Week Of Christy Reece

Return to Me
Last Chance Rescue #2
Christy Reece
Published May 19th, 2009
330 Pages
Ballantine Books
Source: Reviewer Purchased


Return to Me is definitely tied with Rescue Me as my favorite of this trilogy, but Run to Me might be cutting in close.  This is going to be VERY difficult. 

Christy Reece has an imagination beyond anything I could have thought up, and Return to Me will blow your mind.  The way she twists and turns the story, bringing in characters that have you saying "OMG...why didn't I think of him?"  I just loved it!

In Return to Me, Noah McCall, head of Last Chance Rescue, calls on Samara Lyons, Jordan's ex-girlfriend, to help with an Online Predator operation.  She is petite, with an innocence about her that Noah thinks will lure in the man that is heading a human trafficking ring of teenage girls.  So what if every time he is around Samara he feels the urge to rip both of their clothes off and take her wherever he can get her.

Samara Lyons thinks Noah McCall is the most arrogant jerk she has ever met, so she can't understand her attraction to him, and why she can't stop thinking about the one AMAZING kiss they shared months ago, when he walked away from her causing her to be humiliated.  Samara wants to help LCR with this small mission, if only she can get a hold of her libido and give it a stern talking to. 

Let's just say the mission gets screwed up, Samara gets kidnapped and Noah plans to do whatever he has to do to save her, even if it means becoming the man he never thought he would be again, and facing the man he never thought he would have to see again, unless it was to end his life.

Oh my...this one is good....and the emotions are high...my favorite kind of romance.  I didn't think I would LOVE Noah as much as I do, but he really surprised me and the things you find out about him, the life that he has led, the things he has done for others...he amazed me.  And Ms. Samara isn't so bad herself...I thought she was sweet, kind and had the patience of a Saint...to deal with Noah and all his crap!

I loved the bits and pieces of interaction we got not just between Noah and Samara, cause those were steamy, but with Jordan and Eden, even getting to know a few of the other LCR operatives...This was a fun book to read and full of twists and turns that I didn't even see coming. 

I truly an loving this series and If you haven't gotten started yet, I suggest you do, cause you will be hooked, line and sunk within minutes.

I hope you enjoy this romance suspense and the rest of the series...Happy Reading!

Week of Christy Reece

Rescue Me
Last Chance Rescue #1
Christy Reece
Released April 28th, 2009
362 Pages
Ballantine Books
Source: Reviewer Purchased


I have FINALLY gotten around to reading the first Six books in the Last Chance Rescue series by the VERY Talented, VERY amazing, Christy Reece.  So this week is Christy Reece week at A Tasty Read, and I will be reviewing the first six books of the series, and I will even put links to the last three books, The Sweet Trilogy, which have all been previously reviewed.  If you ARE a fan of Christy, then leave a comment, share with me your thoughts on the books, If you are not YET a fan of Christy Reece, then you certainly will be after this week.

Rescue Me is the first book in the Last Chance Rescue series, and includes a bit of set up for the next book of the series, but does not take away from the storyline, if enhances the story, and let me tell you, a bit more Noah McCall is alright in my book.

In Rescue Me, we meet Eden St. Claire (Devon Winters), who seven years ago barely survived the most horrible night of her life, both mentally and physically.  Rescued by Noah McCall, head of the Last Chance Rescue organization, she went through extensive surgery and training, and is now one of the top LCR agents, with skills that go beyond exceptional, especially with her sophisticated demeanor and ice-cold stare.

That is until Noah brings someone from her past into her future, setting her off balance for the first time in years.  Jordan Montgomery, a government agent and godson of Devon's step-father, was the man that Eden/Devon thought she was going to marry as a innocent child, but years later, he helped make the best night of her life into her worst nightmare, and has been searching for her ever since.  He feels as if he can't move on unless he has closure, but what he gets instead is a chance to work with LCR and Eden St. Claire, whom he feels an attraction to like he has never felt before. 

You see where this is going...hidden identity, old insecurities, new feelings, and a whole lot of steamy, steamy love makin.  I truly enjoyed this romance suspense, and I was so unsure of where the story was going and how Christy was going to pull off a HEA from all the crap she puts these characters through.  I love when I read a suspense and I can't guess what will happen next.  Even though I spent some time hating Jordan, and thinking someone should kick his ass (thank you Noah),  I did end up loving him at the end, as well as, Eden...she kicked ass, took names, but was still a human, with feelings and deep hurt that I will never be able to understand, but I applaud her from coming out of the ordeal she went through whole and kicking. 

Sometimes I wonder how suspense writers can actually write about these horrible things and horrible people who actually exist out there in the world.  Christy Reece is one of my favorite romance suspense writers and she has a way of sucking the reader into the world of the characters and making you want to jump onto the page and help these characters in gaining justice for the innocent and wronged.  If I was a romance suspense heroine, I'd wish to be a kick-ass, female, Last Chance Rescue agent and help demolish some of the vile, disgusting, evil people that live amongst the good in the world. 

So...I HIGHLY recommend this series, and this book and hope that you enjoy a week of Christy Reece and The Last Chance Rescue Team.

Enjoy and Happy Reading!!

WEEK OF YA

Confessions of an Angry Girl
Confessions #1
Louise Rozett
Releasing August 28th, 2012
304 Pages
Harlequin
Source: NetGalley

BLURB:

Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has some CONFESSIONS to make...

#1: I'm livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I'm allowed to be irate, don't you?

#2: I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed Jamie Forta, a badass guy who "might" be dating a cheerleader. She is now enraged and out for blood. Mine.

#3: High school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time. (Mars is red and "seeing red" means being angry-get it?)

Here are some other vocab words that describe my life: Inadequate. Insufferable. Intolerable.

(Don't know what they mean? Look them up yourself.) (Sorry. That was rude.)

I don't always like to use the Blurb when explaining the book to my readers, but this one is the perfect description of Rose Zarelli, and all her infinite wisdom.  We have all been there, or have seen it, angsty teen, angry at the world.  But Rose has this humorous side that kept me laughing for hours, that was when I WASN'T drooling over Heartthrob, Jamie Forta...*SWOON*....He will have you melting into a big puddle of giggling school girl!! 

Is it terrible to be Thirty and have a crush on a made-up High School boy??  Hum...that is a whole other discussion!! 
I have to say, I really liked Rose.  She was a fierce protector of her best friend, Tracy, even though Tracy was more concerned with herself, her boyfriend, Matt, and going along with whatever the older cheerleaders want her to do.  Her brother, Peter, went away to school and has become practically a stranger, her mother is too concerned with her therapy clients and too busy to notice her daughter is grieving...the only person who seems to notice her is Jamie Forta...the very cute bad-boy who used to play hockey with her brother before he was thrown off the team a few years back, and Rose may have just had a slight crush on him back in the day. 

Unfortunately, getting attention from Jamie also gets you the unwanted attention of Regina Deladdo, bitch-extraordinaire, cheerleader and thorn in Rose's side.  There is one scene that I won't tell you about, but you will understand when you read it, that had me yelling "GO ROSE!!"  Had me wishing I was back in High School so I could be friends with Rose, she is a new favorite YA heroine in my book!!

I am SOOO excited that this series will be going on..I am guessing four books, since each book is one year of High School for Rose.  The next book is Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend, which will be Rose's sophomore year, and I can't WAIT to find out what is going to happen...especially with the open-ending we are left with at the end of Confessions of an Angry Girl.  Louise Rozett has me hooked and I can't wait for the next book!!  Keep em' coming!!

YES, YES, YES...I highly recommend getting your hands on this book and taking a trip back to High School, even for just a little while!!  You won't be sorry!!

Enjoy and Happy Reading!!

WEEK OF YA

Slammed
Slammed #1
Colleen Hoover
Published Jan 5th, 2012
314 Pages
Self-Published
Source: Reviewer Purchased


Slammed by Colleen Hoover definitely lives up to it's name.  I simply LOVE how the author uses the title within the book, as in Slam Poetry, and Slamming the door on your feelings.  Which we get a bit of both in this Fantastic Debut YA.  

Layken Cohen moves from her home in Texas to Michigan with her mother, Julia and younger brother, Kel, after the sudden death of her father.  She decides that she hates everything about Michigan until she meets her neighbor, Will Cooper.  Lake feels a connection to Will from the first second they meet and it goes on to become stronger after he takes her on a date and let's her into his world.  But there are things that neither knows about each other, and those things will stand to tear them apart. 

Will Cooper...can we say *SWOON*...there is no way you will finish this book and NOT be in love with Will Cooper.  He has definitely made the YA Hero Crush List!!

This was a recommended read from a few of my amazing Tasty Readers, and I have to say, they are spot on EVERY TIME!!  Slammed is one of those books that sucks you into the story, making you feel as if you are right there, hurting along with the main characters, feeling what they feel, breaking as they break.  I love when a book grabs you by the heartstrings and takes you on a wild ride.

The poetry shared within the Slam sessions, as well as, in Poetry class, is AMAZING!!  You will have to read to understand what I mean.  I loved the Slam done by Eddie, Lake's best friend at her new school.  I was curious to know more about her, and after reading her Slam, you find out all that you needed to know and more, I think I liked her even more after.

Slammed also has a sequel, Point of Retreat, which is also available on Amazon, and I highly recommend purchasing both, since you will need to jump right into the second book after finishing Slammed, as I did, reading until 3am, just to finish.  They are so worth the read and the purchase, cause you will be going back and re-reading over and over, maybe even highlighting your favorite lines and poems.  I simply LOVED this book and Point of Retreat. 

So Enjoy and Happy Reading!

A WEEK OF YA

I have been reading some AMAZING YA Romances recently, so I thought, why not have a FULL WEEK OF YA.  Today I am starting off with a Fantastic Debut Release from a new Harlequin Teen Author.


Pushing The Limits
Katie McGarry
Releasing July 31st, 2012
384 Pages
Harlequin Teen
Source: NetGalley

Katie McGarry is ONE TO WATCH, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Pushing The Limits is an amazing YA romance that touches on so many issues within the lives of Echo Emerson and Noah Hutchins, two lost souls who are both just looking for a bit of "Normal" in their lives.

They are put together by the new school Therapist, Mrs. Collins, who I have to say that I LOVED and completely pictured the woman who plays the Guidance Counselor in MTV's show, Awkward.  Echo took a job tutoring a troubled student, Noah Hutchins, who needs to get his grades up in order to eventually gain custody of his two younger brothers after he graduated High School. 

What began as something very innocent turns into so much more than a romance between these two lost souls, but a connection that neither of them could have imagined.  Echo and Noah have plans to help each other find the answers both are looking for, but will their love survive, after all is said and done, or will the answers that they had been looking for be the one thing that can keep them apart. 

I will admit that the cover was the first thing that caught my eye, but the story on the inside is what will stay with you for far longer than you will remember the beautiful cover.  Echo and Noah have certainly stayed with me and have found a permanent home on my list of Favorite YA Couples.  Noah alone will certainly have you falling in love, with his chocolate brown stare and the flop of hair than always seems to fall in his eyes.  Talk about a mega crush!!

There were some GREAT secondary characters, Beth and Isaiah, who are Noah's foster brother and sister, and Beth is actually getting her own book called Dare You To, which should be out sometime in 2013.  Isaiah is just ADORABLE and you might find yourself with a slight crush on him as well.  Carrie and Joe, who I actually really began to like as I got further into the book.  Mrs. Collins, who I already mentioned that I LOVED.  She is so much more than just an employee of the school, but becomes a true hero in my eyes.  And Mr. Emerson and Ashley...oh boy...so much going on between these two and Echo.  Everyone holds a small piece of the book, but I don't think it would have been as great of a book without them.

I HIGHLY recommend Pushing The Limits and I hope that you feel the same way about this book as I do.  I love when I can't put a book down and that was how I felt while reading this book..it was that good.  This is a TO-READ and in my opinion, one for the Keeper Shelf. 

Enjoy and Happy Reading!!

Something Missing

That Thing Called Love
Razor Bay #1
Susan Andersen
Releasing July 24th, 2012
384 Pages
Harlequin
Source: NetGalley

So I FINALLY finished this book last night.  I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.  Something was just missing.

Jake Bradshaw comes back to Razor Bay, where he grew-up, after almost thirteen years of being away.  He has come home to finally meet his son and hopefully become the father that he is sure Austin needs.  Jenny Salazar, the woman who is caretaker of Austin now that his grandparents have both passed away, has a BIG problem with Jake waltzing back into Austin's life, wanting to up-root him from the only home he has ever known, and take him to New York City, where Jake lays his head when he isn't globe-trotting around the world as a Photojournalist for National Geographic.

Unfortunately for Jenny, as Jake and Austin get closer, she finds herself falling for him also, or it could be the kisses.  Jenny knows that Jake couldn't wait to leave Razor Bay as a kid, so there is a big chance that she could lose Austin, as well as her heart to Jake.  Will Jake decide to stay in Razor Bay, or will he deny the feelings he has for Jenny, and take Austin off to NY without admitting how he feels?  Lots of questions to be answered.

Ok, so I honestly didn't feel ANY connection to ANY of the characters.  I wasn't invested in their lives, or what was happening in the story.  I finished the book because I felt that I should give it a fair shot, but I didn't feel invested in the story, or the outcome. 

The one person I liked in the book was Austin, the thirteen-year-old son of Jake and his High School girlfriend who died after he was born, which the story just passes over.  Austin was cute, and honest about his feelings, but I will say that some of his language was a bit off for 2012, he kept saying "dope" and I haven't heard that word being used in quite a while.

There was a small secondary story with Jenny and her father, which was very unnecessary, and didn't really bring anything to the story at all.  We had Max Bradshaw, Jake's half-brother and Tasha, Jenny's best friend, who were necessary as the people who Jenny and Jake could share feelings with, and the author could use them to get information out of the main characters through conversation, but other than that, neither of them stood out at me as GREAT, or "I'd love to read his/her story next", I just felt nothing!

After reading the last release by Susan Andersen, I was very excited to see she had a new series coming out, but unfortunately it fell flat for me.  I wish I could say I loved it, but I just didn't.  It was ok, and other reader might feel differently, but I just didn't feel that spark or connection that some Romances can bring to the table. 

So, I would say if you are not a die-hard Susan Andersen fan, maybe borrow the book from a friend, or wait until you can get the book on sale.

Fool's Gold Summer Comes to a Close

All Summer Long
Fool's Gold #9
Susan Mallery
Released July 24th, 2012
384 Pages
HQN Books
Source: NetGalley

I can't believe the Fool's Gold series is up to NINE books already, not including the three novella's Susan has included in between releases.  Nine books in a series and I have adored each and every one.

All Summer Long holds a special place in my heart, not only did I love the storyline, but I LOVED Charlie and Clay. We meet Charlie in Summer Days, and we get to know her better throughout the Summer Nights, but it's in All Summer Long that we get to see her shine, and I found myself liking her more and more with each page.  We meet the youngest Stryker brother, Clay, in Summer Nights, when he help Annabelle get Shane to realize that they are meant to be.  Any brother than will take a punch to help a girl get her man, is a man after my own heart.

So you have to understand how thrilled I was that Charlie and Clay were getting their own romance, even if they both screw it up a time or two.  Charlie is a strong woman, who everyone assumes can handle herself, but Charlie is just like every other woman.  Sometimes she needs a little protection, a little guidance and someone to show her that sex is nothing to be afraid of, that is where Clay Stryker comes in.  Little do these two know, the second they ignite the fire under the sheets, they will be changed forever. 

Clay Stryker is just looking for a more meaningful career, and he has some ideas for making a name for himself in Fool's Gold, while the town, more the ladies of the town, still see him as a piece of sexy "ASS".  Charlie is the only one to see him for what he could be, and to treat him like a friend instead of the male model that he used to be.  But Clay has a few fears of his own, and being with Charlie might be more of a risk than he is willing to take. 

I think this might just be one of my favorite Fool's Gold books ever.  I enjoyed every page of All Summer Long, and found myself on the seat of my pants in anticipation of when Charlie and Clay would finally get together.  This was such a fun read, and ANYONE will enjoy the blooming romance between Clay and Charlie. 

I highly recommend this book, and I hope that you all fall in love with Clay as much as I did. 

Enjoy and Happy Reading!!

Summer With Jill Shalvis Blog Tour and GIVEAWAY

A Tasty Read is thrilled to be able to participate in the Summer with Jill Shalvis Blog Tour.  Not only was I excited to read more books in the Lucky Harbor Series, but each one of the Chocoholics Books became my NEW Favorite...and I thought NOTHING could top Lucky in Love.

At Last and Forever and a Day both dazzled and amazed, and had me yearning for MORE MORE MORE!!  I had previously reviewed At Last, so click the link below if you want to read all my GUSHING about this awesome book.

 http://atastyread.blogspot.com/2012/06/at-last-lucky-harbor-5-jill-shalvis.html 

Please read on for my review of Forever and a Day, the third book in the Chocoholics Trilogy AND I am also hosting a GIVEAWAY of the book for ONE WINNER to enjoy.  So make sure to read the entire review so that you can find out how to enter the GIVEAWAY!!

**CONGRATULATIONS TO KRISTY...She has won the Forever and a Day by Jill Shalvis.  Thank you to ALL of you who entered, I hope you will keep on entering the Tasty Read Giveaways.

Forever and a Day

Lucky Harbor #6

Jill Shalvis

Releasing July 31st, 2012

Grand Central Publishing

Source: NetGalley and Blog Tours

Blurb:

LOVE CAN HAPPEN IN A HEARTBEAT.

Grace never thought she’d be starting her life over from scratch. Losing everything has landed her in Lucky Harbor, working as a dog walker for overwhelmed ER doctor Josh Scott. But the day his nanny fails to show up, Grace goes from caring for Josh’s loveable mutt to caring for his rambunctious kids. Soon Grace is playing house with the sexy single dad…

With so many people depending on him, Josh has no time for anything outside of his clinic and family–until Grace arrives in town. Now this brainy blonde is turning his life inside out and giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “good bedside manner.” Josh and Grace don’t know if what they have can last. But in a town like Lucky Harbor, a lifetime of love starts with just one day…

As I may have mentioned above, Forever and a Day, the third book of the Chocoholics Trilogy is AMAZING!!  We have gotten to know Grace Brooks and Dr. Josh Scott within the last two book and we FINALLY get to their love story, and it is SOOOOO worth the read!!

Grace Brooks had landed in Lucky Harbor after running out of gas on her way to anywhere and ended up being sucked in by new friends, and fellow chocoholics, Mallory and Amy.  She'd been doing odd jobs here and there to make ends meet until Dr. Scott, the yummy bachelor Dr. of Lucky Harbor, contacts her to help with his dog.  The job that was supposed to be easy becomes more and more complicated by the day and Grace's feelings for Josh get deeper and deeper.

Dr. Josh Scott has been doing the whole single-parent thing for the past five years and not only that, but he's also responsible for his disabled sister, he runs his father's practice and he takes shifts at the hospital.  He is worn out, tired and in need of some serious help.  Not only does Grace help him get his family life in order, she helps him to see that a little R&R is a much needed addition to his life, as well as Grace herself.

Forever and a Day was so much fun to read, full of page after page of Breath-holding, Where is this going, Are they finally going to, excitement.  I think I smiled throughout the entire book, that was how light-hearted I felt.  You won't be able to contain your excitement either, and I warn you to be prepared for an ALL-NIGHTER with this one.  There is NO WAY you are putting this one down.

This book is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and I would definitely read the COMPLETE Lucky Harbor series, if you haven't already.  You are missing out on A LOT of great romance and happy endings.

GIVEAWAY QUESTION:  What is your FAVORITE Lucky Harbor Couple?  And If you haven't read this series by Jill Shalvis, please share another Favorite Couple that you have fallen in love with recently. (Please include a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS in your post to be entered.  Giveaway will run until Wednesday, July 18th 11:59pm EST)



Wishing for Closure

Reason to Breathe
The Breathing Series #1
Rebecca Donovan
Published May 10th, 2011
374 Pages
Kindle Edition
Source: Borrowed



First I have to say, Evan Matthews *Swoon*.  Talk about a MEGA crush...he has claimed a spot on my Favorite YA Hero List...If you pick up this book ONLY because you want to know who I am talking about...it is very much worth it.

Ok...onto my review.  Thank you to TWO of my favorite facebook peeps, Jaclyn and Becky for first recommending that I read this book, and to Jaclyn, thanks for the loan.  Reason to Breathe came highly recommended to me, so I figured I would give it a shot.  Coming from a childhood full of uncertainty myself, I can relate to Emma, our heroine, on a different level.  Not coming from an abusive home, I guess I couldn't understand some of her choices, but I could relate to the reality of denial and being ashamed to talk about things that go on behind the closed doors of a home. 

Yes, I wanted to smack Emma on the head a few times and make her talk about what was going on at home, but I had respect for her reasons and tried to understand along with Sara, Emma's best friend, and Evan, the guy who steals Emma's heart.  Again I say, just pick up this book for the fact that Evan Matthews is super crush-worthy and the love story alone will keep you up late into the night, as it did me.

I wont say that I hated the ending, because as a writer myself I believe in the authors creative vision and have much respect for where she wanted the series to go, but...WTF?  Seriously...hee hee.  You can't leave me like that!  I need my Happily Ever After, maybe it's the Pisces in my, or the hopeless romantic, but I need to know that Emma and Evan make it, or at least Emma makes it...huff...ok, I'm done ranting now.  The end will definitely have you by the seat of your pants and yes, you will need to get the next book in the series, Barely Breathing, as soon as you finish Reason to Breathe. 

I just have one more thing to add...George is a PUSSY.  Ok, I feel better.  Excuse my vulgar language, I needed to get that out.

I say, Give this book a chance.  Try not to read the reviews, just buy it and read it, then buy the next one.  I'd love to hear what you think about it when you finish.

Enjoy and Happy Reading!

I'd Ride with Tom Anywhere

Ride With Me
Ruthie Knox
Released Feb 13th, 2012
216 Pages
Loveswept
Source: NetGalley

What a Great Romance.  Who would have thought that bicycling could be so hot!

Alexandra "Lexie" Marshall arrives at the western seaside thinking that she was here to meet Tom Geiger, only the Tom Geiger that showed was nothing like what she had been picturing in her head, and Lexie, was definitely not what Tom pictured when he was looking for a guy named "Alex"...hee hee...his mistake!!

Lexie has been waiting to ride the TransAmerican Trail since she was a child, and she wasn't going to let Angry Tom stand in the way, even if she would rather ride with him than alone.  Tom makes a decision that he will go with Lexie on the trip, but only because he has some sort of chivalry complex where he feels the need to take care of people, or feel guilty if something were to happen to them.  So he rides with her, but only until he can find someone else to finish the ride as her partner.  With a few white lies, a few meddling family members and a few hidden secrets, Tom and Lexie take the ride of their lives.  Might be a bit bumpy at times, but it sure was a hell of a ride.

I have seen this book a lot on Goodreads and Amazon and never picked it up until now, what was I waiting for?  I enjoyed this book so much, not only for the different sides of Tom, but I was sucked into the story after the first few pages and I needed to know what would come of Tom and Lexie, and I hoped it would have the happiest of endings!

Tom Geiger has officially made it to my "favorite heroes" list.  Not only was he physically smokin hot, but he's moody and broody, funny and affectionate, and I wouldn't have minded having to share his tent, if you know what I mean!!  Lexie was pretty cool herself.  She didn't let Tom get away with his moods and she was a stubborn little thing.  I admired her and really enjoyed watching her personality and Tom's clash.  Love me some sexual tension!!

This is my first book by Ruthie Knox, but it will not be my last.  I will start her new release, About That Night, soon and I would highly recommend that all my Tasty Readers give this book and her new book a chance!!  You won't be disappointed.

Enjoy and Happy Reading!!

Cover Reveal: Empty Net by Toni Aleo

Empty Net (Assassins #3) by Toni Aleo

Expected release date: September 11, 2012 self published.

Synopsis: 

Definition of an Empty Net: When a team pulls the goalie for an extra attacker, desperately seeking a goal.

Audrey Parker was in a horrible place.

She hated her job, her sister was getting married and moving out, but worst of all, she was in love with a total jerk. No matter what she did, every guy she met hurt her. All she wanted was her happily ever after. Her Prince Charming. Her Lucas Brooks! She didn’t know how to change her life but she knew she needed too.

Feeling like she was about to hit rock bottom, Audrey wakes up next to Tate Odder.

Tate Odder had lost everything.

After being brought up from the Assassins’ farm team, the Florida Rays to the Nashville Assassins, Tate hopes he’ll forget everything he has lost. He doesn’t. Each day gets harder to live in a place he doesn’t know. Even being the first rookie goalie to shut out an opposing team three times during the Lord Stanly Cup Finals, he still felt empty. With the loss of his parents and sister still heavy on his heart, Tate isn’t sure how to live like everything is okay.

But when he wakes up beside Audrey Parker, things start to change. She turns his life upside down with her kooky sense of humor and her bright clothing. She is intelligent and beautiful, and for once, he doesn’t feel empty.

Will Audrey be the person to fill the holes in Tate’s heart, making him whole again?

Or will another player ruin everything, leaving him feeling forever like an empty net?

Read the first chapter of Tate and Audrey's story here!

Toni Aleo

Author Bio

I am a wife, mother, and hopeless romantic.

I have been told I have anger issues, but I think it’s cause of my intense love for hockey!

I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!

When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughters dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, and reading the latest romance novel.

I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, and did I mention I love hockey?

Website | Facebook | Twitter: tonilovesweber6 | Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5255580.Toni_Aleo)

Get the first two books in the series, Taking Shots and Trying to Score!

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Melt Into You Blog Tour with Roni Loren

Hello to All of My Lovely Tasty Readers,

Today we have a special Guest Blogger, the very talented, Roni Loren.  We are hosting Roni as a part of her blog tour promoting her New Release, Melt Into You, the second book in her Loving on the Edge series.  This series is all about relationships that are All Tied Up, hee hee, in emotions and heartbreak, trust and kinky seduction.  I wanted to know more about what type of research Ms. Loren had to do, or how she came up with the idea of "The Ranch".

So I am going to let Roni take the floor for a bit, but I will be back with my review of Melt Into You at the end of her post.

As a special gift, Roni will award an eBook copy of "Still Into You" to one randomly drawn commenter at every stop and a Book Grab Bag - Autographed copy of CRASH INTO YOU along with these books: Raziel by Kristina Douglas, Blood Stains by Sharon Sala, The Summer Garden by Paullina Simons, and Deadly Valentine by Justine Davis and Cindy Dees to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour (US/Canada only).  So make sure to follow the rest of her tour and comment each day for more chances to win.

The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/05/virtual-book-tour-melt-into-you-by-roni.html

Without further ado, here is Roni:

How I Built “The Ranch”

So happy to be here at A Tasty Read today! Today I’ve been asked to explain how the heck I did research for The Ranch, the BDSM resort that my Loving on the Edge series centers around. First, lets get the obvious out of the way, I didn’t find some fantasy ranch and go take a tour--unfortunately, lol. But I can tell you where I got the inspiration.

I live in Texas so there is a lot of open land around once you get outside the big cities. And a few years ago, my husband and I went to a rock concert out in nowhere, TX on the grounds of a ranch. As I was standing out there and looking around at the endless space and the occasional barn or ranch house, I had the thought--if you wanted to have secrets, this would be a good place to hide them.

So add that thought, mix it in with the fact that Dirty Dancing is my favorite movie of all time (think cabins, lake, romance, etc. from the movie), and The Ranch was born.

As for what to put at the resort, BDSM wise, I did a lot of reading (both fiction and non-fiction) and equipment research. But really, what it comes down to is imagination. That’s the beauty of fiction. It’s MY ranch to build, so I can add what I want. I had a chuckle when one reader reviewed my first book and said something to the effect of “that wouldn’t be allowed at The Ranch.” I was thinking--um, yes it would ‘cause I make the place and the rules. ; ) That’s the fun of it.

Here’s an excerpt from MELT INTO YOU when Evan, the heroine, first goes to The Ranch:

Evan’s palms were damp against the arms of the overstuffed chair as she waited for the owner of The Ranch to meet with her. The limo drive to the place had been long, and as the minutes had slipped away, so had her resolve.

She glanced around the well-appointed sitting room, trying to focus on anything but her reasons for being here. Dark, rustic furniture, wood floors, artwork displaying Texas’s varied landscapes, and a large stone fireplace, which she was sure was more for show than practicality in this climate. If she didn’t know better, she would’ve guessed she was in some high-end ski resort and not a retreat specializing in kink.

She tilted her head back and groaned. This was stupid. Ridiculous. She wasn’t the type of person to go to a sex resort. Was she really that desperate? She’d lived without sex for over a year. Why was it suddenly such a big deal?

There could only be one reason.

Goddamn Jace. He’d always been able to stir up that part of her without trying. Even when she’d first met him and hadn’t totally recognized the feeling as desire, she’d been drawn to him, wanted to be in his sphere of attention as much as possible. He had a way of making her feel like she was the only one in the room, and after years of being invisible to everyone around her that feeling had been heady, addictive. She should’ve been immune to it by now. But after a few seemingly harmless touches on that stage, Jace had flipped the switch and had her engines firing on all cylinders again. Man, she was screwed.

A massive wooden door on the opposite side of the room eased open, and an impossibly tall man with wavy dark hair stepped inside. He gave her a smile that seemed to warm the whole room. “You must be Ms. Kennedy.”

The deep twang in his voice matched the cowboy boots peeking out of the bottom of his faded jeans. The image totally didn’t fit with what Evan had imagined the owner of this type of resort to look like. She hadn’t expected head-to-toe leather or anything, but a handsome cowboy hadn’t been on her radar of possibilities either.

***

So if you had the chance to build your own fantasy resort where would it be and what would it look like?

Melt Into You

Loving on the Edge #2

Roni Loren

Released July 3rd, 2012

368 Pages

Berkley Heat

Source: Goddess Fish

BLURB:

Her first love has returned, and he's brought a friend...

After running away from home and the boy who broke her heart, Evan Kennedy has kick-started the perfect new life with her celebrity fiancé. So what if said fiancé prefers guys? She knew the deal. And with her ticket to The Ranch, an exclusive resort where any fantasy can be satisfied, she knows she can find someone to fulfill her less-than-traditional desires on the side.

She just never expected that man to be Jace Austin, her old heart-breaker—all grown up, hard-bodied, and holding out a collar. She knows it’s probably a world-class bad idea—especially since Jace has brought along his buddy Andre, who’s every bit as irresistible. But if they can stick to the no-strings rules, so can she.

Too bad Jace has never been so good with rules. Evan is convinced “forever” is a word used only in greeting cards, but Jace and Andre have one last fantasy of hers left to fulfill. It’s time to go big or go home. And neither man has ever been a fan of going home.

The concept of Melt Into You was not so much a "new" one to me, but not one that I read too often. 

As a reviewer, we read all sorts of romances, men with women, women with two men, men with men and maybe a woman thrown in the mix, so a story about a Ranch where people go to make their fantasies come true didn't scare me off.  The nice thing about Ms. Loren's romances, they are more than just ropes and chains, they have characters with real flaws and issues with their pasts or present that they are trying to get away from. 

Melt Into You is the second book of the Loving on the Edge series, which I haven't read the first of yet, but I will have to catch up before reading book three.  I enjoyed the dynamic between Evan and Jace, who themselves had a past together before finding themselves together at the ranch, but one thing is different from the past, Andre.

Evan is not only trying to forget her past, but she is trying to prepare herself for the future that she has gotten herself mixed up with, so she decides on a last hurrah before her new "lie" of a life begins.  Jace wasn't a kid that had his head on straight, but as an adult he thought he had things all figured out until Evan walks into his life again knocking him off balance once again. 

Between drama within her life that she is trying to keep hidden, and Jace "the protector" always wanting to do right by Evan, but never getting it right, this romance is doomed from the start, except for in the bedroom, when Jace plays master and brings a friend along to fulfill all of Evan's hidden fantasies, and a few of his own. 

This story wasn't just sexual fluff, it had a great balance between the bedroom and the real world, with a little mix in between.

I will say that I enjoy this read, and I recommend to any of my Tasty Readers looking for a taste of the other side.

Enjoy and Happy Reading, and PLEASE don't forget to leave a comment to be entered to win an e-copy of Still Into You.

The Guy Most Likely To...

The Guy Most Likely To
Underneath It All
Leslie Kelly
Can't Get You Out of My Head
Janelle Denison
A Moment Like This
Julie Leto
Releases June 19th, 2012
224 Pages
Harlequin
Source: NetGalley

One of my FAVORITE Anthologies.  Who can resist a Reunion Love Story.

In the first story, Underneath It All  by Leslie Kelly, we meet Lauren and Seth, who had been the "it" couple up until the night he ditches her on prom night and  never even calls to give her an explaination.  Well ten years later, he shows up at the reunion with the truth and the need to get Lauren to listen after all these years. 

I really enjoyed this story.  Lauren and Seth were both such likeable characters and you can't help but want things to work out for them, even if the only thing they get out of the weekend is closure.  It was fun to see where their lives took them after ten years and how it seemed that they both still thought about each other a lot over the past ten years.  This was my favorite of the three.

In Can't Get You Out of My Head by Janelle Denison, we meet Ali and Will who had quite the opposite High School experience.  Will was the nerd who got picked on and Ali was a cheerleader and very popular, but after a few toutouring sessions together, Ali and Will found out they had much more in common then either of them would have imagined.  One kiss turned into Will asking her out on a date, just to call and cancel the night of, and he never spoke to her again,  Ten years later, Will isn't so nerdy anymore and he plans to get Ali back, and maybe finally have that date he'd been regretting all these years.

Ali cant believe that Will actually showed up to the reunion after the horrible High School experience he had, but now he is rich, handsome and oh so sexy, all the girls are giving him the eyes.  But his eyes are only for one girl, and one girl only, Ali.  They have some things to discuss and Will plans to get Ali to give him a second chance.

I also really like Ali and Will.  They had the typical geek/chic romance, which was very short lived, but they both thought about it often through the years, but could she trust him after crushing her teenage heart years ago?

The last story was A Moment Like This by Julie Leto where we meet Scott "Rip" Ripley, bad boy turned successful business man and Erica, Miss Perfect in High School turned wanna-be bad girl.  Rip and Erica shared one kiss in High School after weeks of Rip tutoring Erica in French and the two forming a hidden friendship, but Rip ended the kiss and never spoke to her again.  Erica never understood what she did wrong and why Rip wasn't attracted to her, and now ten years later, she was about to find out.

Rip and Erica have a great reunion meeting, with her dressed in leather and riding a motorcycle and him shocked that this is the same "goody-two-shoes" he remembered from High School.  He never wanted Erica to fall for him becuase he didn't think he was good enough for her at the time and he knew he would just hurt her, but now, all bets are off.  Scott is successful and he plans to show Erica that maybe if he can help her let her hair down, she can show him what it's like to have a good girl in him bed perminently.

This was a fun anthology and I enjoyed each story and all of the different couples.  I highly recommend picking this one up, not only does it take you back to High School for a little trip down memory lane, but it gives you a little sneak peak into where all those kids you remmeber might be today!

Enjoy and Happy Reading!!