Misadventures with My Ex by Shayla Black Blog Tour

Once, Eryn Hope fell fast and incurably for Weston Quaid. And he seemed to adore her too—until she learned their love was built on lies when he walked out on their wedding day.

Three years later, West has finally won control of his family empire and fortune, but it cost him Eryn—something he regrets every day. When business forces him to return to her life and temporarily shut down her livelihood, of course she’s furious. But their chemistry is still beyond combustible. So he makes her a proposition: he’ll take care of her until her bistro reopens… if she becomes his mistress. Her mind screams no, but her body whimpers yes, yes, yes.

As soon as West has her back in his bed, their passion burns hotter than ever. So do his feelings. But can he and Eryn really recapture the love they shared? And when their bargain ends, will he be the one shattered this time or will they finally come together forever?

****

Misadventures is a romantic series of spicy standalone novels, each written or co-written by some of the best names in romance. The stories are scandalous, refreshing, and, of course, incredibly sexy. They’re the perfect bedside read, a ‘quick blush’ for the reader who loves a page-turning romance.

Book 21
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“You’re supposed to groom the way I want you to. It’s in the contract.”

That raises my alarm. “It’s not!”

“Oh, it is. Paragraph three, subparagraph six, clause B. You’re to be presentable to my satisfaction.”

“When we go out.” I’m positive that’s what I read. Well, almost...

West shakes his head. “I wrote three-quarters of it myself. I know exactly what it says.”

“You wrote most of that?”

He nods. “After I went home, I managed to finish my last semester of college at Columbia, then attended law school. While working as Quaid’s CEO.”

I blink. “You went to law school?”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about the last three years.”

“Whose fault is that?”

His face shutters closed as he reaches into his jeans for his cell. “I’m done arguing about this.”

With a puzzled frown, I watch as he sends a quick text. Almost immediately, he receives a reply. Then he smiles and tosses the device onto the nearest nightstand. “In the spa downstairs, Leona will clear up that landing strip at ten a.m. tomorrow.”

On one level, it’s heady that he cares about the state of my flesh he intends to use. On the other hand, I don’t understand his insistence to have me bare. “Why are you trying so damn hard to control everything, even the state of my pubic hair?”

“Because I want back the sexual compatibility we once had. I want the naked dinners and the lazy Sunday afternoons. I want the long, hot nights of lovemaking. I want—” He lets out a rough breath and shakes his head. “I want your pussy bare.”

That’s not the whole truth. I know West’s expressions too well. Oh, he wants to recreate something about our past. The question is why? And how much? But I’m guessing it’s not just the sex. Holy cow, is he looking to make me his girlfriend? His “fiancée” again? Maybe... but now that I’m thinking about it, two and two aren’t adding up.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Second Chance Romance

This is the second book that I've read in the series and they were not in order. However, Eryn is present in the previous book that I read, which was Misadventures of a Backup Bride.

Eryn and Weston (West) have history. We are thrust into the story with Eryn not having a very good day. She's commiserating about the fact that she was left by a man she thought really loved her. While drunk, dressed in her wedding dress and awaiting a pizza delivery, the last person she thought she'd ever see is now standing in front of her.

Weston knows that Eryn was it for him. It was difficult to leave her behind, but it's even more difficult to see the damage he caused. Despite their history, he knows that he needs to talk with her about her new business – they have unfinished business and new business, which just confuses their history and their futures.

What follows is a series of sexy encounters and plans to woo Eryn again. However, with forces, again, conspiring against this couple, Eryn and West will have to decide if their love is meant to be or if giving up is the best road forward.

West and Eryn have sexy chemistry and their past is well developed and explained. I do wish that we were able to see more of their growth as individuals, but their growth in trusting each other was good. West's family leaves something to be desired, but I love Eryn's family.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
I am a big fan of Shayla Black’s work, but I was fascinated to see how she could bring me around with this particular storyline. People who disappear out of the life of someone they love (in this case, were about to marry) are difficult to redeem in my opinion. So, I did start with a fair degree of skepticism.

As we get the story from both sides, it is easier to have some understanding of West’s unacceptable behaviour, and without a doubt, he works very, very hard to correct his past wrongs. So whilst I would have advised Eryn to be super cautious, I did eventually come round.

The scene with West’s mother polluting Eryn’s brain was inspired writing, and compelling reading – it was the point where I was trying to talk to Eryn and get her to see sense… which was an amusing turn of events. I have to admit I thought my mother-in-law was bad, but she lost her crown after that chapter!

Another emotional, romantic, and very satisfying read, thank you very much.


Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars

What do you do when you are about to marry the man of your dreams but he walks away, literally on your wedding day? You don't hear from him for three years and then he shows up at your door. What could he possibly want? Do you listen or push him away?

I love a second-chance romance, but I wanted to shake Eryn a few times because she was so wishy washy. She knew what she wanted and what she knew to be true but instead of asking questions to get the answers she needed, she would run and hide and let the problems fester. When all she needed to do was talk to West and tell him what she was feeling and what she feared. Then they could work them out together or walk away.

West needed to win Eryn back or his life would be plain, Eryn was the only person that made it special. So, he had to make her listen to why he left her the way he did. And he needs to keep his mother away from Eryn.

Will Eryn give West the chance to explain and be able to forgive him? Will his mother come between them before they can work things out? Will they finally get their happily ever after?

I loved this story to a point but some parts I wanted to skip over but I didn't. Eryn's internal fears and trust issues were her main problem that had her second guessing almost everything. And that is why I kept reading, to see how it would end and in the end it was great.

I love Shayla Black and her writing style, and I love the Misadventures series too. So if you are looking for a second-chance story or another Misadventures story, then you get both here, just don't give up on Eryn and West. I hope you enjoy it as much and I did.

Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty novels. For nearly twenty years, she’s written contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances via traditional, independent, foreign, and audio publishers. Her books have sold millions of copies and been published in a dozen languages.

Raised an only child, Shayla occupied herself with lots of daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and realized that she could have a career publishing the stories spinning in her imagination. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America to pay the bills, her heart has always been with her characters. She’s thrilled that she’s been living her dream as a full-time author for the past eight years.

Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her teenage daughter, and two spoiled tabbies. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

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Misadventures Series Facebook Page

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Misadventures with My Ex (Misadventures #21) by Shayla Black to read and review for this tour.

The Woman in the Dark by Vanessa Savage

In the vein of The Couple Next Door, a debut psychological thriller about a woman who moves with her family to the gothic seaside house where her husband grew up -- and where 15 years ago another family was brutally slaughtered.

Sarah and Patrick are happy. But after her mother's death, Sarah spirals into depression and overdoses on sleeping pills. While Sarah claims it was an accident, her teenage children aren't so sure. Patrick decides they all need a fresh start and he knows just the place, since the idyllic family home where he was raised has recently come up for sale. There's only one catch: for the past fifteen years, it has become infamous as the "Murder House", standing empty after a family was stabbed to death within its walls.

Patrick believes they can bring the house back to its former glory, so Sarah, uprooted from everything she knows, pours her energy into painting, gardening, and giving the rotting old structure the warmth of home. But with locals hinting that the house is haunted, the news that the murderer has been paroled, strange writing on the walls, and creepy "gifts" arriving on the doorstep at odd hours, Sarah can't shake the feeling that something just isn't right. Not with the house, not with the town, or even with her own, loving husband – whose stories about his perfect childhood suddenly aren't adding up. Can Sarah uncover the secrets of the Murder House before another family is destroyed?

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

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

This book took me a while to become engaged. I almost put it down a few different times. This wasn't one of those books that grabs you from the start. Having said that, I still am unclear how I feel about this book.

Sarah is a mom of two kids. Her life seems picture perfect. When issues arise, her family picks up and moves to her husband Patrick's old house. He has always said that he had a great childhood and when it becomes known that his family house is available, he enlists Sarah's help in purchasing it.

Once the family has moved in to this old home, strange things begin to emerge. Past secrets are hard to keep buried and when they start to surface, it will take all of Sarah's wits to figure out what is really happening. People emerge who aren't who they say they are, stories are told, lies are perpetuated, and ultimately, everyone will have to figure out who is out to get them.

This has a lot going on in terms of who is involved and there are some things that I didn't quite understand in the story. However, despite the unnecessary aspects that left me scratching my head, it was a good twist thriller. I do wish that we had been able to see the story from more than Sarah's point of view. I really enjoyed the mystery point of view that was interjected in small snippets. Everyone is suspect and, in the end, everyone has to survive.

Vanessa Savage is a graphic designer and illustrator. She has twice been awarded a Writers’ Bursary by Literature Wales, most recently for A Woman in the Dark. She won the Myriad Editions First Crimes competition in 2016 and her work has been highly commended in the Yeovil International Fiction Prize, short listed for the Harry Bowling Prize, and the Caledonia Fiction Prize. She is on the current longlist for the Bath Novel Award.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Woman in the Dark by Vanessa Savage to read and review.

In Her Sights by Katie Ruggle Blog Tour

Five bounty-hunting sisters
Deep in the heart of the Rockies
Fighting to save each other
...and the men who steal their hearts

Bounty hunter Molly Pax fought hard for everything she has, turning the bail recovery business she shares with her sisters into an unqualified success. So when their sticky-fingered mother jumps bail and puts the childhood home up as collateral, Molly's horrified. To make matters worse, every two-bit criminal in the Rockies now sees her family's misfortune as their next big break.

She needs help, stat.

Enter rival bounty hunter John Carmondy: six feet of pure trouble, with a cocky grin to match. John's the most cheerfully, annoyingly gorgeous frenemy Molly's ever had the pleasure of defeating... and he may be her only hope of making it out of this mess alive.

Book 1
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“Where’s the bathroom?”

“All the way down the hall,” she answered automatically, her brain caught up in the overwhelming proximity of him. “Last door on the left. Why do you smell like bubble gum?”

He blinked. “I do not.”

“You do.”

“I do not smell like bubble gum. I’m not a sticky six-year-old.”

Suddenly realizing the ridiculousness of their argument, she shifted back and mentally changed gears. “Fine. You don’t smell like bubble gum, even though you really do. Hurry up in the bathroom. As soon as you’re done, I want to take a shower. Dutch’s and that empty warehouse left a film of grossness on me.”

He scowled at her, looking like he was dying to continue their discussion, but he clamped his mouth closed with a tight nod and moved to the door instead. At the last second before he disappeared down the hall, he turned back toward her. “Leave those sheets on,” he said, a trace of his usual smirk back in place.

He waited, so she held her hands up in the universal I won’t do anything gesture. “Fine. If you want to sleep in my stink, I’m not going to stop you.”

“I do.” He gave her a wink—which should’ve looked stupid, but because it was John, turned out stupid hot instead—and headed to the bathroom.

As soon as he was out of sight, Molly let out a deep breath and started to sink down onto Felicity’s bed. The squishy mattress called to her, tempting her to lie down and close her eyes, just for a moment. With a groan, she forced herself to stand again. Once she was down, she’d be out like a light, and she’d been telling the truth about needing to wash off this terrible night.

She headed out into the hall, figuring that she might as well check on Norah while she was attempting to stay awake. Cracking her sister’s door, she saw that her room was lit by dim blue light from her sister’s computer screen. Molly knocked softly, pushing open the door the rest of the way when Norah made a quiet sound that she took as an invitation to enter. Norah was sitting on her narrow bed, her legs curled underneath her and her laptop open. The rest of her bed was taken up by a snoring Warrant. Norah’s face was bathed in the bluish light from the screen, making her look even paler than usual. Even though Molly knew it was just an illusion, she still couldn’t stand to see her sister look so sickly. It reminded her too vividly of the many emergency-room visits when they were younger and Norah’s asthma wasn’t controlled. Molly flicked on the floor lamp to its lowest setting, bathing the tiny room with warm yellow light, and Norah instantly looked healthier.

“I know we need to find Mom as soon as possible,” Molly said, leaning on the dresser. She was tempted to plop down on the bed next to her sister, but she knew it’d be just as easy to fall asleep here as it would be in Felicity’s bed. Besides, the thought of waking Warrant and getting him to move was too much effort at the moment. “That doesn’t mean you can’t take a few hours off to sleep.”

Norah finally glanced up to meet Molly’s gaze. “I know. I just keep falling down research rabbit holes.”

“I get it. Find out anything interesting?”

“Maybe.” Norah’s voice was hesitant, cautious as always, and Molly knew not to push. Her sister never liked to share information until after she’d confirmed and reconfirmed her facts.

“John’s staying over tonight.”

That caught Norah’s attention. “He is? With you?”

“Uh… no.” She hated that she’d hesitated on her answer, but the mental image that had sprung up in her head had been very distracting—and, despite knowing it was a bad idea, very tempting. “We had to slip away after Dutch’s exploded.”

“Exploded?” Norah stared at her, eyes wide, her ignored laptop tilting to the side.

“No one was hurt.” After pausing, Molly corrected herself. “I’m pretty sure no one was hurt. We were out of the building at that point. You might want to add getting the police and fire department reports to your to-do list, though.”

“Okay. You’re not hurt? What about John?”

“I’m fine. John’s a little banged up, but I did a beautifully executed dive roll. You should’ve seen it.” Now that the sense of urgency and danger had faded, she wished that move had been recorded.

Norah’s small smile disappeared a moment after it touched her lips. “You need to be careful, especially when you’re dealing with Sonny Zarver.”

“I know, and I will.” Molly made the words a solemn promise.

From Norah’s nod, she understood and accepted it as such.

“Don’t forget to sleep.” Straightening from her leaning position, Molly turned off the light and slipped into the hall before sticking her head back in. “All the rabbit holes will still be there tomorrow, and everything will probably make more sense.”

Although Norah made a sound of agreement, it was absentminded, and her attention was completely focused on her screen again.

“Good night.” Molly pulled her sister’s door closed as she withdrew, knowing that all the well-intentioned nagging in the world wouldn’t get Norah in bed any sooner. She’d finish when she was done researching, and then she’d sleep until noon.

Turning away from Norah’s bedroom door, Molly found herself face to bare chest with John. She couldn’t stop herself from taking in the broad, muscular expanse before resolutely tipping her head back to meet his gaze. She wasn’t sure why she’d thought that looking up would be any less distracting. His beautiful face—with his mile-long dark lashes and full mouth and those tempting dimples—was just as drool-worthy as the hard planes of his chest. He, of course, noticed her looking, and his teasing grin was fully in place.

“See something you like?” he asked, flexing.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars of slow burn magic.

This is the first of a new series, and you will need to read this one before the next as we are left very much with an unfinished underlying plot – let alone the sisters who are still in need of finding their happily ever after – and there will be so much more to enjoy from Molly, no doubts at all.

We are pitched straight into the Pax sisters bounty hunting business and I love how we get to meet the sisters and their foibles. Molly is the eldest and the centre of this story – although I won't be surprised if she is the centre of every story as she has been bringing up her sisters from a very young age. Her mother definitely abdicated responsibility a long time ago – and ever since has been a liability. In this story though, she goes one step beyond anything done before, and causes the women a really serious problem.

The fun, though, is between Molly and local rival Bounty Hunter, John Carmondy. It is evident immediately to the reader, clearly also to her sisters, but certainly not to the oblivious Molly, that John has very strong feelings for her. He has been around keeping an eye and subtly ensuring her safety for a long while, but recent events mean he needs to be more obvious. Even then Molly doesn't get it... I loved it! In fact, if you like a slow burn you are definitely in for a treat in this book! It is true to say that the mystery takes front and centre for most of the book, with the romance being a low hum which has to take second place... until finally she wakes up! So much fun, I couldn't not stop chuckling and admiring John's consistency!

For a planner and an observant woman, Molly is just the funniest character I have read about in a while when it comes to not understanding why John is there by her side. Can't wait to see who catches the attention of the other Pax sisters.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars
M/F Romance

Molly is a kick-butt, take-no-prisoners bounty hunter. She is great at her job but has to contend with a mom who is a criminal and siblings whom she looks after. She's snarky, but somewhat clueless in her own love life.

John is also a bounty hunter who has held a candle for Molly forever. He is a constant in her life and he will stop at nothing to protect her. When a situation arises and Molly asks for his help, he jumps at it.

Molly and John had almost a young adult romance going. They didn't have great chemistry, nor was their dialogue profound. It was a sweet story, but I didn't really get the romance vibe from them. I hope that Molly's sisters get their own story, as they are all awesome.


Mary – ☆☆☆☆
I had not heard about this series but I do love this author’s other series and when this one came across my review feed, I didn't even think about it, I knew I wanted to read it.

Molly Pax and her four sisters are bounty hunters trying to keep their business alive and keep their mother out of jail because she is using them for money, a free place to stay, or a guilt trip any chance she can. Then there is the slimy bail-bondsman who wants Molly to catch a bail jumper. And he will use anything he can, and what her mother gave him to post her bail. Molly only has one chose, to catch the jumper or lose what her and her sisters have.

And you can't forget John Carmondy, a rival bounty hunter that seems to turn up each time Molly is working and close to catching a jumper. While Molly thinks her is trying to steal her bail jumpers, he has another thing in mind. John wants to get to know Molly better and in a more personal way.

Will Molly and her sisters find Sonny, the bail jumper, in time or lose it all? Can she trust John to help or will he steal her jumper? Can they trust her mother to return in time to set the record straight? Will there be a future for Molly and John?

This is a great beginning to a new series that gives you the insight to the sisters, what they do, and a little about how their life is. And don't forget that ending, wow, what is going to happen. I need the next book now.

Katie Ruggle usually has strong alpha males and women who love them in her stories and this series has strong females and the men they claim, which at times they clash but it makes the story even better. So read this new series and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Katie Ruggle lives in an off-grid, solar- and wind-powered house in the Rocky Mountains. When she’s not writing, Katie rides horses, shoots guns, hikes, cross-country skis, kicks her generator in hopes that it will fix itself, and plots out new ways to get lost in the wilderness. She lives in Fairplay, Colorado.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of In Her Sights (Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters #1) by Katie Ruggle to read and review for this tour.

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

Nothing interferes with Shane Hollander’s game—definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate.

Pro hockey star Shane Hollander isn’t just crazy talented, he’s got a spotless reputation. Hockey is his life. Now that he’s captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won’t let anything jeopardize that, especially the sexy Russian whose hard body keeps him awake at night.

Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane’s not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he’s as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him—except Shane. They’ve made a career on their legendary rivalry, but when the skates come off, the heat between them is undeniable. When Ilya realizes he wants more than a few secret hookups, he knows he must walk away. The risk is too great.

As their attraction intensifies, they struggle to keep their relationship out of the public eye. If the truth comes out, it could ruin them both. But when their need for each other rivals their ambition on the ice, secrecy is no longer an option…

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

Book 2
Buy Links

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B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Carina Press – Harlequin

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Heated Rivalry is the second installment of the Game Changers series. While it could easily be read as a standalone, I strongly suggest reading Game Changer first, as there are parallel events.

Rachel Reid has a new fangirl. I've been dealt emotional blow after blow in the past week, and I found succor, entertainment, and escape in reading both books in this series back-to-back. I would do just about anything to have another.

As decadent as candy, I couldn't get enough of the addictive, juicy content, making me crave more. I spent the majority of the novel covering my face to hide the fact that I was smiling and blushing, or to cover up a rare burst of chuckles, as those reactions are inappropriate in my household right now. But the fact that this novel managed to break through the grief, where I felt more connected to Ilya because of it, says how much I enjoyed every word.

I actually highlighted a few passages, thinking this novel needed to come with a Combustible Contents warning.

From the outside looking in, Shane and Ilya are enemies on both the ice and off. While they may be rivals, they've known each other since the beginning of their careers. Heated Rivalry spans nearly a decade, as the reader watches Shane and Ilya grow into men and grow closer.

Heat. The banter has sparks flying, and it was involuntary on my part how my mind supplied a Russian accent during Ilya's narration and dialogue, which added to the overall addictive quality. I was surprised at how often I found Ilya's douchebaggery hilarious and endearing. He didn't come off as mean-spirited, just blunt as his grasp on the English language escaped him.

HEA? HFN? The ending is open for the future, where I'm assuming we'll see what plays out next with another set of narrators. Normally I'm a standalone series kind of girl, who gets bored when it's the same narrators every book, so it's surprising how I'm good even if we hear from Shane and Ilya as the main characters again, or just riding shotgun for other characters. But what I absolutely want is to continue to see Ilya on the pages, in any way the author decides works best. He is comedy gold.

Highly recommend to fans of MM romance, specifically sports romance who enjoy the angst and tension of having to remain in the closet.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
Oh wow. This is a sexy, funny, sweet, and sometimes heartbreaking read. The book tells the story of two hockey players and their unlikely decade long relationship. From the moment they first meet at a Junior Hockey tournament, chemistry crackles between Shane and Ilya, two crazy talented rivals who will spend their careers playing for different countries and different teams.

I love the little moments the author gives readers. Told alternately from Ilya and Shane’s perspectives, the story is a record of ten years of tiny moments the men steal to be together. As their first hostile hookups become something warmer and more personal, Shane and Ilya’s lives grow further apart and an actual relationship seems increasingly impossible.

The interactions between Shane and Ilya are captured perfectly. Ilya’s reputation as an asshole on the ice starts to crumble as his walls come down with Shane. He never completely loses his edge and the contrast between Russian Ilya’s nasty attitude and Shane’s earnest, polite Canadian ways had me laughing out loud. I love the competition between these two on the ice and the slivers of warmth that frighten them both in the bedroom. I love that both Ilya and Shane are more complicated men than they first seem, and I fell madly in love with both of them.

The impossibility of Shane and llya’s relationship made me cry. And laugh. And finish the book in a single sitting. These two are wonderful together. I love the hockey in this book as much as the relationship stuff, and asshole Ilya on the ice is a wonderous thing. I loved everything about this book and I’m sure it’s one I’ll be rereading soon.


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Shane and Ilya at two of the biggest young stars in ice hockey and from the moment they are drafted, the media plays up a rivalry between them. In the media and the public’s eyes they are enemies but in private they are fiercely attracted to each other.

I love that while there is instant sexual attraction between the men there is no insta-love. There isn’t even really insta-like. The story takes us over the span of seven years and we get to see the men change and deal with different issues in their lives as they very slowly grow closer together, all the while trying to deny that there is anything more between them other than incredibly hot sex.

I loved watching Ilya and Shane fall in love. I fell in love with them. Every time they were apart, I was hanging for their next encounter to see what would happen. Would one of them be brave enough to take their intimacy from physical to emotional and if so, who would make the first move? Would they even make it to a happily ever after?

M/M Ice Hockey romances do it for me and Heated Rivalry is now one of my favourites in the genre. This is an amazing love story without being overly emotional. It is a fantastic read.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in the series, and I would definitely recommend that you read them in order. In fact, if you could read them back to back, you would find it even more satisfying.

What this book cleverly does is give us a hockey story which compares the styles of two different countries, two different NHL teams, and two gorgeous players. Aided by the media's interest in them, Shane and Ilya are pitched against each other at every turn. And yet... in private they have a chemistry which overtakes them whenever they get the chance – and WOW, anyone who doesn't like insta-love will love this romance which develops at a snail's like pace over a decade!

I utterly loved it, from the rivalry, the clear respect and devotion that the men showed to each other, their sport, and in Shane's case, to his family. As we hear from each of them about how their career and private life progresses, we can only hope that they will be strong enough to acknowledge out loud what they both know in their hearts.

I could have immediately reread this and loved it all over again. When the next installment comes out, I will be reading all three in one go to get all the goodness back in my mind!

Also Available in the Game Changers Series

Book 1
Buy Links

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B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Carina Press – Harlequin

For reviews & more info, check out our Game Changer post.

Rachel Reid has always lived in Nova Scotia, Canada, and will likely continue to do so. She has two boring degrees and two interesting sons. She has been a hockey fan since childhood, but sadly never made it to the NHL herself. She enjoys books about hot men doing hot things, and cool ladies being awesome.

Connect with Rachel

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Heated Rivalry (Game Changers #2) by Rachel Reid to read and review.

Envy by M.N. Forgy Release Blitz

It was temptation that broke the sinner.

People say I have everything.
They’re wrong.
I may have looks, money, and privilege, but I don’t have the one thing that really matters, the one thing I crave: a woman with eyes only for me.
I’m searching for my woman—one who will fall to her knees because I’m her king. She’ll wear the crown of my tarnished name, and long for me when I’m not near. And when I am close, she’ll be naked across my lap, feeling the sting of my palm across her milky skin.
You could say I’m a sinner because I’d do anything to have the perfect woman—compliant to my every need and whim—and I’m envious of every couple who walks around naive to the luxury they have.

That’s why I joined The Elite, the most prestigious brotherhood in the south.
It’s the one place that will give me what I cannot have.
Only…the task assigned to me is too much for my jealous eyes.
Accept your sin wisely, for the tasks given to earn your place are not for the weak...they’re for The Elite.
Those who envy have no peace.
My name is Sabastian Westbrook.
I am Envy.

Book 4
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shannan – ☆☆☆☆
Envy is the fourth installment in The Elite Seven series. The series must be read in order to understand each book completely.

Sebastian Westbrook – Envy

Sebastian knew growing up with nothing and overnight was handed everything he wanted. He did what he wanted and had no consequences until he pushed a little too far. Now it was time to help his uncle; to do that meant going to college at St. Augustine and becoming one of the Elite Seven.

I was dying to find out what happened to Sebella (Wrath's sister), this book did not disappoint with those details. For me, this book felt more like a filler, you learned about Sebastian but there wasn't much else. It's not that I didn't enjoy Envy, I did. Envy seemed to fit his name more than any other brother. I can't wait to see what happens to Envy and what's next for these guys!

Also Available in The Elite Seven Series

Click on the banner above for reviews & more info.

M.N. Forgy is a soccer mom by day and a saucy writer by night. She started writing at a young age but never took it seriously until years later, as a stay-at-home mom, she opened her laptop and started writing again. As a role model for her children, she felt she couldn't live with the "what if" anymore and finally took a chance on her character's story. So, with her glass of wine in hand and a stray Barbie sharing her seat, she continues to create and please her fans.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Envy (The Elite Seven #4) by M.N. Forgy to read and review for this tour.

Second Chance Cowboy by A.J. Pine

Once a cowboy, always a cowboy.

Ten years ago, Jack Everett left his family's ranch without a backward glance. Now, what was supposed to be a quick trip home for his father's funeral has suddenly become more complicated. The ranch Jack can handle—he might be a lawyer, but he still remembers how to work with his hands. But turning around the failing vineyard he's also inherited? That requires working with the one woman he never expected to see again.

Ava Ellis broke her own heart the night she let Jack go. She was young and scared—and secretly pregnant with Jack's baby. Now that he's back and asking for her help, Ava sees her opportunity to right the wrongs of the past. But how will he feel about the son he's never known? Could this be their second chance—or their final heartbreak?

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

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

Jack thought he had left his past behind him. He became a successful attorney and was getting the promotion that he'd worked for his entire career. When there is a death in his family and he travels back to his ranch home, memories that he'd rather forget come rushing back. Jack has always been the caretaker in his family. He is the oldest of three brothers and even though he was always looking out for them, he missed a big chunk of their lives being gone as long as he was.

Ava has never forgotten Jack. He was the love of her life and despite how things turned out for them, she knows that unless she can get past it, she'll never be able to move forward. But when she sees Jack again, the past and the present collide in a violent manner.

Jack and Ava still have chemistry that is out of this world. But with secrets and demons following them around, both will have to fight harder than they've ever fought before to figure out if they can move past what happened and towards a future together. Otherwise, they will have to settle for seeing each other sometimes and hope that is enough.

This is the first book in the series and it's a sweet story about overcoming your demons in order to see a future. I read these books out of order and I don't believe that they need to be read in order.

Also Available in the Crossroads Ranch Series

Book 2
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For reviews & more info, check out our Tough Luck Cowboy post.

A librarian for teens by day and a romance writer by night, A.J. Pine can’t seem to escape the world of fiction, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. When she finds that twenty-fifth hour in the day, she might indulge in a tiny bit of TV [HL1] to nourish her undying love of vampires, superheroes, and a certain high-functioning sociopath detective. She hails from the far-off galaxy of the Chicago suburbs.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Second Chance Cowboy (Crossroads Ranch #1) by A.J. Pine to read and review.

Upside Down by N.R. Walker

Jordan O’Neill isn’t a fan of labels, considering he has a few. Gay, geek, a librarian, socially awkward, a nervous rambler, an introvert, an outsider. The last thing he needs is one more. But he when he realises adding the label ‘asexual’ might explain a lot, it turns his world upside down.

Hennessy Lang moved to Surry Hills after splitting with his boyfriend. His being asexual had seen the end of a lot of his romances, but he’s determined to stay true to himself. Leaving his North Shore support group behind, he starts his own in Surry Hills, where he meets first-time-attendee Jordan.

A little bewildered and scared, but completely adorable, Hennessy is struck by this guy who’s trying to find where he belongs. Maybe Hennessy can convince Jordan that his world hasn’t been turned upside down at all, but maybe it’s now—for the first time in his life—the right way up.

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~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
As wordy as my reviews can be, I cannot fully express how much I love this book. I received a review copy of Upside Down on March 10th, the first day of Daylight Saving Time and knowing that Monday was going to rough no matter what I did, I stayed up all night reading it. It was just as well that I planned to stay up because there was no way I could have put the book down before reaching the end because even though I knew that N.R. Walker would make sure that Jordan and Hennessy made it to their happy ending together, I had to know HOW they got there.

I’m not sure that I’ve ever been quite so jealous of a best friend in a book as I am of Merry. You see, Jordan is a perfectly adorkable, socially awkward, mo-fo bomb dropping, introvert book nerd who I would LOVE to be friends with. Although I’m almost twenty years older and gray ace, I identified with Jordan on so many levels that it made for one of the most immersive reading experiences I’ve had in a very long time and left me feeling as though I was saying goodbye to friends when I reached the end of the book – which is probably why I’ve read it twice already and am hoping beyond all hope that Walker already has an audiobook in the works for it. My review on Goodreads for almost two weeks was simply #jordanistoomotherfuckingcute because I couldn’t figure out to express how much I loved Upside Down, but the idea of leaving the usual “Review to be posted.” comment left me aghast because I could not do that to Jordan.

While Jordan is who made the book perfect for me, his courtship with Hennessy is its own level of entertaining. Having a front-row seat to Jordan’s mortification upon realizing that his Headphones Guy and the coordinator of the Asexuality Support Group that Merry forces him to attend was only outdone by his verbal meltdown when he scolds Merry for leaving him alone with Hennessy, unsupervised. I spent so much of this book either grinning like a loon or outright laughing that my face hurt the next day, in the best possible ways. But I went from cringing in embarrassed sympathy with Jordan to that giddy excitement of a fledgling relationship as Jordan and Hennessy make the most of their brief time together on the bus ride home each day. Despite Jordan’s tendency to ramble nervously, Hennessy manages to pull him out of his shell as the two get to know one another with silly questions, quick conversations, and book quotes. That they had a bus full of chaperones who became just as invested in their courtship just made it that much cuter. I adored that even when they began to go out on official dates, their bus ride courtship continued. But don’t let me fool you into thinking the author is skirting cuteness overload because that’s not the case. Nope, Walker serves up plenty of angst because after all, Jordan is not only falling in love, he’s finding out who he is and what it means for him relationship-wise.

Not only is Upside Down an entertaining romance, but Walker does an excellent job of educating readers about asexuality in an organic manner. Between the asexuality support group meetings and conversations between Jordan and Merry, and Jordan and Hennessy, readers learn what it means to be asexual right alongside Jordan as he tries to figure out if it’s the label that fits him. As someone in the asexual tribe, I found that the multiple discussions about how there’s nothing wrong with asexuals, that they’re not broken, and that their normal is just as valid as that of non-asexuals to be very important points and found it quite self-affirming. That said, I’m interested to see how non-Ace readers respond to the repetition or whether they even noticed it. I realize it’s only March, but I have a feeling that Upside Down is going to be my favorite book of the year. It’s definitely my favorite N.R. Walker book, that’s for sure. Okay, I feel like I’m channeling my inner Jordan as I ramble on, trying to express how much I loved, floved, mother-floved this book. It has a permanent position on my re-read list… at least until it comes out on audio, that is. Whether you’re asexual, questioning if you might be, curious about asexuality, or are just looking for a sweet, yet grin-inducing romance between an introverted book nerd and an internet ninja, I cannot recommend this book enough.

Finally, if I can be so bold as to make a request to the author… can we please have a book for Angus, Michael, and Veronica? Pretty, pretty please.

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is a sweet and funny romance. Librarian Jordan tends to ramble when he’s nervous and he can’t seem to stop himself swearing at inappropriate times. Internet ninja Hennessy is just trying to get his life back together after a bad breakup – until he meets Jordan.

Jordan made me laugh so much. He’s a well-meaning hot mess and I’m still not sure how he manages to keep his job. But he’s sweet and funny and I love his obsession with books. Hennessy feels a little bit older, a little bit more mature, and a tiny bit more sensible than Jordan. But he’s scared of getting his heart hurt and determined to hold out for an asexual partner. I love the conversations these two share and their commuter courtship is wonderful.

The other wonderful part of this book involves Jordan and Hennessy’s friends. Merry and Angus are fabulous, and Michael and Vee come into their own at the end. I love ‘family of choice’ stories and I really loved the quirky, memorable people who surround Jordan and Hennessy. Jordan and Hennessy’s bus friends are also a delightful surprise.

The asexual aspect of Jordan and Hennessy’s relationship was a little bit difficult for me to wrap my head around. I can appreciate asexuality on a theoretical level but on a more practical level I found it challenging to untangle romance from sex in this book. I’m aware my experience is a conditioned response – much of the traditional romance story arc is based around sexual chemistry and a buildup of sexual tension. This book challenges and bends some key romance genre tropes and I’m actually glad it pushed me out of my comfort zone. However. I still don’t feel I have a firm understanding of asexuality. As the Ace support group leader, Hennessy gives a couple of long-winded explanations of asexuality that made me even more confused. So, I really enjoyed the book but I will admit that there are several aspects of asexuality that still confuse me and I think I’m always going to want a little sex in my romance.

N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is many things: a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don’t let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.

She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things... but likes it even more when they fall in love.

She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.

She’s been writing ever since...

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Upside Down by N.R. Walker to read and review.