Thursday, June 30, 2016

In His Defense by Shane Keleher


Aidan Hill, a shrewd lawyer, has success written all over him. He has worked very hard to construct a promising career and cares a great deal about his professional image--perhaps too much. After making partner before an unprecedented thirty-five, he is handed one of the firm’s most challenging cases. However, when he inadvertently sleeps with the lead investigator for the case, Jaxon Kane, his world turns inside-out. The passion between them is overwhelming and all consuming. He can’t get enough of Jaxon, but he has to stay away or the conflict of interest could tank the case of a lifetime. That can’t happen. A woman’s freedom is in jeopardy.

Jaxon Kane is a man who, when he sees what he wants, goes after it without hesitation. And he wants Aidan. He’s a strong, formidable man who believes that he can do his job and build something meaningful with Aidan. But, how does he convince him when Aidan is focusing solely on his career and winning this case? As much as he wants Aidan, he won’t be anyone’s secret. He knows Aidan wants him. Will Aidan do what it takes to prove it to Jaxon?

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shannan☆☆☆☆
Shane Keleher is a new to me author. I enjoyed In His Defense. I found myself wrapped up in the case and wanted to know how it was going to play out. The story kept me invested in the characters. I think it read very well.

Aidan Hill has just made partner. Something he has been working towards for years. He's put his personal life on the back burner to get there. When he lets himself have just a little fun, he lets loose, he really enjoys meeting Jaxon. Thinking it was nothing but one night, he's stunned silent when the gorgeous man also happens to be the new lead investigator.

Jaxon Kane moved from Toronto after a long term relationship went bad. He's sexy and fun and works hard at his job. He wants more than just one night, but Aidan doesn't think he can mix work and a relationship. Will Jaxon get Aidan to change his mind? Or will being a partner always come first?

I look forward to reading more from this author.


Ruthie☆☆☆
I enjoyed this story. It moved fairly fast and there was a reasonable plot. I did think that the sex scenes were somewhat repetitive, and didn't move the relationship forward. That said, their working situation had a huge impact and made some interesting comments on today's society.



Shane Keleher has been writing all his life. He is passionate about creating relatable, believable characters that can connect with his readers. He especially loves delving into the complications and entanglements of contemporary gay men, exploring what it means to be a man who loves other men.

Shane has travelled extensively throughout Asia, Europe, and Central America, having lived in the Netherlands and Korea for extended periods.

He is a graduate of the Humber School for Writers and has written four books: The Awakening, The Demon Hunter, The Alpha’s Revenge, and In His Defense. He lives in Ontario, Canada.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of In His Defense by Shane Keleher to read and review.

Between the Lies by Draven St. James


Professor Graham Darrius leads a double life, every day he enriches the lives of students, but at night he struts the stage as Ebony Powers at Club Syn. The two personas cannot mix, which is an easy rule to follow until a sexy man from Iowa stumbles through the door.

Spencer Neil, has never stepped foot into a gay bar and holy shit did he get more than he’s ever imagined. What did he know about drag queens, go-go boys and heated exchanges in dark corners? The world he lives in is academic and predictable. At least until he meets Graham, and sees that sometimes all is not what it seems.

Beneath the shock of discovery, misunderstandings, and wicked instruction Graham finds himself falling for Spencer and Spencer finds he’s getting a whole different kind of education.

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Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica☆☆☆☆
4.5 Stars.
As a huge fan of Draven St. James' Fire House Six series, I was crossing my fingers that the Club Syn series would begin with a bang. Between the Lies didn't disappoint.

Whew *fans self* what a beginning!

Spencer, graduate student from Iowa, broadens his horizons by visiting a gay club featuring a drag show the night before his first day at his new college. He's out of his element but equally intrigued. Ebony sashays over to play the hero when Spencer gets more than he bargained for.

Dr. Graham is Ebony by night and a strict professor by day. Unable to stop thinking about Iowa, Graham is in for a big surprise when he spots Spencer as one of his new students.

A page-turning novella that packs a punch – Between the Lies was fast-paced, addictive as a drug, and hotter than Hades. Graham and Spencer's story opens up future books, which I'm jonesing to get my hands on immediately.

Recommended to fans of MM Romance with an erotic kick, especially for those who don't have time to read long novels but want a complete story. Draven St. James' writing reminds me of binge-watching a few episodes of your favorite show. You're addicted and satisfied, enjoying the story when you have a few stolen hours, but leaves you wanting more.


Veronica☆☆☆☆
Iowa farm boy Spencer's first trip to a gay club has him meeting drag queen, Ebony, and an incredibly hot encounter follows. Shortly after, Spencer starts college only to find that his professor, Graham Darrius, is said drag queen. Spencer is attracted to both sides of Graham and so was I. They make a very sexy couple.

I'm not big on the student/teacher romance, but I think it worked so well for me in this case because of Spencer's less than stellar behaviour when things don't go his way.

I loved Spencer and Graham's romance and I didn't want it to end. I would have liked a longer story, but it still worked well in the shorter format. I'm not sure if the next book in this series will be a new couple or more of Spencer and Graham, but either way I'll definitely be reading it.


Rachael☆☆☆☆☆
This was such a good book!! This is the first Draven St. James book I've read and I can honestly say it won't be the last! There was such an interesting storyline, not to mention the wonderful character development between the two men trying to feel their way through an incredibly awkward situation.

I loved the drag queen part of the story and that even though Graham might like to become Ebony, he wasn't submissive or only a bottom. He had such a big, strong personality when he was at his day job as well.

A very good story that I really enjoyed.


Ruthie☆☆☆☆
I like the juxtapositions used in this story. Drag queen v. newly out; student v. professor; upright v. uptight; blackmail v. unreasonable ... and that is just the obvious ones!

For quite a short story we get a good understanding of the setup of the club, and look forward to knowing more in future instalments of Luca and Silver. I'm keen to find out how Graham and Spencer navigate the path they have chosen to travel. It was definitely hot reading about how they overcame a whole host of issues.

Looking forward to the next in the series, that is for sure!



I’m a born and raised Oregonian. I’ve traveled extensively in search of mischief and mayhem to fill my books. My ventures have been quite successful in inspiring a wealth of stories both sexy and humorous. It gives me a great excuse to do some crazy stuff in the name of research. Of course at the end of the day, coffee within reach, laptop at the ready is where I find my peace.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Between the Lies (Club Syn #1) by Draven St. James to read and review.

Sin on the Strip by Lucy Farago


What happens in Las Vegas always burns bright, especially after hours. In this sizzling new series, the city's 24/7 glitz hides one woman's darkest nightmares—and one investigator's seductive secrets...

Control is everything to gorgeous Maggie Anderson. Her exclusive club gives abused and troubled women a refuge from Vegas's merciless streets—and helps her reclaim her shattered sense of freedom. But now someone is brutally murdering those she fights so hard to save. And baring her deepest fears to the one man who insists on protecting her could be the one move she won't survive…

Elite private investigator Christian Beck knows this particular serial killer's MO—and his own wrenching failure to find him—all too well. But staying two steps ahead of Maggie's determination to uncover the truth pushes his well-honed skills past the limit—and ignites his most naked instincts. Now every clue is a lie, each irresistible desire a lethal trap. And the closer he and Maggie get, their shattering secrets will either save them—or torch their lives to glittering ash…

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie☆☆☆☆
I really enjoyed this book as it developed. We are given the bare bones at the beginning and then peel away the layers on these interesting characters. There is much more to come, as this is the first in a series, and the ladies definitely all deserve their story being told too.

Here we concentrate on Maggie, who has a deep desire to do good, and has an amazing band of friends to help her do it, whilst trying to keep her safe. Christian Beck, a private investigator (and more, we find out) gets involved in case which features Maggie, large and loud. He comes with a host of preconceptions, which slowly he lays to one side, as this woman gets under his skin (and his body!). Between them they redefine the terms stubborn, and cut off, but then the course of true love never runs smooth!!

The plot is sound, and the clues were there for the reader who was looking, but it plays out well and sets up the next book very effectively...



Lucy Farago knows there is nothing like a happy sigh at the end of a good book. With the encouragement of her loving husband, she wrote her first manuscript. An unpublished historical, it sits in a file on her computer, there to remind her how much fun she had learning the craft and becoming part of an industry whose books make you believe anything is possible. A big fan of Agatha Christie, she set out to write her first romantic suspense novel. Thrilled to be a published author, Lucy also teaches yoga, enjoys cooking, and saying what other people are thinking. In her fantasy world, her beautiful Siberian husky, Loki, doesn’t shed and her three kids clean up after themselves. Alas, that fantasy will never see fruition.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Sin on the Strip (Women of Vegas #1) by Lucy Farago to read and review.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Falling Star by Brandy L. Rivers


One day of hell changed her forever.

Ella Cross wanted to bury her on-screen persona even before her abduction. Being in the spotlight grew worse after the ordeal. She left Raven Star behind to find herself again.

A fresh start.
No ties to her past.


In a small town where only her oldest friend knows who she was, she believes her secrets are safe. But secrets never stay hidden forever. Sooner or later the past always resurfaces.

Then she meets him.

Trent Ward can’t resist his new neighbor. Ella is familiar, but he can’t place why. He knows she’s running from something. As much as he wants to protect her, he wants to unravel her mystery.

Between his demons and her past, Trent may not have the strength to explore the growing connection to Ella.

Will he save her from her worst nightmare?

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Book 2
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo☆☆☆☆
I really enjoyed this book. As a reader, I could feel the emotions rolling off Ella as she fought for her own survival. The way in which she tries to rebuild her life is one that I think that everyone can relate to.

Trent is a good guy, a bit of a love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy, but there is something about Ella that pulls to him, that makes him want to change his ways. Understanding that there is something unique and fragile about her, Trent makes a point to be just be her friend and let what happens, if anything, be on her terms.

Love is unique and so is this book.




Brandy L Rivers is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her two main series are Others of Edenton and Others of Seattle. She has also written a couple contemporary stories. An avid reader, Brandy has always loved writing. She became serious about it as a stay-at-home-mother. Her secret lair, guarded by a pint-sized pound puppy who imagines himself a hellhound, contains a file full of manuscripts she plans to edit and put out with new creations she is constantly dreaming up. Living in rainy Western Washington with her husband and three kids, Brandy is already working on future stories in each of the series, and several other projects.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Falling Star (Combustible #2) by Brandy L. Rivers to read and review.

Bored, Stroked, and Blueprinted by KC Kendricks


As a boy, Mick Ambrose fell in love with cars. Now he owns and operates an auto restoration shop specializing in all things American Muscle. When the black 1969 Camaro Z/28 he years ago dubbed Onyx pulls into his garage, Mick forgets his first love in favor of her driver, Logan Gregg. Mick’s interested and cruises Logan at a speed worthy of the car he drives.

Logan Gregg’s plan to avoid entanglements in his life drives away when he stops at American Muscle to ask a few questions about restoring the Z/28 he inherited from his uncle. The owner of the shop is smooth as a well-tuned V-8 engine and twice as hot. Logan is quick to shift gears and take a closer look at Mick Ambrose and the road ahead.

But when Mick wants to get too close, too fast, Logan backs off. His past holds painful memories he can’t escape and the tattoos on his arms aren’t just for decoration. Working on the Z/28 brings the men closer, but Mick makes a mistake when he confesses his knowledge of the past Logan wants to keep buried. Mick knows a man has to settle his past to step into his future, but can he convince Logan?

Publisher's Note: This book was previously released by another publisher but has been revised and re-edited for this edition.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie☆☆☆☆
This short novel all happens thanks to Logan wanting to get his Camaro restored, and choosing to go to Mick's garage. It is hot, has an engaging plot, and plenty of hot and sexy scenes. I think that the connection worked, and the unraveling of Logan's past and the fallout was handled really well. The car sections, especially the paint job that should remain perfect, will stick in my mind for a while!



KC Kendricks calls herself an accidental writer. After completing her first novel in 2003, she was urged to submit it to a publisher and everything snowballed from there.

By day KC works for a non-profit organization with a focus on confidential financial assistance to women in crisis. By night, she weaves stories to celebrate life, love and the promise of a hopeful future. KC finds both occupations extremely rewarding.

A native of scenic western Maryland, KC enjoys most activities that don’t include snow. In warm weather KC might be found walking the dog, biking on the C&O Canal towpath, planting delicacies in her garden for the deer to munch on at night, playing in the creek, or lazing on the patio with her Kindle reader or laptop.

KC recently began to research her family history and can’t drive past a cemetery without stopping to search for family sites. Her mission is to photograph old tombstones before the elements erode the stones and the names are lost to time.

KC can be reached through her blog, Between the Keys. All comments are strictly moderated by the author and personal messages are treated as such.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Bored, Stroked, and Blueprinted by KC Kendricks to read and review.

Wylie by Stacy L. Mantlo & C. Shivers


Whitney is sure she has a connection with Wylie—a real life Cinderella story—when she visits her best friend, Indie, in Florida. The sparks seem to fly when things get heated, but just as quickly fizzle out. Three months later, Whitney makes the move to Florida, and is immediately submersed in the world of Wylie. Should she forget Wylie, or can she give him a second chance?

Wylie meets his match in Whitney. Even though he isn’t ready for the commitment Whitney desires when they first make a connection, Wylie soon learns he can’t shake the little spitfire out of his mind. He knows he messed things up with her when he didn’t bother to text or call like he promised, and he’s willing to do anything to change her mind about him.

Can he convince her to take a second chance on him, to prove himself worthy?

Can she handle a man like him?

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Book 2
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shannan☆☆☆☆
Wylie and Whitney first meet at Gunner and Indie's wedding. Sparks fly, but while she expects a call or text, he never comes through. She is upset, she thought there was really something between them. When she moves to Florida, she's back around Wylie, but things have changed. Yes, there are still sparks, but she's mad and not willing to give him a chance. Wylie knows he messed up and is trying his best to make it up to Whitney, but will it be enough?

I really enjoyed Wylie. The connection was there, but it wasn't forced, which was made it easy to read. I would have liked to see Whitney make him work for it more, but the chemistry in those sex scenes was explosive. They are a very humorous, fun family to read.

I can't wait to see what's next for the Stokes.


Also Available in the Stoke’s Series

Book 1
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For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the Gunner Blog Tour.




Stacy L. Mantlo

Stacy Mantlo is a full time wife and mother of two and now new author. She is addicted to coffee and chocolate and tries to get six hours of sleep at night. She has always loved reading and writing all kinds of different stories. She states: life can sometimes be over whelming so writing and reading is a great way to escape, walk into a fantasy world if only for a while. Her favorite part is letting her fingers fly on the key board of her computer while the story unfolds in front of her.

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C. Shivers

C. Shivers is thirty eight year old mother of two wonderful young men. She is addicted to sweet tea and has a passion for reading and writing. Carla's way of unwinding from a hard day is getting lost in a book. She enjoys spending her time with her family and coming up with ideas of different stories for the next book.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Wylie (Stoke’s #2) by Stacy L. Mantlo & C. Shivers to read and review.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Chasing Lady Amelia by Maya Rodale Blog Tour


In the second novel of Maya Rodale’s enchanting Keeping Up with the Cavendishes series, an American heiress finds her reputation—and heart—in danger when she travels to London and meets a wickedly tempting rake.

Terribly Improper

Lady Amelia is fed up with being a proper lady and wishes to explore London, so one night she escapes…and finds herself in the company of one Alistair Finlay-Jones. He’s been ordered by his uncle to wed one of the American girls. How lucky then, that one of them stumbles right into his arms!

Totally Scandalous

Alistair and Amelia have one perfect day to explore London, from Astley’s Amphitheater to Vauxhall Gardens. Inevitably they end up falling in love and making love. If anyone finds out, she will be ruined, but he will win everything he’s ever wanted.

Very Romantic

When Amelia finds out Alistair has been ordered to marry her, he must woo her and win back the angry American girl. But with the threat of scandals, plural, looming…will he ever catch up to the woman he loves?


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“Ah, Lady Nansen. Lord Nansen!” The duchess and her charges paused before a couple that looked just like all the others Amelia had been introduced to: they were of an indeterminate middle age, decked in an array of brightly colored silks and satins, and honestly, a bit jowly and gray.

“I haven’t yet introduced you to my nephew and nieces.”

“And we have been dying to make their acquaintance,” Lady Nansen said, fanning herself furiously. “The ton has spoken of nothing else.”

The duchess performed the introductions. Upon meeting James, the new duke, fawning ensued.

Everyone fawned over James these days—but then when his back was turned they whispered about how his father was a horse thief and that James had been raised in the stables and how tragic it was that Durham was now in his hands.

“And Lady Claire.”

Amelia watched as they took in Claire’s spectacles and her distracted, impatient demeanor. She had not mastered the slightly vacant look of a simpering miss and with a brain as sharp as hers, never would. Amelia watched as Lady Nansen decided that Claire would never be an “incomparable,” or whatever they called the popular girls of the ton, and flitted her attention to the next sister.

“Lady Bridget.”

Amelia watched as her middle sister glided into an elegant curtsy. The duchess beamed. Lady Nansen judged.

“Your practicing is paying off,” Amelia murmured. She’d caught Bridget curtsying in front of the mirror in the ballroom for an hour last Thursday.

“Do shut up, Amelia,” Bridget said through gritted teeth. Unlike the other Cavendish siblings, Bridget actually cared about fitting in here. She was obsessed with learning and following the rules.

“And Lady Amelia.” She gave a smile somewhere between gargoyle and simpering miss, but perhaps more on the gargoyle side of the spectrum.

“You must have your hands full, Duchess, trying to make so many matches.”

“It does give one something to do all day,” the duchess replied, with a tight-lipped smile that Amelia dubbed the One Where I Am Smiling Even Though I Hate What You Just Said. “But I do have every confidence that they will make splendid matches. In fact, I have someone special in mind for Lady Amelia this evening.”

The duchess beamed at her charges, as if they hadn’t been foiling her every effort to marry them off. Amelia began to dread meeting “someone special.”

“I say, Duke,” Lord Nonesuch or whatever began, “do you have an opinion on any of the horses running Ascot?”

The lords always asked James for his opinion on which horse would win a race, so they might win a wager. And then they turned around and made snide remarks about his experience raising and training horses—as if he were beneath them because of this knowledge. Even though he now outranked them.

“I do,” James said, smiling easily.

“Don’t suppose you’d tell a friend who you think will be the winner?” Lord Nansen or Nancy said jovially, with a wink and a nudge.

“I might,” James replied.

This was a conversation he’d had before and Amelia had begged him to do something nefarious, like deliberately suggest a losing horse. But James refused and just smiled like he knew the winner and never said a word.

“I suppose you’re going to build up Durham’s stables,” his lordship said.

“Nansen, he doesn’t have time for horses,” his wife said in that exasperated way of wives. “He must find a bride first.”

The duchess beamed, an I-told-you-so smile.

Then Lady Nansen turned and fixed her attentions on Amelia. Her fan was beating at a furious pace.

“And Lady Amelia, have you found any suitors you care for?”

“After having met nearly all of England’s finest young gentlemen, I can honestly say that no, I have not found any suitors that I could care for,” Amelia said. “But I do have a new appreciation for spinsterhood. In fact, I think it sounds like just the thing.”

Just the thing was a bit of slang she had picked up. Sticking forks in her eye was just the thing (but only with the good silver!). Flustering old matrons with an honest and direct statement was just the thing.

Lady Nansen stared at her a moment, blinking rapidly as she tried to process what Amelia had just said.

“Well your sister seems to have snared the attentions of Darcy’s younger brother,” she said, evidently disregarding Amelia and focusing on Bridget, the one who cared about fitting in and finding suitors.

“Are Lord Darcy and Mr. Wright here tonight?” Bridge asked eagerly. Too eagerly. “I haven’t seen them.”

“It’s not a party without Darcy,” Amelia quipped.

Darcy spent the majority of every social engagement standing against the wall, glowering at the company, refusing to dance, and begging the question of why he even bothered to attend.

But that was neither here nor there and no one deigned to reply to Amelia, so she sighed and lamented her choice in footwear quietly to herself. When Lord and Lady Nansen took their leave and sauntered off, the duchess turned and fixed her cool, blue eyes on Amelia.

“You might endeavor to be a touch more gracious, Lady Amelia.”

The Duchess always said everything in perfectly worded, excruciatingly polite phrases. Translation: Lord above, Amelia, stop acting like a brat.

“I’m just . . . bored.”

And homesick. And unhappy. And dreading the future you have planned for me. And a dozen other feelings one does not mention when one is at a ball.

“Bored?” The duchess arched her brows. “How on earth can you be bored by all this?” She waved her hand elegantly, to indicate everything surrounding them. “Is all the splendor, music, and the company of the best families in the best country not enough for you? I cannot imagine that you had such elegance and luxuries in the provinces.”

Everyone here still referred to her home country as the provinces, or the colonies, or as the remote American backwater plagued by heathens, when Amelia knew that it was a beautiful country full of forthright, spirited people. It was her true home.

They operated under the impression that there was no greater fun to be had than getting overdressed and gossiping with the same old people each night, in crowded ballrooms in a crowded city.

She missed summer nights back home on their farm in Maryland, when she would slip outside at night with a blanket, to look up at the vast, endless expanse of stars.

This, no matter what the duchess said, just did not compare.

Amelia shrugged.

“We already met half these people at the six other balls we have attended this week,” she said. “The other half are crashing bores.”

Crashing bores was a phrase Amelia had read in the gossip columns. The violence of it appealed to her.

“I suppose it would be too much to ask you to pretend to act like an interested and engaging young lady.” Then, turning to Lady Bridget, the duchess said, “I daresay she couldn’t.”

With that, the duchess turned away.

She turned away, leaving the words hanging in the air, floating to the ground, just waiting for

Amelia to pounce on them.

“Well that was a challenge,” Claire said.

“I’m not certain she could manage it.” Bridget sniffed.

Really? Really?

“Is that a dare?” Amelia asked, straightening up. Oh, she would pretend all right. She would pretend so well they’d all be shocked. It would give her something to do at least. “Because I will take that dare.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Bridget replied. Then, muttering under her breath she added, “For once.”

Amelia reddened. Admittedly she hadn’t been taking this whole sister-of-the-duke business seriously. But she would show them. So instead of sticking her tongue out and scowling at Bridget, Amelia stuck her nose right up in the air and turned away.




Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica☆☆☆☆
4 an American Independent Streak Stars.

Chasing Lady Amelia is the second book in the Keeping up with the Cavendishes series. I find Maya Rodale's writing style to flow rapidly, the characters to be engaging, the storyline to be only slightly over-the-top, and the humor to be more witty than forced. All of which makes me a happy reader.

As an American, Amelia has certain inalienable rights, such as the barbaric notion of freedom, or not being a man's property. With her brother inheriting a dukedom, an overbearing aunt, and every night filled with boring balls, endless rules, and vapid humans, Amelia has had enough.

No doubt Amelia will rub many a reader wrong, but I enjoyed her. I understood her. I remember how I felt at her age. I remember the reasons I refused to take my ex-husband's surname, informing him how he wasn't adopting a grown woman during our marriage ceremony. Yes, Amelia had a bit of a feminist bent, which to this day leaves a bad taste in many a mouth for some odd reason.

Amelia throws a fit, screaming her grievances to her family. What do those rules do for 'civilized' society, when they act horrific in all the ways that count? Finding her mad, they drug her with laudanum in her water glass at bedtime...so clearly the events of the next 24-hours are their fault. Clearly.

Alistair finds an inebriated, young woman wandering, and doesn't know where she came from. So, clearly, the only proper thing to do is take her home with him, right? While she rests, he has a meeting with his uncle, where he is told to marry one of the Americans...his lucky day, since he has one sleeping in his home.

After months of being in England, never checking out the sights, because it was more important to be taught how to snag a man, as if the only worth of a woman is the man who has possession of her, Amelia uses her time away for freedom. I'm positive this will also rub many a reader wrong. Shrugs. Amelia, you go be Amy Dish and live a little, instead of being miserable over rules that have no bearing on being a good human being.

As you can see, I'm of the feminist bent – yes, I find it highly ironic that historical romance is one of my favorite guilty pleasures. Seeing how the other half lives, I suppose.

Amy and Alistair had a ton of chemistry, witty banter, and hilarity during their adventures. As the reader, not only could I buy into their romance, I could feel it too.

Chasing Lady Amelia was an adventurous tale, featuring a spoiled, slightly immature, yet completely in her right, American who wanted her freedom back, an over-the-top family, and a man who will accept Amelia for the special snowflake that she truly is.


Also Available in the Keeping Up with the Cavendishes Series

Book 1
Buy Links

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B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the Lady Bridget’s Diary Blog Tour.




Maya Rodale began reading romance novels in college at her mother’s insistence and it wasn’t long before she was writing her own. Maya is now the author of multiple Regency historical romances. She lives in New York City with her darling dog and a rogue of her own.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Chasing Lady Amelia (Keeping Up with the Cavendishes #2) by Maya Rodale to read and review for this tour.

Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis


Choose the one guy you can’t have...

As captain of a San Francisco Bay tour boat, Pru can handle rough seas—the hard part is life on dry land. Pru loves her new apartment and her neighbors; problem is, she’s in danger of stumbling into love with Mr. Right for Anybody But Her.

Fall for him—hard...

Pub owner Finn O’Riley is six-foot-plus of hard-working hottie who always makes time for his friends. When Pru becomes one of them, she discovers how amazing it feels to be on the receiving end of that deep green gaze. But when a freak accident involving darts (don’t ask) leads to shirtless first aid, things rush way past the friend zone. Fast.

And then tell him the truth.

Pru only wants Finn to be happy; it’s what she wishes for at the historic fountain that’s supposed to grant her heart’s desire. But wanting him for herself is a different story—because Pru’s been keeping a secret that could change everything...

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Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica☆☆☆☆☆
Wow, what a fabulous romance! I haven't been able to get the smile off my face since I finished reading it. From trouble with darts to a mishap with a dumbwaiter, Pru and Finn have some fun times while they fall in love. They also have a great group of loyal friends. I wish I could move into their building and join their crew. They are good people who add to the merriment.

Sweet Little Lies is dual point of view which allows us to see the romance from both sides, something I always love in a book. Pru is keeping a pretty big secret from Finn, and as the reader, we find out early on what it is and have to wait to find out what will happen when the secret is revealed.

I loved both these characters. Pru has a huge heart and helps others without expecting anything in return. Finn is a hard worker who has forgotten how to have fun, and he needs Pru in his life as much as she needs him.

This is the first book I've read by Jill Shalvis and I loved it. I've already pre-ordered The Trouble with Mistletoe, Willa's story, which is due out on 27 September 2016 according to Amazon. I can't wait to spend more time with these guys and gals.


Ruthie☆☆☆☆
Ms. Shalvis always delivers a fresh story with a great plot, some absolutely lovely characters, and a sexy romance which satisfies. I think this is a particularly good example and, as the first in a series, also promises more great stories to come.

Men, or women who have a strong friendship group give the readers much more insight into their lives, as we benefit from seeing it in more than a single dimension. Pru has been living a lonely life, working hard to reduce her guilt levels for a perceived past sin. She has few friends, but they are loyal (and a hilariously funny pooch!) Finn has a group who will support him, and who choose to take Pru under their wing too. Watching it all unfold and the bonds being formed is fascinating.

The twists and turns make sure that we are always on the alert for the tide to turn, but loving the happiness whilst it lasts. I laughed, I definitely shed a tear or two, and I wanted these people in my life. That to me, says it is a really good book.

Thank you Ms. Shalvis, and I hope that you are busy writing Willa's story!



New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Connect with Jill

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http://avonromance.com/


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Sweet Little Lies (Heartbreaker Bay #1) by Jill Shalvis to read and review.