Reader Favorites 2015 ~ Part 2

Thank you to everyone who nominated and voted for the books listed in our Reader Favorites of 2015. I wish we could have included all 50 of the nominees! Here are the second set of 10 books, in no particular order. 

Buck: I lost her before. It won't happen again. I gave her up and broke her heart for her own good. Now, my second chance has gone to shit. Lou's not the same good girl I left. She's turned bad, but it makes me want her more. The world loves me for my bad boy ways, on screen and off. They'll love us together-once I convince her she's missed me. Lou: When I was young, only he saw the real me. I don't need Buck Wylder anymore; I'll take care of myself. He went to Hollywood. I became a Marine. Buck's back and he's the same arrogant, infuriatingly attractive man who left. Only this time? I'm not falling for him. I thought I escaped my past, but when his fame drags me into the spotlight, the world sees the truth. I'm poor Loula Mae-daughter of a junkie and her pimp. To them, I'm just SO. TRASHY.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Harper Connelly never expected to find herself outside of a tattoo parlor at one in the morning, summoning the nerve to take back her past. She's determined to forget her old life and is looking for an artist who can tattoo over the scars on her back. Trent Andrews, local legend and owner of the Second Circle tattoo studio, has his own reasons for specializing in inking over scars. And in spite of her mysterious past and the difficult road ahead, he quickly realizes that Harper is funny, smart, and--under her ridiculously oversized clothing and SPF 100 sunscreen--totally hot. He's happy to take on the challenge of designing a meaningful and deadly full-back tattoo for her. But when cryptic messages start appearing on Harper's phone, strange deliveries arrive at her door, and Second Circle is vandalized, Harper is convinced that her ex-boyfriend has tracked her down, and worse, that he knows about Trent. Running was the only thing that saved her last time, but now that she's started to put down roots in Miami, she'll have to decide if she can finally fight back instead.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Book one and two in the King series.
King:
Homeless. Hungry. Desperate. Doe has no memories of who she is or where she comes from. A notorious career criminal just released from prison, King is someone you don’t want to cross unless you’re prepared to pay him back in blood, sweat, sex or a combination of all three. King’s future hangs in the balance. Doe’s is written in her past. When they come crashing together, they will have to learn that sometimes in order to hold on, you have to first let go.
Tyrant:
I. Remember. Everything. But the relief I thought I would feel never comes, and I’m more afraid now than I was the morning I woke up handcuffed in King’s bed. Because with the truth comes dark secrets I was never meant to know. I will put the lives of those I love most at risk if I let on that my memory has returned, or if I seek help from the heavily tattooed felon who owns me body and soul. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to resist the magnetic pull toward King that grows stronger every day. He’s already saved me in more ways than one. Now it’s my turn to do whatever it takes to save him. Even if that means marrying someone else…

Goodreads ~ Amazon

If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear. You will know it’s coming, and it will hurt. But you’ll be able to prepare. Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news – the little baby left in a basket at a dingy Laundromat, born to a crack addict and expected to have all sorts of problems. I imagined the crack baby, Moses, having a giant crack that ran down his body, like he’d been broken at birth. I knew that wasn’t what the term meant, but the image stuck in my mind. Maybe the fact that he was broken drew me to him from the start. It all happened before I was born, and by the time I met Moses and my mom told me all about him, the story was old news and nobody wanted anything to do with him. People love babies, even sick babies. Even crack babies. But babies grow up to be kids, and kids grow up to be teenagers. Nobody wants a messed up teenager. And Moses was messed up. Moses was a law unto himself. But he was also strange and exotic and beautiful. To be with him would change my life in ways I could never have imagined. Maybe I should have stayed away. Maybe I should have listened. My mother warned me. Even Moses warned me. But I didn’t stay away. And so begins a story of pain and promise, of heartache and healing, of life and death. A story of before and after, of new beginnings and never-endings. But most of all...a love story.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

At twenty-two years old, Sydney is enjoying a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers that Hunter is cheating on her—and she’s forced to decide what her next move should be. Soon, Sydney finds herself captivated by her mysterious and attractive neighbor, Ridge. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either. They soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one. A passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance, Maybe Someday will immerse readers in Sydney’s tumultuous world from the very first page.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Promises are lies dressed up for the party. Secrets poison the fairest of fairy tales. Lies stain the purest of loves. I've paid the ultimate price for my choices. The tendrils of those sins bind me to my past. The remnants of my love hold me captive. Then he walks into my life and makes me believe in second chances. He awakens feelings in my I know I shouldn't have. I yearn for a future without guilt. With him, I dream of a love untainted. Regret is a far reaching emotion. It barrels through time like a blazing comet, and its path isn't always straight. No matter what I feel, I cannot bring myself to regret the time I've spent with Cain. But it doesn't mean I can have him. My name is Celia Lemaire, and this is my story of broken promises. Storms Over Secrets is the third book of The Over Series, a group of interconnected stand alone novels. This book is a new adult romance. It is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

In this modern retelling of “Hansel and Gretel,” 13-year-old foster children, Holden and Griselda, 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 where 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 cache of physical and emotional scars lie between them, just as dangerous as the whitewater 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. This is a standalone novel inspired by Hansel & Gretel. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to profanity, scenes of physical abuse and very strong sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18. (Note: children are not sexually abused in this book.)

Goodreads ~ Amazon

From Book 1: Opposites in every way, Chase and Arianna have been bitter rivals since childhood. Constantly in competition, they fight incessantly, making it nearly impossible for them to be in the same room with each other. Until they slept together. Sex changes everything. In one emotional evening, they go from enemies to lovers. Hate quickly evolves into passionate lust, but old habits die hard. The love growing between them can’t erase a lifetime of animosity. The two quickly fall back into old routines of spite and vengeance, and their relationship crumbles under the weight of their deep-seated distrust. Chase and Arianna spend the next two years on opposite sides of the globe, avoiding each other at all costs. Despite the lies they tell themselves, neither one is ready to let go. Even though they are both engaged to other people, they can’t find it in their hearts to forgive each other or to move forward. A family emergency calls Arianna home, where they have no choice but to face each other again. Will they finally admit the truth, or will they remain forever trapped between love and hate?

Hate to Love You ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

Love to Hate You ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

I was warned about Tristan Cole. “Stay away from him,” people said. “He’s cruel.” “He’s cold.” “He’s damaged.” It’s easy to judge a man because of his past. To look at Tristan and see a monster. But I couldn’t do that. I had to accept the wreckage that lived inside of him because it also lived inside of me. We were both empty. We were both looking for something else. Something more. We both wanted to put together the shattered pieces of our yesterdays. Then perhaps we could finally remember how to breathe.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Reader Favorites 2015 ~ Part 1

We had over 50 nominees for Reader Favorites of 2015 and have had everyone vote to get it down to the top 20. Today we are showcasing 10 of those favorite books, in no particular order. Enjoy!

With a suspect from the "Chorus Girl" case in custody, Detective Richard Giordano and Empathy Delacroix are ready to pursue the bonds of love and friendship. Free from the restrictions of the case, their love affair becomes a full-blown relationship. Life is relatively normal until another chorus girl turns up dead, and a new cocktail hits the Broadway scene, “Nine.” As the case progresses, it’s looking more and more like Em is somehow tied to an illegal underbelly of New York. Richard must swallow his pride, and his fears, and work with his argumentative brother, Bobby, to crack the case and protect Em. While one killer is behind bars, the man pulling all the strings is still at large and still set on Em. Richard and Em both know what it will cost to catch a maniacal killer, but the price might be more than they are prepared to pay.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

A scarred fighter. A girl with rules. One night of unbridled passion. There are three things you need to know about Elizabeth Bennett: she’s smart as a whip, always in control, and lives by a set of carefully crafted rules. She’s learned the hard way that people you love the most always hurt you in the end. But then she meets Declan Blay, the new neighbor at her apartment complex. A tattooed British street fighter, he’s the campus bad boy she’s supposed to avoid, but when he saves her from a frat party gone bad, all her rules about sex and love fly out the window. She gives him one night of unbridled passion, but he longs for more. With only a cardboard-thin wall separating their bedrooms, he dreams of possessing the vulnerable girl next door forever. One night. Two damaged hearts. The passion of a lifetime. *a modern love story inspired by Pride and Prejudice*

Goodreads ~ Amazon

There is no greater burden than a secret, and Kari Stanley has been carrying one alone for a long time. But fate intervenes in the form of a broken down car and the kind offer of assistance from a handsome stranger with a sweet, southern drawl. In exchange, all she has to do is go to dinner with him. Temptation was never so sweet. Max Quinn has secrets of his own. His good deeds aren't just a product of his southern upbringing; they're his atonement. As one dinner turns into two, he realizes that Kari just might be his salvation. As they struggle to find their path together, their secrets weigh heavier on them. Will they be able to trust one another with the truth, or will their secrets keep them apart forever? This book CAN be read as a stand-alone novel.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Never in your wildest dreams could you begin to imagine all the filthy and depraved things that go on inside The Wicked Horse. Step inside and Woolf Jennings will make every one of your dirty fantasies come true. He’s covered in a facade of deception. An enticing blend of multi-millionaire and hot-as-hell Wyoming rancher, those that think they know Woolf Jennings admire his abilities to preside as CEO of his family’s cattle and oil empire. But only a privileged few truly understand what fuels the glitter of depravity in those gorgeous blue eyes. Only a few know he’s opened up a sinfully erotic and private sex club named The Wicked Horse right at the base of the beautiful Teton Mountain range. Sweet Callie Hayes has returned home to Wyoming and is looking forward to starting her life over again. After a night of impetuosity, she’s managed to put herself right in Woolf’s line of sight… the man who she foolishly offered up her virginity to years ago and was flatly turned down. Now Woolf is seeing that Callie is all grown up and has a kinky side to her that leaves him as confused as it does turned on. Worse yet, both Callie’s dirty desires and sweet heart are getting under his skin, and making Woolf question everything he’s ever believed about himself. **Warning: this book has sex in it. Lots of sex. Dirty sex. The Wicked Horse Series is a bit different than what Sawyer Bennett normally writes. While you’ll still enjoy fabulous characters, a suspenseful story, some witty banter and an epic romance, there’s just… a lot of sex. You’ve been warned.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

In a matter of seconds my entire world changed, and it was in that moment that I stopped living and simply began to exist. In my grief, I sent a letter to the first boy I ever loved. I hoped in writing it I’d find some peace from the nightmare I was living, some solace in my anger. I didn’t expect him to write back. I wasn’t prepared for his words, and I certainly wasn’t ready for the impact this soldier would have on my life. A deep-rooted hate transformed into friendship, and then molded into a love like I’d never known before. Sergeant Devin Ulysses Clay did what I couldn’t: he put the shattered pieces of my heart back together, restoring my faith in humanity and teaching me how to live again. But now that I’m whole, I have a decision to make. Do I return to my life as I knew it and the fiancé I left behind, or do I walk away from it all for the only man to ever break my heart? *** I’ve been living in hell, but you won’t hear me complain. These men depend on me, as I do them, and this brotherhood is the only family I’ve ever known. The Army saved me from a callous mother and a life on the wrong side of the tracks that was quickly spiraling out of control. So unlike most of the men in my platoon, going home wasn’t something I longed for. I was content overseas, spending my days defending this country that gave me my life back. Fighting became my new normal … until her. A letter from Katie Devora—a letter that I almost didn’t open. Her words put a fire back inside of me that I didn’t know I’d lost. She gave me hope during a time when I was fighting every day just to stay alive, and now it’s time I fight for her.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

I am a son. I am a brother. I am an artist. I am a student. I am her student. She was my first. First infatuation, first ‘real’ kiss, first love, first..... heartbreak. I gave her everything, including my body and would have given her more. I gave her ‘I love you’ ….she told me her heart was filled by another, there was no room left for me. We could never be. What we did was wrong. It didn’t feel wrong to me. The deepest hurt is a love that you cannot have. It will last the longest, cut the deepest and feel the strongest. It is an imperfect love; a disfigured circle that never ends. You cannot control it; it's as simple as blinking and just like blinking the more you try to stop it, the more the pain consumes you. This is book 3 in 'The Love by Numbers' series. Although it contains characters from the previous books, it can be read as a standalone.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Can be read as a standalone novel
 **Contains sensitive subject matters**
 Dying . . . Dead . . . Deceased . . . It doesn’t matter how many times I say it or how many different names I give it, it still means the same thing. One of these days I’ll be nothing but a passing memory, a familiar face in a forgotten photo. But there are three things I need before this life of mine ends . . . I need to tell him I love him more than life itself. I need to feel the strength of his arms wrapped around me just one more night. Most of all, I need him to forgive me. Eight years ago I broke the heart of the only man I’ve ever loved and today I’m moving home in hopes that he’ll let me put it back together. I’m not sure how many breaths I have left, but I’ll use each and every last one fighting for what I destroyed. My name is Laney Jacobs and this is my journey.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Ruthless, Demanding, Wicked and Running from the Law. Tessa It was a routine parole hearing, until I get caught in the middle of a prison break. Now I’m property of Max Kincaid, Florida Correctional Inmate Number 91428 I should be terrified. I should be demanding my freedom. Instead I’m begging him to deliver on all the wicked promises in his eyes. The longer I’m with him, the more I need him. His touch answers cravings I never knew my body had. Now, all I crave is him. Max: My life ended years ago. I have no right to touch Tessa. I should let her go. I can’t. Instead, I lose myself in her body. I’m living on borrowed time. But when the devil comes to collect his due, It will be with her taste on my mouth. My brand on her body. And her name on my lips. This Book is a stand alone containing one hot alpha and the woman who wants him even more than the cops chasing them both. Insta-love, hot fun in the Flordia Sun...or rain and a Happily Ever After guaranteed.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Sometimes everything in life must crash and burn so that life may begin again.
When Fates Collide Life can change in the blink of an eye. One moment, Lily is trapped in a loveless marriage. In a split second she is free, but at what cost? Her mundane life is set into a freefall of tragedy and terror. Her husband may be out of her life, but he left a storm of collateral damage behind and the burden is on Lily to sort it out. Fate connects Lily with Gavin, a charmingly handsome British gentleman that has been drawn into her tangled circumstance. Gavin is everything Lily’s husband wasn’t and gives her hope that love really does exist. Gavin wants nothing more than to sweep Lily up and carry her off into the sunset, far away from the devastation left behind by her husband. Gavin has been the first breath of fresh air in her life, but she isn’t looking to be saved. She needs to clean up her husband’s mess and find a way to save herself in the process. Does she throw caution to the wind and open her heart? Or listen to her head that tells her and go it alone until she’s found herself again?

When Fate Isn’t Enough Can a romance that was written in the stars survive real life? Lily Clark and Gavin Edwards met when their lives collided in a crazy twist of fate. Their relationship started amidst chaos, fraught with lust, passion, and love. Building a life together will take more than destiny, especially when ghosts from their past try to tear them apart. Needing a fresh start, Lily decides to escape her life in Washington, DC to join Gavin in London. Trust and faith have never come easily to Lily. She’ll be put to the test now that she and Gavin are living under the same roof. To make matters worse, trouble finds Lily wherever she goes. She thought she’d rid herself of her late husband’s demons, but she soon learns that when you make a deal with the devil, he often comes back to up the ante. Can she learn to let Gavin in or will she continue to fight her battles alone? Find out what happens When Fate Isn’t Enough.

When Fates Align Why would fate bring them together only to tear them apart? Lily and Gavin were brought together in a clash of tragedy and chaos. Amid the ashes of lives gone wrong, they thought they found a second chance at love. With trouble from their previous lives lurking around every corner, they quickly learned that love from a star-crossed romance isn’t enough to survive. Lily has slipped through Gavin’s fingers, and he feels as though he’s been sentenced to an eternity in hell. But if he’s going to perish in the ninth circle, everyone responsible for coming between him and Lily will go down with him. Perhaps their love was never meant to be. But, if he’s learned anything from his time with Lily, it’s that sometimes everything has to crash and burn before life can begin again.

Box Set ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

This is not a story about fairytales. I expected to be lonely when I dropped everything and ran without telling a soul. I expected to be afraid, hiding from Dean. What I didn’t expect was Vic. Like a moth to my blazing destruction, I’m drawn to him. We’re lust. We’re rage. We might even be love. We’re definitely two people who shouldn’t be together, but we belong together. It’s not long before I’m wondering if Vic could be more twisted than the man I ran away from. Our fire won’t burn forever, but something tells me Vic might revel in the ashes. I should have known better than to think I stood a chance. WARNING: This book contains graphic sex, graphic violence, and mental illness. This may be a trigger for some. Proceed with caution.

Goodreads ~ Amazon