Getting Wound Up by Jennifer Bernard & Erin Nicholas Blog Tour

Caitlyn Murray has never let on that she's had fantasies about her brother's friend Eli Anderson for years. She'd do anything for the sexy baseball player who walked away from stardom to stay in Sapphire Falls and take care of his family. But she and Eli are friends. Just friends.

So when her brother hatches a plan to get Eli to the pro baseball try-out for the Kilby Catfish and another chance at his dream, Caitlyn is all in. After all, what's a little kidnapping among friends?

A spot on the pitcher's mound for the Catfish isn't the only tempting thing about the spontaneous road trip. Eli already knows that Caitlyn is as sweet as the candies she makes for the Sapphire Falls bakery, but alone with her overnight in the tiny motel room in Kansas, it's impossible to resist the urge to take a little taste.

But when that taste leads to falling for the girl next door just as his front door is moving hundreds of miles away, can Eli really have it all? Or do they have too many strikes against them?

A fun and flirty crossover novel from bestselling authors, Jennifer Bernard (Love Between the Bases) and Erin Nicholas (Sapphire Falls)!

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At a Kansas City hotel on the night before the Eli’s tryout.

In the bathroom, Caitlyn took an extra-long time to get control of her nerves. This was silly. She’d spent the night in the same house as Eli back when they were kids. This was no different. Still, she bundled herself up into a pair of pink cupcake-print flannel pajamas that would have been more suitable for January in Nebraska than Kansas in July.

Better safe than tempted.

When she came out of the bathroom, she saw that Eli had had the same thought. He lay on his back wearing sweatpants and a Sapphire Falls Softball League t-shirt, the covers half on, half off. His arm lay across his eyes, as if he was trying to block the light—or maybe the sight of her. “You can turn off the light whenever you’re ready,” he told her.

She crawled into her bed, pulled the covers all the way to her chin, and turned off the light on the nightstand. “Good night.”

“’Night,” he mumbled.

A hushed quiet fell over the darkened room. Too much quiet. The sound of Eli’s breathing made her too restless to sleep. She kept imagining his broad chest rising and falling, his long legs stretched all the way past the foot of the bed.

She tossed and turned, finally deciding it was simply too hot in the room for her favorite pajamas. Carefully, she reached under the covers and removed her pajama bottoms. She sighed, stretching out her legs and wiggling her toes. That was better.

She closed her eyes, then opened one when she heard rustling from Eli’s bed. Peering through the darkness, she saw a pale flash of fabric—he was dropping his t-shirt to the floor next to the bed.

He must have had the same idea. Now they were both half-dressed, and her heart was pounding in her throat. Did he know she’d also stripped down? Did he care? She waited, tense and quivering, for his next move.

He gave a soft snore.

God, she was stupid. Like he’d even notice if she stripped entirely naked and danced across the carpet.

Fine. She pulled off her pajama top. Underneath it, she wore a thin camisole—no wonder she was so hot. Why the heck had she overdressed to the point of suffocation? If Eli was going to be oblivious to her existence, she might as well be comfortable.

***

What the hell was Caitlyn doing? Trying to kill him? Was she now completely naked over there? He went hard as a rock at the thought. Damn. He wasn’t supposed to get a hard-on in the presence of his friend’s sister. But even her ridiculous fuzzy pink pj’s couldn’t hide those amazing curves, and he was only human. He shifted uncomfortably, the sweatpants rubbing against his cock. He usually slept naked, or at the most in his boxers. He felt suffocated by all that fabric.

This was never going to work. He listened to make sure Caitlyn was asleep, and when he didn’t hear any sound from her direction, he slid off his sweatpants and dropped them on top of his shirt. Ahhhh, that was better. Maybe now he had a chance of catching some zzzz’s before the main event tomorrow.

As long as he didn’t think too much about Caitlyn over there naked, her nightclothes in a little pile by her bed, just like his. It was kind of funny, if you thought about it.

Smiling, he drifted off.

In the middle of the night, the urge to visit the bathroom dragged him from a deep sleep. Blinking in the darkness, he stumbled out of bed. Still mostly asleep, he made his way across the room toward the bathroom. He yawned hugely, reaching for the door …

Only to find his arms full of warm, naked flesh. Female flesh.

Arousal ripped through him, and he dragged the tempting armful closer against his chest. He buried his nose in soft hair, ran his hands down curves that cried out to be touched.

His cock rose again, twice as hard as before. The woman in his arms trembled, pressed her hips against him. Nipples perked through her thin top, scraping against his chest, and oh my God, she wore the tiniest scrap of nothing in the way of panties. He could rip those things off her with one flick of his thumb. He could pin her against the wall and pull those fine legs around his hips and drive his cock into her—

A soft inhale broke the fantasy.

Horror rushing through him, he dropped the woman back to the floor.

No, not “the woman.” Caitlyn. He’d nearly taken Caitlyn Murray up against a wall in a random hotel room in Kansas City. Even now, his erection was nestled against her, as if that part of his body refused to let her go.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, placing her firmly at arm’s length.

“It’s … it’s okay.” She sounded awfully breathless. “I should have turned the light on, but I didn’t want to wake you, and … it was my fault. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, but that’s no excuse for me mauling you in the middle of the night. I was half asleep and didn’t exactly … ah hell, that sounds even worse. I’m really sorry, Caitlyn. It won’t happen again. Do you trust me?”

She didn’t answer for a moment, and he wished to God he could see her face. Just how angry was she?

“Go to sleep, Eli.” It was hard to miss the irritation in her voice. Well, that answered that. She was plenty angry. When he got back to Sapphire Falls, Bryan and Ty would probably beat his ass. And he’d deserve it. Not even a full night had passed in Caitlyn’s company and he’d lost his mind.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Lee’Anne – ☆☆☆☆
This was a sweet romance, I really enjoyed it!

Eli Anderson gave up his baseball scholarship at college to come home and run his family hardware store after his father had a stroke. Caitlyn has returned home from Culinary School to help her brother who was hurt in a bicycle accident. Eli and Caitlyn have known each other forever, but Eli has never really noticed that Caitlyn grew into a beautiful young woman, until Eli’s friends enlist Caitlyn’s help to kidnap Eli and get him to try out for the local baseball team. When they get to the hotel, they realize they’ve only got one room booked, that they’ll be sharing, and it’s discovered that their attraction is mutual. After Eli thinks try-outs didn’t go as well as he would have liked, Caitlyn takes Eli to a local bar where they share a few drinks and, when they return to the hotel, they take things a step further and begin a relationship that may quickly be coming to an end when Eli gets the phone call that he’s been waiting for.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced story, it had a page-turning plot and great character development. I’m really glad to see that the authors took it from being a 3-part book to one full length novel. I look forward to reading more from these authors and highly recommend you check this one out!


Shannan – ☆☆☆☆
Eli's dreams were cut short when he left college after his father had a stroke. He's been running his dad's store ever since. Eli's dreams revolved around baseball. He wanted to be a professional pitcher and had what it took to make it, but family was more important. Now that his dad is in a better place, his friends kidnap him and force him to try out for the Kirby Catfish.

When they kidnap him, Eli finds out he will be sharing a room with Caitlyn. This wouldn't be a problem since they've been friends forever, if he didn't have strong feeling for her. Can he get everything he wants, the girl and back in the game he adores? Will living hundreds of miles away ruin a relationship he didn't know he needed?

These authors were able to wrap baseball with some romance, which is always a favorite of mine. The story was fast-paced and fun. Good read.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
Oh this is a very enjoyable read – blending sport, small home town families, friends to lovers, and duty before love. It is well written, and it is very difficult to stop turning the pages. The romantic plot is by turns fun, sad, hopeless, hopeful, hot, and sexy, and more than one Jaeger shot is imbibed in its progress. It is a nice easy read which will entertain and amuse – some very unusual candy creations may be involved! Caitlin is a pastry chef of considerable skill; lucky, lucky Eli.

Given that most sports romances involve men who have been in the sport since childhood and have little other to anchor their lives. In this story Eli is coming to the pro sport at a very late age, and it is great to get a different perspective, and level of romantic seriousness. Lucky, lucky Caitlin.

Jennifer Bernard

Jennifer Bernard is a graduate of Harvard and a former news promo producer. The child of academics, she confounded her family by preferring romance novels to … well, any other books. She left big city life for true love in Alaska, where she now lives with her husband and stepdaughters. She’s no stranger to book success, as she also writes erotic novellas under a naughty secret name not to be mentioned at family gatherings.

Connect with Jennifer

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Erin Nicholas

Erin Nicholas is the author of sexy contemporary romances. Her stories have been described as toe-curling, enchanting, steamy and fun. She loves to write about reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines and happily ever afters. She lives in the Midwest with her husband who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books, her kids who will never read the sex scenes in her books, and family and friends who say they’re shocked by the sex scenes in her books (yeah, right!).

Connect with Erin

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Follow the Getting Wound Up Blog Tour HERE.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Getting Wound Up: A Sapphire Falls/Love Between the Bases novel by Jennifer Bernard & Erin Nicholas to read and review for this tour.

All of Me by Jennifer Bernard Blog Tour

Jennifer Bernard, the USA Today bestselling author of the Bachelor Firemen series, scores another homerun with a brand-new series about sexy, single baseball players.

Playing for the Kilby Catfish is hotshot pitcher Caleb Hart’s last chance to salvage his career after a major league meltdown. But the day of his opener with the minor league team, Caleb strikes out with the gorgeous woman who is delivering a petition to run the unruly Catfish out of town. Now to stay in the lineup, Caleb will need to score big with the feisty brunette he can’t keep out of his thoughts.

After the nasty lies Sadie Merritt’s rich ex-boyfriend spread about her all over town, she’s lucky to have a job at all. She can’t afford to screw it up by falling for the player who is supposed to be helping her change the image of the fun-loving Catfish. But that’s easier said than done when Caleb’s voice alone is enough to make her pulse race. And when he surprises her with a mind-blowing kiss, she knows there’s no turning back.

Book 1
Buy Links

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B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo

Caleb made her lose her head, plain and simple.

Sadie rested her forehead against his chest, amazed all over again by the firmness of his toughened muscles. The heat of his body contrasted with the cool water in the most heavenly way. “Maybe I didn’t think this all the way through.”

“Are you telling me a dumb baseball player got the better of a brilliant future law student? Nah.” He bent his head so he could nuzzle her hair. “You smell nice. Like water lilies.”

She smelled hot man, mixed with lake water and sun-baked mesquite. Somehow they’d drifted away from the gravelly edge, so the stench of mud wasn’t as prominent. She felt so dreamy and secure, held tight in Caleb’s arms as they floated aimlessly in the lake. He grinned down at her, the light reflected off the lake water turning his eyes a soft, clear blue. Sun glinted in his hair, spangled with crystal drops of water. He really was a remarkably beautiful man. Everything seemed to still while she soaked in the details of his powerful physique, his rawboned handsomeness, the flash of vulnerability in his eyes.

She could really lose herself in him. Completely and utterly. Never before had she felt anything close to that.

“Dream on,” she told him, and flipped out of his arms. She dove under the surface, letting the slide of water through her hair and across her body wash away the effects of that alarming moment.

She’d always loved to swim, and it took only a few moments to put distance between herself and Caleb. But he wasn’t a professional athlete for nothing, and within moments he was splashing in her wake.

Shrieking with breathless laughter, she flung herself backward, as if onto a watery couch. He grabbed an ankle, and she flipped to her stomach, kicking hard. But it was no use; she felt herself being inexorably pulled toward him, his wonderfully big hands reeling her in.

And then there she was, snuggled against his chest again. It rose and fell with his rapid breaths. “There, that’s better,” he said with satisfaction, the words rumbling against her ear. “I kinda like this whole fishing thing.”

“No fair, I got distracted,” she protested, turning her body in the circle of his arms so she could see his face. Water streamed from his hair, down his neck to his wide shoulders. His eyelashes clung together, so his eyes looked bluer than ever. “I’d forgotten how much I love swimming in this lake.”

“It’s starting to grow on me too. Or at least something is.”

She giggled, and then, as a grin split his face, started laughing. As he watched her something shifted in his expression. His goofy smile vanished, replaced by an intent, hungry look. His head lowered, eyes glittering. The rest of the world receded, so only his face remained, coming closer and closer to hers, his mouth reaching for her …

Oh wow. He was going to kiss her.

And then he was kissing her. His lips burned against hers, sending pure shock throughout her body. Kisses didn’t feel like that. They didn’t turn your lips to fire, they didn’t liquefy your lungs so you could barely breathe. They didn’t make you dizzy.

She pulled away with a gasp, still in his embrace, their faces close enough so she felt his quickened breathing. Caleb looked just as stunned as she felt, his eyes gone dark and gray as a hurricane. For a long moment the two of them just stared at each other, poised on the edge of the unknown. Water lapped against her hips, and a breath of air kissed her shoulder. Everywhere her body touched Caleb’s, heat seared.

And then they were on each other again. He seemed to consume her, exploring her mouth with long sweeps of his tongue that left sparkling trails of heat in their wake. He tasted so wonderful, like summer days, like fireflies and bicycling down dusty back roads, like every time she’d laid on her back in a meadow and dreamed about the future.

Little whimpers rose from her throat. She pulled her mouth from his, her cheek brushing across his stubbly chin, its roughness sending more shocks through her. His grip loosened and she slid down his body until she stood on the lake bottom, pressed against him from head to toe. The huge bulge in his briefs made her feel a little faint.

“Sweet Jesus,” he whispered as she nibbled on his jaw. She couldn’t help it; she wanted to eat him up. “You’re making me crazy. We can’t do this here.”

“Shh.” She didn’t want to talk. She wanted this all-consuming, crazy conflagration that she’d never even imagined before. Tugging at his shoulders, she rose on tiptoe, brushing her lips against his again. With a heartfelt groan, he gave in.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Johanna – ☆☆☆☆
I picked up this book the other day from our group Wicked Reads because the blurb and cover were pretty hot! After settling down and reading for a few I realized that this author is the same author who writes those crazy hot fireman books. I enjoyed this book with ease, and loved the plot. Sadie Merritt hasn't had much luck with men. Her father’s not in the picture and her last man spread awful rumors and a sex tape around town. Needless to say she hasn't buckled under all the pressure. Enter Caleb Hart... He's a ball player traded down to the minors after an awful incident in his last major league game. He's lost his pitch so to speak, and has some family issues to address. These two aren't a match made in heaven but it was fun seeing them get together. Nice chemistry that you can always expect from this author, and a couple of laughs from good humor. Overall entertainment is four stars!


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first in a new baseball romance series, and I will be making sure that I keep an eye out for future stories. There are plenty in the team that will provide interesting plots!

There is a good mix of sport, of humour, of angst and romance. The chemistry between the lead characters is sizzling, in spite of Sadie's nervousness. She has good reason to be wary after a horrible situation that once again threatens her happiness. Some very real issues about privacy and the potential to destroy someone's future are raised. Luckily, as in all good love stories, things have a way of working themselves out – although in this case unusually, in part due to a slug!!

If you enjoy your romance with a dash of humour – then I recommend this to you – and hope that Ms. Bernard is busy plotting book 2.

Jennifer Bernard is the USA Today bestselling author of the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriels series. She is a graduate of Harvard and a former news promo producer. The child of academics, she confounded her family by preferring romance novels to … well, any other books. She left big city life for true love in Alaska, where she now lives with her husband and stepdaughters. She’s no stranger to book success, as she also writes erotic novellas under a naughty secret name not to be mentioned at family gatherings.

Connect with Jennifer

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Blog

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the All of Me Blog Tour HERE.

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of All of Me (Love Between the Bases #1) by Jennifer Bernard to read and review for this tour.