivation and drive to want to be able to help other young people in her life but it also caused the friendship between the two to drift apart.
When Audrey visits her hometown though the first thing that happens is she runs into her old friend Maggie who is drunk and the two have an altercation. The next morning when a body is discovered on the beach it is found that it was Maggie and Audrey ends up being the main suspect. Determined to clear her name Audrey begins her own investigating along with her old friend Jake.
It Takes One was one of those fast paced, intense thrills rides from beginning to end. It didn’t take long at all to become completely hooked on this well written story. There were a lot of other things taking place in this small town along with trying to solve the murder so never a dull moment while reading.
Audrey was a great character, she’s strong and independent and made something for herself even after a horrific event. She had only done what she had due to Maggie’s father being abusive and the girls had done what they should and told other adults only to have no one believe them. I also absolutely loved Jake, a style and attitude all his own he was easy to like right off. There were so many colorful and interesting secondary characters also in the book that added to the story.
Overall, great read to make you think…just how far would you go for someone you loved? Definitely a book I’d recommend and will be looking to pick up the next as this will be a new series featuring Audrey.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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