Sweet & Sassy Anthology: Stormy Kisses

Will extreme weather keep these six couples apart or bring them together? Sweet & Sassy Anthology: Stormy Kisses has six contemporary romances set against wild weather from award winning and Amazon best selling authors. 
 
Love Right
by Rebecca Rode

Corie McMullen doesn’t consider herself a man-hater. It’s just that being dumped by a fiancé via text has given her trust issues. Now, two years later, she’s written a bestselling relationships book, Love Right, and managed to avoid dating altogether. Even better, she’s scored an interview on a prestigious national morning show.

So when her best friend, Sofia, drags her to Singles Week at a ski lodge in Colorado, she’s reluctant to jump into the dating scene again. Especially when the man who seems interested turns out to be Micah Calloway, a playboy from her high school who insists he’s changed.

Then a blizzard hits while they’re snowshoeing, and the dating game turns dangerous. Now Corie’s very survival rests on an impossible decision. Not only must she trust Micah with her life, but somehow she must find the courage to trust him with her heart.
 
Waves of Deceit
by Donna K. Weaver

Twenty-six-year-old Shelby Nash wants to break free of her controlling, billionaire father. With the completion of one more project for his company, she can branch out on her own. However, her ex-boyfriend’s been appointed as the new lead architect. She has to find a way to protect her heart from him while avoiding whoever’s making anonymous threats.

Wade Armstrong did a poor job handling the news about the identity of his girlfriend’s father. Shelby walked out of his life without another word. Finally, four years later, Wade has a chance to win her back. As long as whoever’s targeted her doesn’t get to her first.
 
Secrets in the Storm
by Cindy M. Hogan

High in the Canadian Kananaskis National Forest, super spies, Christy and Jeremy try again for a romantic getaway, in hopes that their remote destination will give them a long awaited private holiday.
Unfortunately, someone else has found shelter in the same abandoned lodge, but with much more nefarious intent. Christy and Jeremy set off, determined to get the evidence into the right hands in Calgary.

But a violent flash storm rolls in, as well as a beautiful girl from Jeremy’s past. Combined, they threaten to not only help the terrorists have their way, but also to end the relationship between handler and spy for good as jealousy and distrust come between them.
 
Back to You
by Jo Noelle

Zara Hollis never thought at twenty-three she’d trade in her passion for hiking and spelunking to run a mortuary and care for her mother, who has advanced Alzheimer’s. When Trevor Cooley, all grown up and gorgeous, moves back to town, Zara is drawn to the quiet man who used to be her childhood friend, but now in a much more than friendly way.

Trev wants to pull Zara, as fun-loving and beautiful as ever, back into his life and hopefully into his arms. But there’s a problem. He’s only in Colorado for a short time on a stint as an undercover boss. He and his company can’t afford distractions. When the two get stranded together, sheltering from a violent storm, Trev realizes this particular “distraction” may jeopardize not only his plans, but also his heart.
 
Twisters and Textbooks (a Sunset Plains romance novella)
by Lindzee Armstrong. 

After the death of her parents, chasing tornadoes is the only thing that makes Lauren feel alive. Each storm gives her the adrenaline rush she craves, but it can’t make her forget Tanner, the country boy she left behind in Oklahoma. When a funeral brings Lauren back to Sunset Plains, she decides to seek out Tanner in a desperate attempt to finally let go of her past. He’s still angry by her abrupt departure from his life, and she begins to question whether she ever should’ve returned.

Just as Lauren’s about to run—again—a tornado hits near town, and Lauren and Tanner are caught up in a cyclone of emotions neither is sure they want to escape. Can they weather the storm of their past, or will they let it consume them?
 
Zoey’s Place
By Rachel Branton

Caring for the animals at Safe Haven Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary has filled the holes in Zoey Morgan’s life and smoothed the memories that still haunt her. It helps that she works with friendly Stephen Carey, whose uncle owns the Arizona sanctuary, and Declan Walker, who is as wild and untouchable as the animals they help.
When a storm hits, flattening buildings and flooding roads all over the state, the sanctuary goes into lockdown mode. But Zoey learns that her younger sister is lost in the storm, and she will risk anything to find her. So will the man who loves her—if she’d let him. Can he slip past the walls Zoey has built to hide her secrets?
Zoey’s Place is a stand-alone novella telling the story of the now-grownup orphan that readers first saw in Rachel Branton’s House without Lies.

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This was such a fun collection of novellas.  I'm very familiar with all but one of these authors so it was a treat to delve into this book.  Secrets in the Storm and Zoey's Place are both spin off novellas from full length novels by the authors.  The characters in both books appear in other books.  I haven't read anything by Rebecca Rode so I'll be looking into her other books now that I've had a sample.  :)

I loved how different each novella felt.  There was romance in all of them but each one also had some sort of suspense, action or danger as well.  It was fantastically diverting!  

One of the great things about novella collections is that you can plow right through them (like me), or you can read one at a time, (just a nibble) here or there.  Whatever your circumstances allow.  It's a great way to be introduced to new authors who you might enjoy.

As of right now, this book is only .99 cents to buy on Amazon for kindle.  That's a bargain deal!  If you have kindle unlimited, you can read this book free!  :)  Yay!!

Content:  clean

--I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Fatal Exchange (Christy #3) by Cindy M. Hogan

For 19-year-old Christy Hadden, it’s life as usual as a spy, only this time in Paris, France. Her mission: retrieve a flash drive containing evidence that a high public official is working to destroy Paris. Pretty standard, until someone steals the drive from her. Forced to abandon her position protecting the informant, she goes after the thief, but returns empty handed—only to find her informant dead.

Christy's failure taints her reputation at Division and the director has lost all faith in her. But Christy isn't one to slink into the shadows. Alone and disgraced, she decides to track down the drive and solve the murder, not only to redeem herself as a spy, but to give meaning to her informant’s sacrifice, and perhaps even save Paris.

Suspenseful, with the right amount of romance, and awash with action, Fatal Exchange will send you on a thrill ride that will be hard to forget.

 * Goodreads * Amazon *

This book had so many elements that I just love.  I was really looking forward to reading this book and it definitely did not disappoint.

Fatal Exchange is the third book in this Christy series.  Christy is a spy and a good one at that.  I love her spy team because they are so fiercely loyal to each other.  They are friends and they look out for each other one hundred percent.

The pacing of this book is fantastic.  It was fast and I felt like I was on a fantastic ride where I hold on for dear life with a smile on my face the whole time.  There is danger and suspense almost around every turn.  It was great fun.

There is some light romance, but it isn't a main focal point in the book until toward the end.  I think this book probably could stand alone, but I would recommend reading the whole series because that is really how you get to know the characters.  I'm sure this book wouldn't have been so good to me if I hadn't been following the series and had that connection to the characters with the background of knowledge that comes with it.

This is, by far, my favorite series from Cindy Hogan.  She has found her groove with these books and I am a fan.

Content:  Clean- no swearing or sexual content beyond some kissing.

Sweet & Sassy Anthology: Castle Collection + $25 Giveaway

Readers will be delighted with five sweet, romance novellas in Sweet & Sassy: Castle Collection. In this charming anthology, you will fall in love again and again. Dangerous Truth by Cindy M. Hogan All By My Selfie by Jo Noelle A Savage Ghost by Donna K. Weaver The Ghost of Dunlow Manor by Paige Timothy Rose of Sherwood by Kaye P. Clark

DANGEROUS TRUTH Olivia loves everything about Belgium. So far, her humanitarian trip has gone perfectly--that is, until she sees a picture of a man she thinks is her father in the newspaper. The father who abandoned her family nine years ago without a word. She tries to forget she ever saw his photo. He's forgotten about her, after all. But soon it's apparent that she can't leave without knowing what happened. Armed with years of hurt and the help of a gorgeous French photographer, she decides to confront him and his secrets once and for all. Unfortunately, her father seems determined to keep those secrets hidden. . . and Olivia is one of them.

ALL BY MY SELFIE While on vacation at McLeod Castle in Scotland, Gwen Mackenzie has nightly dreams of an ancient warrior bound by a curse. During the day, she sees Niall, nicknamed #ScottishBoyfriend. Oh, and can that man rock a kilt! As she gets to know him, she realizes that Niall is the warrior from her dreams, cursed to live as a ghost for the past five hundred years, to see life around him but never sense any of it—except Gwen.

A SAVAGE GHOST Lia Savage reluctantly puts her dream of opening a dessert boutique on hold to help her dad remodel a castle he’s inherited in Washington State. Soon, a specter targets her younger sister. Lia enlists the help of Coop Montgomery, the head gardener and her former crush. As they search together for a way to rid the castle of its ghost, the romance she used to dream about with him kindles. But Lia’s gentle giant means to stay in Washington while she’s determined to return to California. She must find the courage to face both the ghost and her future. With Coop. Or without him.

THE GHOST OF DUNLOW MANOR Bestselling author Alexis St. John needs an escape, and Nate, her personal assistant, thinks that a trip to a real castle in England will be just the thing. What neither of them planned on, though, was to encounter an actual ghost. Lady Catherine Dunlow hates the idea of sharing her castle with tourists and does everything she can to chase them out, much to the amusement of her roguish suitor. But when her two newest guests stumble upon a mystery surrounding her death, she decides to let them stay. With an eternal fate in the balance, Nate and Alexis must move quickly to bring the killer to light before Catherine is trapped forever.

ROSE OF SHERWOOD Lady Rosamund, Baroness of Ravenswood Manor, is a destitute widow, imprisoned in Nottingham Castle. When the prince declares she must marry the ruthless man who had seized Ravenswood, she escapes with the help of a band of outlaws to Sherwood Forest. Her first love, a battle-worn knight, promises to help her find safety at a convent. Confused and afraid, her heart yearns for love. But are the risks too high?

* Amazon * Goodreads *

I just love novella collections.  Especially ones revolving around a certain theme- like this one.  This collection is perfect for the month of October.  Here you get five different stories from five different authors but each one revolves around castles and/or ghosts.  It's the perfect Halloween treat!  Read them one after another without stopping or breathing (Ha, just kidding.  You must breathe.) Or, read them one per sitting, whenever you have time.  That is the joy of anthologies.

This time around I slipped one in at a time.  It was better for me with the whole ghost theme.  I'm not really a fan of ghost stories, even the tame and sweeter kind, so for me one at a time was perfect.  Not every story has a ghost, but every one has a sweet romance.  That's the part that I really love.  Each story is unique and different.  So much fun!

Content:  Clean- some kissing

Enjoy the following excerpt from "A Savage Ghost".

Hugh concentrated on the haze that should be the main hearth and willed it to come into focus. Nothing changed at first, but then the fireplace sharpened. His shoulders relaxed. At last, after struggling for so long, enough of his sense of self had returned. And some of his power.

How long had it been? All he could recall were a few times, every once in a while, when he was able to interact with the people in this new place.

He tried to run his diaphanous hand along the mantel, frustrated when it passed through. Staring hard, Hugh grasped the single wooden-framed picture resting on it. The small portrait lifted into the air. He crowed, for once not caring that such a sound was beneath his dignity.

A gasp from behind startled him, and his hand turned translucent again. Without substance, his fingers lost their grip. The picture crashed to the hearth and shattered. Livid, he spun, refocusing his energy. He fueled his will with anger, and his hands took form. The gray-haired woman gave a satisfying shriek before covering her mouth with her hands.

“Remove yourself from my home at once,” he commanded, his voice low and menacing. He kicked a piece of broken frame, and it flew toward her. With a cry, the servant ducked and ran from the room.

About the Authors Cindy M. Hogan is inspired by the unpredictable teenagers she teaches. More than anything she loves the time she has with her own teenage daughters and wishes she could freeze them at this fun age. If she's not reading or writing, you'll find her snuggled up with the love of her life watching a great movie or planning their next party. Most of all, she loves to laugh.

Jo Noelle grew up in Colorado and Utah but also lived in Idaho and California. She has two adult children and three small kids. She teaches teachers and students about reading and writing, grows freakishly large tomatoes, enjoys cooking, builds furniture, sews beautiful dresses, and goes hiking in the nearby mountains. Oh, and she’s two people, Canda Mortensen and Deanna Henderson, a mother/daughter writing team.

Donna K. Weaver: A wife, mother, grandmother, Harry Potter geek, Navy brat, Army veteran, and karate black belt. Donna is an avid cruiser, having sailed the Pacific five times. She’s lived in South Korea, the Philippines, Germany, and many US states. She and her husband raised six children and currently have nine grandchildren.

Paige Timothy has been writing for as long as she can remember… and probably before that, too, because her memory gets spotty at a certain point. She loves watching romantic comedies, blushes when the characters do something embarrassing, and sighs in all the right places.

Kaye P. Clark was born in New York City, grew up in southern California and raised her family living on remote cattle ranches in Arizona. She now makes her home in Idaho where she works part-time at the county library and teaches art to young children. She’s a mother and grandmother with a very patient husband who puts up with her passion for writing.

 

Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 11/1/15 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. 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. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

  

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Kate Unmasked (Code of Silence, #1) by Cindy M. Hogan

The mysteries of her past consume her.

Seventeen-year-old Kate has never stopped searching for the secrets of her past - the secrets that began with her missing birth parents. After years of every lead drying up and every hope turning false, Kate finally lucks onto a promising lead.

Determined to find the truth once and for all, Kate travels to the gritty New Jersey shore. But what she finds is worse than she ever could have imagined. She can't hide from who she is, and now she must face the awful consequences of finding the very people she should have been hiding from.

Some secrets should stay dead and buried.

 * Goodreads * Amazon *

I'm coming in with a mixed sort of review on this one.  I'm a fan of Cindy Hogan's Christy Series and because of that I had high hopes for this book and the beginning of this new series.  I didn't love it like I wanted to but there were parts I definitely enjoyed.

The main character, Kate, has me so conflicted.  For the most part, I just didn't like her and I liked her best friend even less.  There were some redeeming moments for Kate but overall, I just felt like her character was inconsistent.  One moment she is whining and annoying and the next she is brilliant.  Kate is a teenager though and I've had a few of those, so I know the attitude swing that is possible with teenagers but for some reason I just had a hard time liking Kate.

Duran, on the other hand, was completely likable from the very first moment.  He is the character that kept me feeling hopeful and not crazy like I want to strangle you.

The first half of the book just sort of eeked along.  It felt slow and there was just way too much teenage drama and whining.  It got old.  The last part of the book, things picked up and I was more into the story and what was happening.  There were so many things that as I reader, I just didn't buy into.  I didn't believe it.  Most of it in regards to Kate.

Maybe this is written with the younger teenagers in mind?  I don't know but I'm still debating whether or not to follow this series.  Maybe I'll just stick to the Christy series which I really do love.  I'm reading the next book in that series right now and I'm really loving it.  Look for my review of that one next week!