Lauren Blakely is playing with YOUR heart in her new book, Playing With Her Heart

Here's the book info from Amazon....

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 2013

From the NYT & USA Today Bestselling romance author, a story of a love so strong it breaks down walls...

My whole body is vibrating, and I am lit up from the inside out. Every part of me is aching for him. I'm completely naked on top of the piano and he rakes me over with his eyes, making me feel like I'm the only one he's ever wanted like this. I don't know how he does this to me, how he makes me feel charged all over, but I've never been this turned on. I didn't know I could be this turned on, but this man makes me feel like my body belongs to him...

Twenty-three year old rising theatre star Jill McCormick has built a life out of pretending. Pretending she's happy, pretending she's not haunted by the dark secret that shattered her world six years ago. But then she comes face to face with her new director -- sexy, sophisticated, jealous, all-alpha, dirty-talking Davis Milo. He tries to resist the actress he's cast, but the attraction between them is too powerful, and soon their private rehearsals spiral into new, forbidden territory. The connection, the chemistry is undeniable, and it hits them anywhere, and everywhere -- in the theater, on the piano, in the limo, in the restaurant...But the tragedy in Jill's past stands between them. Davis has walls too, so they can either face their fears together, or risk the most intense love, sex and passion either has ever felt...

"I move with him, letting him touch me, kiss me, taste my body like I'm his canvas and he's painting me with his tongue..."

*Recommended for 17+ due to scorching sexual content and a smoking hot alpha male.

Sometimes you start reading an author because there's a cliffhanger ending and you get sucked into having to know what happens next and sometimes you start reading a series because each of the books is great on it's own and the you want to know what is going to happen to the characters you love. This is why I read Playing With Her Heart by Lauren Blakely. I was a Theatre Major myself back in my pursuit of a college education so reading about the audition and call back process and then details regarding the stage process really brought a feeling of nostalgia for me. I felt it was a very accurate description of the back story. I have to admit that Trophy Husband is still my favorite of this series (because I love funny, quirky sexy female characters) but I really fell in love with Jill and Davis's journey. I really felt a strong connection to the characters in this story and I loved all the details that were put into developing their love and trials. I felt that the issues presented were nicely handled by the author - I don't want to give any spoilers so that's all I can really say about that - read it for yourself and you will see what I am saying!

My first cover reveal! Love Lost by Maria DeSouza

Love can come into your life in an instant, and leave just as quickly....

Jason Straiz is a New York detective working on a case to bring down a major crime lord.
He keeps his life simple. Work. Family. Friends.
Until he meets Selene.

Selene is a lawyer on a mission.
Her goal is to bring down the monster that has been terrorizing her for years.
When she meets Jason, the attraction is intense.
When Selene realizes Jason is after the same person she is, he becomes a complication.
When his case and her mission collide, will her secrets destroy a future they could have together?
Can he handle the truth about her?

Can love truly conquer all or is there a limit?

Squeee! This one sounds like a hot read! I can't wait to get my hands on it! - LazyGirlsGuideToHonestReviews

 FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/MariaDesouzaAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mdesouza05
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7082122.Maria_DeSouza 

 Date of expected Release Date: September 30th, 2013
Cover Model is Joe Marvullo
Link to his FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/joe.marvullo.1?fref=ts&ref=br_tf
Cover Designer: Rochelle McGrath from Shamrock Cover Designs
Link to her FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/ShamrockCoverDesigns?skip_nax_wizard=true 

 Front cover is Jubert Gilay, back cover with the rose is David Massa
Jubert Page link...https://www.facebook.com/JubertGilayPhotography
David Page Link....https://www.facebook.com/DavidMassaPhoto

Genre: Contemporary Romance

 Author Bio: I am a 31 yr old NJ native, not to be mistaken for the craziness that is the NJ Housewives or Jersey Shore! I have two children, who are my life and family that makes me want to scream at times, but I love them. I started my affair with reading and writing at a young age. I loved where books took me, and wished for the day when I would meet my dream boat. (Yes, I referred to my future man as a dream boat. Child of the 80s here!) I grew up on Stephen King, Nora Roberts, and anything my library would let me borrow. I would always grab a notebook and start writing about the books I read because I wanted the story to continue. I never took it seriously until I had a friend a few years ago tell me that I needed to publish my work after I wrote down a short story. My reaction was…yeah, right! The words stuck with me and I was constantly asked, “Did you write more? Are you done?” A back injury put my writing on hold for almost 2 yrs and last year, I found the WIP file and started reading. Then, I started writing and adding to it. That little dream turned story will be my debut novel, Love Lost.

It's time to get Stripped, y'all! Jasinda Wilder's newest to be released August 16!

SYNOPSIS:

So how did I get myself into this situation, you ask? Simple: desperation. When you're faced with being homeless and hungry or taking off your clothes for money, the choice is easier than you'd imagine. That doesn't make it easy, though. Oh no. I hate it, in fact. There's nothing I'd like more than to quit and never go into another bar again, never hear the techno beat pulsing in my ears again, never feel the lecherous gazes of horny men again.

Then, one day, I meet a man. He's in my club, front and center. He watches me do my routine, and his gaze is full of hunger. Not the kind of desire I'm used to though. It's something different. Something hotter, deeper, and more possessive. I know who he is; of course I do. Everyone knows who Dawson Kellor is. He's People Magazine's Sexiest Man alive. He's the hottest actor in Hollywood. He's the man hand-picked for the role of Rhett Butler in the long-awaited remake of Gone With the Wind.

He's the kind of man who can have any woman in the entire world with a mere crook of his finger. So what's he doing looking at me like he has to have me? And how do I resist him when he looks at me with those intoxicating, changeable, quicksilver eyes?

I'm a virgin, and he's an American icon of male sexuality. I'm a stripper, and he's a man used to getting anything and everything he wants. And he wants me. I know I should say no, I know he's the worst kind of player…but what my mind knows, my body and my heart may not.

And then things get complicated.

Release date August 16, 2013

*In full disclosure, I was given the opportunity to read an Advanced Release Copy of this book in order for the author to receive an honest review*

Okiedokie - I wanted to make sure everyone understood the synopsis of this newest steamer from Jasinda Wilder! Sounds good, right? Well - it is good! This Lazy Girl is so glad that she got the opportunity to read Stripped!

Let me tell you why I was so interested in reading this book. A long time ago, in a town an hour away, I attended a smallish Liberal Arts university. I was pursuing a B.A. in Theatre Performance with a Minor in Dance. I was also living off campus with two other of my classmates. Both of my classmates were lovely young women that I truly enjoyed sharing a home with away from home. One of them in particular was actually a former professional ballerina with a well-known company in her home town. She was such a sight to see when she danced. She was Grace and Beauty en pointe. Such an inspiration! But at some point, she decided that she didn't want her parents to pay her part of the rent. And she took a job. Not a waitressing job. And things went from beautiful to scary...so for me, the opportunity to read Stripped was the opportunity to imagine HER having a happy ending to a story that I hope she truly did eventually find a life of happiness. 

As a book I really enjoyed Grey's story from the beginning. I felt that Jasinda captured the feelings of a sheltered girl very well. As well as her blossoming into a stronger woman. She made Grey feel very admirable with her strong work ethic for taking care of herself and her education. I felt her moments of desolation. I felt her fear of failure and her determination to make her own life. And I admired her. Of course, there were also times that I wanted to slap her but then I realized that she was just going to have to outgrow what was bothering me and lo and behold, she did!

Dawson Kellor comes across as a poor little rich boy but also grows into an admirable man that you feel comfortable saying " Yeah, he can totally take care of me....". His turnabout not only takes you, the reader, by surprise but also himself at some points. But instead of letting it scare him, he mans up and becomes more than just tabloid fodder. His growth is a lot more subtle because it's seen mostly through Grey's eyes. And with that, you can't help but fall in love with him!

I guess you could kind of compare this story with the movie Pretty Woman but it really isn't. While it is a sort of Cinderella story for strippers, nothing about this story glorifies stripping as an occupation. You are made completely aware that it is a job, not a career choice and you end up focusing on the fact that the ends justifies the means for Grey. 

While the book was a great love story between two unlikely characters, I do actually wish it had been a little longer. I felt that there was more to the story of Grey and Dawson's romance that leads to the end of the book. Hopefully, Mrs. Wilder will also leave you wanting for more, too (in a good kind of way!)!

AUTHOR BIO:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. When she’s not writing, she’s probably shopping, baking, or reading.

​Some of her favorite authors include Nora Roberts, JR Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Liliana Hart and Bella Andre.

She loves to travel and some of her favorite vacations spots are Las Vegas, New York City and Toledo, Ohio.

You can often find Jasinda drinking sweet red wine with frozen berries and eating a cupcake.

Jasinda is represented by Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency.

GOODREADS LINK FOR STRIPPED:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18108903-stripped

AUTHOR LINKS:

GOODREAD AUTHOR LINK:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6521173.Jasinda_Wilder

LINK TO AUTHOR’S WEBSITE:

http://www.jasindawilder.com/

LINK TO AUTHOR’S FACEBOOK:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJasindaWilder

LINK TO TWITTER:

https://twitter.com/jasindawilder

AMAZON LINK:

http://www.amazon.com/Jasinda-Wilder/e/B0095HTK0A/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=jasiwild-20&linkCode=shr&camp=213733&creative=393193

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON KINDLE:

http://www.amazon.com/Stripped-ebook/dp/B00DJB6KE2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375076357&sr=8-2&keywords=stripped

PAPERBACK:

http://www.amazon.com/Stripped-Jasinda-Wilder/dp/0989104443/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1375076357&sr=8-2

I-TUNES:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/stripped/id677523561?mt=11

GIVEAWAY:

Please note that there will be 5 days of Giveaways ~

Grand Prize ~ $100 Amazon Gift Card

First Prize ~ Signed Paperback of Stripped

Please note there are 5 different Rafflecopter’s for EACH day of the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finding the love in Lori L. Otto's Emi Lost and Found series

First off I was totally supposed to do this review YESTERDAY but for some reason I thought I had until tomorrow and that's what I put on my calendar. Erh - my biggest and bestest apologies to the lovely Lori L. Otto! On with the show!

I was fortunate to be able to read the entire Emi:Lost and Found series as a full set (which is what I highly recommend you do as well). It consists of three full books; Lost and Found, Time Stands Still and Never Look Back. If I had broken it up into separate books I would have found it very difficult to have finished the series and then I would have been mad at myself.

Let me explain my last sentence (which I have to say is very difficult to do without giving away spoilers!). I loved this book series so much that I hated it at some points during the story. At alternate times, I wanted to wring Emi's neck and then I wanted to sucker punch Nate and then I wanted to lock them in a room together and make them figure it out to what I wanted to have happen for them. And then I cried tears of both joy and sadness. This series, Emi's story of losing herself in another person, her losses and her gains and finding herself again will make you run the gamut of emotions. Be prepared to lose yourself in them. At one point, I had to put the book to the side and process for myself that Emi's journey, while at some parts were heart wrenching, had great joy. She learns a lot about herself and what she is capable of doing as a woman. This is a love story but it's not just a love story about boy meets girl, they kiss, they fall in love and live happily ever after The End. It's a story about a young woman coming into her own as a person and learning how to deal with life changing factors and learning how to believe in herself and trust herself to believe in others. But then again...it kind of IS a story about boy meets girl, they kiss, they fall in love and live happily ever after, The End...but you will have to read it yourself to find out what happens in between all that because, believe me - the in between stuff is really what this story is all about.


Here's a copy of one of my favorite quotes by Emi. There are other bits and pieces that really pull at my heart strings but this best shows (in my honest opinion) why I ended up liking Emi:

Hot Damn, Thank You Ma'am! A Review of Shine, Not Burn by Elle Casey

In between reading heavy heart-wrenching books, watching Sons of Anarchy, working my desk job, being a mommy and just my every day awesomeness, I took the time to read this sweet little number Shine, Not Burn by Elle Casey.

In an effort not to give away any spoilers, I am going to include the book synopsis:

IT HAPPENED IN VEGAS.

I can't be held responsible. Things that happen there are supposed to stay there, right? Right? Yeeeah. Not so much.

Andie's just days away from tying the knot, but there's just ooooone little glitch. Apparently, she's already married. Or someone with her name is married to a guy out in Oregon of all places, and the courthouse won't issue her a marriage license until it's all cleared up. Tripping her way through cow pies and country songs to meet up with a man who gets around places on horseback is her very last idea of how to have a good time, but if she's going to get married, make partner at the firm, and have two point five kids before she's thirty-five, she needs to get to the bottom of this snafu and fix it quick ... before her fiance finds out and everything she's been working toward goes up in flames.

Sounds good, right? Right! I loved Andie. A little part of me wants to be Andie when I grow up. See, she's a well-educated, career-driven, goal-oriented woman. But somewhere along the way, she lost her spunk. Her zest for life. Her joie de vivre (and yes, that is how it is spelled). And she lost it by doing all the things she thought she wanted to with her life. But what I loved about her is that she finds it all again! I won't say how (lots of hot sex) and I won't say where (West of the Mississippi). I will say that a certain Dixie Chicks song came to mind and I will post it HERE:

All in all, I found Shine, Not Burn to be a sweet read. It was a good love story with strong character development. I feel that it was well written and it really kept my interest.There was a lot of humor infused into the story line and I found myself laughing as much as I was gasping. And the hot stuff? Whoa Nelly - it was hot!

One of my favorite lines from the book is this:

"I can't let you go because you're mine. And because I can't stand to see you sad. I'm going to fix that. You sure you don't need me in there right now? I could cheer you up real quick, I promise." - Mack

 I truly enjoyed getting to know Andie and her friends and I hope to see more from some of the other characters and their journeys to their HEAs. And now, I must go find some cowboys on the Pinterest...for research purposes, of course!
 

 

The Intensity that is Fear of Falling by S.L.Jennings

As a foreword, I was given an ARC of this book in order to wrote a totally honest review - so that's what you are about to read!

When I typed in my search to Wikipedia, I found the following definition:

The fear of falling (FOF) is a natural fear and is typical of most humans and mammals, in varying degrees of extremity. It differs from acrophobia (the fear of heights), although the two fears are closely related and sometimes indistinguishable. The fear of falling encompasses the anxieties accompanying the sensation and the possibly dangerous effects of falling, opposed to the heights themselves.<sup>[1]

 I wanted to make sure I knew what I was getting into with this book. And truly, it was such an intense story to read that I had to make myself stop and read a few books that were "fluffier" before I could write the review. At one point, I even emailed Mrs. Jennings to tell her I read a particularly emotional scene. Her response? "It gets worse before it gets better" and I thought to myself "what have I gotten myself into?" 
Fear of Falling follows the story of Kami and the end of yet another bad day for her. She's spent her entire adulthood running from her fears while never feeling safe enough to actually let them go. She makes a point of only having casual relationships because of her intense fear of being unlovable. On this particular day, though, she meets the one man that can help her face all the fears she's been collecting in her jar of origami stars. She knows her attraction to him is real and her fear of her own feelings becomes star number 253. Through the story, we learn why she is so traumatized. She has very good reasons for keeping herself in her own comfort zone.We learn why her friends, Angel and Dom, rally around her. And they are ultimately the proof that she IS capable of loving and being loved, even when she doesn't recognize it in herself.. Blaine, however, sees her strength and does his best to understand her fears. Blaine is one persistent man. He stays as strong as he can while being pushed away at every opportunity or excuse that Kami can come up with. His desire is not to fix or change her but to bring her past her fears and into her future with him.

One thing I really liked about this book was that while Blaine was a strong man, he was not without his own faults. But even with his inexperience with everything Kami is dealing with, he does his best by her. He doesn't try to fix her as he first thinks he needs to but he becomes her calm in the storm of her emotions. He even takes the approach of facing her fears head on and taking bad experiences and making them better so that Kami can have happy memories. By loving her, he eventually does save her from herself.

Another stand-out character for me was Dom. I do hope that we see more of him soon.

S.L. Jennings' book, Fear of Falling is worth your time. It is worth the heartache. It is worth getting to certain points in the story that are so intense that you have to stop reading to process it all before you can go on.</sup> 

 

Nom Nom Nom - A Lazy Girl Review of Ella Frank' s Edible

Alright . Alright.  After creating my blog and page the other day, I found myself having to make the time to finish Edible ~not for lack of want!

Edible is the third book in Ella Frank's. Exquisite series centering on the Langley siblings, Mason and Rachel and the people most important to them. The brother and sister duo co-own a restaurant together. They deal with all the ups and downs of their business lives and their personal lives as a family.

Rachel is just a minor player in the first two books. We are introduced to her in Exquisite as Mason's younger sister who surrounds herself in bright and vibrant colors as she works as a pastry chef. In Entice (book 2), we find that there's a little darkness to Rachel when she takes her friends Lena and Shelly to Whipped dressed as a dominatrix. She happens to meet the enigmatic Cole during this visit. He is the one man that sees behind the facade she is presenting and tells her he knows exactly what she needs. Their paths cross through out the book even though the story revolves around Shelly and Josh.

Edible actually begins with a short insight into why Rachel feels the need to create a character to hide behind and it shows the strong bond she had with her father. It immediately reveals some of the changes that Rachel has had in her life including the fact that she is now working two jobs; running her mother's flower shop during the day and working as a pastry chef at Exquisite in the evenings. Every day is harder for her to keep going on with the strength that everyone expects from her. Another chance encounter with Cole gives her the chance to learn how to let go. Cole has his own burden to bear and as their steamy story unfolds, Rachel and Cole learn that together, they can accomplish great things in and out of the bedroom. They learn that they do not have to be alone in their struggles and come together with a strength that is surprising to themselves as well as to their loved ones.

As a book, I really enjoyed Edible. The main relationship between Rachel and Cole is heavy on the BDSM. That being said, I feel it is necessary to give a breakdown of what "BDSM" means in laymen's terms. A lot of people have read a certain book with neck ties, red rooms and bubble baths. That's all fine and dandy but it is not a true representation of what the BDSM lifestyle is about. See, B stands for bondage - which is the restraining of an active participant whether by shibari, on a St. Andrew's cross or with handcuffs to a bed frame, etc. D is for domination. Domination generally deals with one partner controlling the sexual actions and needs of the other to the benefit of both partners. Basically, the dominant partner (Dom for men and Domme for woman) tells the submissive what to do during their encounters. S is for sadism which is taking sexual pleasure from causing minor (or sometimes major depending on the limits of both partners) damage to a partner in ways such as flogging, spanking, the use of clamps, etc. M is for masochism - which usually goes hand in hand with the sadism. Masochism deals with the receiving end of pain for sexual gratification. OK. Now that all that has been lightly defined, let me say that Rachel and Cole deal in my favorite letter from BDSM; the D.

One of my favorite scenes highlights their relationship:

“I don’t remember inviting you to touch me.” Cole stated in a voice that invited no argument, but like a fool she argued.

“Well you actually invited me to suck your tongue, or have you already forgotten?”

Holding her firmly against him, his hazel eyes heated at the reminder.

“An invitation you refused as far as I am aware. So until I reissue the invite maybe you should keep your hands to yourself.”

Edible by Ella Frank

And of course, being that Rachel is a pastry chef by trade, she and the seemingly uptight Cole also have some fun with caramel...so much fun that I just had to have Milk Duds when we took the kids to movies on Saturday!

As much as I enjoyed this book, I had a hard time relating to Rachel as a character. It wasn't that she wasn't well written or that she wasn't compelling. Hell, I admire anyone that takes the risks that she takes but after her backstory, I just didn't feel the pull for her that I did for Lena and Shelly. No, in this book it was all about Cole for me. He's the proverbial example of judging a book by it's cover. He keeps his personal life close to the cuff. But when he takes off that suit and tie, there's a whole other creature that you never expect to encounter. He's a man in control. And his control is necessary to be successful. And he is successful...in and out of the bedroom! He knows what he wants and he's not afraid to seize the moment to get it.

So, all in all, I really did enjoy reading about Cole. I liked Cole. I liked Cole a lot. And I am sure that you will like him as well!

What I am reading right now. Like RIGHT NOW, right now.

So. I am totally calling myself out because this is my third post for the day and I am supposed to be lazy, right? Call me excited, I guess!

I am currently at home because I fell and broke my ankle (it's the posterior mumblejumble tibia fracture - blah). Which means that I am in my husband's recliner next to the laptop (in case you wanted to get a pinpoint for the heat seeking missiles) and the kids are running around asking for snacks and movies and games. So, of course, I am blogging and letting my son fulfill all of his sister's snack wishes (to a degree - hey! I use a lot of parentheses!).

I am actually trying to read a book. It's Ella Frank's newest release, Edible. It's the third in her "Exquisite" series and this one in particular is about Rachel; a florist by default by day and a pastry chef at night and her adventures in and out of her family's businesses....I will share more later!

For your viewing pleasure....

In case you were wondering....

You can find me on Facebook, too! Under the same page name.

Starting out with the best of intentions

So...this is my first effort in blogging. In case you missed it in the name of my blog, I'm kind of lazy...but this is a GOOD thing, believe it or not. Why you ask? Well, because I may not blog every day. So you won't get bored with me and my honest opinions. And they will be honest. They won't be mean and they may not even be grammatically correct. But they will be mine and I will try to lead you on the right path as my reader....And I am going to give reviews for whatever interests me - but mostly books. Books I am reading or I want to read or I never want to read again and can't believe I wasted my time on them. See, I love to read. If I got to read whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted to then I would do little else. But then people would want to know "Why did she read that? Should I read that?". Well - it depends on what you like to read. I find myself reading a lot of New Adult and Contemporary Romance authors. Some of them are well known and some of them are Indie/Self-Publishing. Most of them will be smexy books. I like smexy. If you don't like smexy, do not go any further.
Let me clarify - "smexy" for me does not always mean graphic. Sometimes it's the details that are left out that allow you to use your own imagination to fill in the blanks that make a situation (or an entire book in some cases) smexy. I am big on Alpha males and sassy women. That's my favorite combination. That's honestly what I will review the most of in this blog. I do also read Paranormal Romance, Young Adult, Sci-Fi and Fantasy - yep, you pegged me - I'm a Fiction girl! But, on occasion, I do read Historical fiction and some Biographies and I am open to suggestions - but don't suggest something if you don't want my Honest Opinion!
P.S.
There may also be movie reviews.
P.P.S.
Also, there may be television show reviews - but I read a lot so there aren't that many t.v. shows that I watch on a regular basis...
P.P.P.S.
My reviews may not always be about subjects that are safe for work or appropriate for persons under the age of 18. Read at your own risk....