Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway! Worth Forgiving (MMA Fighter #3) by Vi Keeland

Cover designed by Romcon.com

Model: Jamie Dominic

Photographer: Jamie Dominic Photography

Genre: A New Adult/Adult Contemporary Romance novel

RELEASE DATE: August 21st 2014

Blurb

They say men like a lady in the living room and a whore in the bedroom. I never knew the sentiment was reciprocal. Until I met Jax Knight. A gentleman in public, a commanding, dirty talking rogue in the bedroom.

Daughter of legendary fighter “The Saint,” Lily St. Claire knows firsthand how fighters can be. As the owner of a chain of MMA gyms, she’s no stranger to aggressive, dominating, and possessive men. That’s why she’s always kept her distance. But the day Jax Knight walks through her door she’s captivated by his charm. Stunningly handsome, well mannered, Ivy League educated, and confident, he shatters all the preconceived notions she’d come to think were true about men who trained to fight.

But falling for someone so soon after her breakup wasn’t something she’d planned on. And definitely not something her ex plans to allow.

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Review

We met Jackson "Jax" Knight in the last book. He's the half brother of Vince Stone. After finding out that his father Senator Preston Knight has been lying for years, he made a point to distance himself from him. The news reporters are everywhere and he decides to leave the city and fly to New York City to seal his next company deal.  He wants to become a silent partner on the gyms which  Lily St. Claire owns. He is also free to train in the MMA circle, not that he wants to follow into Vince's steps but fighting is something that he has always loved. Meeting Lily makes him realize that maybe happiness is closer than he thinks.

Lily St. Claire lost her father "The Saint", a famous fighter. She was devastated. During this time she let Caden Ralley get close to her. She soon realizes this is a mistake but after two months of breaking up with him, his possessive tendencies are escalating.  Jax seems to be a fresh of breath air she needs to breathe. But, Caden won't stay away and neither is Jax's dad. 

My thoughts:

I love the way H/h meets. It made me laugh.
Lily started being cute, nice, and innocent. Later on, she made me mad. I wanted her to be more aggressive with the Caden issue. She was being bullied, manipulated and stalked. Yet, she kept on minimizing the issue. Then thanks to Caden she gets mad at Jax. Really? you're going to believe the douche and not the guy who has consistently showed you that you should trust him?

“It’s her loss if she doesn’t forgive you, because you’re totally worth forgiving.”

Caden needed to be in prison or an institution with tons of anger management sessions.

Jax Knight was puuuurfect! He was a sexy, smart and finally out of his father's claws. He was worth fighting for. I love that we get glimpses of his relationship with Vince and Nico. The epilogue made me smile. I'm going to miss these guys.

“There’s only two choices with a man.  Forgive him or forget him.  If you can’t do the latter, then you need to forgive him because he’s already stolen your heart.”

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

ML

Excerpt

Dinner and a dirty mouth

My face pinks when the waiter clears his throat, no doubt he’d heard Jax’s last comment.

“Are you ready to hear the specials?”

“Are we?”  Jax arches an eyebrow, his eyes gleaming with delight.  He’s not the slight bit embarrassed, but knows I am and is quite enjoying himself.

“Yes.  Please.”  I give him the evil eye and force my full attention back to the waiter.  The entire time the waiter talks about the specials I feel Jax’s eyes burning into me.

“I’ll give you a moment to let you decide.”  Graciously, the waiter excuses himself.

“Why did you do that?” I scold, my voice low.

“Do what?”  He leans back in his seat, crossing his arms over his thick chest.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“Do I?”

“You enjoy watching me flustered, don’t you?”

Jax arches both eyebrows.  Bad choice of words.

“You know what I mean.”

Leaning in, his voice gritty and sexy, he looks me straight in the eyes when he speaks.  “I love watching you.  Period.  But what I like best is watching you pretend you’re unaffected.  It’s like an unspoken challenge.”  He pauses and leans in even closer.  “I love the pink that creeps up your cheeks when I say something dirty.  The way your pussy throbs when I mention what I’m going to do to you later, and you wiggle in your seat trying to control it.  So yeah, I guess I do like watching you flustered.  You sit and give your attention to the waiter, trying to pretend you’re listening to whatever he’s saying instead of thinking of me feeding you my cock later, but we both know you didn’t hear one word he said.  Hell I didn’t hear one word watching you, just knowing what you were thinking about.”

This time, I see the waiter before he’s close enough to hear us.  He smiles as he reaches our table.  “So what can I get for you this evening?  Did I interest you in one of our specials?”

I look at the waiter, then Jax, who arches an eyebrow with a knowing smirk on his face, then back to the waiter.  “The specials all sounded delicious.  I just can’t decide for myself.  I’m going to defer to my date to pick one for me.”  I return my eyes to Jax with a cheeky grin.

He throws his head back with a chuckle and looks at the poor confused waiter.  “We’ll take whatever two are your favorites.  Surprise us.”

MMA Series Reading Order

Worth the Fight  (Book One)

CURRENTLY ON SALE for ONLY $0.99 (limited time)

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It didn't matter that the ref called it a clean hit. Nico Hunter would never be the same.

Elle has a good life. A job she loves, a great apartment, and the guy she's been dating for more than two years is a catch and a half. But it's boring...and she strives to keep it that way. Too many emotions are dangerous. Her own past is living proof of what can happen when you lose control.

Then Nico walks into Elle's office and everything changes...for both of them. But what can the tattooed, hard-bodied MMA fighter and the beautiful and always steady attorney have in common? A lot more than they bargained for.

***Author's note*** THIS IS A STAND-ALONE NOVEL. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Worth the Chance (Book Two)

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Meet Liv Michaels

It may have been seven years, but I'd know him anywhere. Sure, he's grown, filled out in all the right places, but his captivating blue eyes and cocky grin are exactly the way I remember. Even though I'd much rather forget.

Liv Michaels is almost there. She's smart, determined and weeks away from landing the job she's dreamed about for years. Time healed old wounds, even her broken heart from the devastation of being crushed by her first love.

Meet Vince Stone

Women love a fighter, especially a good one. Lucky for me, I'm damn good. But there's one woman that isn't interested. Not again, anyway.

Vince 'The Invincible' Stone is every woman's fantasy...strong, sexy, confident and completely in control. Growing up surrounded by chaos, he's learned never to get too attached. Love will drag you down. He adores women, treats them well, puts their own needs before his own...for the night anyway. With the biggest fight of his life coming up, his focus should be on training.

When fate brings Vince & Liv back together again, there's no denying the chemistry is still there. But can Vince erase the old scars their past left behind? Or will Liv hurt him instead?

***Author's note*** THIS IS A STAND-ALONE NOVEL. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the 18.

Additional Graphics

Additional Books by Vi Keeland

First Thing I See

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1qLL4ET

Belong to You (A Cole Novel, Book One)

Amazon US : http://amzn.to/1jdAlRk

Made For You (A Cole Novel, Book Two)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1qLLdIk

About the Author:

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn't change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work.  She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!

Stalk Her:

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Cover Reveal: Shame (Ruin #3) by Rachel Van Dyken

~ Synopsis ~

Everything done in darkness, will eventually be brought into the light.

I ran, but all it did was keep me one step ahead of my past. I tried to start over; new name, new identity. But you can't change your soul.
A fresh start at college was just what I needed. For a while, it worked. I was the party girl, the one that seemed confident, but it was a lie.
When guys kissed me--I felt only pain. 
When they touched me--Nothing but fear.

Deep inside, every girl wants to be the beauty in the story, to find someone that will see you as their world. 
But the truth? I was the beast. And as much as I wanted redemption, I wasn't fool enough to think I'd ever get it. 
Until he walked into my life.

I wasn't prepared to fall for someone. My scars were too deep, the wounds too raw. But he offered me peace, he offered me security. I should have known it was just another lie--I should have known that falling in love with my professor was a bad idea.
But I was powerless to stop myself from falling. 
And he was powerless to catch me.

Because the darkness finally caught up to me, and as fate would have it, a cruel twist almost bled me dry. But I'm stronger than I knew. I'm stronger than you think.
You think you know my story, but you don't....after all everyone has Shame in their lives-- and I'm no longer afraid to show you mine.

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~ Excerpt ~

“Just hold still!” I yelled, holding up my phone while Gabe gave me the finger. I grimaced and dropped the camera away from my face. “Nice, thanks for that.”

“I’m a giver.” He smirked.

Saylor, his wife, smacked him on the arm and rolled her eyes.

“Ouch.”                  

I scrunched up my face when he leaned in and took Saylor’s mouth with his, kissing her senseless in the local Starbucks like they were doing a romance scene in a movie. I coughed.

They didn’t pull apart.

So I took a picture.

I earned another finger, but Gabe still didn’t dislodge from his wife.

“Whoa!” Wes’s voice sounded from behind me. “They been at it long?”

“Are all newlyweds disgusting?” I voiced aloud.

Wes moved around the table with his wife, Kiersten, and gave me a goofy shrug. I wanted to roll my eyes, but Wes was too nice and hot. Let’s not forget the hot part. Both he and Gabe were like walking poster boys for GQ. Both blond, now that Gabe had decided to dye his hair back to his original color. It was like staring at two really bright superstars.

Hating them was like hating the Easter bunny. Try all you want, but you’ll eat every piece of chocolate in the basket, just you wait.

“So, classes?” Kiersten leaned forward. “I heard you got stuck with that hot new psych prof.”

Wes growled low in his throat.

“Down boy.” I braced my hands on the table and laughed. “Besides he’s not that hot.”

“A girl passed out.” Kiersten’s eyebrows shot up. “Like in class.”

“Dehydration?” I shrugged, taking a sip of coffee.

“Or…” She leaned forward. “…the rumors are true.”

“Rumors…” Gabe backed away from Saylor, his lips swollen. “…are always based on truth.”

“So you really did do a naked dance in your underwear last week after getting drunk downtown at Pike Place Market?” I tilted my head and waited while Gabe rolled his eyes and popped his knuckles. “Exactly.”

He opened his mouth.

I took a picture.

With a grimace, he snatched my phone away from me. “Never thought I’d have to tell you to lay off the pictures, Miss Paparazzi.”

I slumped in my seat. “It’s for an assignment with that hot professor.”

“Aha!” Kiersten jabbed her finger at me. “I knew it.”

I pinned her with a look. “Sarcasm, friend, sarcasm.”

“Boys get girls pregnant,” Gabe offered, while Wes choked on the coffee he’d just stolen out of my hand.

Serves him right!

“Don’t date them.”

“You’re going to be a great dad.” I smiled sweetly. “What? You’re just going to lock your girls in their rooms and go—” I mimicked his voice. “—uh, you see boy parts are bad, they make girls have lots of babies, like rabbits, and you know how rabbits make dad nervous and—”

“Hilarious,” Gabe’s eyes narrowed. “And please don’t talk about kids yet…”

Saylor laughed quietly next to him then squeezed his arm.

My heart dropped.

A very long time ago, I’d wanted to be that for Gabe, then Taylor happened and well… I shuddered, blocking out the painful memories, the things I’d done, the things he’d done, the things we’d done.

“You okay?” Wes asked, his voice soft. He was way too perceptive for my taste. If I’d wanted to share, he’d be the guy I’d talk to, but I was a vault. Sharing meant admitting my guilt, and admitting meant I’d probably go insane just like he had.

“Yeah…” I straightened in my seat. “…I just don’t want to fail my class, and I need to write down nonverbal cues and take at least one picture. And pretty sure I need to ace this first assignment on account that I was late to my prof’s class, and I got in trouble.”

“He spank you?” Gabe’s eyes mocked across his coffee.

“Yes, Gabe,” I said calmly. “Because that’s how they punish bad students here at UW — with a yardstick and a smile.”

“I wish.” He whistled. “What I wouldn’t give to have Saylor—”

I plugged my ears.

He threw his head back and laughed while Saylor turned bright red and put her hand over his mouth to shush him.

“So…” Wes ignored Gabe as was his usual and leaned across the table. “…why don’t you take pictures of people here in the coffee shop? I mean, ask permission, but most people here are super interesting, right? Studying? Stressed out? Tired?” He pointed to a guy in the corner. “He looks like he’s running on five cups of coffee and one hour of sleep. Go ask, take the picture, make some notes, project done.”

“You make it sound so easy,” I grumbled.

He grinned. “I’m Wes Michels.”

I hung my head lower and grimaced.

“Phone.” He held out his hand and stood.

Within minutes, not only had he snapped two pictures for me but had taken notes on two pre-med students who had stayed up all night cramming for what they’d assumed would be a pop quiz, only to find out that they’d been in the wrong class on the wrong day.

“And that’s why I'm not pre-med.” Gabe shuddered.

“Really?” Kiersten asked. “I thought it was because big words scared you?”

“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. What now?” He nodded. “Keep talking, Kiersten, or keep walking.”

“Spell it.” She smirked.

“So this professor…” Gabe changed the subject. “If he tries anything, use the Mace or the rape whistle.”

“Right.” I nodded. “I’ll be sure to do that. In class. With a hundred other students. When he looks at me cross-eyed.”

“Good,” he huffed.

“I was kidding.”

Saylor patted Gabe’s shoulder. “Gotta let the baby birds out of the nest someday, Gabe.”

~ About the Author ~

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at www.rachelvandykenauthor.com

~ Connect with Her ~

 FACEBOOK   TWITTER   GOODREADS   AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

The Beautiful Ashes (Broken Destiny #1) by Jeaniene Frost

The Beautiful Ashes

As a lover of Cat and Bones I jumped at the chance of getting the ARC for this book. I had to say the writing felt very different. Not in a bad way, it just didn't have the components that the Night Huntress series did. 

Saying that, I still enjoyed this book. The main character is Ivy Jenkins. She has had the worse week of her life. Her parents have died in an accident and her sister has gone missing. Ivy embarks on a crusade to find her sister Jasmine. What she finds is that all those times she thought she was having hallucinations she was really getting glimpses of demon realms. The first time she gets attacked by something which doesn't look human, she runs away, not even knowing how she managed to do it. 

She soon meets Adrian, who is powerful and mysterious. She has so many questions but barely gets answers. Then she meets Zach, who tells her part of the truth. With the help of Adrian she must find a weapon to save the world and hopefully her sister too.

I love JF's books. Have been a huge fan of her Night Huntress Series. 

This story is different. 

I like Ivy. She was strong, smart and thoughtful. If it was me who discovered demons were real I would have lost it.  She had one track mind, find the weapon, save my sister.  She won't let anything deter her. Her connection to Adrian felt believable. I do think she was too harsh on Adrian, especially since every one lied to her or gave half truths.

Adrian was awesome. He was ready to fight the demons but at the same time he wanted to keep Ivy alive. His pet also made me smile.

I'm intrigued where the story is going and I'll read the next one.

Cliffhanger: Not really. It's a series.

4/5 Fangs

ML 

A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Release Day! Kiss Me, Captain (French Kiss #2) by Gwen Jones

French billionaire Marcel Mercier is irresistibly sexy in Gwen Jones’s

fun and sassy follow up to Wanted: Wife.

Kiss Me, Captain

A French Kiss Novel

Gwen Jones

Readers had a brief glimpse of French billionaire Marcel Mercier in Wanted: Wife. The charming heartthrob is back in the new French Kiss Novel, Kiss Me, Captain (Avon Impulse | on-sale August 26^th, 2014 | ISBN: 9780062356482). Gwen Jones displays the perfect combination of smart writing, sexy characters, and sassy dialogue that made the first French Kiss Novel a huge success.

Marcel loves women. And there's a string of broken hearts across two continents to prove it. But as CEO of Mercier Shipping, he's got more important things to worry about … like why the charter company he just purchased in the United States is suddenly the center of an international media firestorm.

Now that big, bad Mercier Shipping owns Captain Dani Lloyd's ship, she's sure her job is at stake. But she won't go down without a fight—even if it means chaining herself to the mast of the Esther Reed and refusing to set foot on shore. The delectable captain and her newsworthy dramatics are a PR nightmare, but Marcel is happy to let Dani prove her skills on a weeklong sail to Boston. He knows no woman can resist him for that long … in fact, he's counting on it.

But Marcel's plan to seduce Dani backfires as sparks fly between the billionaire playboy and the passionate captain, which leaves Marcel realizing that winning her heart is a challenge he can't afford to lose.

Buy Links:

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About the Author:

GWEN JONES, is an MFA, HEA addict, politics geek, and part-time native of the Jersey Shore. She lives with her husband, Frank, and the absolute cutest cats in the world, Gracie and Tommy, near Trenton, New Jersey.