Wednesday, September 30, 2015

#Review & #Giveaway: Undaunted by Ronnie Douglas (Melissa Marr) - 4.5 Wine Glasses





24331496Title: Undaunted
Series: Knights in Black Leather #1
Author: Ronnie Douglas (Melissa Marr)
Format: Paperback, 352 pages
Published: September 15th 2015 by William Morrow Paperbacks
ISBN: 0062389602
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Crystal
Source: Publisher and Edelweiss
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Wine Glasses

Being fearless has never looked so good . . .

Aubrey Evans needs to get her life back on track after her father is indicted for embezzlement. All she has to do to hightail it out of small-town Tennessee is save up money for college tuition and steer clear of hard-muscled boys on motorcycles. Yet there's no ignoring someone like Zion. A knight in black leather, Zion looks like every bad idea she's been told to avoid, but she can't resist him. Whenever she's in trouble, he's there. Appealing as his rough exterior may be, it's the protective, principled man beneath who tempts her like crazy.

Zion knows Aubrey doesn't intend to stick around. She claims to want only friendship, but he senses there's a naughty girl hiding on the inside—one whose intense desires match his own. For now, he'll be patient and play by her rules. But he knows it's just a matter of time before he weakens her resolve.

As they join forces to figure out who's behind a local crime spree, it's clear that the danger goes deeper than Aubrey guessed. And when she needs someone tall, dark, and undaunted to keep her safe, Zion intends to be there—now and always. 


Crystal's Thoughts:
Undaunted is a new adult romance from all-star author, Melissa Marr, writing under the pen name of Ronnie Douglas - and I could not put it down!

Wine Wednesday: Fear and the Royal Navy

ReadingBetweentheWinesBookClub

Welcome to Wine Wednesday, where ever Wednesday you'll learn a fun and interesting fact about wine! Have a fact of your own? Join the fun and leave us a comment or a link to your own post!  



Fact: 
Oenophobia is an intense fear or hatred of wine.

5 Year #Blogiversary Word Associations with Lisa Kessler of Harvest Moon! (#Giveaway)

Today we have a regular stopping by to celebrate with us! Welcome back to the blog, though today will be more fun than usual, Lisa Kessler!



Lexi: Pick your poison, Lisa. We have reds, whites, sangria, what do you like?

I’ll take a blended fruity drink! LOL

Lexi: Settle in because it’s time for a blogoversary game! What is a celebration without a game, right? I have a list so let’s do some word associations. Ready?


Guest Post with Author Jeffe Kennedy of Dark Secrets: A Paranormal Noir Anthology




I’m one of those authors who puts a lot of thought into character names. It’s one of my THINGS. One of those recurring thematic elements that crop up in pretty much every story I write, regardless of genre and not even all that deliberately.

Very often my characters have multiple names – given ones and nicknames both, with both being salient. Sometimes my characters have multiple identities, with different names for each. Or they change names from the beginning of the story to the end.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

#Review: Harvest Moon by Lisa Kessler - 4 Wine Glasses




26182765Title: Harvest Moon (Moon #4)
Series: The Moon Series
Author: Lisa Kessler
Format: Kindle
Published: September 28, 2015
ISBN: ASIN:B014CR0OES
LinksGoodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Linda
Source: NetGalley and Entangled
Rating:  4 Wine Glasses

Some wolves were never meant for a mate...

Dr. Jason Ayers unleashes all of his rage and his frustration through fists and brute force in an underground boxing ring. The werewolf may be the pack's doctor, but he can't even heal his coma-stricken father after the Nero Organization's attack stopped his heart. And as his Pack brothers settle down around him, he still refuses to believe in the fairy tale notion that every wolf has a true mate...

In hiding and on the run, nurse Kilani Akamu is a loose end that Nero is desperate to tie up. She can't afford to be attracted to a doctor-especially one as unexpectedly hot and complex as Jason. Yet the sexual sparks arcing between them are undeniable...and Kilani's precognitive senses warn her that temptation is inevitable.

All it takes is one touch to send Jason's wolf howling. But even if he could protect her from Nero, he can't protect her from himself...



Linda's Thoughts:
He rested his head on top of mine and whispered, "I'm warning you now. I'm a horrible patient."
I smiled in spite of myself and pulled back. "Of course you are. That's why you're a doctor."

5 Year #Blogiversary - Top 5 Reasons We LOVE Being Book Bloggers! (#eBook #Giveaway)



The lovely header above says it all. Five years of savoring books sip by sip. I am so thankful Crystal let me join Reading Between the Wines because, as you all know, finding someone who loves books, wants to talk about books, and uses book character references in conversation is a wonderful thing. 

Oh, and she loves wine. *lifts glass* Cheers, Crystal!

Besides having fun with Crystal and sharing bookish love and wine there are tons of other reasons we love being book bloggers. So for our dear readers today we are going to list our top 5 reasons we love doing what we do! 

And if you stick around to the end we have some prizes! 

Happy Book Birthday to The Taming of Malcolm Grant by Paula Quinn (#Giveaway)





24397001The Taming of Malcolm Grant 
(The MacGregors: Highland Heirs #4)
by Paula Quinn 
Paperback, 384 pages
Published September 29th 2015 by Forever
ISBN 1455519529
AN ALLURING LASS

Emmaline Grey spends her days with her beloved dog, dreaming of the sea-until a brawling Highlander shatters her quiet life to pieces. Though her blindness prevents her from seeing his face, his voice is a warm blend of velvet and silk, and his rakehell ways unmistakable. Risking the wrath of a rival clan as she nurses him back to health, Emma soon realizes the real danger is the magnetic pull she feels to this half-naked Scot recovering in her bed.

A RECKLESS ROGUE

With his rugged handsomeness and wicked charm, Malcolm Grant wants nothing more out of life than whisky, women, and the occasional war. The only lass he's ever trusted left him with more scars than a battlefield. Yet now at the mercy of this sweet stranger, Malcolm can barely resist the gentle hands that make him feverish with desire-until Emma, the one he will never have, is the only woman he wants . . . 


Happy Book Birthday to Forever with You by Jennifer L. Armentrout (#Giveaway)




24357334Forever with You 
(Wait for You #5)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Published September 29th 2015 by Avon
ISBN 0062362763
In the irresistibly sexy series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout, two free spirits find their lives changed by a one-night stand…

Some things you just believe in, even if you've never experienced them. For Stephanie, that list includes love. It's out there. Somewhere. Eventually. Meanwhile she's got her job at the mixed martial arts training center and hot flings with gorgeous, temporary guys like Nick. Then a secret brings them closer, opening Steph's eyes to a future she never knew she wanted—until tragedy rips it away.

Nick's self-assured surface shields a past no one needs to know about. His mind-blowing connection with Steph changes all that. As fast as he's knocking down the walls that have kept him commitment-free, she's building them up again, determined to keep the hurt—and Nick—out. But he can't walk away. Not when she's the only one who's ever made him wish for forever . . . 

Monday, September 28, 2015

#Review: Wrong Number, Right Guy by Elle Casey - 2 Wine Glasses





25335757Title: Wrong Number, Right Guy
Series:  The Bourbon Street Boys #1
Author: Elle Casey
Format:  eBook & Paperback, 351 pgs
Published: Sept. 22, 2015 by Montlake
ASIN: B00VJ4IDVY
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Source: Netgalley
Reviewer: Kimberly
Rating: 2 out of 5 Wine Glasses

When a mysterious text message summons May Wexler to a biker bar in downtown New Orleans, she knows something is very wrong. Her sister has sent out an SOS, but when May gets there, she’s nowhere to be found and May is the one in trouble—she’s wearing pink espadrilles, she’s got a Chihuahua in her purse, and she’s in the middle of a shootout.

After tall, muscular Ozzie comes to her rescue, May has no choice but to follow him to safety. At the headquarters of his private security firm, the Bourbon Street Boys, she finds a refuge for the night—and the offer of a job. But it’s not long before a gun-toting stalker isn’t the only complication in May’s life: the more time she spends with Ozzie, the less she can deny that they’ve got some serious chemistry. A wrong number got her into this mess…Will it also get her the right guy? 


Kimberly’s Thoughts:

#Spotlight: Wild Sky by Suzanne Brockmann, Melanie Brockmann (#Giveaway)




Message From The Authors Suzanne and Melanie Brockmann

Mel:  Wild Sky is a paranormal story, set in Florida, approximately fifty years in the future. In this world, a small percentage of people, mostly girls and young women, are born with a chemical in their blood that gives them superpowers like telekinesis or extraordinary strength.

Suz: Nicknamed “Greater-Thans” or “G-Ts,” these girls have been targeted for kidnapping by bad guys who harvest their blood and use it to manufacture a drug called “Destiny.” Destiny is extremely expensive, highly addictive, and ultimately fatal, but before the user dies from it, the drug reverses the aging process, heals illness and injury, and gives the addict super powers, too.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Sexy Snippet: Hard as Steel (Hard Ink #4.5) by Laura Kaye


ReadingBetweentheWinesBookClub

Sundays have never been so sexy!
Sexy Snippets is a weekly feature hosted by Reading Between the Wines for the 18+ crowd. Want to join in? Just grab the button, post a sexy paragraph or two from your current read and share the author & title so other participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like, and then leave a comment with a link to your post. And don't forget to have a sexy-good time!

5 Year #Blogiversary #Giveaway: Shadows Strike and A Sorceress of His Own by Dianne Duvall






Shadows Strike 
(Immortal Guardians #6)
by Dianne Duvall
Paperback/eBook, 320 pages
Expected publication: August 25th 2015 by Zebra
ISBN 1420129821
The Immortal Guardians protect the innocent in secret. Sometimes the secret gets out...

U.S. law enforcement agent Heather Lane can read minds. But not the future. The dream of battle and blood that recurs every night must be a fluke, some obscure terror from her own mind. What its significance might be, she can’t guess: an attack from seven psychotic vampires at once, only separated from nightmare by an eighth very different immortal. A handsome, brave man fighting at her side, a man she misses when she wakes.

Then the dream comes true. Heather is flung into a war between predators and protectors of humanity, the man from her dreams beside her again. Except now that she’s awake, she isn’t sure she can trust Ethan, or the shadow organization he represents. The U.S. military doesn’t trust either of them. But against an onslaught of evil like the one that’s coming, it will take everything they have just to survive...

Guest Post with Anna Kyle of Skye Falling





SKYE FALLING has been out about a month now and I am thrilled and thankful at the response it’s gotten so far.  Thrilled because as a debut author the fact that people are buying it and finding it an entertaining read is extraordinary to me, dream-come-true amazing, holy moly pinch me, well you get the picture.  Thankful because it makes me feel like I’ve done my job as a writer – tell a good story, elicit emotions, and make the readers fall in love with my characters before closing the book with a satisfied sigh.

Not every part of this process was dance in the daisy fields. Some days were more like trying to walk through boot-sucking mud. There were times that Skye, usually very loud and clear in my head (much like she is in the book), went silent. I’d be writing and rewriting passages within scenes, trying out one reaction after another yet none of them were…right.  Weren’t true to the character. Sometimes I’d almost convince myself that this was an impossible task; to figure out what a character pulled completely out of someone’s imagination would say/do/think in specific situations.  How did I ever think I could do this?

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Saturday Sangria: AUTUMN BOURBON SANGRIA (#Recipe #Wine #Sangria)


ReadingBetweentheWinesBookClub

Welcome to Sangria Saturday, where ever Saturday you will find a delicious sangria recipe to go with your weekend reading! Have a recipe of your own? Join the fun and leave us a comment or a link to your own post!  




AUTUMN BOURBON SANGRIA

5 Year #Blogiversary #Interview & #Giveaway with Jessie Lane!

Who better to stop by the blog and help us celebrate than author Jessie Lane! Welcome back to Reading Between the Wines, Jessie!


Jessie: Hi Lexi and Crystal! I’ve missed you two so much! *happy hugs*


Lexi: Blogiversaries are great reasons to celebrate and we like to step out in our usual style, with books and wine! You have multiple series; Big Bad Bite series, Ex Ops Series, Regulators MC, and the Star Series. How do you celebrate when you have a new release? 

Read an #Excerpt of Hard as Steel by Laura Kaye! (#Giveaway)







23269593Hard as Steel 
(Hard Ink #4.5)
by Laura Kaye 
Kindle Edition, 100 pages
Published September 22nd 2015 by Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
ASINB00NVMIZPQ
After identifying her employer's dangerous enemies, Jessica Jakes takes refuge at the compound of the Raven Riders Motorcycle Club. Fellow Hard Ink tattooist and Raven leader Ike Young promises to keep Jess safe for as long as it takes, which would be perfect if his close, personal, round-the-clock protection didn't make it so hard to hide just how much she wants him—and always has.

Ike Young loved and lost a woman in trouble once before. The last thing he needs is alone time with the sexiest and feistiest woman he's ever known, one he's purposely kept at a distance for years. Now, Ike's not sure he can keep his hands or his heart to himself—or that he even wants to anymore. And that means he has to do whatever it takes to hold on to Jess forever.


Friday, September 25, 2015

#Review: Under His Skin by Stacey O'Neale - 5 Wine Glasses






26206383Title: Under His Skin
Series: Alien Encounters #1
Author: Stacey O'Neale
Format: Kindle Edition, 197 pages
Published: September 21st 2015 by Entangled: Covet
ASINB:014CS5NXE
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviwer: Linda
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 5 out of 5 Wine Glasses

A paranormal category romance from Entangled's Covet imprint...

Earth girls are never easy. But they're worth it.

Bakery owner Annabelle Sparks' business is booming ever since she won reality TV's Cupcake Wars. The one thing deflating her happy soufflé? The extremely sexy Kaden Chance only sees her as a best friend-and Annabelle wants so much more. After waiting a year for him recognize their chemistry, she's giving up and dating other people.

What she doesn't know is Kaden's heart doesn't actually beat. He's not human. Heck, he's not even from Earth. To retain his intergalactic immunity, no one can ever know he is an extraterrestrial. But when Annabelle starts dating, something strange happens to Kaden's unmoved heart: it begins to beat. Now he faces an impossible choice-tell Annabelle the truth and be deported-or lose his last chance at love.


Linda's Thoughts:
Warning: Be aware that reading this book may cause uncontrolled drooling over the yummy pastries and desserts AND wanton lusting for multiple orgasms!
After he left the planet with his brothers, he'd imagined he'd live out his life alone.
That was until he met Annabelle.
His memory lingered back to the day he stepped into her bakery. His brothers were still unpacking when he decided to take a walk into town. The first time he saw her, she was placing muffins into a customer's bag. Even with her messy hair bun and stained pink apron, she was pure perfection. His entire body warmed when he got a backside peek at her pink tank top and itty bitty jean shorts. Before he knew what was happening, he'd gone inside and sat down in the same booth he sat in now. And when she came to the table to take his order, she'd bit down on her bottom lip. He'd known then those lips would complicate his life, but he had no idea just how much.

5 Year #Blogiversary #Giveaway: Bad Alpha Anthology by Jocelyn Dex






26138074Bad Alpha
by J.R. Gray, Khloe Wren, Amber Morgan, Moira Callahan, April Zyon, Elyzabeth M. VaLey, Lynn Burke, Jocelyn Dex, Ashlynn Monroe, Harper Shaddock
Kindle Edition, 315 pages
Published August 21st 2015 by Evernight Publishing
ASINB013XTFJK0
Bad Alpha features a select collection of stories with shifters so ruthless they will stop at nothing to protect their pack. These aren't sugar-and-spice heroes. Our alphas are feared, inked, and don’t ask questions first. They take what they want, never give in to their enemies, and think love is for the weak—until they meet their mate. Are you ready to learn how to tame a savage heart?


Pre-Order Sale Blitz: Wild, Wicked and Wanton: A Hot Historical Romance Bundle by Natasha Blackthorne (#Giveaway)

*** Limited Time Special Pre-Order Price ~ .99 ~



http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Wicked-Wanton-Historical-Romance-ebook/dp/B014LRV790Wild, Wicked and Wanton: A Hot Historical Romance Bundle
by Natasha Blackthorne 
Kindle Edition
Expected publication: October 16th 2015 by Hearts Aflame Press
ASINB014LRV790
Erotic Romance set in Regency Era America with heroines who are Wild, Wicked and Wanton.

She wanted just one naughty carriage ride...
Beth McConnell has a secret. Sometimes in the afternoons, she escapes the drudgery of her family's shop and seduces wealthy gentlemen. One encounter is all Beth allows. She must leave them burning.

When she boldly seduces Grey Sexton, a powerful shipping magnate, Beth finds his ice-over-fire combination of ironclad self-control and sensual indulgence too tempting to resist. Surely, one or two more clandestine trysts wouldn't hurt?

But Grey Sexton demands more. His possessive determination to own her, body and soul, threatens to expose her erotic life. To give into his demands means losing her good name and her place in her brother's home...everything she holds dear. She must turn away, for she knows that a poor girl can never afford to trust her heart to a gentleman.

Reader Advisory: Grey's Lady is an erotic / hot historical romance. It contains scenes of frequent, explicit sex and graphic sexual language. It contains a non-traditional romance plot and an  unconventional heroine.


White Lace and Promises

New York Merchant Prince Grey Sexton loves the audacious, spirited young temptress who seduced him in a Philadelphia bookseller’s and made passionate love to him in his carriage. Her fiery nature broke through his cold self-protection.

Beth McConnell loves her husband-to-be very much, yet she wonders if she will ever be able to present herself as the respectable lady he needs for his wife.

What started out as a secret, tumultuous affair has blossomed into something neither of them can live without. But under the strains created by the differences in their social rank, they begin to have serious doubts about the future. And dark secrets from their past threaten to tear them apart.
Can their love prevail?

Reader Advisory: Erotic Romance, graphic sexual content, frank sexual slang.


Alex’s Angel

In the wake of a devastating epidemic, sheltered Emily Eliot finds herself alone, making her own decisions for the first time. When desperation leads her to sell her virtue, she walks straight into trouble.

Enter one gorgeous, golden haired gentleman bent on protecting her.

Alexander Dalton came to the Blue Duck Tavern seeking to lose himself in sexual pleasure. But when he saw the delicate and vulnerable young woman, he couldn't turn away.

Emily is alarmed by her own intense responses as this charismatic and carnal man introduces her to erotic pleasure. Having lived as a virtual prisoner of her grandmother's suffocating manipulation, Emily bridles under Alex's possessive, protectiveness. And Alex's charming smile hides a dark secret that could destroy their chance at happiness.

Reader Advisory: Erotic romance, graphic sexual content, frank sexual slang, sensual spanking.


Emily’s Seduction

Book Four in the Wild, Wicked and Wanton Series

Love is the most seductive sacrifice of all. Before he can share his deepest, darkest secrets with her, he has to show her what seduction truly means.

For the first time in a long time, Alex is genuinely happy. He's found a woman he can love. Now he wants only to enjoy his life. But the past won't let him go. His dark secrets threaten to engulf him. Yet how can he tell his innocent fiancée about the horrific things he's experienced?

Emily finds herself locked in a battle with the darkness that appears to hold Alex captive. As he reveals more of his inner torment, as he seduces her into carnal decadence, she wonders who is this man she's so desperately in love with.

Can their love survive this intense journey of erotic exploration, shocking revelations and unsettling discoveries?

*** Reader Advisory ***

Emily's Seduction is an Erotic / Hot Historical Romance and contains frequent scenes of explicit sex and uses graphic language. Emily's Seduction also features sensual spanking, toys, voyeurism and one scene of ménage MfM. The characters discuss backstory issues of abuse, slavery and violence.