Blog Tour: Withstanding Me by Crystal Spears

Mature Content: Intended for adults 18+

The author provided me both a copy of this novel and the first novel in the Breakneck Series to review for my honest opinion. 

Color me crazy but until Breakneck, I wasn't one of the apparently many on the biker bandwagon. The bikers and the ladies of Breakneck have changed that. These are not easy books to read. Especially if you a romance and flowers kind of lovey dovey reader. 

I like that characters we met and became interested in Seize Me are back. This book (and quite possibly the entire series) is tough. There is drug use, alcohol use, murder and all sorts of random acts of violence and mayhem. But there is ZZ (short for Zig Zag) and his lady Storm. You almost have to read the book just to find out her real name! 

And yes, Winter and Braxxon (the MC Prez) from Seize Me finally tie the knot. ZZ has had his eye on Storm since she and her friends were saved from the club where they had been sold. She is now managing Winter's club and while her eye is also on ZZ, she isn't interested in being just a notch....

But life is short-- especially when you live in Winter's sphere-- and bullets fly and sometimes you just can't resist when temptation walks through the door with tattoos, body piercings and motorcycle boots. 

Seeing the more gentle and caring side of ZZ makes you realize that we may look different, we may act different, but deep down we are all so much more alike than we think we are. Watching ZZ with his daughter-- a mere 13 years younger than he is-- illustrates the frustration that parents all through time feel toward their teenage children. Seeing the camaraderie between the members of the club and their families is special.  

I am looking forward to reading the stories of the rest of the Breakneck series. It is hard hitting and brutal in spots. It is not for the faint of heart.... but it can be heartwarming.

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Blurb:

While the chaos and bloodshed have slowed for a short period, life is never quiet in the world of Breakneck. The club is taking time to regroup from internal betrayal and the changing of the guard in a rival group.

Zig Zag became a father at the age of thirteen. While raising a child has never been easy, now his eighteen year old daughter Tatiana makes his life downright hard. She has caught the eye of Travis, the new President of the rival MC Gunners, but all she really wants is Shadow, the newest addition to the Breakneck family. When Shadow’s rejection sends Tatiana running from the only family, home, and safety she’s ever known, ZZ is crazy with worry. The distraction caused by Tatiana’s disappearance could prove to be Zig Zag’s downfall.

If that isn’t enough, ZZ finds himself rampantly attracted to the one and only Storm. She’s beautiful, quick and witty. Their friendship is the one thing that keeps him from growing crazy, and Storm stands by ZZ through all the turmoil. Zig Zag is not accustomed to hearing the word no, so Storm’s constant withstanding just draws him in deeper. Their friendship is one thing keeping him from going crazy, until one night…

The club is regrouping and rebuilding from the mayhem known as the Russian Mafia. A hit is ordered on Tatiana, Storm, Winter, and Piper.

Tatiana’s egg donor reveals secrets that a thirteen year old Zig Zag was too young to understand.

Braxxon is out of reach while he helps Greg Cage deal with some dirty business.

Bloodshed… Secrets… Betrayal… Trauma… Welcome back to the Breakneck world.

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Tease

An upcoming project... starting this weekend! Stay tuned for more information about Project Saturday

Changes

I saw the doctor Friday.

And by doctor, I mean I switched doctors. I went back to Dr M. He was my physician for over a decade I guess before he left practicing and began administrating an acute care office attached to his clinic.

Guess he hasn't liked that not seeing patients aspect because he left administrating and went back to practicing.

I wasn't happy with a couple of med switches the replacement physician (Dr LJM) had made and liked even less the attitude when I tried to get them to switch back.

So I took it as a sign... Dr M was also my Mother's doctor and he was the one who was with us there at the end. I checked with my insurance regarding the switch of my primary care physician and they were cool. So I called his office and made the switch.

We had a great time catching up. He made the one med change I wanted... I should have known that it wouldn't end there.

He wants to switch all the others. What I like to refer to as my sanity cocktail.

He said what I am on is some of the original meds and there have been advances and whatnot... apparently since mine are not working real well on the prevention of anxiety. Been bothered with near constant panic and anxiety since the five day Labor Day weekend.

So he has pulled out the big guns. The same guns I have fought off for close to two decades. The same guns I would willingly put off for another two decades.  But I can't willingly go back to the man and then not listen to what he says. Can I?

He wants to get professional help in determining a new pharm regime and I have run out of time and excuses.

I don't want to. Absolutely do not want to at all. But I will. Mainly because I have no choice at this point. I fear he will push and push and frankly I know I can't handle that and I know I can't be off the meds-- at least, not right now.

So I will follow his orders.... regardless of what I would rather do.... and see what happens.

Cover Reveal: Holding On To Love

I am looking forward to this one by A.E. Neal....

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Join me October 8 for my participation in the Holding On To Love Blog Tour. Complete with review!

Blog Tour: Breaking Elle

Breaking Elle
Antoinette Candela

                                             Mature Content. Intended for those 18+

Synopsis

How is it that the one person who you have avoided is the same person who could give you true happiness?

When Elle Bennett meets Reed Austin she can't deny the attraction. She discovers that certain people come into your life who make you question everything that you've ever believed about love and life. Will she risk everything for something exciting and dangerous or will she choose what is familiar and secure? 

Reed Austin isn't looking for love when he moves to Boston. The distance was supposed to help him escape the trouble he left behind. Once he meets, Elle, everything changes. Reed can't figure out why he's drawn to Elle, but one thing is certain - he needs her.

Passion. Betrayal. Solace. Confusion. Desperation. 

Love and life are not simple and emotions and relationships are tested. Will attraction be enough or will their secrets and past keep them apart?

Excerpt

"I've never been good at games." I reply softy. I can't pull my eyes away from his achingly perfect face. 

"I can start off slow." His voice is husky and enticing. Leaning in closer his eyes search mine, gauging my reaction. He reaches down and strokes my cheek, and the way my body responds to his touch is just... indescribable. 
“I’m jealous of your pillow and sheets; I want this cheek to rest on mine and I want to keep this body warm,” he whispers, his lips right above mine.

My heartbeat spikes and I close my eyes. I inhale, soaking all of him in: his scent, his image, his words. I try to fight the urge to touch him, to fight the fact that I want him to touch me. It’s so painful, my senses are screaming for him. Opening my eyes, I don't move, waiting, knowing from the look in his eyes that he wants the same thing. But he stops and retreats. He smiles flirtatiously and lifts one perfect eyebrow. I'm breathless and my head’s spinning with the thought of being so close to tasting him.

"Let's go and join the party," he says. Taking my hand, he turns to the entryway, but when he sees that I'm not moving, he looks over his shoulder.

 “What’s wrong?" He asks playfully. "You look disappointed. Were you expecting something?” He smiles crookedly, his eyes warm and intense. 

“No. Nothing.” I blink, inhaling a deep breath, catching myself before I say or do something I'll regret.

                                                                    Review

I received a copy of this book for my honest review. 

I will warn you right up front, if you don't like cliffhangers you might want to skip this one. In fact it ends with one of the biggest cliffs I have ever seen. 

I really wanted to like this book. And for the most part I did. Elle is in her early 20's living at home with her mother, stepfather and brother. At the beginning of the book she is wildly, madly in love with her boyfriend Cane. 

I wanted to like her. I tried to like her. I just really didn't so much. 

Her best friend is Tyler. They have been best friends forever and ever and he would love more. But if I had to hear her say one more time why they couldn't be more, I thought I would scream. And here, I think, is my biggest problem with Elle. It was always all about her. And what she wanted. 

Without giving too many spoilers away... Elle and Cane part ways. Sort of; he's still her brother's best friend so he never actually goes away. 

Tyler is always there on the sidelines and then he's more but she holds him at arms length until it suits her. 

But then there is Reed. I liked Reed. Reed had his own issues and like many, doesn't share those all of those issues in the best way and creates even more drama than ever needed to be. Elle, in what I began to think of as suitably selfish Elle way, when she doesn't get what she wants when she wants it, virtually turns her back on him. And all of a sudden, there is Tyler. 

Elle strikes me as the type of woman who doesn't see herself as complete unless she has a man. Or in this case, a line of men who seem to be one in many to fill the void. 

I read the book, hell I read it twice.... for different reasons. And yes, I will probably read the next one.... remember that cliffhanger I told you about? I still need to know what happens. 

The book is fine-- it's not the authors fault that I have problems with women like Elle. 

About the author -Antoinette Villelli Candela

Antoinette Candela is a little shy with a larger than life personality. Suffering from Peter Pan syndrome, she refuses to grow up. She finds inspiration for her writings from everyday life, through her fun and quirky interactions with friends and family and the drama that never ceases to disappoint.

One thing is for certain, Antoinette lives by her own rules. As a Bostonian she loves the Yankees and is proud to wear her “I Love Derek Jeter “T-shirt. You can catch Antoinette on the beach soaking in the rays, but when the rumble of the thunderstorm rolls in, she’s curled up with a book or tapping away on her keyboard.

Mother, Writer, Reader, Lover of Music and all things learning, Antoinette is the charismatic author of Breaking Elle.

Find the author on the web!

Website 

Facebook 

Goodreads 

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Where to buy

Amazon

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Blog Tour: Healing A Cowboy's Heart

Healing A Cowboy's Heart: Cowboy Dreamin' 2

                                                            Synopsis:

Jeffery Young is tired of women and their games. His son’s mother did enough damage to his heart to last a lifetime. Now, he had to deal with the architect helping the land developers tear up the local ranches for their houses. Not on his watch. 

Terri Kennedy had her own plans. As the architect for a large land development in Bandera Texas, the deal would put her business on the map, but dealing with the stubborn, bullheaded male from the local ranch didn’t come with her job description.

 Maybe staying on their guest ranch would give her some clues as how to handle Mr. Stubborn Jackass. Will the secrets she’s harboring keep him from getting close? Can he learn to trust women again or should be play the game to find out what’s she’s up to?

                                              Mature Content. Intended for those 18+

                                                                    Excerpt:

The last fucking person Jeff wanted to deal with tonight was his ex. He’d had a shitty ass day working in the south pasture on the water trough. Damn thing had sprung another leak after he’d fix the one yesterday. 

“What are you doin’ here, Misha? I told you never to come out here without callin’ first.”

She pushed forward, headed for the door, past a blonde woman. “I need to talk to you.”

“There’s nothin’ you need to say to me in front of my family and our son.”

“Please, Jeff. It’s important.”

“Everything is important,” he snapped, grabbing her arm to drag her into the main lodge area. Whatever she had to say, he didn’t want said in front of the guests or his family. “What the hell is this all about?”

“I need a thousand dollars.”

“What? Are you fuckin’ crazy! I ain’t givin’ you any money.”

“You will or I’ll take custody of our son.”

“Bullshit! We’ve been through this, Misha. We’ve already been to court and they gave me full custody. You have visitation. Nothin’ more.”

She yanked her arm out of his grasp. “I’ll lie or whatever I have to do to take him from you.”

“You bitch!”

“That’s right. I’m a bitch. The same bitch you fucked, got pregnant, and then dumped the minute your dick didn’t get what you wanted.”

“I’ll see you in hell before you get my son or any money from me. Now get the hell off my property before I have you thrown out of here on your ass.”

“Is there a problem here, brother?” Jeremiah asked, standing close enough to Misha to intimate her from the shifting of her stance.

His entire family surrounded Misha and him. “I can handle her.”

“You don’t have to alone, Jeffery,” Nina said, wrapping her arm around his waist. 

“You’ll leave now, Misha, and don’t bother threatening Jeff or Ben again. I’ll mortgage this entire property to keep him from your clutches.”

“We’ll see about that!”

Misha pushed her way through the throng of people his family made up, stomping her way toward the door. 

She didn’t even stop when Ben called, “Mama?”

Jeff hurried to Ben’s side and picked him up. “It’s okay, buddy. Mama had somewhere to be.”

“She didn’t even stop, Daddy.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” He hugged Ben tight as tears gathered in his eyes. What the hell did I ever see in her?

 Review:

            

                                                                 

Let me start off with saying that I received a copy of this book for my honest review. Not only did I receive this book; but because it was the second in the series, the author sent me the first one as well. 

If I tell you that as soon as I started reading the first book, Make Mine A Cowboy, I pretty much knew what I was going to be doing for the next several hours. The Cowboy Dreamin' series is, well, hot. But more than that, it's fun. And full of family. 

Lots and lots of family. There are, after all, nine young brothers and three of them are triplets. Oh my!  Healing A Cowboy's Heart, the second of the series, is the story of the oldest brother, Jeff. 

Now Jeff got a raw deal from his first wife.... now an ex and she was a real piece of work. Left poor Jeff on his wedding night to go off with friends and get drunk. Passed out on their floor and Jeff didn't see his new bride for a couple of days. But while she left him scarred and bitter, she did leave him with a cute little boy named Ben. 

So imagine a dude ranch with 10 full size cowboys... including James, the boys' father and one pint size three year old cowboy and Terri Kennedy doesn't stand a chance. 

Of course, Jeff wants nothing to do with her when he meets her. She's part of the team buying up land near his family's ranch. So she ditches her hotel room and decides to stay at the Young's dude ranch. 

Not wanting to give any spoilers away, not only do I recommend this book, I heartily recommend the whole series. And can I hint I hope to read about all nine of the brothers... I sure am curious about.... well, never mind, I will let you read it for yourself!  

                                                            About the Author

Sandy Sullivan is a romance author, who, when not writing, spends her time with her husband Shaun on their farm in middle Tennessee. She loves to ride her horses, play with their dogs and relax on the porch, enjoying the rolling hills of her home south of Nashville. County music is a passion of hers and she loves to listen to it while she writes. She is an avid reader of romance novels and enjoys reading Nora Roberts, Jude Deveraux and Susan Wiggs. Finding new authors and delving into something different helps feed the need for literature. A registered nurse by education, she loves to help people and spread the enjoyment of romance to those around her with her novels. She loves cowboys so you'll find many of her novels have sexy men in tight jeans and cowboy boots.

                                                         Buy Links:

SweetCraving

Cover Reveal: Pulled Back Again

By Danielle Bannister