Lottie Loves by Samie Sands 💕 Fun Facts, Book Tour & Gift Card Giveaway 💕 (Contemporary Romance)

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“Will you marry me?”

Four words I’ve waited my whole life to hear. Four words I was sure would change my life forever…and they did. Just not in the way I expected.

Finding out my extremely gorgeous rock star boyfriend was about to propose had the complete opposite effect I thought it would. Rather than catapult me into a future I’ve always wanted, it plunged me back to a past I tried to forget.

Now I can’t get him out of my head. I can’t help but wonder what could have been, how our lives would have ended up if he didn’t leave me behind, a shattered mess.

All these memories are dangerous. They’re bringing my past back to ruin my future. And worst of all, they’re taking me right back to him, my childhood sweetheart, my first love…my biggest regret.

5 Facts About Lottie Loves

1. It was first published on Wattpad...

As my books before Lottie Loves were all in the horror genre, I first posted it chapter by chapter on Wattpad to see what people thought of my romance writing. The response I got was so positive that I decided to send it to my publisher and they loved it!

2. There is a secret chapter at the end of the book...

If you buy the book as an eBook, you’ll get access to a secret chapter that gives you a little insight to Lottie’s life after the plot ends.

3. Readers didn’t expect the reason for the split...

People who’ve contacted me after they’ve read the book, and the readers who go to know the plot via Wattpad, were all really shocked to find out what tore Lottie and Joe apart. I hope that you are too!

4. The book is only about Lottie...

While the book is based around Lottie’s love life and which direction she should take, ultimately the plot is about her and her life. She’s comfortable where she is, but could she be happier? I’m sure that’s something we’ve all felt from time to time.

5. Danny is based on someone...

The character of Danny is very loosely based on a member of a band that I’ve always loved. If you can guess who, I’ll send you a free paperback copy of the book! Email your guesses to lockdown@writeme.com.

I yanked my phone angrily out of my pocket, not at all in the mood to talk to anyone, least of all the name that I saw plastered across the screen.

Danny.

I rolled my eyes, almost stuffing the phone back in my pocket, really not wanting to speak to him. My mum had put me in the worst mood, and for the first time ever I wasn’t excited to talk to the man I loved.

Just as my hand slid into my jeans, my heart pounded uncomfortably against my chest, and I rapidly changed my mind. I couldn’t ignore Danny, not when he’d done nothing wrong. Just because I was all shook up and pissed off, it wasn’t his fault. Plus I had no idea when he would call again, so I shouldn’t miss this opportunity.

“Hi…” I started, but Danny jumped in almost instantly, not letting me get a word in edgeways.

“Lottie? Are you okay? It isn’t true, I promise you. I didn’t…it isn’t what it looks like…I…” He sounded panicked and stressed, which meant he wasn’t making any sense, causing everything within me to halt in shock. Danny was a pretty laid back person when it came to most things, so to hear him like that meant that something really bad had happened. I just couldn’t work out what it was…

“Woah, slow down.” I tried to sound calm, but even I could hear the hollow twinge to my tone. “What the hell are you going on about?” I stood outside the front door to my home, unable to even think about hunting through my bag for the key when something so potentially life changing was about to happen.

“You mean you haven’t seen it yet?” He gasped weakly, his words cracking painfully with emotion. I shook my head silently, waiting for him to continue. “I…I thought you hated me already. I thought you knew.” He panted a few times, and I noticed my breaths becoming as ragged as his, as if my body was trying to prepare me for what was to come next. “The newspapers…they’re saying some things. Some awful things…but they aren’t true, I promise you.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, everything swirling around inside of me until I almost felt sick with it all. My brain wasn’t quite processing any of Danny’s words, but my body had already come to its own, very unwelcome, conclusion. “What the fuck are you saying, Danny?”

“At the industry party last night…there was this girl…”

 

 

Breaking Down My Walls by Anne Marie Citro 💕 Book Tour & Print Book Giveaway 💕 (Contemporary Romance)

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After the torment of her childhood, Taya believes in love for everyone … except herself. Some things can’t be untaught.

Beautiful and tough, yet the most private woman anyone has ever met, Taya knows everyone has a past, yet she doesn’t share hers. Her past must remain behind her for her sanity and so the only man she has ever loved will move on with someone who hasn’t been destroyed by those who were supposed to protect her.

Then a threat has her past storming back in and taking over.

After looking into the big, baby blue eyes of the deranged little orphan who was dragged, kicking and screaming, into his home, Levi is determined to be the boy who will teach Taya that not every offered hand will betray her.

Playful and gorgeous, Levi’s first passion is the girl who consumes his heart. His second is serving his country, following in his father’s footsteps. When Levi is deployed overseas, he encourages Taya to spread her wings and pursue her dreams, hoping she will come back to her roots and the man who is waiting for her.

Levi is mistaken.

Taya can’t change who she is and has built a life for herself far away from the only man she will ever love.

Can Levi convince Taya their relationship is worth the fight? Can he force her to overcome her fears and let him in completely? Can Levi prove his love is the freedom she has been searching for?

Levi allowed Taya to control their relationship in the past, but now things have changed. He is taking control back, with or without her consent.

As “Don’t You Cry” by Guns N’ Roses started to play, the boys all started to sing. Even Gunner was humming along when he walked into the room, catching on to the irony of the words.
“From Axl’s mouth to God’s ears.”
“That’s not nice, Gunner. She can’t help it.” Katja was a little defensive of the girl who was essentially her adopted daughter now. “Come on, Taya; we can eat in my room.”
“Gunner, you owe them an apology. Katja, please sit down.” Ana felt bad. She knew they were all extra-sensitive because of exhaustion.
Katja was indeed tired, making her very emotional. She really didn’t blame Gunner. She was just at her wit’s end.
She bent down to help Taya up, but the girl grunted and pulled away.
“Taya, come on; let’s go back upstairs. I don’t think the family is ready to have dinner with us.”
Taya slapped Katja’s hand, shaking her head. The girl wouldn’t move.
As the fight elevated, Gunner instructed Levi to turn off Guns N’ Roses and put the calming music back on.
When Levi pulled his phone out and begrudgingly replaced it with his mom’s, Taya flew out of her seat and grabbed his phone, trying to connect it back to the docking station. Levi tried to grab it back before the kid broke it.
“Taya, stop it!”
The little brat wouldn’t stop.
Finally, Levi crouched down to her level, grabbing her hands. “Stop fighting and listen. Do you want to hear the music?”
Taya stopped, looking at Levi with frustration written all over her face as she nodded. “Okay, I’ll put it back on if you sit down like a good girl.” Levi smiled with his dimple, happy she was communicating instead of fighting.

Taking one last look at Levi and seeing the dimple, she walked back to the table, moved her chair away from Katja, and placed it beside Levi’s. Once it was where she wanted it, she sat down and put her bear on her lap. Then, as the music started to play, she closed her eyes and started to sway.
Everyone at the table realized they’d had their first breakthrough in finding something to soothe her. Who knew it would be Guns N’ Roses and not Beethoven?
Now that everything was settled, the women brought the food out.
Taya’s eyes opened when she smelled the food. Seeing everyone taking food before passing a bowl on, she helped herself to very large portions.
Nobody thought the little girl could eat all the food on her plate, but she surprised everyone by eating everything and taking more when Ana offered. Then they were stunned when she ate twice as much as Gunner, devouring every bit of food left in the serving bowls. They were sure the little girl was going to throw up.
She didn’t notice them all staring at her until she reached for some uneaten food on Levi’s plate.
He slapped her hand. “No more, piglet, or you’re gonna be sick.”
She was shocked by the slap, but then she saw the twinkle in his eyes and the dimple in his smile. Taya slapped him back hard.
He pulled back his hands when she looked like she would slap him a second time. She took advantage by snatching the half-eaten bun off his plate, popping it into her mouth before he could stop her. Chewing fast then swallowing, she looked up at him triumphantly, smiling the biggest smile since she had arrived.
Levi and everyone else broke out into a fit of laughter.
“You won round one, piglet, but I’m on to you.” He bent sideways, bumped her shoulder with his, and winked.

   

Heiresses in Love Trilogy by Marie Lavender💕 Spotlight & EXCLUSIVE Giveaway 💕(Historical Romance)

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An unforgettable, sweeping saga of romance, passion and history rooted in tales of maritime suspense…

Three heiresses…three novels like no other.

An unforgettable, sweeping saga of romance, passion and history rooted in tales of maritime suspense…

Three heiresses…three novels like no other.

UPON YOUR RETURN

Fara risks her heart every time she’s with him, but she cannot deny him.

UPON YOUR HONOR

Chloe never imagined that the man she deceived would be the one man she can’t stop loving.

UPON YOUR LOVE

Adrienne must decide whether to succumb to desire or fight for love.

…Will these remarkable women at last find what they’ve always wanted, or lose more than they can bear?

Fara Bellamont has been back in society for a year after leaving Cluny Abbey, where her uncle sent her long ago. When he chooses a suitor for her for marriage, she fears that she will be forced to marry a stranger and live a miserable life. But, Fara finds herself thrust into an adventure of a lifetime when unforeseen circumstances cause her to place her trust in a strange man for protection. His intervention not only saves her, but puts her in an even more compromising position. Grant Hill, a trading captain, is enchanted by the young heiress not only because of her beauty, but because she is hardly conventional. Underneath her ladylike exterior lies a tigress. Grant cannot help but offer his protection as she is in need and he is far from immune from her charms. Fara just never bargained on the passion that she feels for Grant Hill. As events unfold, she must decide whether her desires and the dictates of her heart should trump the rules of society in this exciting tale.

Deception is a dangerous path… New York City, August, 1891 – Orphaned after the death of her father, Chloe Waverly stows away on La Voyageur to escape the clutches of her cruel fiancé, Lamonte Beckett. Gabriel Hill, a strange and compelling gentleman, comes upon Chloe and promises to protect her without knowing the true circumstances of why she is running away. During their journey, Gabriel doesn’t bargain on being distracted by her fair beauty or succumbing to her many charms. As their attraction to each other grows, so does the danger and Gabriel suspects things are not as they should be. Both are determined to get to New Orleans, where she can start a new life. But, once they reach their destination, events spin out of their control and Chloe is captured by the fiancé she escaped. Gabriel is left wondering if he can overlook her betrayal. Soon he finds himself in a race against time, to reach her before Beckett can exact revenge.

The Hill family saga concludes as loyalties are questioned, faiths will be tested and undying love may come at a terrible cost… Fara Hill, mother and faithful wife, is torn between her family at home and her urge to be at sea. Soon, she learns some disturbing truths. Was the past a fairy tale instead of reality? Chloe Hill, loving wife and young mother, questions her faith when her husband sets an ultimatum she cannot meet. Will she be able to keep her marriage from falling apart? Adrienne Bellamont Hill, born of a valiant captain and a fiery redhead, is untamed to her core and will bow to no man. Then Christian du Plessis enters her life with an offer she can’t refuse. Discovering the man behind the polished gentleman, she is drawn to him in many ways. Holding out for love is a family tradition, but can she resist the temptation of passion? Christian finds this young woman to be a fascinating challenge, and is torn between keeping his distance from her and succumbing to her charms. A fierce battle of wills ensues as he sees she is much more than he ever imagined. But danger lurks, threatening to destroy everything… Can these two strong-willed individuals unite in the cause before time runs out?

 

Just Say (Hell) No by Rosalind James 💕 Book Blitz & Gift Card Giveaway 💕(Contemporary Romance)

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Even a hard man needs a soft side.

Marko Sendoa isn’t a beach man. He’s not an Auckland man. He’s a hard man. Born Basque, raised in the heart of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, and bred on hard work, discipline, and getting the job done. It’s not easy for a rugby flanker to make it to age 32 at the top of his game, but he’s done it. Next year is the Rugby World Cup, and he’ll do whatever it takes to be on the field in the black jersey when the anthems are sung.

He doesn’t need a kitten.
He doesn’t need a pregnant cousin.
He definitely doesn’t need a too-short, distractingly curvy, totally unimpressed Maori barista and part-time pet portraitist who fills his house and his life with too much color, too much chaos, and too many secrets.

He’s getting them anyway.

Nyree knew it was two kilometers to Achilles Point. She didn’t look at her watch to see how long it was taking. The point was, she made it. She puffed her way up the final incline, which felt more like a mountain, tried to tell herself, Gorgeous sea view, and failed. Maybe it was the black spots that were swimming in her vision. She bent over from the waist to haul in a few precious breaths and focused on not being sick.
When she stood up again, she saw him. He’d just run the stairs from the beach. She didn’t even want to walk the stairs from the beach. And he wasn’t breathing hard.

Bastard.

He dropped to the boardwalk, began doing press-ups in a leisurely manner, and said, “I’ll take your apology now.”

“P-p-pardon?” It came out wrong. She still couldn’t breathe.
“I didn’t blame you at the start,” he went on, sounding as if twenty press-ups were nothing but a warmup. Which they probably were. He started them over again, then said, “I ran up behind you. Startled you. Fair enough. But afterwards? Did you thank me for my generous offer? Did you give me a dignified way out? You did not. You ran away and left me with a bona fide footy expert. I’m not even going to comment on the fact that if you’d let me turn off your headlights, you’d have been up here ten minutes faster.” He eyed her more closely. “Maybe fifteen.”

The sun was too hot, and her face was still dripping with sweat and probably flushed to beetroot state. Still, she felt a bit better. “Your new mate had something to say about your performance last night, did he? Could be you just lost to a better side.”

He hovered for a long moment at the top of a press-up, then leaped to his feet in one smooth movement. “Now, I call that cruel. And if you knew who I was, why did I get all that talk about Macing me? I was sweating.”

“You were not sweating. It takes more than that to make you sweat.”

He grinned at her, lifted the collar of his singlet, and wiped his face, exposing a flash of taut, ridged midriff in a quite possibly delicious shade of golden brown. And a thin line of dark hair leading south from his navel, straight into the top of those black shorts. “Could be you’re making me do it,” he said. “But I’m happy you’ve noticed.”

She tore her gaze away and back up to his face fast, but not before he’d caught her looking.

At fourteen, she’d thought he was her knight on a white horse. At seventeen, she’d learned better. Ten more years had done him some favors in the body department, but she wasn’t sure they’d improved his character.

She smiled back at him, saw the answering smile get cockier, and said, as sweetly as she could manage, “I’m so impressed by that, I’ve come over a bit faint. Time for me to go.”

“If you’re faint,” he said, “I reckon I’d better buy you lunch.” So confident, like he had only to offer himself up, and the world and all its women would be his. She wasn’t fourteen anymore, though, and she didn’t have any illusions about the romantic intentions of rugby players. Even All Blacks weren’t necessarily all they were cracked up to be.
“Cheers,” she said, “but no. I need to go. Thanks for telling me about my headlights. Goodbye.”
Sometimes, if you were very lucky, you got a second chance. You might still be able to fit your fist into your mouth, but at least the braces were gone, you hadn’t dropped any food, and you definitely didn’t feel like slinking away and dying.

Not anymore.