RELEASE DAY BLITZ: I Do, Babe (Damnable Grace, Book 5.5) by Tillie Cole

Amazon

Nook

iBooks

Kobo

WHEN DARKNESS AND LIGHT COMBINE, DESTINED SOULS WILL IGNITE . . .

Connected since childhood.
Two souls: one dark and one pure.
Bracing to take the greatest step of all.

River ‘Styx’ Nash loves his woman. Ever since he met Mae at the fence of the cult that had kept her captive as a child, he has never loved anyone else. He loves her black hair, her pale skin and of course, her ice-blue ‘wolf eyes’.

Since Mae came crashing back into his life, his only wish has been to marry her; finally to make her his wife. But now the wedding is booked, and only weeks from forever having Mae by his side, a lifelong problem is plaguing him.
He wants to marry her; he has never wanted anything more . . .
. . . if only he could speak the words and declare it to the world.

Salome ‘Mae’ Nash’s life had been filled with heartache and pain . . . until, at age eight, she met a strange dark-haired boy from the outside world. Years later, and reunited with her great love, Mae is ready to solder her heart to his. Finally, Mae is getting ready to marry her man. But her fiancé has become withdrawn. Something is deeply troubling him.
But Mae has no idea what.
Or what to do to help.

Can Styx open up and conquer his deepest pain? Or will the infamous Hangmen Mute allow his fears to overcome his love for Mae and watch their much-anticipated wedding crumble to dust?

Dark Contemporary Romance. Contains explicit sexual situations, offensive language and mature topics. Recommended for age 18 and over.

***I Do, Babe: A Novella (Hades Hangmen #5.5) is to be read AFTER Damnable Grace (Hades Hangmen #5)***

“Mae,” Bella whispered as I walked from the changing room and stood on the elevated plinth opposite my friends and sisters. The mirror was behind me, but I did not yet dare look at my reflection. I glanced at Bella sat beside Ruth, her mother-in-law and Rider’s mama. Her eyes were filling with tears as she stared at me. Her hands were in front of her mouth.

“Do you like it?” I ran my hand over my pronounced stomach.
Bella nodded. “You are perfect,” she whispered. Ruth nodded in agreement.
I looked at Maddie. “Madds?”
She smiled warmly. “You are beautiful, Mae, this dress only enhances that. But this gown could not suit you more if you tried.”
“Styx will love it,” Lilah said and held Grace tighter on her lap.
“You look like a Disney princess,” Grace said.
A hand came down on my arm. I turned to see Beauty behind me. “You ever gonna look in the mirror, darlin’?” She smiled. This boutique belonged to a friend of Beauty’s, and Beauty had practically organized my wedding for me. I was clueless where to even begin.
“You look good, Mae.” I smiled at Letti as she sat uncomfortably on the couch. She had told me she was here to support me, but she had no opinion in such matters as wedding dress shopping. Or anything girly, she’d said affectionately.
“Turn, honey,” Lilah said and I nodded my head. I had no idea why I was so nervous. I knew that Styx loved me and I loved him. I felt as though I had been waiting for this day my whole life. That I had been waiting for the day I finally cemented him as mine. Forever mine, and me forever his.
Closing my eyes, I turned, allowing Beauty to guide me. “You ready?” she whispered. I pulled up the image of Styx in my mind. Me in his arms as we lay in bed. His large tattooed arms holding me close as we spoke. His voice gruff and deep. Then I pictured us laughing. The infamous Hangmen Mute of the Hades Hangmen, so different with me than with anybody else. To others he was aloof, silent, and menacing. But to me, he was loving, caring, and the most beautiful soul in the world.
The other half of my heart.

Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city.

After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.

Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.

Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.

When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of chocolate.

Author Links

Web  Facebook  Twitter   Instagram  Amazon  Goodreads

Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie

REVIEW: Off Base (Out of Uniform, Book 1) by Annabeth Albert

Amazon || Kobo || B&N || iBooks

Blurb

After trading the barracks for a fixer-upper rental, navy SEAL Zack Nelson wants peace, not a roommate—especially not Pike, who sees things about Zack he most wants to hide. Pike's flirting puts virgin Zack on edge. And the questions Pike's arrival would spark from Zack's teammates about his own sexuality? Nope. Not going there. But Zack can't refuse.

Pike Reynolds knows there won't be a warm welcome in his new home. What can he say? He's an acquired taste. But he needs this chance to get his life together. Also, teasing the uptight SEAL will be hella fun. Still, Pike has to tread carefully; he's had his fill of tourists in the past, and he can't risk his heart on another, not even one as hot, as built—and, okay, yeah, as adorable—as Zack.

Living with Pike crumbles Zack's restraint and fuels his curiosity. He discovers how well they fit together in bed…in the shower…in the hallway… He needs Pike more than he could have imagined, yet he doesn't know how to be the man Pike deserves.

Review

RATING:

This somehow got buried in my TBR, not sure why. New fan of Annabeth here and knowing how gooey she makes me feel with her stories, I don’t know why I didn't jump at this asap. #prioritizingfail

The beginning of a new series, it’s a spinoff from the Gaymer series. This is delving some more in the world of Ryan and his likes, men in uniform, sweeeet! It’s the story of Zack, a new SEAL, and Pike, the man who would change his world.

When we meet Zack, he’s fully in the closet and this is about him learning about himself, admitting who he is, and dealing with his coming out to his family, his friends and his work. Pike is expanding his wings, so to speak. He knows who he is and what he wants but also in a way this is him learning about himself because of how his past experience shaped him.

How the relationship built between these 2 just built so naturally that like Zack, I find myself caught off guard when it hit me at that point when they realized how deeply they feel for each other. There is such authenticity to their interaction that lulls you then sucks you right in. These are 2 are so sweet! Le sigh… How Pike truly did his best to be what Zack needed, how Zack sincerely did his best to be the man that Pike deserves… Le sigh…

I swear I was with them every step of the way that when that critical time came, I was teary eyed before I even realized it. I felt every ounce of their hurt, doubts and fear. These young ‘uns totally squished my heart. To get to their happy ending just made it feel 10x more rewarding…

Oh, and seeing Ryan and Josiah was also a nice added treat… definitely a bonus…

There’s just something to Annabeth’s writing that seems all light and sweet but the depth she gives her characters adds gravity in a way that catches you off guard emotionally. So while you may think you’ll be in for a nice easy read, which you will be, you’ll get all kinds of feels as well, trust me. In other words, she’ll take you on this ride with ups and downs but she’ll get you through it ever so smoothly. So I guess what I’m trying to say is Annabeth’s got skillz!

 

Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie

REVIEW BLITZ: Mister Moneybags by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

   

I met Bianca in an elevator.

She was on her way to interview me when we got stuck.

The beautiful, raven-haired reporter assumed I was a delivery guy because of the way I was dressed.

She had no clue I was really Dex Truitt, the wealthy, successful businessman she’d dubbed “Mister Moneybags”—her afternoon appointment.

Bianca told me how much she hated Dex’s type—snobby, over educated, silver- spooned men who didn't appreciate the simple things in life.

So, after the elevator finally started moving again, I cancelled the interview and let her believe I was someone I wasn’t—a bike messenger named Jay. I loved the way she looked at the fake me and didn't want it to end.

I began dating her as “Jay”—all the while letting her interview the real me over email.

I didn’t expect that our chemistry online would be just as hot.

I didn’t expect the mess I’d gotten myself into.

I didn’t expect that Jay and Dex would fall in love with her.

And she was falling for two men.

Only, both men were me.

And when she found out, we were both going to lose her.

Nothing could have prepared me for that day. And I certainly wasn't prepared for what came after.

All good things must come to an end, right? Except our ending was one I didn't see coming.

 

Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Audio | Amazon paperback

Sign up for Penelope & Vi’s mailing list now and be the first one notified when it goes live!

     

REVIEW

RATING:

Tiny lies. Big lies. Sweet lies. Ugly lies…

In the middle of reading this, I can’t help but think of this song:

(What can I say, I’m a gen-Xer!)

Anyways, I dilly-dally’d when I wrote this review. Why? I’m not sure. As I let the emotions settle on how I felt about this book, the more I realized how the underlying theme is heavier than what I expected. For all the levity you’d get from Dex and Bianca’s interactions, it actually took on a heavy topic, at least for me. Interestingly enough, the word “lies” is not something I would typically want to encounter in my romance reads because with lies comes other potential ugly things. And get this, despite all that, I truly enjoyed this book. Goes to show the magic that a Vinelope collaboration creates.

Dex (Jay) and Bianca met under unusual circumstances. Their relationship built on a tiny lie. A lie obviously that can’t be sustained for long, but it’s ok, they moved past that but the more they learn about each other, then they realize that the bigger lies in the past may actually have more dire ramifications to their future.

This is one yummy sweet slow burn of a love story.  Along the way, you’ll fall in love with Dex, I’d say even more than Bianca did, just because you get access to his thoughts; so behind his words, whether dirty or funny or sweet, you see what motivates him. At least I know I did.

Bianca is a good h. She’s smart, considerate, and stayed true to her feelings. Her past shaped her, and I could see why. I may have liked her more if not for the fact that Dex kinda’ overshadowed her in my mind.

I really enjoyed how things developed between these 2. It didn’t feel forced. It made sense. Everything in its place…

Seriously, Vinelope can collaborate forever and I’ll just keep reading…

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author. With more than a million books sold, her titles have appeared in over fifty Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twelve languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.   

  

Website | Facebook Fan Group | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  

      

 Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She’s a fifteen-time New York Times bestseller of twelve novels. Having grown up in Boston with five older brothers, she spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 12-year-old girl with autism and a 10-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.   

  Connect with Penelope Ward 

  Facebook Fan Group | Facebook | Website |Twitter | Instagram  

Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie

BLOG TOUR: Damnable Grace (Hades Hangmen, Book 5) by Tillie Cole

Amazon

Nook

Kobo

iBooks

EVEN THE BROKEN, THROUGH LOVE, CAN FIND GRACE...

Secrets never stay hidden.

The burden of guilt never lifts from the heart.

Born and raised in The Order of David, Sister Phebe knows nothing but cult life. Head of the Sacred Sisters of New Zion, Phebe was groomed from childhood for one purpose: to seduce. Prized as a harlot, as a New Zion whore, Phebe is taken from the doomed cult by Meister, the notorious leader of the Aryan Brotherhood. Taken as his possession. Taken to be the woman who will obey his every sexual demand. Under his heavy hand, Phebe finds herself in a place much worse than she could ever have imagined... with absolutely no one to help. And no glimpse of hope.

Xavier ‘AK’ Deyes is content with his life as Sergeant-At-Arms of the Hades Hangmen. Leader of the infamous ‘Psycho Trio’ and ex-special ops sniper, AK knows how to fight. Experienced in warfare and schooled in military operations, AK is vital to the Hangmen. When his Vice President needs help retrieving his missing sister-in-law, Phebe, from a Klan-funded trafficking ring, AK volunteers to go in. AK remembers the redhead from New Zion. Remembers everything about her from the single time they met—her red hair, blue eyes and freckled face. But when he finds her, heavily drugged and under Meister’s control, her sorry condition causes him to remember more than the beautiful woman he once tied to a tree. Saving Phebe forces hidden demons from his past to return. A past he can never move on from, no matter how hard he tries.

As AK fights to help Phebe, and in turn she strives to help him, they realize their secret sins will never leave them alone. Kindred broken souls, they realize the only way they can be rid of their ghosts is to face them together and try to find peace.

Despair soon turns to hope, and damaged hearts soon start to heal. But when their deep, painful scars resurface, becoming too much to bear, the time comes when they must make a heavy choice: stay forever damned; or together, find grace.

Dark Contemporary Romance. Contains explicit sexual situations, violence, disturbingly sensitive and taboo subjects, offensive language and very mature topics. Recommended for age 18 and over.

“Well?” Ky asked.
Tanner ran his hand over his head. The brother hadn’t attended one of our cookouts or slutfests in weeks. Not that he ever entertained himself with sluts—still too hard for his piece of pu$$y down in Mexico. He’d been busy trying to track down Meister. Unlike most of the white-power sh!t Tanner and Tank grew up with, this Meister was untraceable and off the grid. As much of a computer whizz kid as Tanner was, Meister was proving to be one slippery f*cking snake to pin down.
“Gotta be honest, I didn’t think I was anywhere close to finding anything on this prick.” Tanner nodded toward Tank. “We knew of him, of course. I knew he had dealings with my father and uncle, just never met him myself. He’s Aryan Brotherhood, but works closely with the Klan. And there’s nothing on him. No email traces, no invoices, no texts. Nothing.”
I gritted my teeth and glanced at Styx, who was listening closely. Ky wasn’t originally gonna tell the prez about the plan to get Phebe, because of his f*cking wedding, but that didn’t last long. Styx knew something was up with his VP. He read him like I read Flame and Vike. So Ky fessed up, and Styx was all for the plan. He’d had to push his wedding back by a month anyhow to get the pastor Mae wanted to conduct the ceremony, so he had time to kill.
“But you found something?” Ky translated as Styx signed.
Tanner sighed, the black circles around his eyes showing how hard the brother had been working. “I got something.” He shook his head, and my blood ran cold. I knew whatever he had found wasn’t good.
Tanner opened the file in front of him and threw a photograph toward the prez. Styx looked at it, then gave it to Ky. “Some middle-of-nowhere ghost town?”
Ky passed the picture around. Vike handed it to me, and I studied it. It was an aerial shot, and the picture was grainy, but from what I could make out, it was just a huge piece of land scattered with decrepit old buildings.
I passed the picture along. “F*cker owns this?”
Tanner faced me. “Yeah, or at least his father did. He’s dead now, but the deeds are still in his father’s name. Been in the family for decades. Took me a while to trace it.” He shook his head. “Meister is notorious among the Klan. Right, Tank?”
“Yeah,” Tank agreed. “Never met him either, but we’d all heard of him. Prick has been mobilizing for years for the race war they think is coming. Real serious, Oklahoma-City-bomb sh!t. From what we’ve heard, the guy has a one-track mind when it comes to advancing the white race. You think Hitler was f*cked up? Well, imagine if he had a kid who was one built motherf*cker, with a f*cking carbon copy of his psycho mind; and you’ve got Meister. F*cker ain’t even German. Just wishes he was, spouting German phrases around like he’s born and bred Berlin. Delusional a$$hole.”
“This ain’t gonna be easy,” Tanner finished, looking at me, Vike, Flame, Hush and Cowboy. It was the five of us who had agreed to go looking for Phebe. Hush and Cowboy nodded at me to let me know they were still in.
“So he’s in this ghost town?” Ky asked, translating Styx’s sign language again. “If so, we’ll all just go in and get him, make the f*cker talk and tell us where he’s got Phebe.”
Tanner sat forward. “He ain’t just living in the ghost town or hiding out. That’s where he has his enterprise.”
“Enterprise?” Ky echoed. It was his own question this time.
Tanner nodded. “From what I can tell, it’s a f*cking brothel. Members of the Aryan Brotherhood, Klan, or Klan sympathizers, can go there for a night or a few days at a time.” Tank shifted uncomfortably next to him. “Ain’t sure, but I’m thinking it ain’t just getting your dick sucked and f*cked. It’ll be real f*cked-up sh!t. If Meister’s reputation is anything to go by, we would be walking into an organized, armed hellhole.” Tanner’s eyes darkened. “I get the Klan has a reputation for being full of backward rednecks. I ain’t gonna lie—growing up, most of my father’s cronies were that way. Thick as f*ck and couldn’t do sh!t without screwing it up. Skinheads, lower-ranked soldiers, you know?”
“But there were some members that weren’t,” Tank continued. He cast an embarrassed glance at Tanner. “We weren’t, for starters.”
Tanner nodded. “It’s not the norm, but some of us were good. Smart, strong fighters, or just outright f*cking psychos. The skinheads and rednecks are the foot soldiers. The likes of us, the likes of Meister, are the f*cking SS. The planners, leaders, the generals—the ones who believe in the cause so much that they’re f*cking lethal with what they’ll do, what they’re capable of. Meister is true Aryan Brotherhood; he’s preparing for war. He’s the real f*cking deal.”
“And now he’s in our neck of the woods to stir up sh!t?” I asked.
Tanner nodded. “Comes from northern Texas. Never moved our way before. But the Klan are building day by day, joining forces with other white supremacist gangs—like the Brotherhood—and with the sh!t that’s on the news twenty-four-seven, blacks and whites at each others throats, he’s moved to the headquarters.” The brother’s jaw clenched. “To my father and uncle, who’ll be protecting him from being found out by the feds.” He sighed and ran his hand down his face. “From what I can figure out, this ghost-town brothel of his has only existed in the last year or so. He’s looking to fund something.”
“They ain’t dealing guns?” Cowboy drawled. “I thought that’s what Rider said the contract with the cult was for?”
“Rider was sure it was guns. At least it was when he was dealing with the Klan—it was all about arms. The Klan was selling them on and taking a cut.”
“His f*cking twin,” Hush spat. “He changed the arrangement, didn’t he? When Rider was locked up in cult prison?”
“Think so,” Tanner said after a few seconds of silence.
“Then what the f*ck are they dealing? What was Judah giving them if not Israeli guns?”
“Women.”

REVIEW

RATING:

Holy smokes!!! What a friggin' ride!!!

OMG!!!

If you're a fan of the series like me, I have no doubt that the psycho trio, comprising of Flame, AK and Viking, would have captured your attention right from the start. These men who had no qualms when it comes to hurting their enemies but thicker than brothers when it comes to each other. Flame has always been the brooding silent type, but AK and Viking have always been a constant source of humor.

Flame got to tell his story in the 3rd book. AK now gets his turn.

And lo and behold, behind all that humor is quite the past. Maybe it was just me but I never realized how broken AK was until now. AK, AK, AK, how you squished my heart learning about your past. I didn't realize the burden you've been carrying all this time...

Enter Phebe, the woman who was able to see past the mask that AK wore, that is outside of Flame and Viking. Phebe, who came from the same world of the other Hades h's. Phebe, Phebe, Phebe, the horror you've been through, the pain and suffering you had to endure...

Put 2 broken souls together and you start to hope for better things. It was poignant and beautiful to see...

If you have a queasy stomach, tread lightly. Tillie did not hold back with the vile things. I've been a fan of the series right from the start, and I still found myself grimacing a few times, pushing myself to read thru' the atrocious things that Phebe had to endure in her previous life. The evil people that surrounded these women, they all deserve to die the most horrible death. Grrr!!!

Luckily, seeing how the relationship built between AK and Phebe made it worth the ride. In each other, they found the perfect mate. They understood each other like no one can. And needless to say, they're ablaze when together.

The last 20% will get your heart pumping, anticipating the turn of events. The ending will melt your heart. At least that's what happened to me.

And just like the rest of the series, there's something about the OTT-ness of everything that just sucks you in. Honestly, what would have these New Zion women done if not for these Hades fellas... teehee... And while Styx will always have a special spot, and each of these Hades fellas will capture your heart in their own way, especially Flame (#TeamFlame forevah!), I have to say that this series just keeps getting better and better.

Tillie, you can take these fellas wherever you want to take them, I'll be on that ride, no doubt!

Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city.

After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.

Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.

Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.

When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of chocolate.

Author Links

Web  Facebook  Twitter   Instagram  Amazon  Goodreads

Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie