The V Card by Lauren Blakely and Lili Valente - Release Day Launch

   

A brand new sinfully sexy standalone romantic comedy from bestselling authors Lauren Blakely and Lili Valente, THE V CARD is about all of the seduction and emotions that come when one woman is ready to ditch her V card and enlists her brother’s best friend to teach her the art of seduction! What happens next when he agrees to help her get top marks in seven days are lots of steamy and heartfelt moments. THE V CARD is available now!

 

Now available on all retailers! Get your copy delivered now!

   

✮✮✮ THE V CARD is here! Grab your copy today! ✮✮✮

A brand new sinfully sexy standalone romantic comedy from bestselling authors Lauren Blakely and Lili Valente!

When you think about how easy it is to lose keys, phones, sunglasses and your dignity on social media, you might figure it'd be a cinch for me to ditch my V Card.

You'd be wrong.

At 25, I run a successful business, live in a fantastic apartment, and have fabulous friends to go out with any night of the week. And yet I'm still a card-carrying member of a club I don't want to belong to anymore. Good thing I know just the man for the deflowering job—my brother’s business partner and best friend.

Graham Campbell is charming, smart, and, I’m told, oh-so-skilled in the sack. As long as I keep my eyes on the prize, there’s no way this pluck-the-flower project could possibly complicate matters.

***

Work and pleasure. As the CEO of a fast-growing company, I've been enjoying both to the fullest. What do I do when the board throws me for an unexpected loop so I can keep my business in my hands? I enlist the help of my best friend's little sister since she holds a big stake in the company. But then I learn there's another big stake she wants.

The one between my legs.

I can do this. Seven nights to teach her everything I know in the bedroom. There's no way I'll fall for her, even though she’s earning top grades in every single sinfully sexy lesson. And turns out I’m learning something too. The trouble is I don’t have the answer key to what to do when I fall hard for her.

And that throws a whole new hitch in my plans.

✦ Kindle US ✦ Kindle CA ✦ Kindle AU ✦ Kindle UK ✦

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✦The audiobook is narrated by Sebastian York and Andi Arndt! ✦ ✦Audio on Amazon ✦Audible

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"Their chemistry is scorching hot...The V Card is charming, feel-good entertainment punctuated by searing heat, heartwarming moments and the magic of New York City."

- USA Today

    Excerpt: As we settle in, the busboy brings the waters, and I cut to the chase. “So, I hate to crash the Sunday Funday vibe, but I invited you to brunch with an ulterior motive. I need a favor.” She spreads her napkin on her lap with a raised brow. “What kind of favor?” “I need you at next Monday’s board meeting. As you know, we lost an important account last month when Beaux Rêves in Paris went with a cheaper option. Obviously, they aren’t our only account, not by a long shot. But given how volatile the industry has been lately, I need to make it crystal clear to the shareholders that selling isn’t the right path. With the number of mergers and acquisitions going on, they’re seeing dollar signs, but quick money isn’t the answer. That’s where you come in.” “You want them to hear from me because of my shares?” she asks, her brow furrowing. “We don’t have anything close to a majority.” Though CJ inherited Sean’s share of the business when he passed away, that’s not why I need her at the meeting. CJ has a way of putting people at ease, of winning their trust and confidence. She’s a successful business owner in her own right—her accessories company Love Cycle Creations is growing by leaps and bounds every year. Plus, she was courted early on by an accessories conglomerate and she declined—totally the right call, as her company is now a rising star in her field. I nod. “Of course, but that’s not the only reason. I need to convince them that now is not the time to explore getting into bed with a huge multinational retailer. And to do that, it’ll help to hear from someone with an insider’s stock holdings and an outsider’s perspective. I want them to hear from you in particular since you went through something so similar with Love Cycle.” “On a much smaller scale, though. My company is tiny compared to Adored.” “Size doesn’t matter.” I pause to wiggle an eyebrow for effect. “Well, in this case.” A faint blush spreads on her cheeks. “You and the innuendo.” “I do love innuendo. I also love Adored. That’s why I want to keep it the way it is—growing, profitable, and independent. I don’t want it swallowed by some faceless corporate giant.” A smile teases her lips for a moment and then disappears. I can’t read her at all, so I’m on the edge of my seat, waiting for an answer. “Please, CJ,” I add when she stays silent for a long beat. “I need you.” “You need me,” she echoes, her brow smoothing as she sighs. She takes a drink of water, sets down her glass, and runs the tip of her tongue across her lips. I watch her tongue move, wondering why I’ve never noticed how amazing her mouth is. She has the bee-stung lips of a cover girl, in a shade of pink so deep it brings to mind flushed, hot, intimate things. Things I should be thinking of in her presence. In anyone’s presence. Resist, Campbell, resist… Finally, just as I’m gearing up to beg, she looks up, a mysterious smile curving her lips. “I know exactly what you need, Graham.” Damn, that sounded…naughty. I reach for my water glass, needing something to cool me down since innocent words from a woman I’ve known forever are sending my thoughts straight into the gutter. “But before I agree to your request,” she adds, her fingers drumming lightly on the white tablecloth, “I need something from you, too. Something I’ve been thinking long and hard about. Very long. And very hard.” Her eyes meet mine, trouble flickering in her gaze. Glass halfway to my lips, I freeze. Christ. Who the hell is this sexy-as-sin woman, and what has she done with CJ?    

Review

(By Cindy)

When Lauren Blakely, one of my favorite authors, and the undeniable queen of sass and sizzle, announced that she was collaborating on a book with Lili Valente, romantic comedy royalty in her own right, I couldn’t wait to see what the two would cook up. The result: “The V Card,” a warm, light-hearted story of giving, taking and avoiding.

With her twenty-sixth birthday rapidly approaching, CJ is feeling a little pressure. She’s still a not-so-proud card-carrying member of the V-Club, and there’s no prospect for redemption in her immediate future.

CJ has known Graham for most of her life. Growing up, he was her brother Sean’s best friend and following college, the two men became successful business partners. When Sean passed away, Graham naturally assumed the roll as CJ’s big-brother / protector. CJ trusts Graham with her life but knowing his reputation with the ladies, can she trust him enough to give the one thing she most wants to give away, and can Graham take it, but leave her heart intact?

An amazing, sexy and touching story. "The V-Card” is a perfect blend of trust, seduction, lust and love. Bravo, Lauren and Lili!  I couldn't put it down!

“Lauren Blakely and Lili Valente are a match made in ROM-COM heaven! THE V CARD was an OUTSTANDING romantic comedy that has heart, humor, and an INSANE amount of chemistry! I couldn't take my eyes off the pages for even a minute!”

- Shayna at Shayna Renee’s Spicy Reads

   

“Ms. Blakely and Ms. Valente have written a book that allowed me to laugh, swoon, get revved up and fall in love.”

- My Girlfriend’s Couch Blog

 

Add it to Goodreads here!

   

✮✮✮Enter to win this amazing THE V CARD GIVEAWAY!✮✮✮

Everything you need for a HOT DATE! An adorable Kate Spade hand bag to carry the essentials needed for date night ($179), a $75 Gift Card to the Restaurant of Your Choice, and a $50 Gift Card to your Favorite Lingerie Shop to heat things up after dinner!

 

https://laurenblakely.com/everything-need-hot-date/

    About Lauren Blakely: A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that's hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than 85 times, and she's sold more than 2 million books. In December she'll release THE V CARD, a sinfully sexy standalone romantic comedy co-written with Lili Valente. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter  

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      USA Today bestselling author Lili Valente writes both naughty things and funny things (that are also naughty). She has slept under the stars in Greece, eaten dinner at midnight with French men who couldn’t be trusted to keep their mouths on their food, and walked alone through Munich’s red light district after dark and lived to tell the tale. These days you can find her writing in a tent beside the sea, drinking coconut water and thinking delightfully dirty thoughts.        

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SWEET LIFE by Nina Lane - Review and Excerpt Tour

         

He knows if she's been bad or good. Amidst the sugarplums and mistletoe, fashion stylist Julia Bennett is every inch a scrooge. Known for her ice-queen ways, she's having a meltdown over a botched business deal and an upcoming milestone birthday. Add the pressure of forced holiday cheer, and she's ready to dive into the spiked eggnog and not come out until summer. Warren Stone, president and owner of the Sugar Rush Candy Company, is determined to make Julia slow down and enjoy the holidays. As her friend and confidante for thirteen years, he knows her better than anyone. But when decking the halls leads them to an explosive, sexy night, everything suddenly changes.   And when Warren decides Julia is all he wants for Christmas, will she risk their longtime friendship for the gift of love?  

iBooks | Amazon

Excerpt

            “Now step into my office.”

            Julia blinked at his hard tone, her gaze shifting to his closed office door. “I beg your pardon?”

            Warren opened the door. “In. Now.”

            Her features tightened with resistance just as the elevator doors opened and several employees emerged, their voices rising in chatter. Julia crossed the hallway in front of them, her shoulders rigid. He caught a whiff of Chanel No. 5 as she passed him.

            He entered the office behind her and closed the door, flicking the lock shut.

            “You are not to take out personal crap on my employees,” he said. “That’s not how I run this company.”

            Julia’s lips compressed. “Odd that you’ve never before questioned my treatment of your employees. And it wasn’t personal. She needed to know she’d screwed up.”

            “Announcing the holiday party early is not screwing up,” Warren replied evenly. “You’re pissed off because you’ve had a shitty week, you have too much on your plate, an old bucket list has thrown you off your game, and you don’t know what to do with the fact that we fucked the other night.”

            Two spots of color appeared on her cheeks. “I seem to recall that what I did with that fact was tell you it wasn’t going to happen again. After which you informed me in excellent caveman style that I was wrong. You seem to forget I’m never wrong.”

            About this, you are.

            He bit back the words. He hadn’t become the president of Sugar Rush by throwing his weight around. He knew how to bide his time, work his way into getting what he wanted. And damned if he didn’t want her more with every passing second.

            “Well?” Julia put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Are we done here?”

            Under her make-up, purplish smudges shadowed her eyes. Brackets of tension lined her mouth. His jaw tightened.

            “You had a migraine yesterday,” he said.

            “What the fuck do you care?” Julia snapped.

            Warren’s hands flexed. He was used to her quick-fire cursing, all the more effective when delivered by a woman who looked like royalty, but he didn’t like being the recipient of her wrath.

            “I’m putting Mia Donovan in charge of the Sugar Rush holiday party,” he said.

            “You’re firing me?” Julia stared at him, her eyes widening. “Are you serious?”

            “Yes.” He steeled himself against her shock and the knowledge that he was hurting her. “You’ve planned it for the past ten years, and it’s time to hand it over to someone else.”

            “You don’t get to decide that.”

            “Yes, I do. Sugar Rush is my company. This is also the event where I’ll be announcing my retirement. You’re not going to plan it.”

            “Because I have too much on my plate?” Julia stopped in front of the windows, her arms crossed and her fiery gaze fixed on him. “Thanks for your concern, Daddy, but I assure you I can handle everything I take on.”

            “That’s why you’re such a success. It’s also why your headaches are getting worse.”

            “You are not my fucking doctor.”

            “Stop swearing.”

            She barked out a laugh. “You need to rethink this retirement thing, Warren. It’s making you soft.”

            Given the state of his dick, he was anything but soft.

            “If you won’t delegate your projects, I will,” he said.

            “Because you can’t stop being the boss, even if you think otherwise.” Julia paced angrily to the desk, her eyes flaring with blue ice. “Why are you retiring, Warren? Everyone knows you’re the power behind the throne, much as you’ve let the boys take all the glory. Three months—hell, one month from now when you have nothing to do and no one to order around, you’re going to wonder why you made such a bad decision.”

            Warren’s jaw clenched. He was sick of getting pushback from all sides. “I’ve been in business my entire life. I know what I’m doing.”

            “So do I, dammit,” Julia retorted. “I don’t need you looking out for me.”

            “I will always look out for you.”

            She came to a halt, her whole body stilling. By contrast, Warren’s heartbeat kicked up, sudden heat flooding his veins. Their gazes met across the room, a crackling electric current firing through the air.

            Julia took a breath, her breasts heaving beneath her jacket.

            “Goddamn you, Warren Stone,” she whispered.

            “I told you to stop swearing.” He advanced, his own breath increasing, his hands fisting and unfisting at his sides.

            Rebellion tightened her features. “And if I don’t?”

            “You sure you want to find out?”

            He closed the distance between them, his lust flaring like a match to dry leaves.

            What the fuck was going on with them?

            The question flared like a comet through his mind and died just as fast—because he didn’t care about the answer. His mind was consumed with the thought of tasting her red lips again, sweet like cherries, spicy like peppers. Her mouth could deliver an insult as sharp and searing as a blade, but he knew—had always known, even if he’d smothered the knowledge—that the sounds issuing from Julia Bennett’s mouth could also be smooth, hot murmurs of lust that rushed straight to his blood. Weakening him of all thought, all control, inciting him with the urge to—

            He grabbed her shoulders, hauling her soft, slender body against him. He’d always loved the contrast of Julia, the sharp-tongued, acidic queen and the relentlessly devoted aunt. The rigorous boss who shot orders like arrows, and the loyal friend who bought Hailey’s favorite peanut butter, sent care packages to Gavin Knight when he was deployed in Iraq, spent hours on end with Evan at the hospital.

            He stared down at her fine features, pale skin, and wide blue eyes that he’d seen almost every day of his life for the past thirteen years—and suddenly now it felt as if he were looking at her for the first time. Had he never noticed that tiny birthmark right beneath her left eye? Or the silver flecks in her irises, like falling snow? Or the perfect curve in her upper lip, tempting him to put his tongue there and—

            Oh, he’d noticed all right. He’d just tried to pretend he hadn’t.

            “What the hell am I going to do with you, Julia?” he muttered.

            “Fire me, apparently.” Her tone was bitter, her eyes blue fire.

            Her gaze flickered involuntarily to his mouth, her lips parting. He slipped his hand beneath her chin, lifting her face to his. His heart jackhammered. Her breath brushed against his mouth, the familiar scent of her—Chanel No. 5, lavender soap, pure Julia—suddenly exotic and tantalizing.

            “I’m going to let you go,” he said slowly, “and take two steps back. I want you to reach under your skirt and take your underwear off… if you’re wearing any.”

Review

(By Cindy)

I’ve become quite a fan of the Sugar Rush men, and the latest installment – “The Sweet Life” – definitely did not disappoint!

Warren Stone is the patriarch of the Stone Family – candy royalty in the coastal town of Indigo Bay. Following the tragic death of Rebecca Stone 12 years ago, Warren and his sons (many of whom we have met in previous books in this series by Nina Lane) have worked tirelessly to keep the Stone family, and the Stone Candy Company together, deriving much of their strength from Julia Bennett, Rebecca’s younger sister. “The Sweet Life” is Warren and Julia’s story.

It’s certainly easy to see where the Stone men get their virility. Warren may be ready to retire from the family corporation, but let’s just say, that’s the only aspect of his life where he’s considering slowing down. After years of devotion and friendship (not to mention sexual tension), Warren and Julia are ready to check some things of each other’s bucket list.

“The Sweet Life” is the perfect blend of sweet and serious, love and lust. I practically read it in one sitting!

               New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances about professors, bad boys, candy makers, and protective alpha males who find themselves consumed with love for one woman alone. Originally from California, Nina holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization. She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she's that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter