Today I am very pleased to welcome Samantha Tonge on my blog. She is going to talk about her last book, Mistletoe Mansion. So Samantha, all yours:

About the author:



And don't miss the Pinterest Competition organised by Carina UK and Samantha Tonge to win a Party Dress!



 

Blurb: Sometimes having it all isn't enough... Emma has everything she's ever wanted. Her boyfriend's just proposed and her career has finally taken off. And so what if her latest client just happens to be downright gorgeous? She's getting married. Isn't she? Rachel's married with 2.4 children (well, actually, 3) and life is all about trying to leave the house in a non-stained top. Once it was about skinny cappuccinos, cocktails and dynamic ad agency meetings. She wants her old life back, but can it ever be the same? A sparkling, funny tale of two sisters and how often you don't know what you've got until it's gone.

*First of all I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review .*

Review: Emma and Rachel are two sisters who seem to live opposite lives, Emma is the career focused and she is starting to think that getting married and having children might not be her destiny. Rachel is a stay at home mother with three kids and she is not sure if quitting her job to take care of her children was the best decision ever. But both share the same doubts, are they living the life they always wanted or did they get lost along the way? As the story unfolds, we realise that their lives take quite a parallel path and both find themselves in situations they are not longer sure they wanted.

I found the story a bit slow at the beginning, basicly because I didn't like Rachel a lot. She was kind of angry with herself and also with her kids as if it was their fault her new life was not what she had expected. Plus her daughter was a bit too smart for a 4-year-old kid, she talked like an adult and her insight on things was a bit unbelievable. On the other hand though, I quite liked Emma and her new author, he was misterious smart and gorgeous, a fatal combination. As I kept reading, I found myself quite hooked to the story. There were a couple of unexpected twists that kept me wondering what was going to happen and some of the secondary characters added a fun spark, like Rachel's friends. 

Not quite perfect turned out to be a good read, enjoyable and fun sometimes but also sad and thoughtful in other occasions. It makes you think about what you have and what you wish you had and reappraise again if you really want to change everything. 

Rating:

Rachel Brimble brings you the perfect winter romance to warm your hearts with Christmas at the Cove! The romance author will be doing the rounds with reviews, a guest post and a hefty giveaway.

What they say: More family for Christmas? Scott Walker doesn't have time for a relationship. The sexy mechanic has career ambitions, not to mention a mother and three sisters to take care of. The last thing he needs is Carrie Jameson, the beauty he never forgot, arriving in Templeton Cove over the holidays with some unexpected news. Scott still finds Carrie irresistible, and he's not one to shirk responsibility. Scott's issues with his own dad make the prospect of parenthood a minefield. But if he and Carrie can overcome their fears, this Christmas could bring them the best gift of all.   

Review: This super romance by Rachel Brimble has all the ingredients to warm you and make you melt inside in a very cold day. Both main characters are strong and complex and have their minds set on their own objectives, but the chemistry and passion between them is undeniable. When they first met three years ago, both could feel it but decided to play safe and tried to forget about each other. Now, when they meet again after all these years, the feelings are still there and it's obvious that they haven't forget about each other.

Scott is a player, he has dated most of the women in The Cove but under all these games, you can tell from the beginning that he is a good guy, truthful and reliable. And that makes it difficult to not like him. I really enjoyed his interactions with Carrie, some of their scenes together were really sexy. It drove me nuts that they were too stubborn to see that they just wanted the same thing, a happy ending. 

This is the first book I have read by Rachel Brimble but it won't be the last, she knows how to write a love story. And the setting of Christmas at The Cove was beautiful, with all the snow covering the sea town. So all I have left to say is turn the Christmas music on, grab a tea and this book and enjoy a warm evening while you forget about everything else.

Author Bio: I live with my fantastic husband, our two young daughters and my beloved black Labrador, Max in a small market town near the famous Georgian City of Bath. Having always ‘played’ with writing, I didn’t seriously sit down and write toward publication until I became pregnant with my second daughter – then I told myself to get my butt in the chair and get on with it before she grows up and I’m forced to get a real job! Lots of short stories followed as did lots of rejections! I took a few distance learning courses, joined some online writers groups and basically, learned my craft. Finally deciding short stories weren’t working for me (they are an art form in themselves!), in 2006 I decided to embark on my first novel and voila Searching For Sophie was born! Since then, my other books have followed each year. And when I’m not writing? You’ll find me with my head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with my family. And in the evening? Well, a well-deserved glass of wine is never, ever refused.

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Let’s Hear It For The Boys - A HitLitPro Anthology

Mo Sistas, it’s time to step up . . . download it for 99p - 100% of the profits go to Movember

Perhaps one of the men close to you (brother, husband, son, friend…) joins in with the moustachioed adventure that happens every November. Around the world it’s the month that has literally changed its name, as the global organisation, Movember, leads the way in changing the face of men’s health.

This year it is time for the ladies to step up and grab the moustache baton. While we Mo Sistas may be follicly challenged about the face, we do have the power of words at our fingertips.

Let’s Hear It For The Boys is a tribute to the men of Movember. The HitLitPro authors have created these nine short stories to celebrate the men in our lives, the effect they have on our hearts, our minds (and our bodies) and the difference they can make to the world around them.

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BOOK AND HELP SUPPORT MOVEMBER

Anthology Stories: 

Mandy Baggot – Curtain Call

What would you do with one last chance? Would you grab it with both hands? Or would you give it to someone else?

Missed opportunities, complicated relationships and new beginnings.

Sheryl Browne – A Chance Encounter

Can a chance encounter with an enigmatic stranger help Joanne forgive her husband the worst sin of all?

Emma Calin – Champions

It's a wise man who knows his own child and a wiser one still to be a father.

Rosie Dean – Modern Boys

Now, fifteen years since their first gig, Jake was getting them back together. A benefit gig for the island’s new concert hall.

It was a debacle. They all knew the notes, the tune and words, but they’d forgotten how to bind them together …

Linn B Halton – Sacrifice

She thought he was the one and he was such a perfect gentleman, so when Sean suddenly ends their relationship Ashleigh is stunned. It takes a carefully planned surveillance exercise to find out what’s going on and the answer isn’t quite what she was expecting.

Jenny Harper – Where Angels Fear To Tread

Clemmie had trusted Mark absolutely. After all, they’d been together since sixth year – almost twelve years. She knew him inside out, or thought she did …

Caroline James – A Moment in Movember

Billy watched the woman in awe; she looked as if she’d found her place in the world and was at one with her choice.

Nikki Mason – The Letter

She had been so sure that he, a mere farmhand turned Private, heading off to war, was the right man for her.

Zara Stoneley - A Bit Like Bridget Jones

'I’ve heard of speed dating but this was ridiculous. Was he ever going to hang around for a real snog?' Sophie had no idea what was going on ….

Thanks to the generosity of Experience Days, we're able to offer readers the chance to win a £50 gift voucher that can be redeemed against any of their top class experience and activity days. With the huge selection available, from blissful spa days to adrenaline-pumping extreme experiences, there's something to thrill all ages and abilities.

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Of all the charitable initiatives out there, Movember is one that is close to so many people’s hearts. Not only is it a matter of joining a global community and working towards a worthwhile aim together, it encompasses the new and the old in order to protect the future. The mere concept of asking men to grow moustaches – often itchy and sometimes bizarre-looking – is an unusual one, but Movember goes much further than this. The true spirit behind Movember is perfectly summed up in their 4th and 5th Rules.

(A full list of rules can be found on the Movember website: http://uk.movember.com):

Rule 4: Use the power of the moustache to create conversations about men’s health and to raise funds for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health.

Rule 5: Each Mo Bro must conduct himself like a true gentleman.

If ever there was a reason to start a worthy conversation, it is the appearance of an unexpected moustache. And to start that conversation in this manner is so effective because it frames it in a positive light, focusing on the progression towards awareness and ultimately a cure. And Rule 5 touches at the very crux of the matter, casting our minds back to a near-forgotten era of moustachioed men in tailcoats, holding doors open for ladies.

Perhaps it is through rose-tinted glasses that we look back, but it is this quality that we all hold so dear to our hearts. The men with unwavering principles; charm without arrogance; the willingness to put themselves out for others. These are the men that we admire and stand by with unwavering loyalty, and it is to these men that the Hit Lit Pro authors have dedicated Let’s Hear It For The Boys.

Each story in this anthology is a testament to these men and the stories they carry around with them, shaping them as individuals and as gentlemen. The Hit Lit Pro authors offer stories with a timeless quality that capture the essence of what makes the men in our lives so very special. Due to their nature, short stories need to hold a value that novels do not, and this anthology offers just that. It is like dipping into a box of chocolates; eager for a taste of something divine and knowing it will leave you wanting more.

As a whole, this collection offers romance, reflection and men that you can’t help but adore (moustachioed, bearded and unshaven alike). They are stories about love and the effect others have on us, for better or worse; about meeting strangers and letting them unleash something within us; about the sacrifices we make for those closest to our hearts; and about looking back on the lives we once had and recapturing a little of that vitality. Written for those of us who still believe there is something more than just “okay”.

Read this anthology all at once, or dip into it as and when your heart needs a little warming; the choice is yours.

by Elizabeth A. Wright, CandleLit Author Services

Please take a moment to download and don't forget to spread the word:

#ImDoingItForHim (we'd love you to Tweet & FB your Mo!)

#IBoughtTheBook and #LetsHearItForTheBoys

Blurb: By the bestselling author of After Hours and Unbound, this is romance like you've never seen it before. Utterly intense, unforgettable and not for the faint-hearted, Hard Time will turn your world upside down...

My pounding heart went still, eerie as birds fallen silent in the wake of a gunshot.

He was big. Tall frame, wide shoulders-but not burly. His near-black hair was due for a cut, curling under his ears. Dark brows, dark stubble, dark lashes and eyes.

And he was handsome. So handsome it broke your heart.

A deck of cards was split between his hands, paused midshuffle. Some of the men wore navy scrub tops and bottoms, some navy tee shirts, a few white undershirts. This man wore a tee, with COUSINS stenciled on the front, above the number 802267. Those digits imprinted on my brain, burned black as a brand.

He watched me. But not the way the others did. If he was trying to picture me naked, his poker face was strong, though his attention anything but subtle. His entire head moved as I passed through his domain, but his eyes were languorous. Lazy and half-lidded, yet intense. A hundred looks in one. I didn't like it. Couldn't read it. At least with the horny jerk-offs, I knew where I stood.

I wondered what the worst thing you could do and still only get sent to a medium-security prison was. I hoped not to ever learn the answer.

And I hoped to heaven inmate 802267 hadn't signed up for any of the day's programs.

*First of all I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and inviting me to take part in the Blog Tour.*

Review: I had never read anything by Cara McKenna but the plot and the setting of a prison sounded interesting, as I had never read anything quite like this before. I was surprised of finding myself liking Eric from the beginning, I mean, he is prison, he cannot be a really good guy but, like Annie, I wanted to know more about him and prove to myself that he was in prison by mistake. That he really was a good guy.

Annie and Eric's chemistry was palpable from the moment they set eyes in each other and I loved this "relationship" they started through their letters. The letters were really hot and romantic and let us discover a new side of Eric: the caring one who just wants to hold Annie and spend his life with her.

When Eric is granted early parole though, there's a big shift in the situation. They can actually be together. I really had no idea how Cara McKenna was going to take the story from there. I was enjoying the letters so much that I didn't know if I actually wanted them to get together. 

Hard Time is a very romantic, sexy and steamy novel and even if I enjoyed more the first part of the story, I think that in overall it is a great book that you will fall in love with. Its setting makes it quite unique and the author plays her cards very well, making us love Eric from the beginning.

Rating: