In flowery love with MUM'S THE WORD

Hi, book buddies ☺ Books by Staci Hart make me happy, yet this one also made my heart flutter a lot. 

Mum's The Word, 

the third in the Bennet Brothers series from Staci Hart, releases March 31st. 

MY OPINION 

Unbelievably pretty. This forbidden lovers story is so passionate and romantic, it made me sigh like a lady from a bygone era.

The writing style is yearning and earnest. All the supressed feelings of two forlorn lovers from opposite sides of a feud run rampant in every paragraph. I could feel the pull of fate in their first connection.

Marcus and Maisie are struck by a powerful emotion when they meet in a serendipitous and unerasable way. It's cute and sweet, yet also deeply meaningful by its erratic occurrance, its fleeting permanence till they must break apart again. There is this old-fashioned quality to the words and heartfelt sentiments reminiscing of Austen times. The insta-love feels more like it is meant to be to change the world. At least, the world of the Bennets and the Bowers.

These two families couldn’t be more different. Warm and joyful against cold and vindicative. Yet Marcus and Maisie make so much sense together. I loved these wonderful characters. 

He is a rock in difficult times. His pride and comfort is to help his family. Whereas she is goodhearted, but her only source of love has been her father as oppossed to her conniving mother. I was moved by her relationship to her dad. He is a good man and the scenes they shared are so sweet. On the other hand, the exchanges with her mum are vicious and left me staggering with disbelief that there could be a mother like that. 

I absolutely loved the intense relationship the couple develops in secrecy,  always struggling with their selfish feelings in the face of the war their families are waging over flower shop domination and some devious past. However, love prevails and they fight to save Longbourne and their own freedom. These characters shine with their own personality, especially Maisie as she finds her own courage and goals in life under the atrocious spell her mother has cast her entire life.

Love and support lie at the foundation of this story, in the trust they have and is tested in one final swoop of drama at the end of a long chain of challenges and threats. 

The Bennets stand out too with their unwavering affection, good will and light-hearted tease. I can highlight the beautiful writing that paints such a gorgeous romance, and the author’s sensibility to address a daughter's journey to overcome conditioning and distress to claim her own persona.

I loved everything, including the little outburst of heartbreak that led to a historical comeback for this most favourite couple of mine in the series. 

Favourite quote: 

Consumed, all of me, as if I'd been swallowed up by feeling.

Falling in love with a Bennet is not an option.

My mother has summoned me home to take my place at Bower Bouquets, and as the heiress, I’m expected to do as I’m told. I’m expected to sit by her side as she does her best to decimate the Bennet family and their flower shop, Longbourne. I’m expected to play by her rules, or she’ll ruin me too.

But the day I crash into Marcus Bennet changes everything. And the kiss seals the deal. If my mother finds out, I’ll lose everything—my family, my life, my security. Worse, she’ll make sure the Bennets pay for my mistakes.

Falling in love with a Bennet is not an option.

But I might not have a choice.

Where to find it

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | AppleBooks | Goodreads

The first two standalone books in the Bennet Brothers series are...

Everyone hates parts of their job.

Maybe it’s the paperwork. Maybe it’s the day-to-day grind. Maybe it’s that client who never knows what they want, or the guy who always cooks fish in the microwave.

But not me. I love every corner of the Longbourne Flower Shop, every flower, every petal, every stem. I love the greenhouse, and I love Mrs. Bennet, my boss. I love creating, and I love being a florist. I don’t hate anything at all.

Except for Luke Bennet.

The Bennet brothers have come home to help their mom save the flower shop, and Luke is at the helm. His smile tells a tale of lust, loose and easy. He moves with the grace of a predator, feral and wild. A thing unbridled, without rules or constraint. When he comes home to save Longbourne, I almost can’t be mad at him. Almost.

He doesn’t remember that night I’ll never forget. That kiss, touched with whiskey and fire. It branded me like a red-hot iron. But it meant nothing to him.

Everyone hates part of their job, and I hate Luke Bennet.

Because if I don’t, I’ll fall in love with him.

Amazon | AppleBooks | Kobo | B&N | Google

They say there’s no such thing as perfect.

But I’ve built my life to perfection—the perfect boyfriend, the perfect apartment, the perfect career planning celebrity weddings. My job—my only job—is to make sure every event is absolutely and completely perfect.

What’s not perfect? Kash Bennet.

And I wish I didn’t find that so appealing.

I could have told you every perfectly imperfect thing about the gardener at Longbourne. Like his hair, lush and black and far too long. Or his nose, the flat bridge of a Greek god, bent a little like it’s been broken. Or his size. Beastly. Roped and corded with muscles, gleaming with sweat and peppered with dirt. There’s no escaping him, not if I’m going to use his family’s flower shop for my events.

But nothing is what it seems. And in the span of a heartbeat, my perfect life is turned inside out. They say the best way to get over somebody is to get under somebody new. When Kash offers his services to the cause, it sounds like the perfect plan.

What’s not part of the plan? Falling in love with the gardener.

But they were right—there’s no such thing as perfect.

And I’m the fool who finds out the hard way.

Gilded Lily is available for a little while longer in Kindle Unlimited! 

ABOUT THE MASTERMIND 

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life -- a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. When she's not writing, she's reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

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💛

I love the covers in this beautiful series 

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An unforgettable romance: Overture by Skye Warren and a Giveaway

Hi, book buddies 🙂 This week is wonderful for romance readers because Overture, by Skye Warren, has been released. This girl has read it and is completeley besotted :-D 

Are you ready to be swept away by the beauty of Overture?

Overture

Series: North Security #1
Author: Skye Warren

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance

Release Date: February 19, 2019
ADD TO GOODREADS

Forbidden fruit never tasted this sweet…

The world knows Samantha Brooks as the violin prodigy. She guards her secret truth—the desire she harbors for her guardian.

Liam North got custody of her six years ago. She’s all grown up now, but he still treats her like a child. No matter how much he wants her.

No matter how bad he aches for one taste.

Her sweet overtures break down the ex-soldier’s defenses, but there’s more at stake than her body. Every touch, every kiss, every night. The closer she gets, the more exposed his darkest secret.

She’s one step away from finding out what happened the night she lost her family. One step away from leaving him forever.

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS
GOOGLE PLAY

Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt

I crouch down in front of her, the same way I did when she was twelve years old. Even then she would clutch her violin for comfort. She does it now without even realizing. “Samantha, I told you that your father had enemies. If they think you know something—”

“I was just a child.”

Children can be dangerous. This one had always terrified me. “A child who might remember something from when she was hiding under her father’s desk. Not only from the day he died. From before that. A phone call. A conversation.”

She stares at me, bewildered. “What could I have heard that’s dangerous?”

Because her father was a diplomat between politicians who aren’t in power anymore. That’s what she means. But what she doesn’t know is that he was a traitor to his country. That his actions disrupted governments—this country’s government—with repercussions that continued past his death.

Yes, people would kill to keep those kinds of secrets quiet.

“I’m going to ask you to do something, Samantha. When you do the press for the tour, when the reporters ask you about this, say you don’t remember anything.”

She blinks. “They’re only going to ask about the music.”

“Kimberly Cox didn’t only ask about the music.”

Her brown eyes turn dark. “Are you sorry she came here?”

She isn’t asking about the damn questions. She wants to know about the kiss. I should say yes. I should be sorry that the woman kissed me, that I kissed her back for even a split second, wanting her to be someone else. But that led to me walking in on Samantha. As wrong as it was, it was the single most erotic experience of my life. It was more than I dreamed I’d ever have of her.

To my shame I’ve jerked off to the image of her in my head every single night. Every morning. My cock throbs in my slacks right now, eager to push through the fabric. To shove aside her skirt and press itself into her warm, welcoming body. She’d let me. She’d beg me to keep going.

“No,” I say, my voice rough. “I’m not sorry.”

Hurt flashes through her eyes, but I can’t begin to explain the complexity of my feelings for her. The way I shouldn’t want her. The way I want her anyway. My father always said I had the devil inside me. Part of me never really believed him—at least until I saw her masturbating. It took every last, torn shred of decency I have left inside me to walk away.

Her chin rises, because she’s always been so damn strong. She’s always deserved better than me. “I’ll agree to your rule if you answer one question. Honestly.”

My insides tighten. I don’t want this bargain, but her safety is worth it. It’s worth anything. “What’s the question?”

I expect her to ask something about her father, to finally back me into a corner and demand the truth. She deserves that much. Why did you get custody of me? What happened to my father? I would have to tell her.

“Did you ever want me?” she asks. “Really want me.”

I swallow hard. “That’s what you want to know?”

The milestones are coming at me fast, and they’re coming hard. Soon she’ll graduate from high school. She’ll turn eighteen. Those milestones are taking her away from me, bit by bit. None of them compare to what happens when her tour begins. Then she moves to Tanglewood for two months of practice for the tour and the opening show. She’ll travel the whole world.

“Yes, I want you,” I say, my voice hard. “No, that doesn’t even begin to describe… I need you. I crave you. I dream about that kiss in the club.”

“Then why won’t you—”

“Because you’re not eighteen, for one thing. Almost doesn’t count.”

About the mastermind

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance such as the Chicago Underground series. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, two sweet dogs, and one evil cat. 

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Giveaway Time

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck, book buddies :-)

When Disgrace is a blessing in disguise

Oh, book buddies, if you don't know my weakness for BRITTAINY C. CHERRY, you don't know me at all :-D Please, let me introduce you either to this wonderfully gifted author or to her new graceful romance.

Disgrace, an all-new romantic and emotional standalone from Brittainy C. Cherry 

is available NOW!

FIND OUT WHAT IT IS ABOUT:

Each day I prayed for my husband to love me again.

After fifteen years together, he walked away from me, and into the arms of another.

I didn’t know how to cope. I didn’t know my worth. 

I didn’t know how to exist without him by my side.

All I wanted was for him to come back to me.

Then, Jackson Emery appeared.

He was supposed to be a distraction for my mind. A summer fling. 

A confidence boost to my bruised heart.

We were perfect for one another, because we both knew we wouldn’t last. Jackson didn’t believe in commitment, and I no longer believed in love. 

He was too closed-off for me, and I was too damaged for him.

Everything was fine, until one night my heart skipped a beat.

I didn’t expect him to make me laugh. To make me think. To make my sadness somewhat disappear.

When our time was up, my heart didn’t know how to walk away.

Each day I prayed for my husband to love me again, yet slowly my prayers began to shift toward the man who wasn’t right for me.

I prayed for one more smile, one more kiss, one more laugh, one more touch…

I prayed for him to be mine.

Even though I knew his heart wasn’t destined to love.

Download today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2tyiVaM

Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/DisgraceBC

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2o8Xslh

MY OPINION

A moving, beautiful story about two broken hearts who mend each other in the deepest ways.

One author who is sure to captivate my feelings is Brittainy. After several books, I confess my love for her style. It’s a wonder how the sweet, pretty words can mingle with such dramatic events that seem to haunt the characters. Victims to tragedy, loss and unfairness, Grace and Jackson are enemies in a small town inhabited by small-minded people.

At first, Grace’s gentle nature collides with Jackson’s harsh, aggressive attitude. I was wondering how they could really be soulmates. Alas, the writer finds a way to burrow into the characters’ tortured lives and balance their pain with the fortitude and compassion they can muster for each other. They are right what they need in the face of such contempt from society.

This novel reminded me of the previous one, The Gravity of Us, in that the man is in a dark place emotionally and the woman is the light that eases the pain. However, it is its own story in that it tackles other very harrowing issues. Grace’s marriage is dying and so is her inner light. I could feel so much sorrow radiating from her. The losses she has endured are unimaginable. When she meets Jackson, it is a mixture of funny dialogues and clash of personalities. I loved it. I loved how his negative emotions and crackling anger could coexist with some semblance of sweetness towards a woman who awakens contradictory feelings in him.

The suffocating atmosphere and bigotry of a closed community full of gossipy and judgmental people ironically push them together. It is a bond born of a longing for freedom and joy, in search of oblivion from deep-rooted pain. I loved the double perspective in the chapters that shed such unique understanding to this couple’s past and present situations.

Both suffer so much, and the words convey every nuance of their loneliness, their need for love, and how difficult it is to accept that we need others to heal. The intimacy of the scenes between Grace and Jackson is palpable in every dialogue and every touch. Even through the storm of past betrayals, they end up finding happiness. 

I loved the significant presence of literature in the story, the message of self-discovery and forgiveness, and the power of love. A beautiful journey of forgiveness and second chances. This author has a gentle soul that breathes life into her characters and they always stay with you. Always and always. 

ENJOY AN EXCERPT:

Jackson “I’ve read about boys like you in books, ya know,” she whispered, her fingers slowly spinning spirals on my chest. “Oh, yeah? What did those books teach you about boys like me?” “Well…” She bit her bottom lip, and with a small inhalation, she whispered, “They taught me to stay away.” “Then why are you so close?” She tilted her head up, looking me straight in the eyes. “Because in those stories, the heroine never ever listens.” “And then there’s trouble?” I asked. 

“Yes, and then there’s trouble.” From the way she said those words, I knew trouble was exactly what she was in search of. We were the classic cliché. She was the good girl next door, I the monster from around the block. We were perfect opposites for the perfect storm, and she was asking me to be her next flaw, her greatest mistake. And, well, who was I not to live up to her request? “I could destroy you,” I warned. “Or save me.” “Is it worth the risk?” “Isn’t it always worth the risk?” 

  The more she touched me, the more I wanted to touch her back. I wrapped my hands around her wrists flipping us around so she was now against the wall with her hands above her head. “I have rules.” I leaned in closer, lightly brushing my lips against her neck. God, she smelled good, like peaches and my next sin. “You can’t break these rules, either.” My tongue rolled from my mouth and circled against her neck before I gently sucked her skin. She shivered at my touch. “What are they?” “Rule one,” I whispered, my mouth moving across her collarbone. “You never stay the night.”

“Check.” “Rule number two,” I said, dropping her left arm to the side. Taking my hand to the bottom of her blouse, I slowly raised it up and massaged her skin. “You never develop feelings.” “That’s easy enough,” she replied, her breaths uneven as I teased at the top button on her jeans. “I don’t believe in feelings anymore.” I didn’t know why, but that made me sad for her. I, too, didn’t believe in falling for people, but that was my norm. Grace seemed the type to believe in something bigger than love, so the fact that her belief was completely gone was a bit surprising. Maybe we had more in common than I thought. “Rule number three…we don’t talk about my life.” “Like ever?” “Never.” “Okay.”

“And lastly, rule number four…” My mouth brushed against hers, and I slid my tongue slowly across her bottom lip. “If your favorite pair of panties get ripped, don’t expect me to replace them.”

ABOUT THE MASTERMIND

Hi! I'm Brittainy! Join me as we travel through my mind as a Romance Author. This includes such things as my random thoughts, tricks, tips, things I'm learning, things I'm re-learning, things I'm forgetting, and my weird ways of crafting stories.

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If you've read this author before, what is your favourite novel? :-)