We are thrilled to get to bring to you the Release Day Launch for New York Times Bestselling Author Nichole Chase’s BEDMATES, the first standalone novel in her new American Royalty Series! Be sure to grab your copy of BEDMATES today!
From the New York Times bestselling author of Suddenly Royal comes the first in a sparkling new series about America’s favorite royal—the First Daughter.
Everyone makes mistakes, especially in college. But when you’re the daughter of the President of the United States, any little slip up is a huge embarrassment. Maddie McGuire’s latest error in judgment lands her in police custody, giving the press a field day. Agreeing to do community service as penance and to restore her tattered reputation, Maddie never dreams incredibly good looking but extremely annoying vice president’s son, Jake Simmon, will be along for the ride.
Recently returning from Afghanistan with a life-altering injury, Jake is wrestling with his own demons. He doesn’t have the time or patience to deal with the likes of Maddie. They’re like oil and water and every time they’re together, it’s combustible. But there’s a thin line between love and hate, and it’s not long before their fiery arguments give way to infinitely sexier encounters.
When Jake receives devastating news about the last remaining member of his unit, the darkness he’s resisted for so long begins to overwhelm him. Scared to let anyone close, he pushes Maddie away. But she isn’t about to give up on Jake that easily. Maddie’s fallen for him, and she’ll do anything to keep him from the edge as they both discover that love is a battlefield and there are some fights you just can’t lose.
Grab BEDMATES in ebook or paperback, releasing today!
Amazon | iBooks | BAM| Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads
EXCERPT:
The hand on the back of my neck tilted my head so he could kiss me better and I melted against him. I’d waited for this moment most of my life and I sure as hell wasn’t disappointed.
The kiss wasn’t rushed, wasn’t abrupt. It was slow, lingering brushes of lips, as our breaths slid over each other. It was an intense, raw moment as we tested unknown waters and what we found only increased our determination. When his tongue swiped across my bottom lip in a request for entrance I opened on a sigh. His free hand caressed my hip before sliding around to the small of my back, tucking me against him.
The feel of his hard body pressed against me made my head spin. Every delectable inch of him was hard in just the right way. As his mouth danced over mine, fire ran through my veins. Everywhere that he touched me came alive and I wrapped my arms around his neck, hungry to feel more of him pressed to me. This was what I’d been looking for all these years. I felt alive and appreciated with each stroke of his tongue and touch of his hands.
His arm tightened around my waist and my feet left the ground. I gasped as he sat me on the unfinished kitchen island. Dark brown eyes drilled into mine as his hands slid down to cup my ass before gently spreading my legs so that he could fit between them. He pressed against my center and I couldn’t help but groan as he pulled me tight. Wrapping my legs around his hips I pushed even closer, trying to relieve the building ache.
He groaned into my mouth and I took the moment to nip his bottom lip. I’d wanted to do that forever; to feel it plump between my teeth. One of his hands squeezed my ass tighter and he grinded his erection into me, causing my head to fall backward on a gasp of pleasure. Each move against me made me gasp louder, and my eyes fell shut. With one hand he pulled my hair free from the rubber band before tangling his fingers in it.
“God, you taste good.” His voice was raw, harsh, and it sent shivers down my spine. He ran his nose along the column of my throat before nipping gently below my ear. “Should have done this forever ago.”
About Nichole Chase:
Nichole Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Suddenly Royal, The Accidental Assassin, Flukes, The Dark Betrayal Trilogy, The American Royalty Series and several short stories.
Nichole lives in Georgia with her husband, energetic daughter, two rescue dogs, Sulcata tortoise, and two cats. When not writing, you may find her reading, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Thank you to the author and publisher (via Edelweiss) for the free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion!
This is my first book by Nichole Chase, and there was quite a lot about it that I really enjoyed. For one thing, the steam between the two main characters was a lot more intense than I was expecting, and definitely a cut above. The author also doesn't shy away from some very heavy topics, such as PTSD in returning military personnel and animal rights. There were a few things that I wish were done differently, but overall I really liked "Bedmates" and would love to read more by Chase.
Jake and Maddie were great characters! These two are people that I can see myself being friends with. They'll both do anything for the people they care about, and they stand up for what they believe in no matter the consequences. Although this latter attribute has the potential to harm their reputation or that of their famous parents, making a difference is extremely important to them both, and that is absolutely something that makes them admirable characters.
In case you think this book is all romance and fluff, I'm here to tell you that this is not the case. There are a couple of scenes dealing with Jake's PTSD where I felt like I was right there, seeing him go through the turmoil and agony, and even feeling it right along with him. Not really a comfortable thing to experience, from either Jake's or Maddie's point of view. Still, I appreciate the effort the author made in trying to make this a realistic portrayal of the experiences a returning veteran may have while integrating back into civilian life.
All of this makes for a riveting read, although there were a couple of areas where I felt "Bedmates" came up a bit short. For example, I wanted to know more about Jake's amputation. In retrospect, I'm not sure why it was even in there, because it didn't really seem to affect him or contribute to his PTSD. Other than getting sore after a long day working on a construction site or mentioning how he was in such good shape from all the rehab he'd done, it was hardly mentioned. Where were the feelings of inadequacy or self-consciousness when being fully exposed to a woman for the first time? Did he ever deal with phantom pains or difficulty with his prosthesis? What did his prosthesis even look like? What about when Maddie saw his stump for the first time? Was she scared to bump it during sex and hurt him? Or was she curious to see what it looked like? These were all things I wanted to know and for the two main characters to deal with together, and it was just missing.
I also felt that Maddie's character was missing some background development. I knew that she was a college student, but what was she studying? Biology to go along with her love of animals? I knew that she was passionate about animal rights, but why? Did she have a special pet as a child? I knew she only had one good friend, but why? Was it hard for her to trust people? Aside from her dad being the president and her mother having died long ago, I felt like I didn't really get a good feel for what made Maddie tick.
And then there's the fact that I don't really care for American politics. Or any politics, to be honest. Luckily, "Bedmates" wasn't too obviously some sort of public service announcement, but there were a couple of moments that had me rolling my eyes. However, I'd have to say that the good outweighed the bad here, so if you're looking for a sweet and steamy read with special and unique characters, don't hesitate to pick up "Bedmates".
My rating: 3.5 stars
jago ayam
ReplyDelete