Novak book winners!

And the winners are ......  Laurie G and Crystal GB!  Both left their email addresses with their comments and I'll be contacting them.  Thanks to everyone who checked out my review.  I hope you'll get your own copies of the Whiskey Creek books! Don't forget to take a look at the Laura Florand review and giveaway!!

Laura Florand's THE CHOCOLATE TOUCH

Author Laura Florand was a new author for me, but after reading THE CHOCOLATE TOUCH, I'll be shopping for her backlist. My review for THE CHOCOLATE TOUCH is below. Check it out, and then read on to see the giveaway to celebrate the release of this book.

My review:
Jaime Corey has come to Paris to heal, physically and emotionally, after being savagely attacked on the Ivory Coast while securing labor practices at cocoa farming facilities. Jaime's family owns a multi-million dollar cocoa production business that provides cocoa for some of the world's finest chocolatiers. When she frequents Dominique Richard's chocolate shop daily, she finds herself unusually comforted. Her fragile femininity catches his eye and he finds himself powerfully intrigued, wanting to nurture her, body and soul, with his unique chocolates. He doesn't know who Jaime is, but he anticipates her daily stops. The two eventually begin something that feels like a relationship although they've never actually acknowledged it to be so. Jaime's brother-in-law is also a well-known chocolatier and he and Jaime's sister are quite protective of her; just one of the reasons she chooses to keep her budding relationship with Dom to herself.
Dominique Richard appears to be a brute of a man. He's a big man, rarely without a black leather jacket or a menacing stare. Dom has a dark past and the reputation to go along with it. He dragged himself up from a tender age and while he's not particularly concerned with what others think of him, he's extremely proud of the success he's made of his chocolate shop.
This story is unique and Ms. Florand clearly knows her way around Paris and fine chocolates. Readers are pulled into each and every scene with the characters and at times I swear I could smell the chocolate and taste their exquisitely intense flavors melting on my tongue. My only criticisms would be that the amount of time it took for Jaime and Dom to declare their love seemed a little too short to be realistic. Also, there are several comments made between characters in French. It would be helpful to those of us who don't speak French if translations could be made in parenthesis. 
THE CHOCOLATE TOUCH should be read by every romance reader. I truly didn't want to come to the end of this book, savoring its deliciousness. 
A heartfelt thank you goes out to Ms. Florand for allowing me to read and review this book for her.

Now the giveaway! I'll give one reader here a Kindle or Nook copy of THE CHOCOLATE THIEF (it precedes THE CHOCOLATE TOUCH). Leave a comment telling what you've done this summer. I'll draw the winner from the comments on Wednesday. Tell your friends and have them mention you in their comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each mention.

Laurie

Brenda Novak's HOME TO WHISKEY CREEK

Brenda Novak has a new release in her Whiskey Creek series.  HOME TO WHISKEY CREEK is an emotionally charged story that will touch readers on many different levels.
Below is my review of HOME TO WHISKEY CREEK (be sure to check out the contest that follows):

Adelaide “Addy” Davies left Whiskey Creek after her high school graduation like the devil himself was licking at her heels. She had been violated by a group of boys at a party and just wanted to escape, keeping the attack to herself. Now she’s back to help her failing Gran with her restaurant. Addy’s Gran was her only source of unfailing love and security as she was growing up.  Soon after Addy’s return, she’s pulled from her bed and taken to the abandoned mine where she was gang raped all those years ago. Noah Rackham hears her cries for help and rescues her. It doesn’t help that Noah’s brother, Cody, was the ringleader in her rape and was accidentally killed in the mine that night. Noah is clearly interested in Addy, but she keeps him at arms’ length, despite having a serious crush on him back in high school. Addy chose not to tell anyone about her attack and has no intention of telling anyone now, but visits from the other boys, now men, prove that they are all nervous about the truth getting out. Needless to say, Addy’s rape affected her emotionally and her marriage failed because of it. She would love a future with Noah, but fears his reaction if he learns of his late brother’s attack on her.

Noah knows that Addy is hiding something and try as he may, he can’t get her to tell him. Someone is threatening her and he’s determined to find out who. Noah has issues of his own as a result of his brother’s death and his parents’ refusal to see Cody as being anything less than perfect. To further confuse Noah, his best friend Baxter confesses that he’s gay and professes to be in love with Noah. Despite Noah’s acceptance of Baxter’s sexual preference and insistence that they can still be friends, Baxter is deeply troubled about how the town and his family would react upon learning he’s gay.
I found Home to Whiskey Creek to be a highly emotional story. Anyone who has lived in a small town knows that they are prone to gossip that can be vicious and vile, and secrets that may or may not be kept. Addy and Noah both, in varying degrees, have dysfunctional families and some family members will have readers gritting their teeth.  This is not a fluffy little story, it is hard hitting and covers a gamut of emotions. The reactions to those emotions are sometimes painful and raw. I have no doubt that readers will be pleased to have been treated to such a warmly satisfying story.
 
My thanks to Brenda Novak for requesting an honest review in exchange for an advance copy of the book.

I am giving to two readers here Kindle or Nook copies of both WHEN SUMMER COMES and WHEN WE TOUCH (a novella), which precede HOME TO WHISKEY CREEK.  Leave a comment to be entered. You know I always love to hear about the author whose book is featured, so if you're familiar with Ms. Novak, tell us which of her books you've read and enjoyed - or a cover you love, etc. If you wish to leave your email address with your comment, I will notify you if you are the winner.  If you do not leave your email address, be sure to check back to see if you're a winner as I'm not likely to attempt to track you down. I will draw names on Saturday, August 3rd.  August already? Where did July go??

Laurie

Remember me??

I'm red-faced once again. Haven't been here in so very long.  I hope you're all doing well and having a great summer.  I can't believe summer is half over - truly don't know where the time has gone. We've had rain every day for the past three weeks and so much heat and humidity that you can practically feel the air. Truly miserable. Today is bright and sunny, much cooler and the humidity is gone - beautiful!
What's everyone been up to?  Lots of reading, I'm sure!  If you have suggestions, please tell us! I'm working on reviews for some very good books and will be sharing them in the next week or so. Will do some giveaways with them, so stay tuned!
I was on vacation last week and while we didn't go anywhere or do anything terribly exciting, I did get a bunch of canning done. Did strawberry/rhubarb jam, mixed berry jam, zucchini relish and "Habanero Gold" jam. The habanero jam was for the girls, who both love hot and spicy foods. Not me. I'm such a wuss that bbq potato chips are spicy! They loved it though, served over brie on crackers.

This pic shows the berry jams but not the relish or habanero jam. I'm planning to do more canning and look forward to trying a new recipe from Ball for strawberry/balsamic vinegar jam. They claim it's earthy and good, so I'm going to give it a try! Does anyone else enjoy canning?
Let me know what you're all up to, ok?  After battling menopausal depression and Tim's broken arms, things are finally looking up and it looks like we're going to survive!

Laurie

Everyone's a winner!

Sadly, there were only three comments on the Alisha Rai book. Lucky for those three, I'm buying each of them a copy.  I'll be emailing you momentarily, ladies.  Thanks so much for your comments - I hope you'll check out Ms. Rai's other works!

PLAY WITH ME, new from Alisha Rai

I admit that Alisha Rai is a new author to me and when I requested a review copy of PLAY WITH ME (the first book in her new BEDROOM GAMES series) in response to a tweet she posted for reviewers, I did so a tad reluctantly. I found myself feeling hesitant, guilty even, because as I've often said here, I'm not a fan of strong BDSM. I never want to take a reading/review opportunity away from another reader/reviewer who will enjoy a book more than me and I like to think that I'm considerate of books I request for review. I absolutely loved PLAY WITH ME and I'm thanking my lucky stars that I did speak up and request a copy.

About the book:

Jewelry designer Tatiana Belikov may have matured enough to curb her impulsive nature, but wickedness is still her best accessory. When family troubles bring her to Las Vegas and face-to-face with the man who knows all her darkest desires, resisting temptation is futile. A night of no-holds-barred sin? Jackpot.

Once Wyatt Caine had nothing to offer Tatiana except his heart, but time has changed his fortunes. Now he’s the king of vice, and the king always gets what he wants. Especially when all he wants is her, all grown up and ready to play every dirty game he can devise.

They ignite like fireworks on the Strip, blazing hot enough to melt the best intentions. But their roll in the sheets turns into a roll of the dice, and when morning comes, Wyatt and Tatiana are left wondering whether to walk away…or go all in.

Game on.

You'll find an excerpt and ordering information here: http://alisharai.net/books/play-with-me/

My review:
Tatiana Belikov and Wyatt Caine were sweethearts in high school. Sweethearts that discovered a sexual preference for things a little dirty, sometimes rough even, and both knew what brought the other the most pleasure. Having been adopted, Tatiana has recently been introduced to her biological half-brother. He is faced with substantial debt and, having taken money from his employer, Tatiana wants to help him make things right. When she finds that his employer is her lost love, Wyatt, she is understandably nervous. Wyatt has been hugely successful in business and owns an exquisite casino in Las Vegas. Wyatt's demands for repayment from Tatiana aren't as simple as her just writing a check. He wants one night with her, and as the blurb says, it will be no holds barred.

It isn't the night with Wyatt that Tatiana is opposed to. Rather, she questions the feelings she will have for him and the pain she'll face when their time is through. Wyatt comes across as being cold-hearted and unfeeling, but readers will quickly discover that there is a surprisingly warm heart beating in his chest, a heart that feels more for Tatiana than he would ever admit to. I would point out that there is no  obvious HEA, but I felt it was implied that that's the direction they were going and I was not disappointed.

I look forward to the next book in Ms. Rai's Bedroom Games series, RISK AND REWARD, coming in June, 2013.  Alisha Rai is an author that I am thrilled to have found.

I'll give two copies of PLAY WITH ME (it's an ebook) for Kindle or Nook, winner's choice. Just leave a comment here and you'll be entered, but of course we would like to hear about your lost love reunions, if you have any. Or feel free to chat about any of Ms. Rai's work that you've read. I'll pull two winners from the comments on Saturday, May 11. Like always, don't be surprised if I'm a day or two late in drawing, I seem to be quite good at that.  Also, if you'd like to provide your email address, I'll advise you if your name is drawn. Otherwise, be sure to check back because I won't hunt you down!

Thank you for checking out PLAY WITH ME and special thanks to Alisha Rai for allowing me to read and review this book for her.

 

Alison Kent has a new series (Hope Springs) that begins with THE SECOND CHANCE CAFE.  It deserves a look by all romance lovers. Here's all about it!

Kaylie Flynn was just five years old when her mother abandoned her to the Texas foster system and vanished. But Kaylie was luckier than most, blessed with a foster mother who taught her the comfort of home…and the healing power of baking the perfect brownie.
Now two decades later, Kaylie has journeyed back to Hope Springs to open a café in the rambling Victorian she once shared with her foster family—and hopefully to find answers to lingering questions about her birth parents.
Yet Kaylie’s carefully laid plans quickly take a turn for the complicated. The house needs more work than she ever imagined, and handsome Tennessee Keller, the carpenter Kaylie hires for the job, is having an unnerving effect on her heart. Add an unexpected crisis to the mix, and Kaylie has all the ingredients for a perfect disaster—or a perfect love.

My review:
Alison Kent meanders down a slightly different path than in the past with her new Hope Springs series. While I have enjoyed her work practically from the very start, I’m finding this new series to be a breath of sweetly fresh air. This is my review of THE SECOND CHANCE CAFÉ, first in the series.

Life hasn’t always been fair to Kaylie Flynn. Dealt one bad hand after another, she easily could have made excuses, given up, and made nothing of herself. Instead, she takes her life experience and determined independence and puts them to use in opening her own café. Kaylie was just a little girl when she witnessed her mother’s grisly suicide attempt.  Between her mother’s subsequent imprisonment and not knowing the father who seemingly abandoned them, she’s tossed into the foster system, being tumbled around until she eventually landed in the home of Winton and May Wise. Being in their care was better than any dream Kaylie could have dreamt. Kaylie learns from May how comforting a warm, loving home can be, and that time spent in the kitchen can be healing and good for the soul, which is best described in the following passage referencing said kitchen: “It was this room, more than any other, where she’d come to terms with the life she’d lost and the one she’d been gifted in return”. Several years later, Kaylie purchases the home she shared with the now deceased Winton and May.  She hires highly recommended local handyman Tennessee “Ten” Keller to update the first floor for her envisioned cafe, and while you know there will be an attraction between them, it starts off as slow simmer, slowly showing the promise of building to a full rolling boil.

Ten Keller has ghosts of his own but is willing to face them in order to help Kaylie start her business. His attraction to her and her simple, unassuming way, has him loosening his tongue about his painful past and sharing deeply personal things with her that he has kept silent for many years. He finds himself smiling more and very much anticipating a future that looks to include Kaylie.

 
This book is almost poetic at times and readers are warmly welcomed to the story. Comfortable as an old shoe, it steadily gains intensity and even picks up a little intrigue on the way. The secondary characters and their stories add a great deal of charm and a wealth of raw emotion. I am eagerly anticipating the next installment in this series.  

Please do yourself a favor and click over to Amazon where you can get the paperback version for almost half price at $6.99 and the Kindle version for $4.99!  A real steal for a book this good!


 

Ooooops!

If it's not one thing, it's 271.  I'm working on review of Alison Kent's THE SECOND CHANCE CAFE because it's stellar and deserves high praise, but the past week and a half has been a little unsettled at Casa Damron.  Tim fell at work on 4/02 and broke his right elbow in two places and his left wrist. Wrist is casted with thumb up as if he's hitchhiking and elbow was in a splint until this past Tuesday when orthopedic surgeon told him to take splint off and start exercising arm, trying to straighten it. Well, my overachiever husband had it pretty much straight by Wednesday (he has a very high pain tolerance). The cast will be on the wrist for five more weeks. He should be back to work in a week or so, under light duty restrictions.

Interesting making drinks/food accessible for him while we're at work. I was showering with him b/c he couldn't get either hand/arm wet and we had to bag them in plastic. Difficult showering when you don't have workable arms/hands/thumbs! Showering together was a lot more fun 30 years ago when we were younger and didn't worry about falling and breaking something (else)!!

I hope you're all having a great spring - we're still waiting on it in Ohio, it's been a little on the chilly side.  Are you reading anything great?  Do many of you like to read series? If so, who do you recommend? Personally, I love them. Some good ones are by Jill Shalvis, Lori Foster, Pamela Clare, Kaylea Cross, Catherine Mann, Kristen Ashley, Dee Davis ...  I could go on and on!

Have a great weekend - and look for that Alison Kent review soon!

Laurie

And the winner is ....

Barb V!  Barb, please email me at ljodamron@gmail.com with your email info and whether you prefer a Kindle or Nook version of UNDENIABLE.

Thanks to all who commented!  I hope you'll check out Alison Kent's work - she has several books releasing this year, including a new "Hope Springs" series that I'll be talking about soon.

UNBREAKABLE, the latest in Alison Kent's DALTON GANG series

Alison Kent has a lot of irons in the fire these days and I have to admit that it makes me one happy girl! Her Dalton Gang series started with UNDENIABLE and was followed up by UNBREAKABLE. I already had the Kindle version of UNBREAKABLE when Romance Junkies put it on their review list, so of course I immediately volunteered to review it!
I can't stress enough what a fabulous, outstandingly kickass author I think Alison Kent is. I've loved her voice from the very beginning and never fail to feel the emotions of her characters deep down. Yes, I know I'm pouring it on rather thick, but I'm entitled to my opnion, right? If I were telling you this in person, I would be gesturing wildly and ending with my hands pressed into my chest. Okay, enough....

Here's about UNBREAKABLE:
THE DALTON BOYS ARE RIDING HARD…
The notorious Dalton Gang once ran wild through their home town of Crow Hill, Texas. Now they own the run-down Dalton Ranch—and they work hard to keep it up. But when the right women come along, they still know how to play hard too…
Casper Jayne turned his back on Crow Hill nearly 20 years ago for a career in the professional bull riding circuit. Now he’s back—and Faith Mitchell is having a tough time thinking about anything else. She’s had a crush on him since high school, when he was part of her brother’s gang—and off limits. Since then, Faith has learned not to take risks. And Casper’s reckless, hard-living ways are causing her to think twice about trying to make the fantasies she has for this powerfully physical man come true.
Casper said he’d wait for a sign—but Faith is determined not to give him the satisfaction. Then an unexpected encounter finally penetrates her reserve, and the two of them ignite an intense passion. Faith finds herself holding on for a wild ride that breaks all the rules. But when the hot affair burns out of control, Faith will have to learn to take the reins…

My (5 Blue Ribbon) Romance Junkies review:

Alison Kent’s name on the cover of a book always serves as a guarantee of goodness for any romance reader. She has gone above and beyond once again with UNBREAKABLE and the DALTON GANG series.

Casper Jayne is one of the “Dalton Gang” that was introduced to readers in Alison Kent’s October 2012 release, UNDENIABLE. Casper survived a severely neglectful childhood. The only things that helped make it a tad brighter would be his friends Dax Campbell and Boone Mitchell, and Tess and Dave Dalton, the Crow Hill, Texas ranching couple that nurtured and helped guide the boys. Casper knew his life would have been significantly different, and not in a good way, without them. When the Daltons are both deceased, “the boys” find that they’ve left their struggling ranch to them. With none of them tied down to anything or anyone, they decide to try to make a go of it.

When Casper’s mother unexpectedly gives him her pitifully rundown monstrosity of a house, he decides to make the necessary repairs, despite knowing that razing the hulking mess makes far more sense. Full of frightening childhood memories, one would wonder why Casper would want to step foot inside the house, let alone invest time and money to restore it.

When Casper shows up at the bank where Faith Mitchell works looking for money, he doesn’t have high hopes that the sister of one of his best friends will come through for him. Indeed, she turned him down for money from the bank immediately. Faith has had a crush on Casper since they were kids and seeing him again has her wanting. Her brother, Boone, practically put a sign around her neck to warn Dax and Casper off his sister. Now adults, Casper and Faith are free to see where their undeniable attraction goes. It leads them straight to a blistering affair. Faith has a boatload of money from an undisclosed source that she’s willing to loan to Casper, but he’s stubbornly reluctant to partner with her. Once he relents the two begin to explore an even deeper relationship.

Faith has a big heart and is saved from being too sweet by a bit of attitude and her ability to keep up with Casper’s touch of wildness. Underneath Casper’s wildness is a man who is caring and whose emotions run deep. Secondary characters, one in particular, add some of the most heartwarming scenes, show what a good man Casper is, and are crucial to the story.

This book isn’t all love and sweetness. Casper and Faith both have had ugliness in their lives and secrets from their pasts. Casper can be brutally blunt at times and while Faith sometimes feels the sharpness of his honesty, she knows that deep down he’s so much more than a wicked mouth.

 

Alison Kent can write relationships and honest emotion like no other author. She delves right in to the painful realities that sometimes arise between family and friends. This book has my highest recommendation, especially if you’re a reader who appreciates characters who are a little broken, but fiercely loyal, and a story that will catch you right in the chest. I’m eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, UNFORGETTABLE, which will release in October 2013.

I'll give a Kindle or Nook copy of UNDENIABLE to one commenter here. All you have to do is leave a comment, but of course I'd love it if you would share your favorite Alison Kent book, character, cover, whatever you wish. I'll pull the winning name on Sunday, March 24 (or thereabouts, you know I'm typically a day or so late). If you want to put your email address in your comment, it will be easy to let you know you've won, otherwise you need to be sure to check back. (If you've already read UNDENIABLE, I'll buy you a copy of UNBREAKABLE.)

Thanks for checking out UNBREAKABLE!

Laurie