Pamela Clare Giveaway: MacKinnon's Rangers Series + signed copy of Defiant

The long awaited and most anticipated book of the year is just days away from being released…Defiant by the incomparable Pamela Clare!! To celebrate the return of the MacKinnon’s and Connor’s story we have huge giveaway.  Actually we have TWO!! We are giving away the entire series!  Yes that’s all three books, Surrender, Untamed and Defiant!! Surrender and Untamed have recently been re-released and have new and extended scenes. Plus…Pamela Clare has graciously offered to send another lucky person a signed book of Defiant!!! How great is that?!?! We think it’s pretty damn amazing! The countdown to Connor begins!

The contest basically consists of two parts:

1.     series giveaway: Surrender, Untamed and Defiant in ebook or paperback (International)

2.      signed copy of Defiant (US only)

Please leave a comment down below with your email address and the giveaway you’d like to enter for, the series giveaway or the signed copy giveaway. You may enter for both. We would be thrilled if you followed this blog but it is not a requirement to be eligible for the contest. This contest ends on July 2nd.

Defiant.... coming July 3rd:

Official blurb:

Major Connor MacKinnon despises his commander, Lord William Wentworth, beyond all other men. Ordered to rescue Wentworth's niece after the Shawnee take her captive, he expects Lady Sarah Woodville to be every bit as contemptible as her uncle. Instead, he finds a brave and beautiful lass in desperate peril. But the only way to free Sarah is for Connor to defeat the Shawnee warrior who kidnapped her—and claim her himself.

Torn by tragedy from her sheltered life in London, Lady Sarah is unprepared for the harshness of the frontier-or for the attraction she feels toward Connor. When they reach civilization, however, it is she who must protect him. For if her uncle knew all that Connor had done to save her, he would surely kill him.

But the flames of passion, once kindled, are difficult to deny. As desire transforms into love, Connor will have to defy an empire to keep Sarah at his side.

If you would like to know more about the series, check out our reviews of Surrender and Untamed.

Why we love Pamela Clare and her books:

Karla says:

What is about Pamela Clare’s writing that makes her books so appealing to such a broad spectrum of readers? She has a way of connecting you to the characters and the story that you can imagine every detail, feel every emotion, she literally propels you into the book. Using her rich descriptive writing, the tale she tells becomes epic. She leaves her readers sated and satisfied, yet hungry for more. After you read one of her books, you’ll understand why she is so popular and in this reader’s opinion…she can do no wrong!!

Steffi says:

I wholeheartedly agree with everything Karla said. With a Pamela Clare book I feel like I’ve been taken on a journey. I’ve always gained something after finishing one of her books, whether it is knowledge about American history, awareness of a certain issue or just a few laughs and shivers (of both kinds). I have a few favorite authors but I’ve never had that feeling of connectedness, which Karla also described, with any other books. If you haven’t read her novels yet, give them a try. You will not be disappointed.

We're looking forward to your comments. Good Luck!

Steffi and Karla

Untamed by Pamela Clare

Surrender was a blast but Untamed has given the MacKinnon’s Rangers series by Pamela Clare a whole new dimension.

I discovered Pamela Clare through her I-Team series and was then introduced to her historicals. I wasn’t expecting to be as drawn into the stories as with her suspense books, but I was….no surprise there. Anyone who has read Pamela Clare knows that she always manages to create an amazing web of different stories when she writes a book and it never fails to amaze me.

Untamed is Morgan MacKinnon’s story. After Iain has found love with Annie, it is Morgan’s turn to give his heart to a courageous woman. The following quote is from a review of a friend of mine on Goodreads:

“Where Iain's story focused more on action, adventure, and survival, Morgan's story focuses on one of the grayer aspects of life-loyalty.” (Kristen, Goodreads)

When I read this, I thought it mirrored my thoughts perfectly. Morgan is gravely wounded, captured by the French, the enemy, and eventually becomes a spy for the British Crown. But first, Amalie Chauvenet nurses him back to health and his life is spared for interrogation by a French commander. Morgan becomes deeply involved with Amalie and life in the French colony. He realizes that he cannot possibly betray his brothers and men but at the same time he has come to respect and like who is supposed to be the enemy.

I loved how the characters were portrayed here. Pamela Clare shows that there is no black and white to any story but rather layers of gray that sometimes make it hard to decide what’s right and wrong. Maybe there is no right and wrong, no good and bad at all. That’s what Morgan learns during his stay with the French. Still, his loyalty ultimately belongs to his brothers and the Rangers, while his heart stays with Amalie.

As always with a Pamela Clare book I cared deeply for the characters and I’m even starting to like Wentworth. Imagine that! Untamed is a wonderful story about love, loyalty and the difficulties of war with a sweet and satisfying happy end.

Morgan’s story made me even more excited for Defiant, which comes out on July 3^rd. Connor is bound to become closer to Wentworth than he ever imagined. I can’t wait!

Steffi

Winner of Victoria Vane's DeVere series!

We have a winner for our DeVere series giveaway!

The winner is: GPemberton 

Congratulations and have fun with your books!

We are having another great contest starting today. We’re just getting ready and preparing for an amazing chance to win the complete MacKinnon’s Rangers series by Pamela Clare. Even better, one lucky winner will get a signed copy of Defiant (MacKinnon’s Rangers #3), coming out on July 3^rd. We can’t wait to get started. Check back soon!

**winner was chosen using random.org**

Surrender by Pamela Clare

We’re starting our celebrations of the upcoming release of Pamela Clare’s Defiant on July 3^rd with this fabulous guest review of Surrender (MacKinnon’s Rangers #1) by Kristen.

In the next couple of days we will be posting a review of the second book in the series, Untamed, and to make the wait a little easier we have an amazing giveaway for you, starting on June 29^th. You definitely don’t want to miss that!

 Surrender

To say I loved Surrender, by Pamela Clare, is an understatement. This is my first book by Ms. Clare and did she ever make a fan of me. I was in awe of her ability to not only write a historically detailed, riveting, and tight plot, but simultaneously sweep the reader into a world full of non-stop action, adventure, and passion. The two main characters, as well as the secondary characters, were rich with authenticity and depth. It’s impossible not to become immersed in their lives.

I fell in love with Iain’s and Annie’s characters right from the start. Their love story is beautiful, unique, and inspiring. The love, devotion, respect, and charity they have and show for each other, not to mention the sacrifices they’re willing to make, Iain especially, establishes them, in my opinion, as one of the great romance couples I’ve read to date.

Annie is a compelling and courageous character who suffers greatly after being betrayed and branded a thief by her uncle. Because she is unwilling to remain under his control, he sends her to the American frontier to become an indentured slave. After being attacked and almost raped and killed by an Abenaki Indian, she is courageously rescued by our hero Iain. And what a hero he is! Annie’s character has that perfect combination of strength, kindness, and vulnerability, which makes her an endearing and strong heroine. I absolutely love her.

Iain MacKinnon is one of those few alpha characters that redefine what it means to be a hero. Iain, with the aid of his brothers, Morgan and Connor, was forced to command a company of Rangers and fight for the British crown under false charges of murder. While on a scouting expedition, he comes across Annie being attacked by Indians. Not able to abandon her, he defies his orders, not only endangering his brothers, his men, and the mission itself, but also risking his own life to see her to safety.

Iain is an amazing character. He’s fierce, rebellious, calculating, honorable, chivalrous, tender, loving, and beyond sexy. His aching desire for that which he feels he’ll never have-a simple, safe, and happy frontier life, with a wife, numerous bairns (children), and his own land to farm- is poignant and leaves the reader eager and hopeful for Iain to one day obtain his heart’s desire.

The secondary characters are as well-rounded and engaging as the two main protagonists. I ended the story with a small amount of sympathy for the fairly villainous Lord William Wentworth. What an intriguing character he is. In fact, he was written with such multi-dimensional traits that he could become the hero in his own book if Ms. Clare so desired. I really hope she does, because I would love to see what she could do with his character.

Surrender has definitely become one of my favorite books, if not my favorite. I simply adore everything about this engaging book.

Note to author: Thank you, Pamela Clare, for providing translation to the Gaelic phrases.

Thank you, Kristen

Train Station Bride by Holly Bush

Train Station Bride is a really sweet story about an educated young woman from a well-to-do family who learns that sometimes you have to leave duty and obligation behind to do the right thing.

Julia Crawford feels like an outsider in her own family. The third of four girls, she doesn’t feel as beautiful as her sisters and gets told about her inadequacies quite frequently. One day, she decides that she’s had enough and replies to a mail-order bride ad in the paper. Shopkeeper Jacob Snelling needs someone to care for his ailing mother and a mail order bride is his best bet.

When Julia arrives at the train station, it is very crowded and she spots a man who seems to be looking for someone as well. Could that be her intended, Jacob Snelling?  When the man calls out to Julia, she is sure he’s the one she is to marry.

Jake Shelling is waiting at the station to welcome his foreign mail order bride, Inga. Well, what he gets is Julia and the ride of his life. Julia’s baggage certainly isn’t limited to her suitcases.

I really had to chuckle about the confusion over the names, Jake Shelling and Jacob Snelling. I thought that was quite original and brought a bit of unexpected laughter. Jake and Julia adapt to married life very quickly and it looks like their happy ever after starts from that point on…….but there’s bound to be some conflict and here it is a rather big secret Julia has been keeping from Jake. Will their young love crumble under such heavy burden?

I really enjoyed reading about Julia and Jake. Jake was a special favorite of mine and I really liked his family a lot. Jake has two sisters, who he practically raised all by himself. It was great to see their family dynamic; they play a pretty big role in Julia and Jake’s love story after all. What I would have wished for was more time for Jake and Julia to get to know each other. They adapted to the situation too easily and also fell in love too quickly for my liking. Julia’s secret was no real secret to me but I thought it was well chosen for this story. It could have created more controversy, I guess, and might not really fit the light atmosphere of the rest of the book but it kept my interest and provided a great twist.

Overall, Train Station Bride is cute, funny and very sweet. I enjoyed this journey into a different time. This book is all about family and friends, standing up for yourself and doing what’s right. A nice and quick summer read!

Train Station Bride was provided by the author, Holly Bush, in exchange for an honest review.

If you want to know more about Holly Bush, visit her website. She is also currently on a book tour with Train Station Bride. Check out the blog schedule here.

Steffi

Victoria Vane: The Devil DeVere Series Giveaway

To celebrate the release of The Virgin Huntress on 6/29, the second installment in the highly successful series The Devil DeVere by Victoria Vane, we are going to be giving away copies of the first two books in the series! Set in the Georgian period, these books are a fun, sexy, filled with memorable characters and are very entertaining.

Contest Rules:

So check out the reviews and leave a comment with your email address and tell us what you think. The books are only available in ebook format. The contest ends on 6/28 and is International.

A Wild Night's Bride

A deliciously naughty, sexy fun romp! Wild Night’s Bride is a unique, fresh, wonderfully written novella, with some truly memorable characters and a plot that left me chuckling. It’s true to the Georgian time period in setting, lifestyle and linguistics, which added to the appeal of the book.

Sir Edward “Ned” Chambers has come to London to secure a house for the upcoming season. He runs into Viscount Ludovic DeVere, his best friend and godfather to his daughter Vesta. Three years prior Ned lost his beloved wife Annalee and has never sought the companionship of another woman. His loneliness is all too apparent and DeVere is appalled by Ned’s celibacy. He makes it his mission to change that. Who better than the “Devil” himself to help Ned find some “good clean quim”, allow him to release his “male essence” and re-acquaint him to the pleasures of the flesh! *snicker* Problem is, Ned wants what he had before, someone to love and DeVere’s debauched ways is not his style.

Phoebe is an up and coming actress. She is looking for someone to offer her protection and help further her career. She seeks out DeVere, after he leaves a calling card when she makes her debut performance as Kitty. Phoebe is willing to offer herself in exchange for what she wants from DeVere, but what you want isn’t always what you get.

She encounters both Ned and DeVere after a friend sneaks her into the brothel where DeVere is an active participant in all the sinful pleasures and Ned, well he’s just too proper to engage in such activities. Much to Phoebe’s surprise as well as Ned’s they are attracted to one another. DeVere takes note and schemes to get them together. What ensues is funny, full of witty dialogue and very, very HOT! Neddie, Neddie, Neddie…not so proper are we now?!

DeVere is blunt, brash, and oh so wickedly depraved. YUM!! Ned is sweet, humble, kind and three years’ worth of abstinence ready to explode!! Double YUM!! When he finally lets loose, he has no problems letting Phoebe know how he feels and EXACTLY what he wants. RAWRRR! The writing is sensual, tasteful, with an appropriate heat level for the storyline.

I had only one issue and that was the relationship between Phoebe and Ned developing into love at warped speed. However, considering the nature of the book and the time period, it didn’t detract from the story. This was a pleasure to read and I'm looking forward to reading The Virgin Huntress as well as the rest of the books in the series when the “Devil” finally gets his due!!

The Virgin Huntress

The fun continues in this deliciously sexy, amusing installment in The Devil DeVere series!!

As the saga continues Vesta Chambers, Ned’s daughter, is accompanied by her godmother and surrogate mother, Lady Diana, to London to prepare for the upcoming season. This is her coming out, but Vesta has other plans and he goes by the name of Captain Hewett DeVere! She has her sights set on him and nothing, not even her own godmother is going to get in her way.

Hew is Vic DeVere’s younger brother. He is charming, debonair and always the gentlemen. Vic offers Hew a proposal; find himself a wife and produce an heir. Vic has no desire to marry, and due to his reputation as the “Devil” he doesn’t feel he’s fit to be a father, or produce any offspring at all.

Vesta is a spoiled brat, but she’s also determined, witty, and a very naughty girl. When her godfather, Vic, gets wind of the fact that she is taken with Hew and determined to win his heart, he schemes with her to get him away from London and Diana who Hew’s taken a shine to. Vesta and Vic are two peas in a pod, neither has any shame and they cracked me up. The Virgin Huntress has marked her prey and hunt is on!!

I loved the pairing of Hew and Vesta. I adored him, such an admirable sweetheart of a man. She was a character that initially annoyed me because she was childish, but that played nicely and made for some very funny moments when Hew and her got their sexy on!! She was innocent, eager, and a very willing student. Her sexual knowledge was limited to what went on in the breeding sheds and gave me quite the chuckle.

“Yes. It is common for a man to awaken thus.” “May I touch it?” she asked.
“Bloody hell!” he cried. “No! You may not touch it!”
“But I know how. I saw you only yesterday. Is that what you do to make it go away?”
“It is one of several methods,” he replied. “Another is just to ignore it.”
“But it is so large and swollen. Is it painful?”
“No, just uncomfortable. Now, may we stop discussing my...” The appropriate word for feminine ears failed him.
“Phallus?” she offered. “That is what the grooms call it.”
“Why are you eavesdropping on grooms?”
“I used to watch the stallions mounting the mares.”
“You what!” Hew almost choked.

Sweet, steamy, sexy, and loads of fun!! Even as quick as these two get together, the affection and desire they feel for one another is quite evident. When Hew reveals a secret to Vesta, it made their intimacy that much more exciting, sensual and SMOKIN’ HOT!

Wonderfully written and highly entertaining, I can’t recommend this series enough. Novellas that read like full length books and one flows seamlessly into the next. The Devil You Know is up next and I can’t wait to get to know him better!!

Karla

For a limited time the first book in the series A Wild’s Night Bride is being offered for 99 cents. The offer ends 6/29.

Good Luck everyone! The winner will be announced on June 29th.

Rock Chick Regret by Kristen Ashley

5 Stars! Another hit in the Rock Chick series. I’m on a Hector and Sadie HIGH!! I’ll be honest with you; Hector pissed me off in the beginning when Sadie went into Nightingale Investigations to inquire about hiring them for her protection. He let everyone believe that she was everything they thought she was, when he knew better. Hector was aware that Sadie was nothing like her father, even tried to help him when he was undercover and he never opened his mouth to tell them any different. That’s what made what happened to her even more heartbreaking. BUT like a true Hot Bunch hero, he stepped up to the plate…big time!! I believe he was angry with himself, as he should have been, gave her everything he had to make it right, and I loved that he let her find her way on her own. Hector just pointed her in the right direction...into his arms, bed and eventually his heart, *sigh*!

Sadie was feisty, funny and totally clueless when it came to all things Rock Chick or for that matter, just being a girl with girlfriends, being part of a family, living a normal life. Sadie’s transition from Ice Princess to “just” Sadie was fun to watch. OMG…when Sadie had her breakdown in the gallery…I was running with her, crying, she was so broken *sob*. Duke, what you did, what you said…perfect. You are the man!!

Oh Hector, just like those in the Hot Bunch who came before, you are a dream come true. So sweet, so deliciously HOT, so alpha…RAWRRRR!!! You can take possession of me anytime…all of me…my heart, my body and my soul…you and me babe…s’mores at my house, I don’t have a hot tub, but we’ll figure something out!! I’ll spray you with my misting fan, get you all wet and…okay forget it!

Of course the regulars were back and I love them all, but we also got to meet two very enjoyable characters that really added to the humor and emotion in the book. Ralphie and Buddy…adorable and hilarious! Tod and Stevie are great, but Ralphie and Buddy need to be my friends. I want to hang out with them. I’m thinkin’ since Sadie’s moved out, they’ve got room for me!! Lemon Drops and Veronica Mars! I’m so there. I got a thing for Marcus too…wouldn’t it be great if KA wrote a novella about him and Daisy? I would love to know more about what makes him tick!

I’m so sad that we only have one more book in the series. I’m going to miss all of them. I was hoping that Eric and Darius…even Carl would get some lovin’…but alas, it’s not meant to be. Oh well, I’ll just have to start with book one and love them all over again!

Hector “Hispanic Hottie-Double H” Chavez, had thick, black, wavy hair, black eyes, long legs, broad shoulders and a lean, amazing body. He was magnetic.

Karla

Rock Chick Reckoning by Kristen Ashley

5 Stars!! This book ROCKED!!

I know I’m in the minority amongst my GR friends, but this book was damn near perfect for me, and IMO, the best so far in the RC series. I loved “seven hundred and twenty-five thousand things” about it, but I especially enjoyed that Mace and Stella had history. They were an item at one time and I was fascinated by this, finding out what tore them apart, watching them mend, building on what they had and moving forward! They were BOTH stubborn, and I know, I know some of you think that Stella was at fault for the relationship breaking apart and she wasn’t quite on board about getting back together…BUT, Mace held some blame, his “test” backfired and he could have just as easily gone after Stella too. He knew her heart was broken, especially when she sang to him, although she claims she didn’t, but he knew better. We, the readers, were clued in about Mace’s tragic past, she didn't know and when the truth was finally revealed to her, she grabbed onto him and did everything in her power to help him heal and make it right between them. I applaud her. She had a disturbing childhood, and I can understand how her mind would wreak havoc on her when it came to trusting and believing that she could be good enough for someone as special as Mace! When they finally made it work...it was MAGIC!

This was definitely a little darker than the preceding books, but I think much of that had to do with Mace’s sister and the horrific circumstances surrounding her death. The other books, particularly, Jules and Vance’s book, RC Renegade, could be gruesome at times, but because this involved a child it gave it a darker, somber feel.

That’s not to say that I didn’t have my share of laughs and feel good moments. I loved Tod’s shrieking breakdown before the Lee and Indy’s wedding. The Hot Bunch and company discussing wedding food and other things wedding related…clueless! Lee and Indy’s wedding! Hank’s proposal…unbelievably HOT! Jane and her “secret”…very apropos, she’s the “fly on the wall”! Shirleen and her observations…

“Shee-it, any one of those boys wanted to push me around, I’d say bring it on. Hell, I’d pay for one of ‘em to move into my house. They don’t even have to do me; just walk around so I can watch. Maybe in a towel.”

I hear you Shirleen!! It was so unique how the story was written to include the Rock Chick/Hot Bunch couples that came before, all of them, and not just a smattering of updates, we got it straight from the horse’s mouth and some sexy time with each of them…AWESOME!

I could go on and on about this book, but the story’s been told and KA did it so well. Overall, I think why I enjoyed it so much, because I can relate. Not to the dark part of the book, but to Stella and the Rock Chicks. I was that girl singing with the band to Ghostriders. I wore that peasant blouse. I had lucky Levi’s, and cool flip-flops. I had a Journey Evolution cassette *snicker* before anyone even knew who the hell they were.

“You make me weep and wanna die

Just when you said we'd try

Lovin', touchin', squeezin' each other”

Memories…ahhhhh!! Sing it Steve Perry!

Of course there is a kick-ass trademark KA epilogue, that brought me to tears…I can’t get that picture of Stella and Mace out of my head…laughing together...and just...being! Wow! “Shitsofuckit!” It was good!

And can someone please tell me where I can get a Blue Moon Gypsie tee!!!

Kai “Mace” Mason, jade green eyes, thick, dark hair, flat, tight abs, square jaw and great skin that showed the Hawaiian ancestry!

Karla

ARC: Giving It Up by Amber Lin

The most amazing book I have read in a long time. Giving It Up is an outstanding tale about a woman on the journey of finding herself and realizing that she is worth so much more than she believed. The uber-hot Colin accompanies her on that journey and it turns out he has some demons to battle himself.

Once a month, Allie goes on the prowl for a man, one that takes her hard and rough. Maybe a little too rough, but that’s exactly what she wants; to escape to that place without pain because that’s what she deserves right? That’s what sex is about. Sex hurts and she has to endure it, that’s how it is. If she can act as if sex is normally rough and hurts than what happened to her doesn’t seem so bad anymore.

One night, she chooses Colin because he has that cold, hard, detached look in his eyes and is perfect for what she’s looking for. When he touches her softly and gently, actually cares about her pleasure, Allie is confused. That’s not what she signed up for, not what she needs.

Somehow, she can’t forget Colin, though, and becomes entangled in what is a very complicated life on the edge of crime and danger. Does she really want to bring her daughter into this violent world? Can she give up Colin who has shown her that there is more to life and more to her than she thought possible? Allie realizes that she has a powerful voice and that she is strong enough to fight for what she wants; Colin.

I can’t seem to stop talking about this fabulous book. I started reading without any expectations and was blown away by the amount of talent Amber Lin shows in Giving It Up. I actually couldn’t stop reading once I started and eventually fell asleep around 3 am. The next day I squeezed in a couple of pages on the train and between classes because I couldn’t stop thinking about Allie and Colin. The only thing that I would have wished for was more time with them as a couple. I felt that I didn’t get enough of their romantic relationship and the process of falling in love.

This is not your average cute and sweet feel-good book. Rather, it’s a dark and edgy story about flaws, vulnerabilities, hope and real life. To say that I loved Giving It Up would be an understatement. It really touched me and I hope more people out there discover Amber Lin and see her as the amazing author that she is!

Amber told me that she is currently working on Shelly’s book. Shelly is Allie’s best friend and works as a prostitute. She seems to have feelings for a cop who tried to take down Colin’s brother. You see that this will get even more interesting. I can’t wait!!

Giving It Up comes out on June 19^th, 2012. We received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Check out Amber Lin and read an excerpt of the book HERE

Get the book HERE. There are various ebook formats available!

Steffi