17 Amazing Authors have come together to bring you these scorching tales of summer romance. Time to heat up your e-readers, dust off your sandals, and fall in love. Curl up in the sun or relax in the shade and let us bring the warmth of summer to you.
Caution: Stories not responsible for melted Ice cream, warm drinks, or burnt fingertips.
Mindy’s Review:
*I received this book free from an author in exchange for an honest review*
17 authors come together in Me + You with some great touching stories. Some found true love, some lost loves and some fulfilled their dreams. Out of all of the stories there was only one that I could not seem to get past the first page (Could have been my mood for the day). This anthology has something for everyone. I can see me reading all of these stories again sitting on a beach and getting lost with all of these characters.
I fell in love with all of the stories that I read. I highly recommend anyone that loves romance to pick this up and get lost in the pages as much as I did. Wow, what an amazing group of authors!
*Clicking on the book cover above will take you to the Amazon purchase page.
He’s neat, always on time, and a professed workaholic. I’m chaotic, always running late, and looking for more from life than just my job. Yet our mutual attraction is undeniable.
The last thing I expected after our first date was to have Simon show up at my office. The warm and funny guy I’d met was now gone, replaced by the cold and calculating man in an impeccable suit. While my professional future is in his hands, I can’t stop thinking about how his hands felt on my body.
Whatever had started between us can’t possibly happen now, but that’s easier said than done. Because the more I try not to think of his sexy smirk or delicious accent, the harder it is to stay away. And if our forbidden office kiss is any indication, his resolve is slipping too.
I’ve sworn I’d never fall for a man who puts his job first. Too bad my heart isn’t listening.
*** Without Apology is a standalone romance for mature audiences due to steamy bedroom scenes that are in no way contained to just the bedroom.***
Jennifer’s Review:
*I received an ARC of this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.*
Peyton is messy but organized, she’s funny, sweet, and completely likeable.
Simon is a suit! He’s always in suits, always super organized (a little OCD, but it’s funny), and definitely not ready for a Peyton in his life.
“I rushed this last time. Now I’m planning to savor you.”
Some people are just meant to meet. Thanks to a little small town familiarity Peyton is embarrassingly introduced to Simon at the grocery store checkout. Their first date is sweet. Then they meet again in a different venue and as two completely different people. Gone are the carefree people from the grocery store. They’re replaced with company red tape and lines that shouldn’t be crossed. But when you already had a little sample it doesn’t take long to go crashing across the imaginary lines and into each other’s arms.
“That was… Wow. I know you enjoy control, but I have to say I’m a big fan of you losing it.”
Without Apology was both fun and entertaining. It had just enough “work issues” to make the plot interesting and with Peyton and Simon’s characters so well written it was hard not to fall in love with them. There’s a little of everything in this book…the asinine people you want to hit with your car, the super embarrassing family, the smart-mouthed but loveable assistant, the romance, the sex, and even the grand gestures. There’s even an epilogue that made for a perfect ending. Looking forward to the next Without book.
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The steamy Chicago Rebels series returns with this racy and sassy tale of embittered hearts, second chances, and going for the goal—on and off the ice.
Violet Vasquez never met her biological father, so learning he left his beloved hockey franchise—the Chicago Rebels—to her is, well, unexpected. Flat broke and close to homeless, Violet is determined to make the most of this sudden opportunity. Except dear old dad set conditions that require she takes part in actually running the team with the half-sisters she barely knows. Working with these two strangers and overseeing a band of hockey-playing lugs is not on her agenda…until she lays eyes on the Rebels captain and knows she has to have him.
Bren St. James has been labeled a lot of things: the Puck Prince, Lord of the Ice, Hell’s Highlander…but it’s the latest tag that’s making headlines: washed-up alcoholic has-been. This season, getting his life back on track and winning the Cup are his only goals. With no time for relationships—except the fractured ones he needs to rebuild with his beautiful daughters—he’s finding it increasingly hard to ignore sexy, all-up-in-his-beard Violet Vasquez. And when he finds himself in need of a nanny just as the playoffs are starting, he’s faced with a temptation he could so easily get hooked on.
For two lost souls, there’s more on the line than just making the best of a bad situation… there might also be a shot at the biggest prize of all: love.
Jennifer’s Review:
*I received this book free from Simon & Schuster – Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review*
The chemistry between Bren and Violet has been entwined throughout the pages of all three previous books, getting to finally read their story was the icing on the series.
Violet was the mystery Chase child, conceived during a one night stand. She didn’t know her sisters and didn’t really care to…until she had to. Sister nights, as awkward as they were in the beginning, became the bonding time the sisters needed in order to really love one another.
Her first day in Chicago lands her in a bar next to Bren, she’s wanted him since that first day.
Bren’s life went uncontrollably down hill because of his unhappiness and drinking. Luckily his team gave him a chance to clean it up and be the Captain they needed. His focus is on the game, his team, and missing his daughters…not the captivating woman who is always around.
His first day out of rehab landed him opposite some not so happy fans and a beautiful woman who tempted his restraint beyond its limitations…and no matter how badly he wanted Violet he couldn’t tempt his sobriety or his job.
When push comes to shove Violet is the one who comes through for Bren and his daughters. She’s the one he counts on when there’s no one else and when she finally lets down her guard he’ll be the one she learns to depend on. Hooked On You is a powerful story that proves love, when you let it in, can conquer anything. It was the perfect ending to the Chicago Rebels series.
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Dante Moretti has just landed his dream job: GM of the Chicago Rebels. And screw the haters who think there should be an asterisk next to his name because he’s the first out managing executive in pro hockey. He’s earned the right to be here and nothing will topple him off that perch—especially not an incredibly inconvenient attraction to his star defenseman, Cade “Alamo” Burnett. Cade has always been careful to keep his own desires on the down low, but his hot Italian boss proves to be a temptation he can’t resist. Sure, they both have so much to lose, but no one will ever know…
As Dante and Cade’s taboo affair heats up off the ice and their relationship gets more and more intense, they’ll have to decide: is love worth risking their careers? Or is this romance destined to be forever benched?
Jennifer’s Review:
*I received this book free from Simon & Schuster – Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review*
First of all let me say that this book takes place behind the scenes of books one and two. If you were curious about things Harper or Violet saw…you’ll discover what actually happened when you read Undone By You.
The Chicago Rebels got a new GM…a new gay GM. A sexy, suit wearing Italian that makes Cade’s mouth water. No one knows that Cade is gay or that his hockey hero is none other than their new GM, Dante Moretti, or how his spank bank fantasy just walked into his daily life, and boy does he do a good job at hiding it. Not even Dante knew. That is until Cade shows up in the one place he never expected to see him or any of his other players.
Cade is a Texas boy who doesn’t want to disappoint his dad. Dante is a man who gave up a lot so that he could be true to himself. One’s afraid he isn’t good enough. The other afraid he’ll lose everything. Not to mention the whole GM and player thing that completely goes against certain ethics and policies. But when Cade and Dante are together nothing else matters.
Undone By You is sexy with a lot of heart. It was the perfect ‘short’ book to give the series a little something extra.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“Am I?” My name, my social, my no idea.
“You said your fantasy was to be naked while I was dressed.” His mouth twitched. “Time you stripped, Burnett.”
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Three estranged sisters struggle to sustain their late father’s failing hockey franchise in Kate Meader’s sizzling Chicago Rebels series. In this second entry, middle sister Isobel is at a crossroads in her personal and professional lives. But both are about to get a significant boost with the addition of a domineering Russian powerhouse to the Rebels….
Isobel Chase knows hockey. She played NCAA, won Olympic silver, and made it thirty-seven minutes into the new National Women’s Hockey League before an injury sidelined her dreams. Those who can’t, coach, and a position as a skating consultant to her late father’s hockey franchise, the Chicago Rebels, seems like a perfect fit. Until she’s assigned her first job: the man who skated into her heart as a teen and relieved her of her pesky virginity. These days, left-winger Vadim Petrov is known as the Czar of Pleasure, a magnet for puck bunnies and the tabloids alike. But back then… let’s just say his inability to sink the puck left Isobel frustratingly scoreless.
Vadim has a first name that means “ruler,” and it doesn’t stop at his birth certificate. He dominates on the ice, the practice rink, and in the backseat of a limo. But a knee injury has produced a bad year, and bad years in the NHL don’t go unrewarded. His penance? To be traded to a troubled team where his personal coach is Isobel Chase, the woman who drove him wild years ago when they were hormonal teens. But apparently the feeling was not entirely mutual.
That Vadim might have failed to give Isobel the pleasure that was her right is intolerable, and he plans to make it up to her—one bone-melting orgasm at a time. After all, no player can perfect his game without a helluva lot of practice…
Jennifer’s Review:
*I received this book free from Simon & Schuster – Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review*
Isobel had known Vadim before he got traded to the Chicago Rebels, but what she didn’t know was how much she’d really meant to the “Czar of Pleasure”. Forced into co-ownership of the Rebels has put Isobel into a sticky spot. She loved her coaching job, but the logistics was too difficult to work out and in order to fulfil her duties as her father had so graciously put into his will she quit, moved into her sister’s house, and started helping out with the team more. Her job…to get Vadium back to his awesome skating ability after his knee injury. That head understood her job, her body and heart was a different story.
“Damn that fuckwomble Russian!”
Vadim’s career took a major detour after Isobel’s father had found them together as teenagers, but he never gave up. He worked hard and eventually ended up back in the NHL, then got injured, traded to the losing Chicago Rebels, and just when it couldn’t get much better his mother decided to reenter his life. But his road also led him back to the woman he’d always wanted so all was good in the land of Petrov.
“I have waited my entire life to love you and I refuse to let your stubbornness take you away from me.”
He knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. She’s just figuring out what she wants and isn’t at all sure how to move forward. Together they’ll figure everything out.
So Over You is sweet, romantic, and filled with Russian humor. I enjoyed how two lives had affected one another even if the other hadn’t known it. From Isobel and Vadim following each other’s careers to moments one was present without the knowledge of the other.
“I wish we had a closet of knee pads up here,” she said as she headed toward the door.
“Why?” Violet asked.
“Because when a girl has to grovel, she likes to do it with protection.”
As for the backstory…the Rebels are still on their way to a playoff spot. Remy and Harper came out to everyone about their relationship. And I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next.
The writing…was filled with a lot of self doubting characters, which put a little damper on the awesome, but the ‘take me right here right now’ scenes seemed to make up for it.
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“Men are like beer: Some go down better than others”
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Book Length (Est.): 401 Pages
Book Description/Synopsis:
Hot in Chicago series author Kate Meader returns with her all new, scorching Chicago Rebels hockey series. Three estranged sisters inherit their late father’s failing hockey franchise and are forced to confront a man’s world, their family’s demons, and the battle-hardened ice warriors skating into their hearts.
Harper Chase has just become the most powerful woman in the NHL after the death of her father Clifford Chase, maverick owner of the Chicago Rebels. But the team is a hot mess—underfunded, overweight, and close to tapping out of the league. Hell-bent on turning the luckless franchise around, Harper won’t let anything stand in her way. Not her gender, not her sisters, and especially not a veteran player with an attitude problem, a chip on his shoulder, and a smoldering gaze designed to melt her ice-compacted defenses.
Veteran center Remy “Jinx” DuPre is on the downside of a career that’s seen him win big sponsorships, fans’ hearts, and more than a few notches on his stick. Only one goal has eluded him: the Stanley Cup. Sure, he’s been labeled as the unluckiest guy in the league, but with his recent streak of good play, he knows this is his year. So why the hell is he being shunted off to a failing hockey franchise run by a ball-buster in heels? And is she seriously expecting him to lead her band of misfit losers to a coveted spot in the playoffs?
He’d have a better chance of leading Harper on a merry skate to his bed…
Jennifer’s Review:
*I received this book free from Simon & Schuster – Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review*
Harper has been set with an impossible task. Her father died, leaving her the Chicago Rebels that she has to run with her sisters (whom she doesn’t really know or get along with) and turn them from a bottom team into a winning the championship team in one season. They lose and she loses the team, which can’t happen. That team is her life and running it has been her dream. She’ll do whatever she can to turn them into champions.
Remy didn’t want to be traded to a losing team his last year playing in the NHL. He wanted his last year to be one where he finally won the cup. He made sure every step of the way that Harper knew how he felt too. Only problem with his tough guy act is that he actually liked Harper. He was drawn to her and despite the player/owner line he couldn’t help but work his Cajun charms on her.
“His dick was taking over, throbbing to the beat of man-wants-woman.”
Harper already had one bad relationship with a player years previous and the last thing she wanted was to get involved with another, but damn if she could resist him. Their magnetism is beyond measure. But she was his team’s owner first and foremost. As long as the line stays in place she could have her cake and eat it too. And oh what a yummy cake!
Irresistible You is exactly that…irresistible! Harper and Remy have a powerful way about them that pulls you into their world and leaves you wanting more. The characters and storyline are well written. It was a great way to start a series and I’m looking forward to see what else the Chicago Rebels series has in store.
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“Pizza. Sex. Boyfriend. It was a modern day fairytale.”
Genre: Contemporary Romance, MMA Romance
Book Length (Est.):227 Pages
Book Description/Synopsis:
The most soulful Kavanagh brother tackles the challenge of a lifetime—with a little help from the girl of his dreams.
A topnotch manager and agent, Quinn Kavanagh pictures a life outside of his family’s renowned MMA gym. Beneath his sleek exterior, Quinn has a secret passion for sculpting. But after a nearly fatal motorcycle accident, he’s struggling just to walk again, let alone get back to the studio—and it doesn’t help that the doctor in charge of his physical therapy is his childhood crush. Quinn’s always ready for a fight, but the bittersweet sting of unrequited love has him begging for mercy.
Dr. Kiera Finley is determined to make her medical residency a success. Six years ago, she gave in and shared a single passionate night with Quinn. Now she’s just hoping the cocky lover from her past doesn’t derail her plans for the future. Little by little, though, Kiera gets to know another side of Quinn. She knew he was a family man, devoted to his parents and brothers, but he’s also a free spirit trapped in a cage—and only she has the key. To heal both Quinn’s body and soul, Kiera’s tempted to give him a special kind of medicine.
With their own heartwarming HEAs, Sarah Robinson’s Kavanagh Legends novels can be read together or separately.
Mindy’s Review:
*I received this book free from Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Quinn Kavanagh was in love with his best friend and got his heart broke when she left for college. Now, six years later he is a manager for his brothers and their MMA business. He does not really love the MMA circuit like his family does but wants to make his family proud. Quinn wants to do something else with his life but is afraid that his family will not support him.
Kiera Finley is in her medical residency and will not let anything get in the way of her dreams. Including her feelings for her old best friend. Now that she is older and is getting to know the real Quinn she finds herself falling in love with him. She opens his eyes to the possibilities of his dreams coming true.
This is the fourth book in the series. I have been waiting for this one and I was not let down. I love the Kavanagh family and how much love and support they have for each other. It really shines in this book.
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