We have a winner!

And it's Lisa!  Congratulations, Lisa!  Thanks to everyone who commented.  I'm a long-time Roxanne St. Claire fan and the adoration continues with this new series - I hope you'll all give it a try! 

Another review and giveaway for Regina Hart (Patricia Sargeant) coming up, hopefully later today.

BAREFOOT IN THE SAND by Roxanne St. Claire

I have to admit that I was hesitantly anticipating Roxanne St. Claire's new series. I adored each and every one of her romantic suspense novels, devouring them as soon as they were out. I didn't doubt that Ms. St. Claire's writing would be brilliant because she is a master at storytelling, but I loved her romantic suspense so much that I wasn't excited about the switch to contemporaries. I was so wrong to not be excited. BAREFOOT IN THE SAND is a wonderfully written book and I know that romance readers will be as pleased as I was and will be anticipating the next book in the series, BAREFOOT IN THE RAIN, coming at the end of October, 2012.

Roxanne St. Claire's comments on this new series:

I’m so excited to be writing “contemps” again -- and just overjoyed to introduce my readers to the warm and wonderful world of Barefoot Bay. Set on the fictional island of Mimosa Key, this enclave is home to a whole new set of characters who will find heartache and hope in every story. Centered around four women who’ve been friends since college, each book is first and foremost a love story, but the characters have to deal with more than broken hearts and sexy heroes. They have to overcome universal challenges that all women face...with humor, grace, friendship, and no small amount of wine.

With a new Barefoot Bay book scheduled to release every six months for the next two years, I hope to treat my loyal fans to a fresh cast of unforgettable characters and capture new readers who love to return to a community that feels rich and real.

I hope you love Lacey, Jocelyn, Zoe, and Tessa -- and the men who steal their hearts, touch their souls, and change their lives forever.

My Romance Junkies review:

With BAREFOOT IN THE SAND, Roxanne St. Claire gives readers the first taste of an exciting new contemporary series.

When Lacey Armstrong loses everything she owns to a hurricane, it goes without saying that she is thankful for the sheer determination that kept her and her daughter alive.  She excitedly decides to make a fresh new start by building a B&B where her family home once stood.  She has a teen daughter to raise, an ex-husband to fend off, three long-time friends to confide in, and an architect to resist. When Clay Walker designs a retreat for Lacey, she is stunned to see that his visions are perfect for her beach property. When their attraction intensifies and Clay’s secrets are exposed, Lacey needs to make decisions that could drastically affect her future.

Architect Clay Walker recognizes a prime opportunity when he sees it. When Lacey Armstrong needs an architect, he’s excited to show her his ideas. Clay has some secrets and obstacles of his own and Lacey quite possible holds his success or failure in her hands. Given his attraction to Lacey, despite her concerns about being a handful of years older than him, he’s determined to convince local officials to approve her building plans. Romantic competition in the form of Lacey’s ex-husband may prove difficult as she becomes increasingly agitated by all of the decisions she’s confronted with.

Roxanne St. Claire has penned a uniquely different romance in BAREFOOT IN THE SAND. This new series from an author best known for her popular romantic suspense novels, takes readers in a delightfully different direction with a sweetly sensual contemporary flare. Lacey and Clay are charming and their relationship is fresh and potent and while their age difference is discussed and understood, it isn’t harped on continuously. I typically don’t care for the “older woman” storyline, but because of the way it was written, it wasn’t a negative for me. Secondary characters play a crucial role in this book and I’m looking forward to their stories in the future. I hope all readers, especially Ms. St. Claire’s most loyal who may be like me and dislike change, will give this new series a chance because there will be no disappointments.

Of course there's a giveaway! I'll give a Kindle copy of BAREFOOT IN THE SAND to one lucky winner, to get you started on the series. Just leave a comment about Ms. St. Claire's books you've read or are looking forward to reading. I'll draw a winner on Monday, July 9th.
Thanks for taking the time to check it out!

Winners!

My apologies for not announcing the winners last night. We had vicious storms roll through and power was touch and go for most of the evening. All is well for us though - we were spared the damages that a lot of people in our town are dealing with.

The winner of a Kindle copy of any of the previous books in Jill's Lucky Harbor series is JOYCE M.  Congratulations, Joyce!  Please email me at ljodamron@gmail.com with the Lucky Harbor Kindle book of your choice - it will be emailed to you directly from Amazon.

The winner of a print or Kindle copy from Jill's backlist is PAT L.   Congrats to Pat too!  Please email me at the above email addy with two or three book choices from Jill's backlist and I will get in touch with her.

Thanks so much to all who commented!  Have a great weekend!

Laurie

AT LAST, latest from Jill Shalvis, with a Giveaway!

Tuesday, June 26th, is release day for the latest in Jill Shalvis's Lucky Harbor series, AT LAST.  I've had an early read of this one and encourage you to get your hands on it!  Amy and Matt's story is passionate, fun, and emotionally satisfying, the stuff that romance readers like us devour and then wish they'd read a little more slowly so it wouldn't be over, leaving them hanging on for the next one. Check it out (and tell me you don't hear Etta James crooning one of my favorite songs, At Last):

HER LOVE HAS COME ALONG…
Amy Michaels loves her new life in Lucky Harbor. A waitress in the local diner, she’s looking forward to her first weekend hike through the mountains. But when a wrong turn takes her off the trail, she finds herself up close and personal with forest ranger Matt Bowers. And even though she’s tempted to kiss that sexy smile right off his face, she won’t make the mistake of getting involved with the town heartthrob.
A former cop whose life went south, Matt doesn’t let anyone get too close. But something about the feisty beauty caught his eye the moment he first saw her in the diner. After a hot night under a starry sky, Matt can’t deny their attraction-or the fact that for the first time in a long time, he feels the stirrings of something more. Now it’s up to Matt to help Amy see that, no matter what is in their past, together they can build a future in Lucky Harbor.

Check out a brief EXCERPT!

I'll give a Kindle copy of any of the previous books (reader's choice) in the Lucky Harbor series.  Just leave a comment here.  Winner will be chosen on Friday, June 29th.  And because I never heard from the winner of the last contest featuring a reader's choice book from Jill's backlist, I'll include a second giveaway repeating that one - reader's choice, print or Kindle. Please be sure to check back to see if you're the winner. I know the sidebar says you have to check back to see if you're the winner, but there seems to be an aversion to doing so, soooo ...  if you'd like to be notified by email that you're the winner, please include your email with your comment.

Have a great weekend - and be sure to check out AT LAST!

Summer fun!

Hope you're all having all sorts of summer fun!  Kelsey and I went to the pool a couple of weeks ago, but other than nightly dog walks and dinner out last night to celebrate her 22nd birthday, haven't done anything exciting. Yes, we're incredibly dull, boring people! Don't think I've mentioned that we have a new (to us) dog.  Simon is a 7 year old basset hound and has been with us for a little over a month. We love him to pieces. We've only had two dogs before and both were bassets. Our second basset, Fred, came to us via Ohio Basset Rescue and he was (in our hearts) a champion, so why look anywhere else?  It took us 3+ years to decide it was time for another dog. Simon was on the Owner Surrender page at OBR and we made arrangements to meet him, bringing him home the same day. His previous family didn't feel that they had enough time to spend with him and he needed more attention than they could give.  He has settled right in and it feels as if he has always been with us. I hope he's as happy to be with us as we are to have him!

We will be taking off the week of July 4th but don't have any plans. We will be helping Kelsey move her stuff out of her apartment in Kent and into a storage facility for a month, until she has access to her new apartment.  She has one semester of student teaching to complete this fall and will graduate in December. Doesn't seem possible that she could possibly be finished with college.

I hope you'll share your summer plans, family news, books you've read or are reading.  As usual, I'm behind with reviews, but hope to remedy that in the coming week. I have several books to give away too, so stop back. I promise to put forth more effort in keeping things more current here; I've been so negligent lately.

Laurie

And the winner is.....

JULIA BROADBOOKS!  Please email me at ljodamron@gmail.com so I can get your book preference to Jill. 

Thanks to everyone for stopping by.  I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday weekend. Kelsey and I are heading out shortly to a memorial service - hope we don't melt. It's crazy hot and muggy in Ohio today.

Special thanks to Jill!

LUCKY IN LOVE, new from Jill Shalvis!

Mallory Quinn has had enough of playing it safe. As a nurse and devoted daughter, she takes care of everyone but herself. And as the local good girl, she's expected to date Mr. Right. But for once, she'd like to take a risk on Mr. Wrong. And who could be more wrong than Ty Garrison? The mysterious new guy in town has made it clear that he's only passing through, which suits Mallory just fine. Besides, his lean, hard body and sexy smile will give her plenty to remember once he's gone . . .
For the first time in his life, Ty can't bear to leave. Helping this sexy seductress-in-training walk on the wild side is making him desire things he shouldn't, including leaving the military for good. As their just-for-fun fling becomes something more, Mallory and Ty wonder if they could really be this lucky in love. After all . . . anything can happen in a town called Lucky Harbor.

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Jill Shalvis has a new release tomorrow, May 22 - LUCKY IN LOVE! This is the fourth book in Jill's Lucky Harbor series and it is a fabulous continuation of (in my expert opinion) one of the best romance series to date.  Don't you love this cover?  Like all of Jill's books, LUCKY IN LOVE's characters are so absolutely wonderful together, there's no question that readers will be cheering them to the end!  Go here for an EXCERPT, then try to tell me you're not excited to read about Ty and Mallory! Go on, we'll wait....

 

I was fortunate enough to have an early look at LUCKY IN LOVE - here's my review:

Nurse Mallory Quinn has spent her life doing right and being a good girl. Everyone loves Mallory and knows they can count on her.  Mallory's thinking perhaps they count on her just a little too much and starts to think of living for herself. Enter Navy SEAL Ty Garrison. Ty has landed in Lucky Harbor to recuperate injuries sustained on a recent mission; the same mission that took the lives of the rest of his team. His injuries are equally physical and emotional and he's pushing himself to extreme lengths to overcome them.

When things heat up between Mallory and Ty, it isn't without reservations on the part of both. Mallory knows that a heated affair isn't what anyone expects from her and Ty knows that he'll be leaving Lucky Harbor soon and that Mallory is too good for a short fling.

Mallory and Ty are simply adorable and are written in typical Shalvis style. There is an abundance of heat, tempered by a touch of sweetness and humor, and in the end readers will be satisfied with another beautifully written romance.

 

Get your hands on your own copy of LUCKY IN LOVE HERE.

 

Jill is kindly offering one lucky reader any book from her backlist, Kindle or print. Just leave a comment about Jill's books you've read/want to read, characters you love, covers that draw you in, etc. - I'll pick the winner on Saturday, May 26th.  Thanks, Jill and good luck, everyone! 

 

Thanks for checking out LUCKY IN LOVE! 

 

 

 

 

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Lori Foster winner announced!

Good evening, ladies!  The winner of a Lori Foster Kindle or Nook book is Luella Freese! Congratulations, Luella - I'll be emailing you in a moment to get your book choice.  Remember, your choices are WHEN YOU DARE, TRACE OF FEAR, or SAVOR THE DANGER, from Lori's Men Who Walk The Edge of Honor series.
Thanks to all who commented - I always enjoy finding out what everyone else's favorites are!  Lots of Dare, Noah and Grace fans out there!
Huge thanks to Lori for allowing me to read and review A PERFECT STORM for you!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Laurie

Coming soon from Lori Foster, A PERFECT STORM - there's a giveaway!

My good friend Lori Foster has a new book, A PERFECT STORM, releasing in a couple of weeks and trust me, you'll want to get your hands on it! 

He never saw her coming…
Spencer Lark already knows too many secrets about Arizona Storm, including the nightmare she survived and her resulting trust issues. But in order to expose a smuggling ring—and continue avenging his own tragic past—the bounty hunter reluctantly agrees to make Arizona a decoy. Yet nothing has equipped him for her hypnotic blend of fragility and bravery, or for the protective instincts she stirs in him.
Arizona wants to reclaim her life, which means acting as bait to lure the enemy into a trap. Sure it's dangerous, especially with a partner as distractingly appealing as Spencer. But as their plan—and their chemistry—shifts into high gear, Arizona may discover there's an even greater risk in surrendering her heart to a hero….
You'll find an excerpt and ordering info here.
My review:
When Spencer Lark is assigned to protect Arizona Storm as she offers herself up as bait for a vicious group of human traffickers, he tries to keep distance between him and the much-younger Arizona, despite an undeniable attraction.  Arizona knows human trafficking first-hand after she herself was a victim.
Spencer admires Arizona’s resilience and strength, despite her heartbreaking past. Arizona regrets her past more than anyone will ever know, but she’s used it as a learning experience, serving to make her ever stronger and capable of taking care of herself.
I think you’d be hard pressed to find a romance reader who hasn’t read Lori Foster. I’m just one of many readers who has enjoyed Lori’s work for years.  Her voice is strongly unique.  Her characters are capable and unashamedly bold, especially when it comes to passion. No need to be explicit when you can sensually explore and capture beautiful emotion.
In A PERFECT STORM, Lori tackles the topic of human trafficking head-on, shining a light on brutally painful truths, while sparing readers graphic details.
A PERFECT STORM is a wonderfully written continuation of Lori Foster’s Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series. Catching up with characters from previous titles is like coming home.  I recommend this series to all readers who appreciate well-written romance.

To celebrate Lori's upcoming release, I'm offering one reader their choice of a Kindle or Nook version of one of the three previous books in this series, WHEN YOU DARE, TRACE OF FEAR, or SAVOR THE DANGER. Just leave a comment about your favorite Lori Foster book, your favorite cover, character, etc.  I'll draw the winning name on Friday, March 16th, so be sure and check back.  If you think you might forget to check back, feel free to leave your email addy with your comment.
Thank you for checking out A PERFECT STORM, and a big thank you to Lori for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book for you!
Laurie

The Janice Maynard book winner!!

It's Michelle B!  Congratulations, Michelle!  Thanks to everyone who commented.  I guarantee no disappointments with Janice's latest series.  I cannot wait for the next installment!
I hope you're all having a great weekend!
Laurie