Monday, October 17, 2016

The Sexy One by Lauren Blakely - Review and Excerpt

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From NYT Bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes a swoony new standalone romance…

THE SEXY ONE!

Want a romance guaranteed to make you melt? Get ready to fall in love with THE SEXY ONE!

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“Swoony, passionate and oh-so-romantic!”

~NYT Bestselling author K Bromberg

 

Insanely romantic and so genuinely charming…”

~Fresh Fiction

   

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From the NYT Bestselling author of MISTER O, comes a sexy new standalone romance...

Let me count the ways why falling into forbidden love is not my wisest move... 1. She works with me every single day. Did I mention she's gorgeous, sweet, kind and smart? 2. She works in my home. Playing with my five-year-old daughter. Teaching my little girl. Cooking for my princess. Which means... 3. She's the nanny. And that makes her completely off-limits...But it doesn't stop me from wanting her. All of her.

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The other nannies in this city don't call him the Sexy One for nothing. My boss, the amazingly wonderful single father to the girl I take care of every day is ridiculously hot, like movie star levels with those arms, and those eyes, and that body. Not to mention, the way he dotes on his little girl melts me all over. But what really makes my knees weak are the times when his gaze lingers on me. In secret. When no one else is around.

I can't risk my job for a chance at something more...can I? But I don't know how to resist him much longer either...

With all the heat, heart and humor readers have come to expect, this newest standalone will make you laugh, swoon and feel like you're falling in love!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU 

 Amazon Paperback | iBooks | Kobo | Barnes & Noble


Review 
(by Cindy)

The Sexy One Is Lauren Blakely’s latest standalone novel. Her previous books including this cast of characters (Big Rock, Mr. O, and Well Hung) have been told from the male POV, and it’s been thoroughly enjoyable being inside a man’s head (with a Lauren Blakely twist). The stories have been an entertaining exploration of how a man thinks (because, of course it’s pretty clear what it is they are thinking about), and each book has also been doused with a generous splash of humor for good measure.

The Sexy One is the first in this “series” of stories to be told from two perspectives, with POVs alternating between the two main characters. The book takes a bit more of a serious perspective on the subject of love. Don’t get me wrong, it still brings all the fun and flirty that readers have come to expect and love in a Lauren Blakely novel, but this one had a little more serious tone as well. While it can be read as a standalone, I always love that Lauren’s past characters make cameo appearances in new stories. It makes it fun to catch up with these fictional friends and acquaintances.  Here’s what I mean:

We first met Simon Travers in Mr. O. Readers may remember him as the single dad who hires Harper (of Nick and Harper) to perform her magic show at his daughter Hayden’s birthday party. Simon vexes Nick throughout most of that book, (which, in and of itself, makes for a pretty funny storyline). As that book nears the end, Simon tells Harper he’s thinking about hiring a nanny for Hayden, and Abby refers him to her friend Abby. So, fast forward seven months, and that’s where The Sexy One begins. Simon and Abby have fallen into a comfortable routine as employer and employee. But in the characters’ respective minds (which is why the alternate POVs work here), the attraction has been mutually brewing for about six months and twenty-nine days, minus maybe a few hours.  

Simon’s character is, well… sexy (of course), but in more than just the “washboard abs and chiseled features” kind of way. I mean, come on, what’s sexier than a smokin’ hot, devoted single dad anyway? Abby is great with Hayden, and it’s easy to see that the two of them adore one another.  She’s younger than Simon, but she has a mature and eclectic quality about her that I really liked. She’s smart and witty, great with kids (of course), and has a pure kind of sincerity that appealed to me (and most definitely to Simon).  Call it cliché if you want to, the whole single dad falls for the younger nanny trope. I don’t care. It worked for me.

I’ve sworn that I’m going to stop saying “my favorite book so far,” when it comes to Lauren Blakely’s stories. So, I’ll just say, The Sexy One is definitely a stand-out for me in this series.

Five heartwarming stars.

Excerpt

“I want to talk to you about the other day.” He sounds so serious.

All of a sudden, the weight of my mistake crashes down. “Are you firing me?” I blurt out.

His jaw drops. “What?”

“I’m sorry,” I say, and the wild anxieties consume me once more. “I love this job, and I love working with Hayden, and I didn’t mean to jeopardize it by . . .”

By making out with you? By touching you? By murmuring your name when you kissed me senseless in the cab, and would you please just do it again?

He steps closer. My stomach makes like a skydiver.

“You did not jeopardize a thing. I’m not firing you. I promise.” His blue eyes are locked to mine. “I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable. And I hope I didn’t lose you, either. You’re so good at what you do, and I value your skills so much. You’re great with Hayden, and I don’t want to mess that up. I’m sorry for crossing the line.”

I shake my head. “It’s okay. I crossed it, too.”

He licks his lips. “And I really appreciated you inviting me out with your friends. I wanted to go, but I didn’t want to mess up your night. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

A grin threatens to take over my face because my heart soars. I thought he was turning me down. Instead, he was thinking of me. “You wouldn’t have messed it up.”

“I wouldn’t have?”

“No.” I latch onto Harper’s advice. Talk to him. “I wanted you there.”

My breath comes fast, and the hairs on my arms stand on end. We’re so near to each other—our words, our voices, our bodies. Everything in me reaches for him.

“I’m glad,” he whispers.

“And you don’t make me uncomfortable. I promise.”

He doesn’t say anything in response. Just nods. I press my teeth into my lips. My back is against the sink, and he’s standing so close I can smell him. The faint scent of his soap intoxicates me. He must have gone to the gym after work and taken a shower, and oh God, now I’m imagining him naked in the shower, soaping up his strong body. I go up in flames.

“What happened in the cab was”—he pauses, as if he’s searching for the right word—“crazy.” But the way he says it in a voice full of longing doesn’t sound like crazy-bad. It sounds like . . .

“Crazy-good,” I supply.

He nods. “So good,” he whispers, and inches closer.

“It was so good,” I echo, my voice breathy, full of this potent need for him.

He stares at me, his eyes brimming with heat. I exhale, and my lips part slightly. He’s looking at my mouth now, and I’m burning all over.

We collide.

His hands are in my hair, and his lips crush mine. My fingers race up his shirt and around his neck. I pull him against me, his strong, hard body aligned with mine. His erection presses against my belly, and the realization that he’s already hard thrills me. Sparks fly through me as I register how hard he is, and my God, I want him. I want to feel him slide into me, I want to take him deep into my body. I want him to know what he does to me, too—that I’m as turned on as he is, and I can’t stop kissing him.
His big hands curl around my head, and I moan into his mouth. I love how much bigger he is than I am—taller, broader, stronger. He meets every primal desire I have to be taken. I want this man to consume me. I want to be under him, I want to be pinned by him—I want the full weight of him moving over me.
His lips are demanding, coaxing out more and more kisses from me. More murmurs, more sighs. As I arch into him, he groans, rough and husky.

Then, he breaks the kiss.

“This is bad,” he says firmly, his breath coming heavily. But then, he’s not so certain at all. “Is this bad?”

“Yes,” I answer quickly. “It’s bad. But it’s so good.” 

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A swoony, forbidden standalone contemporary romance, THE SEXY ONE is a forbidden love story, the romantic tale of a single father falling head over heels for the smart, kind and beautiful nanny. Resistance is hard as these two fall deeply in love while she works in his home. But forbidden romances are fraught with their own challenges, and nothing comes easily for this couple. Told in dual POV, THE SEXY ONE is being called Lauren Blakely’s most romantic novel yet. THE SEXY ONE is swoony, sweet, hot and forbidden.

“A good old-fashioned love story with a forbidden twist.”

~Bookalicious Babe Blog

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Add it to Goodreads here!

   
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✮✮✮Celebrate the release of The SEXY ONE! Enter to win a NIGHT OF ROMANCE, including a $100 gift card to your favorite restaurant, Signed copies of Big Rock, Mister O, and Well Hung, $25 gift card to Fandango, $25 gift card to 1-800 Flowers, and a $25 gift card to Victoria’s Secret or Bath and Body Works for 1 winner. Second and Third place prizes include a Signed copy of Well Hung and $25 Amazon Gift Card.✮✮✮

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE!

    author-pic-lauren-blakelyAbout Lauren Blakely: Since self-publishing her debut romance novel CAUGHT UP IN US three years ago, Lauren Blakely has sold more than 1 million books. She is known for her sexy contemporary romance style that's full of heat, heart and humor. A devout fan of cake and canines, Lauren has plotted entire novels while walking her four-legged friends. She lives in California with her family. With eleven New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than sixty times. Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire as well as standalone romantic comedies like BIG ROCK, MISTER O and WELL HUNG, which were instant New York Times Bestsellers. In the fall she'll release THE SEXY ONE, a swoony contemporary romance. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter at laurenblakely.com/newsletter.  

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Sunday, October 9, 2016

Excerpt/Review Tour - Bound to Submit by Laura Kaye

Decadent… Sensual… Forbidden…

 

12 Masters. 12 Desires. 12 Fantasies Come to Life. Meet the Masters of Blasphemy…

 


About Bound to Submit:

From the ruins of an abandoned church comes Baltimore’s hottest and most exclusive BDSM club. Twelve Masters. Infinite fantasies. Welcome to Blasphemy…

He thinks he caused her pain, but she knows he’s the only one who can heal her…

Kenna Sloane lost her career and her arm in the Marines, and now she feels like she’s losing herself. Submission is the only thing that ever freed her from pain and made her feel secure, and Kenna needs to serve again. Bad. The only problem is the Dom she wants once refused her submission and broke her heart, but, scarred on the inside and out, she’s not looking for love this time. She’s not even sure she’s capable.

Griffin Hudson is haunted by the mistakes that cost him the only woman he ever loved. Now she’s back at his BDSM club, Blasphemy, and more beautiful than ever, and she’s asking for his help with the pain he knows he caused. Even though he’s scared to hurt her again, he can’t refuse her, because he’d give anything to earn a second chance. And this time, he’ll hold on forever.

 

Order Bound to Submit in ebook or paperback, releasing 10/11/16

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo| Barnes & Noble

Add to your Goodreads


EXCERPT -

Griffin stood in front of her. “We’re practicing Sunday night’s demonstration position. I want to make sure you’re comfortable with it and that it’s not too taxing before we do it in front of an audience, especially since the demos always run a little longer.”

“Yes, Sir,” Kenna said, kneeling naked at his feet. 

“I’m going to tie you up. Flog you until your skin is hot and pink. And make you come you until you’re mindless. Understand?” His voice was like gravel, and the bulge in the front of his jeans told her that he was as turned on as she was.

“Yes, Master Griffin. I’m ready.” She shivered.

“Then let’s begin. I want you to sit on your bottom, back straight, knees bent.”

Moving as quickly and gracefully as she could, Kenna got into position. He never revealed what the position would be or exactly how she would be bound, so there was always a thrill of discovery about his bondage that she loved. She took a deep breath as the twine fell against her skin. First, he wrapped a long length around her breasts, squeezing them and making them sensitive, and then he had her sit forward so that her upper body was against the fronts of her thighs. 

Each brush of his fingers aroused her. Each wrap of the rope excited her. Each pressing knot pushed her into that place she loved to be.

Next, Master Griffin worked loop after loop around her lower back and the backs of her thighs, holding her in a folded position. His hands moved in what felt like intricate patterns against her spine as he connected those ropes to the ones around her breasts in what felt like some sort of erotic harness.

And then he came around the front of her. “How are you?”

“All Green, Sir.”

He nodded, and then he worked the twine in a stunning pattern down each arm before binding her arms flat against the fronts of her shins, folding her tighter over her legs. It was as he worked on her front that she noticed that he used black rope that matched her prosthetic—had he planned it that way? She wouldn’t put it past him, because the effect was absolutely beautiful against her skin. And part of the point of Shibari was the artist quality of the bondage.

She moaned at how good it felt and looked, and at the fact that Master Griffin was the one who made her feel this way—the only one who had ever made her feel this way.

“You look so fucking beautiful, Kenna,” he ground out as he secured her wrists to her ankles, and then her elbows to the soft spots behind her knees. “There.” He rose and walked around her, and just his observation made her breathe harder, faster. What did he see when he looked at her? Did he see the beauty of his work? Or did he see the damaged woman who’d come home from war?

Focus.

“Now it’s time for the suspension, little one. Once I start lifting you, just give in to the motion.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said, her voice breathy, her pussy already wet with her need.

She concentrated on her breathing and the music and the sounds Master Griffin was making. She couldn’t see what he was doing with the ropes behind her back and the pulley system he’d lowered from the ceiling, so she didn’t concern herself with it, she just gave herself over to what was about to happen, even though she didn’t know exactly what that was.

And then she rose into the air…
   

Review by Cindy

Like everyone, I have my go-to favorite authors. Admittedly, I rarely deviate from them mostly because they manage to keep me busy reading without the need to look elsewhere. But when I read the synopsis for Bound to Submit, I was intrigued, and decided to take a chance on an author and a storyline that were new to me. I have to say, I’m so glad I did; it did not disappoint.

Kenna Stone has recently returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. She’s a wounded veteran, having received an injury that resulted in the amputation of a portion of her arm. Struggling with the physical and emotional pain of that experience, Kenna decides that returning to a former lifestyle may be her only hope in dealing with her injuries and her guilt. But what if the man she is counting on to help her rejects her again?

Master Griffin hasn’t stopped thinking about the submissive he allowed to walk out of his life five years ago. When he spots Kenna as an observer in the crowd during a Shibari demonstration at Blasphemy, the exclusive BDSM club he co-owns, it momentarily robs him of all focus on the scene.

Bound to Submit wasn’t, for me, a cliché erotic romance. The relationship between the characters was deeply sensual and thought-provoking. The book is written in third person, allowing the author to not give the reader the characters’ back-story, but to also allow the reader to see both perspectives. The relationship between Griffin and Kenna goes far beyond D/s. It’s an all-encompassing connection, a bond that was both erotic and emotional.

Bound to Submit is the first in the Blasphemy series by author Laura Kaye. It’s also my first Laura Kaye novel, but it certainly won’t be my last. She has definitely hooked me in for the series!

Five erotic (and touching) stars!


 
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Ripe For Reader-Review & Excerpt
 

"A searingly sexy story with some of the hottest scenes I've read in a long, long time. Laura Kaye shows her mastery of the BDSM world. I'm eagerly anticipating more in this bold new series!"

~ Cherise Sinclair, NYT Bestselling Author of the Masters of the Shadowlands Series

 

"Smoldering and sexy, Laura Kaye's Blasphemy series is everything I look for in a romance. Haunted heroes and strong heroines populate this one of a kind club and I can't wait to see the big bad Doms fall one by one."

~ Lexi Blake, NYT Bestselling Author of the Masters and Mercenaries Series



Meet the Masters of Blasphemy in Hard to Serve, now available in paperback and ebook


    About Laura Kaye: Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty-five books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense, including the Hard Ink and Raven Riders series. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.      

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