Safeguard by Stephanie Rose Blog Tour

Jilted. Living in a glorified closet. The world’s worst bar waitress. I just need to keep a roof over my head and make tuition payments until I can finish graduate school. Then my real life will start. But right now, long nights at the Speakeasy have me burning the candle at both ends and the wax melting all over my fingers.

When a bar manager offers me a job taking care of his adorable five-year-old daughter, it seems like the perfect solution. I get a quiet place to study. Matteo gets a reliable sitter.

There should be no complications. Except that I like my new boss a little too much. His gorgeous dark eyes humble me, and the long talks we share fill me up inside. I can’t possibly fall for him.

But the undeniable pull between us leads to a scorching kiss I can’t ignore or forget, and suddenly I’ve fallen for them both, father and daughter.

And now three hearts are at stake.

Safeguard is a stand-alone novel set in Sarina Bowen’s World of True North.

Welcome to Speakeasy, where the beer is handcrafted, the patrons wear flannel, and the romance is steamier than the gourmet kitchen out back. The Speakeasy Taproom books are standalone romances set in small-town Vermont. Jump in anywhere!

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Speakeasy Taproom series!
For book one, Touchstone, click HERE.
For book two, Heartwood, click HERE.
For book three, Homecoming, click HERE.
For book four, Sideways, click HERE.
For book five, Wildflower, click HERE.
For book six, Firefly, click HERE.
For book seven, Starlight, click HERE.
For book eight, Stargazer, click HERE.

 

 

Book 9
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Apple Books  ~  B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  Kobo
Audiobook (US)

 

 

“This was great. Thank you for dinner and for ice cream.” Melanie’s mouth stretched into a tight smile as she reached for her bag.

“You don’t have to go. Stay. I’ll switch the movie to something we both haven’t seen a hundred times.”

“Yes, I do.” Her arms dropped to her sides. “If I stay—” she trailed off when I framed her face.

“If you stay, what are you afraid of?” I ran my thumbs back and forth over her cheekbones. Her full bottom lip quivered as she took in a shaky breath.

“Everything.” She clenched her eyes shut and grabbed my wrists.

“This is probably a bad idea,” I confessed, so close to her lips I could almost taste her.

“The worst,” she agreed with a breathless whisper.

I wasn’t sure who went in first, but before I knew it, my mouth was slanted over hers. I ran my tongue along the seam of her lips, pushing inside her mouth when it opened on a whimper. She looped her arms around my neck, my body shaking against hers as I forced myself to go slow. She felt too good, tasted too good. With Melanie in my arms, all of my control and reason evaporated.

She broke the kiss, both of us panting as I kept my hands on her waist. I studied her face for a reaction. I wanted her so much that my vision was hazy, but I was letting her take the lead.

Melanie pressed her hands against my chest, drifting them down my torso until she hooked her fingers into the belt loops at my waist.

“What do you want, Melanie? Tell me.”

She straightened, flicking her eyes to mine before grabbing the back of my head and pulling me in for a sloppy, mindless kiss. I kept my lips on hers as I backed her against the wall, dragging my lips down her neck and running my tongue along her throat.

I sifted my fingers into her hair, weaving them around a fistful to tilt her head back.

“Look at me,” I whispered.

She met my gaze with hooded eyes and swollen lips, and she never looked more beautiful.

“What I want is you, and I’m sick of denying it.”

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the ninth book in the series. I recommend all the books in the Sarina Bowen True North World – whether at the Speakeasy, Vino & Veritas, or the Busy Bean – you are in for a treat if you haven't started them yet. This one is really fun, as we have all grown to care about Matteo and his little girl, Lauren.

After Lauren's mother walks out when she is just six months old, Matteo parents alone, but in the place they grew up together. He is fed up of the attention that gets and the pity he has bestowed upon him. So when his good friend suggests he move to work at the Speakeasy, it is a wrench, yet an easy decision. All is going well, until his regular babysitter moves away. There are some real babysitter nightmare stories, which really made me feel for him!!

Melanie moved away when her parents moved, but now she is back in town and working to fund her return to grad school to become a teacher. We learn that she had lost herself whilst in a serious relationship, but he broke the engagement, and it is time for her to do what she wants. To fund this, she is working at the Speakeasy – not really her thing (a massive understatement!), and not something she does well, but somehow, she makes it work, most of the time. When a chance to help out Matteo by looking after Laura shows all of them how well that works, Matteo is keen to have her take on more childcare hours rather than bar ones.

It is great fun seeing how the trio of Matteo, Lauren, and Melanie fall into an easy routine and are very happy when together. I enjoyed how the rest of the bar staff understood what was happening long before the two of them acknowledged it.

A very sweet, sexy read, with Lauren being a key part of the storyline. Another good addition to the series.

 

 

 

STEPHANIE ROSE lives in the Bronx, New York with her superhero-obsessed husband and son.

Her day job is marketing, but she always has a story in her head. This lifelong New Yorker lives for Starbucks, book boyfriends, and 80s rock. After spending most of her youth watching soaps, Stephanie has an obsession with angsty drama and hot romance.

She’s excited to finally bring the characters she’s been dreaming about to life!

Connect with Stephanie

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

 

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Safeguard (Speakeasy Taproom #9) by Stephanie Rose to read and review for this tour.