Friday, June 12, 2015

Never Let You Go (A Modern Fairytale #2) By Katy Regnery

"I missed you like crazy.........."
"..........I love you forever."
I don't know when I've read a story with this much poignancy, with this much emotion, with this much passion, hope and beauty. This is a 'second chance romance' like no other. It's a lesson in 'never giving up’ that should be taken to heart. It’s a heartbreaking yet joyous and uplifting tale of unconditional and truly selfless love. And it's the kind of happily ever after that fairytales are made of.

Note: 25% of June and July 2015's gross royalties from Never Let You Go will be given to the Elizabeth Smart Foundation "which aims, among other things, to support the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and to educate children about violent and sexual crime."


Book Description:

Regret, betrayal, kidnapping, loss, madness, abuse, passion, love.

In this modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel, thirteen-year-old foster children Griselda and Holden escape from their abductor after three years of brutal captivity, and try to cross the Shenandoah River on foot. Tragically, one of them makes it to safety, but the other is left behind.

Ten years later, Griselda’s boyfriend drags her to a fight club grudge match, and her world is turned upside down when she watches Holden step into the ring.

Though the connection between them is fierce, bitter regret, simmering rage, and a tangle of physical and emotional scars lie between them, just as dangerous as the white water of the Shenandoah.

Never Let You Go is a story of fear and hope, defeat and survival, and two people—once profoundly broken—who discover that love is the only thing that can make them whole again.

Excerpt from Never Let You Go:

This girl. Everything about this girl made him want, made him long, made him yearn to change his life, start his life, finally live his life after a decade of going through the motions. He wanted to get a better job to take care of her. He wanted to stop fighting because she disapproved of it. He wanted enough money to have every tally mark lasered from his arm. He wanted some sort of guarantee that she’d never, ever leave him again. And he wanted all of it now. Yesterday. Ten years ago, and every day since.

Standing up slowly, he let his body settle into an upright position before taking his time crossing the hall to the bathroom and then heading out into the common room.

She stood at the stove with her back to him, her feet bare, her hair in a ponytail, the mouthwatering smell of fried chicken filling the entire cabin with goodness. Holden leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest, a grin taking over his face as he watched her.

“It’s just the thought of you—the very thought of you, my love,” she sang, using a fork to transfer a golden leg to a paper towel–covered plate.

As she reached forward to turn off the stove, some of the leftover grease in the frying pan spat up at her and burned her wrist.

“Ow!” she yelped. “Damn it!”

With a sudden rush of adrenaline, Holden crossed the kitchen in two strides. He turned on the faucet and grabbed her arm to thrust her wrist under the cold stream. He held it there, wincing at the red blotch developing on her white skin. When he lifted his eyes to hers, she was staring at him with a surprised, curious expression.

“It’s just a little burn.”

He shrugged, still holding her arm, staring down at the burn.

“You were asleep,” she said.

“You were singing.”

“Too loud?”

“No.”

“You remember that song?”

“I remember.”

He slid his palm down her arm to cradle her wrist from below.

“The stove’s still on,” she said.

Without dropping her hand, he took a step closer to her, reached around her waist with his free hand, and flicked the burner off.

“I made fried chicken,” she said softly, her cheeks flushed.

“I can smell it.”

“You like fried chicken. I mean . . . you must have mentioned it to me a hundred times when we were—”

“It’s still my favorite.”

They were both silent for a few seconds, and Holden knew he should drop her hand and step away from her, but he couldn’t. She’d hurt herself doing something kind for him, and it just about shredded his heart.

Just another moment, he told himself. A few more seconds touching her and then I’ll move away.

“Sorry about the singing,” she whispered, unmoving, her breath kissing his throat.

He jerked his neck to face her, his thumb curling into her palm, his eyes searching hers for mercy.

“I loved it,” he murmured.

She stepped forward, closing the distance between them, her lips parting, her breasts grazing his chest through his T-shirt as she stared up at him.

“Holden, I . . .”

Every breath she took seemed to draw him closer to her, as if she was breathing him, not air. He leaned forward, into her, his free hand reaching for hers.

“Griselda . . .”

Her eyes, dark blue and churning, flicked to his lips, lingered there, then slid back up his face and seized his.

His self-control snapped.

After all, he was only human.

Purchase Never Let You Go here:

Amazon (US): http://ow.ly/NLqSs
Apple iBooks: http://ow.ly/NJGqd
Barnes & Noble: http://ow.ly/NJHXx
Smashwords: http://ow.ly/NJHx5


About the Author:

Award-winning and Amazon bestselling author Katy Regnery started her writing career by enrolling in a short story class in January 2012. One year later, she signed her first contract for a winter romance entitled By Proxy.

Now a hybrid author who publishes both independently and traditionally, Katy claims authorship of the six-book Heart of Montana series, the six-book English Brothers series, and a Kindle Worlds novella entitled Four Weddings and a Fiasco: The Wedding Date. Katy’s short story “The Long Way Home” appears in the first Romance Writers of America anthology, Premiere, and she has published two stand-alone novels, Playing for Love at Deep Haven and the Amazon bestseller The Vixen and the Vet, which is book one in Katy’s a m o d e r n f a i r y t a l e collection. The Vixen and the Vet was nominated for a RITA® Award in 2015.

Katy lives in the relative wilds of northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, where her writing room looks out at the woods, and her husband, two young children, and two dogs create just enough cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories begin at home.

Upcoming (2015) Projects:
The Winslow Brothers (Books #1-4)
Ginger’s Heart, a modern fairytale

Connect with Katy:

Katy LOVES connecting with her readers and answers every e-mail, message, tweet, and post personally! Click below to connect with Katy!



An ARC of this story was generously provided by the author.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

The Vixen and the Vet (A Modern Fairytale #1) by Katy Regnery

"……………...why me?"
"…………because you said yes."

After finishing Never Let You Go (release date June 12th, 2015) which is a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, joyously hopefilled thing of beauty, I was left desperately wanting more by Ms. Regnery. And because I’m a fan of fairytales that have been given a modern twist, I decided to read The Vixen and the Vet - a Beauty and the Beast tale, retold.

From the start I fell in love with the physically ruined and emotionally scarred Asher Lee. Beast. Head over heels, I have it bad for this war hero who has secluded himself away, unable to bear the fear in children’s eyes or the way grown men and women cringe and turn away from what’s left of his face after an IED explodes while he’s making his way to save a wounded soldier. Bogeyman. He’s grown accustomed to his life of solitude, finding his escape through reading anything and everything he can get his hands on. Day in, day out, he’s on his own except for Miss Potts, his housekeeper, and his visits to his doctors. He’s accepted his fate and is making the best of his miserable existence. Recluse.

Enter Savannah Carmichael, formerly one of the top investigative reporters in the country. She had it all – the job of her dreams, money, status…everything she’d ever wanted. Until a “reliable” source fed her a bunch of false information and she found herself not only jobless, but persona-non-grata in the world of journalism. Pariah. She had pretty much given up on ever finding work as a reporter again, when a phone call from someone she had helped years earlier gives her a chance at redemption; all she has to do is convince Asher Lee to let her tell his story, and she’ll be back in the game. Ambitious. But what starts out as merely a chance to rebuild her reputation becomes something far more when she finds herself helplessly drawn to the subject of her article, finding Asher Lee not at all the nightmare the people of Danvers make him out to be. He’s lonely, damaged, and the most beautiful man she’s ever met. Changed.

The Vixen and the Vet doesn't have the level of angst Never Let You Go has, but this is a story I will enjoy reading again and again. I can't even begin to tell you how romantic, how charming, how passionate, and how touching this story is. Asher and Savannah are perfect for each other, and their happily ever after is a thing of beauty!

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a sighworthy hero in need of healing.

A HUGE thank you to Lisa who answered my shout-out for a Kindle Lend! I adore this story and appreciate your kindness in lending it to me!!!!!!

Sunday, June 7, 2015

When Love Happens (Ribbon Ridge #3) by Darcy Burke


Blurb...
Tori Archer is married…well, on paper anyway. She hasn’t actually seen her husband since the disastrous morning after their impulsive Vegas wedding. The memories of their intense passion may still make her weak in the knees, but Tori knows their marriage was a mistake.

After six months filming abroad, television producer Sean Hennessy wants nothing more than to track down his sexy, captivating wife and get her into bed… fast. So when his boss sends him to Oregon to persuade the famous Archer sextuplets—the former stars of a reality TV show—to do a reunion special, Sean sees the perfect chance to win Tori back.
Only, Tori wants nothing to do with him and is determined to push him away. But their attraction is as hot as ever and Sean will do anything to prove their relationship was more than just a fling…because he knows that when real love happens, it changes everything.


My review...

When Love Happens is book #3 in Darcy Burke's Ribbon Ridge small town contemporary romance series. Like the previous installments, When Love Happens is sometimes funny, definitely steamy, and has that underlying poignancy of a family trying to understand and heal after one of the siblings, Alex, commits suicide.

All of the stories in this series are very good, and just keep getting better. This time it's Tori Archer's turn to find her happily ever after, or more appropriately said, reclaim it.

There is something especially heartbreaking about Tori, as though Alex's death hit her harder than anyone else...and maybe it did because she was the last person he had reached out to, but it's likely she'll never learn why. But before Tori can allow herself to love and be loved by Sean Hennessy - the man she'd secretly married the night before Alex's death - she needs to let go of the guilt she's been carrying, and stop wondering if there had been anything she could have done to help Alex.

Despite the somber foundation of these stories, there's also so much beauty to the Archer family as they support each other and surround one another in love. This close knit family has put Ribbon Ridge on my 'must read series' list, and I'm so looking forward to Evan's story, next!

An ARC was provided by Avon Books and to show my appreciation I'm giving them an honest review.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Ride Steady (Chaos #3) by Kristen Ashley

Reading a Kristen Ashley novel - any Kristen Ashley novel - is like spending an afternoon with your best friend, listening as she tells you all about her latest (and greatest) adventure. Regardless of where you're at or what you're doing, it's comfortable, laugh out loud funny, and sometimes even poignant. It's also always guaranteed to be time well spent!

Ride Steady is the 3rd book in the Chaos series, and Joker and Carissa's story is both heartbreaking and beautiful. There were moments I wanted to reach through the pages and kill someone, and moments I wanted to reach through and love them. To say Ride Steady took me on a roller-coaster ride of emotions is to say the least, and I loved every minute of it!

Even though this works as a standalone, it works much better when read in order. And besides, why would anyone deprive themselves of the beauty to be found when bad-ass biker dudes meet their match in the form of a stubborn, independent woman who drives them crazy while bringing them to their knees? So, yeah! Just read them in order!

Blurb:

The ride of her life . . . 

Once upon a time, Carissa Teodoro believed in happy endings. Money, marriage, motherhood: everything came easy---until she woke up to the ugly truth about her Prince Charming. Now a struggling, single mom and stranded by a flat tire, Carissa's pondering her mistakes when a vaguely familiar knight rides to her rescue on a ton of horsepower.

Climb on and hold tight . . . 

In high school, Carson Steele was a bad boy loner who put Carissa on a pedestal where she stayed far beyond his reach. Today, he's the hard-bodied biker known only as Joker, and from the way Carissa's acting, it's clear she's falling fast. While catching her is irresistible, knowing what to do with her is a different story. A good girl like Carissa is the least likely fit with the Chaos Motorcycle Club. Too bad holding back is so damned hard. Now, as Joker's secrets are revealed and an outside threat endangers the club, Joker must decide whether to ride steady with Carissa---or ride away forever . . .

An ARC was generously provided by Grand Central Publishers, via Netgalley. To show my appreciation I'm giving them an honest review!