Thursday, September 29, 2016

Cover Reveal!! Riveted by Jay Crownover


From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men books comes the next installment in the Saints of Denver series.

Everyone else in Dixie Carmichael’s life has made falling in love look easy, and now she is ready for her own chance at some of that happily ever after. Which means she’s done pining for the moody, silent former soldier who works with her at the bar that’s become her home away from home. Nope. No more chasing the hot as heck thundercloud of a man and no more waiting for Mr. Right to find her; she’s going hunting for him...even if she knows her heart is stuck on its stupid infatuation with Dash Churchill.

Denver has always been just a pit stop for Church on his way back to rural Mississippi. It was supposed to be simple, uneventful, but nothing could have prepared him for the bubbly, bouncy redhead with doe eyes and endless curves. Now he knows it’s time to get out of Denver, fast. For a man used to living in the shadows, the idea of spending his days in the sun is nothing short of terrifying.

When Dixie and Church find themselves caught up in a homecoming overshadowed with lies and danger, Dixie realizes that while falling in love is easy, loving takes a whole lot more work…especially when Mr. Right thinks he’s all wrong for you. 


  
PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

Amazon     iBooks     Barnes & Noble     Kobo     Google  


About Jay Crownover


Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked MenThe Point, and the Saints of Denver series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.  

Website     Facebook     Twitter     Goodreads


Monday, September 26, 2016

Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway! The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

THE BOOKSHOP ON THE CORNER
By Jenny Colgan


William Morrow Paperbacks
September 20, 2016
ISBN: 9780062467256; $14.99
E-ISBN 9780062467263; $9.99

About the Book

Nina Redmond is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion… and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more.

Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile—a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling.

From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb, to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there’s plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that’s beginning to feel like home… a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending.

Purchase Here:


About the Author

Jenny Colgan is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels, includingLittle Beach Street Bakery, Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop, and Christmas at the Cupcake Café, all international bestsellers. Jenny is married with three children and lives in London and Scotland.

Connect with Jenny Colgan

Website     Twitter     Facebook


Praise for Jenny Colgan and THE BOOKSHOP ON THE CORNER:

“Losing myself in Jenny Colgan’s beautiful pages is the most delicious, comforting, satisfying treat I have had in ages.”
   — Jane Green, New York Times bestselling author of Summer Secrets

“With a keen eye for the cinematic, Colgan (Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery, 2016, etc.) is a deft mistress of romantic comedy; Nina's story is laced with clever dialogue and scenes set like jewels, just begging to be filmed. A charming, bracingly fresh happily-ever-after tale…”
Kirkus

 “This is a lovely novel with amazing characters who are hooked on books… at least some of them. The plot is believable and is a joy to read. The main female character, Nina, is the librarian who always figures out the best choice for a patron without fail. Jenny Colgan thinks outside the box and creates a memorable book.”
RT Book Reviews

“This charming tale celebrates the many ways books bring people together”
Booklist

“This light, fresh romantic comedy is the perfect escape for bibliophiles. Enjoy it with a cup of tea on a crisp day.”
Real Simple

“[A] love story about reading and the joys books can bring to people’s lives.”
All About Romance

Rafflecopter Giveaway


Excerpt from THE BOOKSHOP ON THE CORNER:

The problem with good things that happen is that very often they disguise themselves as awful things. It would be lovely, wouldn’t it, whenever you’re going through something difficult, if someone could just tap you on the shoulder and say, “Don’t worry, it’s completely worth it. It seems like absolutely horrible crap now, but I promise it will all come good in the end,” and you could say, “Thank you, Fairy Godmother.” You might also say, “Will I also lose that seven pounds?” and they would say, “But of course, my child!”
            That would be useful, but it isn’t how it is, which is why we sometimes plow on too long with things that aren’t making us happy, or give up too quickly on something that might yet work itself out, and it is often difficult to tell precisely which is which.
            A life lived forward can be a really irritating thing. So Nina thought, at any rate. Nina Redmond, twenty-nine, was telling herself not to cry in public. If you have ever tried giving yourself a good talking-to, you’ll know it doesn’t work terribly well. She was at work, for goodness’ sake. You weren’t meant to cry at work.
            She wondered if anyone else ever did. Then she wondered if maybe everyone did, even Cathy Neeson, with her stiff too-blond hair, and her thin mouth and her spreadsheets, who was right at this moment standing in a corner, watching the room with folded arms and a grim expression, after delivering to the small team Nina was a member of a speech filled with jargon about how there were cutbacks all over, and Birmingham couldn’t afford to maintain all its libraries, and how austerity was something they just had to get used to.
            Nina reckoned probably not. Some people just didn’t have a tear in them.
            (What Nina didn’t know was that Cathy Neeson cried on the way to work, on the way home from work—after eight o’clock most nights—every time she laid someone off, every time she was asked to shave another few percent off an already skeleton budget, every time she was ordered to produce some new quality relevant paperwork, and every time her boss dumped a load of administrative work on her at four o’clock on a Friday afternoon on his way to a skiing vacation, of which he took many.
            Eventually she ditched the entire thing and went and worked in a National Trust gift shop for a fifth of the salary and half the hours and none of the tears. But this story is not about Cathy Neeson.)
            It was just, Nina thought, trying to squash down the lump in her throat . . . it was just that they had been such a little library.
            Children’s story time Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Early closing Wednesday afternoon. A shabby old-fashioned building with tatty linoleum floors. A little musty sometimes, it was true. The big dripping radiators could take a while to get going of a morning and then would become instantly too warm, with a bit of a fug, particularly off old Charlie Evans, who came in to keep warm and read the Morning Star cover to cover, very slowly. She wondered where the Charlie Evanses of the world would go now.
            Cathy Neeson had explained that they were going to compress the library services into the center of town, where they would become a “hub,” with a “multimedia experience zone” and a coffee shop and an “intersensory experience,” whatever that was, even though town was at least two bus trips too far for most of their elderly or strollered-up clientele.
            Their lovely, tatty, old pitched-roof premises were being sold off to become executive apartments that would be well beyond the reach of a librarian’s salary. And Nina Redmond, twenty-nine, bookworm, with her long tangle of auburn hair, her pale skin with freckles dotted here and there, and a shyness that made her blush—or want to burst into tears—at the most inopportune moments, was, she got the feeling, going to be thrown out into the cold winds of a world that was getting a lot of unemployed librarians on the market at the same time.
            “So,” Cathy Neeson had concluded, “you can pretty much get started on packing up the ‘books’ right away.”
            She said “books” like it was a word she found distasteful in her shiny new vision of Mediatech Services. All those grubby, awkward books.


Nina dragged herself into the back room with a heavy heart and a slight redness around her eyes. Fortunately, everyone else looked more or less the same way. Old Rita O’Leary, who should probably have retired about a decade ago but was so kind to their clientele that everyone overlooked the fact that she couldn’t see the numbers on the Dewey Decimal System anymore and filed more or less at random, had burst into floods, and Nina had been able to cover up her own sadness comforting her.
            “You know who else did this?” hissed her colleague Griffin through his straggly beard as she made her way through. Griffin was casting a wary look at Cathy Neeson, still out in the main area as he spoke. “The Nazis. They packed up all the books and threw them onto bonfires.”
            “They’re not throwing them onto bonfires!” said Nina. “They’re not actually Nazis.”
            “That’s what everyone thinks. Then before you know it, you’ve got Nazis.”
With breathtaking speed, there’d been a sale, of sorts, with most of their clientele leafing through old familiar favorites in the ten pence box and leaving the shinier, newer stock behind.
            Now, as the days went on, they were meant to be packing up the rest of the books to ship them to the central library, but Griffin’s normally sullen face was looking even darker than usual. He had a long, unpleasantly scrawny beard, and a scornful attitude toward people who didn’t read the books he liked. As the only books he liked were obscure 1950s out-of-print stories about frustrated young men who drank too much in Fitzrovia, that gave him a lot of time to hone his attitude. He was still talking about book burners.
            “They won’t get burned! They’ll go to the big place in town.”
            Nina couldn’t bring herself to even say Mediatech.
            Griffin snorted. “Have you seen the plans? Coffee, computers, DVDs, plants, admin offices, and people doing cost–benefit analysis and harassing the unemployed—sorry, running ‘mindfulness workshops.’ There isn’t room for a book in the whole damn place.” He gestured at the dozens of boxes. “This will be landfill. They’ll use it to make roads.”
            “They won’t!”
            “They will! That’s what they do with dead books, didn’t you know? Turn them into underlay for roads. So great big cars can roll over the top of centuries of thought and ideas and scholarship, metaphorically stamping a love of learning into the dust with their stupid big tires and blustering Top Gear idiots killing
the planet.”
            “You’re not in the best of moods this morning, are you, Griffin?”
            “Could you two hurry it along a bit over there?” said Cathy Neeson, bustling in, sounding anxious. They only had the budget for the collection trucks for one afternoon; if they didn’t manage to load everything up in time, she’d be in serious trouble.
            “Yes, Commandant Über-Führer,” said Griffin under his breath as she bustled out again, her blond bob still rigid. “God, that woman is so evil it’s unbelievable.”
            But Nina wasn’t listening. She was looking instead in despair at the thousands of volumes around her, so hopeful with their beautiful covers and optimistic blurbs. To condemn any of them to waste disposal seemed heartbreaking: these were books! To Nina it was like closing down an animal shelter. And there was no way they were going to get it all done today, no matter what Cathy Neeson thought.
            Which was how, six hours later, when Nina’s Mini Metro pulled up in front of the front door of her tiny shared house, it was completely and utterly stuffed with volumes.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Review: The Hike by Drew Magary

The HikeTitle: The Hike
Author: Drew Magary
Publisher/Publication Date: Viking; August 2, 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Source/Format: Won; Hardcover

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository


Synopsis from Goodreads...

From the author of The Postmortal, a fantasy saga unlike any you’ve read before, weaving elements of folk tale and video game into a riveting, unforgettable adventure of what a man will endure to return to his family...

When Ben, a suburban family man, takes a business trip to rural Pennsylvania, he decides to spend the afternoon before his dinner meeting on a short hike. Once he sets out into the woods behind his hotel, he quickly comes to realize that the path he has chosen cannot be given up easily. With no choice but to move forward, Ben finds himself falling deeper and deeper into a world of man-eating giants, bizarre demons, and colossal insects. On a quest of epic, life-or-death proportions, Ben finds help comes in some of the most unexpected forms, including a profane crustacean and a variety of magical objects, tools, and potions. Desperate to return to his family, Ben is determined to track down the “Producer,” the creator of the world in which he is being held hostage and the only one who can free him from the path. At once bitingly funny and emotionally absorbing, Magary’s novel is a remarkably unique addition to the contemporary fantasy genre, one that draws as easily from the world of classic folk tales as it does from video games. In The Hike, Magary takes readers on a daring odyssey away from our day-to-day grind and transports them into an enthralling world propelled by heart, imagination, and survival...


My Thoughts:

The Hike is the first book I’ve read by Drew Magary. In fact, this is the first I’ve actually heard of him. I happened to win a copy of the book, and was really excited since the synopsis had me sold. I was convinced I was going to like it. And, legit, I think The Hike is the most bizarrely entertaining book I’ve ever read.

The Hike could be summed up as one man’s personal struggle bus and his journey to get away from it. From very early on, troubles plagued Ben after he took an ill-timed walk and ended up on a path that was random and strange. Seemingly impossible things happened. And that’s one of the things I liked most about The Hike. It was random at times, but that randomness tied into the overall plot. I kept reading because I was curious to know if Ben would survive his ordeals and figure out the secrets of the Path. The Hike kept me guessing, and that was a good thing. 


I liked the way Magary wrote The Hike. The writing accented the plot, which allowed the beginning to set a brisk pace that continued consistently throughout the novel. The setting was a mismatched mixture of random places with even stranger inhabitants, and was kind of cool at times; although, strange and dangerous more often than not.

Now, there isn’t much I can say on the characters since there really weren’t that many that I can mention without saying some kind of spoiler. Many of the secondary characters had important roles, but I won’t reveal them. But, I can talk about Ben. Ben’s POV made the story. His internal thoughts, emotions, and reactions were some of the best parts of The Hike.

All in all, The Hike was very good. 



Rating 4.5/5


About the author...


Drew Magary is a correspondent for GQ Magazine, a columnist for Deadspin, and a Chopped Champion. He’s also the author of four books: The Hike, The Postmortal, Someone Could Get Hurt, and Men With Balls. He lives in Maryland with his wife and three children, and enjoys taking long walks...

Monday, September 5, 2016

ARC Review: Letters from Paris by Juliet Blackwell

Letters from ParisTitle: Letters from Paris
Author: Juliet Blackwell
Publisher/Publication Date: Berkley; September 6, 2016
Genre: Historical Fiction; Mysery; Contemporary
Source/Format: First to Read; eARC

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository


Synopsis from Goodreads...

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Keycomes the story of a mysterious work of art and the woman inspired to uncover its history in the City of Light...


After surviving the accident that took her mother’s life, Claire Broussard worked hard to escape her small Louisiana hometown. But these days she feels something lacking. Abruptly leaving her lucrative job in Chicago, Claire returns home to care for her ailing grandmother. There, she unearths a beautiful sculpture that her great-grandfather sent home from Paris after World War II. At her grandmother’s urging, Claire travels to Paris to track down the centuries old mask-making atelier where the sculpture, known only as “L’inconnue”—or the Unknown Woman—was created. With the help of a passionate sculptor, Claire discovers a cache of letters that offer insight into the life of the Belle Epoque woman immortalized in the work of art. As Claire uncovers the unknown woman’s tragic fate, she begins to discover secrets—and a new love—of her own...


My Thoughts:

What do I even want to say about this book?

After I finished reading Letters from Paris by Juliet Blackwell, I had to find the words to convey what I wanted to say. Well, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Letters from Paris was a contemporary novel in all the right ways, balancing a historical aspect, traditions, and art—sculpting, mask-making, etc.—with alternating POVs between the past and the life of Claire Broussard, which was set in modern times. It was also about love, loss, family, and secrets set in Paris, France.

What I liked most about Letters from Paris was how the different pieces of the story fit together. It dealt with so many different things—from personal loss to sculpting—yet it all worked as a coherent and emotional story. Blackwell had a way with characterizations. She produced a series of convincing circumstances that elicited an emotional response. I felt for the characters and that made the story a page-turner.

I really liked the plot. And, yes, while the beginning of this book was kind of sad, it was easy to get into the story. I wanted to know more about Claire and her family. Claire was a good narrator, and I enjoyed reading from her perspective as she navigated Paris, while trying to regain some sense of direction/motivation after very abrupt changes in her life—relationship, employment, and a personal tragedy.

Blackwell handled all the different themes really well, and my favorite aspects of Letters from Paris were the relationships in Claire’s life. The setting was also great too, and while I’ve never been to Paris, Blackwell did a good job with describing the places that Claire visited. The mystery of the woman behind the l’inconnue mask was pretty cool too, and I liked it just as much as I enjoyed the historical parts of the book.

The romance was sweet. It wasn’t spontaneous and certainly didn’t happen overnight, or even at first sight. It unfolded slowly as the characters got to understand and know one another better. Blackwell did a good job developing the chemistry between Claire and her love interest. I loved the dialogue between them. In fact, I really liked the dialogue between all the characters throughout the novel. Each interaction/conversation added something else to the story, which was great and kept the book interesting.

Letters from Paris was just a lovely book. From start to finish, this book was everything I was looking for and more. Blackwell has another book set in Paris—The Paris Key—and now, I’m curious to know if it’s just as good as Letters from Paris. And since my eARC has already expired for this book, I do want to look into eventually getting a physical copy.


Rating 5/5

This copy of the book was provided by First to Read (publisher) for this review, thank you!

About the author...

Juliet Blackwell is the New York Times bestselling author ofLetters from Paris and The Paris Key. She also writes the Witchcraft Mystery series and the Haunted Home Renovation series. As Hailey Lind, Blackwell wrote the Agatha-nominated Art Lover's Mystery series. A former anthropologist, social worker, and professional artist, Juliet is a California native who has spent time in Mexico, Spain, Cuba, Italy, the Philippines, and France...

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Book Spotlight: Pretending with the Greek Billionaire by Kira Archer



PwtGB Banner 2

I am so excited to welcome Kira Archer to the Entangled Indulgence family! Kira has never failed to deliver playful and sexy contemporary romances with unforgettable Happily Ever Afters, and her first Indulgence release is no exception! Pretending with the Greek Billionaire brings you humor, heat, and a total hunk of an alpha hero. So trust me when I tell you that you do not want to miss out on this must-read. Indulge your romance-loving heart and pick up your copy today!

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000026_00028]

About Pretending with the Greek Billionaire:

Always the life of the party, Luca Vasilakis needs to prove he’s capable of taking over his father’s billion-dollar corporation. The perfect opportunity falls in his arms in the form of the reserved but sexy social worker Constance McMurty. What better way to improve his reputation than to get engaged to a do-gooder who is raising six orphans? Constance wants nothing to do with Luca. But a poorly timed paparazzi photo lands her in the middle of a media nightmare, and Luca is her only way out. He proposes an idea that will help them both—be his fiancée to gain him some respectability and he’ll make a huge donation to her organization…and save her reputation. But when their lie starts feeling like the truth, and the chemistry just won’t stop, they have a hard time separating what’s real and what’s fantasy…

Find It Online


PwtGB Teaser 1
5 stars!
"Kira Archer clearly rocks. This book, like everything else she writes, is amazing." ~USA Today Bestselling Author Sarah Ballance
"Another great read from Kira Archer that is funny, steamy, and entertaining. I loved this book." ~BookSnuggle
"Count on Kira Archer to take life's awkward moments and turn them into romance gold." ~Isha Coleman, Goodreads review

About Kira Archer

Kira Archer resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kiddos, and far too many animals in the house. She tends to laugh at inappropriate moments, break all the rules she gives her kids (but only when they aren't looking), and would rather be reading a book than doing almost anything else. She has odd, eclectic tastes in just about everything and often lets her imagination run away with her. She loves her romances a little playful, a lot sexy, and always with a happily ever after.

Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway: Fatal Courage by Misty Evans




Fatal Courage Blog Tour Banner 


FC for Website


Title: Fatal Courage
Series: Shadow Force International, #3
Author: Misty Evans
Release Date: August 22, 2016
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Format/Source:  E-ARC, Publisher


Book Summary:

He ruined her career…

In twenty-one missions, CIA golden girl Ruby McKellen has failed only once. Thanks to Navy SEAL Jaxon Sloan, the man who stole her heart and forced her to choose between him and her partner Elliot, she’s on probation and Elliot is in prison for national security crimes. To prove Elliot’s innocence and save her damaged career, Ruby is running an unsanctioned mission—but the only way to get the proof she needs is to go to Jax with her tail between her legs.

She wrecked his heart…

Jaxon left the Navy after the mission with Ruby in Morocco went south, but that one hot, unbelievable night with her will haunt him forever. Working for Shadow Force International now, his new assignment has brought him full circle—the CIA operative Jax’s testimony sent to prison has escaped and Jax has been ordered to hunt him down. Just like in Morocco, the one thing standing in his way is Ruby.

A second chance at love could prove fatal…

When Ruby’s life is threatened and Jax stumbles on information that might prove Elliot is innocent, guilt over putting the man in prison compels him to join her unsanctioned mission. What really happened that night six months ago? Is Elliot an honorable spy or a mastermind at manipulation? Ruby is the only one who can help Jax navigate the world of undercover lies and betrayal to find the truth.

In a battle of wills—and of hearts—Jax and Ruby must have the courage to face the truth about themselves, their past, and what it really means to betray someone you love.

* * *
My Thoughts

In Fatal Courage by Misty Evans, the heat gets turned up early on as Ruby and Jaxon encounter each other.  As a result of their history, there was a well-developed and realistic conflict between them. Ruby was out to prove Elliot Hayden's innocence and Jax was out to hunt down Hayden. Their differing goals and the tension flying high between them resulted in an engaging romantic suspense novel that will not disappoint. 

Rating 4.5/5

I received an E-ARC of Fatal Courage from the publisher for this review.


Excerpt

Fatal Courage, Shadow Force International, Book 3
© Copyright 2016 Misty Evans

Excerpt 1

She’d almost blown it.
Ruby’s pulse hammered in her ears. Her legs, in the four-inch heels, wobbled as she half-ran for cover.
That’s what Jaxon Sloan did her.
Every damn time.
Get away.
She scooted past a dancing couple, dodged a groping hand, and slid off the dance floor behind a woman slightly bigger than her. Her undercover training kicked in, her brain commanding her breathing to slow and her body to move less erratically.
Less like prey.
Seeing Jax out on the dance floor shocked her system from head to toe. The months—they felt like years—had slogged by and suddenly he was here. An apparition. A ghost of her failure come back to haunt her.
Heading for the rear of the club, she didn’t dare look behind her. She’d nearly keeled over from a heart attack right there in the middle of everyone on the dance floor.
What was he doing here? How did he know she was in Chicago?
He could have blown her mission. Again.
Worse, her little slip and she’d almost let him. After all of her training and twenty-one missions with only that one, single failure, she knew how to handle surprises. Nothing tripped her up.
Except Jax.
Tall, dark, and forever full of himself, his sudden appearance had thrown her but good. For a second, she’d thought her subconscious had wished him into being. She’d been thinking of him—couldn’t get the man out of her mind even after all this time. With every move of her hips, she’d thought of him and their time in Marrakech as she danced. The way he’d touched her, the way he’d made her moan his name and beg for more.
She hit the back hallway, signs for the restrooms pointing to the left. Ruby went right.
Her pulse returned to normal and she dodged into a office doorway to avoid being seen by one of the owner’s goons. The back entrance was only a few steps away. Her car waited in the parking lot.
The goon disappeared and Ruby started forward, stopped. Now that she was thinking more clearly, she had to consider the consequences of bailing. A part of her didn’t want to go. Instead, it wanted to confront Jax. Yell at him. Tell him to get the hell out.
Or maybe, take him back to her place.
Ah, hell.
Yep, she’d nearly flaked out on the dance floor when she saw him in the flesh, his smoldering dark eyes eating her up. Her heart had frozen in her chest, her limbs suddenly quivering with anticipation.
That’s what happened when you’d been fantasizing about a guy for months and then he showed up looking even better than he did in your dreams.
Fantasy. That’s all he was and that’s how he had to remain.
Mission first and always. She didn’t have time for distractions. Elliot was counting on her. The Agency was breathing down her neck.
And the last person on the face of the earth she wanted to talk to—regardless of the fact he was the only man who’d ever chiseled his way past her solid walls—was Jaxon Sloan.
She took a step out from her hiding place. Jax’s deep voice stopped her in her tracks. “Are you running from me, Ruby?”
Running. That’s exactly what she was doing.
Not that she would ever let him know that.
A shiver slid down her spine from his simple nearness. In the background, the music continued to beat, snapping at her nerves. “I don’t run from anyone.” Liar.
“Sure looks like that’s what you’re doing.”
She whirled around to face him; her breath caught.
He’d trapped her under a broken overhead light and the shadows around him made him look even bigger and badass than she knew him to be.
Swallowing the tightness in her throat, she stomped on the lust bubbling up inside her. Never had a man affected her the way he did. Never had anyone gotten under her skin like he had. His presence, his voice, ignited the dry kindling inside her.
“What do you want?” She forced her voice not to betray the wild emotions riding her. She was an operative for God’s sake, deceiving the enemy came with ease.
And Jaxon Sloan was definitely her enemy.
He was also the one man who saw past her duplicity every time.
His eyes swept over her, lingering on her hips for a second before coming back up to her face. “You know why.”
“No, I really don’t, and I can’t be seen with you. You’ll blow my mission.” She brushed a strand of hair from her face. “You’re good at that as I recall.”
He didn’t flinch. Didn’t even so much as blink. The barely there light from farther down the hall caught on the scar on his temple. “You’re not working a legitimate mission, so knock it off. Whatever this is, it isn’t important.”
“Isn’t important?” Clearing Elliot’s name was her only mission. Sure, she was in Chicago to help the FBI with a counterterrorism case, but that was only to make her boss happy. Little Gus had connections she needed for Elliot. “Of course, that’s what you’d say.”
She turned her back on him, the past anger surfacing as she headed for the back entrance. But that was good. Anger kept her clearheaded. Anger suffocated her tangled emotions.
Anger would keep Jax at a safe distance.
She’d have to come back another night to see if she could get to Little Gus.
Two strong hands grabbed her by the arms and spun her around Jax pinned her wrists to her sides and pushed her against the wall.. “Where is he?”
She jerked her wrists away. Only because he allowed it. He could probably crush every bone in them with ease. “Who?”
“You know who.”
He smelled like cedar and warm rain. Her mind went back to that night in Marrakech, the soft rain starting after midnight, falling outside as he did wicked things to her body.
Concentrate. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
His liquid brown eyes, black in the shadows, narrowed and his head tilted slightly. For some stupid reason, she wanted his hands on her again. “Are we really playing this game?”
“I’m not playing a game. I don’t know who you’re talking about.” Shut him down. Get away, before you become a blubbering, lusty bitch. Oh, right, too late. “Get out of my way and don’t come back here to harass me again.”
She tried to leave him. He moved to stop her, his arm shooting out, his hand resting on the wall near her head.
He leaned in, studied her face. His full lips beckoned. “You’re lying.”
“I know you think that’s all I do is lie, but that’s not true.”
She’d told him the truth that night and then she’d betrayed him by taking Elliot’s side when everything went south. He’d returned the favor by “proving” her partner was a traitor.
Elliot wasn’t a traitor anymore than she was. Jax had it all wrong. If only she could make him see that.
Proof. She was going to get proof of her partner’s innocence. That’s why she’d been here tonight, trying to get in good with the biggest gangster the Southside of Chicago had ever seen. He had the connections she needed.
Jax’s face was inches from hers. His gaze dropped to her mouth, slid back up to her eyes. “You honestly don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?”
A tense silence ensued. He still wasn’t sure.
His proximity—so close she would raised her lips an inch and kiss him—was doing strange things to her. Like making her think about kissing him.
Down girl! “Jax, honest to God, either tell me what this is about or get out of my way.”
“Elliot escaped.”
The words buzzed inside her head, blurry, indistinct. “What?”
“He was in the medical ward after a fight and somehow ended up exchanging clothes with a guard and walking right out of the place. The guard is in serious condition, by the way, from a blow to the head.”
My God. If she hadn’t been backed up against the wall, she might have staggered. “Elliot would never do that.”
His eyes challenged her. “See that’s where you and I disagree. You think Elliot is this great guy. I know he’s a miserable, lying traitor who will do anything to cover his ass.”
Her jaw tightened. “There has to be a reason he would bail like that. He knew I was working on clearing his name. Why would he run?” On the heels of that unpleasant thought, came another. “Why didn’t my boss notify me about this?”
“Probably because the CIA knows you’re sympathetic to the douchecanoe.”
Her exasperation morphed into outright annoyance. Mostly because he was probably correct. “Why do you care? Why did you come here to tell me this? To rub it in that you’re right about my partner?”
Ex-partner. He’s not worthy of the ground you walk on, and no, I didn’t come here to remind you he’s a worthless goatwaffle. I came here because I know you’re the first person he’ll run to for help.”
“That’s sweet, but he’s not stupid, and again, I don’t understand why you care if he does come running to me for help. You made sure he went to prison after Marrakech, but he’s no longer your problem, is he? He really was never your problem. You made him into a traitor, so while I’m sure it upsets you that he’s escaped, the Agency will find him. Go back to your life and forget about him. Forget about me.”
The words tumbled out of her mouth, even as her heart clenched. She didn’t mean it. If anything, she wanted the opposite. To the man who’d probably slept his way around the world, she wanted to be the one woman he would never forget.
The clean-shaven SEAL of six months ago was gone. He’d grown a short beard since she’d last seen him and her fingers itched to touch it. To feel the scratch of it against her skin. His focus—so intense it made gooseflesh rise on her arms—dropped to her lips. “I will never forget you.”
Bam. He’d read her mind.
Her heart stuttered. “Jax…”
He laid a finger against her lips. “Here me out. I didn’t come here to fight with you, Ruby. I know you’re running an unsanctioned mission to find proof Elliot was innocent of the charges I brought against him, but you need to switch your focus and help me find him. He will come to you. You’re the only person that ever believed he was innocent to begin with, and while I respect that kind of loyalty, you could be in danger. You think I ruined your career? Honey, let me tell you, if you in anyway assist a federal fugitive—this federal fugitive—I’ll make damn sure your ass lands in a prison cell next to his.”
Threats. Nice.
Her stuttering heart hardened. Thankfully or not, she was speechless. If she tried to stay anything, she’d probably lose it. So she shoved at his chest, pushing all her emotions into it.
A brick wall met her shove. Once she’d loved his solidness, his strength. Currently, she found it annoying as hell.
Like everything else about him.
Training, dammit. Ruby could hear her boss yelling in her ear.  Don’t let him see he got to you. Turn the tables on him.
Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she set her face to neutral, dropped her hands from his chest. “I’m not helping you hunt down my partner, which is not your job anyway. You’re obsessed with Elliot because you’re jealous of him. Why won’t you own up to that?”
He traced her jaw with the same finger that had silenced her. “You think I’m jealous of Elliot Hayden?”
Her body shivered at the intimacy and she smacked his hand away. “You and I had a one-night stand, Jax, but that’s all it was. One night. You wanted more and I refused. You thought you’d snap your fingers and I’d fall at your combat boots, and when the shit went down with Elliot and Abdel, you expected me to side with you. I didn’t and you still can’t believe it. You don’t respect the fact I’m loyal to my partner. You’re jealous of him.”
His chuckle was low and soft, raising goose bumps along her skin. “You want to know why I’m here watching your backside and asking for your help with Hayden?”
This should be good. The man was in total denial over his true motivations. “Why?”
“Because, honey.” He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her chin, raising more gooseflesh. “The CIA hired me to hunt him down.”

Misty Evans Photo
About the Author

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Misty Evans has published over twenty novels and writes romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance. As a writing coach, she helps other authors bring their books – and their dreams of being published – to life.

The books in her Super Agent series have won a CataNetwork Reviewers’ Choice Award, CAPA nominations, the New England Reader’s Choice Bean Pot Award for Best Romantic Suspense in 2010 and the ACRA Heart of Excellence Reader’s Choice Award for Best Romantic Suspense in 2011.

Her Witches Anonymous series was dubbed a Fallen Angel Reviews Recommended Read. The Super Agent Series, Witches Anonymous Series, and the Kali Sweet Series have been on multiple Amazon Kindle bestsellers lists. Her culinary romantic mystery, THE SECRET INGREDIENT, and the first book in her Deadly series, DEADLY PURSUIT, are both USA TODAY bestsellers.

Misty likes her coffee black, her conspiracy stories juicy, and her wicked characters dressed in couture. When not reading or writing, she enjoys music, movies, and hanging out with her husband, twin sons, and two spoiled puppies.

Connect with Misty:  Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Newsletter / Pinterest

* * *

Giveaway Information

Tour-wide giveaway includes a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card
* * *
Blog Tour Stops

Follow the rest of the blog tour to read what others have to say about the book!
August 22, 2016
August 23, 2016
August 24, 2016
August 25, 2016
August 26, 2016
 
August 27, 2016
August 28, 2016
August 29, 2016
August 30, 2016
August 31, 2016
September 1, 2016
September 2, 2016


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...