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Showing posts with label Sullivans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sullivans. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

RABT: The Sullivans Books 1-3 from Bella Andre - SPOTLIGHT + EXCERPT!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.





Today, we're joining a blog tour already in progress starring the first three books in The Sullivans series from author Bella Andre.  It's a new(ish) book set now available to get you right in the middle of it all so you'll be begging...to go to the bookstore and grab the other releases in the series.  Trust me, you will...and I know first hand because I read these once upon a time, but I must warn you, ADULTS ONLY.  Got it?  Got it.  Alrighty then, let's get down to business!  Today's title in the spotlight is...





The Sullivans Books 1-3
Contemporary Romance
Date Published: December 5, 2015
Publisher: Oak Press, LLC


 photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png


More than 6 million readers have already fallen in love with the Sullivans! Now get ready to meet your new favorite family in Bella Andre's New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romances with the first three books in the #1 hit series.


"Not since Nora Roberts has anyone been able to write a big family romance series with every book as good as the last! Bella Andre never disappoints!" - Revolving Bookcase Reviews







Amazon  |  iBooks  |  B&N  |  Kobo   |  Google Play



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


THE LOOK OF LOVE
Chloe Peterson is having a bad night. A really bad night. The large bruise on her cheek can attest to that. And when her car skids off the side of a wet country road straight into a ditch, she's convinced even the gorgeous guy who rescues her in the middle of the rain storm must be too good to be true.


 Or is he?


As a successful photographer who frequently travels around the world, Chase Sullivan has his pick of beautiful women, and whenever he's home in San Francisco, one of his seven siblings is usually up for causing a little fun trouble. Chase thinks his life is great just as it is--until the night he finds Chloe and her totaled car on the side of the road in Napa Valley. Not only has he never met anyone so lovely, both inside and out, but he quickly realizes she has much bigger problems than her damaged car. Soon, he is willing to move mountains to love--and protect--her, but will she let him?


 - - - - - - - - - -


FROM THIS MOMENT ON
For thirty-six years, Marcus Sullivan has been the responsible older brother, stepping in to take care of his seven siblings after their father died when they were children. But when the perfectly ordered future he's planned for himself turns out to be nothing but a lie, Marcus needs one reckless night to shake free from it all.


Nicola Harding is known throughout the world by only one name - Nico - for her catchy, sensual pop songs. Only, what no one knows about the twenty-five year old singer is that her sex-kitten image is totally false. After a terrible betrayal by a man who loved fame far more than he ever loved her, she vows not to let anyone else get close enough to find out who she really is...or hurt her again.


Especially not the gorgeous stranger she meets at a nightclub, even though the hunger - and the sinful promises - in his dark eyes make her want to spill all her secrets.


 - - - - - - - - - -


CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE
Gabe Sullivan risks his life every day as a firefighter in San Francisco. But after learning a brutal lesson about professional boundaries, he knows better than to risk his heart to his fire victims ever again. Especially the brave mother and daughter he saved from a deadly apartment fire...and can't stop thinking about.


Megan Harris knows she owes the heroic firefighter everything for running into a burning building to save her and her seven-year-old daughter. Everything except her heart. Because after losing her navy pilot husband five years ago, she has vowed to never suffer through loving - and losing - a man with a dangerous job again.








~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




~~~ EXCERPT ~~~
Image result for open book


Enjoy the following excerpt from THE LOOK OF LOVE...

Chase almost missed the flickering light off on the right side of the two-lane country road. In the past thirty minutes, he hadn’t passed a single car, because on a night like this, most sane Californians—who didn’t know the first thing about driving safely in inclement weather—stayed home.
Knowing better than to slam on the brakes—he wouldn’t be able to help whomever was stranded on the side of the road if he ended up stuck in the muddy ditch right next to them—Chase slowed down enough to see that there was definitely a vehicle stuck in the ditch.
He turned his brights on to see better in the pouring rain and realized there was a person walking along the edge of the road about a hundred yards up ahead. Obviously hearing his car approach, she turned to face him and he could see her long wet hair whipping around her shoulders in his headlights.
Wondering why she wasn’t just sitting in her car, dry and warm, calling Triple A and waiting for them to come save her, he pulled over to the edge of his lane and got out to try and help her. She was shivering as she watched him approach.
"Are you hurt?"
She covered her cheek with one hand, but shook her head. "No."
He had to move closer to hear her over the sound of the water hitting the pavement in what were rapidly becoming hailstones. Even though he’d turned his headlights off, as his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, he was able to get a better look at her face.
Something inside of Chase’s chest clenched tight.
Despite the long, dark hair plastered to her head and chest, regardless of the fact that looking like a drowned rat wasn’t too far off the descriptive mark, her beauty stunned him.
In an instant, his photographer’s eye cataloged her features. Her mouth was a little too big, her eyes a little too wide-set on her face. She wasn’t even close to model thin, but given the way her T-shirt and jeans stuck to her skin, he could see that she wore her lush curves well. In the dark he couldn’t judge the exact color of her hair, but it looked like silk, perfectly smooth and straight where it lay over her breasts.
It wasn’t until Chase heard her say, "My car is definitely hurt, though," that he realized he had completely lost the thread of what he’d come out here to do.
Knowing he’d been drinking her in like he was dying of thirst, he worked to recover his balance. He could already see he’d been right about her car. It didn’t take a mechanic like his brother, Zach, who owned an auto shop—more like forty, but Chase had stopped counting years ago—to see that her shitty hatchback was borderline totaled. Even if the front bumper wasn’t half smashed to pieces by the white farm fence she’d slid into, her bald tires weren’t going to get any traction on the mud. Not tonight, anyway.
If her car had been in a less precarious situation, he probably would have sent her to hang out  in her car while he took care of getting it unstuck. But one of her back tires was hanging precariously over the edge of the ditch.
He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Get in my car. We can wait there for a tow truck." He was vaguely aware of his words coming out like an order, but the hail was starting to sting, damn it. Both of them needed to get out of the rain before they froze.
But the woman didn’t move. Instead, she gave him a look that said he was a complete and utter nut-job.
"I’m not getting into your car."
Realizing just how frightening it must be for a lone woman to end up stuck and alone in the middle of a dark road, Chase took a step back from her. He had to speak loudly enough for her to hear him over the hail.
"I’m not going to attack you. I swear I won’t do anything to hurt you."
She all but flinched at the word attack and Chase’s radar started buzzing. He’d never been a magnet for troubled women, wasn’t the kind of guy who thrived on fixing wounded birds. But living with two sisters for so many years meant he could always tell when something was up.
And something was definitely up with this woman, beyond the fact that her car was half-stuck in a muddy ditch.
Wanting to make her feel safe, he held his hands up. "I swear on my father’s grave, I’m not going to hurt you. It’s okay to get into my car." When she didn’t immediately say no again, he pressed his advantage with, "I just want to help you." And he did. More than it made sense to want to help a stranger. "Please," he said. "Let me help you."
She stared at him for a long moment, hail hammering between them, around them, onto them. Chase found himself holding his breath, waiting for her decision. It shouldn’t matter to him what she decided.
But, for some strange reason, it did.


...Excerpt from THE LOOK OF LOVE by Bella Andre © 2015











~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~







About the Author




Bella Andre is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of “The Sullivans”, “The Morrisons” and “The Maverick Billionaires” series.


Having sold more than 6 million books, Bella Andre's novels have been #1 bestsellers around the world and have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists 33 times. She has been the #1 Ranked Author at Amazon (on a top 10 list that included Nora Roberts, JK Rowling, James Patterson and Stephen King). Apple iBooks named her one of their “Bestselling Authors of All Time” (alongside Nicholas Sparks, Nora Roberts and EL James). And Publishers Weekly named Oak Press, the publishing company she created to publish her own books, the Fastest-Growing Independent Publisher in the US. After signing a groundbreaking 7-figure print-only deal with Harlequin MIRA, Bella's “The Sullivans” series is being released in paperback in the US, Canada, and Australia.


Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly), her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into ten languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post called her “One of the top writers in America”; and she has been featured in Entertainment Weekly, NPR, USA Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and TIME Magazine. A graduate of Stanford University, she has given keynote speeches at publishing conferences from Copenhagen to Berlin to San Francisco, including a standing-room-only keynote at Book Expo America in New York City.


Bella also writes the New York Times bestselling Four Weddings and a Fiasco series as Lucy Kevin. Her “sweet” contemporary romances also include the new USA Today bestselling Walker Island series written as Lucy Kevin.


If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100-year-old log cabin in the Adirondacks.





Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Blog  |  Pinterest  |  Goodreads



 
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Reading Addiction Blog Tours






Special thanks to Cami at RABT Book Tours for the chance to bring this promotion to you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the series, the author, the publisher, THIS TOUR, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This set is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to grab your copy today!  Be sure to check out the other sites on the tour for more bookish fun.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!



Tuesday, August 29, 2017

SPOTLIGHT ON: The Sullivans - New Boxed Set from Bella Andre!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we're joining the Pump Up Your Book Tours promotion for some exciting news from author Bella Andre!  If you haven't indulged in The Sullivans series as of yet, now is the time to get on board as there is a NEW BOXED SET featuring the first three titles in this titillating, tantalizing, and oh-so-good-but-definitely-for-adult-readers-only series!  I, myself, read them once upon a time (check out my reviews here, here, and here for a sneak peek!), but that's not stopping me from sharing the fun!

READ ON MY FRIENDS...READ ON!



Title: The Sullivans Boxed Set Books 1-3
Author: Bella Andre
Publisher: Oak Press, LLC
Pages: 662
Genre: Contemporary Romance

More than 6 million readers have already fallen in love with the Sullivans! Now get ready to meet your new favorite family in Bella Andre's New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romances with the first three books in the #1 hit series.

"Not since Nora Roberts has anyone been able to write a big family romance series with every book as good as the last! Bella Andre never disappoints!" Revolving Bookcase Reviews

ORDER THE SULLIVANS BOXED SET:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble





THE LOOK OF LOVE

Chloe Peterson is having a bad night. A really bad night. The large bruise on her cheek can attest to that. And when her car skids off the side of a wet country road straight into a ditch, she's convinced even the gorgeous guy who rescues her in the middle of the rain storm must be too good to be true. Or is he?

As a successful photographer who frequently travels around the world, Chase Sullivan has his pick of beautiful women, and whenever he's home in San Francisco, one of his seven siblings is usually up for causing a little fun trouble. Chase thinks his life is great just as it is--until the night he finds Chloe and her totaled car on the side of the road in Napa Valley. Not only has he never met anyone so lovely, both inside and out, but he quickly realizes she has much bigger problems than her damaged car. Soon, he is willing to move mountains to love--and protect--her, but will she let him?

FROM THIS MOMENT ON

For thirty-six years, Marcus Sullivan has been the responsible older brother, stepping in to take care of his seven siblings after their father died when they were children. But when the perfectly ordered future he's planned for himself turns out to be nothing but a lie, Marcus needs one reckless night to shake free from it all.

Nicola Harding is known throughout the world by only one name - Nico - for her catchy, sensual pop songs. Only, what no one knows about the twenty-five year old singer is that her sex-kitten image is totally false. After a terrible betrayal by a man who loved fame far more than he ever loved her, she vows not to let anyone else get close enough to find out who she really is...or hurt her again. Especially not the gorgeous stranger she meets at a nightclub, even though the hunger - and the sinful promises - in his dark eyes make her want to spill all her secrets.

CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE

Gabe Sullivan risks his life every day as a firefighter in San Francisco. But after learning a brutal lesson about professional boundaries, he knows better than to risk his heart to his fire victims ever again. Especially the brave mother and daughter he saved from a deadly apartment fire...and can't stop thinking about.

Megan Harris knows she owes the heroic firefighter everything for running into a burning building to save her and her seven-year-old daughter. Everything except her heart. Because after losing her navy pilot husband five years ago, she has vowed to never suffer through loving - and losing - a man with a dangerous job again.



Enjoy the following excerpt from THE LOOK OF LOVE...

Chase almost missed the flickering light off on the right side of the two-lane country road. In the past thirty minutes, he hadn’t passed a single car, because on a night like this, most sane Californians—who didn’t know the first thing about driving safely in inclement weather—stayed home.
Knowing better than to slam on the brakes—he wouldn’t be able to help whomever was stranded on the side of the road if he ended up stuck in the muddy ditch right next to them—Chase slowed down enough to see that there was definitely a vehicle stuck in the ditch.
He turned his brights on to see better in the pouring rain and realized there was a person walking along the edge of the road about a hundred yards up ahead. Obviously hearing his car approach, she turned to face him and he could see her long wet hair whipping around her shoulders in his headlights.
Wondering why she wasn’t just sitting in her car, dry and warm, calling Triple A and waiting for them to come save her, he pulled over to the edge of his lane and got out to try and help her. She was shivering as she watched him approach.
"Are you hurt?"
She covered her cheek with one hand, but shook her head. "No."
He had to move closer to hear her over the sound of the water hitting the pavement in what were rapidly becoming hailstones. Even though he’d turned his headlights off, as his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, he was able to get a better look at her face.
Something inside of Chase’s chest clenched tight.
Despite the long, dark hair plastered to her head and chest, regardless of the fact that looking like a drowned rat wasn’t too far off the descriptive mark, her beauty stunned him.
In an instant, his photographer’s eye cataloged her features. Her mouth was a little too big, her eyes a little too wide-set on her face. She wasn’t even close to model thin, but given the way her T-shirt and jeans stuck to her skin, he could see that she wore her lush curves well. In the dark he couldn’t judge the exact color of her hair, but it looked like silk, perfectly smooth and straight where it lay over her breasts.
It wasn’t until Chase heard her say, "My car is definitely hurt, though," that he realized he had completely lost the thread of what he’d come out here to do.
Knowing he’d been drinking her in like he was dying of thirst, he worked to recover his balance. He could already see he’d been right about her car. It didn’t take a mechanic like his brother, Zach, who owned an auto shop—more like forty, but Chase had stopped counting years ago—to see that her shitty hatchback was borderline totaled. Even if the front bumper wasn’t half smashed to pieces by the white farm fence she’d slid into, her bald tires weren’t going to get any traction on the mud. Not tonight, anyway.
If her car had been in a less precarious situation, he probably would have sent her to hang out  in her car while he took care of getting it unstuck. But one of her back tires was hanging precariously over the edge of the ditch.
He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Get in my car. We can wait there for a tow truck." He was vaguely aware of his words coming out like an order, but the hail was starting to sting, damn it. Both of them needed to get out of the rain before they froze.
But the woman didn’t move. Instead, she gave him a look that said he was a complete and utter nut-job.
"I’m not getting into your car."
Realizing just how frightening it must be for a lone woman to end up stuck and alone in the middle of a dark road, Chase took a step back from her. He had to speak loudly enough for her to hear him over the hail.
"I’m not going to attack you. I swear I won’t do anything to hurt you."
She all but flinched at the word attack and Chase’s radar started buzzing. He’d never been a magnet for troubled women, wasn’t the kind of guy who thrived on fixing wounded birds. But living with two sisters for so many years meant he could always tell when something was up.
And something was definitely up with this woman, beyond the fact that her car was half-stuck in a muddy ditch.
Wanting to make her feel safe, he held his hands up. "I swear on my father’s grave, I’m not going to hurt you. It’s okay to get into my car." When she didn’t immediately say no again, he pressed his advantage with, "I just want to help you." And he did. More than it made sense to want to help a stranger. "Please," he said. "Let me help you."
She stared at him for a long moment, hail hammering between them, around them, onto them. Chase found himself holding his breath, waiting for her decision. It shouldn’t matter to him what she decided.
But, for some strange reason, it did.

...Excerpt from THE LOOK OF LOVE by Bella Andre © 2015




 
Bella Andre is the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of “The Sullivans”, “The Maverick Billionaires”, “The Morrisons”, and the NYT bestselling “Four Weddings and a Fiasco” sweet romance series written as Lucy Kevin.

Having sold more than 6 million books, Bella Andre’s novels have been #1 bestsellers around the world and have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists 32 times. She has been the #1 Ranked Author at Amazon (on a top 10 list that included Nora Roberts, JK Rowling, James Patterson and Steven King), and Publishers Weekly named Oak Press (the publishing company she created to publish her own books) the Fastest-Growing Independent Publisher in the US. After signing a groundbreaking 7-figure print-only deal with Harlequin MIRA, Bella’s “The Sullivans” series is being released in paperback in the US, Canada, and Australia.

Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly), her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into ten languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post called her “One of the top writers in America” and she has been featured by Entertainment Weekly, NPR, USA Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and TIME Magazine. A graduate of Stanford University, she has given keynote speeches at publishing conferences from Copenhagen to Berlin to San Francisco, including a standing-room-only keynote at Book Expo America in New York City.

If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

Sign up for Bella’s newsletter at http://www.BellaAndre.com/Newsletter.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK


http://www.pumpupyourbook.com

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

BLOG TOUR: Can't Help Falling in Love by Bella Andre

Good morning, afternoon, or night!
Welcome back to the site that celebrates the reader in you no matter time it is or zone you're in...Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we are playing host to a stop along the blog tour for the latest in The Sullivans series via Meryl L Moss Media Relations, Inc. It features book three in a series that has drawn A LOT of fans across the globe and while I may not have been completely on board with the last two, this one had be hook ladder and sinker.  (^_^)  Today's Contemporary Romance book of choice is....


Can't Help Falling in Love
by
Harlequin MIRA
9780778315582

About the book...
How much is worth risking?
Gabe Sullivan risks his life every day as a firefighter in San Francisco, but he knows better than to risk giving his heart again. Especially not to the woman he saved from a deadly apartment fire…and can't stop thinking about.
Megan Harris owes everything to the heroic firefighter who saved her and her daughter. Everything except her heart. Because after losing her pilot husband, she has vowed to never suffer through loving—and losing—a man with a dangerous job again.
But when Gabe and Megan meet again, how can he possibly ignore her courage, determination and beauty? And how can she deny not only his strong bond with her daughter…but also his sweetly sensual kisses, challenging her to risk everything she's been guarding for so long?



So, I started this book with a preconceived notion of what was to unfold....little bit of fabulous story line, LOADS of bow-chica-wow-wow.  *-*  When all was said and done, boy was I surprised!  How so?  Let's get to the for/against list as we've stuck with it this far into the series and it seems to work rather well, don't ya think?  Here goes something...


Personal Pros


1.  Story line...this author totally knows how to garner interest from her readers.  This time around, she sets a realistic story line, probably the most thus far, that people can relate more easily to.  The danger of a house fire, the incredible loss that could have been so much worse, the inevitable hero, the sparks that were never intended to be and the journey it took them to get from point A to point B...all intricate parts of the overall puzzle that creates a read you'll be invested in.
2.  Emotional connection...there in ways that will touch your heart and steal your breath.  Whew!  You can't help but feel for ALL the characters in this one.  From Gabe and Megan trying to sort things out heart and soul to Sophie who's story will reveal itself in due time, from moments in the comfortable company of three to the intense moments of closeness both under and on the sheets, you'll be there through it all and then some with your heart in your hand and a smile on your lips.
3.  Characters...oh my my!  I don't know how to put this one but while Chase and Marcus both had their uber positive points to ponder, Gabe just has that something extra.  He thrills to danger but not with reckless abandon.  He wasn't an angel in the past but he was faithful and like his brothers, once he falls....there's no turning back despite what his intentions are.  He's handsome as all get out, good with kids, knows his heart (well mostly), takes his time....need I go on? Okay, I will, but about the others of awesome note.  Megan is a strong character and not just for her amazing daughter, Summer.  She's survived a heart broken in more ways than one and is determined to make sure nothing happens to rock her little family's world.  Oh but sometimes quakes of the earth under our feet can be the most fun...and if her little girl has anything to say about it, it is fun she shall be having in short order.




Personal Cons

1.  The "encounter" situation wasn't overtly high this time around but there was again a bit too much detail.  Were they intense?  Certainly....but not necessary in their FULL colors for the book to be just as enjoyable  on all counts.
2.  Umm...I'm hard pressed to come up with a second this time.  Nope, we're ending it with one.




Final thoughts...a GREAT READ recommended for ADULTS ONLY.  Yes, I said it...a great read.  It starts with a potential tragedy, takes a turn for a new tomorrow with all the experience of yesterday weighing it down, and leads readers to an ending they won't soon forget.  I really enjoyed this one and the containment of the wink-wink scenes to a few pages here and there as opposed to chapter after chapter, made this one my most favorite yet of The Sullivans series.  I really enjoyed getting to know yet another member of their fabulously handsome, caring, and giving clan...even if their family time was kept to a minimum.  (Aww, I miss the rest of the family!)  If you like your reads with heart, romance, and a fairly volatile dose of heat, this one is definitely for you.  Or perhaps you're like me and you don't need the intensely close situations to make your story, there's still enough of a story to keep you both entertained and committed to the page.  Brava to the author indeed!

ARC for review courtesy of Liz at Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title as well as their other promotions, be sure to check out their official site, visit them over on BookTrib or follow along on Twitter....and don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour including today's second stop over at Bookish Brunette!  To check out more from the mind behind the series, stop by the author's official site, like her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.  This title was first released in print format just this month via Harlequin MIRA and should be available on a bookstore shelf near you.  Don't forget!  Book 1 and book 2 are both out now...(Just click the titles over there to be swept away to my previous reviews.)...and I was just scoping out the website and guess what I read?  There's more still to come!  October 2013, a special holiday add in, Kissing Under the Mistletoe, and the fourth book in the series telling Sophie's story, I Only Have Eyes For You.  November 2013,  Zach's life comes to the pages in, If You Were Mine.  *adds to wish list*

Until next time...happy reading!



Tuesday, July 30, 2013

BLOG TOUR: From this Moment On by Bella Andre

Hi guys!
Welcome back to another week here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we are saying goodbye to July (well, almost) with a blog tour starring two people who are just as busy (or perhaps BUSIER) as I...who end up getting "busy" with life, lust and the possibility of love. Will it end in happily ever after?  Not if they can have anything to say about it, but I digress.  Let's properly greet today's  book of choice and blog tour guest....


by
Bella Andre
Harlequin/MIRA
ISBN-13:  978-0-7783-1557-5

About the book...
Just one night…
Marcus Sullivan has always been the responsible older brother, stepping in to take care of his seven siblings when their father died. But when the perfectly ordered future he's planned turns out to be a lie, Marcus needs one reckless night to shake free from it all.
Known throughout the world by only one name—Nico—pop songstress Nicola Harding is seen as the ultimate sex kitten. But it's all a lie. After a terrible betrayal she refuses to let anyone else close enough to find out who she really is…or to hurt her again. Especially the gorgeous stranger at the bar.
One night is all Nicola and Marcus agree to share with each other. But instead, a deeper connection than either of them could have anticipated begins….




In keeping with the style I began for this series back in my post for book 1, let's go with a quick pros and cons list, shall we?


Personal Pros

1.  Once again, the author gets the story just right!  The reality of the events actually happening?  Okay, a LITTLE bit of a stretch, but what isn't when you're dealing with Hollywood stars or music sensations?  Still, it gave us a bit of the fairy tale aspect of love that we all crave (oh just admit it, you know it's true) with a definite grown up twist.  More on that in the OTHER section...
2.  Like emotional connection with your story?  Your wish is her direct delivery.  Another successful story told while engaging readers emotionally, intellectually and even morally.  Don't believe me?  Well, it's certainly not looking for the answers to the heaviest of questions, it will bring to mind your thoughts on age and status in a relationship.  Didn't think it would MAKE you think now did ya?
3.  Characters characters characters!  The Sullivan clan is equally lovable (and LOVELY...HANDSOME...STUNNING...*ahem*) and just as inviting as they were the first time we met them.  Marcus is a joy to get to know, his brotherly ways are heart warming while his attitude towards love is soul melting.  She stays true to those she's built while continuing to further expand our intimate knowledge of them.  You can't help but feel like a member of the family...and that's not such a bad place to be.  Can't wait to see what she does with the next story....




Personal Cons

1.  It seems like a cop out but I have to say that this one fell to the same cons as book 1 for me.  Way to many "encounters" especially since her novels tend to take place (initially at least) over the course of a week) and definitely too many details.  Again, personal opinion!  Word to the wise though...not all of these scenes are purely "vanilla" this time around.
2.  The female character sharing the lead spotlight this time around is Nicola, and she falls prey to the TOO MUCH ACTION without enough COMMUNICATION bug that can fall the best romances.  Her internalization's were somewhat understandable but not to the level they occurred especially for someone her age...sorry but usually they talk TOO much not too little.  In the end, I respected her decisions in regards to Marcus, but just wish she would have expressed herself as well in words as she did under the covers.  *ahem*



So, final thoughts?  Once again, I do NOT regret the read and enjoyed the story itself cover to cover.  I have but one wish.  I wish that this author and either a newbie or well known Women's Fiction author could get together and release an edition that turns the focus less on the sexual acts and more on the story behind it all.  I'm not a prude, I'm okay with some things in my lit reads; I just prefer less of a detailed-step-by-step guide and more of a story to follow word-for-word.  Just my thoughts, nothing more.

Recommended read for ADULT readers.  If you've yet to meet the Sullivans, it's high time you did.  Chase and Chloe were great the first time around, adding Marcus and Nicola to the group just enhances the family values/bond even more.

ARC for review courtesy of Liz at Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title as well as their other promotions, be sure to check out their official site, visit them over on BookTrib or follow along on Twitter.  This title was first released in print format just this month via Harlequin MIRA and should be available on a bookstore shelf near you.  Don't forget!  Book 1, The Look of Love, is out now as well and book 3, Can't Help Falling in Love, is on its way next month!

Until next time...happy reading!


Sunday, June 30, 2013

Meet the Sullivans...: The Look of Love by Bella Andre

Hi guys!
Welcome back to the place that aims to bring you something new, something, fresh, something bookishly desirable every day of the week (almost)....Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today is a quickie post and no the pun wasn't intended and yet.....fits rather well.   *ahem*  Be forewarned the title selection today is NOT for the kiddos so if YOU are a kiddo or you've got once close by, avert your/their eyes.  Don't get scared, I haven't crossed into the "dark side" of literature (though to each their own and I do hear they have cookies! ^_^) but this one was definitely out of my usual circles in more ways than one.  Ready to read all about it?  Here goes/  Today's book of choice is...


by
Bella Andre
Harlequin/MIRA
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-1556-8

About the book...
Chloe Peterson is having a bad night. A really bad night. The large bruise on her cheek can attest to that. When her car skids off the side of a wet country road and into a ditch, she’s convinced even the gorgeous guy who rescues her in the middle of the rain storm must be too good to be true. Or is he?
A successful photographer who frequently travels around the world, Chase Sullivan has his pick of beautiful women. Chase thinks his life is great just as it is—until the night he finds Chloe and her totaled car on the side of the road in Napa Valley. Not only has Chase never met anyone so lovely, both inside and out, he realizes Chloe has much bigger problems than her damaged car. Soon, Chase is willing to move mountains to love—and protect—her, but will she let him?

Chloe vows never to make the mistake of trusting a man again. Only she can’t help but wonder if she’s met the only exception with every loving look Chase gives her, the attraction between them sparks and sizzles.

Chase didn’t realize his life was going to change forever in an instant, and he isn’t the least bit interested in fighting that change. Instead, he’s gearing up for a different fight altogether—for Chloe’s heart.



Okay, first things first.....you read the description, right? Sounds sweet with a possibility of romance, right?  Well my final thoughts are a bit of a split...and no, let's not talk about the ice cream variety here because it hits too close to home.  *ahem* Let me break this thing down for you...


Personal Pros

1.  I thoroughly enjoyed the actual STORY.  For the most part, the situations were realistic, scarily so a time or two, but it put you right there in the moment nonetheless.
2.  The emotions ran high and were VERY palpable making you connect to the characters rather easily despite your background or lack thereof.  If they were scared, YOU were scared.  If they were anxious, YOU were anxious.  If they were....well, you get the picture.  Nice job here indeed.
3.  The characters were very REAL.  You liked and loathed the appropriate choices.  Heck, you'd probably want to meet the ENTIRE Sullivan gang (I know I do) in person and walking away with their friendship let alone a love match would be a dream come true from what we've seen of them so far.  Chase is...well, pretty darn perfect.  Yep.  I mean I'm sure he has a flaw or two but from where I'm reading, he's got things down pat.  (Anyone know a guy like that whose available?  ^-^)




Personal Cons

1.  One too many rolls in the hay. Wait.  Scratch that....WAY more than one.  By the halfway point of the book, I lost track of how many places, ways, and times a "connection" was made.  For me, the story would have held together with simply SOME sensuality...we didn't need all the dairy cows AND the farmland too.
2.  You know those emotions I mentioned as a pro?  Well, they had their con moments too which lends to the caution I preceded my review with.  NOT for the kiddos....I repeat, NOT.
3.  As much as I loved the characters and the families and back stories created for them, Chloe could frustrate at times with her "to-go-there-or-not-to-go-there" decisions wavering constantly, not to mention that some of her decisions didn't seem realistic for the amount of grieve she suffered.  Could be an individual thing, but it irked me a smidge.





In the end, do I regret reading it?  No.  The writing style was a bit simplistic at times but I really did enjoy getting to know the cast of characters and especially Chase and Chloe.  Word to the wise though...if you are prone to blushing, I might suggest you not read this one in a crowded room.  Yeah...definitely blush worthy and then some moments.  *ahem*   Recommended read for adult readers that actively choose the "true romance fan" label as their own.


ARC for review courtesy of Liz at Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title as well as their other promotions, be sure to check out their official site, visit them over on BookTrib or follow along on Twitter.  This title was first released in print format just this month via Harlequin MIRA and should be available on a bookstore shelf near you.  Like what you've read?  Craving another bout with the Sullivans?  No doubt, no doubt.  Be sure to check out book 2, From This Moment On, and book 3, Can't Help Falling in Love, out this July and August consecutively....and who knows, their may be a blog tour stopping by for BOTH titles in my sites future.  (*checks calendar* ... yep, sure is!)

Until next time...happy reading!

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