Saturday, June 30, 2018

Swoon Worthy Spotlights #18


Welcome to Swoon Worthy Spotlights hosted by KJ's Book NookKatie's Clean Book Collection and Bookworm Nation! Once a month we will feature 1-3 of our favorite books that we have read during the month. We will share the cover(s), our review(s) and a link to each other's post so you can check out which books we have all chosen!

For this month's Swoon Worthy Spotlights I am going to choose...


Narcissistic Tendencies by Jennifer Peel


Silver Star by Lisa Swinton

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And don't for get to check Katie's post here and Kathy's post here!

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Do you have a blog and want to join us for Swoon Worthy Spotlights? Then grab the picture and post with us! We will be posting on the last day of each month. Make sure you share your link with us so we can check out your favorite authors as well!

Happy reading my fellow bookworms!
Friday, June 22, 2018

#UnforgettableLove – Delaney Cameron




Meant for Each Other by Delaney Cameron 

Kirsten is thrilled to return to the place where she spent so many summers as a child. Here she can forget the episode that nearly ruined her last year of college. Was it unreasonable to suppose that this far from the scene of her crime she would be safe from meeting the man who knew all about her worst moment?

After six months of nonstop traveling, Trey is happy to trade living on the road for the peace and quiet of Tybee Island. In such surroundings, he should be able to work undisturbed. These plans are interrupted by the appearance of a former student. Running into Kirsten is a disturbance of the worst kind: a reminder of an encounter he hasn’t been able to forget.

Author’s note: This is a revised and expanded version of a novella published years ago under a different title and pen name. It takes place before the events of Dream of Me.


 




 

Kirsten finished rearranging the magazines for the third time in the last half hour and slumped down in the chair behind the desk. It didn’t matter what she did. Nothing was going to take away the knot of tension lodged tightly in her chest. And to make matters worse, she still hadn’t figured out what she was going to say. ‘Hey, Professor Dawson. Remember me?’ wasn’t going to get it done.

She was counting paperclips while she recited some possible opening lines when she heard footsteps on the porch. Her glance went to the door. Please don’t be him, she pleaded inside her head. This last ditch effort to avoid her Waterloo failed. The beveled glass door opened and in he came. At first glance, he looked younger and thinner. His casual dress could account for that. He’d always worn suits for his lectures.

“Hey, Lucy. I wondered if I might get breakfast sent to my room each morning.”

Mistaking Kirsten for her sister was understandable given that they both had long, blonde hair and the fact that the desk was situated in the darkest part of the room. It also explained why he was still smiling, something that wasn’t destined to last.

By the time he was standing opposite of where she sat waiting for the proverbial ax to fall, it was apparent he’d realized his error. Before she could inform him that it would be their pleasure to bring breakfast to his room, she saw his eyes narrow and his smile slowly disappear.

“We seem fated to meet with you sitting behind a desk that’s presumably not your own. What are you looking for this time?”

Her veneer of politeness fell away under this direct attack. “I happen to work here.”

“Really? What brought you to Tybee Island? Did Alabama offer too little scope for one with your talents?”

Forgetting for the moment that she needed assistance from the man towering over her, she allowed her pent-up frustration full reign. “For the tenth time, I wasn’t stealing exam questions!”

His brows soared above his blue eyes, but in contrast to her heated reaction, his voice remained level. “At least you’re consistent.”

Kirsten took a moment to remember her surroundings and accordingly lowered her voice. “That’s easy to do when you’re telling the truth. Why would I steal a test for a class I wasn’t in? It doesn’t make sense.”

“Do I really need to answer that?” he asked shortly.

“No, because it’s obvious you’re not going to believe me.”

“With some justification, wouldn’t you agree?”

“If you would take a moment to use some of that banked intelligence you undoubtedly possess…” She got no further.

He held up his hand. “Facts are hard to argue.”

She sighed heavily; she was getting nowhere. Time to try a different tactic. “Can’t we just forget it happened?”

A small smile played around his lips. “So let me get this straight. You want me to conveniently forget that you entered my office without permission and were actually caught with the evidence in your hands. And furthermore, you want me to conceal this knowledge from your present employer.”

When he put it like that, she was asking a lot. But if it were at all possible, she wanted to keep this from Lucy. “Since I can’t convince you what my real purpose was, then yes, I do. If it makes you feel better about it, my sister manages this inn.”

“How is that supposed to make me feel better?”

Kirsten came around the desk. Once again she was staring into his face asking for something she didn’t deserve. If anything, he was even more handsome than she remembered. She wished those same features didn’t also look so forbidding. “I don’t want something stupid I did in the past to cause problems for Lucy. She shouldn’t have to suffer on my account.”

Trey looked at her in silence. As happened previously in his office, he was unable to ignore the appeal in her deep-set amber eyes. The fact that he couldn’t was a source of irritation. He should be above being influenced by a lovely woman, especially one he knew to be deceitful. He laughed inwardly. Maybe he wasn’t as lacking in sentiment as he thought. In any case, her concern for her sister was something in her favor. There was no need to make trouble unnecessarily.

“Your secret is safe with me. By the way, what was so important about that envelope you were supposedly trying to find?”

Kirsten’s cheeks turned scarlet with what he took to be embarrassment. “It was something silly. My roommate mailed it to you as a joke.” She stopped for a moment and then went on in a more subdued tone. “I never found it. You came in before I got very far.”

“Something for which I refuse to apologize. It was, after all, my office you were vandalizing.”

“That’s not true,” she quipped through clenched teeth. “I put everything back exactly where I found it.”

Trey couldn’t help smiling at her indignation. “You were a model thief. If I hadn’t caught you myself, I’d never have known you were there.”

“You can laugh about it, but you’ll never understand the state I was in. I was desperate to get that envelope.”

“Why were you so desperate? You claimed it belonged to your roommate.”

“I lied,” she admitted in a low voice. “It was mine.”

Something he’d already figured out himself. “You seem to have a problem telling the truth.”

“I know it must seem that way to you…”

“It doesn’t seem that way. It is that way.”

Kirsten bit her lip. “I suppose it’s useless to deny it.”

Trey felt a stirring of pity. “We’ve agreed to forget about it.” He was almost to the door when she spoke again.

“Professor Dawson?”

He glanced over his shoulder. “Yes?”

“What time did you want breakfast?”

“Eight, and under the circumstances, isn’t it ridiculous to be so formal? Call me Trey.”

Her eyes widened. “I could never do that.”

“I don’t see why not. That’s how you referred to me in your poem.”

She paled so quickly he thought she was going to faint. Why would his remark make her so upset? Then he realized something that hadn’t occurred to him before: Kirsten assumed he never found the envelope. That was probably the only reason she admitted that it was hers. Another twinge of sympathy slid through him. He tried to think of something to say that would make the situation better and couldn’t.

“I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing.”

She smiled wanly. “Thank you. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

“You, too,” he said, opening the door.

Back in his room, Trey tried to tell himself that none of this was his fault, but he felt bad anyway. He never could stand to hurt someone even when they’d brought it on themselves.

 


 

I absolutely loved Kirsten and Trey and their pathway of romance. Their story was very unusual and felt pure and thoughtful,and filled with an underlying depth that could be felt. This is one of those books that I’ll read again.

Trey and Kirsten are individually so well written. The reader fully feels all of Kirsten’s emotional upheaval, humiliation, confusion, joy, adoration, and sadness right along with her as she tries to work out how to conduct herself and still falls deeper for Trey. We respect Trey for his desire to protect Kirsten’s feelings while maintaining distance, and when he begins to sort out his own mind and feelings, we feel that, too. Delaney Cameron is great with tension and developing both the characters and storyline in a well paced progression.

This beautiful story is much, much more than meets the eye. Yes, it is a complicated, modern romance where misunderstanding and pain twist into the relationships and solutions don’t seem possible. Yes, there are 2 men in Kirsten’s life who have different agendas and different styles. Yes, the characters come alive and become your friends as you learn of their inner feelings and deepest desires. Yes, the scenery is deliciously divine—the beach scenes sweep you away to a gorgeous southern island where you want to stay forever and not come back. Yes, the dialogue is real but masterful and often I found myself catching my breath as precious feelings were shared. Yes, it was wonderfully clean. Yes, this book is well-written with a solid storyline but what I discovered within its pages was so much more. This tells the story of true love, pure love, and never-giving-up love, as well as unselfish love and your-needs-are-more-important-than-mine love. The author writes a brilliant journey of true love like I have never read before. Beautiful and soul-searching. Exquisite masterpiece.

 



Author Delaney Cameron 

I’m a Georgia girl at heart if not by birth. I love to read, watch college football, and spend time with my husband. I’m a hopeless romantic so there will always be a happily ever after in my stories. I also like to write about second chances because love doesn’t always work out the first time.

My books are sweet romances set in both contemporary and regency settings featuring stories about the journey to love, from that first meeting to the point where two people know their hearts are no longer their own. My characters aren’t perfect. They make mistakes and have faults like the rest of us. They learn the sometimes painful truth that the path to love isn’t always smooth, but it’s a road worth traveling.





   

   

  Giveaway Details 

 Ends 7/12/18 

 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.  

Thursday, June 21, 2018

#UnforgettableLove – Rachael Anderson

 

 

    

  My Sister’s Intended by Rachael Anderson 

For as long as Prudence can remember, it has been understood that her sister will one day wed the eldest son of their nearest neighbor. Such an alliance will benefit both families and bring a great deal of joy to all parents involved.

Unfortunately, Prudence has never been able to feel as joyful. She believes her sister is mad to consider marrying a man she hardly knows, even if he will one day make her a countess. Titles and wealth shouldn’t factor into matters of the heart, and as an aspiring romance novelist, Prudence cannot fathom how anyone could even think of settling for less than love. She certainly wouldn’t, and she doesn’t want her sister to either.

Unable to stand by and do nothing, Prudence sets out to help the awkward couple discover the best in each other with the hope that they will eventually find love. What she neglected to foresee, however, was the possibility that she might fall in love with Lord Knave herself.


 

 

When Prudence lifted her eyes to his again, they sparkled with a challenge. “I was going to save this question until later so as not to shock you from the get-go, but I really do need to know . . . What does it feel like to kiss a woman?”

A large lump formed in Brand’s throat, and his mouth went dry. What the deuce?She had promised not to ask questions that would make him uncomfortable, but already he wanted to flee like a frightened kitten. How could he possibly explain how it felt to kiss a woman?

Brand searched his mind for a way to avoid answering until he heard a snicker escape her lips. She was laughing at him. Him! Hildebrand Ethan Cannon, Viscount Knave—a man at least eight years her senior and a great deal higher in social standing.

Unbelievable.

“You are teasing me,” he said, hoping it was true. If she’d posed the question to make him squirm—and perhaps make him more inclined to answer her other questions—then she wouldn’t be expecting an answer.

She shook her head, still smiling. “I’m afraid not, my lord, although I did find the look of terror on your face vastly amusing.”

“I’m glad I could entertain you.”

“I hope you will be equally glad to instruct me on a few things as well. The first scene in my book will include a kiss, and I have no idea how to describe the experience. Do a woman’s lips feel warm or soft or even moist? Would your pulse quicken? Aside from touch, what other senses are engaged? How would it make you feel and what would you notice when you held a woman in your arms?”

If she thought he’d appeared terror-stricken before, there would be no word for how he looked now. Did she earnestly expect him to answer such questions? Surely even she knew how inappropriate it would be to discuss such things, her being an innocent.

“I cannot say,” he finally muttered.

Her brow puckered in confusion. “Have you never kissed a woman, my lord?”

Brand was sorely tempted to lie and say he had not, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Any man of six-and-twenty who had never experienced a kiss would be laughed out of his manhood. Women were expected to remain innocent until married. Men were not.

“Yes, I have kissed a woman,” he finally admitted, “but I have no intention of discussing any of the details with you.”

“Why not?” she asked, her large brown eyes blinking at him curiously. “Would you rather I invent the information?”

“Yes.”

She obviously didn’t appreciate his retort because she scowled. “Can you not tell me at least a little?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because a kiss could never be described with any sort of accuracy, at least not by me. It involves too many feelings and sensations and complexities of thought. If you wish to know what a kiss feels like, you’ll have to experience it for yourself.”

Too late, Brand realized his mistake. Her expression became contemplative, as though she was actually considering doing just that. Good gads, had he really just encouraged an innocent young woman to go hunting for a kiss? Who would she ask? A groom? Stablehand? The next peddler that came to town?

“I think you are right,” she said at last. “I really must experience a kiss for myself if I am to describe it with any sort of accuracy.” She blinked up at him with that innocent expression again. “Will you kiss me Lord Knave? No, how silly of me. You are to marry my sister, so that would never do.” She pursed her lips for a moment before musing, “Perhaps one of the footmen would be kind enough to show me how it’s done.”

Kind enough? Brand could think of a great many reasons a footman would comply with such a request, and kindness did not factor into any of them. Brand would kiss her himself before he allowed a footman near her.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. “Perhaps I can try to explain what it feels like after all.” Better that than having her chase after a footman.

“But you only just said you couldn’t do it justice,” she pointed out. “I realize I sound dreadfully forward, but I really must know, and experience is the best teacher, is it not?”

“No, it isn’t,” he lied. “And you are not going to kiss a footman.”

“Then who? Felix or Lionel, perhaps? I’m fairly certain I can convince one of them to do it, if given the opportunity. The question is how to go about it?”

It was plain to see by the firm set of her jaw that she would not rest until she had experienced a kiss of her own. She didn’t seem to care who did the deed, only that the man did a thorough job of it. A quick peck on the lips wouldn’t satisfy her curiosities.

“Perhaps I could send a note to Felix and ask him to call on me,” she continued to muse. “We could take a stroll through the maze in the gardens. There is a hidden alcove on the south side, which could be quite perfect. We would have to evade Ruth, obviously, but—”

“Devil take it,” Brand growled as he pulled her to him. Her quick intake of breath was the only sound she made before his mouth covered hers.

 


 

“I got seriously hooked on this book right from the first glance. Everything in this story is so beautiful and done so perfectly. The cover is stunning, the blurb intriguing and the story flow expertly done.” –NjKinny’s World of Books & Stuff

“The moment I set eyes on this cover page, I knew I am going to love this cute love story. Delightfully crafted with endearing characters this is an ongoing tale of fun, love and some hard decisions. –Finitha J., Know Your Books Blog

“My Sister’s Intended is my FAVORITE kind of book to read. It is the kind of story I will save in my Kindle forever so I can re-read again and again. What makes this story so good? Everything! This book is pure perfection.” –Nicole, Christian Fiction Girl Blog.

“WOW. I reserve five stars for books that blow me away, and this has become my newest addition! What a delight to discover a gem like this.” –Mary, Goodreads.com

  


 

Author Rachael Anderson

A USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

 



 

 

 

  Giveaway Details 

 Ends 7/11/18 

 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.