"Fractured Lines" by Jen McLaughlin - Excerpt!

Fractured Lines by Jen McLaughlin will be releasing October 14th, but first we have some exclusive content to share. Each week, FINNClub team members will be sharing special details from the book, and series, in order to share their excitement for the new novel.

Today we have an excerpt from FRACTURED LINES! Watch out, it's spicy!

EXCERPT:

I lowered my face even more. “I need you so damn bad. Let me kiss you. Let me make it better. I know how to make it all better.”

I brushed my lips across hers gently, testing her reaction. She kissed me back. So soft I barely felt it, and yet I somehow felt it down to my soul.

With a small groan, I closed my mouth over hers, crushing her against my chest and holding her so tightly I might have broken a rib. Man, I’d been waiting for this moment. For her to stop shutting me out. For her to want me as much as I needed her.

And now it was happening.

I slanted my mouth over hers, taking full control of the kiss. Backing her up against the wall, my tongue glided inside her mouth at the same time I slipped my leg in between hers. She gasped and opened her mouth wider, granting me full access.

Without hesitation, I took it, and then I took some more. Like the greedy asshole I really was. Part of me knew I should stop kissing her until I was better, but the other part of me wanted her too damn badly to give a shit about anything else. When I closed my hands around her hips, my fingers digging into the soft sides of her ass, she broke off the kiss and took a shaky breath.

I latched onto her neck, biting with just enough pressure to sting. It had been too long since I’d had her. Too long since I’d held her. Too long for everything. My injured leg protested against the weight I put on it, but I ignored the cry of protest it gave. Any pain I had to suffer was worth it, as long as Carrie was in my arms again, making those small sounds that drove me fucking insane.

  BOOK BLURB: The lines we once crossed so easily have widened and torn us apart… Once upon a time I thought Finn and I would live happily ever after, but real life doesn't always have a happy ending. He's testing my trust, and I'm losing faith in the man I thought I'd spend the rest of my life with, and there’s nothing I do can stop it. He’s the one I trusted to keep me safe, but now he’s the source of my greatest pain… Forgiveness is fragile, and some fractures never fully heal... One mistake—a slip in a moment of weakness—might cost me everything I've worked so hard for. The thing about trust is that it's a lot easier to lose than it is to build. Just as I'm about to give up and surrender to the demons from my past, an unexpected threat reminds me what I'm best at: protecting the woman I love. Whether or not she wants me, I will fight for Carrie and our daughter, and I will keep them safe—no matter the cost. Even if I have to put my life and my heart on the line.

PRE-ORDER SALE

FRACTURED LINES is now up for pre-order on amazon! If you purchase the book before its release day it will be just .99 cents! This is for pre-orders only! Grab it while it's on sale. Amazon Pre-order Link: http://amzn.to/1r4c81A Kobo Pre-order Link: http://bit.ly/1CB7bB4  
a Rafflecopter giveaway   Jen McLaughlin is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy New Adult books. Under her pen name Diane Alberts, she is a multi-published, bestselling author of Contemporary Romance with Entangled Publishing. Her first release as Jen McLaughlin, Out of Line, released September 6 2013, and hit the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal lists. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and a cat. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

Website: http://dianealberts.com/
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/DianeAlberts6
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianeAlberts
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6921962.Jen_McLaughlin  

Review: "What Nora Knew" by Linda Yellin

Molly Hallberg is a thirty-nine-year-old divorced writer living in New York City who wants her own column, a Wikipedia entry, and to never end up in her family's Long Island upholstery business. For the past four years Molly's been on staff for an online magazine, covering all the wacky assignments. She's snuck vibrators through security scanners, speed-dated undercover, danced with the Rockettes, and posed nude for a Soho art studio. Fearless in everything except love, Molly is now dating a forty-four-year old chiropractor. He's comfortable, but safe. When Molly is assigned to write a piece about New York City romance in the style of Nora Ephron, she flunks out big-time. She can't recognize romance. And she can't recognize the one man who can go one-on-one with her, the one man who gets her. But with wit, charm, whip-smart humor, and Nora Ephron's romantic comedies, Molly learns to open her heart and suppress her cynicism in this bright, achingly funny novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this novel.

Something about Linda Yellin's writing amuses me to no end.  I found myself giggling throughout this book.  Molly Hallberg's commentary on sex scenes and romantic shocks - ha!  I'm still laughing about it!

This book is just so much fun!  If you're looking for something light, and yes, Nora Ephron-esque, pick up "What Nora Knew" - you won't be disappointed!

Why only three stars then?  Well, this book was sitting at a solid four stars, but once I finished and waited a few days, I couldn't recall many details of the story.  It's like eating a piece of angel food cake - it goes down light and fluffy, but a few minutes afterward, you forget you've had any in the first place.  It all depends on mood - if you want something heavy and dense that'll stick to your ribs like New York cheesecake, then "What Nora Knew" just won't cut it.  But hey, sometimes it's just an angel food cake kind of day!

My rating: 

Review: "Tempting A Sinner" by Kate Pearce

Known only to a select few, these inscrutable men are bound by dangerous desires and enigmatic pasts. They are the Sinners Club. . . Cold Calculation Within the circles of British intelligence, Benedict, Lord Keyes, is known for his cold brilliance and strict military demeanor. Yet this icy exterior masks a man of smoldering passion and scorching sexuality who will do anything to keep his past a secret. . . Sultry Satisfaction Miss Malinda Keyes refuses to be intimidated by Lord Keyes. In fact, she enjoys a good battle, especially one of erotic wiles and carnal cunning. Determined to expose his lordship's past, she will use every wanton weapon in her arsenal to tease and tempt this sinner into the ultimate sensual surrender. . .

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this book.

This is the second book I've read in the "The Sinners Club" series, and while I really enjoy Kate Pearce's setting  and writing, I do have to admit I had a hard time slogging through this particular title.  I didn't feel any real involvement with Malinda or Benedict's characters.  Maybe they weren't developed enough for me to really connect with either of them.  While the erotic parts of the story were certainly steamy, the characters didn't really convey much emotion.  And the steamy parts that were present were interspersed with a whole lot of plot that didn't much interest me.  There's a bit of mystery surrounding the death of Malinda's father and the involvement of Benedict's father in his murder, but I found I just didn't care about this aspect of the plot.  I would have liked to see a bit more about the actual Sinners Club, its background and the events that occur on the second floor.  Unfortunately, the Sinners took a backseat to the rest of the plot, which was a disappointment to me.

Still, despite the problems I had with "Tempting A Sinner", this series continues to intrigue me, enough so that I would not hesitate to pick up the third installment, "Mastering a Sinner".  I'm quite curious to see what else Pearce can do with the world surrounding the Sinners Club!

My rating:

  

PROMO - "Fractured Lines" by Jen McLaughlin

Fractured Lines by Jen McLaughlin will be releasing October 14th, but first we have some exclusive content to share. Each week, FINNClub team members will be sharing special details from the book, and series, in order to share their excitement for the new novel.

Today we have an author guest post from Jen McLaughlin explaining why she chose to continue the series by bringing in an adult title.

 

Finn and Carrie—adult style

When I decided to write another Finn and Carrie book, I knew where I had to pick up the story. At the end of OUT OF MIND, we fast forward seven years. So if I wanted to give the readers what they wanted—which was more Finn and Carrie—that’s where I had to pick up.

To take a NA book and turn it into an adult book is (to my knowledge, anyway) not something that’s been done before. It’s a bit daunting of a prospect, but I knew that it was something I wanted to try anyway! And I have to say, it’s been so much fun to take these NA characters, make them grow up…and put them through hell all over again, so to speak, lol.

I’m hoping that by taking these younger characters and turning them into something new and fun, in a way, it can let people who haven’t experienced these characters as NA characters to enjoy them as adults. And on the flip side, it will let the readers who came along on their earlier journey experience a new side of Finn and Carrie…their mature/adult sides.

What do you think of this concept? Would you like to see other NA characters turned into adult books?

  BOOK BLURB: The lines we once crossed so easily have widened and torn us apart… Once upon a time I thought Finn and I would live happily ever after, but real life doesn't always have a happy ending. He's testing my trust, and I'm losing faith in the man I thought I'd spend the rest of my life with, and there’s nothing I do can stop it. He’s the one I trusted to keep me safe, but now he’s the source of my greatest pain… Forgiveness is fragile, and some fractures never fully heal... One mistake—a slip in a moment of weakness—might cost me everything I've worked so hard for. The thing about trust is that it's a lot easier to lose than it is to build. Just as I'm about to give up and surrender to the demons from my past, an unexpected threat reminds me what I'm best at: protecting the woman I love. Whether or not she wants me, I will fight for Carrie and our daughter, and I will keep them safe—no matter the cost. Even if I have to put my life and my heart on the line.

PRE-ORDER SALE

FRACTURED LINES is now up for pre-order on amazon! If you purchase the book before its release day it will be just .99 cents! This is for pre-orders only! Grab it while it's on sale. Amazon Pre-order Link: http://amzn.to/1r4c81A  
a Rafflecopter giveaway   Jen McLaughlin is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy New Adult books. Under her pen name Diane Alberts, she is a multi-published, bestselling author of Contemporary Romance with Entangled Publishing. Her first release as Jen McLaughlin, Out of Line, released September 6 2013, and hit the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal lists. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.  Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and a cat. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name. Website: http://dianealberts.com/ Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/DianeAlberts6 Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianeAlberts Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6921962.Jen_McLaughlin  

Review: "How to Fall" by Jane Casey

Sixteen-year-old Jess Tennant has never met any of her relatives, until her mom suddenly drags her out of London to spend the summer in the tiny English town where her family’s from. Her mom’s decision is surprising, but even more surprising is the town’s reaction to Jess. Everywhere she goes, people look at her like they’ve seen a ghost. In a way, they have—she looks just like her cousin Freya, who died shortly before Jess came to town. Jess immediately feels a strange connection to Freya, whom she never got to meet alive. But the more Jess learns about the secrets Freya was keeping while she was alive, the more suspicious Freya’s death starts to look. One thing is for sure: this will be anything but the safe, boring summer in the country Jess was expecting. Beloved author Jane Casey breaks new ground with How to Fall, a thrilling and insightfully written mystery.

My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this book.

Some of my first ever "chapter books" as a kid were Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden mysteries, and I LOVED them!!!  I was wondering what happened to that genre with this next generation of young readers.  It seems like today's hot reads are all of the paranormal or dystopian variety, and while I enjoy books in those genres as much as the next reader, I still kind of miss the suspense and mystery of the classic whodunit.

This could be where Jess Tennant comes in.  It might be premature to say that Jess Tennant is the next Nancy Drew, but I will say that I think Jane Casey is off to a good start with this new series.

When Jess moves for the summer to the small seaside town where her mother grew up, she is greeted by stares and whispers.  She quickly meets some of the town's teenagers, most of whom are not outwardly friendly, and some of whom are downright mean.  As Jess delves more into the towns peoples' attitudes toward her, she finds that her cousin Freya, who died the summer before and looked exactly like Jess, had some complicated ties to a lot of them.  There's Freya's self-proclaimed best friend, the boy next door, Freya's siblings, the town mean girl and her posse, and the beautiful golden boy.  Jess gets the feeling that everyone knows a bit more about the circumstances of Freya's mysterious death than they are letting on, and she's determined to solve the mystery.

Did Freya fall, jump, or get pushed off the cliff into the ocean?  This book started out a bit slow, and for the first third or so, I didn't really care.  That all changed for me after an encounter between Jess and some of the aforementioned secondary characters on the cliff.  I can't divulge what happened, but things did seem to pick up from that moment on.  

Jess is an interesting character.  She's very bullheaded, and doesn't balk at asking blunt questions regarding Freya's death to just about anyone she comes across.  At times I felt a bit annoyed at her, especially when she put herself in some sticky situations that anyone with half a brain would avoid.  Her half-baked plan at the end of the book was also a bit ... I don't know, ridiculous? Unbelievable? Extreme?  Not sure how to describe it exactly.  Either way, I'm intrigued enough by Jess and the other characters in this small town to want to read more of her (mis)adventures in the future.

My rating: 3.5 stars

Review: "Unstoppable" by Melody Grace

A secret scar… Tegan Callahan has sworn off bad boys for good. Growing up on tour with her rock star brother, she knows first-hand the damage they can do. She’s looking for a nice, safe, stable guy – until a chance encounter with a devastatingly sexy stranger makes her question everything she thought she wanted. A troubled soul… Ryland James arrives in Beachwood Bay on the run from his mistakes. He knows he’s the last thing Tegan needs, but somehow, he can’t stay away. There’s something about her fierce beauty that draws him in – and makes him vow to protect her, whatever the cost. A passionate destiny… Their bond is undeniable; the stakes, higher than ever. But the past won’t stay gone forever, and soon, Ryland must make the ultimate choice: will he risk everything he treasures in the world, or keep Tegan safe – and sacrifice her love forever? *This book contains adult situations and explicit content. 17+*

My thanks to Netgalley and Mark My Words Book Publicity for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this book.

This was the first book I've read in author Melody Grace's Beachwood Bay Series, and although it is the fifth in the series, rest assured that you can read it as a standalone novel.  Be forewarned, though, that reading it first will only motivate you to read the rest of the series as soon as possible to learn more about these wonderful characters!

"Unstoppable" starts off with a chance meeting between Tegan and Ryland in Las Vegas, and right away their chemistry is obvious. After this rather implausible encounter, neither believes they will see the other again, but through the magic of fiction, they run into each other again all the way across the country in beautiful Beachwood Bay, where both characters are working through some of their past mistakes. Ryland is trying to reconnect with his family after leaving them seven years ago, and Tegan is pulling herself together in solitude after a stint in rehab. Neither should probably be getting involved with anyone at this time, but that's the thing about chemistry, right? Sometimes it's just impossible to ignore.

The writing here was pretty decent. There was a satisfactory build up of sexual tension between Tegan and Ryland, and a wonderful side story involving the families of both characters that was neither too undeveloped or so strong that it overshadowed the main plot. There was a little bit of mystery surrounding Tegan's previous boyfriend, just enough to keep me reading and wondering exactly what had happened between them. And then there was the relationship between Ryland and his mother, which once explained, enabled me to understand some of Ryland's inner turmoil. All of this was quite well done in my opinion. 

Where this story fell short for me was in some of the plot details.  Ryland's association with the mob (or whoever they were) never really felt authentic - I wanted more information for his history  to feel real. The ending felt really rushed and left me asking, "Really? That's it?"  And then there was the insta-lust/love between Ryland and Tegan.  It was just a bit much and a bit too fast for me to completely buy into it. Still, if you're not planning to analyze too closely, then "Unstoppable" is a sweet, romantic read with some memorable moments and great characters.

My rating: 3 stars

Review: "Shattered" by Tracy Wolff

The Extreme Risk series—Tracy Wolff’s edgy, emotional take on the New Adult genre—continues with the story of a lost soul and the fearless beauty who inspires him to take a flying leap back into life. Ash Lewis has poured every last ounce of his blood, sweat, and tears into reaching the very top of the professional snowboarding world—until the unthinkable happens. After the biggest competition win of his career, Ash’s mother and father are killed in a tragic accident. Unable to handle the idea of going back out on the snow to pursue the dream his parents shared with him, Ash feels that he has no choice but to walk away from snowboarding forever. Then he meets Tansy Hampton. Wild, fun, and impulsive, Tansy has a different look and a new passion every week. As a cancer survivor who spent the past several years waiting to die, Tansy has a fresh perspective on life—even if she doesn’t have a clue about what she actually wants to do with it. But she’s determined to find out, and that means making the most of her time while she still can. From the very beginning, their chemistry is intense. But while Ash can’t stop chasing the ghosts of what can never be, Tansy stays firmly focused on the possibilities the world holds for her—and for them. She’s already picked up the pieces of one shattered life. Now she’s determined to help Ash do the same.

 Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this book.

We were introduced to Ash in "Shredded", and out of everyone in the group, he was the man with a plan.  He was the one gunning for Olympic gold.  He was the one updating the website and dealing with agents and sponsors.  he was also the one to keep Z on the straight and narrow - not always successfully!  Now things have changed, so much that he doesn't even want to go near a snowboard.  Ash thinks that by giving up snowboarding, he is making a responsible decision.  By giving up snowboarding, he will be in a better position to take care of his brother.  So by the time Tansy comes along, Ash hasn't touched a snowboard in several months, and it's Tansy's job to make Ash get on a snowboard in order to fulfill the wish of a dying child.  Tansy has her work cut out for her!

The fact that Tansy has been battling cancer for ten years lends an interesting aspect to her personality.  She's missed out on all the normal rites of passage most teenagers would go through.  She even has a hard time picking out an outfit because she hasn't yet developed her own style.  I really liked her as a heroine.  She was feisty and brave and really brought out the best in Ash.  

I thought the pacing of this book was great - I was never bored, the plot didn't ever drag.  And I loved the characters - they were always dynamic, never dull.  Although there was some repetitive language - I particularly didn't like the overuse of the term "snow bunny" - overall, this was a good read, and I'm looking forward even more to reading the next in the series.

My rating: 3.5 stars