The Front Runner by Elsie Silver Blog Tour

Stefan Dalca is beautiful, brooding, and bossy. He’s also public enemy number one in this small town, with a murky past that’s hard to overlook. And I just agreed to three fake dates with him.

I may be a renowned veterinarian, but when I find myself in a sticky situation, Stefan is my last hope. I need his help to save a sick foal and what he wants in return is me.

Our time together starts out as a simple transaction, but the more time I spend with him, the more I wonder if he’s not quite the villain they’ve made him out to be. With every intimate conversation and lingering look, the tension between us builds. I’ve been drawn to Stefan since the first day I laid eyes on him. And now he’s downright irresistible.

I know sleeping with the enemy is playing with fire. But like a moth to a flame, I’m attracted to the mysterious man in a way I can’t explain—in a way those closest to me wouldn’t approve of or understand.

And the more he softens for me, the harder I fall.

But as his mysteries unravel, so do hidden truths. Truths that are bound to leave someone burned.

I just didn’t expect that someone to be me.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Gold Rush Ranch series!
For book one, Off to the Races, click HERE.
For book two, A Photo Finish, click HERE.

 

 

Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Paperback (US)
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

“Don’t be such a baby.”

Stefan has his arms wrapped around Loki’s neck and is looking down at the foal like he’s a stuffed animal, not a future athlete and animal that needs space to frolic and run.

“Are you serious right now?” I prod him. “I thought you were a big, tough man, but you’re too chicken to let this little guy romp around outside?”

“Mira. I’m not a big, tough man. I’m just a dick. Remember?”

“Yeah, yeah.” I wave my hand at him dismissively. Stefan is a lot of things, but the more I get to know him, the less I think a dick is one of them. “Let’s go. Outside. Fresh air is good for everyone.” I slip the leather halter onto Farrah’s head and buckle it near her ear. She looks excited. Ready to get out of the barn.

“What if he hurts himself?”

“Can’t live life that way, Stefan. Bad things happen all the time. Buck up. Let’s go.”

With a firm cluck, I walk Farrah out into the barn alleyway and head toward the big, wide-open sliding door. Today was beautiful and sunny and dry. And now, under the quiet charm of the evening, it’s the perfect time to let them take their maiden voyage outside with no tractors, no staff milling about, just calm and privacy for this colt and the mare who’s taken him under her wing.

Within a few moments, I hear the clopping of Loki’s hooves against the concrete and the scuff of Stefan’s boots. I smile to myself. The big bad wolf has certainly developed quite the soft spot for Loki.

Out under the setting sun, we head toward the paddock that’s already waiting and open. It’s a big grass field on the opposite side of the lake from the willow tree where Stefan and I buried the other foal a few weeks ago. I pull Farrah’s halter off, and she’s through the gate. Loki follows her, like the sweet little colt that he is.

Until Stefan lets him go.

Beneath the pink and orange sky, the sweet little colt blows a gasket. He’s got his head down between his knees and is trying to buck. Mile-long legs fly out all over the place while Farrah takes off for a leisurely trot down the fence line. Loki goes with her but doesn’t stop his antics. I shut the gate quickly and lean against the fence, chuckling.

Stefan steps up beside me and presses his elbows against the railing. “He looks like Elaine doing that godawful dance on Seinfeld.”

I straight up cackle. That is exactly what he looks like. “He looks happy,” I reply.

Stefan nods. “He does.”

“You’ve done a great job with him, Stefan.” I want him to understand what a huge difference he’s made for this small horse. That even if everyone sees him one way, I see that they’re all wrong. It feels like something he should know. This man is still clearly so broken up about his mother and trying so hard for the only family he has left.

His eyes flit to the side. “This is all you. I probably just made your job harder.”

“Oh, you mean by using me as a pawn in your pointless war with my friends?” I joke.

Now his head turns to me. Slowly, but sharply. Like a predator that’s heard his prey fumbling through the forest. “Pawn?”

I roll my eyes. “Don’t play stupid, Stefan. It’s not cute. Making them keep Loki here rather than at Gold Rush Ranch. The three dates. I’m sure you’re just desperately hoping Billie finds out about those so you can sow discord between us. I know it’s all part of your plot to cut them down at the knees.”

He unfolds his fingers slowly as he regards me. Turning his body to face me. And mine follows like the opposite end of a magnet, matching his movement so we stand facing each other under the golden glow of the evening sky. “You think that you’re the pawn in my game?”

I scoff and roll my eyes in response. How dumb does he think I am?

He moves swiftly now, surely. One hand shoots out and slides between my coat and thin shirt. He palms my ribs there as he presses me back against the fence. We’re supposed to be watching the horses. But suddenly, all we’re watching is each other. My hands come up to push him away, but as soon as I feel the hard lines of his pecs beneath his shirt, my resolve withers.

“I’m going to tell you something, Mira.” I can feel the rumble of his voice through my palms. I can’t take my eyes off the sight of my hands on his chest. I’m not supposed to be touching Stefan Dalca, but my body must have missed the memo. Because my nipples rasp against my bra, and with each breath I draw, an ache coils just behind my hip bones.

“And I want you to listen very carefully.” With his free hand, Stefan reaches up and drags the pad of his pointer finger over my collar bone.

My breath turns to stone in my lungs. I’m too shocked to move. And too far gone to stop him. He’s standing so close I can smell his laundry detergent and the hint of pine that must be in his cologne.

“Because you are very confused.”

He starts at the center of my chest, his eyes following his finger, watching goosebumps fan out across my skin in his wake. When his finger gets close to my shoulder and the neckline of my shirt, he slips it just inside. Just under the strap of my bra. And with one flick, that strap is pushed right off my shoulder. His grip pulses on my ribs and he steps even closer, forcing me to look up and hold his gaze.

A quiet gasp escapes me when I catch sight of the expression on his face. What I see there is primal. He’s not just looking at me appreciatively… he’s looking at me like he wants to devour me.

I’m positive no man has ever looked at me like this before.

A sinful smile touches his mouth as he leans in close. His free hand cups the back of my skull so his thumb can brush across the sensitive part of my neck, almost at my throat.

His whisper is warm and silky. “Do I have your attention now?”

I swallow and nod, feeling chills break out over my skin. There is not a single part of my mind or body that is not entirely focused on the man who has pushed me up against the fence.

“Good. Because I want to make myself abundantly clear.” We’re so close. I can feel the entire length of his body covering mine. He teases me with the lightest brush of his lips against my ear as he drops his voice and holds me captive. “You are not the pawn, Mira. You are the prize.”

I reel, and I feel the burn of his lips against my skin as he presses a featherlight kiss to the spot his thumb had been rubbing. My pulse hammers, and I swear all I can hear is my blood rushing through my veins. The air crackles between us. No man has ever spoken to me like this.

I should put a stop to our interaction. And yet, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. My body comes to life for him in a way it shouldn’t.

He steps away, and I feel alarmingly bereft, like I want to yank him back toward me. Like I want more. I’m the biggest traitor I know because I want him to continue. I want him to whisper more forbidden secrets against my body.

His tongue darts out over his bottom lip, followed by his teeth, in a very intentional way as his eyes peruse my body. His gaze lands on the hand I now have slung over my chest in an attempt to slow my racing heart. The other one grips the fence post behind me, possibly the only thing that’s keeping me upright at this moment.

“And I love to win,” he finishes with a stupidly sexy smirk, then turns around and walks away.

Leaving me with the perfect view of his firm ass and a jumbled mess of confused feelings.

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the third book in the series, and is quite possibly my favourite so far. I love a misunderstood, bad character, who turns out to have had a big heart all along and everyone has to decide how they deal with the new reality. Make the catalyst for this conversion an orphaned foal paired with a mare who had lost her foal, and the chances are that no one can resist the charm and the magic.

If you have been reading the series to date, you will be well aware of the enmity between the two racing horse establishments and their inhabitants. Well, as I mentioned, be prepared to learn that Stefan Dalca most definitely covers up his nicer side, and beautiful local vet Mira is about to remove the layers and bring out his true colours. Not only do we learn about his past, which brought him to this place, but also why he holds back all manner of humanity in an act of careful self-defence!

As these two succumb to the chemistry that surrounds them, there is another even bigger surprise which unfolds. I loved how the lessons of the first book – never assume anything about family – come around and remind everyone of what is truly important. Delicious, and I hope there is more to come as I am fully invested in this series!

 

 

ELSIE SILVER is a Canadian author of sassy, sexy, small-town romance who loves a good book boyfriend and the strong heroines who bring them to their knees. She lives just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, son, and three dogs and has been voraciously reading romance books since before she was probably supposed to.

She loves cooking and trying new foods, traveling, and spending time with her boys–especially outdoors. Elsie has also become a big fan of her quiet five am mornings, which is when most of her writing happens. It’s during this time that she can sip a cup of hot coffee and dream up a fictional world full of romantic stories to share with her readers.

Connect with Elsie

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Front Runner (Gold Rush Ranch #3) by Elsie Silver to read and review for this tour.

Change With Me by Kristen Proby Blog Tour

From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby comes an all new novella set in her beloved With Me In Seattle series!

Zane Cooper. Hollywood royalty. Fourth generation superstar. He knows what it is to be one of the biggest celebrities in the world. And how lonely that title truly is. When scandal hits, his career hangs in the balance, and Zane flees LA for Seattle, laying low with his newly married best friend. Things will eventually blow over, and he’ll have his life back soon enough.

Aubrey Stansfield arrives in Seattle excited to start a new job, and eager to settle into her new home. But when she arrives at her rental, Aubrey’s sure she’s imagining things because the uber sexy Zane Cooper is unpacking in her new bedroom. Thanks to a rental snafu, and unwilling to relocate on such short notice, Aubrey and Zane are thrust into being roommates.

Aubrey is about as average as a woman gets, so what could the megastar possibly see in her? She tells herself she’s not interested, despite their undeniable chemistry. But Zane is very persuasive, and soon Aubrey finds herself playing house with the most recognized man on the planet. Deep down, she knows it’s all a fantasy. He’ll head back to his posh lifestyle soon and leave her behind. No way could she fall in love with him.

But love doesn’t always follow the rules…

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

Don’t miss our reviews of other books in the With Me in Seattle series!
For book #11, Love With Me, click HERE.
For the novella, Wonder With Me, click HERE.
For book #13, Dream With Me, click HERE.
For book #17, Flirt With Me, click HERE.

 

 

Book 17.5
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Audiobook (US)  ~  Paperback (US)

 

 

“Who are you?”

My heart jumps, and my stomach jolts as I spin and see a man walk out of the master bath. He’s tall. He’s frowning.

And he looks familiar.

“The question is, who are you?” Why did I leave my purse—and my mace—in the kitchen?

“You’re in my condo,” he retorts.

“No, you’re in my condo,” I reply and cross my arms over my chest, trying to look mean. “This is two-oh-three A. Mine. If you’re going to murder-death-kill me, I’m going to ask you to take today off and do it to someone else because I’ve had a long drive, and I need to get ready for my new job. Now, see yourself out.”

Is that me, sounding all calm and collected?

I’m never this calm. Or collected.

Seattle is clearly good for me.

“I hate to burst your bubble,” the stranger replies, “but I’m not leaving. I leased this place, and I’m moving in today.”

“But.” I frown. “I leased this place. And I’m moving in today.”

I stomp out of the bedroom and head straight for the kitchen, opening my bag to retrieve my phone.

I also set my mace on the counter, just in case.

“I can show you the lease.”

“Same,” he replies. “Landlord fucked up.”

I blink, open my mouth, then close it again.

“What’s in here?” He opens my pink box and surveys the goods. “These cake donuts are my weakness.”

Before my eyes, he grabs one and takes a big bite.

“So now you’re stealing my house and my food?”

“I didn’t steal anything,” he says with a full mouth. “Well, except the donut.”

“You’re going to have to move,” I inform him. “I already paid for the first month and the security deposit.”

“I paid six months in advance,” he says, swallows, and then smiles. Suddenly, I know exactly where I’ve seen him before.

This is Zane Cooper. The actor. The celebrity.

He must see the recognition in my eyes because his go ice-cold.

“I can’t afford to find a new place,” I inform him. “It took me a month to find this one. And it’s perfect for me. It’s less than six blocks from the school I’ll be teaching at, so I can walk every day. And it’s furnished. Plus, it’s close to the water.”

“Definitely perfect,” he agrees.

“Oh my God, why are you here?” I demand and prop my hands on my hips. “You’re a gazillionaire. You could literally go anywhere. Why do you want my condo?”

“I’m not a gazillionaire,” he says and crosses his arms over his chest. “I’m more of a trazillionaire.”

“Pretty sure that’s the same thing. So, go build your own building and live in it.”

“Nah.” He picks a piece of donut out of his teeth and shakes his head slowly. “I don’t think I will. I’ll stay here.”

I blink at him and start to feel helpless. My savings is in this place. I don’t have enough left to rent anything else.

And I don’t have time. I start work in just three days.

Part of me wants to cry, but I’ll be damned if I let this hoity-toity movie star see me upset.

So, I do the only thing I can think of.

I prop my fist on the opposite hand in a challenge of rock, paper, scissors.

“What are you doing?” he asks, raising one sexy eyebrow.

“The adult thing,” I reply primly. “Best out of three wins?”

He blinks twice, looks from my hands to my face and back again, then shrugs one muscular shoulder and assumes the position.

“Fine,” he says. “I’m going to win—wait. What’s your name?”

“Aubrey,” I say and lick my lips. “Aubrey Stansfield. And you’re Wyatt Earp.”

His lips twitch into a half-smile. “I only played him on TV.”

I chuckle and say, “Ready?”

“Go,” he says, and we thump our fists three times.

I land on scissors.

He fists for rock.

Damn it.

“Let’s go again,” Zane says.

One. Two. Three.

I land on paper.

He chooses rock again.

I grin, and his blue eyes smile back.

There’s a reason Zane Cooper is the hottest sex symbol in the world. Good God, I might combust just from standing next to him.

All the more reason to get him out of my house.

“Last one,” I say. “Go.”

One. Two. Three.

I land on paper again, assuming Zane only knows how to use rock.

But he forms scissors.

I breathe deeply and reach for my last damn donut.

“That’s mine,” he says, and I whirl on him.

“This is mine,” I reply hotly. “I stood in a bloody line in Portland for it, just this morning. I drove all the way here from Arizona. I’m tired. I’m a little scared. And now I have you in my house, and you won’t leave. Even better than that, you just stole it out from under me.”

“I won it,” he reminds me. “Fair and square. The donut, that is.”

I stop and frown at him. “Huh?”

“I won the donut. In the rock-paper-scissors game.”

“I was playing for the condo, Wyatt.”

He barks out a laugh. “Not me. I want that donut.”

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance

I have loved this series since the first book. Now, on number 17, it's still just as amazing.

Aubrey is a down to earth, realistic, hilarious school teacher. She is excited to start a new job and loves what she does. When she walks into her newly rented house, she finds that she's not alone. Not willing to bend, she tries to win the space by playing "rock, paper, scissors." When that fails to work, she puts on her big girl panties and chooses to stay with her new roommate.

Zane is hiding out because of the press. He hates the press. While he is staying away from LA, he decides to spend some time near friends. What he doesn't expect is a roommate who is not in automatic awe of him. Zane is used to women fawning all over him. When he meets Aubrey, she's a breath of fresh air for him.

The bond that these two forge is one of friendship, love, passion, and silliness. They can both be very silly, but they also love hard and with their whole hearts. You won't regret picking this up for the afternoon.

This is a quick read and while it can be read as a standalone, I would highly suggest that you start at the beginning of the series, because getting to see snippets of the previous characters is so much fun.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is such a sweet, hot, fabulous read! If you are a member of the With Me in Seattle fan club, it just rings true, gives a dive back into all the goodness of the series, and if you aren't yet, I am certain that you will be reaching for the back catalogue and getting ready for the pleasure to come.

Kristen Proby has a real talent for making people real, and sure Aubrey is that way immediately, but Zane too is given the quirks and facets of a person we can identify with, even if overall his life is so far removed from us all. I found the situation they were in funny, the way they deal with it and their chemistry hugely engaging, and overall, just a lovely read from cover to cover.

I was left with a real feeling of contentment and hopefulness thanks to this story!

 

 

 

KRISTEN PROBY has published more than forty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series, and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion and Romancing Manhattan Series.

Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two cats.

Connect with Kristen

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: Proby's Peeps

 

 

For more information about the 1,001 Dark Nights releases, follow them at:

Facebook  ~  Instagram  ~  Website & Newsletter Sign-Up

 

 

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Change With Me (With Me in Seattle #17.5) by Kristen Proby to read and review for this tour.

Shot Across the Bow by Julie Ann Walker Release Blitz

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker delivers perfect pulse-pounding romantic suspense! The former Navy SEALs of Deep Six Salvage thought they could retire to the sea and hunt for treasures of the deep, but when trouble comes to visit, there’ll be hell to pay.

Former Navy SEAL Spiro “Romeo” Delgado is six-plus feet of high-octane charm, and he has two hard and fast rules. One, always come to the rescue of those in need. And two, never give up his fast and furious bachelor ways. But when Mia Ennis joins Deep Six Salvage on the hunt for the Santa Cristina, her mesmerizing blend of brains, beauty, and bravery makes him question everything he thought he wanted in life.

Mia’s traumatic past has taught her to keep everyone she meets at arm’s length. But Romeo, with that body that is forever tensed for action and that dark gaze that tracks her every move, makes her feel safe in a way she never expected. Yet the secret she carries compels her to keep her distance—even as the past comes back to haunt them.

A harrowing plane crash ends with Romeo and Mia marooned on a desert island. When a boatful of men bent on murder drop anchor, Mia discovers her only hope for survival depends on her letting her guard down around Romeo. But surrendering to the passion she feels for him might be the most dangerous thing of all…

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Deep Six series!
For book one, Hell or High Water, click HERE.
For book two, Devil and the Deep, click HERE.
For book three, Ride the Tide, click HERE.
For book four, Deeper Than the Ocean, click HERE.

 

 

Book 5
Buy Links

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

 

 

Julie Ann Walker’s Top 5 Favorite Things About The Conch Republic

Hi all you romantic suspense fans! Julie Ann Walker here, tickled pink to be on Wicked Reads talking about my latest debut, Shot Across the Bow. I tell people this entire Deep Six series is like The Goonies for adults. There’s action, adventure, lost treasure, good guys and bad guys, and tons of red-hot romance.

The books are set in the Florida Keys on an imaginary spit of mangrove forest and sand called Wayfarer Island. But my characters are often called back to the very real-life Key West, and much of that island shows up in the books. I lived in Key West for 2 months, preparing to write this series, and there are a few things I absolutely loved about the place.

So sit back, grab a boat drink, imagine your feet in the sand, and come along with me on a tour of my top five favorite things about The Conch Republic!

1) The place is overrun with chickens, otherwise known as “jungle fowl.” You’ll hear a rooster crow at dawn and see a hen escorting her brood across Duval Street—the main drag which is home to t-shirt stores, bars, and souvenir shops. Chickens on Key West are as common a sight as a Key Lime pie!

2) Natives to the island are known as “Conchs”, pronounced “konks” with a hard K on the end. And if you’re a transplant to Key West and have resided there for seven or more years, you are crowned with the honorary title: Freshwater Conch. (Here you thought a conch was simply a pretty pink shell, right?)

3) Key West is known as “The End of the Road” because it is quite literally the end of Highway 1, considered the southernmost point in the continental U.S. The island is closer to Cuba than it is to Miami!

4) The setting of the sun is a daily celebration. Seriously! Every evening at sunset, crowds gather in Mallory Square to watch that gilded orb sink into the ocean. The instant it disappears, everyone cheers.

5) Judy Blume lives on Key West and is an integral part of the creative community there. I grew up reading Blume’s books and can’t help but feel extra authory anytime I visit her island home!

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is the fifth book in the series, and I most definitely recommend that you read the series in order. We get the next stage in the story of the shipwreck from 1624 – and how the team now are getting ever closer to finding their hiding place.

I love every new installment and the guaranteed crazy as well as super sexy adventure that will follow. These guys are always courting trouble, and the ones who have not yet fallen in love court women wherever they may be. Romeo (Spiro) is aptly nicknamed, but since Mia joined the expedition, he has been struggling to find anyone more interesting. He is certain that she is a forever type of woman, and that he does not deserve one of those.

Ironically, Mia feels just like him, and after a lifetime of being belittled by her mother and blamed for a tragedy, she does not think herself worthy of any type of relationship at all. As readers, we know this before they do – so be ready for some shouting at the page, telling them to talk to each other!

We get to catch up with all the team, and find Doc heatedly arguing with the newly engaged lawyer, Camilla, which is hilarious and portends of good things for them in the future. I won't reveal more of that or the treasure hunting, but you will want to read on and fast!

Another action-packed, sexy, and engaging read – I am already hoping the next one finds it's way to publication really, really soon!


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

I suggest that you read this series in order, as you won't be disappointed.

Spiro has a history that makes him feel like he should just settle and be happy to be here. While we have grown to love Spiro, he is the typical alpha male character who has difficulties expressing himself.

Mia is whip smart, beautiful, and damaged. She knows that her past will prevent her from ever truly finding happiness, especially with a garbage excuse of a mother. With a past that haunts her, Mia finds happiness in the sea.

Spiro and Mia have kindred spirits and when they finally allow themselves to see and feel their mutual attraction, sparks fly.

Mia has questions about her past that seem just out of reach and when everyone is marooned after their plane is shot down, it will take everyone's wits to figure out who's after them, why, and to make it out alive.

Camille is another story. She seems strait-laced and uptight, but underneath it all, she's hilarious and won't take crap from anyone. I love the banter between her and Doc. It definitely sets up a fantastic next book.

I can't wait for the next installment. These have action, love, real life, and a bit of pirate hunting in them!

 

 

 

JULIE ANN WALKER is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of award-winning romantic suspense. She has won the Book Buyers Best Award, been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA award. Her latest release was named a Top Ten Romance of 2014 by Booklist. Her books have been described as "alpha, edgy, and downright hot." Most days you can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission.

Connect with Julie Ann

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Shot Across the Bow (Deep Six #5) by Julie Ann Walker to read and review for this tour.

Secrets & Lies by Brooke Blaine & Ella Frank Blog Tour

I wasn’t supposed to want him. The bronzed god lying by my pool in tight shorts that left little to the imagination. But I was only human, and with the temptation constantly within reach, it was only a matter of time before I could no longer resist.

It was wrong. I knew that.

He was my son’s age.
Hell, he was my son’s friend.

But even worse... I was his teacher..

Secrets & Lies is a standalone teacher-student MM romance from USA Today bestselling authors Brooke Blaine & Ella Frank.

 

 

Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Paperback (US)
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angie – ☆☆☆
I will probably be in the minority on this one, but I wasn't over the moon on this book. I didn't connect with the characters right away and I certainly didn't feel their connection either. The blurb was misleading as well because Ryder didn't meet Ash's son until after he had met Ash and it wasn't at the get go, it was further in the book. I also wasn't thrilled Ryder was still in high school. I don't mind student-teacher romances, I've read several—but not involving high schoolers, that's just not my cup of tea. I love this author duo and I'll definitely keep reading their books. This one just missed the mark for me, but that epilogue was great.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆
I am a huge fan of this talented author duo, however, I have to admit that this is not one of my favourites of theirs. After the exuberance of Julian, Sebastian, et al, this was missing the absolute magic for me. The writing is very good, and there is much to enjoy and amuse, so I am probably in a minority in being underwhelmed.

Ryder certainly appears older than he is when we first meet him, so I had assumed we were talking college forbidden, not high school. So whilst Ash's behaviour after the art class is forgivable, his lack of self-control thereafter just makes him seem weirdly immature.

I will no doubt continue to read everything these authors write, as they are still firm favourites of mine.


Shannan – ☆☆☆
Secrets & Lies is a complete standalone by Brooke Blaine and Ella Frank.

Ryder and Ash first meet at a Sunday night art class. The sparks are immediate between them. Ryder seems very mature, but we come to find out he is indeed in high school. He seems more mature than Ash as the story unfolds. The story in itself becomes somewhat predicable without any surprise.

I am a huge fan of these authors but for me this one just missed the mark. It isn't up to the Blaine-Frank standards I've come to love. It was very well written just not one of my favorites. I did shelve it as a "taboo subject matter" just for the fact Ryder is in high school and Ash is the teacher, which may be off putting for some readers.

 

 

BROOKE BLAINE is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance that ranges from comedy to suspense to erotic. The latter has scarred her conservative Southern family for life, bless their hearts.

If you’d like to get in touch with her, she’s easy to find - just keep an ear out for the Rick Astley ringtone that’s dominated her cell phone for years. Or you can reach her on her website.

Connect with Brooke

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: Brooke & Ella's Naughty Umbrella

ELLA FRANK is the USA Today bestselling author of the Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite erotic serial, Sex Addict. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”

A life-long fan of the romance genre, Ella writes contemporary and erotic fiction.

Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Philips.

Connect with Ella

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: Brooke & Ella's Naughty Umbrella

 

 

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Secrets & Lies by Brooke Blaine & Ella Frank to read and review for this tour.

Carnage by Ker Dukey Release Blitz

Ezekiel “Carnage Creator” Ford.
Brother of the Royal Bastards MC.
Brutality incarnate.
A lone wolf.
The one they call in from the dark when they need shit done—and there’s no one better for the job than me.
I have a tainted soul, oil black, and hungry for bloodshed.
The world is a cesspit. I give zero fucks about it, and it gives zero fucks about me, so when some mafia prick with a vendetta toward our club tries to torture me for sport, the last person I expect to come to my rescue is a small female with a sassy attitude and a death wish.
She’s a complication, burrowing her claws deep into the layers of my fucked-up psyche.
Part of me wants to keep her there, drench her in the very essence of who I am until she’s nothing but a weeping mess, craving the relief only I can give her.
She’s bringing my walls down, showing me maybe there’s some good in the world after all. Until my brothers find us and it’s not me they’ve come for—it’s her.
She’s not who she’s been pretending to be.
She’s the devil dressed in the tight-ass skin of a bitch I’ve become addicted to.
I don’t care who has to bleed for me to keep feeding the habit:
My brother.
Our enemies.
Her.
If she’s not in my bed and on the back of my bike, she’s not going to be on anyone’s.

Don’t miss our reviews of other books in the Royal Bastards MC: Little Rock, AR series!
For book one, Animal, click HERE.

 

 

Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Paperback (US)
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

Another bar. Another drink. Another job.

Shifting my gaze around this hovel, a grim line tugs at my lips. The floors are sticky. The mirror behind the bar is cracked and missing pieces. There’s a fucking dog that looks like a rat licking out of a man’s beer glass on the bar top. Cigarette smoke fogs the air, and the reek of piss invades my nostrils. I got a text to meet a brother here. My gut instinct tells me I’ve got the wrong place. This shit hole is in the middle of bum fuck nowhere and looks like it’s run from the cast of The Hills Have Eyes. Lights flicker toward the back where a pool table is situated, making it impossible for anyone to fucking use it. I’ve been in some hell holes, but this one takes the cake.

Finding a table, I begrudgingly sit my ass in the torn-up booth. The green leather seat looks like Freddie Kruger got into a fight with it, half the insides pushing through tears.

A couple guys in the booth next to me share a pitcher of beer while hashing it out in a heated conversation. A barman who looks ready for the grave hobbles up and down, clearing shit away. A man propped up by the bar is either passed out or dead.

I’m about to text the bastard and check if this is the right place when a woman walks in from the back, making me pause. It’s like someone dropped a diamond into a pile of dog shit. A pretty little piece so out of place immediately sends up red flags. Her dark blonde hair spills down her back, ending at a perky ass crammed into a pair of jean shorts. Her face is innocent all for the pouty red lips that scream, “Insert cock here.” Her tits bounce with her movements as she slips behind the bar.

Our eyes clash across the room, her brow puckering as she nods to the barman. He gives her something, and she saunters toward me. Dumping her ass in the seat opposite me, she places a shot in the center of the table between us.

Her pouty lips part, concern drawing down her brows. “You’re a bastard,” she breathes. I half expected her to be toothless—something that would make her fit in here—but she has a full set of pearly whites.

“A little too soon to be determining that. That’s usually reserved for after sex.” I smirk, but she doesn’t even twitch.

Tough crowd.

“A royal bastard,” she clarifies in a hushed whisper. Reaching forward, I take the glass and knock it back as she reaches for my arm to stop me. “You shouldn’t have come,” she says, slightly shaking her head and shifting her eyes to the men in the booth next to us.

Was this a setup? My thoughts melt like plastic over a flame, the room expanding then shrinking in quick succession.

“What the fuck did you give me?” I slur. Fuck. She drugged me. I knew she was a huge red fucking flag.

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shannan – ☆☆☆☆☆
Carnage is the third book in the Royal Bastards MC: Little Rock, AR series written by Ker Dukey, but this is a multi-author world with many more books within it.

Ezekiel Ford is known as Carnage, because he creates carnage whenever he is needed. He is a brother of the Royal Bastards but goes wherever he is needed, more nomad than not. After receiving a message to meet at a bar, with one drink he knows he's been set up.

Ruby shouldn't care about her mom seeing as her mother has never cared about her, but when she needs to pay off her mom's debt, she unexpectedly finds herself serving a drink in a bar to a brother of the Royal Bastards.

Ruby and Ezekiel find themselves saving each other in the most unexpected of ways. The sparks were instantaneous and so explosive. I loved everything about this read. I love getting a glimpse of the Royal Bastards MC and past characters anyway I can, it is always a plus for me. I can't wait to see where else this MC can go.

 

 

KER DUKEY is an international bestselling author based in the United Kingdom.

Genres include: Dark Romance, Psychological Thriller, New Adult Romance, Romantic Suspense, Mafia Romance, MC Romance, and more.

With over forty titles published, her books have held multiple #1 bestseller banners, have had rights sold to numerous countries, translated in multiple languages, and have been adapted into audiobooks.

In addition to being an author, Ker is an annoying wife and a mother of three children + one dog (who thinks he's human). She has a passion for reading and binge-watching crime documentaries.

Find her on social media, where she loves interacting with her readers.

Connect with Ker

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: Dukey's darKER souls

 

 

 

Hosted by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Carnage (Royal Bastards MC: Little Rock, AR #3) by Ker Dukey to read and review for this tour.