Ready to Love Again

by Annalyse Knight

Published by The Writers Coffee Shop

Genre: Romance/Contemporary

ISBN e-book:  978-1-61213-321-8

Available from: Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and TWCS PH

 “You’ve already lost one love in your lifetime — don’t let Katie be the second.”

Summary:

After a bitter divorce, Katie Rodriquez moves with her nine-year-old son, Shawn, to California to take a job at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. A fresh start is exactly what she and her son need. However, a fateful stroll on a Carmel beach turns her world upside down when she meets a handsome doctor who is struggling with his own past.

Dr. Chase O’Donnell had everything a man could ask for when a tragic accident changed his life forever. Tortured by his memories, he locks away his grief to care for his two children, refusing to face what his loss has done to him and the people he loves most.

Katie’s son is a rowdy child with a good heart, so it is a bit of a surprise when Shawn befriends the quiet and thoughtful Tony O’Donnell. Tony’s love for baseball draws Shawn into his world, and from then on, they are inseparable. It is only a matter of time before they bring their parents together again in a surprising twist of fate. However, Tony’s older sister, Liz, doesn’t like the new boy who is prone to catching critters and teasing girls. Liz isn’t very happy with the idea of her father having a new girlfriend, either. Loyal to a fault and haunted by the fear of abandonment, she lashes out and refuses to accept the new woman in her father’s life.

Katie and Chase must find the strength to rebuild their lives while juggling the demands of careers and single parenthood. When Chase’s daughter lashes out, they soon discover that the price of their romance is too high. To heal his family’s pain, they both must risk losing each other. Facing unresolved guilt and anger, will they have the courage to learn to love again?

Andrea’s Review:

A beautiful story of second chances at love Ready to Love Again pulled me in immediately. Through the impactful writing of Annalyse Knight, I found myself sighing with emotion, laughing at the silliness and enjoying the comfort of each character.

Katie Rodriguez is finally putting her happiness and that of her sons happiness first. Having left an unhappy marriage she is setting out for a new beginning on the coast of California along with her 9 year old son, Shawn. She has no way of knowing how this decision for happiness will not only affect herself and Shawn but so many others.

Three years after tragically losing his wife, Dr. Chase O’Donnell is working to establish a new normalcy in his life. Raising his two children with the help of his sister, Gina, he is simply going through the motions of his life, until a beautiful single mother and her son make their way not only into his family but their hearts.

I loved how Katie and Chase both struggled being single adults obviously attracted to one another while balancing the role of parent.  The attraction of Katie and Chase is almost instantaneous but both refuse to put that before the needs and feelings of their children. Neither is perfect. Both have made mistakes in handling the loss of the family they each had, but together it seems they can overcome any obstacle.

With the addition of Chase’s spunky sister, Gina, and her fiance Daniel the story is not only of finding love again but of family, friendship and honesty. Each person in the story has their breaking point and they manage to pull one another through the darkness into their forever … together.  

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About the Author:

Annalyse Knight is a recovering craft addict. She spent many years jumping from one hobby to another until she discovered that writing satisfied all her creative cravings. A stay-at-home mom, Annalyse raised her three children on California’s Monterey Peninsula. Although she and her family later moved to the Sacramento area, the beach, the quiet community, and the beauty of the California coast continue to inspire her writing. She spent several years writing with an online community, and she loved the direct interaction with her readers. Her online participation eventually led to her volunteer at The Writers’ Collective, an online writing workshop group founded to create a supportive community for writers. With her children almost grown, Annalyse decided to take her hobby to the next level and become a published author. Ready to Love Again is her first novel with The Writer’s Coffee Shop.

Connect with the Author:

Twitter * Facebook * Website

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Praise for Ready to Love Again

"If you're looking for a beautiful love story with a bit of heartache, fun banter, and beautiful relationships this book is for you. Ready to Love Again is brilliantly written and has believable characters that make you fall in love with them from the very beginning."  - Rhiannon Overby Goodreads Review

Mrs. Auburn's Review of My First, My Last by Lacey Silks

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Title: My First, My Last

Publication Date: July 21, 2014

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Wordcount: Approximately 78,000

Publisher: MyLit Publishing

Format: eBook and Paperback

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Fate has kept them apart for twenty years.

Their roads hadn't crossed and the stars didn't align until now...

Matured, more experienced, pierced, tattooed and hot as hell, Adrian steps back into Mia's life to reclaim his first love.And the moment she sees him she can't even remember her own name. Adrian Reed had always remained in Mia's heart. After all, he was her first boyfriend and the man she'd lost her virginity to, but that was twenty years ago. His sudden appearance at a bar, on a girls night out, has Mia acting like the fifteen year old girl she was when they parted. But life now is not as simple as it was twenty years ago. With two kids, a hopeful ex-husband and new insecurities, Mia finds opening up to a new relationship more challenging. Will she give her first love another chance, or will she push him away, this time for good?

Mrs. Auburn's Review:

This was my first Lacey Silks book but definitely not the last one. It was a really good, fast read—perfect for a summer book.

The story was about getting a second chance with your first and only love, but also about insecurities to let what you have go so you can embrace that consuming love and passion you´ll only ever have once in your lifetime.

I would have liked if it had a bit more drama or suspense though, because it was a bit slow at times. Overall, it was a very good book and I look forward to reading more from Lacey Silks!

Rating: 

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Author of Erotic Romance, Lacey Silks writes her stories from life experiences, dreams and fantasies. She likes a pinkish shade on a woman’s cheeks, men with large feet and sexy lingerie, especially when it’s torn off the body. Her favorite piece of clothing is a birthday suit. When she’s not thinking about writing steamy stories, which is a rare occasion, Lacey enjoys camping and skiing with her family (not at the same time of course). She’s a happily married wife blessed with two kids who adore going to the library. She’s an early bird by nature, but loves the nightly adventures with her hubby which provide good content for her books.

   

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Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

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Sign up for Lacey’s newsletter to receive an email of when the novel is released.

To celebrate the release of My First, My Last, join me at the Facebook party on July 21st from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. We’ll have games, trivia and loads of fun – with of course awesome prizes!

 

 

Another book of Lacey’s to try: Dazzled by Silver is the prequel to the Layers Trilogy and it’s free at most retailers.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

All Romance eBooks | Google Play | Smashwords

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Andrea's review of Behind the Scandal By M.A. Stacie

Behind the Scandal

By M.A. Stacie

Synopsis:

Sent to the family ranch to overcome his addiction, Taylor Reese is angry and hurt. Feeling rejected by his father and brother, Taylor throws himself into ranch life to help him forget. But it isn’t long before it hits him hard how much his life has spiraled out of control, leaving him floundering and looking for a lifeline. Libby Karlin is cautious, wary of Taylor’s presence. Her dark past makes her reluctant to let anyone near her family. But after Taylor strikes up a friendship with her son, Libby finds herself drawn to the sadness within him. His experiences are no secret to her, though she keeps her own buried until a knock on her door has her gasping for breath. Could dealing with their pasts really give them a future?

Andrea’s Review:

Truthfully, the title of this book completely misguided me to the story that unfolded. Perhaps I am too literal with my titles but when I read “scandal” I assumed there would be an actual scandal. However, that is where my frustration/annoyance/dislike ended.

I loved all of the aspects of this story. Not having read book 1 of the series I was pleased to see that I could thoroughly enjoy the characters and their stories without feeling like I missed something. I loved that.

Taylor is a damaged soul. He has made life choices that have completely changed the man he is to the man he became. He is angry, sad, jaded and overall damaged. The story starts with Taylor facing his biggest demon … his addiction. Through M.A. Stacie’s writing you feel the pain and suffering Taylor is facing and the overwhelming pain his addiction has and continues to inflict on those around him. Sent to live at the family ranch for six months as a final resort to ultimately save his life and fight back to the life he is meant to lead, Taylor is faced with an even bigger obstacle …. Libby.

Libby is a spunky young woman who is completely committed to her equally spunky and hilarious son, Levi. You know immediately that Libby has secrets. Dark secrets. Running from those secrets has created walls around her that only a few people can break down. Taylor is one of those people. Thrown together, the saying of “opposites attract” was never more evident than with Taylor and Libby. You are drawn to their attraction, to their friendship and their undeniable love. It is obvious that the love these two have for each other, the distance they are willing to go outside of their comfort zone to protect and care for each other is beautiful.

More than a love story, Behind the Scandal, brings together brothers, family and friends alike while allowing two lonely and broken people to come out of their darkness and into a life neither believed they would ever have.

About the author:

M. A. Stacie is never without a book or her eReader. A voracious reader, with a love of sexy, yet angst ridden novels, she adores getting lost in new worlds. Her need to write did not grip her until after her second son was born, when her previous rambles became fully fledged stories.

She describes herself as one huge contradiction, and though not the most conventional of hobbies, she counts getting new tattoos as one of hers. Running keeps her sane, along with knitting and listening to loud music.

M. A. Stacie lives in the UK with her husband and three sons.

Find the author:

M.A. Stacie Website

Amazon

Goodreads

Facebook

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Fate has kept them apart for twenty years.
Their roads hadn't crossed and the stars didn't align until now...

Matured, more experienced, pierced, tattooed and hot as hell, Adrian steps back into Mia's life to reclaim his first love.

And the moment she sees him she can't even remember her own name.

Adrian Reed had always remained in Mia's heart. After all, he was her first boyfriend and the man she'd lost her virginity to, but that was twenty years ago. His sudden appearance at a bar, on a girls night out, has Mia acting like the fifteen year old girl she was when they parted.

But life now is not as simple as it was twenty years ago. With two kids, a hopeful ex-husband and new insecurities, Mia finds opening up to a new relationship more challenging.

Will she give her first love another chance, or will she push him away, this time for good?

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AmazonUS | AmazonUK | AmazonAU

AmazonCA | Kobo | Barnes & Noble

iBooks | Google Play

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Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

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Sign up for Lacey’s newsletter to receive an email of when the novel is released.

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To celebrate the release of My First, My Last, join me at the Facebook party on July 21st from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm (EST). We’ll have games, trivia and loads of fun – with of course awesome prizes by NYT and USA Today Bestselling Authors!

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Book 5 in the Games series by Jessica Clare, Body Games.

Have a look at book 5 in the Games series by Jessica Clare, Body Games.  Also a giveaway at the bottom.

Body Games (Games #5)

by Jessica Clare
Released: 15th July 2014
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Annabelle Tucker is still reeling from last season’s Endurance Island, when the man she loved played her for a fool. When producers ask her back for a new season it’s the last thing she’s interested in…until she hears her ex, the gorgeous but duplicitous Kip, will be there. Revenge and a grand prize? Yes, please!

But someone’s there to throw a kink into her plans. Someone tall and cut, and with the sexiest gray eyes. Jendan Abercrombie’s on an opposing team, but it doesn’t mean that Annabelle can’t lust after him, right? She’ll just have to save all that lusting for post-show, when she’s free to follow where her loins lead.

When a tribal twist puts them both on the same team – naked – will Annabelle be able to resist his very apparent charms? Or will she have to vote Jendan out to save her game?

Other books in the series:

PLUS BOOK #1 WICKED GAMES IS CURRENTLY FREE ON AMAZON – GRAB IT NOW!

About the Author

This is a pen name for Jill Myles.

Jill Myles has been an incurable romantic since childhood. She reads all the ‘naughty parts’ of books first, looks for a dirty joke in just about everything, and thinks to this day that the Little House on the Prairie books should have been steamier.

After devouring hundreds of paperback romances, mythology books, and archaeological tomes, she decided to write a few books of her own – stories with a wild adventure, sharp banter, and lots of super-sexy situations. She prefers her heroes alpha and half-dressed, her heroines witty, and she loves nothing more than watching them overcome adversity to fall into bed together.

Giveaway

$100 Gift Card

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Liz's Review of The Certainty of Deception by Jeanne McDonald

Summary:

After years of living in the darkness of his past, Andrew Wise, a young attorney working for his family’s law firm in Sarasota, Florida, has finally broken free of the demons that haunt him. Wealth, success, happiness, and true love; everything a man could ever dream of, was right at his fingertips. Or so he thought. But in the blink of an eye, all of that changed. Upon discovering that his ex-girlfriend, Olivia Hamilton, was pregnant, Drew fell back into some old habits, which led to him losing the one person that mattered the most in his life - McKenzie Evans.

When McKenzie left him and returned to Texas, Drew was beside himself. The night before she left, he made an agreement with her best friend Jared Christopher, that he would give her time and space to come to grips with the fact that he’d fathered her best friend’s child. Now, two months later, he feels as though he held up his end of the bargain, Drew can’t take their separation any longer. With his brother’s wedding mere weeks away, Drew devises a plan to win McKenzie back.

Under the guise of a bachelor getaway for Gavin, Drew, along with his brother and Jared, jets off on an adventure to the panhandle of Texas. There, he will learn what made McKenzie who she is and will find strength within himself that he never realized existed.

In this charming sequel to The Truth in Lies, Drew and McKenzie discover that not everything is as it seems, forgiveness is a matter of acceptance, and true love really can conquer all.

Liz's Review:

 

In The Certainty of Deception, we are reunited with Drew and McKenzie. This time we get a peek into Drew’s point of view. Devastated by the news that his ex is pregnant with his child and the love of his life has left him, he chooses to handle the news by burying his sorrow at the bottom of a bottle. Lucky for him, he has a brother that refuses to watch him self destruct and an ally in the form of Jared. These two men do what it takes to get Drew sober, while also helping him to find the strength to give McKenzie some space. When the time is right, the three of them travel under the guise of a bachelor party, to get back Drew’s heart.

I fell in love with this pair in the first novel, The Truth in the Lies, and I keep getting sucked in. Jeanne McDonald has weaved us a love story that pulls at your heartstrings and has you rooting for the star-crossed lovers. She makes you believe in true love again.

I could read this book over and over. It hooked me from the first word and has left me thirsty for more and I wait—impatiently—for the next installment. Although this book leaves you with questions, the answers are definitely worth waiting for. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to all of the true romantics out there. Sit back and fall in love with Drew and McKenzie. 

Rating:

About Author and Links:

 Jeanne McDonald began telling stories at the ripe young age of five, when her mother considered the truth to be a lie thanks to her extensive embellishment to the retelling of an event.  She wrote her first short story when she was twelve years old, and at the age of sixteen she tried her hand at poetry.  She reconnected with her love for writing in 2010 thanks to the encouragement of a dear friend.

Her passions include a "mild" Starbucks addiction, music, quotes, movies, and romance.  When she is not spending time with her family, she can be found reading, writing, chatting with her friends or diligently working toward her bachelors degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology.  A proud Texan, she currently resides in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her family.

Goodreads 

Amazon 

http://www.jeannemcdonald.com/ 

Pieces of Broken Time by Lorenz Font Review by Liz

Pieces of Broken Time

by

Lorenz Font

Summary:

When wounded soldier Blake Connor returns from Afghanistan, he wants nothing more than to hide from the world. He’s plagued by the memory of his best friend’s death and the pain of his own injuries. On top of all that, he has another burden to carry.

Take care of our girl.

Blake’s vow to watch over the woman who was left behind is overshadowed by his self-contempt and bitterness, making it impossible for him to reach out to her like he’d promised.

Jennifer Owens had expected to get married the moment her fiancé returned home from the war, but the news of his death changed everything. Shattered by her loss, she is still struggling with feelings of guilt when she receives an unexpected letter that raises new questions and reopens old wounds.

Jennifer’s need for answers leads her to Blake’s doorstep, but she is met with hostility and rejection from a man who only vaguely resembles the head-turning charmer she remembers from so long ago. Blake is determined to keep her at arm’s length, and Jennifer soon discovers that she must decide whether to push back or let him go.

Caught up in circumstances beyond their control, Jennifer and Blake have to learn to accept the truths that lie below the surface. She comes to recognize the beauty underneath the scars, and Blake realizes that he’s broken in more ways than he cares to admit.

Nothing will ever be the same for this ex-Army Ranger once he faces the truth. If he can learn to accept the help he needs, he might be able to overcome his warped self-image and emotional scars. To be the man Jennifer deserves, he must heal his wounds before he loses the woman he loves forever.

Liz’s Review:

Blake Connor is lucky to be alive. Unfortunately, he doesn’t believe that. After watching his best friend die and then living with the pain of his own injuries and recovery, Blake has become an angry man. Mad at the world, he seems to have broken the one promise he made to his dying comrade....Take care of our girl.

All that Jennifer Owens has left of her dead fiance are pictures, memories, and his best friend. A man that she has had feelings for since she met him. Knowing that Trent had asked Blake to ‘watch over her’, she can’t help but wonder where he is. After finding out that he has been living down the block from her for almost a year, Jennifer decides to pay him a visit. What she finds is not the man that she once knew.

Together this pair will live through the pain, the anger, and the grief and come out on the otherside in love.

I had a bit of trouble connecting with the characters in the beginning, but once I got deeper into the book, I found myself rooting for them. First for Blake to overcome his fear of living again. Then for Jennifer, to have the courage to really love Blake. By the time that I read the last page, I had tears running down my face.

If you’re looking for a story about the trials of war and everlasting love, then Pieces of Broken Time is for you. Lorenz Font as weaved together the perfect love story. You find yourself so involved in the characters that you’ll want to hit Blake for his stubbornness and scream in frustration at both of their blindness. At the end though, you’ll cheer—for true love really does conquer all.

Grab your tissues and settle in for a beautiful love story.

Rating:

About the Author and Links:

Lorenz Font discovered her love of writing after reading a celebrated novel that inspired one idea after another. Hunted, the first book of The Gates Legacy trilogy, is her debut novel.

She enjoys dabbling in different genres with an intense focus on angst and the redemption of flawed characters. Her fascination with romantic twists is a mainstay in all her stories.

She currently lives in California with her husband, children, and two demanding dogs. Lorenz spends most of her free time writing while also working as a Business Office Manager for a skilled-rehabilitation hospital.

Goodreads

Amazon

http://www.lorenzfont.com/