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Happy Book Birthday & ARC #Review of The Librarian’s Vampire Assistant #3 by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff w/a rafflecopter giveaway! @MimiJeanRomance #Mystery #Humor

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The Librarian’s Vampire Assistant, book #3

Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Synopsis:

From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes an uncomfortably hilarious Mystery with a heaping help of sexual frustration, THE LIBRARIAN’S VAMPIRE ASSISTANT, Book Three. (Yep! It’s a STAND-ALONE. But why not read them all because…fun!)

FALLING IN LOVE WITH A LIBRARIAN JUST CAN’T GET MORE AWKWARD…

Michael Vanderhorst is not your usual vampire. For starters, he works in a library, is in love with Miriam, his hot nerdy human boss who has no clue what he is, and he looks like a college student.

In reality, Michael is an ancient deadly vampire, an ex-assassin, and is currently the de facto king of his kind ever since their ruling party disappeared. To where? He doesn’t know, but if he wants his life back, he’ll have to find out. (Mystery!) Especially because a civil war is brewing, and being king makes his librarian a mark for his enemies. She is, after all, his biggest weakness.

With a global uprising about to explode, Michael must give her the protection of his army. Only one problem: She must become his queen first. But every attempt he makes to tell her the truth is met with extreme hostility. “Vampires aren’t real. That’s crazy talk, Michael!” Clearly, the topic frightens her.

With time running out and her life on the line, Michael is left with one option: Marry her. Without her knowing.

Can he pull it off? And what will happen when the fight comes to their door?

I have to admit something.  I almost didn’t finish this book.  Oh, I got pissed off about more than halfway through it and had it put it down.  That’s why the review is late.  I’ve read this series from the beginning and fell in love with it.  But Ms. Mimi did something that I felt didn’t need to be in the book and bam…pissed off a reader.  Now, a couple of chapters later, all is forgiven and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Let’s talk about this series, shall we?  There is a NEW mystery in every book.  It is SOLVED by the end of the book.  Is the romance the overall arc of the book?  Absolutely.  Ms. Mimi has written a paranormal, cozy mystery with romantic elements that is the best that I’ve ever read.  Period.  The book makes me laugh, swoon, tense up and keeps me flipping the pages to see what in the heck is going to happen next.

This book is truly the top of the arc for me.  It wraps up some looser threads but opens up other possibilities with past characters that I can’t wait to see what happens with them and Michael.  I have really warmed up to Miriam.  I love her now.  She is harboring a HUGE secret in this one and I was just floored.  FLOORED!!!!  I wish I could share but that’s a huge plot point in the book and you will just have to read it to find out.  Ms. Mimi has pulled off a brilliant plot twist that had some great dialogue between her and Michael that is spot on.  Oh and the romance FINALLY heats up in this installment.  Again, ABOUT TIME!!!  Listening to Michael moon over Miriam and never acting on it was frustrating.  Not just for Michael for this reader as well.

This is one of the best books that I’ve read so far this year.  Ms. Mimi just keeps getting better and better with this series.  And Nice makes an appearance or two and he is hell-bent on the book series Fanged Love and it’s a hoot and a half.  Please, please give this series a chance.  It’s PG-13 at best but more PG.  The characters are well rounded, the romance is plausible, if not frustrating and the mystery is fabulous.

BUY LINKS

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About the Author

MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a USA Today and New York Times bestselling romance author with over a million books sold worldwide. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dream. Mimi lives with her Latin Lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and the rat terrier duo, Snowflake and Mini Me, in Arizona. She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.

Sign up for Mimi’s mailing list for giveaways and new release news!

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THE LIBRARIAN’S VAMPIRE ASSISTANT – is FREE

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*****

THE LIBRARIAN’S VAMPIRE ASSISTANT, 2

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Excerpt, Giveaways, New Release, Reviews

#Review of That Guy and That Girl by Natalia Albrite w/a rafflecopter giveaway! #Debut Author #contemporary romance #New Adult @NAlbrite

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That Guy and That Girl

by Natalia Albrite

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GENRE:   New Adult Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

Olivia Meadows is excited to finish her senior year of college as a volleyball national champion beside her teammates and best friends. A complication arrives in the form of John Hunter, that guy, her brother’s best friend whom she has had a secret crush on since she was eleven years old. Effortlessly charming and handsome, with a body honed by years of playing football, John initiates his charm offensive and Olivia finds herself unable to resist him.

John Hunter is pumped to finish his senior year of college as a football national champion beside his teammate and best friend. The only thing missing is that girl, Olivia Meadows, his best friend’s little sister. He needed to sow some wild oats before settling down with Olivia but now he is ready for something serious with the girl he has always admired. 

Be careful what you wish for. John and Olivia find themselves dealing with adult consequences very quickly and wondering if their young love can endure the pressures of adulthood. Will they find deeper love or implode from the pressures of their own making?

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Excerpt Three:

“Hey, I’ve missed you and I’m really glad to see you,” he says as he looks deep into my eyes. Simple words that say everything I want to hear right now. This is exactly what we need: to keep it simple and direct.

I want him to kiss me and I want him to do it now. I want to say ditto so we can get to the good stuff faster but just as quickly I decide to be as clear as he was, “I’ve missed you too and I’m so glad you’re here.”

We both stare at each other for a few seconds and then eventually smirk. He nods and says, “I’m gonna kiss the shit out of you now.”

I nod as he pulls me in closer. One arm moves to my lower back. I place my hands back on the pecs I want to appreciate more fully. He touches his lips to mine so gently. In some ways I want him to rush. I want him to deepen things quickly. But in more ways, I want him to take it slow and let this burn slow between us. It feels like forever since we have appreciated each other in this way.

He is clearly taking the slow route and eventually adds the slightest bit of tongue to his kisses. It’s subtle and I both love and hate the slowness in escalation. I involuntarily moan quietly. He knows how to build the tension. He pulls back and looks into my eyes again, “I love you.”

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Yall this book.  New Adult, debut author and she hits it out of the ballpark.  I’m in awe of Ms. Albrite and her talent.  Plus, the setting is in Texas, Austin to be specific to the places that the story takes place, I can relate to.  And I just fell in love with John and Olivia.  I won’t go into the set up of the book or the plot but I will, however, share my thoughts about specific things.

  1.  Olivia – biracial and she reminds John of this fact.  Ms. Albrite doesn’t skim over this but the topic is discussed between them due to John’s parents.  Trust me, they are the typical country club type.  Olivia is smart, funny and her own person.  She has a tribe that she can count on and her relationship with her brother, Marcus is fantastic.  Olivia is just your typical college senior trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life after she FINALLY picks out what her major is.  Her conversations about the picking of her major are hilarious and spot on.
  2.  John – is a delight.  He has been biding his time with Olivia and his feelings for her.  He’s not a player or douche either.  Just an all-around guy that has had his eye on his best friend’s sister since high school.  His conversation with Marcus is typical “bro” stuff yet, serious.  Did I mention that he is white and from a country club family?  Typical Dallas suburbs.  Trust me, I grew up there.  Ugh.  I hate parents like that.
  3.  This is a sweet romance for the most part.  The beginning was a bit hot and heavy but nothing your grandmother couldn’t read.  As the story unfolds, the bedroom stuff is completely unnecessary.  This book is about the characters John and Olivia and how they deal with something very major that changes their lives and relationship forever.  Not going to tell you what it is except that Ms. Albrite, again, tackles it head-on and lets her characters figure it out.  I will tell you that Olivia near the end of the book deals with something that a lot of women go through and I applaud Ms. Albrite for broaching the subject matter and letting Olivia and John in their own ways deal with it.  I had tears at one point.
  4.  Austin, TX – I will admit that I CAN.NOT.STAND. the University of Texas.  I’m from Oklahoma so there is that.  I did, however, like how Ms. Albrite uses the setting of the campus and sports has the backdrop for their story.  I could see The Drag, the stadium, and even where the house party is in my mind.  Trust me, I’ve been all over that town.  However, I would have liked to see the bats but that’s just me.
  5.  The emotional tug of war in the book.  One moment I was gasping, then getting misty-eyed and then laughing.  My emotions were all over the place with this book and normally, I don’t get that emotional when I read a book. This one just grabbed from the beginning and never let me go.  And yes, its NEW ADULT.  Who knew, right?

The payoff from the beginning is beautiful.  You will watch Olivia and John forge through the ups and downs, tears and triumphs on and off the playing field.  You get the parental involvement that is not heavy-handed but just right for the guidance that these two need at times.  You get Marcus and John’s relationship break down and then have to re-build it.  You see a beautiful love story that began when they were kids and see it grow into adulthood.

Ms. Albrite has a fan for life with her rich storytelling, amazing characters and a realistic plot that made me miss Olivia and John when the story was over.  I can’t wait for Marcus’ story later this year.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Natalia is a lifelong reader and lover of romance novels. Before finally tapping away at her keyboard to create her own stories, she tried all sorts of professions: elementary school teacher, barista, seller of make-up, baker, and the list goes on. When she isn’t pursuing the arts, she’s hanging out with her husband, two wacky children, and full-figured Corgi.

 

Website:

www.nataliaalbrite.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NAlbrite

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD-cYs7QgaRDMJMSy2QimNA

Instagram: http://instagram.com/nataliaalbrite

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nataliaalbrite/

 

Buy link:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PCQ1H6S/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

 

Natalia Albrite will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Excerpt, Giveaways, Reviews

#Review of For Her Honor (the Gentrys of Paradise #4) by Holly Bush w/a rafflecopter giveaway! @hollybushbooks #historicalromance

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Holly Bush will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

1873 –

Adam Gentry, heir to the celebrated Paradise Stables in Virginia, is haunted by the visions of his lost love. Feeling cursed by fate, he slips deeper into grief, shrouded in a cloud of liquor and depression, and neglects his duties and responsibilities. But when Adam is forced to accept that there’s nothing he can do to change his past, he knows he must move on.

And he accepts his own destiny: that he will never love again.

Emmaline Somerset finds herself in the worst possible position any unmarried woman can be in. She will have to abandon all of her plans, hopes, and dreams for an independence using her own talents. The only viable solution is to move to a distant relative’s home and reinvent herself as a widow with an infant. No one will ever be the wiser.

Adam, now determined to secure the Gentry legacy, plans to save longtime family friend Emmaline from her embarrassment with an offer of marriage. But what Adam didn’t plan on was how his unexpected attraction to her would stir something inside of him, something he’s kept locked deep within.

Can love finds its way between two troubled souls, one driven by duty, the other by honor, both determined to find their way home?

Read an Excerpt:

Emmaline Somerset’s bedroom door opened, and her mother poked her head inside.

“Mother, please,” she began but stopped speaking as the door opened wide and Adam Gentry walked into her room.

“I know this is unusual, Mrs. Somerset, but certainly you’ve known me and my family long enough to know that I intend nothing untoward. But I would like to speak to your daughter alone.”

Adam stared at her as he spoke to her mother and she could see Jane and Betsy behind him, eyes wide and their hands over their mouths.

“It’s not p-proper, Adam,” her mother stuttered.

“I’m fine, Mother. Stand outside my door if you wish.”

Emmaline looked at him and noticed that he was thinner than the last time she saw him. He was still very handsome and even intimidating, filling the room with his presence. He was the oldest among her generation of Gentrys and Somersets but had been removed a bit from the rest of them as they grew up together. A bit apart from John and Matthew and Jim, who’d been fast friends growing up, and from Olivia and Nettie and Marabelle Winston, whose family owned the mercantile, and her. He hadn’t been aloof, but he hadn’t gotten into the same type of trouble that John and Matthew had.

Women swooned over him, and he smiled back and tipped his hat in such a way that made a female feel as if she was the only person of her sex in the world. Except right now he wasn’t looking so sure of himself and not particularly happy, either.

Many of you know that I do read historical romance, just not Western-themed historical romance.  Why?  Mainly because I live in Texas and believe this or not, I’m not into anything western, rustic, country, etc.  I live in a small town so I see it every single day.  I’m surrounded by it and my heart is still tied to a big city.  Its where I was raised and lived for almost 40 years.  So why did I read this book?  Because of Ms. Bush and I just LOVE her Western Historicals.  She doesn’t have to “explain” everything to me and beneath the setting of the book, it is just a story about a boy meeting a girl and falling in love with her.

The Gentrys will always have a place in my heart.  I’ve read all the books and have waited for Adam’s for a long time.  I really thought going into it that it would be a sad story but it wasn’t.  It was funny, sexy, sweet and I loved the growth that he showed from the beginning of the series to now.  Adam was like a mythical creature that we only got to see glimpses of but Ms. Bush knew what she was doing but having his book last.  We need to see Adam lose and then pull himself back up.  I loved that Adam wasn’t perfect in his relationship with Emmaline and that’s what made the story just sing for me.  Imperfection can still be perfection.

Emmaline is just a funny character.  Scatterbrained to some, wistful to others but independent to herself.  I loved that Ms. Bush actually had her do something that at the time, was considered taboo a bit for women.  I won’t tell you what it is but let’s just say that Ms. Bush knows something about.  Plus, she stood up to Adam.  Made him think and not too many writers in the genre will write a female character that way.  In fact, some of the conversations with her married sister are downright hilarious.  Sex was NOT talked about during this time but Nettie and Emmaline talk about it.  And they even say the words.  Great dialogue between them that led to Emmaline talking to Adam about it.

I didn’t see the plot twist coming at all.  Nope, I couldn’t even imagine what Ms. Bush was going to do but when she did it, it was great.  Emmaline finally stood up for herself without the help of Adam and they both realized that they were equal partners in the relationship.  Adam really needed to learn that and unfortunately, he learned it the hard way.

Ms. Bush has written a brilliant Western Historical Romance series that is definitely a keeper on my shelf.  We get to see all of the Gentrys in this one.  I, for one, didn’t even find it jarring when Mrs. Gentry did her thing.  Again, not going to tell you but I wasn’t surprised.  Disappointed?  Nope.  The epilogue is GENIUS!!!!  I’m praying, lighting candles that its the start of a new offshoot.  *bats eyelashes*  I’ll be the first to pick it up.

About the Author:

Holly Bush writes historical romance set in the U.S.in the late 1800’s, in Victorian England, and an occasional Women’s Fiction title. Her books are described as emotional, with heartfelt, sexy romance. She makes her home with her husband in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

http://www.hollybushbooks.com
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