With Ties That Bind: Book One by Trisha Wolfe ~ Release Day Review, Quote-tastic & Giveaway (@TrishWolfe, @givemebooksblog)

With Ties That Bind is available NOW! I loved Trisha Wolfe's first series from this world, so it comes as no surprise that I loved the beginning of Quinn and Avery's story too!  
With Ties That Bind: A Broken Bonds Novel, Book One
Title: With Ties That Bind: A Broken Bonds Novel, Book One
Author: Trisha Wolfe
Series: Broken Bonds Novel #1
Genre: Dark Romantic Thriller
Published: February 29th 2016

Buy Now - Amazon | B&N iTunes | Google Play

This series is a spinoff of the Broken Bonds serial which must be read prior to beginning this first book. Contains spoilers to the Broken Bonds serial.

Detective Ethan Quinn has questions. The Arlington Slasher case is closed, the UNSUB no longer a threat—but Quinn can’t quiet the suspicion he harbors toward his partner and the young, attractive M.E. Not only does he loathe his uncertainty, he’s torn between doing his job and protecting his team.

But burying himself in cases no longer works. He’s restless. On edge. And tired of fighting his compulsions. Quinn has always viewed the law in black and white. Only now his world is swirling with a murky gray that threatens to devour him.

When lead medical examiner Avery Johnson careens toward a dangerous path, she pulls the unwitting detective into a dark web of deception and lust, triggered by a spree of recent killings.

Is this new player linked to the Bathory murders, or is it another copycat?

Time almost took Avery from him once before. As the clock ticks, Quinn will stop at nothing to protect her, refusing to let Avery become a victim again. Against his uncompromising logic, Quinn can’t deny his feelings. Avery forces him to acknowledge his darker desires, tempting his control—which weakens with every second he spends with the feisty M.E. as they hunt down the perpetrator threatening to tear them apart.

Quinn was a character that I loved in the With Visions of Red books. He was passionate about his job and would do anything to protect those that are part of his team. When I saw that he was getting his own books I was so excited! And with Avery… *fist pump*… With Ties That Bind was a clever and intense read that I eagerly devoured and now I’m impatiently waiting for more!

Quinn was just like I remembered, but now I got to see the softer side to him. His feelings for Avery have been there for some time and he constantly wants to protect her. He’s very good at his job, and will do anything to get to the bottom of his most recent case.

Avery has found it a little hard to readjust to life after what happened to her. She is physically alright, but she has scars, both inside and out, and she has lost a lot of confidence with herself when it comes to intimacy. She has developed something to help her, but she soon realises it is linked to Quinn’s latest case.

I enjoyed how the story unravelled and the connection between Quinn and Avery slowly strengthened. I thought the last unsub was twisted, but he was a small fish that was obsessed! The Alpha in With Ties That Bind cares nothing about people and has no problem about getting his hands dirty and sacrificing those who displease him. It was a thrilling read, with a superb storyline, with characters I cannot get enough of.  

Complimentary copy provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review.


This was just what Avery needed!!

“Fuck, Avery. I just need you.”
“Touch me,” I say, the only response I can give him.
He doesn’t hold back. Not this time. Quinn consumes my senses; his masculine scent of cologne and leather, his rough hands adding friction to all the right places. And unlike before, when he barely allowed himself near me, he now ravishes me with a punishing voracity meant to tear down all obstacles.

Kindle Arc Loc 1873

Hosted by Anna @ Herding Cats & Burning Soup

From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fantasy worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her fantasy worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself.

For more information on Trisha Wolfe and her works, please visit: www.TrishaWolfe.com

To be the first to hear about new releases and sale events, sign up for Trisha Wolfe's Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1rXTKI7

Trisha’s Heartwood Pack (Facebook Group)
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Other reviews featuring Trisha Wolfe
With Visions of Red series
Book One
Book Two
Book Three
Living Heartwood series
Goddess Wars series
 Fireblood series
Unveiled #1.5
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Naomi’s Weekly Wrap Up 175

My ankle is a lot better this week! Thank you to everyone wishing me well. I had it looked at and managed to get it all straightened out and it feels good. I trained alright this week, and am feeling better about my year.

I had a hen's/bachelorette party last weekend! It was a fantastic day/night! So many laughs and an amazing time hanging out with friends!

Everything else has been pretty quiet otherwise. We are having a BBQ at home today and a few friends are popping in. We're enjoying our weekends until football/netball season begins!
Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews ~ Review & Quote-tastic
While It Lasts by Abbi Glines ~ Review & Teaser Tuesday
Bad Boy by J.C. Reed & Jackie Steele ~ Excerpt & Giveaway
Waiting On Wednesday #181 – Beautiful Boss / Titans
Be My December by Rachel Brookes ~ Review & Swoon Thursday
Nine Letters by Blake Austin ~ Review, Teasers & Giveaway
With Ties That Bind: A Broken Bonds Novel by Trisha Wolfe ~ Review & Quote-tastic
Midnight Marked  Chloe Neill ~ Review & Teaser Tuesday
Waiting On Wednesday #182
First Touch by Laurelin Paige ~ Review & Swoon Thursday
Submission Specialist by Ada Scott ~ Excerpt & Giveaway
Only one pick up this week! I was quite restrained!!
Comfort Food
Comfort Food by Kitty Thomas



Naomi’s Weekly Wrap Up is a combined meme with the Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book ReviewerBought, Borrowed and Bagged hosted by Braine @ Talk Supe and Stacking The Shelves hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.
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Nine Letters by Blake Austin ~ Review, Teasers & Giveaway

Blake Austin's debut novel was released this week and I was surprised as to how well it was written and how attached I became to Luke! You need to try this one for yourself!
Nine Letters
Title: Nine Letters
Author: Blake Austin
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: February 24th 2016

Buy Now - Amazon | Amazon Paperback

Luke Cawley is a broken man. After his wife's tragic death, he lost everything that mattered in the world. Now, his life is filled with hard days, harder nights, and a steady stream of alcohol and the wrong kind of women. Nothing helps.

Until the letters arrive on Luke's doorstep.

Nine envelopes. Nine messages. Nine chances to find his way back.

Rae Goode is looking for the real thing. After fighting her way out of a string of bad relationships, she's ready for something different--something true.
She meets Luke while piecing her life together, and right away she can tell that he's different. Drawn together by fate and the desire to heal, Rae and Luke discover new ways to mend their broken hearts--one letter at a time.

Discover Blake Austin's debut novel of loss, redemption, and ever-enduring love.

Just reading the description to Nine Letters had me hooked! I expected the book to be a journey of self discovery for Luke, but it also tugged on my emotions. Luke’s story was heartbreaking already, and then I saw him slowly pull himself together to try and find a new way to be happy once again.

Luke had been stumbling through his life since his wife died. He had withdrawn from his family and close friends, and seemed to be running on auto pilot. Twelve months after her death, a package arrives with nine letters, because his wife somehow foresaw that he would be struggling and would need a push in the right direction.

I loved the idea behind this book, getting letters from someone that you loved so fiercely! Luke struggled at first, but slowly pulled himself together, found peace and let his anger at the world go. He did things for himself, as well as others, and managed to find happiness again. It wasn’t easy for him, and there were a few hiccups in the road, but he became a better man by the end of the book.

His relationship with Rae grew gradually from attraction, to lust, to something deeper, and it was sweet to see Luke take this step in regards to moving on. I loved how I was able to get glimpses into Luke’s past too, to understand what he lost in regards to Emily!

Nine Letters is Blake Austin’s debut novel, and I think that he did a remarkable job at piecing Luke’s story together. It was heart wrenching at times, having to deal with losing someone you loved so unconditionally, but it also opened up my eyes as to what can happen after death; you can move on, you can find happiness and perhaps love again. It was a beautiful read and I would definitely read something more from him in the future! And your band may have given you sh!t Blake, but you pulled this story off perfectly! ;)

Complimentary copy provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review.


This moment made me giggle! I just had to share!

“How much time do we have?” Rae asked. She stepped up close to me, put her arm around my waist. I pulled her in tight against me, and her hand ran up along my back, her nails digging into my skin.
“Our reservation isn’t for another hour and a half,” I said.
“Whatever will we do until then?”
I grinned. Rae was inexhaustible.

Kindle Arc Loc 3213

Blake Austin is a guitar playing father of one, who lives in Los Angeles. He's written music for as long as he can remember and was inspired to add book writing to his repertoire. 9 Letters is his debut novel.

For updates: Follow Blake Austin on Facebook.

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Be My December by Rachel Brookes ~ Review & Swoon Thursday (@RachelBrookes_)

I picked up Be My December whilst it was on sale in December. It was a solid introduction to Rachel Brookes' writing style.
Be My December (The Crawford Brothers Book 1)
Title: Be My December
Author: Rachel Brookes
Series: The Crawford Brothers #1
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Published: August 27th 2014

Buy Now - Amazon | B&N Kobo

This is a standalone novel.
Warning:
This book contains content that may be offensive to some readers.
Including sexual assault (flashbacks), adult situations, and graphic language.


I knew the exact moment I had become a ‘yes’ girl.
December 16th, a cold winter’s night, four years ago.
The night my innocence was stolen, the night I made the mistake of saying no—a mistake I’d never make again.
The dream of a ‘happily ever after' was now a locked away myth. I promised myself that I’d never return to the place of my worst nightmare, that I’d never let anyone get close, but then again, I never thought I’d meet someone like him.
The intense, confident and beautiful Ky Crawford.

I had no plans to become someone’s Prince Charming.
I couldn’t be. I refused to be. My plan was simple—do whatever it takes to correct my biggest mistake, my one regret that now controlled my life.
I was on track. I had plans, but then everything changed when I saw her—the girl in the red jacket, the girl who I was told couldn’t say no.
The reserved yet stunning Eden Rivers.

A girl who can’t say no.
A guy who craves redemption.
A chance encounter?

It all comes down to this.
One question.
One month.

Be My December?

Be My December had an emotional beginning; the Prologue really wrecked me when I experienced what Eden went through. Jumping four years into the future, I met the new Eden. On the outside she is confident, polished and determined to succeed, but she still struggled with her demons. Then there was Ty, the workaholic who rarely found time for himself unless his brother forced him to do so.

Ty and Eden’s first meeting was at the club, Ty was all alpha male, and I could see his attraction, but he didn't move on it. When Eden finds herself in an uncomfortable situation, he swoops in to save her. He was forceful to begin with, but I could see his sweet side trying to get out.

I soon found out what Eden’s problem was and saw why she continued to struggle. When Ty asks her to be his December, she wanted to stay and spend more time with him, but I could see that they both were keeping things from one another.

Be My December was my first introduction to Rachel Brookes’ writing style. I had a few issues with some scenes, there were moments I found unbelievable and some chapters felt unfinished. One example in particular was when Ty and Ashlyn went to dinner, Eden came in came to their table, he left and sent an email to Eden, then the book jumped two days later to the interview... What happened after the email? Did he go back to the table? Talk to Eden? It felt like I was missing something.

The storyline was intense at times, but by the end of the book I was happy with how it all turned out. Ty showed how much Eden meant to him and would do anything to keep her safe. They built a strong relationship and were able to trust one another when it counted. I enjoyed meeting the secondary characters too – Ashlyn, Josh and Tori. It was a good start to the series and I hope to continue on some time soon!

*** Swoon Thursday was first bought to us by YA Bound. Since they are no longer with us, and with permission from Trisha Wolfe, I have decided that those of us that love to swoon need a central meet up point. So here it is ladies! I have a link up for everyone at the bottom of the post you can add your swoons to, and I’ll set it up every week! So tell all other swooners out there to come on over, link up so we can visit each other! ***


Ty was all alpha male at times, but then there were times like this that he made me swoon!

“... For as long as I have you, I am going to make sure you know that you deserve everything in the world. I want you to know you can say no to me, you can say whatever the hell you want to me. I will never hurt you, Eden. My one wish is to make you see how incredible you are.”

Kindle Page 182

Hosted by YA Bound

Rachel Brookes
Rachel Brookes is from the east coast of Australia and writes angst ridden love stories with a pinch of craziness, a dash of drama, a cup of romance, and a bucketload of sexiness. With five novels currently published, she is constantly writing and getting ready to release her next hero and heroine into the world. An avid reader, Rachel can often be found with her kindle in her hand, and getting lost in a happily ever after. She has an unhealthy obsession with The Walking Dead, and social media, and loves hearing from readers at rachelbrookeswrites@gmail.com










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Bad Boy by J.C. Reed & Jackie Steele ~ Excerpt & Giveaway (@JCReedAuthor, @AuthorJSSteele)

The third book in the An Indecent Proposal series was released yesterday! I am excited to share an excerpt from the book today and I'll bring you my review as soon as I can! 
Title: Bad Boy
Author: J.C. Reed & Jackie Steele
Series: An Indecent Proposal #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: February 23rd 2016
Buy Now - Amazon | B&N iTunes | Kobo

I should have seen it coming. Sexy? Handsome? Trouble? Check, check, and check.
Is he messing up my life? Hell yes. All the signs are there: he is a bad boy.
Even his name is a lie. Too bad I married him. I can’t wait to get divorced.
Does this make me sound crazy?
I know I should avoid him, run as fast as I can. However, when a harmless misunderstanding lands me in a foreign prison cell, my dear, lying husband is the only one who can get me out. Crap. I shouldn’t accept.

But how to say no to trouble when said trouble is the one who makes me fantasize all the dirty things he could do to me?


J.C. Reed is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of SURRENDER YOUR LOVE and CONQUER YOUR LOVE. She writes steamy contemporary fiction with a touch of mystery. When she's not typing away on her keyboard, forgetting the world around her, she dreams of returning to the beautiful mountains of Wyoming. You can also find her chatting on Facebook with her readers or spending time with her three children.

Jackie S. SteeleJackie S. Steele has lived most of her life in New England. She never read a book she didn't like. Her love for books began when she stumbled upon her mother's secret dash of Harlequin books, and couldn't stop reading until she had finished them all. Today she still loves curling up with a good book, sipping coffee, and taking long walks on the beach.



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Other reviews featuring J.C. Reed & Jackie S. Steele
An Indecent Proposal: The Agreement #2

J.C. Reed
Surrender Your Love series

No Exceptions 
The Lover's Secret #1
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Waiting On Wednesday # 181 – Beautiful Boss / Titans

I always want more from the Beautiful Bastard series... especially Will, so bring on this novella!
It has been a while since I've read one of Victoria Scott's books. I'm excited about Titans!
Beautiful Boss (Beautiful Bastard, #4.5)
Title: Beautiful Boss
Author: Christina Lauren
Series: Beautiful Bastard #4.5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Expected Publication: February 29th 2016

The ninth work in the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling series that started with Beautiful Bastard. In this e-novella, Will Sumner and Hanna Bergstrom (from Beautiful Player) find that a wedding and everlasting love were just the beginning.

One Player tamed. One nerd girl satisfied. And one more major life decision to make. When Will fell for Hanna, her quirky sense of humor and fierce dedication to her career were part of the attraction. (Not to mention her coy newbie attitude toward sex and her willingness to let him teach her everything.) But when the job offers start rolling in for her—and oh, they do—Hanna has trouble deciding what she wants, where they should live, and how much she should burden Will with the decision. Magic between the sheets is only one part of a relationship...getting on the same page is quite another altogether.

Titans
Title: Titans
Author: Victoria Scott
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Expected Publication: February 23rd 2016

From Victoria Scott, author of FIRE & FLOOD, comes a thrilling story of impossible odds.

Ever since the Titans first appeared in her Detroit neighborhood, Astrid Sullivan’s world has revolved around the mechanical horses. She and her best friend have spent countless hours watching them and their jockeys practice on the track. It’s not just the thrill of the race. It’s the engineering of the horses and the way they’re programmed to seem so lifelike. The Titans are everything that fascinates Astrid, and nothing she’ll ever touch.

She hates them a little, too. Her dad lost everything betting on the Titans. And the races are a reminder of the gap between the rich jockeys who can afford the expensive machines to ride, and the working class friends and neighbors of Astrid’s who wager on them.

But when Astrid’s offered a chance to enter an early model Titan in this year’s derby, well, she decides to risk it all. Because for a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, it’s more than a chance at fame or money. Betting on herself is the only way she can see to hang on to everyone in the world she cares about.


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine where I have the chance to spotlight upcoming releases that I’m eagerly anticipating.
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