Wild and Free (The Three #3) by Kristen Ashley - Review and Blog Tour and Giveaway!!!

Wild and Free, the third and final book in Kristen Ashley’s The Three trilogy is an action packed, super sexy story about faith, trust, and never giving up on the people you care about, regardless of the danger to yourself. Most importantly, though, Wild and Free is a story of hope, dedication, determination, and unconditional, uncompromising love.

Blurb…

Abel Jin and Delilah Johnson have lived their lives with a hole in their soul, yearning for something they don’t understand.

Until one night Delilah is in mortal danger and a man who’s otherworldly strong and supernaturally fast saves her. Delilah is then cast into a world where fiction comes to life in the form of Abel, her destined mate, a vampire/werewolf hybrid who claims her at first breath as his.

But Abel knows the danger isn’t done. He’s dreamed for centuries that his mate will perish and he will stop at nothing to keep her safe.

For Delilah, she’s not only coping with fantasy come to life, but a mingling of very different families. Not to mention, she has on her hands a man who doesn’t understand his true nature and has lived his long life thinking he’s a monster.

Abel and Delilah together fills the hole that has been clawing at them for decades. But finally finding each other, it also tips their destinies as the last of The Three. They must unite with the other destined lovers, who with Abel and Delilah, are fated to save the world.

Or die trying.

My thoughts…

There’s so much to love about this story, and oh, how I love this story! I love it because I believe in it! I believe, with all my heart, that humanity can come together, beat back the selfishness and ugliness of the world and, with a little hope and goodness and sacrifice, make this planet we’re on an amazing place where we can all live together in peace, as one, not just tolerating each others' differences, but embracing them! I also love it ‘cuz it’s a great romance and holy hot alpha shifting bloodsucker burn up the pages sexy, but if I mention holy hot alpha shifting bloodsucker burn up the pages sexy first, you might think I'm a lusty wench, and I can't have that now, can I? ;)

Anyway, this is a great end to the trilogy. We get to spend time with Lucien and Leah, and Callum and Sonia, along with others we've come to love throughout the story. There are some laughs, some sighs, loads of fanning, but also some heartbreaking moments. If you think I loved each and every word of Wild and Free, you would not be wrong!

An ARC of Wild and Free was provided by the author, in part for my participation in the Wild and Free Blog Tour, but also because she's all kinds of awesome!

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Dare to Love by Carly Phillips Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Welcome to my day of the Dare to Love Official Blog Tour! I've got my review posted for your perusal, and Carly has some amazing prizes lined up for you! Just look -

 First Place:

IPad Mini 16g 

Customized CP iPad Mini Case

Carly Phillips Canvas Tote Bag

Dare to Love Mug

Carly Phillips T-Shirt

And signed copies of:

Dare to Love

Serendipity

Destiny

Karma

Perfect Fit

Perfect Fling

Perfect Together

Cross My Heart

Sealed With A Kiss

Seduce Me

Second Place:

Carly Phillips Canvas Tote Bag

Dare to Love Mug

And signed copies of:

Dare to Love

Perfect Partners

Solitary Man

The Right Choice

Midnight Angel

Third Place:

Carly Phillips Canvas Tote Bag

And signed copies of:

Dare to Love

Lucky Charm

Lucky Streak

Lucky Break

Brazen

Fourth Place:

Signed copies of:

Dare to Love

The Bachelor

The Playboy

The Heartbreaker

Fifth Place:

Signed copies of:

Dare to Love

Kiss Me If You Can

Love Me If You Dare  

See? I told you! Amaazzing prizes!  So check out my review, and then be sure to enter the contest using the Rafflecopter Widget below!  Good luck!!!!!

Oh, so sweet! Oh, soooo sexy! Oh, soooooooo good! Full review now posted...unless I come up with more ways to torture our hero's father. In fact, if you, or someone you love if you don't have your own, is fond of their dangling man bits, you might want to skip this review... Dare to Love is the first book in Carly Phillips’ Dare to Love series, and it’s also her first book as an Indie author. I haven’t read any of her work before, so I have no way to know if she's better as an IA, but I have to say, I truly enjoyed her way of telling this story! The Cover Blurb Since finding out his father had another family on the side, Ian Dare swore to be the upstanding, responsible man his cheating parent had never been. When it comes to his relatives, he gives his all but in relationships he offers the bare minimum. But one glimpse of sensual Riley Taylor arouses his dominant and protective instincts and Ian is entranced. He will do anything to possess her … and does. But any future with Riley must include him extending an olive branch to the half-brother who is a constant reminder of the pain he’d rather forget. Independent and always in control, Riley Taylor makes no apologies for choosing men carefully. Relationships have never been a priority and she believes herself hardened to domineering men – until she meets charismatic Ian Dare. He manages to turn a simple kiss into an all out assault on her senses and when he takes control in the bedroom, she’s stunned to discover she likes it. As their affair heats up, they soon realize they complete each other in ways neither imagined. But Riley’s past is closer than she cares to remember, and her struggles with Ian’s dominance might just cost her everything. My Rambling, Ranting (but spoiler free) Review Wow, well… I have to say, I found this storyline very compelling. In the beginning, my feelings for Ian were mixed – hated him one minute, loved him the next, type thing. I had a tough time imagining what it was like for him to learn that his father, his role model, the man he loved and wanted to be like, had another family on the side. And worse, when that family came to light, Robert Dare chose them over Ian’s mother and siblings. Honestly, when I was finally able to wrap my head around that, I wanted to weep. No wonder Ian is so controlling. No wonder he holds himself back and doesn’t get involved in “relationships” that might lead to him being abandoned by someone else he loves. No wonder he hates his step siblings and wants nothing to do with them. No. Freaking. Wonder. If I were Ian, I'd have hated them, too! But one uttered word brought it all into perspective - and no! I won't tell you what that word is, but it tore out my heart and made me love both sets of Dare children, equally. Riley Taylor had Ian’s absolute attention from the moment he first laid eyes on her, and it had nothing to do with the fact that she had entered the room on the arm of Ian’s step brother, Alex Dare – okay, maybe that had something to do with it. Knowing Ian's and Alex's history, their deeply rooted, consuming animosity for one another, I was worried that there’d be a lot of angst and drama, but thanks to Riley’s compassion and maturity, thankfully there was not. And I loved her for that. Seriously, had there been, it could have easily ruined the story for me, but this was handled by Riley early on, and handled well. I’ve been wavering between 4 and 5 stars, and as I’m sitting here thinking about it, I’ve decided to go with 4 because there was something huge left unresolved, in my opinion, and it was Ian's father, Robert Dare’s remorse for what he’d done, or lack thereof. Granted, years had passed and he was probably tired of the rift his cheating ways had caused between his two sets of children, but SON-OF-A-BITCH! I have personal experience with the heartbreaking aftermath of infidelity, so in order for me to really be okay with the way his ex-wife, current wife, and most of his kids accepted his cheating ass and moved on, I needed some serious on-his-knees groveling. Some truly compelling reason for why he did what he did, and not the kissy-face reason we got. Or hell, just TRUE remorse!!! Sweet baby geebus! You might be wondering if I'm upset! Well, lemme just say that someone needs to meet the old, spineless, limp dick asshole in a dark alley, remove his balls with a spoon and make him watch while they’re fed to sewer rats. Better yet, spread peanut butter on his balls, while they're still dangling from between his legs, and make him watch while the sewer rats eat them! Now YOU decide how upset I am. Fecking fooker! **takes a deep breath** Alrighty, then... Because I've Been Asked No, this book is really not just like Fifty Shades or its clones. Yes, the two leads are wealthy, but not once was the word "millionaire" or "billionaire" mentioned, and trust me, I did a search! Gotta love ebooks! Also, I do have Ian shelved as a "dominant male", but this really is not a BDSM story. The bottom line Dare to Love is at times funny, at times poignant, and at times very sexy! I’m thrilled to have finally read Carly Phillips writing, and yeah, this was my first read by this talented author, but it most certainly will not be my last! In fact, Alex’s story is up next and you couldn’t keep me from it if you tried! My thanks to Chasity Jenkins for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review! It truly was a pleasure – despite what my outburst indicates.

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Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed by Anna Campbell

Will a week of seduction...

Desperate to save her sister's life, Sidonie Forsythe has agreed to submit herself to a terrible fate: Beyond the foreboding walls of Castle Craven, a notorious, hideously scarred scoundrel will take her virtue over the course of seven sinful nights. Yet instead of a monster, she encounters a man like no other. And during this week, she comes to care for Jonas Merrick in ways that defy all logic—even as a dark secret she carries threatens them both.

...Spark a lifetime of passionate surrender?

Ruthless loner Jonas knows exactly who he is. Should he forget, even for a moment, the curse he bears, a mere glance in the mirror serves as an agonizing reminder. So when the lovely Sidonie turns up on his doorstep, her seduction is an even more delicious prospect than he originally planned. But the hardened outcast is soon moved by her innocent beauty, sharp wit, and surprising courage. Now as dangerous enemies gather at the gate to destroy them, can their new, fragile love survive?

*********

Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed is the first book in Anna Campbell's Sons of Sin series. It's a gothic-esque romance with a Beauty and the Beast feel, and is a very passionate, very sexy story.

Anna Campbell is one of my favorite Historical Romance authors. She writes compelling characters living in complex worlds. They're tortured souls with tragic pasts, people in need of the kind of redemption and salvation that can only be found in the arms of their one true love.

But for some minor issues I had with pacing and flow, there's so much to love about this story! Jonas and Sidonie are wonderful characters and from the start I couldn't help but care for them and want them to be together. And while I do like Sidonie, I fell especially hard for Jonas, the scarred, bitter man. His life, his loss, his seemingly empty future... he's the kind of hero who captures my heart in a big way.

I'm looking forward to reading more in this series!  

Guarded Hearts by M.J. Fredrick

Guarded Hearts is an exciting, fast paced story that has all the elements I look for in romantic suspense – romance and suspense, of course, but there’s also some great sexual chemistry and tension between the characters, as well as a story that caught my attention and held on right through to the end.

Congresswoman McKenna Jones’ world is perfect. She has a dream career, a man in her life who understands the demands of her job, and she’s about to present a bill on children’s health care that she’s spent weeks writing, one that would help parents afford the outrageous costs of their children’s medical needs. These families are counting on McKenna to get this bill passed, and she’s devoted every waking moment to gaining the support and votes she needs, doing everything she can to not let them, or their children, down.

Ethan Riggins is a former Army Ranger whose wife couldn’t cope with the demands of his job, so he left the military to try and save his marriage, but it was just too little, too late. These days Ethan works for John Klein doing the kinds of jobs that require his … unique brand of training, so when he gets a call from John telling him that McKenna is in trouble, Ethan doesn’t hesitate taking on the assignment of protecting his boss’s daughter.

The attraction between Ethan and McKenna is obvious from their first encounter, and the way they fight that attraction, but not toooo hard, made for some very sexy reading right from the start. The story itself is well written and flows easily from one scene to the next, and kept me guessing as to exactly who the target was, and why.

The bottom line: Guarded Hearts is one of those stories that has it all, and I couldn’t put it down. The author delivered on every level, and while this book is written as a stand-alone, I’d love to read more about the men of Klein Security, especially if they're anything like Ethan. We didn’t get to see them or hear much about them, but we know they’re out there. So, how ‘bout it, Ms. Fredrick, think you could give us more of John Klein’s world and the men who work for him?

My thanks to the author who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.