🌟REVIEW & EXCERPT TOUR:🌟 Blood Match by K.A. Linde

Blood Match by K.A. Linde

Release Date: June 26th 2018 by Loveswept

Series: Blood Type #2

Genres: Paranormal, Romance

As the provocative, sensual Blood Type series continues, the rare bond between Reyna and Beckham is threatened by betrayal, greed, and twisted secrets.

A desperate human. A powerful vampire. A world divided.

Reyna Carpenter was promised paradise. She was delivered into hell.

Giving up her body for money was supposed to be the hardest part of becoming a blood escort. She never expected to lose her heart to her dark, enigmatic boss, Beckham Anderson. After being taken by a depraved captor who plans to rule the world, Reyna will do anything to return to Beckham.

She just has to find the will to survive this game.

From the pawn, rises a queen.
Note: Reyna and Beckham’s story begins in Blood Type and continues in Blood Cure.

Purchase: Amazon US, Amazon UK, iBooks, B&N, Kobo, Google Play

My Review:

Blood Match is the second book in the Blood Type Trilogy and it follows the story of Reyna and Beckham as they go through ups and downs to be together. Ever since the first book ended on a cliffhanger, I couldn’t wait to read Blood Match and it did not disappoint at all. 

A quick recap on what happened in the first book, we were introduced to Reyna Carpenter who lives in a time where vampires co-exist with humans and she is going through financial struggles. Without a degree she has no choice but to work for Visage Incorporated, an organization whose motives were to help humanity by creating the blood type cure. Vampires who drank blood from a human who matched their blood type became less animalistic. So they matched humans with vampires and they were paid to give blood. Reyna was matched with Beckham Anderson, a very powerful vampire and their adventure took off as they slowly started to fall in love. 

Blood Match picks up right where the first book left off, Reyna has been away from Beckham ever since she got kidnapped and taken to Visage. We get to find shocking news at the end of the first book that become essential in the second book as Reyna tries to free herself from William Harrington (CEO of Visage Incorporated). She has been used as a blood bag due to her blood type and as days go by she doesn’t know if she’ll be strong enough to survive all the trauma that she has been through. It is the memories that she has with Beck that keep her sane, but when she get help from unlikely sources she has to make a choice that could put her life at risk again. 

I absolutely loved reading this book, I think it was even better than the first book and it keeps getting better! In this book we really get to see Reyna figure out what she wants and after going through all sorts of obstacles she truly shows how strong she is until the very end. There are a lot more character interactions in this book as we get to meet new characters and learn more about their lives. Reyna finds some shocking news about Visage and this is what drives her to wanting to end it once and for all. The end of the book also has a cliffhanger and it’s shocking! I wasn’t expecting that ending at all and I cannot wait to read Blood Cure. I would highly recommend checking out the trilogy, you will not regret it. :)

***ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.***

My Rating:

{EXCERPT}

“Please.” She wasn’t above begging. “I’ve waited so long.”

“I won’t bite you,” he said, his face sliding down between her legs. A fang nipped at the sensitive artery in her inner thigh. “But I bloody well want to.”

Did she even care if he bit her? It would be a relief after what she’d endured. A relief to feel that connection so acutely. But she wouldn’t press him this time. She remembered how they’d gotten carried away. He’d taken too much, drank too deeply, and she could have died. They needed to take it slow.

The blood. Not the sex. She needed that right now.

His finger slicked through her wetness and began to massage her clit. She vibrated from the sensation. She didn’t know if she’d be able to hold out before he was inside of her.

Then his eyes found hers again. His boxers disappeared and then his cock was in his hand. He massaged the length of himself as he watched her walk on a tightrope. Any second she was going to fall off and into oblivion. Nothing and no one had ever made her feel so good. No. No one had ever made her feel.

“So . . . close,” she ground out.

One powerful thrust seated him to the hilt within her. She cried out as he stretched her to the max. No warning or preamble just his cock inside of her, filling her to completion.

Her walls clenched around him. She was so close, but instinctively, she knew he wasn’t going to let her release without him.

Then he started moving. A slow pull out and a quick drive inward. Once, twice, three times.

“Not yet,” he said, his eyes commanding.

She tried to hold back. She could wait. Oh God, she could wait.

Then he started up the rhythm again. Setting his own course, owning and claiming her body. Reclaiming everything that he’d lost in that one moment of stupidity on her part. In his one moment of weakness.

She could see in his eyes the weight that loss had cost him. The toll it had taken on him for giving into his urges, for finally relinquishing his hold on himself. His eyes said he’d never do it again. His eyes were a promise.

“Becks, come with me,” she cried, clutching the sheets.

He grasped her hips and owned her body where he refused to own her blood. Taking everything she would give him, but not everything he wanted. Not everything she wanted.

She was so close. She looked in his eyes and knew they would finish together.

Reyna woke up screaming.

She jolted upright in her overly plush king-sized bed with its too many pillows and too much softness. Her hair was plastered to her face. Sweat coated her body, soaking through the thin white shirt she’d worn to bed.

Her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and she looked around the small room. Everything was in place. Nothing had changed. Not a damn thing.

Beckham wasn’t here.

It had been a dream. A sick dream. A desperate horrible dream.

Her hand moved to her cotton panties and found the slicked wetness still there. The ache still building in her lower half from lack of release. The aftereffects of the dream. It had felt so real. So very real.

She had felt him moving inside of her. She had seen the love in his eyes. She had known his remorse.

But none of that was real.

That was her imagination at work. Conjuring his face just to torture herself with his absence. Remembering the feel of his body and the love in his eyes, only to know that he hadn’t found her. Aching for one more view of him.

It had been fifty-five days since she’d last seen his face.

Reyna made a mark in the notebook next to the bed.

Fifty-six.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

K.A. Linde is the USA Today bestselling author of more than fifteen novels including the Avoiding series and the Record series. She has a Masters degree in political science from the University of Georgia, was the head campaign worker for the 2012 presidential campaign at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and served as the head coach of the Duke University dance team. She loves reading fantasy novels, geeking out over Star Wars, binge-watching Supernatural, and dancing in her spare time.

She currently lives in Lubbock, Texas, with her husband and two super adorable puppies.

WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM

Thanks for stopping by! :)

🌟BOOK BLITZ:🌟 Play Dirty by J.A. Huss {EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY!}

Play Dirty by J.A. Huss

Release Date: June 27th 2018 by Science Future Press

Series: Jordan’s Game #4

Pages: 300

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

From NYT Bestselling Author, JA Huss, comes a new sexy standalone in the Jordan's Game series. Augustine Braden fell in love with two men in college and was forced to choose… but now she wants them both. 

Augustine, Alexander, and Jordan were in love until Jordan left LA to start over in Colorado. And even though many years have passed since then, and many stories have told about what really happened—the true story has never come out. 

Until now. 

She and Alexander have come to Denver try again and they won’t leave until they get Jordan alone one… more… time. 

But Jordan wants more than just Augustine and Alexander. He wants his best friend’s forgiveness. 

He can’t move forward until he goes back. 

He can’t find love until he admits who he’s really in love with. 

Jordan Wells is about to play his final game. 

The only question left is – will he be the winner? 

Purchase: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo

{EXCERPT}

How Alexander and I got to this moment really isn’t the point. It’s not. We’re here. He’s got his hand on my cock, squeezing it, only the fabric of my pants separating us.

His eyelids are heavy, but I know him. They always look like that. He could be watching the last innings of the final game of the World Series and his eyelids would still be heavy.

So the look on his face means nothing.

He could be turned on, or not.

He could be doing this for me.

Or her.

Or himself.

None of this is the point.

The only point is… I need him and he needs me, and either we find a way to get through this or we all lose. He will lose her, I will lose the Club, she will walk away and life will probably implode.

Dramatic, I know. I get it. But it feels honest.

“Should I kiss you?” Alexander asks.

I have so many things to say back to him right now, it’s ridiculous. But none of them are the point either, so I just reach up, grab his hair, and pull him in until our lips meet.

He’s not gay.

He’s a little bit bi, which is why he’s here with me. And I’m a lot bi. Which is why I’m here with him.

But this kiss isn’t anything spectacular.

It’s rather stiff, actually. His lips don’t meld with mine. There’s no tongue. There’s no moaning or anything like that.

Fingers thread through my hair.

Not his.

Hers.

Her nails are long and today they’re painted a deep, shiny red. She presses them against my scalp—lightly—as her lips join ours.

Alexander changes immediately. First, a sigh. Then he moves closer to me. His hand gripping my cock tighter. His mouth softer, his breath faster, his eyes closed.

We kiss like that for a long time, it seems. No one is undressed. No one makes a move to undress.

We just kiss.

Which is a little bit nice. I guess. Kinda high-school. Kinda innocent.

But I’m not really out for a little bit nice.

I want to take her over to the couch, lay her back against the cushions, and fuck her like a man in a threesome.

And hell, her husband is welcome. Like I said, I’m a lot bi. So I welcome that part.

He, however… well, let’s just say he doesn’t feel the same way.

“You used to like this,” Augustine says, kissing Alexander’s neck now.

He doesn’t open his eyes and I’m grateful. Because he kinda fascinates me and those heavy-lidded eyes come with an intense gaze when they’re open.

It gives me an opportunity to look at him.

“I only ever did it for you,” Alexander replies. “It was always you who liked this.”

I could make him change his mind. I could. I’m that good. But I’ve given up on the dream of a bonded threesome.

Those feelings have long since passed. I live in a reality of my own making. Which might not be a hundred percent real these days, but it’s a lot more realistic than Alexander ever getting used to the idea of me.

I grab his hand and remove it from my cock.

This is enough to make him open his eyes.

“What are you doing?” Augustine asks.

“Leaving,” I say.

And I do.

AUTHOR BIO:

JA Huss is the New York Times Bestselling author of 321 and has been on the USA Today Bestseller's list 21 times in the past four years. She writes characters with heart, plots with twists, and perfect endings.

Her books have sold millions of copies all over the world, the audio version of her semi-autobiographical book, Eighteen, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award and an Audie Award in 2016 and 2017 respectively, her audiobook, Mr. Perfect, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award in 2017, and her audiobook, Taking Turns, was nominated for an Audie Award in 2018.

She lives on a ranch in Central Colorado with her family.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Bookbub, Amazon, Facebook Group

{GIVEAWAY!}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by! :)

🌟BOOK BLITZ:🌟 Romancing The Pen by Kara Winters {EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY!}

Romancing The Pen by Kara Winters

Release Date: May 13th 2018

Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

A seasoned writer with secrets to protect...

Carson Reid is stuck, and not in a situation he’s unfamiliar with. He’s been writing romance novels for years now, so you would think that by now he’d be used to going through the motions. But once more, he’s stuck at the precipice of writing the big "sex scene"... But one quick encounter with a mystery beauty leads him to realize that she's his long lost writing muse.

A powerful publisher with an agenda of her own...

Kate has had it with men. After building her entire publishing empire on the bones of those that have tried getting in her way, she's not about to let some love-challeged writer blind her goals. But even under her toughened exterior there is a longing for something. Or someone.

The meeting seemed causal enough. No "shop talk", no strings attached, and definitely no talking about one another's history. So what's one night of passion? Just pure, sexy fun. Again, and again, and again...

But once the spark returns to Carson's writing, he's hooked. And he will do anything to make sure that Kate sticks around to see the end of his story complete. Even if it means destroying every wall they both built to keep their hearts safe from harm.

Purchase: Amazon

{EXCERPT}

“I feel that I should at least tell you.” Again, I swept my fingers across her cheek. “That something’s been happening to me, each time we’ve been together. I don’t know what it is, but my writing has gotten back on track.”

Kate’s grin was contagious.

“So, keep that in mind,” I told her, my tone turning a little more serious.

She seemed to catch on that I had meant what I said. Blushing, she ran her hand through her hair, then scooted herself closer to me.

I reached out and pulled her the rest of the way. We lay there facing one another on the bed, staring at one another with our hands laced between us.

“You’re my muse,” I whispered.

Another blush formed on her cheeks and I realized I loved when she did that.

“But I haven’t even done anything,” she said. “And I don’t even know what you write exactly. Don’t you think you should tell me some of it, if I’m supposed to help you through things?”

I shook my head and closed my eyes.

My senses picked up on the warmth of Kate. Lips brushed my cheeks and trailed their way slowly up to my eyelids. The feeling tickled me, but I didn’t laugh. Kate’s lips found my mouth and she kissed me deeply. Though I wasn’t sure if she really was looking for an answer to her question, I didn’t want to answer.

Instead of speaking, I grabbed her hips and pulled her tight against my body to let her feel every inch of me. Kate moaned into my mouth and I took her cry down into my throat.

Not breaking the kiss, I turned us so that she straddled me on top again. Beneath her warm legs I could feel my cock sliding against her entrance. She was warm and wet and, fuck, we needed to be together.

“What were you writing last night?” she asked.

I almost didn’t hear her. I was so distracted with kissing the breath out of her body. Kate’s small hand wrapped itself around me and my eyes flew open. She began to stroke.

“Fuck.” I groaned.

She smiled against my mouth. “I thought you might be writing about that.”

I grinned. “You really want me tell you about what I was writing?”

Kate sat up, giving me one hell of a few. Her nipples were stiff and my mouth was craving to taste them. She lifted her hips and aligned herself with my cock, sliding just the tip of me past her folds.

My eyes threatened to roll back into my head, but I forced them to stay open and watch. I braced my hands on Kate’s hips, trying to ease her farther down, but she resisted.

I gave her a questioning look.

“Tell me what you were writing about,” she said, arching one brow and smiling.

The tease.

I played along. “Are you sure you want to play this game?”

“Oh, yes, I’m sure I do,” Kate replied. She eased herself down a half inch. Her wetness was reason enough for me to speak.

“The second love scene,” I started.

She eased down another half inch, then stopped again.

I shut my eyes and nodded. “Okay, okay. The second love scene–”

“We’ve established that there is another love scene already,” Kate cut in, lifting herself back up that half inch that had made me want to pound into her. I was determined to get that inch back, and more.

My fingers gripped her firmly, eliciting another moan from her.

“It begins with the hero and heroine having been away from each other for a little more than a month. He had to leave the country on business, trying to fix his family problems that have been plaguing him throughout the story.”

Kate began to slide down my cock, fueling me to talk more.

“The hero was wounded by the antagonist during a prior scene, and when he returns back to the heroine, he’s still recovering from the wound. She’s worried about him and tends to him at his bedside for days.”

Kate was halfway down my length by the time I stopped. Our eyes met and she parted her lips, her breath coming quicker. She bit her lower lip, adjusting to my girth. I wanted more than anything to thrust up and claim her, but I was afraid she wouldn’t allow me. After all, I wasn’t in charge of this coupling. Kate was.

“Continue,” she said.

Since she hadn’t said anything about me touching her, I reached up to her breasts, running my palms across her nipples. The only word I could use to describe how they felt was aching. Yes, Kate’s aching nipples were in my hands. I really was a romance writer, on and off paper. I chuckled in my head.

Without another thought, I wrapped one arm around her waist and flipped us over, pinning her under me. I continued massaging her breast tenderly.

“I’d rather show you how my love scene plays out,” I said, my mouth ghosting against hers.

AUTHOR BIO:

Kara Winters grew up sneaking in all the romance novels she could reach for on her grandmother’s bookshelves. Her love for a good story inspired her to pursue writing as a career and led to her published debut novel in 2013 entitled ‘Working Out the Kinks’.

Currently she lives in Los Angeles and is a member of the RWA (Romance Writers of America), as well as the Los Angeles branch of the guild.

If she is not at home in front of her laptop, Kara is out shopping for vinyl records, exploring the LACMA, or cruising up the California coastline, looking for inspiration to her next book.

Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads

{GIVEAWAY!}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by! :)

🌟 Freebie Tuesday (Edition #228) 🌟

Happy Tuesday! 

Thanks for stopping by! As always I will be tweeting random freebies that I can find on any given day so if you're looking for more free books make sure to follow me on twitter @JackieBookWorld. :)

***Note that there will be some books that will be free for limited time only, so make sure to download them as soon as you can. Also if there is any specific genre that you guys want me to find books of, let me know in the comment section below. (:  Enjoy! 

Most Eligible Billionaire 
by Annika Martin
Release Date: November 7th 2017 by Annika Martin
Pages: 330
Genres: Romantic Comedy, Contemporary
Author's Links: Goodreads, Website, Twitter, Facebook

He’s a powerful billionaire CEO who built the family business into an empire. The money doesn’t matter to him, but the company is his life. And then his eccentric mother wills it all to her tiny dog.

I’m Vicky, the dog whisperer. (Not really, but that’s what my elderly neighbor always says.) When she dies, she surprises everybody by leaving a corporation worth billions to her dog, Smuckers. With me as his spokesperson. 

Suddenly I go from running my Etsy store to sitting in an elegant Wall Street boardroom with Smuckers in my lap. And my neighbor’s son, Henry Locke, aka New York’s most eligible bachelor, glaring across the table at me. 

Rumor has it Henry’s a business genius who’s as talented in the bedroom as he is in the boardroom. Sure, he’s gorgeous. Sex-in-a-seven-thousand dollar suit. But…

He’s arrogant and infuriating. 
He refuses to listen to me when I insist I didn’t con his mother. 
He thinks he can bully me, buy me off, control me, even seduce me. 

Henry may have the women of Manhattan eating out of the palm of his hand, but I'm so over entitled rich guys who think they own the world. 

No way will his wicked smile be charming ME out of my panties. 

His wicked...devastating...impossible-to-resist smile. 

Oh well, who needs panties anyway? 

****************
A sexy enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy standalone!
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

       

Liam 

by Kimber White

Release Date: August 16th 2017 by Nokay Press LLC

Series: Mammoth Forest Wolves #1

Pages: 240

Genres: Romance, Paranormal

Author's Links: Goodreads, Website, Facebook

Five men. Brothers in arms. Their fight to free the shifters of Kentucky could destroy them all. 

For two generations, the wolf shifters of Mammoth Forest have lived under the brutal, ruthless control of the Kentucky Chief Pack Alpha. They have been denied their freedom, their rightful packs, and fated mates for far too long. Now, five brave men have forged a secret alliance hell-bent on resistance. Follow along as the shifters of Mammoth Forest fight to reclaim the women they love and the packs they were born to lead.

Liam – On a mission for critical medical supplies, Liam comes across curvy spitfire Molly. His protective instincts kick into overdrive. But, Molly’s stronger than she looks and she’s fully capable of taking care of her own damn self. It takes about two seconds for Liam to figure out Molly’s his fated mate. In another time and another place, that would make things simple. Here in Kentucky, that makes her a weapon the Chief Pack can use against Liam and all the resistance fighters in Mammoth Forest.

Molly – Molly Ravary’s not the kind of girl who believes in love at first sight. But when Liam McConnell walks into her life, all rippling muscles and eyes blazing with mystery, she might just have to rethink that. He’s hiding something but that doesn’t keep her from being drawn to him. When he reveals his true shifter self, Molly knows she should head for the hills. Except, his nature calls to hers and his truth opens a hidden, magical world she’s been living in all along. Instead of turning away like she knows she should, Molly finds herself all in.

Molly and Liam’s passion for each other creates the greatest danger of all. Giving into it could ruin them both. 

The Mammoth Forest Wolves books contain smoldering love scenes between fated mates, danger, dark passion and intrigue. If you're into that, saddle up and strap in! Each book is interconnected and should be read in the following order: Liam, Mac, Gunnar, Payne and finally, Jagger. 

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

       

Thanks for stopping by! :)

🌟REVIEW BLITZ:🌟 Mister Tonight by Kendall Ryan

Mister Tonight by Kendall Ryan

Release Date: June 18th 2018 by Kendall Ryan Books

Pages: 291

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

From New York Times bestselling author Kendall Ryan comes a standalone romance about a swoony single dad and the new neighbor he falls for.

Last night was the most embarrassing night of my life.

I was that girl.

You know, the highly intoxicated chick celebrating her thirtieth birthday with her two best friends—who are happily married. And the more I drank, the more I wanted to do something reckless to celebrate.

By reckless, I mean the sexy and alluring man dressed in a business suit standing near the bar. You know his type—tall, dark, handsome. I was sure he was out of my league, but I’d had just enough alcohol that things like that no longer seemed to matter. I’m not fat, mind you, but you can tell I like french fries, so there’s that.

He took me home, and I enjoyed the hottest birthday sex of my life. Well, until it came to a screeching and rather unwelcome halt.

There’s nothing quite like being interrupted mid-ride with a little voice asking, “What are you doing to my daddy?”

Just kill me now . . . or so I thought.

Come to find out, the man I rode like a bull at the rodeo is my new landlord. 

Kindle US, Kindle UK, iBooks, Nook, GooglePlay, Kobo, Audio

My Review:

There is a reason why Kendall Ryan is one of my favorite authors and that is simply because she knows how to deliver great romances filled with charm and sexiness. Needless to say, Mister Tonight delivered and will leave wanting for more. 

The story starts of with Kate, a celebrity gossip columnist who is celebrating her thirtieth birthday at a bar with her best friends. She is enjoying the last minutes of her youth and she tells her friends that she wants to get laid before the night is over. That is when she sees him, he is handsome and in a suit (which she totally loves). Kate is nervous to approach him, but he beats her to it by approaching her instead. He introduces himself as Hunter and the two hit it of right away. 

Their chemistry is instant and Kate decides that he is going to be her Mister Tonight. But the minute they arrive to his house, he tells her that he has to pay the baby sitter and she is fine with it, but the minute things start to heat up they are interrupted by his daughter wanting to know what she was doing to her daddy. Kate freaks out and runs away from the scene and wants to forget what happened. She can’t focus on their night together when she has so much to worry about now that she has to find a place to live after her roommate gets engaged. But the universe had other plans and she quickly finds out that Hunter is going to be her new landlord and they’ll be living right next to each other. Kate can’t deny the attraction that she has towards Hunter, but she is not looking for a forever at the moment and she doesn’t want to hurt him. So when she proposes an arrangement of some sorts with him things start to change, they decide on giving in on their attraction with no string attached. But the more time she starts to spend with him, the more she want to be with him and she doesn’t know how to tell Hunter that she has developed feelings for him.

As a single dad, Hunter is used to the stares from other parents and woman running the other way when they learn about his daughter. That’s what his life has become since Maddie was born and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He is a sweet dad to Maddie and wants to make her happy. But Hunter is looking for something more, so when he meet Katie at a bar he immediately wants to get to know her. Except that she is a commitment-phobe and she is not interested in having a relationship with anyone. This completely changes for Hunter, but he is willing to do anything to be with her. Now he has to find a way to make her see that they can be together before it’s too late.

I loved reading Mister Tonight, it was a quick and sweet read. The characters were likable and relatable as well. After seeing he sister go through a messy divorce, Kate decides to look for someone who wants fun, casual sex with no strings attached instead. It worked for her until she met Hunter and the idea of having her own family wasn’t as scary as she thought it would be. On the other hand, Hunter’s dilemma was more about the idea of woman wanting to be with him and not necessarily counting his daughter. There hasn’t been someone that could potentially be part of his family and he wants to do the no strings attached relationship with Katie if he gets her to be with him. But it’s evident from the start that he wants her for the long run and that’s when the story truly takes off. I loved reading the interactions between Maddie and Katie, it was fun and sweet. Though there wasn’t a lot of drama in the story, we do get a solid story filled with emotion from start to finish. The ending fit their story really well and I couldn’t get enough of it. I would highly recommend reading this story and any others by the author, you will not regret it! :)

***ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. I am voluntarily reviewing this title***

My Rating:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she's appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras

Subscribe to Newletter, Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Thanks for stopping by! :)

🌟BOOK BLITZ:🌟 Dark Water by J.A. Armitage {EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY!}

Dark Water by J.A. Armitage

Release Date: June 19th 2018

Series: Reverse Fairytales Book 4

Genres: Fairy Tales, Young Adult

You think you know the story of The Little Mermaid... 

A tragic accident on the eve of her eighteenth birthday leads Princess Erica to a chance encounter with a mysterious man on the beach. When he turns up at her birthday party and whisks her off her feet, she knows she has to find out everything about him, but why won't he speak and where does he keep disappearing to? 

Ari knows he's crossed a line by mingling with the land humans, but how can he resist the beautiful princess whose life he saved? He must decide whether to stay on land and become like her, or continue to live without her in the depths of the ocean. 

Trapped in a centuries long battle between his kind and hers, his decision will rock both their kingdoms. 

With a sea witch that needs repaying and the small matter of Erica's engagement to someone else, Ari knows the odds are stacked against him. 

Dark Water is the fourth in the Reverse Fairytale series and the first Little Mermaid retelling by USA Today bestselling author J.A.Armitage. Take everything you think you know about fairytales and turn it on its head. 

Purchase: Amazon

{EXCERPT}

Chapter one

“May God bless her and all who sail on her.”

I cleared my throat, hoping I’d said it correctly, and gripped the bottle of champagne, terrified of letting it go too early or, worse still, missing the ship entirely.

Beyond the ship, the ocean shimmered in the midday sun. Diamond-like sparkles of light bounced off the calm cerulean water—water that looked so inviting, I wanted nothing more than to jump in, to surrender to the balmy ripples. Of course, wanting it and doing it were two different things. First of all, I couldn’t swim, and secondly, my mother would pitch a fit if I took another step closer to the dock edge. She was already a bag of nerves from today’s event.

I looked behind me, needing reassurance from my parents. This was my first official royal engagement, and I was terrified of messing it up. My father beamed at me with pride while my mother gave me a thin smile. I could see the fear in her eyes although she was doing her best to hide it. I was amazed she’d come at all. The ocean positively terrified her. My father’s hand was almost white with how hard my mother was squeezing it. Next to them, my little brother, Anthony, was picking his nose and examining the treasure he found up there. Not for the first time I was reminded how fortunate it was that I was the first in line to the throne.

Beside me, my life-long best friend nudged me to let go of the bottle. Officially, his title was Sir Hayden Harrington-Blythe, but to me, he was just Hayden. He’d been my first crush since our first day in kindergarten when he’d pulled on my pigtails, and I’d stamped on his foot. Despite our unpromising start, over the years we’d turned into friends. My crush on him was long since over, and his pigtail pulling days were long gone, but somehow, our friendship had survived.

“You do know you are supposed to let go of the bottle right?” whispered Hayden in my ear. I gave him a look I only ever reserved for him and lifted the bottle. Letting go, I watched it swing on a length of string, arcing towards the majestic ship’s wooden hull. It made a tinkling sound as it smashed against the side of the ship, scattering glass all over the paved dock. I couldn’t help thinking it was a waste of good champagne and that it would be better served at the ball being held in honor of my birthday in a couple of days’ time. Still, I felt invigorated by the salty smell of the ocean, the atmosphere of a thousand happy people coming out to see the launch, and the fact that I now had a boat that bore my name. I was feeling as excited as I could hope to feel, second only to being allowed to actually go out on the damn thing.

The Erica Rose’s white sails flapped in the breeze below the official flag of Trifork as if she were eager to be off, out onto the ocean. I couldn’t blame her. To sail on the ocean was a lifelong dream of mine. Ever since I could remember, I’d looked out of my bedroom window toward the ocean and dreamed of the day that I’d be able to disappear beyond the rolling waves toward the horizon.

It was a dream that had never, and would never, be realized as long as my parents were in charge. For a kingdom so well-known for its naval and merchant vessels, my parents were ridiculously strict about letting me go near the ocean. This was the closest I’d gotten in the whole eighteen years of my life, and I had a full team of palace guards surrounding me, stopping me from taking one step closer to the water’s edge than I had to. It was all because of my mother, of course. My father might have been the one that ruled Trifork, but in the palace, my mother was the one that wore the pants, so to speak. If my mother said I couldn’t go near the ocean, then my father wasn’t going to argue with her. However, today was a special day, and not even my mother could come up with a good enough reason for us not to be here. She might have been absolutely petrified, but she was the queen, a duty she held above everything, even crippling panic.

Everybody clapped as the wooden ship began pulling up its anchor, its crew readying themselves to set sail.

I took a deep breath and inhaled the salty air. Above the excited chatter of the crowd, seagulls cawed to each other as they flew overhead looking for an easy snack. Oh, how I envied them and their freedom.

My father managed to extricate himself from my mother’s vice-like grip and joined me on the dock’s edge. My poor mother’s face turned even more ashen, and she had to grip a nearby railing instead to save herself from fainting. It was almost cruel, living so close to the ocean and being so frightened of it. I saw her eyes darting past my father and me to the ocean behind us as though it could somehow climb above the dock and swallow us whole. I don’t doubt it could on a stormy day, but today the skies were blue, and the sea was calm.

“We here in Trifork have a rich sailing heritage, one of which I am immensely proud,” began my father into the microphone that had been set up for the occasion. “Today is a big day for me, both as a king and a father. As you all know, my daughter, the princess Erica Rose, will turn eighteen in just two days’ time. Her first official engagement was supposed to be at the ball, but she begged me to be allowed to launch this ship. Being the dutiful father I am, I agreed.” He paused at this point waiting for a laugh. When he got it, he carried on. “This is my birthday gift to you, dear Erica. I know you’ve always had a fondness for the sea and so this ship not only bears your name but also belongs to you.”

I blinked a couple of times, unsure if what I was hearing was true. The ship was mine? I wasn’t allowed to dip my toes in the shallow waves at the beach, but I was allowed to own a ship?

I gazed up at the huge galleon. “She’s mine?” Hope rose in my chest that I might, for the first time in my life, be able to go out on the ocean. My parents had never so much as let me sail in a dinghy before now, let alone go on a ship.

“She’s all yours, sweetheart. As part of our fleet and a working ship, she will be taken out by her captain, Captain Jackson. But when she’s back in Trifork, you will be able to see her whenever you want.”

“See her?”

“Yes,” beamed my father, oblivious to the disappointment I was feeling. Only see her? I didn’t want a ship to look at. I’d spent my entire life watching the ships of Trifork sail in and out of the harbor. I wanted to sail to foreign lands, to feel the sea breeze upon my cheek. I wanted to know what it felt like to roll over the gentle waves with the vastness of the ocean the only thing in view.

My mother caught my disappointment though. She could read me like a book. An elegant woman with a sharp tongue and an even sharper sense of style, she swallowed her terror and took a few steps toward me, toward the ocean. She walked tall and calmly, but a slight tremor in her step gave her away.

“Aren’t you happy with your new ship?”

“Yes ma’am,” I lied. What was the point of having a ship if I wasn’t allowed on it?

She flicked her eyes past me, once again, toward the ocean. What was it she was looking for? Her eyes snapped back to me. “You know my feelings on you going near the sea, Erica. It’s a dangerous place. I nearly drowned when I was about your age.” She took my hand and pulled me a couple of steps toward her—away from the dock’s edge.

I’d heard the story a million times. Every time I even hinted at wanting to go near the sea, she’d dredge up the same story about how she nearly drowned when she was younger. I wasn’t in the mood to hear it again.

The ship was cast off, the gangplank raised. My ship was about to go on an adventure I could only dream of. The wind caught the sails and the majestic vessel began to move, her crew waving at us as she inched away from the dockside.

My father clapped me on the back, a beaming smile on his face. Even my mother, who usually had a face like a prune when it came to anything to do with water, had found her smile again. I glanced over at Hayden. He knew I was disappointed. I talked about nothing but the ocean with him. He loved the water as I did, but unlike me, he could go out onto it whenever he wanted. He even had his own boat. It was nowhere near as grand as the Erica Rose, but at least, he was allowed to sail in it.

He flicked his eyes almost imperceptibly towards the ship. I arched a brow.

“Do it,” he mouthed silently and cast his eyes towards the ship once again.

He wanted me to jump on the ship! He was actually daring me to do it. Thoughts of all the silly childhood pranks and adventures he’d led me into filled my mind. Hayden was the epitome of an irresistible bad idea. I followed his eye line to where the gangplank had been pulled up. The gate was still open, but it wouldn’t be for long. The ship was already a foot away from the dock and moving swiftly towards the open sea. I had seconds to make a decision.

My heart hammered, and adrenaline took over. Without thinking too hard, I ran from my parents, barged past the palace guards, and jumped as far as I could right off the dock. The ship had moved much faster than I’d anticipated, and I missed the gate by a long shot, and instead of landing on the ship, I plunged head first into the sea.

All I could hear were my mother’s screams as the water crowded in around me.

The water that had looked so warm and inviting when I’d been standing on the dock was actually a lot colder than I’d imagined, and as I scrambled for air, its icy grip took my breath away

Mouthfuls of briny water flowed into my mouth, causing me to choke as I tried desperately to keep above the water’s surface. In one terrifying instant, I realized what it was that my mother had been keeping me from for all these years. As I’d never been allowed in water deeper than a bath, I’d never learned how to swim. It occurred to me now that this wasn’t exactly my finest moment.

The dress I’d had picked out for me, a knee length cotton blue dress was perfect for looking smart and launching a ship. It was utterly useless as a floatation device. The heavy, waterlogged fabric weighed me down, making it even harder to try to keep my head above water.

Beside me, I heard a splash. I looked over to see a red and white life ring bobbing close by with a rope attached to it. On the other end of the rope, the Erica Rose’s crew shouted at me to grab hold. After I’d managed to pull myself through it, they heaved me up and pulled me over the side of the boat.

A group of worried faces peered down at me. One of the men reached a hand down to help me up. As I righted myself, my dress dripped ocean water all over the deck and tightened around me. I felt so uncomfortable in the soggy outfit, but when I saw how far from the dock we’d already moved, excitement flooded through me. The fear I’d felt just moments before dissolved, leaving me feeling exhilarated. I was on a ship for the first time in my life, and we were sailing away from the dock.

With giddy excitement, I gripped a railing. On the edge of the dock, my parents shouted and waved for us to come back. My heart fell as I caught the expression on my mother’s face. Her usual stern expression had contorted to one of absolute fear, and she wasn’t trying to hide it anymore. Her screams pierced the air, her usual stoic facade dropped completely as she tore at my father who was desperately trying to pull her back from the edge of the dock.

Her fear of falling into the ocean was obviously smaller than losing one of her children to it.

My stomach churned as I realized the severity of my actions. I’d only wanted to go out to sea. I didn’t want to hurt my mother in the process. I was going to be in the worst kind of trouble for this little stunt, and as we floated further and further out to sea, the more I realized that the adventure was not worth it.

Captain Jackson, a tall man with a perfectly groomed black mustache and oiled down hair greeted me with a salute. I’d never been saluted before. Bowed to and curtseyed aplenty, but a salute was new to me. I raised my hand and saluted back, unsure of the etiquette.

“I’m going to try to turn the ship back, your highness, but it may take a little time to adjust the sails. The wind is not optimal right now. There’s a squall coming, and I’d hoped to get far enough away to miss it.”

I glanced out to the horizon. The seamless blue sky was darkening, and the sea below it matched its threatening color. Where had that come from? Only seconds before, the weather had been as perfect as anyone could wish for.

“Yes, please turn around.” My heart dropped as I realized that my adventure was over before it had even started, and I’d gotten nothing out of it except to embarrass myself in front of thousands of onlookers and terrify my poor mother.

I looked back over to the shoreline. My parents and all the onlookers were barely dots on the horizon now. To my right, I could see the public beach to which people flocked in the summer months. Beyond that were magnificent white cliffs that I’d heard plenty about but never actually seen before as they were only visible from the sea. To my left, the coast was much rockier, and here was where the royal castle stood. Only a wide promenade separated the rocks from the castle. It looked so dark and imposing with its granite grey towers; I barely recognized it from this angle.

“Why don’t you go to my cabin and get changed out of those wet clothes. I’ll have one of my crew show you where it is.”

Captain Jackson swiveled on his toe and left me alone, feeling terrible. I’d not paused to consider the crew or the captain, and now they were going to have to abort their mission. I could chalk up a few more people to the list of those I’d disappointed. With a sigh, I walked to the other side of the deck to look out at the vast ocean. In the distance, the sea turned black and churned ominously almost as though that part of the ocean was alive and out to get us. It was a stark contrast to the crystal clear and calm water beneath the ship. Above me, the crew of the Erica Rose battled to maneuver the sails to turn us around.

“Your Royal Highness.”

I heard someone shouting at me above the wind that was now blustering fiercely. Lightning forked, splitting the sky in two, and the wind tugged my hair from the clip that had been keeping it in place. Strands of long red hair whipped around my face. I turned to see a young man heading toward me.

“I’m Joe, Your Highness, the second in command of the Erica Rose,” he said, giving me a quick bow. “The captain has asked me to escort you to his cabin.”

Joe was barely older than me, with short, dirty blond hair and a winning smile. I was surprised to see someone so young be the second in command of such a ship.

“It’s getting a little choppy,” Joe cautioned, his cheeks red as he took my hand. “They are going to struggle to get the ship back to shore. The forecast mentioned a little bit of turbulent water, but it looks to be shaping up to be a proper storm out there.”

I followed Joe to a big wooden doorway, which he opened for me and beckoned me inside. As I thanked him, a boom filled the darkening sky.

“Thunder,” Joe remarked, taking my hand and leading me down a corridor. I held on tightly to him as the ship listed violently to one side from the sharp turn of the wheel. He showed me to a large room with a writing desk on one side and a bed on the other.

“There will be some clothes in the wardrobe there,” he said, pointing to a small door. “I don’t expect the captain has any dresses, but I’m sure you’ll find something dry to wear.”

I watched the storm unfold through a small porthole as Joe left me to help the captain. It seemed no one was expecting the weather to be this bad and how could they? Only ten minutes earlier, there hadn’t been a cloud in the sky, and now there was barely any blue left, only the darkness of the sea and the sky. It was strange how quickly the storm had taken hold. I certainly had never seen anything like it before. Outside, the rain began to lash down, pitter-pattering on the round window. Thunder crashed as the waves became more intense with the roaring wind that whipped all around us. The storm had sneaked up on us quickly, and as far as I could see, we were getting further and further away from the coastline. Whatever Captain Jackson’s men were doing to turn the ship around, it wasn’t helping.

I hated admitting it to myself after dreaming of the day I could finally sail on the sea for so long, but I was beginning to get scared. My mother’s screams echoed in my head, although we had drifted too far to really hear her. The boat creaked with the strain, and from out of the window, I could see we were being pulled closer and closer toward the storm. A crash from behind me made me jump. I turned to find that some previously neatly stacked dishes had been flung from the cupboard and were now in hundreds of pieces on the floor. Holding on was almost impossible, the ship was lurching so much. I tried walking over to the wardrobe that Joe had pointed out, but the floor beneath me was rocking so much under the motion of the waves that I could barely stand at all. With a shock, I saw a stream of water pushing the remnants of the dishes across the floor. It was coming from the doorway. We were taking on water. I held on to the writing desk to keep myself upright, but the motion of the ship knocked me to the floor. Something sharp pierced my side, and when I looked down, I saw a sliver of broken plate had cut through my dress and into my flesh creating a bloom of fresh blood on the wet fabric.

I looked up to grab hold of the desk to pull myself back up and was shocked to see that the window was now partly submerged. We were sinking, and we were sinking fast. Pulling myself up, I ran to the door quickly. I had to get out, or I would drown. I yanked the door as hard as I could, and as it opened, a deluge of water rushed in knocking me over once again. The lights flickered out leaving me in complete darkness as the water engulfed me, sending me flying into something hard. Water filled my lungs as the blackness folded in around me, my mother’s warnings of the fierceness of the ocean echoing in my head.

AUTHOR BIO:

J.A lives in a total fantasy world (because reality is boring right?) When she’s not writing all the crazy fun in her head, she can be found eating cake, designing pretty pictures and hanging upside down from the tallest climbing frame in the local playground while her children look on in embarrassment. She’s travelled the world working as everything from a banana picker in Australia to a Pantomime clown, has climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and the bottom of the Grand Canyon and once gave birth to a surrogate baby for a friend of hers.
She spends way too much time gossiping on facebook and if you want to be part of her Reading Army, where you’ll get lots of freebies, exclusive sneak peeks and super secret sales, join up here
https://www.subscribepage.com/v7o8k4

Somehow she finds time to write.

Reviews for J.A.Armitage's work.
Endless Winter is a unique story that takes place in a beautiful world. J.A. Armitage's writing is lyrical and almost poetic. Janelle Fila for Readers' Favorite

I devoured this book like a rich box of chocolates. Sara C Roethle

Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

{GIVEAWAY!}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by! :)