Apr 18, 2018 | April 2018, Blog, Lauren Blakely
The Whole Latte
Come as you Are by Lauren Blakely is the perfect book if you love a billionaire romance that’s full of witty dialogue, with strong and sassy characters, and a story that creatively infuses a few genres, then this book is for you!
Flynn Parker is tired of women dropping themselves at his feet. Literally. They will stop at nothing to win the billionaire. But hey, there is more to this sexy, nerdy man than just his bank account. He actually wants someone to appreciate him for who he is, not what he has. When he encounters a woman at a masquerade ball she will leave him longing for more. Is it possible she doesn’t know who he is? Could he have found the one?
Sabrina Granger is a woman who will protect those she loves at all cost. When her mother walks out on her, she will learn that the only person she can count on is her brother. When a trip down the isle is suddenly called off, Sabrina will have to find the courage to move on while doubting what went wrong. Will she learn to open up and trust again? When she meets a masked man, he will unlock her hidden desires and push her to be courageous. Will she welcome the reveal of his true identity? Will it destroy her future?
When a buissness opportunity threatens to expose their connection, Sabrina and Flynn will need to decide what matters more, business or pleasure. Can they come to a mutual decision? If they do, they just might discover that sometimes wishes do come true and fairy tales aren’t just bedtime stories.
Don’t miss this sexy romantic comedy that is sexy, spicy, and makes a perfect bookcation!
Scorchin – Caution, may lead to unexpected need to turn on the A/C.
I received this ARC for a fair and honest review. Please note that the flames represent the heat factor.
From #1 NYT bestselling author Lauren Blakely comes a sexy new standalone romance!
~FLYNN~
The door crawls shut.
Inch by inch.
A slow-mo door.
I have no patience for its theatrics. I kick it shut, eager for the next part of the evening to begin.
Her laughter sounds across the library and echoes off its dark wood shelves bursting with books. A leather couch takes center stage, flanked by a mahogany table.
“Are you in a rush to read something?” she asks coyly.
Her voice turns me on. It’s like bourbon and honey. A little throaty and husky, but with sweet undertones. Funny, how when you can’t see someone’s face—at least not all of it—your other senses heighten. Your ears work harder, homing in on the voice, or you zoom in on the eyes. Hers are warm hazel with flecks of bronze and green.
“Why, yes, I was looking for a particular book.” I stroll to the bookshelf along one wall, running my fingers across the spines, from old hardcovers like Tess of the d’Urbervilles to modern thrillers from the likes of Clive Cussler to non-fiction reads on the habits of highly effective people. “I thought if you wanted to go to the library you’d want to read. Naturally.”
“Of course. Read me a story. A bedtime story.” She leans against the wall next to a writing desk with a green lamp on it, the kind that has one of those chains you pull down to turn it on. She goes with the moment, and this night seems like role-play with her. I half want to understand who she is. But in a way, I’d rather experience everything she seems to want to give. Her body. Her mouth. Her mind. Whoever she is here in the library is as real as whoever she is behind the mask. My mission is to make sure she gets everything she wants.
I grab the nearest book and crack it open. It’s a James Patterson. “Once upon a time, there was a woman at a party who wanted to be kissed,” I say, walking to her, the pages open.
The angel raises her hands to her hair and sweeps off the headband that holds her halo. She tosses it to the desk. “That sounds like a very scintillating tale.”
About Lauren Blakely:
A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than 90 times, and she’s sold more than 2.5 million books. In April she’ll release COME AS YOU ARE, a sexy new standalone romance. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter
Apr 16, 2018 | April 2018, Blog, Robin Bielman
Too Hard To Resist by Robin Bielman (Wherever You Go Series) is the latest installment in a romance that finds friends in an office romance story, and it’s wickedly delicious. I love when a story makes me have all the emotions! It’s a must for your book library. The entire series is a must!
Madison Hastings is having the dating blues and her temporary work gigs are becoming frustrating. When will she meet the right guy? Will her next job be the one to finally promise a permanent position? When a unique opportunity lands in her lap that combines both, she decides to take a leap. Is this the beginning of a new woman ;)? Without spoiling it for you, Robin gives new meaning to blind dates and dating habits 🙂
What would you do if your friends thought your dating life could be better? Would you change your job if they thought your approach was a bit unconventional? What if it meant you could finally find your happy-ever-after?
Elliot Sax is on the corporate fast track, but his record for retaining assistants is at an all time low. When his latest temp arrives, he’ll discover that not only is keeping her going to be a challenge, but letting her go would be the biggest mistake of his life. What’s a guy to do when he falls fast and hard for his assistant? Let the office shenanigans commence! Secret exchanges and a few rendezvous lead to some seriously funny moments in this story. Be sure you’re not drinking a beverage while reading!
If you haven’t read the two other books in this series, you don’t need to worry. This book can be read as a standalone. With an underlying theme that friends protect, defend and support get ready for a lot of interaction with previous characters. Do you have a favorite?
Again, this story has it all from the wicked banter, an intense slow burn between Madison and Elliot that is sure to ignite a few e-readers, and a plot that moves fast and smooth. Would you risk your career for an office romance? What would you do if your friends questioned everyone you dated? If you thought Mateo and Levi had that sexy swagger, readers it’s time to meet Elliot.
ICYMI:
Lips Close to Mine
Talk British to Me
Scorchin – Caution, may lead to unexpected need to turn on the A/C
(Note the number of flames reflects only the heat factor)
I received an advance copy from the publisher for a fair and honest review.
Author Info:
When not attached to her laptop, USA Today Bestselling Author Robin Bielman can almost always be found with her nose in a book. A California girl, the beach is her favorite place for fun and inspiration. Her fondness for swoon-worthy heroes who flirt and stumble upon the girl they can’t live without jumpstarts most of her story ideas.
She loves to frequent coffee shops, spend time with her husband and two sons, and play sock tug of war with her cute, but sometimes naughty, dog Harry. She dreams of traveling to faraway places and loves to connect with readers. To keep in touch sign up for her newsletter on her website at http://robinbielman.com
Apr 15, 2018 | April 2018, Blog, Taryn Leigh Taylor, The Extra Shot
Welcome to The Extra Shot, a weekly Sunday post featuring EXCLUSIVE content from Authors who have books releasing in the near future.
Books I Love A Latte is a book review blog focusing primarily on the romance genre, fiction, and women’s fiction. In addition, we periodically review products to keep you organized and more productive as writers and readers.
Stay connected with Rae Latte and Books I Love A Latte for Book Reviews, Excerpts, Teasers, Coffee With (Interviews), Giveaways, Authors Dish, Book Sales, and other Tasty Tidbits.
Today we’ve got an EXCLUSIVE excerpt from Playing for Keeps by Taryn Leigh Taylor to jump start your week along with a fabulous giveaway too!
Official Back Blurb:
The stakes are high when you’re playing for keeps…
Pro hockey player Eric Jacobs should be focused on rehabbing his knee and getting back on the ice where he belongs. Then his grandmother sells the family bakery without telling him, and the gloves come off. He’s not losing his childhood home without a fight—but the new owner is proving as stubborn as she is gorgeous, and it’s throwing him off his game.
Rebecca Callahan is searching for her passion, and she’s determined not to let her lack of baking experience stand in the way of making her new business a success. Especially not with the former owner’s handsome grandson just waiting for her to fail. If she’s going to make him eat his words, she needs to keep her mind on the bakery and stop imagining Eric’s sexy abs as dessert.
Now Rebecca and Eric are facing off in a battle of wills, but will giving into the heat between them be a recipe for disaster, or the icing on the cupcake?
“Can I try?”
He turned to face her fully, resting an elbow on the top of the stick. She didn’t want to notice the snug fit of his grey t-shirt over his incredible chest, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Why?” Suspicion made his voice flat.
“You said this is your passion.” She shrugged. “Maybe hockey is my passion, too.”
Rebecca didn’t suppose he meant his skeptical face to look cute, but it kind of was.
“Besides,” she went in for the kill, “you wouldn’t have any pucks if I hadn’t burned those cupcakes.”
“Well, personally I don’t understand how hitting things with a piece of wood could be your passion,” he chided, “but help yourself.”
She followed his head tip to find an old garbage can full of hockey sticks to her right, tucked beside the building. Grabbing one, she marched over to join him in the center of the tarmac.
“Whoa there, slugger.” Eric grabbed the stick from her and walked back to the garbage can. “As a rule,” he said over his shoulder, shoving the stick back in and picking a new one, “you don’t want the stick to be taller than you.”
He came back and held his selection in front of her. His knuckles brushed her arm as he measured, and she stiffened at the contact. It came just a bit above her armpit.
“That one’s close. Since your shoes are kind of like being on skates.”
She accepted the new stick. It felt awkward in her hands. “Okay, coach. What do I do?”
“Well, first of all, this isn’t golf. You’re going to want to spread your hands apart and choke up on the shaft.”
Her inner teen boy snort-laughed at the instructions. “Say what?”
He rolled his eyes at her childishness, but the corner of his mouth tugged up as he stick-handled a cupcake into place in front of her.
“Now you want the puck, or in our case, the cupcake, more in the center of the blade,” he instructed.
“That’s the curvy part?” she clarified, waggling her hips a little as she got set to take her shot. The sudden weight of his hand on her lower back made her freeze in place.
“Still not golf,” he reminded her, and his deep voice unleashed a shiver down her spine.
Had she been standing this close to him the whole time?
Eric removed his hand and took a step back, readjusting his grip on his hockey stick. “So now you just shift your weight, flick your wrists, and follow through by pointing the toe of your blade at whatever you’re aiming for.”
His demonstration ended with another snipe to the top left-hand corner. Hers…rolled harmlessly on the pavement, stopping two feet in front of her stick.
She expected a joke then, but instead his face was earnest and encouraging. “Not bad.” He stick-handled another cupcake in front of her. She forced herself to focus on the task at hand, instead of wondering how his hockey skills might transfer into…other areas. Rebecca had always been a sucker for a man who was good with his hands.
“This time, stand a little closer, put your weight on your back foot to start.”
She followed his instructions, and her cupcake rolled all the way to the wall this time.
“Yeah! Yes. That’s what I’m talking about!”
Rebecca returned his high-five. She was a little surprised at the pride tingling through her limbs. It was such a silly little accomplishment—flinging a cupcake at a wall with a stick. And yet, Eric’s patient tutelage and genuine joy in her triumph made it feel like a big deal. It was the same way she always felt when tackling something new, only…more somehow. It was kind of nice celebrating an accomplishment with someone else. Dangerous. But nice.
Kind of like his smile, she decided, as her eyes dropped to his mouth. He seemed really close again. Or was she the one moving forward? His shoulders were very broad, and she had to tip her head back to meet his eyes. Even in her three-and-a-half inch heels she wasn’t tall enough to kiss him. He’d have to lean forward a bit and—
A loud crash broke into the moment, and Rebecca whirled around to face the big dumpster in the far corner, heart jack-hammering at the weird scrambling sound emanating from behind it. Eric barely glanced over at the source of the noise, although he seemed to be breathing heavier than normal, too.
“Probably just Mario.”
“Who?”
“Our alley cat.”
“You have a cat?”
“Not really. I mean, we’ve never seen him. Just hear him out here foraging sometimes. He likes cake.”
She watched in fascination as he scooped up a cupcake with his stick, bounced it on the curve—the blade, she corrected herself—a few times, and then lobbed it gently in the direction of the dumpster. It fell neatly between the wall and the big bin. There was a scuffling sound—a big hungry cat who wasn’t overly picky about whether or not his dinner had baking powder in it, she surmised.
Rebecca flushed a little at the show of skill. It was kind of…hot, the way he wielded his stick. She cleared her throat and shoved her mind back to more innocuous things. “So why did your grandma name him Mario?”
“Uh. Actually I named him.” Eric’s blush spread up his neck and reddened his ears. “Mario LeMeow. You know, like Mario Lemieux…played center for Pittsburgh? Hockey legend?” he added, when Rebecca shrugged uncomprehendingly at the name. “But, you know, with meow. Because cat.”
Rebecca couldn’t fight the smile that dawned. “That’s pretty much the most adorable thing I’ve ever heard.”
Eric frowned, and the disgruntled look on his face knocked cat names down to second place on the adorable list. “Just shoot, wouldja?”
. 
CLOSED
THREE copies of PLAYING TO WIN
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Coffee With Taryn Leigh Taylor
Authors Dish
Taryn Leigh Taylor: Taryn Leigh Taylor likes dinosaurs, bridges, and space, both personal and of the final frontier variety. She shamelessly indulges in cliches, most notably her Starbucks addiction (grande-six-pump-whole-milk-no-water chai tea latte, aka: the usual), her shoe hoard (I can stop anytime I…ooh! These are pretty!), and her penchant for falling in lust with fictional men with great abs (yum!)
She also really loves books, which is what sent her down the crazy path of writing one in the first place.
Website: http://www.tarynleightaylor.com/
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Apr 14, 2018 | April 2018, Blog, Blog Tour, Tony Aleo
The Whole Latte
Misadventures with a Rookie by Toni Aleo is a hockey romance that sizzles! Get ready to meet a hockey player who will discover that he’s finished with one-night flings if he can just have the hot new ice girl. Will his reputation kill any chance of exploring his desire? Will his reputation ruin everything? Let the games begin.
Bo St. James has worked hard to move past the one thing that could’ve been a game-changer and forced her to stop pursuing her dreams. Thanks to a tight-knit family, she’s been able to overcome obstacles and find a path to give her the life she’s wanted. Unfortunately she will make a snap judgement regarding a hockey player, but is he just like all the others? What will happen if she gives in to those desires?
Gus Persson is living his dream, playing hockey and has the hots for the new ice-girl. What will he do when he finds out she’s not interested in his pick-up lines or charm? It will take a little convincing for him to win her over. Despite the rejection, he can’t shake her from his thoughts. Will his reputation kill the spark before it has a chance to burn?
If Gus and Bo can rise above their fears and their past, they will discover a love worthy of a happy ending. A strong and supportive family means everything to both of them, will they win them over?
It’s time for another misadventure with this Rookie and dive into a great book adventure. This story has great dialogue, a unique plot twist, and tackles certain social stigmas with grace. It’s an emotional roller coaster too so hang on for the ride and grab a few tissues.
Scorchin – Caution, may lead to unexpected need to turn on the A/C.
I received this ARC for a fair and honest review from Bare Naked Words and the Author.
CLOSED
Meet The Author
My name is Toni Aleo, and I’m a #PredHead, #sherrio, #potterhead, and part of the #familybusiness!
I am also a wife to my amazing husband, mother of a gamer and a gymnast, and also a fur momma to Gaston el Papillion.
While my beautiful and amazing Shea Weber has been traded from my Predators, I’m still a huge fan. But when I’m not cheering for him, I’m hollering for the whole Nashville Predators since I’ll never give my heart to one player again.
When I’m not in the gym getting swole, I’m usually writing, trying to make my dreams a reality, or being a taxi for my kids.
I’m obsessed with Harry Potter, Supernatural, Disney, and anything that sparkles! I’m pretty sure I was Belle in a past life, and if I could be on any show, it would be Supernatural so I could hunt with Sam and Dean.
Also, I did mention I love hockey, right?
Apr 13, 2018 | April 2018, Blog, MK Meredith
Honor on the Cape by MK Meredith is the second installment in her On the Cape series set in a town rich in traditions, family secrets, and lots of surprises. Let’s just look at this gorgeous cover readers. The design screams “read me” and is breathtaking and delicious.
James Astor ran away from the one thing he wanted, now he’s returned home to face the past. What will happen when he realizes that his future depends on rectifying the biggest mistake he ever made? Will he finally have the courage to embrace his past and tell the woman he loves that he can’t live without her?
Blayne MacCaffrey left her family in Ireland to find love and wound up with heartbreak. Too afraid to admit her mistake, she stayed and never returned home. Life is about to bring a Blayne a second chance, will she take it or send it out to sea? One should never have to choose between family and a lover, will Blayne risk her heart a second time around?
When making mistakes it’s hard admitting your wrong, and even harder admitting that despite the time apart you can’t imagine life without the one who got away. The connection between Blayne and James is electric and sizzles. The Cape has a tough job, this time around love is a bit messy, unplanned, and a bit off it’s projected course. Families will be tested, assumptions will be clarified, and expectations will be challenged. This book has it all.
If you have never been to New England, I have driven through coastal cities in Maine and I can assure you that MK has captured the smells and feels of a seaside town. MK has written a story with vivid details that will take you on an unforgettable journey that you don’t want to end. It’s time to book your trip to the Cape and discover a story about coming to terms with the past, finding the strength and courage to love again and living life without regret. This is a second chance romance that will give hope and prove that sometimes love is better the second time around.
This book is Scorchin – Caution, may lead to unexpected need to turn on the A/C.
I received this ARC from the author for a fair and honest review.
ICYMI:
The Extra Shot here
My review of Love on the Cape here
Coffee With MK Meredith here
MK Meredith: #1 Bestselling author MK Meredith promises an emotional ride on heated sheets. She’s had a lifelong love affair with peanut butter — the only two things coming close in the battle for her affections are gorgeous heels and maybe Gerard Butler…or was it David Gandy? Who is she kidding? Her true loves are her husband and two children who have survived her SEA’s (spontaneous explosions of affection) and live to tell the tale. Her newest series, CAPE VAN BUREN, is set off the atmospheric coast of Maine and made a splash with book one, LOVE ON THE CAPE. This sexy and emotional love story between Ryker Van Buren and Larkin Sinclair will make you laugh, will make you cry, and will leave you feeling happy ever after! Book two, HONOR ON THE CAPE, keeps the light burning with Blayne McCaffrey’s story in March 2018. MK loves to connect and you can find all of her social media platform links at www.mkmeredith.com. Don’t hesitate to reach out to MK at mk@mkmeredith.com.
One more thing…MK is a lover of happy endings both in her stories and life, so as a two-time breast cancer survivor, she encourages each of you to know your body and go to the doctor when something is different. Your happy ending starts with YOU! #KnowandGo
For all things romance, sneak peeks, and first releases, join her street team! https://www.facebook.com/groups/MKandCO/
Or sign up for her newsletter, The Heat Sheet! http://www.mkmeredith.com/mks-heat-sheet/
