Black Iris by Leah Raeder Cover Reveal!

If you have yet to read Unteachable by Leah Raeder then you do not know what you have been missing. Leah Raeder has such a way with words. She knows how to create an original story and make the reader become invested in the characters and their outcome.  And that is why I am very excited to show you guys the cover to her brand new upcoming book Black Iris!

Publication: April 28, 2015

Publisher: Atria Books

List price: $15.00 | eBook list price: $5.99

More information here

It only took one moment of weakness for Laney Keating’s world to fall apart. One stupid gesture for a hopeless crush. Then the rumors began. Slut, they called her. Queer. Psycho. Mentally ill, messed up, so messed up even her own mother decided she wasn't worth sticking around for. If Laney could erase that whole year, she would. College is her chance to start with a clean slate. She's not looking for new friends, but they find her: charming, handsome Armin, the only guy patient enough to work through her thorny defenses—and fiery, filterless Blythe, the bad girl and partner in crime who has thorns of her own. But Laney knows nothing good ever lasts. When a ghost from her past resurfaces—the bully who broke her down completely—she decides it's time to live up to her own legend. And Armin and Blythe are going to help. Which was the plan all along. Because the rumors are true. Every single one. And Laney is going to show them just how true. She's going to show them all.

FIRST CHAPTER EXCERPT:

April is the cruelest month, T.S. Eliot said, and that’s because it kills. It’s the month with the highest suicide rate. You’d think December, or even January—the holidays and all that forced cheer and agonized smiling pushing fragile people to the edge—but actually it’s spring, when the world wakes from frostbound sleep and something cruel and final stirs inside those of us who are broken. Like Eliot said:mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain. In the deepest throes of depression, when sunlight is anguish and the sky throbs like one big raw migraine and you just want to sleep until you or everything else dies, you’re less likely to commit suicide than someone coming out of a depressive episode. Drug companies know this. That’s why antidepressants have to be marked with the warning MAY CAUSE SUICIDAL THOUGHTS.

Because what brings you back to life also gives you the means to destroy yourself.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Leah Raeder is a writer and unabashed nerd. Aside from reading her brains out, she enjoys graphic design, video games, fine whiskey, and the art of self-deprecation. She lives with her very own manic pixie dream boy in Chicago. Visit her at LeahRaeder.com.

Find Leah online:

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Torture to Her Soul (Monster in His Eyes #2) by J.M. Darhower

Publication:September 29, 2014

Publisher: J.M. Darhower

Source: The Author / Bought

Don't say it unless you mean it… It's a simple concept, one I've said time and again, but something people don't seem to comprehend. You should choose every syllable carefully, because you never know when somebody will hold you to your word. Somebody like me. I'm not a good man. I'm not. I know. I have enough darkness inside of me to rid the world of every stitch of light. But there's one I could never harm, one light I couldn't bring myself to snuff out. Karissa. She thinks I'm a monster, and maybe I am. I taunt her with my touch, get a thrill out of torturing her soul. But I'm not the only one. The world is full of monsters, and I'm not the most dangerous one out there. Not even close… God help me, I love her. I do. And God help anyone who tries to take her from me.

“When you’ve got nothing left inside of you except for darkness, it becomes easier to snuff out somebody else’s light.

And that’s me. I do what I want, take what I want, and make no apologies for any of it. After all, I wasn’t born this way. The world made me who I am, and the world pays for that mistake every day.”

OMG.There are just no words….there are no words to adequately describe how great it was to finally be able to read the conclusion of Naz and Karissa’s story! I was beyond excited. Naz is such a tortured bad ass. And Karissa...she is still a little innocent and naive about things, but if Naz is okay with that then I am too.  They are opposites, but they are good are for each other.

Torture to Her Soul basically picks up not long after where the first book left us. And much to my surprise, I discovered that this story is told from Naz’s point of view. Something I wasn’t expecting, but I very much enjoyed.  I kind of feel torn while writing this review, because I don’t want to get spoilery and ruin the experience for those who have yet to read it. So I am going to try and keep it short and simple.

Karissa is still struggling with her feelings for Naz. She loves of him, but she knows she shouldn’t. Naz doesn’t appreciate the fact the Karissa  is shutting him out.  Naz is afraid that he is losing her. He is conflicted about his feelings as well, but he knows that he needs her. He needs her like he needs air to breathe. And she needs him more than she realizes.

It was pretty interesting being able to see inside Naz’s head….his thoughts and reasonings. It was especially interesting to see his relationship with Ray and how that changed when Karissa entered the picture.  Naz has always had his head in the game. He made a promise to Ray and he plotted his revenge for years. Letting that hurt and anger fester inside of him the whole time. But nothing could have prepared him for falling in love with Karissa Rita. And he has to deal with the consequences of that.

Nothing is ever cut and dry. Love can be the greatest thing, but it can also be painful. The truth is never simple and when your in bed with mob, you can never get too comfortable. Naz and Karissa’s life is never be boring, that’s for sure. And I loved being a part of their journey. Monster in His Eyes is still the best book of the two in my opinion, but I still enjoyed  Torture to Her Soul a lot. I loved seeing the progress...the give and take these two made. And I think their ending was a good one. The author really knows how to write a story that hooks you in and gets you emotionally invested.

So this didn’t really turn out to be the short review I had originally hoped for. And I am probably rambling for a good portion of it. My apologies. I can’t wait for you guys to read it and tell me your thoughts on it!

RATING: 5 out of 5.

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Cover Reveal: Torture in Her Soul (Monster in His Eyes #2) by J.M. Darhower

In case you weren’t aware Torture in Her Soul (Monster in His Eyes #2) will be released in 11 days! There is now a wonderful cover and a synopsis that makes me wish September 29th would hurry up and get here asap! Check out both below, and don’t forget to pre-order!!

In case you have yet to check out book one, Monster in His Eyes, you can take a look at my review here.

Estimated Release Date: September 29, 2014

Don't say it unless you mean it… It's a simple concept, one I've said time and again, but something people don't seem to comprehend. You should choose every syllable carefully, because you never know when somebody will hold you to your word. Somebody like me. I'm not a good man. I'm not. I know. I have enough darkness inside of me to rid the world of every stitch of light. But there's one I could never harm, one light I couldn't bring myself to snuff out. Karissa. She thinks I'm a monster, and maybe I am. I taunt her with my touch, get a thrill out of torturing her soul. But I'm not the only one. The world is full of monsters, and I'm not the most dangerous one out there. Not even close… God help me, I love her. I do. And God help anyone who tries to take her from me.

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Dirty Angels (Dirty Angels #1) by Karina Halle

Publication: June 15, 2014

Publisher: Metal Blonde Books

Source:  Bought

From the USA Today Bestselling author of Love, in English and The Artists Trilogy, comes a dark romance about a good girl and a very, very bad man. It’s a deliciously twisted take on forbidden love, set among the drug cartels of hot, steamy Mexico and is not for the faint of heart. It contains explicit sex, violence, abuse, drug use, bad language and sexy Mexicans. You have been warned… For Luisa Chavez, a twenty-three year old former beauty queen, a better life has always been just out of her reach. Sure, she’s had men at her feet since she was a young teenager but she’s never had the one thing she’s craved – security. Having grown up in near poverty, her waitressing job in Cabo San Lucas can barely let her take care of herself, let alone her ailing parents. Every day is another unwanted advance, every day is a struggle to survive. When Salvador Reyes, the depraved leader of a major Mexican cartel, takes an interest in her, Luisa is presented with an opportunity she can’t afford to pass up. She’ll become Salvador’s wife and exchange her freedom and body for a life of riches – riches she can bestow upon her deserving parents. But Luisa quickly finds out that even the finest wines and jewels can’t undo the ugliness in her marriage, nor the never-ending violence that threatens her every move. Soon, Luisa is looking for an escape, a way out of the carefully controlled life she’s leading. She finally gets her wish in the worst way possible. As it is, being the wife of Salvador makes her an ideal target for rival cartels and there’s one particular man who needs Luisa as part of his cartel’s expansion. One particular man whose quest for power has destroyed lives, slit throats and gotten him out of an American   prison. One particular man who will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants. That man is Javier Bernal. And he wants Luisa. He wants to take her, keep her, ruin her. Unless she ruins him first. Some men were born to create empires, some women were meant to be queen. **Dirty Angels is the first standalone novel in the Dirty Angels Trilogy, in which all books feature or involve different characters. The character of Javier Bernal is from The Artists Trilogy, and while reading TAT is recommended if you want additional insight into this twisted character, it is not required.**

This story is not one of those sugary sweet romances. It is dark and gritty. It's not afraid to grab you by the shoulders and refuse to let go. And I loved every single minute of it.

“It was better to be dirty. It was better to take what you could. It was better to embrace your lustful, needful, animalistic side because that was the side that lived.”

So what did I not like? Pretty much nothing. Well nothing except that Luisa's selflessness was a little frustrating at times. I agree with Javier when he said no one likes a martyr. But she's a strong and very tough woman. Javier is one bad-ass dude.

Separately these two are fine. But together...together they are one great team. She is the ying to his yang. I could not see either one of them with anyone else. Their relationship began under abnormal circumstances, but their feelings for each other turned into something intoxicating and addictive.

This is the first book I've read by Karina Halle, but it for sure will not be the last. This is a darker read than I am normally used to, but one I am glad I took a chance on. It was one of those reads that when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about. It's dark, disturbing, yet beautiful.  Like I said earlier, I loved it.

RATING: 5 out of 5.

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The Sinner's Bargain by Claire Contreras Cover Reveal & Excerpt!!

I've been dying for any news about the sequel to The Devil's Contract ever since I read it in May. It's release cannot get here fast enough for me. So I am very excited to help in sharing the cover and  excerpt for THE SINNER'S BARGAIN by Claire Contreras! Let us know what you think! Enjoy.

Title: THE SINNER'S BARGAIN

Author: Claire Contreras

Age group: Adult

Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance

Cover Design: Najla Qamber
Scheduled to release: September 30, 2014

Synopsis:

Being pulled in different directions, Amara must choose what she wants to believe and whom she'll trust.

EXCERPT

“That’s Mr. Wolfe’s.” Lisbeth said, pointing to her left. “That’s Mr. Underwood’s, though I think it’s temporary. I don’t really know.”

“Who is Mr. Underwood?” Amara asked. She tried to keep her voice calm.

“He’s one of Mr. Wolfe’s assistants. The large accounts go through him.”

Amara swallowed and gripped on to her purse, trying to keep her head from spinning. It was only a name.

“What’s his name?” she asked, despite herself.

Lisbeth stopped walking and turned to her, confused. “Excuse me?”

“Mr. Underwood. What’s his name?”

If a pin dropped during the pause, Amara would hear it and point exactly where it fell, that’s how anxious she felt.

“Brandon…” Lisbeth said, her brows crinkling. “Do you know him?”

She shook her head lightly and cleared her throat. “Nope. Just sounded familiar.”

Lisbeth shrugged and turned back around, pointing at the desk in the center of the room. “This is your desk.”

“That would be correct,” she heard Colin say behind them. Amara closed her eyes momentarily, until the heat that his voice produced began to wash away. “I’ll take it from here, Liz. Thank you.”

“My pleasure, Mr. Wolfe,” Lisbeth responded as she walked back to the elevator. “Let me know if you want to do lunch, Amara.”

“I will. Thank you.” Amara smiled, turning around to watch her go, though she refused to look at Colin head on.

“Perhaps another day, Liz. Amara needs to accompany me to my lunch meeting today at twelve. Please remind me fifteen minutes prior.”

“Sure thing.”

The elevator closed and Amara finally tore her eyes from it to look at Colin. He was running his tongue between his teeth as he assessed her body and her face.

“You look…” His eyes traveled down her body one last time before he cleared his throat. “Very professional. Let’s get started.”

Amara frowned and shook her head. She knew what he wanted to say, she could see the desire flickering in his eyes as he stared at her, but she played along. Amara pivoted around and swayed her hips a little more exaggerated than usual as she rounded the desk and sat in the chair. When she looked up, Colin was still standing in the same spot. Coincidentally, the suit he wore matched her skirt. It fit him as if it was made for him. He always bought the athletic fit tailor that hugged his strong back and arms. Colin’s dark gaze was glued to her as he strode over to her.

“Did you get a chance to see my office?” he asked casually as he walked toward it.

“Nope.”

“Well, come take a look. You’ll have to know where the files go when you bring them to me, in case I’m on the phone or not here.”

Amara pressed down on her heels and stood, following him into the large corner office. She brushed past him, directly to the floor to ceiling windows and looked for her apartment building. She was sure she could see everything from there.

“It’s a beautiful view.”

“It is,” he agreed. She heard his chair sliding against the hardwood and let herself enjoy the view for a moment longer. He was looking at her when she turned around to face him.

“So, the files.”

“Yeah, the files,” he said, placing his hand on the right side of his desk. “I want them here. Anything I sign and is ready to be sent out, I’ll put on this side.” He signaled the left side of his desk. “I don’t think you can fuck that up.”

Biting her tongue, she looked away from him, back to the city, and reminded herself to breathe. “I think I’ll be fine. Anything else?”

“You’ll be in charge of my schedule. You’re on call all the time, anything I need you’ll have to take care of.”

She cut her eyes to him. “How did I end up here?”

“I shelled out a fuck load of money, that’s how.”

******************************

About the Author:

Claire Contreras graduated with her BA in Psychology from Florida International University. She was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Miami, Fl, where she currently resides with her husband, two boys, and two American Bulldogs. 

Life is short, and it’s more bitter than sweet, so she tries to smile as often as her face allows. She enjoys stories with happy endings, because life is full of way too many unhappy ones.

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The Devil’s Contract by Claire Contreras

Publication: May 25, 2014

Source:  Bought

He gave them a choice. She took it. He made her promise two years. She should have known there was a catch.

“She signed on every dotted line she was told, and knew that, in that moment, she’d sealed her fate with the devil.”

The premise doesn’t give away much on this book, so when I started reading it, I thought I might know what to expect, but wasn’t sure.  I was hooked from the very first chapter.  I think The Devil's Contract is a story that is best to go into without much expectation or without knowing a lot.

I was easily pulling for Amara and hoping that she would somehow be able to come out of her unusual situation with everything that she wanted. I didn’t agree with every decision that she made, but I could understand reasoning.

I loved this book. I found myself reading page after page well into the late night.  There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me on my toes. And that ending?? Such a great cliffhanger ending. I cannot wait for the next book, The Sinner’s Bargain to be released.

“…Once you make a deal with the devil, there’s no going back. He’s always watching and waiting... waiting for the right moment to strike and claim you as his own.”

RATING: 4½ out of 5.

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