🌟 BLOG TOUR 🌟 My Saving Grace by Melanie Moreland {REVIEW}

My Saving Grace by Melanie Moreland 

Release Date: February 25th 2021 by Moreland Books Inc

Series: Vested Interest: ABC Corp #1

Pages: 375

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

It's time for the next generation of Vested Interest to find their Happily Ever Afters.

Grace VanRyan has her life mapped out. Law school, a career with ABC, and a bright future ahead of her.

Until Jaxson Richards steps into the picture. He’s everything she hasn't planned for. Older, sexy, off-limits.

And her new boss.

When the passion between them explodes, will her life blow up along with it? 

FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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My Review:

My Saving Grace is the first book in the Vested Interest: ABC Corp Series, an age-gap office romance that’s emotional, steamy and full of surprises that will leave you wanting for more.

At the beginning of the story we are introduced to Grace VanRyan, an articling law student who has recently interviewed to intern at Smith and Hodges, a prestigious firm. There she will be mentored by a lawyer before she sets out to work for ABC Corp. Grace’s love for corporate law is due to her father, Richard VanRyan who although is in marketing, she always loved to visit the legal department and ask a lot of questions.

Her life is pretty much mapped out, until she meets the lawyer who will be mentoring her, Jaxon Richards. He is incredibly attractive, smart and there are sparks in the air when they first meet. Yet, he immediately sets boundaries between them and tells her that she needs to work hard to earn his respect and she sets out to prove herself. As they get to know each other more things begin to change, Grace starts to see what’s beneath Jaxon’s lawyer persona and sees the caring soul that has suffered in the past. No matter how many time he tells her that she shouldn’t be falling for him, she still does and she is going to make him see that they might just be perfect for each other.

At thirty-eight years old, Jaxon Richards has accomplished a lot in his career and this has led him to land a job at a prestigious law firm with Smith and Hodges. He is good at what he does and he has worked so much to get to where he is today that relationships have never been in his plan at all. It’s his past that has shaped the way he views relationships and he thinks that nothing ever lasts. So when he meets his new intern, Jaxon is taken back at how Grace makes him feel. He finds himself being protective of her and the idea of being with her has him question what he has believed all along. Until a series of obstacles come his way threatening their future and he has to make things right with her before it’s too late.

I throughly enjoyed reading My Saving Grace, the characters are likable and retable. The story itself is full of ups and downs as the characters struggle to make things work. They both come from different backgrounds, Grace grew up surrounded with love her whole life while Jaxon hasn’t. This is what ultimately becomes a problem in their relationship, Grace wants a forever and Jaxon doesn’t know if he is capable of giving her that. Age also plays a huge factor as well as their work, they love what they do and they don’t what their work be affected if their relationship doesn’t work out. I absolutely loved the second half of the story, it truly picks up and we get to see Jaxon interact with Grace’s family and we get cameos from the Vested Interest Series characters as well from The Contract Series. Although ABC Corp is a new series, I would highly recommend checking out the other series, just to get the full effect. It’s evident that both of the characters have a lot to work on, but they have to lean on each other in order to make their relationship work. The ending was really sweet and it brings everything to a full circle. It was emotional and I cannot recommend it enough, you will not regret it! :)

**I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.**

My Rating:

About the Author: 

New York Times/Wall Street Journal/USA Today bestselling author Melanie Moreland, lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her beloved husband of thirty-plus years and their rescue cat, Amber. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.

While seriously addicted to coffee, and highly challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties, and also enjoys traveling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.

Melanie loves stories, especially paired with a good wine, and enjoys skydiving (free falling over a fleck of dust) extreme snowboarding (falling down stairs) and piloting her own helicopter (tripping over her own feet.) She's learned happily ever afters, even bumpy ones, are all in how you tell the story.

Melanie is represented by Flavia Viotti at Bookcase Literary Agency. For any questions regarding subsidiary or translation rights please contact her at  flavia@bookcaseagency.com

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🌟 BOOK BLITZ 🌟 Born of Fire by Kella McKinnon {EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY!}

Born of Fire by Kella McKinnon

Release Date: January 21st 2021

Pages: 218

Genres: Adult, Historical, Romance, Time-Travel

More than thirteen centuries ago, the Highlands were ruled by a powerful Pictish King whose ferocity in battle was as legendary as his honor and devotion to his people. When his trusted advisor had a vision that the Picts could one day disappear from the Earth, King Bridei charged one family with protecting and preserving the language and lore of the Picts through the generations to come.

Born into this ancient family line, Nessa Brodie feels both the weight of her responsibility and the desire to pursue her own dreams, until a series of fateful events lands her in the distant past. As she navigates her new world and all of the uncertainty and fear that comes with it, Nessa begins to realize that she is destined to be the completion of a circle begun long before she was born. Torn between the life and love she left behind, and the captivating passion of an untamed warrior-king, Nessa learns that even the path laid out by fate is never easy or straight.

Amazon

{EXCERPT}

“Well? Do you want to have her killed tonight with the others?” Namet stood before him, waiting for his answer.

Bridei was eating his dinner. Or at least he was trying to. This was the fourth interruption he’d had to endure since he’d sat down. “No. I need to know who she is first, and who she answers to. There is too much at stake not to know each and every one of my enemies, large or small.” He paused, chewing thoughtfully. “She could be completely innocent, of course.” But maybe that was wishful thinking. The lass’s fathomless green eyes told him nothing except that she was lying.

“Or she could have been sent to seduce you into telling your secrets. Or to poison you.” Namet always argued the other side. It was one of his many roles as chief counselor to the King.

“Then why would the old man be with her? He certainly does not put one in the mind of seduction. Wouldn’t she have come alone, if that was the plan? Played on our sympathies as a woman lost and by herself?” He shook his head, taking another bite of food from the carved wooden bowl. He could have dined from golden plates, of course, but he preferred simpler things. “I need to know more. Bring her to the fires tonight. I would have her see what happens to those who cross me. Perhaps then she will talk. And Namet…”

“Yes?”

Bridei pointed his spoon at him with narrowed eyes. “I would never be seduced by any woman. Know that.”

He wouldn’t have anyone, even his most trusted counselor, thinking he could be weakened in any way. Especially not by feminine wiles. He had had women throwing themselves at him since the day he’d become King, even before that, and never once had he let one touch his heart. Never for a moment had he been ruled by lust or need. He was always in control. He was King.

The old warrior’s mouth curled up at one corner just a little as he nodded. He had been around long enough to know that sometimes a woman came along that a man had no hope of walking away from. Even being a king didn’t make one immune to matters of the heart.

AUTHOR BIO:

Kella McKinnon lives in rural New England on a mini-farm with her husband and three children, and has far too many hobbies to list... but writing is her biggest passion.

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🔖 BLOG TOUR 🔖 The Lie by Stella Gray {REVIEW}

The Lie by Stella Gray

Release Date: February 23rd 2021

Series: Charade #1

Pages: 232

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

The world knows Ford Malone as the heir to a real estate fortune.

But to me he’ll always be my best friend.
The guy who saved me from my bullies back in school.
The man I’ve secretly loved for years.

When he needs me to be his plus one at a family event, I agree without hesitation.

Imagine my surprise when he announces our engagement.
As usual, I’ll play along.
Nothing has to change except the way we behave–the way we touch–in public.
But his private touches change everything.

Soon the crush I’ve hidden for so long is threatening to swallow me whole.
If I tell him how I feel, it could ruin our friendship forever.
But if I don’t, the lie will ruin me instead.

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My Review:

Not having read any other books by the Stella Gray before, I didn’t know what to expect. Needless to say, what starts out as a lie turns into so much more for this friends-to-lovers romance. A promising start to the Charade Trilogy.

At the beginning of the story we are introduced to Emzee Zoric, a professional photographer and part owner of Danica Rose Management, a modeling agency that has recently changed the lives of her and her brothers forever. After finding out that her father and former CEO of the then KZ Modeling agency became an international criminal who damaged a lot of lives in the process. The news of what her father did tarnished the reputation of the company and ever since then her and her brothers have done everything in their power to make the company successful again.

Things quickly change when they get news that her father’s criminal past is after them now and the mafia is now involved. What brings her solace is being with her friend, Ford Malone. He has been her rock ever since he saved her from bullies back in high school and they have then formed a strong bond between them. She has always been there for him, so when he asks her to be his fake girlfriend she does it, that’s until he asks her to be his wife for a year that everything changes in their friendship. She has always been in love with him and no matter how much she tries to move on, he always seems to bring her back to him somehow. Soon she is planning a wedding and she finds herself being vulnerable with him. He is who she wants and she plans to tell him, then her life changes once again threatening their change at a future together.

As VP of Malone Real Estate Holdings, Ford Malone has it all, the wealth and woman around him all the time. His last relationship didn’t end well, as he is the only one that has been trying to move on while his ex keeps coming after him. It doesn’t help the fact that his mom in particular likes his ex and wants to see them get married. So does the first thing that comes to mind, asks his best friend to be his wife for a while until his mom gets used to the idea that he will never marry his ex. There is a part of him that knows that Emzee has always liked him more than a friend and although he doesn’t want to give her the wrong idea, the more time they spend together the more he begins to wonder if she might just be it for him.

Although there were times when I wasn’t a big fan of Ford at the beginning, he seemed to be using Emzee’s feelings for him as a way to get her to agree to their arrangement. He grew on me later in the story, as he realizes how his feelings are changing towards her. There are definitely two big things happening in the book, one of them being their arrange marriage and the other about the mafia involvement. The first book gives us a lot of background information on how the rest of the story is going to play out. I loved the main characters’ chemistry, they already know each other so they always lean on each other when they need one another the most. It’s when they decide to take things further that their chemistry is sizzling! The end does end on a cliffhanger and I cannot wait to read what happens next. This is a great story for those that love a friends-to-lovers arrange-marriage romance! :)

**I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.**

My Rating:3.5/5

About The Author:

Stella Gray is an emerging author of contemporary romance. When she is not writing, Stella loves to read, hike, knit and cuddle with her greyhound. 

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