Thursday, May 30, 2013

Review & Giveaway ~*~ Legal Ease by Lori Ryan




Blurb ~*~

Jack Sutton needs a wife and he needs one now. Jack loved his mother, but she really screwed him over when she set up her will. If Jack doesn’t have a wife by the end of the week, he’ll lose control of the largest chunk of voting stock in his company and will most likely lose his position as CEO as a result.

And Jack’s Aunt Mabry is waiting in the wings to make sure that the terms of the will are enforced. If he doesn’t find a wife, she’ll seize control of the stock so she can install her own son at the helm and she couldn’t care less that her son doesn’t want the job or that he probably won’t be any good at it.

Enter Kelly Bradley, a twenty eight year old college graduate with a spot at Yale Law School but no way to pay for it. Kelly and Jack’s eavesdropping secretary have discovered Jack’s secret need for a wife and Kelly comes up with a plan to fix both of their problems.

Just when Jack needs her, Kelly breezes into his office, introduces herself to his Aunt and cousin, and hands Jack an offer. She will marry him for a year so that he can retain the stock that will keep him in control of Sutton Development if he’ll pay for her to go to law school. Jack has no idea where his beautiful savior came from or who she is but he’s willing to take a chance to save it all.
           
The deal may have kept Jack in control at Sutton Development but his private life quickly spirals out of control. Just when Jack realizes that he wants more than a year with Kelly, his wealth puts her in great danger and he is left scrambling to save her life and their future together. 

Excerpt ~*~


“We’re here to meet Jack’s fiancé,” a smug-looking Mabry announced to Chad and Jack watched a bemused expression come over his cousin’s face.

Chad had to be wondering what the hell was going on. He and Jack were more like brothers than cousins, so if Jack were getting married, Chad should have been the first to know.

Oh, shit. I’m never gonna’ hear the end of this from him.

So there they sat, waiting for an introduction to a fiancé that Jack had never mentioned to Chad and a fiancé that Chad had never set eyes on.

Jack leaned forward in his chair, took a deep breath and prepared to come clean. Just then his secretary’s voice cut in and he could swear he heard her say that his fiancé was here.

His head whipped around and he stared open-mouthed at the phone, unable to process what was going on. Jack’s experience in business had taught him to school his expressions and hide his thoughts from those around him and though he was shocked, he did just that. He quickly hid all emotion from his face as he listened to his secretary.

“Sir, did you hear me? Mr. Sutton? Your fiancé has just arrived. Shall I show her in?” Jennie spoke again.

Andrew. Andrew must have sent him a fiancé. How in the hell had Andrew found him a fiancé? I mean, how does one go about that, Jack thought. Oh God, what if Andrew sent him a prostitute?

4 Star Review ~*~

Legal Ease is the first book in the Sutton Capital Series, and lucky for you guys, book two, Penalty Clause has already been released!  So you can jump into this series and not have to wait too long to find out about the supporting characters from Legal Ease!

Jack desperately needs a wife to keep control of his company. And he is even more desperate because he already told his aunt he was getting married.  When Kelly waltzes right into his office while he is meeting with his Aunt Mabry, Jack is dumbfounded and he is never at a loss for words or out of control.  But Kelly needs something from this marriage as well.  So it works out for the both of them. 

Jack and Kelly are fun characters.  It is always fun to watch a strong man get taken down a peg or two by an equally strong woman. Both characters are very well developed and realistic.  There really isn't a time I wanted to smack either one upside the head and that's a bonus. 

The biggest disappointment with Legal Ease is the ending.  I thought it felt a little rushed and thrown together.  Don't get me wrong it works with the story, but it is the biggest piece keeping me from giving Legal Ease 5 Stars instead.  Overall, Lori Ryan's writing and character development is top notch.  She creates characters, leading and supporting, that you will just love or love to hate.  Either way, they are great and I can't wait to read more of what Ms. Ryan has up her sleeve. 

Author Info ~*~


Lori has had a number of careers before embarking on her newest adventure of writing novels. After graduating from the University of Connecticut School of Law, she practiced law for three years, working primarily in the areas of utilities law and intellectual property litigation.

More recently, Lori owned and operated a dog training business in Austin, Texas, where she specialized in aggression and became an expert in the field of dog bite analysis. Lori sold her dog training business in 2013 and is now a full time writer and mother of two.

Lori still lives in Austin with her husband -- who is endlessly supportive of her changing career paths -- and her two children, one cat, and three dogs.

How can your readers follow you?

To follow me on Facebook, visit: http://www.facebook.com/loriryanromance

To visit my website, visit: http://www.loriryanromance.com/

Want to be a part of my online street team? Email me at Loriryanauthor@gmail.com and put the words ‘street team’ in the subject line. I’ll email you back with directions for joining my team.

To join my email list to receive updates and news, including sneak peeks and free giveaways or contest news, visit http://www.loriryanromance.com/#!join-my-mailing-list/cdpp.

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Lori will be awarding a $25 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour!

Click follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:



~*~I received a copy of this book to review but I was not financially compensated in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and are based on my observations while reading this novel. ~*~

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Review & Giveaway ~*~ Never Say Never by Aimee Duffy



Blurb ~*~

When pretend turns to desire, heartbreak is unavoidable.

Sander Chase needs a date for his ex-fiancée's engagement party, but he doesn't have time for a woman in his life. Between working on the TV show Do You Have What It Takes? and his band reforming, he's too busy for a relationship. What he needs is a pretend girlfriend. He thinks he may have found the perfect woman for the job, and the bribe he offers means she's sure to accept.

After losing her job in the film industry, breaking up with her movie star boyfriend, and finding out her mum has dementia, Chloe Butler returned to the UK determined to put her life back together. The last thing she needs is to parade around London on the arm of a celebrity, and after the heartbreak caused by her ex, she swore she'd never again date a star. But when Sander offers her a chance at her dream job, it's not something she can turn down.

As Chloe gets to know Sander she learns he's nothing like her scumbag ex. But she struggles to fight her attraction to him, knowing their relationship is only for show and their separation date is closing in fast.

Ignoring the insane chemistry between them should be easy for Sander, especially since he carries a secret that means there can be no future for them, but the more time he spends with Chloe, the harder it is to keep his hands to himself.

Content Warning: contains more denial than you'll find in a courtroom, more sexual tension than most people could handle, and explosive sex that some readers may find long overdue.


Excerpt ~*~
Chloe Butler’s mouth dropped open. She struggled to remember how to close it as she stared at the man with the expectant expression on his avenging angel face. She couldn’t have heard him right. Sander Chase would never ask someone like her out on a date.

“Excuse me?”

He flashed his Hollywood smile. “Come on. Don’t make a guy ask twice.”

Nope, she’d not misheard him, nor had she gone mad. Months of serving him coffee and this was the first time he’d shown any kind of interest in her.

“I’m sorry.” She retreated a few steps. She couldn’t date a celebrity, not after what happened the last time. She was just beginning to get her life back together. Not to mention the fact her mum needed her around more than ever. “I can’t. Thank you for the offer.”

Chloe tried to smile politely, but it was harder than usual. She turned to head back to the counter to get on with her work. If her boss Richard caught her talking to a celebrity, he’d get the wrong idea and hand her a P45 before she could explain. After all, the coffee shop was a classy place. Not even the press were allowed in.

A large, warm hand ensnared her wrist and drew her to a halt. Electrified jolts shot up her arm from the contact.

“Can’t or don’t want to?”

She turned back to Sander and saw his brow was raised and amusement glittered in his baby blue eyes. Pushy, wasn’t he?

“Don’t want to,” she replied, determined not to give him any hope.

Can’t left wiggle room, and there was definitely no wiggle room. She’d sworn off men after the last one had taken her for a mug.

Her reply seemed to please him. His grin grew huge and her heart sped. She frowned at the reaction and put it down to the stress of the situation. After all, as far as she was concerned, her libido was extinct.

“That’s perfect.”

Was he mad? From her experience, celebrities could be a little…odd. But she’d never met a full-blown lunatic before. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean.”

Why wasn’t she backing away? Better yet, why wasn’t she demanding he let go of her arm? She darted a glance around the coffee shop. Most of the customers’ attention was on their morning papers.

“I don’t need a date. I need a pretend one.”

Hmm, definitely time to call the men in white jackets. Sander had clearly lost his marbles. “I really have to get back to work.”

She couldn’t believe a man who’d been in one of the best male vocal pop groups of all time had lost his mind. Or maybe that’s what the pressure of it did to him. She vaguely recalled the rumors surrounding their split, but hadn’t paid much attention to the international news. At the time she’d been in LA and stupidly in love with a jerk.

Sander released her arm and sighed. “I’m not saying this right, am I?”

He raked a large hand through his golden hair and blew out a breath. She smiled at his exasperation, but still didn’t move away. Chloe shook her head in answer to his question.

“My manager called today.” Sander waved his hand to urge her closer. She obeyed. “He wants to get the group back together.” His hot breath caressed her neck and she shivered. The smell of espresso mingled with his spicy aftershave resurrected those bloody extinct hormones. “One of his conditions is that I attend Paul’s engagement party next Friday to show the world I’m over our…fallout.”

Review ~*~
Never Say Never is a really sweet story.  It is the second book in Aimee Duffy's The Price of Fame series, but don't worry you don't need to read The Monster of Fame  first.  Sander is to die for.  He has a big heart and while he has a big ego, it doesn't get in the way of him putting himself out there for others. Chloe didn't capture my heart until later in the story.  She has a troubled past and present which leads her to make decisions that the reader doesn't always expect. 

Chloe and Sander's relationship starts off a little rough before it gets easier and then rocky again.  These two have a lot of issues to deal with between each other but most of what they need to come to terms with is external and could easily drive a wedge between them if they let it. 

Never Say Never is a good story for anyone over 18.  There are some steamy bits that make you feel a little warm and tingly, but overall it was a very sweet story of two people who are in denial because of external influences and need to have some faith in themselves before they can trust what they put into others not to bite them in the butt!  If you are looking for a well written story, under 150 pages with a little romance and angst, then this is the one for you. 


Author Info ~*~
About me (snooze—can you tell I hate the me stuff? Lol)

For as long as I can remember, I've had a good book in my hands. In primary school I loved Roald Dahl. In high school my English teacher introduced me to Charles Dickens, Stephen King, Jane Austin, Emily Bronte, and Shakespeare. It was then that I discovered my love for romance and I've wanted to pen my own imaginary heroes and heroines for others to enjoy ever since. Only in the last few years was I lucky enough to meet some fabulous and encouraging people to help me gain the skills to make that dream possible.

I live in sunny Scotland in a small town near the Ochils and work nine to five in a solicitors office. In my free time, you'll find me on Facebook, stalking *cough* following friends on Twitter, and may even catch me shoe shopping.

Feel free to follow me on:

 Buy Links ~*~


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~*~I received a copy of this book to review but I was not financially compensated in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and are based on my observations while reading this novel. ~*~