Monday, July 8, 2019

Promo + Giveaway: Wolf Instinct by Paige Tyler (@PaigeTyler, @SourcebooksCasa)



Wolf Instinct
SWAT #9
Amazon  BN  Apple  IndieBound  BAM
He's a wolf shifter.
She hunts monsters.
How can she be The One for him?

SWAT werewolf Zane Kendrick will do whatever it takes to take down the man who attacked his pack. His search takes him to Los Angeles, but when he meets Alyssa, the smart, sexy agent who comes to his aid, he's immediately interested in pursuing more than just the next lead. All his wolf instincts tell him that she's The One.

FBI agent Alyssa Carson has investigated some weird stuff lately, and finding missing people drained of their blood definitely falls into that category. When following a clue leads her to Zane, she agrees to work with him and his team. She's attracted to the gorgeous Brit, but she doesn't have time for anything but finding answers.

When Zane and Alyssa discover the sinister truth, it'll take everything they have to make it out of this mission with their lives―and hearts―intact.

SWAT Series:
Hungry Like the Wolf (Book 1)
Wolf Trouble (Book 2)
In the Company of Wolves (Book 3)
To Love a Wolf (Book 4)
Wolf Unleashed (Book 5)
Wolf Hunt (Book 6)
Wolf Hunger (Book 7)
Wolf Rising (Book 8)
Wolf Instinct (Book 9)

Excerpt:

“Are you?” he asked. “Happy being an FBI agent, I mean.”
“Yeah.” She smiled. “The pay isn’t the greatest and I practically live in hotels, but I love what I do.”
“That’s what’s important.” Zane leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “I am curious how you find time for anything resembling a social life since you’re never in one place very long.”
She snorted, remembering how Christine had ragged on her about this same subject. “Social life. What’s that? As far as I’m concerned, if the FBI wanted me to have a social life, they’d issue me one, like my sidearm and badge.”
Zane lifted a brow. “Are you saying that a woman as beautiful as you hasn’t gone on a date with anyone in a year and half?”
Coming from anyone but Zane, that question might have irritated her. But for whatever reason, it didn’t. She especially liked the compliment. “While I’m not going to come out and put an exact time frame on it, I’ll admit it’s been a while. But if we’re going to discuss our social lives, how about you? Don’t tell me a big, good-looking man like you isn’t involved with someone.”
Zane’s gaze turned molten in the sun coming through the window and she felt her stomach do that funny flutter thing that had only started happening after they’d met. “If I were involved with someone, do you think I would have kissed you like I did last night?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “Would you?”
He lifted his mug and took a long, slow sip of coffee. “No, I wouldn’t have. I’ve dated a few women since moving to Dallas. Probably more than a few, I guess. But it never felt right with any of them, and after a while, it didn’t seem worth the effort. Then I met you and everything felt different. That’s why I kissed you.”
She’d just been messing with him about kissing her if he was involved with someone. His response was a lot more real than she’d expected. The part about why he’d kissed her made her warm all over. But the stuff about him not connecting with anyone since leaving London hurt more than she would have thought possible.
“You broke up with your fiancĂ©e a long time ago,” she pointed out. “Are you saying that in all that time, you never met anyone you could see yourself falling for?”
He didn’t answer at first, pausing to slowly chew his Pop-Tart. When he did finally answer her question, he kept his gaze fixed on the mug in front of him. “This probably won’t make much sense, but for people like me, it can be difficult finding that perfect person we’re supposed to be with. Some might even say it’s impossible.” The words were so soft she had to lean forward to hear them. “When the woman I thought was the right one for me walked out, I didn’t think it could happen again. But since meeting you, I’ve started thinking maybe I gave up too soon.”
Alyssa didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t a declaration of love or anything, but still…
Picking up her mug, she got up and poured herself more coffee. She held the pot up in Zane’s direction, but he shook his head. She didn’t necessarily want a refill, but it gave her a chance to think about everything he’d said. The guy had just unleashed a lot. It would take a while to absorb it all.
Like those three simple but significant words: people like me. Just that fast, the big, sexy Brit had confirmed he was different. Surprisingly, that acknowledgment didn’t bother her as much as she thought it might. While she’d discounted the possibility of him using some kind of spell on her, part of her wondered if Zane was putting out some kind of supernatural pheromone to attract his victims with and make them easier to subdue. But one look at him sitting at the table chewing thoughtfully on his frosted brown sugar Pop-Tart made her toss that ridiculous idea right out of her head. Zane didn’t need to put out any pheromones to lure her in. All he had to do was look at her.
She shook her head. One smile from him and she was ready to throw caution to the wind. Was she really that easy?
Alyssa walked back over to the table with her coffee, thinking about the other stuff Zane had said—especially the part where he’d confessed he’d given up on the idea of finding someone until meeting her. She’d never thought of herself as the kind of woman who cared about romantic drivel, but when Zane said those words, she had to admit there’d been some serious feels going on. Part of her wanted to wrap her arms around him and hug him. The other part wanted to throw him on the floor and bang him like a cheap screen door—but that part was only making noise because it had been so long since she’d gotten laid.
“So,” she said, ignoring her chair and instead sitting on the edge of the table right in front of Zane. “I’m guessing you think I might be this perfect someone you’d given up hope of ever finding? Do you mind if I ask what makes you think that?”
Zane pushed his chair back a bit to make room for her, his dark eyes meeting hers. “You’re not going to like this answer, but…it’s complicated.”
He was right. She didn’t like it. “You’re going to have to do better than that.”
“Let’s just say the first time I saw you at that club, taking down Stefan’s goon, I knew you were someone special. And even though I’m still not sure if I’m comfortable with the idea—actually, I’m downright terrified—I’m also sure you’re The One for me.”
That sounded so romance-bookish Alyssa almost laughed out loud. The serious expression on Zane’s face was the only thing that stopped her. It might be crazy as heck, but the big, sexy hunk seemed to genuinely believe it.
They sat there looking at each other, Alyssa cupping both hands around her mug, breathing in the warm coffee while Zane seemed to be holding his breath like he thought she might bolt for the door at any second. Which was crazy since this was her room.
“Okay,” she said, setting her mug on the table. “Assuming you’re right and I’m The One for you, what do we do now?”
Zane grinned. “Kissing would be nice, yes?”
His big hands were coming up to wrap around her hips, tugging her forward off the table and onto the chair with him until she was straddling his thighs. As sexy as that position might be, Alyssa couldn’t help laughing. “Seriously? That’s the movie line you’re going with to get into my panties?”
Zane buried his fingers in her hair, tugging her mouth closer to his. Just before their lips met, he flashed her that thousand-watt smile, which made her pulse skip a beat. “I don’t know,” he murmured, his coffee-scented breath warm on her skin. “Did it work?”
Alyssa hadn’t realized exactly what she’d said—about getting into her panties—until right then. But as she gazed down at Zane and his beautiful smile, she decided letting him have his way with her unmentionables sounded like a really good idea. After that, who knew what she might let him get into?
She didn’t bother to answer his question. Instead, she lowered her mouth to his and kissed him hard enough to pull a growl out of him. And what an interesting growl it was, rumbling up through his chest and straight into her open mouth, making little tingles and shivers dance all over her body.
Apparently, she was into guys who growled.

***
Excerpted from Wolf Instinct by Paige Tyler. © 2019 by Paige Tyler. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Paige Tyler is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, romantic suspense and paranormal romance. She and her very own military hero (also known as her husband) live on the beautiful Florida coast with their adorable fur baby (also known as their dog). Paige graduated with a degree in education, but decided to pursue her passion and write books about hunky alpha males and the kick-butt heroines who fall in love with them.

Represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Handspun Literary

Find Paige and her books
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Sunday, July 7, 2019

Promo + Giveaway: Jane Yellowrock 10th Anniversary Blog Blitz (@HunterFaith, @BerkleyPub)


From the moment Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock series debuted with Skinwalker in July 2009, fans were captivated by the story of shapeshifting skinwalker Jane Yellowrock, who fights vampires, demons, and everything between in the city of New Orleans.

For a decade, this unforgettable heroine has enthralled readers and critics alike—the New York Times bestselling series is celebrating its 10th anniversary this summer!

Praise for the Jane Yellowrock Novels:

“Jane is a fully realized, complicated woman; her power, humanity, and vulnerability make her a compelling heroine.”—Publishers Weekly

“Jane Yellowrock is smart, sexy, and ruthless.”—#1 New York Times bestselling Kim Harrison

“Hunter's very professionally executed, tasty blend of dark fantasy, mystery, and romance should please fans of all three genres.”—Booklist


Enter for your chance to win the entire New York Times bestselling Jane Yellowrock series (so far), plus cool Jane swag!


ENTER HERE

Week in Review: 6/30-7/6



Books Received for Review

Nothing this week....

Books I've Read

The Marked and the Broken by Ivy Asher
Moonstruck by Dannika Dark

Reviews Posted

Shadow Warrior by Christine Feehan (@AuthorCFeehan, @BerkleyRomance)
Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep (@Jennifer_Estep, @HarperVoyagerUS)

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Monday- Promo + Giveaway: A Bite at the Cherry by Rita Stradling (@stradling_rita, @XpressoTours)

* Wednesday- Promo + Giveaway: Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep (@Jennifer_Estep, @HarperVoyagerUS)

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* Did you know you can follow UFI on these other sites?


You can also add me (as in Stacy) to your friends on these sites if you're on them.
 

 * I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Friday, July 5, 2019

Review: Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep (@Jennifer_Estep, @HarperVoyagerUS)

Protect the Prince
Release Date: July 2, 2019
Publisher: Harper Voyager
ISBN:  0062797654
ISBN13: 9780062797650
Genre: Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Edelweiss

Magic, murder, adventure, and romance combine in this second novel in the exciting Crown of Shards saga from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep.

Everleigh Blair might be the new gladiator queen of Bellona, but her problems are far from over.

First, Evie has to deal with a court full of arrogant, demanding nobles, all of whom want to get their greedy hands on her crown. As if that wasn’t bad enough, an assassin tries to kill Evie in her own throne room.

Despite the dangers, Evie goes ahead with a scheduled trip to the neighboring kingdom of Andvari in order to secure a desperately needed alliance. But complicating matters is the stubborn Andvarian king, who wants to punish Evie for the deaths of his countrymen during the Seven Spire massacre.

But dark forces are at work inside the Andvarian palace, and Evie soon realizes that no one is safe. Worse, Evie’s immunity to magic starts acting in strange, unexpected ways, which makes her wonder whether she is truly strong enough to be a Winter Queen.

But Evie’s magic, life, and crown aren’t the only things in danger—so is her heart, thanks to Lucas Sullivan, the Andvarian king’s bastard son and Evie’s . . . well, Evie isn’t quite sure what Sullivan is to her.

Only one thing is certain—protecting a prince might be even harder than killing a queen

PROTECT THE PRINCE is book two in Jennifer Estep's Crown of Shards fantasy series.

PROTECT THE PRINCE starts off just a few months after the events of KILL THE QUEEN. Everleigh is on the throne, but she has to fight to keep it at every moment. I enjoyed seeing Evie navigate her court and learn to be the ruler she wants to be versus the ruler her people expect.

As with book one, Evie can't catch a break and is tested at just about every turn. I didn't feel like there was much movement in the overall plot happening in book two, but I think the events were critical to Evie's growth as a person and as a ruler trying to secure her thrown for the long term.

The romance between Evie and Sullivan was a bit painful. It moves along, but it seems hopeless for most of the book which is super frustrating because they want to be together so bad and you FEEL it. You WANT it to work.

I really enjoy the secondary characters of this series. They are entertaining and I feel like I am invested in each of their stories. The world building continues to get better with each place we visit in Estep's world.

PROTECT THE PRINCE ended on a great note and I am looking forward to CRUSH THE KING.

I gave it 4/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Review: Shadow Warrior by Christine Feehan (@AuthorCFeehan, @BerkleyRomance)

Shadow Warrior
Release Date: June 4, 2019
Publisher: Berkley
Shadow Riders Book #4
ISBN:  1984803522
ISBN13: 9781984803528
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: NetGalley

Danger inspires fierce passion when a serial killer threatens Chicago’s Ferraro crime family in this novel in Christine Feehan’s New York Times bestselling series.

Vittorio Ferraro is a man whose family loyalty knows no bounds. He would die for his siblings and the people they love, but what he really wants is to start a family of his own. Deep down, Vittorio has always known finding a woman who could ride shadows would be nearly impossible—let alone one who could accept his particular needs—and he never expected to find her in the middle of a kidnapping.…

Grace Murphy has always been drawn to Vittorio Ferraro—or at least to the billionaire’s public bad-boy persona. Now that she’s under his protection and the sole focus of his intense caring, she can’t help wanting to get as close to him as possible. But Grace knows her presence is putting the entire Ferraro family in danger. Her monster of a brother will never let her go, but Vittorio has no intention of losing the woman whose shadow matches his own.

I love learning more about the Ferraro family and SHADOW WARRIOR lets us dive deeper into Virrorio's life.

As with the previous books, SHADOW WARRIOR was heavy on romance and relationship development. The chemistry between Vittorio and Grace was there. There was a lot of BDSM and other adult scenes. I felt the whole "You must obey me in everything" theme was a bit much. I understand that was the way Vittorio was, but the way it was explained at like every single turn made it seem forced and uncomfortable. If it hadn't been overly explained, reasoned and talked about in every single moment of the book it would have read better.

The plot outside of the romance was a bit lacking. It's there, but totally in the background and I don't feel like it was as strong as previous books. Not a lot of action and mystery involved. It felt more like an afterthought.

I have seen many reviews for this series mention that these books can be read as stand-alone. While I guess that is true, I don't see why you would want to. We meet and get to know different parts of the Ferraro family with each book and knowing them and the overall continuous background storyline makes each book more enjoyable. Do yourself a favor and start from book one.

I gave it 3/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Promo + Giveaway: Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep (@Jennifer_Estep, @HarperVoyagerUS)


Protect the Prince
Crown of Shards #2
Amazon  BN  Apple  Google  Kobo
Magic, murder, adventure, and romance combine in this second novel in the exciting Crown of Shards saga from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep.

Everleigh Blair might be the new gladiator queen of Bellona, but her problems are far from over.

First, Evie has to deal with a court full of arrogant, demanding nobles, all of whom want to get their greedy hands on her crown. As if that wasn’t bad enough, an assassin tries to kill Evie in her own throne room.

Despite the dangers, Evie goes ahead with a scheduled trip to the neighboring kingdom of Andvari in order to secure a desperately needed alliance. But complicating matters is the stubborn Andvarian king, who wants to punish Evie for the deaths of his countrymen during the Seven Spire massacre.

But dark forces are at work inside the Andvarian palace, and Evie soon realizes that no one is safe. Worse, Evie’s immunity to magic starts acting in strange, unexpected ways, which makes her wonder whether she is truly strong enough to be a Winter Queen.

But Evie’s magic, life, and crown aren’t the only things in danger—so is her heart, thanks to Lucas Sullivan, the Andvarian king’s bastard son and Evie’s . . . well, Evie isn’t quite sure what Sullivan is to her.

Only one thing is certain—protecting a prince might be even harder than killing a queen…
KILL THE QUEEN QUOTES:

“KILL THE QUEEN is the definition of epic fantasy: exciting, original, and filled with characters who jump off the page. Jennifer Estep enters the arena and takes no prisoners. Long live the Winter Queen.” — Ilona Andrews #1 New York Times bestselling author

“KILL THE QUEEN rocked my world! With court intrigue, a cast of fantastic characters, epic political sweep, and a slow-burn romance to die for, this book had me rapt. I only regret I devoured it so fast. And that I didn’t write it. More please!” — Jeffe Kennedy, RITA® Award winning author of The Pages of the Mind

“Jennifer Estep takes the world of high fantasy by storm with a book so perfectly plotted and executed that I gasped out loud at each new reveal and unexpected turn. Evie is the heroine we all want to read about: as compassionate as she is ruthless, as cunning as she is kind, and as fierce and focused as anyone must be in order to KILL THE QUEEN.” — Amanda Bouchet, USA Today bestselling author of The Kingmaker Chronicles

“Gladiator meets Game of Thrones: A royal woman becomes a skilled warrior to destroy her murderous cousin, avenge her family, and save her kingdom in Kill the Queen, the first entry in a dazzling fantasy epic from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep — an enthralling tale that combines magic, murder, intrigue, adventure, and a hint of romance.” — PopSugar

“Kill the Queen is a sweeping, addictive adventure with a tiny hint of romance that will leave readers clamoring for more of this universe as soon as they reach the last page.” — Culturess
“Full of magic, fierce women, and revenge.” — Booklist

Excerpt:

I stared up at the queen’s throne sitting on top of the dais. The chair was crafted of jagged pieces of tearstone that had been dug out of Seven Spire and fitted together centuries ago. The throne gleamed with a soft, muted light, shifting from starry gray to midnight-blue and back again, just like the columns did. The changing colors represented the Summer and Winter lines of the Blair royal family, as well as the everlasting strength of the Bellonan people.
I had seen the throne many, many times before, but now that it was mine, I found it far more intimidating, especially since the top featured the same crown-of-shards crest that adorned my tunic, bracelet, sword, and dagger. I had never paid any attention to that symbol before the royal massacre, but now, it was everywhere I went. Sometimes, I thought I would have been far happier if I had never seen it at all. I certainly would have been much safer.
Summer queens are fine and fair, with pretty ribbons and flowers in their hair. Winter queens are cold and hard, with frosted crowns made of icy shards.
The words to the old Bellonan fairy-tale rhyme echoed in my mind, as though all the queens who had come before were whispering them to me over and over again. I listened to the phantom voices a moment longer, then exhaled, slowly climbed up the dais steps, turned around, and sat down on the throne.
That was the signal everyone had been waiting for, and all the lords, ladies, senators, guilders, and others strode forward, stopping a few feet away from the bottom of the dais. They split into their usual cliques and began gossiping, while servants handed out sweet cakes, fresh fruits and cheeses, and glasses of blackberry sangria.
I looked up at the second-floor balcony. More nobles milled around there, eating, drinking, talking, and watching me, although they were all poorer and thus far less important than the ones on the first floor.
I started to drop my gaze when I noticed a man sitting by himself in the top corner of the balcony. He was wearing a long gray coat over a black tunic, and his dark brown hair gleamed under the lights, although a bit of stubble darkened his strong jaw. His handsome features were as blank as mine were, and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, although his blue eyes burned into mine with fierce intensity.
My nostrils flared. Even though he was as far away from me as possible, I could still pick out his scent—cold, clean vanilla with just a hint of spice—above all the others in the room. I drew in another breath, letting his scent sink deep down into my lungs, and trying to ignore the hot spark of desire it ignited inside me.
Lucas Sullivan was the magier enforcer of the Black Swan troupe, a bastard prince of Andvari, and my . . . Well, I didn’t know exactly what he was to me. Much more than a friend, but not a lover, despite my pointed advances on that front. But I cared about him more than I wanted to think about, especially now, when I was facing another battle inside my own palace.
So I dropped my gaze from his and studied the nobles again. Even though I had been queen for about three months, ever since I had killed Vasilia, the crown princess and my treacherous cousin, this was my first formal court session. Practically every noble from across the kingdom had journeyed here to discuss business and other matters, and it was important that things went well. I doubted they would, though. The nobles weren’t going to like some of the things I had to say.
While the nobles chattered and downed their food and drinks, I discreetly drew in a breath, letting the air roll in over my tongue and tasting all the scents in it. The people’s floral perfumes and spicy colognes. The fruity tang of the sangria. The pungent aroma of the blue cheeses that the servants were slicing on the buffet tables along the walls.

I opened my mouth to start the session when one final scent assaulted my senses—hot, jalapeño rage so strong that it made my nose burn with its sudden, sharp intensity.

Most people scoffed at my mutt magic, but my enhanced sense of smell was quite useful in one regard—it let me sense people’s emotions, and very often their intentions. Garlic guilt, ashy heartbreak, minty regret. I could tell what someone was feeling—and often what they were plotting—just by tasting the scents that swirled around them.

I’d had years to hone my mutt magic, so I knew that jalapeño rage meant only one thing.

Someone here wanted to kill me.

I glanced from one side of the throne room to the other and back again, searching for an immediate, obvious threat.

Lightning sizzling in a magier’s palm. A morph shifting into their other, stronger form. A stone master cracking the ceiling above my head. A mutt yanking their sword free and speeding toward the dais.

But I didn’t see anything like that. I didn’t see anything unusual, so I drew in another breath, tasting all the scents in the air again. The jalapeño rage was as strong as ever, although so many people were milling around that I couldn’t tell who it was coming from.

I was going to find out, though.

Determination filled me, along with more than a little cold rage. Too many people had already died, and I hadn’t survived the royal massacre just to be assassinated in my own throne room three months into my reign.

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Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.

Jennifer writes the Crown of Shards epic fantasy series. Protect the Prince, book #2, was released on July 2.

Jennifer is also the author of the Elemental Assassin, Mythos Academy, Bigtime, and Black Blade fantasy series.

For more information on Jennifer and her books, visit www.jenniferestep.com or follow Jennifer on FacebookGoodreads, and Twitter. You can also sign up for her newsletter,
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