Even after years of trauma therapy, Peyton still believes she’s broken. She has little desire to date or show off her natural beauty, content simply to hang out with her best friends and run her pie shop in New Orleans. But her world turns upside-down when a handsome architect and self-confessed player shows up in her shop and thinks she’s perfect, much more than the usual hook-up. While Peyton does her best to resist his charms, believing she could never be enough for him, she can’t deny the obvious heat between them. With Reed determined to have her, Peyton must decide whether to continue to hide behind her apron and baggy clothes or take a chance and share her scars with Reed, a man with a playboy reputation and scars of his own — a dark past he can’t possibly share with Peyton, not after learning the horrors she’s endured. But if they can find a way to trust each other, and themselves, they just might be able to heal, to save each other, to live perfectly broken together.

Perfectly Broken is on sale for only 99 cents!  Be sure to take advantage of this deal while it lasts!

This is the third part of the Exclusive Outtake – to read the entire scene in order make sure you check out Schmexy Girl Book Blog first, then The SubClub Books for the second part – then come back here to read the end! 🙂

Prescott Lane is the author of First Position and her new release, Perfectly Broken. She is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated from Centenary College with a degree in sociology. She went on to receive her MSW from Tulane University, after which she worked with developmentally delayed and disabled children. She married her college sweetheart, and they currently live in New Orleans with their two children and two crazy dogs. Prescott started writing at the age of five, and sold her first story about a talking turtle to her father for a quarter. She later turned to writing romance novels because there aren’t enough happily ever afters in real life.

Series:    A Fall Away Novel, Book #3

Author:    Penelope Douglas

Genre:    New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date:   January 6, 2015

Jaxon is the guy she’s supposed to avoid.

K.C. is the girl he won’t let get away….

 

K. C. Carter has always followed the rules—until this year, when a mistake leaves her the talk of her college campus and her carefully arranged life comes crashing to a halt. Now she’s stuck in her small hometown for the summer to complete her court-ordered community service, and to make matters worse, trouble is living right next door.

 

Jaxon Trent is the worst kind of temptation and exactly what K.C. was supposed to stay away from in high school. But he never forgot her. She was the one girl who wouldn’t give him the time of day and the only one to ever say no. Fate has brought K.C. back into his life—except what he thought was a great twist of luck turns out to be too close for comfort. As they grow closer, he discovers that convincing K.C. to get out from her mother’s shadow is hard, but revealing the darkest parts of his soul is nearly impossible.…

 

 

 

 

I LOVE this series – so much!  It’s one of my favorite series ever!  Every book and character are so completely unique and oh-em-gee…the feels!  Absolute must reads!

 

Want to see my obsession for the Fall Away Series?  Check out my review for Bully, my birthday interview with Jared & Tate, my review of Until You plus a deleted scene and Jared’s Love Note to Tate for Valentine’s Day.

Title:    Bully

Series:    A Fall Away Novel, Book #1

Author:    Penelope Douglas

Genre:    New Adult Contemporary Romance

My name is Tate.

He doesn’t call me that, though. He’ll barely refer to me at all, and he’ll hardly ever speak to me.

But he still won’t leave me alone.

We were best friends once. Then he turned on me and made it his mission to ruin my life. I’ve been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got worse as time wore on. I even went to Europe for a year, just to avoid him.

But I’m done hiding from him now, and there’s no way I’ll allow him to ruin another year. He might not have changed, but I have.

It’s time to fight back.

 

When one brave young woman stands up to her best friend Jared, now tormenter, the consequences go beyond anything either of them ever would have imagined….

 

Title:    Until You

Series:    A Fall Away Novel, Book #1.5

Author:    Penelope Douglas

Genre:    New Adult Contemporary Romance

 

Have you ever been so angry that hitting things felt good? Or numb to all emotions? The past few years have been like that for me. Traveling between fury and indifference with no stops in between. Some people hate me for it, while others are scared of me. But none of them can hurt me, because I don’t care about anything or anyone.

Except Tatum.

I love her so much that I hate her. I hate that I can’t let her go. We used to be friends, but I found out that I couldn’t trust her—or anyone else. So I hurt her. I pushed her away. But I still need her. She centers me. Engaging her, challenging her, pushing her—it’s the one last part of me that feels anything anymore.

But then she went and screwed everything up. She left for a year and came back a different girl. Now, when I push, she pushes back…and I’m not sure either one of us will ever be the same.

Madoc and Fallon rocked my world just like Jared and Tate did – check out an excerpt from Rival and my review!

 

Title:    Rival

Series:    A Fall Away Novel, Book #2

Author:    Penelope Douglas

Genre:    New Adult Contemporary Romance

 

From the New Adult sensation and New York Times bestselling author of Until You

 

Madoc and Fallon. Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the boundaries between love and war…

 

She’s back.

 

For the three years she’s been away at boarding school, there was no word from her. Back when we lived in the same house, she used to cut me down during the day and then leave her door open for me at night.

 

I was stupid then, but now I’m ready to beat her at her own game…

 

I’m back.

 

Three years and I can tell he still wants me, even if he acts like he’s better than me.

 

But I won’t be scared away. Or pushed down. I’ll call his bluff and fight back. That’s what he wants, right? As long as I keep my guard up, he’ll never know how much he affects me….

Want more details about what happened in Arizona?

This scene was deleted, because overall, it wasn’t entirely important to the progression of the story. The major points were filtered into the final manuscript, keeping the pace moving more quickly.

 

K.C.

 

“This is getting more pathetic by the second,” my college roommate and best friend, Nik, taunted from my side. “What are going to do, K.C.? Kill him with the power of your stare all night?”

I raised my eyes, glowering at her, knowing damn well what she was trying to do.

“What would you like me to do?” I asked, evening out my voice to hide the tears lodged in my throat. “Kick him in the balls? Get in a cat fight with the girl? I’m better than that, Nik.”

She pursed her lips and arched an eyebrow, gazing across the black dance floor like she wanted to give up on me.

I followed her gaze and shook my head. Yeah, right. I wasn’t better. I was just stupid. I should’ve listened to my mother. She said I should listen to her, and when I don’t, I always regret it.

And here I was, regretting it again as I zoned in on my boyfriend—scratch that, ex-boyfriend—who had his hand up the skirt of a girl who wasn’t me.

Again.

I thought all of Liam’s hearts and flowers meant something in high school. I thought that all of the times he’d said he loved me earned him chances. Turns out, I thought a lot of bullshit.

The truth was…the first time he cheated on me senior year of high school, I forgave him, because I couldn’t let my mother be right. I couldn’t let her see my relationship fail and admit that I’d been wrong.

I’d swallowed some self-respect, but I wasn’t swallowing it again. Nik, however, wanted me to go above and beyond. She wanted his dick in a meat grinder.

She sighed, lifting the cranberry and vodka to her lips. “Yeah, I guess that’s why he’s two-timing you,” she spat out in a sharp tone, gesturing with the bright red drink in her hand. “Because you’re better, right? That’s why he’s thinking about you right now as he touches her?” She put her hand on her chest, acting dramatic. “Why he’s showing how much he cares about you by telling you that he had a late final tonight when he really just wanted to take someone else out. I’m starting to wonder how many other things have escaped your notice, K.C.”

The plastic cup in my hand cracked under the pressure, and the tequila shot Nik had ordered me dribbled over my fingers. The burning in my nose heated up even more with my quick breathes.

I needed that shot. Dammit.

Actually, I didn’t need it. I just wanted it. I’d already had another one and half a beer. While I was still only twenty, Nik was twenty-one and had been buying my drinks. That was her answer when times were tough. Load up a row of shot glasses and drink until you’re numb. Not me, though. I’d paced myself. A buzz without being bombed.

She passed me her shot, and I let it sit on the table.

Good friend. The best one I’d had in a while.

Her real name was Nikita—as in La Femme Nikita. Her mom had apparently been obsessed with the movie, the American re-make, and the television show. Nik was everything that I wasn’t, and ever since we’d met nearly two years ago, I was in a constant state of envy.

Her long blonde hair hung in small spiral curls, she wore no make-up, and the tattoos around her wrists were ornate and dark. I wanted the blue streaks in her hair, her chipped green nail polish, and her unfashionable black T-shirt that said “My Imaginary Friend Thinks You’re Weird”.

I wanted to be Nik.

And she kind of wanted to get in my pants.

She’d been flirting with me since I first walked into our dorm room at the beginning of freshman year, and while I knew my mother wouldn’t approve of me living with a lesbian, I soon found out I couldn’t live without Nik. She was a breath of fresh air and a reminder that life is all around me when I often tried to block it out.

Of course, she’d love the opportunity to get me naked, but she was really good at just being the kind of friend that gave me a kick in the ass when I needed it.

I’d fallen out of touch with my friends from back home, and other than Nik, I didn’t have a whole hell of a lot here in Arizona that made me happy. My grades were great, but I hated the Political Science major my mother encouraged, and Liam and I had been on the downward spiral for months.

Okay, years.

I held my hand and skimmed the scar on the inside of my wrist with my thumb, trying to remember what the hell made me angrier. Liam cheating on me or me staying long enough for him to do it twice.

She leaned down, resting her elbows on the table and rubbing her eyes.

“For Christ’s sake, do something,” she pleaded. “For the love of all of the pink shit in your closet, make a fucking move!”

I inhaled and exhaled hard out of my nose, shaking my head.

She was right. I knew she was right. She knew she was right. But what I couldn’t figure out as I stood there was how I could be angry and not sad. Pissed but not hurt. What the hell was wrong with me?

I didn’t feel territorial about Liam or ready to go ball in a stall in the ladies’ room. I wasn’t going to check my phone a zillion times tomorrow to look for apology voicemails or texts. I wasn’t sad.

But I looked over at him and the red head—it was a redhead last time, too—and I was damn-well angry. I squeezed my fists so hard I felt my nails dig into my palm. I’d been underestimated, forgotten, and disrespected. That pissed me off.

I needed to be like Tate. My best friend back home. We used to be the same. Shy, timid, invisible…But one day she’d had enough, and she started to react instead of letting doubt weigh her down.

I needed to be brave, Strong.

Just do it, I urged myself. Move your fucking feet, K.C.

But when I hesitated, Nik let out a bitter laugh. “You know?” Her soft, velvety voice could only mean trouble. “Her skirt is super sexy. I’d have my hand up it, too.”

My eyes bugged out, and I slammed my palm down on the table, shooting daggers at my friend. That is it! “You want the girl?” I asked, taunting. “Well, wait here then. I’ll get rid of her boyfriend for you.”

Ignoring the victorious, smug smile spreading across her cherub cheeks, I threw back her untouched shot on the table and swallowed down the burn at the back of my throat from the cheap Tequila.

As I cut my way across the dance floor—lit up with the reflection of the blue, green, and red strobe lights over head— my sparkly, black flats barely touched the floor. I was high on adrenaline.

Screw Liam, I kept chanting in my head. Screw Liam. I could do this.

I quickly smoothed my hands over my black, layered miniskirt that was tight at the waist but flared out after my hips and tehn ran my index finger under my bottom lip, clearing up any smeared lip gloss.

Poser pink lip gloss. That’s what Jaxon Trent called my make-up once. Poser.

Another guy who thought I was gutless.

I pushed his words out of my head, sucked in a deep breath, and tapped my fingers against my bare thighs as I charged up to Liam’s table.

Not fifteen minutes later the whole world came to an end.

***

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Nik whispered, wide-eyed, next to me as we sat in my parked Nissan Altima.

“I’m going to throw up,” I choked, gripping the steering wheel and chewing on my bottom lip. “What the hell was I thinking? That was a mistake.”

“No, it wasn’t!” she burst out. “It was epic! It was awesome! You shined, K.C.”

“And now the cops just pulled us over. That’s not awesome, Nik.”

We were sitting next to the curb of a quiet residential street. Some homes were still lit up even though it was nearly eleven. No one, however, came outside to inspect the colorful flashing lights of the cop car behind us.

Officer Baylor—I’d spotted his name tag—had taken my keys, my license, registration and proof of insurance, and was now back in his vehicle doing Lord-knows-what, and I all I could think about was how the drop of sweat trailing down my neck was going to ruin my whole outfit. I had to look responsible. If I looked responsible in my cute, but classy attire and high, stylish ponytail, then I could get out of this. Appearance is everything, my mother would say.

I knew it was a load of crap, but it was all the hope I had to hold onto right now.

I blew out a long, slow breath and straightened my back. My fingers instinctively went to my mouth, but then I jerked them back down to the steering wheel again, remembering not to bite my nails.

Nik cleared her throat, and I knew she’d been watching me. “Well, perhaps your lucky star is shining tonight,” she suggested.

Lucky star. I rolled my eyes.

I reached over to turn on the AC but stopped when I realized that the cop still had my keys. Damn Arizona summers.

“There’s no such thing. And if there is, my luck has run out,” I grumbled, darting my head around to see if the cop had emerged from his car yet.

“Don’t count your chickens until the fat lady sings,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Before they’re hatched,” I corrected. “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.”

“Whatever. Show me your tits.”

“Nik!” I laughed, clamping my hand over my mouth. Would not be a good idea for the cop to see me giggling.

            Nik pointed at me and smiled. “Got you to lighten up, didn’t I?” She winked at me. “Don’t worry. You will get through this, because the gods are always on your side, K.C.”

I pursed my lips, trying to hide my smile from the tit comment. Yeah, right. Nik had it in her head that I had the best luck in the world and that she only stayed my roommate so she could benefit from the residual effects.

She was high. On what drug, I didn’t know, but she was out of her mind.

Yeah, it was a little weird freshman year when the answers to a Macro-economics test I was unprepared for showed up in my email inbox.

And it was kind of awesome two weeks later when the sprinklers went off in Finite Math on the same day I happened to be running late for a quiz.

And then last spring when I had to write a report on Oliver Cromwell’s England? The university librarian emailed to let me know that the research texts I’d requested were waiting in reserve for pick-up. That wasn’t weird or awesome. It was unnerving. I’d never requested any texts for research. I’d had no idea where to begin with that research, actually.

Lots of lucky little things happened like that over the last two years, and I couldn’t explain it.

My mother cut off my credit card when I decided to minor in Creative Writing, and a job at the university bookstore landed in my lap.

I’d failed to study for a Music Appreciation final, because I couldn’t stand the class. My teacher’s test playlist of Baroque composers was replaced with 2 Live Crew’s Me So Horny.

A speeding ticket I couldn’t pay mysteriously disappeared from the DMV database, and one of my professors that had creeped me out with a suggestive email “resigned” after his other emails to other students were leaked. The one to me wasn’t, thank God.

Most of it was great. I never took the test answers…wherever they came from, but I certainly wasn’t going to complain about the rest of it.

I just simply wasn’t going to rely on it, either.

Between that and Nik, I’d had more than a few reasons to smile these past two years, and now I could be thankful that I was no longer the girlfriend of a cheater.

I was grateful for that.

But I was also nervous. The summer was starting, and I was supposed to be moving into an apartment with Liam next week. I was supposed to be planning my study abroad trip to New Zealand for next spring. And I was supposed to be home in bed right now.

Instead, I was in a shitload of trouble on all fronts. I now had no place to live this summer, my college classes were as dry as dirt, and—I twisted my head around again to see that the cop was still working in his car—I was possibly in deep shit with the law now.

I winced, swallowing the lump in my throat. My mother. What the hell was she going to say?

Checking the rearview mirror, I noticed the cop climbing out of his car

“Shit. He’s got a Breathalyzer in his hand.” Nik’s quiet voice crashed into my stomach. “This is all my fault, K.C. I’m so sorry.”                                

My face felt like it was splintering into a dozen different cracks, and I clenched my teeth to dull the ache in my jaw.

“I’m not worried about the Breathalyzer,” I whispered, looking down into my lap. “He might know what happened at the club.”

***

Yeah, he found out what happened at the club.

A week later, I was back in my hometown for the summer with a revoked driver’s license and a hundred hours of community service.

Falling Away by Penelope Douglas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

4.5 “gutless and helpless” “Only Ever You” “” Kisses

I kind of don’t know what to think right now because Penelope Douglas just blew my mind. My heart feels like it’s going to burst…my eyes are red and puffy from crying…emotionally I’m a hot mess – and I love it. I have so many thoughts…too many emotions…and not enough words to get everything out of my head. Okay…so if you haven’t read the other books in Fall Away Series (Bully, Until You,  & Rival) yet …then you must! While the books focus on different couples, I wouldn’t recommend reading them out of order…each book builds off the other and things just make more sense. Plus they’re amazing and this is one of my favorite series ever!

Juliet Adrian Carter…gah…there is so much I want to say about KC and so much I can’t say about KC (mainly because I don’t want to spoil) but suffice it to say, she surprised me in all the best ways possible. It’s funny because I know after Bully, a lot of people disliked KC…and I never did. Of course, I didn’t love what she did to Tate, but I always thought there was more to it…and there really was. There is so much about Juliet that can be misunderstood and truly getting to understand her past…her relationship with her mother…why she acts the way she does…it’s like a puzzle that just finally clicks into place. The more I understood her, the more I loved her. Finally seeing the real KC…hearing her thoughts and emotions…truly connecting to her, well, it gave me a new appreciation for her. I cannot tell you how much I loved seeing her come into her own, seeing who she was when she stopped being KC and finally started being Juliet was…absolutely amazing. And it was all thanks to the guy who always saw her.

‘“Come on.” He took my hand.
The car grime on his hand rubbed into mine, and I held him firmly, a smile tickling the corners of my mouth that I wouldn’t set free.
I liked how it felt. Sandy, gritty, alive.
Everything had always been clean for me. Every moment of my life had been clean for me. Every moment of my life had been manicured, pedicured, and scrubbed. My clothes always clean, and my biggest decisions were whether I should buy the silver ballet flats or the black ones.
Now Jaxon Trent’s dirty hands fused with my sweaty palms, and I wondered how good his dirt would feel everywhere else on my skin.’

Jaxon Hawkins Trent…*sigh*…oh Jax, where do I even begin? It’s impossible to grow up the way Jax did and not have a chip on your shoulder. But he has mastered the art of hiding his insecurities and fears behind bravado and attitude. Jax is…complex, he’s deep, and I knew that going in…but actually experiencing it was something I don’t think I fully prepared myself for. Jax did a number on my heart…I was completely and totally invested in what was happening to him and finally tapping into all his feelings about his past…his family…KC…it was a lot to process. For so many reasons I was just completely tied to anything and everything that was happening and it all hit me so hard. When Jax was sad…upset…remembering his past…going into self destruct mode (I think that’s a Trent thing…)…it nearly killed me. Being in his POV, hearing his thoughts, truly experiencing what had happened to him…it was hard. But…the upside to that is when Jaxon Trent is happy…there is nothing in the world more beautiful – that boy deserves nothing but good things and it made me heart leap out of my chest when he was happy. And nothing makes Jax happier than KC.

‘She smirked happily. “Touch me all the time,” she repeated. “But we don’t get along.”
“We get along great.” I grinned. “As long as you don’t talk.” And I leaned down, snatching up her lips again.
She laughed and tried to push away from me, her back bending and her head falling back, but I held tight.
“Stop!” She giggled and squirmed as I kissed a trail up her neck. I loved seeing her giddy.
“Stop talking,” I scolded, still kissing her. “We get into trouble when you speak.” And I took her earlobe in my teeth, sucking hard, and she went limp.
“I feel like I’m falling,” she admitted through her breathlessness, standing up straight, and taking my hands away. “But it feels good.”

Jax and KC have been a long time coming. I knew in Until You that they were meant to be…just by their first interactions, it was obvious how perfect they were for each other. The prim and proper good girl and the rough-and-tough bad boy…how could they not be amazing? But the reality of them together seriously defied any and all expectations I may have had in my brain. They were beyond brilliant…and they didn’t even try that hard. All they did was pay attention to each other. There is one scene at almost 30% that I think was one of the first times this book made me cry (yes…there were multiple times!)…a lot of stuff had been going on and emotions were already pretty high…but the things that both of them revealed just broke me. I was already in knots over them but this scene pushed every button, showed me exactly what I needed to see about their feelings for each other…and from that moment on, it was like they held me in their hand.

‘Her body trembled in my arms as she tried to catch her breath, but she quieted and slowly relaxed her hold around my neck. All I felt was the heat of her lips against my skin, and I knew one thing.
I wanted her more than I wanted my secrets.’

Penelope’s writing never ceases to amaze me. Falling Away proved even more why she is one my favorite writers ever. Her ability to blend angst, passion, humor and sensuality into a incredibly captivating story that leaves me begging for each word never ceases to amaze me. The strength of this series for me are two key things…her characters and the emotions she brings out in her writing. I have loved with an unending passion every single character that she has created. It started with Jared and Tate, grew with Madoc and Fallon and is at an all-time high with Jax and KC. These are the kinds of MC’s (main characters) that I will never let go of…that are deep in my heart…they’re unforgettable. And the emotions…oh good gracious…the amazing emotional rollercoaster her books take me on is one I consistently look forward to. I span the entire range of good to bad, beautiful to ugly, high to low…but I love love love it! I enjoy it when I’m laughing at some dialogue that the boys said as much as when Jax and KC are getting hot-n-sexy and yes, even when I’m bawling my eyes out…I’m still in my book nerd happy place. Penelope’s writing gives me a book high that I can live on for days…and that’s why I love her writing.

“Tell me what I want to hear,” he demanded, thrusting his hips and making me groan.
“You’re driving me crazy,” I cried, the rod between his legs relentless where it pressed against me.
“That’s not what I want to hear.” His teasing voice laughed at me.
“You’re an asshole?” I ventured, dragging my nails over the soft skin of his ass.
“No,” he grunted, grabbing my hands and pinning them over my head. “Say it.”
I smiled, loving how worked up he got. Loving how much he wanted to hear it. And as I looked over his face, falling into him with my heart swilling in my chest, I felt more at home, more safe and more cared for, than ever before in my life.
I swallowed down the tears in my throat, trying to whisper, but it came out barely audible. “Only. Ever. You. Jaxon Trent.”

There is a reason why I love series so much…and the Fall Away Series is a key example of that. I keep raving about the characters so much but reading Falling Away there were moments when I just had to sit back with a big goofy grin on my face. The chemistry between all of these characters is undeniably magical…it’s something you can’t force or fake, they’ve either got it or they don’t and OMG do they have it. Jared, Madoc and Jax have one of the most epic bro-mances I have ever read…I kinda would like to start a petition to require Penelope to just write the three of them for the rest of my life. They just make me smile, they’re hilarious and cute in the we’re-sexy-tough-guys-but-we-are-actually-really-sweet kind of way. And I had the same pull towards the girls…obviously KC and Tate were best friends and still have that connection, adding Fallon to the mix was super natural and cohesive. The energy of the entire group is electric and magnetic…it’s impossible not to love all of them together.

‘I darted out and circled my arms around her from behind, holding her close and burying my face in her neck. “Don’t,” I begged. “Please don’t.”
My muscles strained, holding her so tight, and I heard her suck in quick breaths. I spun her around, wrapped my arms around her waist, and lifted her up kissing her deep and hard.
“I can’t let you go,” I panted. “I want you all the time. I’ll be unbearable, Juliet. They won’t know what to do with me.”
Her hands clasped my neck, as she looked into my eyes.
“I like you, Jax.” She ran her fingers through my hair above my ear. “I like you a lot. You’re important.”
I closed my eyes, meeting her forehead. “Say it,” I whispered.
Her sweet breath fanned over my lips. “Only ever you.”
And I groaned, hating and loving how those words affected me.’

So…the ending was…a nail biter for me. When I was crying (again…yes…I told you it happened multiple times! Sorry!) around 85%, I really didn’t know if an HEA was possible. But…it worked, it was a little quick, but after everything that Jax and KC went through…it worked and I’m happy. So, Falling Away is over and I click to the next page on my kindle because I heard there was a tease to Aflame…which is like the best news ever, I’m a Jared-and-Tate-aholic over here! Yup…cry #8925 happens. I know Aflame is not going to be rainbows and unicorns and happy puppies…but seriously. I feel like my heart just got ripped out. But that teaser has me more excited than I was before, if that is even possible. Yes…it hurts, but I trust Penelope enough to know that she will deliver another amazing story and that’s what I want. So, if you’re looking for me, I’ll be counting the days until April. #JaredandTateforLife

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Penelope Douglas is a writer and teacher in Las Vegas. Born in Dubuque, Iowa, she is the oldest of five children. Penelope attended the University of Northern Iowa, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, because her father told her to “just get the degree!” She then earned a Masters of Science in Education at Loyola University in New Orleans, because she hated Public Administration. One night, she got tipsy and told the bouncer at the bar where she worked that his son was hot, and three years later they were married. To the son, not the bouncer. They have spawn, but just one. A daughter named Aydan. Penelope loves sweets, the show Sons of Anarchy, and she shops at Target almost daily.

Author: M. Pierce

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance

Release Date: October 28, 2014

Matt Sky is missing. After a solo ascent of Longs Peak that left only a large blood stain, tatters of climbing clothing, and the tracks of an animal in the snow, he is presumed dead.

Hannah Catalano is guarding a secret: She knows Matt is alive. After Matt’s memorial service, she lingers on the East Coast with his family, but it soon becomes clear that his brothers’ motives are less than gracious. Nate Sky is bent on tracking down the author of Night Owl, a book that charts the last days of Matt’s life with uncanny and scandalous accuracy, and which appeared only after his death. Seth Sky is bent on getting Hannah into his bed.

Tensions rise, secrets grow bigger, and passions run deeper—and hotter—as Matt struggles to find himself, Hannah tries to escape Nate’s libel suit and fend off Seth’s advances, and together Matt and Hannah strive desperately to maintain their ruse and their relationship…until Hannah is put in danger and Matt must make a life or death choice.

Have you read Night Owl yet??? It was one of my favorite books of 2013 – you can check out my review here. You can also read Matt’s Love Note to Hannah and read a guest post from M. This series must be read in order and it’s an amazing series!

Title: Night Owl (Night Owl Trilogy Book #1)

Author: M. Pierce

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance

“Tautly written, complex, and vibrating with a dark sensuality that will have you at once blushing and anxious. You’ll think you have this book pegged . . . but you’ll be wrong.”—Christina Lauren, New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling authors of The Beautiful Bastard series

From bestselling ebook author M. Pierce comes the first novel in a provocative erotic trilogy where an anonymous online writing partnership turns into an uncontrollable, passionate obsession

At twenty-eight, Matt Sky has the perfect life. He has a beautiful girlfriend, a massive inheritance, and four national bestsellers — all penned under his airtight alias, M. Pierce.

At twenty-seven, Hannah Catalano is a train wreck. Her boyfriend is a deadbeat and her job is abysmal.

Matt and Hannah meet online as writing partners. Their relationship is safe, anonymous, and innocent…

Until Matt sees a picture of Hannah. Hannah’s picture sparks an attraction Matt is powerless to ignore. When circumstance brings Matt and Hannah together, the strangers begin a love story that’s passionate, poignant, unforgettable, and unstoppable.

Title: After Dark (Night Owl Trilogy Book #3)

Author: M. Pierce

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance

Release Date: March 24, 2015

At twenty-nine, Matt Sky is trying to return to normal, having faked his death and come back to life. He and Hannah move to a simple house in the suburbs, and strive to grow their relationship into something durable and honest. They become more and more entangled, in the best ways possible.

At twenty-eight, Hannah finally has the life she’s always wanted: she’s pursuing her career as a literary agent at Granite Wing Agency, she is writing her first solo novel, and she is living with her hot, passionate lover. For the first time, Matt and Hannah are able to explore intimacy without inhibitions—without lies, secrets, or jealousy—and the results are explosive.

Still life together is not as easy as it seems. Matt is estranged from his brothers in the wake of his cruel stunt; Seth Sky, embittered by his failed pursuit of Hannah, makes a play for Hannah’s sister; and the topic of Hannah’s novel—her relationship with Matt and the Sky family—is driving a wedge between her and Matt. The lovers are devoted to one another, having come through many ordeals, but is their bond strong enough to last a lifetime?

I absolutely love this scene!  This is everything I love about Matthew Sky…

Finally, on Friday afternoon, Hannah called from the agency. Could she stop by after work to grab a few things? Of course, I said.

“Are you hungry? I could make us some dinner.”

            “Matt, what exactly… would you make?”

            “Relax. Let the master chef do his thing.”

            She snickered. “I don’t want you to burn down the condo.”

            “I’ve unlocked hidden talents in your absence.”

            “I’ve been gone for less than a week.”

            “I work fast. Hannah, did you get the animal friends I sent?”

            “Oh… yeah. I got them yesterday. What… why are you… what are they?”

            “Stuffed animals. I thought you would like them.”

            “Yes, Matt. They’re cute. Thank you. They’re very… um, whimsical? But… you sent like… twenty of them. Did you realize you sent that many?”

            “Hm?” I opened the freezer and frowned at the shapes of meat.

It was true; I ordered a bunch of Posh Tots handmade animal friends for Hannah. I remembered how she gave me the manatee in Geneva and how sweet that seemed. I wanted to make a sweet gesture too, but nothing extravagant. I sent a few of the rabbits, ducks, elephants, squirrels, pigs, owls, and one turtle. A small sampling.

“I wanted you to have a range,” I said. “A range of the fabrics. They’re all unique, you know? They use scraps to—”

            “Yes.” Hannah laughed. “I looked them up. Thank you, Matt. I love them.”

            I smiled. “Of course. See you in a bit?”

            “Yeah, I’ll be over soon.”

            I ended the call and extracted a solid whole chicken from the freezer. Geez, I could take someone out with this. I set the meat on the counter and began to pace.

            I had a plan. A plan to look so utterly helpless (and so incredibly alluring) that Hannah decided to move back at once.

I placed a wooden spoon next to the chicken. I added a pepper shaker. There.

            I took a five-minute shower, tousled my hair, and pulled on a pair of black lounge pants. I studied my shirtless form in the mirror. Irresistible? I rubbed my jaw. I could go with no pants. Just me on the couch in the buff, maybe a book over my junk?

No, fuck. Too weird…

Half an hour later, Hannah knocked. “It’s open,” I called. I wielded the wooden spoon and turned to the chicken, which was still frozen solid and cased in plastic. As Hannah stepped into the condo, I thwacked the chicken.

“Matt, what the hell are you doing?”

            I hit it again. I wanted to laugh so fucking hard. “Tenderizing. I read about it online.”

            “Baby, you’ve got to be kidding me…”

            “Hannah, let me do my thing. I’ll pop it in the microwave after this.” I turned to face Hannah and stalled. God damn… she looked incredible. She wore tight gray dress slacks and a ruffly blue top, both of which accentuated her curves. “Hi…”

            Hannah’s gaze lurched from my bare abs to my face. “Uh, hi.”

            “You look great, bird. You look…” I pointed at her with the spoon. “All professional, and…” Sexy and fuckable. I swallowed.

            “You look great, too.” She licked her lips. We stared at each other as if we’d been apart for ten weeks, not less than one. “I know what you’re up to, Matt.”

            “What?” I turned back to the chicken. Ah, fuck.

            “I said I know what you’re up to.” She came up behind me and hugged me, her fingers splayed on my stomach. “Poor beautiful Matt, struggling to make dinner, incidentally shirtless.”

            I grinned and reached back to tug on her hips. “You got it.”

            “You are the strangest, sweetest person.”

            “I miss you so much, Hannah. Any more stipulations?” I turned to face her. I tapped her nose with the spoon and she giggled.

            “Yes. You have to promise not to lie to me, Matt. Not about major things. You have to understand that if you do, if you lie to me again, I really might… leave you.”

            “I can do that,” I said. “I can make that promise.”

            I touched the spoon to Hannah’s chin. She lifted her head, a gesture of simple obedience that made me burn. She gripped my wrist, moving the neck of the spoon to her lips, and she took the wood between her teeth like a bit.

            “Looks good,” I said. I caressed her cheek and she breathed softly around the spoon. “Hannah, do you remember last year, when I hit you with a belt?”

            She nodded.

            “Did you like that?”

            She nodded again and I smiled.

            “I liked it, too,” I murmured. “You know I did. Come back to me. I want us to live together. There are so many things I want to explore with you.”

            My words held a promise, and that promise excited Hannah. Her eyes widened. Her breath came faster.

            “Let me do it again. Give me this.” I removed the spoon from Hannah’s mouth. The thawing chicken was forgotten, as was our somber conversation. “Turn around,” I said, “and push down those adorable little slacks. Let me hit you.”

            Hit. The word tingled on my tongue. I might have said strike or spank or beat, but no word was so simply raw as hit. Hannah turned away—her passivity thrilled me—and unbuttoned her pants. I detected a little tremor in her motions. That thrilled me, too.

            With a push, her slacks fell around her ankles.

            I touched the tip of the spoon to Hannah’s ass. She inhaled sharply.

            “A blow is as intimate as a kiss,” I said.

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M. Pierce is the bestselling author of Night Owl, book one in the erotic Night Owl Trilogy. The author lives in Colorado and owns a rabbit named Laurence.

Title:   Destroyed

Author:   Pepper Winters

Genre:   Dark Contemporary Romance

She has a secret.

I’m complicated. Not broken or ruined or running from a past I can’t face. Just complicated.

I thought my life couldn’t get any more tangled in deceit and confusion. But I hadn’t met him. I hadn’t realized how far I could fall or what I’d do to get free.

He has a secret.

I’ve never pretended to be good or deserving. I chase who I want, do what I want, act how I want.

I didn’t have time to lust after a woman I had no right to lust after. I told myself to shut up and stay hidden. But then she tried to run. I’d tasted what she could offer me and damned if I would let her go.

One secret destroys them.

It was the best kiss I’d ever received, but also the worst. It sparked lust and need in every inch of me. My lips wanted more, my tongue wanted savagery. My skin wanted to bruise because he needed to touch me so badly.

All my thoughts disappeared as I nipped at his bottom lip. He flinched, but a second later he copied, his sharp canines piercing my oversensitive flesh.

I moaned.

I couldn’t take it.

My hands flew up and gripped his shirt. Yanking him toward me, fireworks whizzed in my fingertips; my heart galloped toward exploding with lust. I’d never been so drunk on someone before.

Then I landed flat on my back.

The crack of my skull jangled my teeth. The thick carpet did little to cushion me. My eyes flared wide and I grunted in pain. Fear, hot and terrible, swamped my lust in a dampening wave.

“Top rule. Unbreakable rule. Don’t. Ever. Touch. Me.” Fox kneeled on one knee beside my head, breathing hard. His hand noosed my throat, pressing my spine into the carpet. His eyes were cold and lifeless, looking like a hunter intent on blood. –HAZEL

He moved forward a step, backing me up against a thick worktable covered in tools and odd bits of metal. His face darkened, etching with anger but then he sighed and his temper faded. “Look, I fucked up. I couldn’t handle it and I’m sorry.” He looked like a black mountain towering over me. “You need to forgive me. I didn’t mean to say what I did. I need you to come back.”

I studied him. His face held shadows of bruises, his jaw slightly puffy. He’d been in another fight—searching for a way out of this hell. His black jacket and trousers swallowed the brightness of the halogens dotted around the room. He’d always favoured black and now I knew why. He was death incarnate. Everything he touched turned to ruin.—HAZEL

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Pepper Winters is a NYT and USA International Bestseller. She wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.
She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

Title:     Savor

Author:     Monica Murphy

Genre:     New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Release Date:     January 21, 2014

Series:   Billionaire Bachelors Club Book #3

New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy concludes her sexy Billionaire Bachelors Club series with a fiery romance that refuses to be left at the office…

Bryn James can’t take much more. Smart, sexy Matthew DeLuca is everything she wants in a man, but he’s also her boss—the youngest, hottest vineyard owner in the Napa Valley—and he doesn’t see her as anything more than his shy assistant. That’s all about to change. Armed with a hot new look and an attitude to match, Bryn is determined to catch Matt’s eye… professionalism be damned.

With his winery’s grand reopening approaching, Matt is trying to stay focused, but Bryn is suddenly making it very difficult. He’s always thought her prim demeanor effortlessly sexy, but Matt can’t deny that her transformation is jaw-dropping …and going to make it very difficult to keep his hands to himself.

But when one thing leads to another and suddenly Matt is stripping Bryn bare, he’ll be faced with the biggest risk of his career—and his heart. Can he convince her—and himself—that this might just be more than a no-strings office affair?

 

 Have you read the other books in the Billionaire Bachelors Club Series?

Crave is the first book, about Archer & Ivy – check out my interview with them and my review

Billionaire Archer Bancroft always gets what he wants—and he’s wanted Ivy Emerson, his best friend’s sister, for far too long. Being forbidden and untouchable only makes her more tempting. When a million-dollar bet with his friends throws down a challenge—last bachelor standing takes all—Archer knows he can win. That is, until one enchanted evening with Ivy takes his heart for a ride.
Ivy knows Archer is nothing but bad news: Infuriating, arrogant…and completely intoxicating. But despite her best efforts, she can’t seem to keep away. When a stolen kiss leads to a night of heated passion, Ivy realizes she’s in trouble and in head over heels.
But in the light of day, everything seems clearer and Archer’s not so sure a one-night stand is all he wants. Concocting a plan to keep Ivy by his side, Archer might just be willing to lose this bet…and win the jackpot instead.

Next is Gage and Marina in Torn…you can read my review here.

New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy mixes business with pleasure in the second book of her sexy Billionaire Bachelors Club series …

Marina Knight came to this party for one thing only: to slap Gage Emerson in the face. Poised to snatch up her family’s real estate empire, the sexy tycoon is on the verge of making an enemy for life—even if he can make her melt with a single kiss …

When Gage discovers that the alluring woman before him is the key to his latest acquisition, claiming her as his suddenly doesn’t seem quite so cut-and-dried. To get what he wants, he must get to know the fierce woman willing to face him down—as she steadily steals his heart.

Gage’s persistence and intense passion war with Marina’s determination to protect her family. As they delve deeper into an affair they didn’t see coming, Marina’s torn: Will she lose her heart to Gage—or everything she holds dear?

Wanna read a deleted scene?  We thought you might! 😉

Later that night…

Bryn

I lay on top of my man because, well…I can. I’m laying claim, marking Matt DeLuca as mine and no way am I letting him go. Not ever again.

“Am I heavy?” I murmur, lifting my head so I can stare at his handsome face. His cheeks and jaw are covered with stubble and I suddenly remember what it felt like, having his face between my thighs not even an hour ago.

My entire body tingles at the delicious memory.

“No.” He shifts beneath me, making me bounce a little. “Just stay right where you’re at Miss James.”

Laugher escapes me and I press my cheek to his chest, listen to the solid beating of his heart. “I still can’t believe you came all the way out here to find me.”

“I can’t believe we’re staying in some crappy motel in the middle of Cactus, Texas,” he says.

I lift my head to look at him again. “What were we supposed to do? Did you want me to drag you up to my bedroom and strip you naked with my grandma listening in? Because she would’ve listened in, even if she didn’t want to. The walls at her house are super thin.”

Matt grimaces and shakes his head. “Hell, no. That sounds like a nightmare.”

“Okay then.” My grandma had given us a stern look when I said we were going to stay the night at the lone motel in the middle of Cactus but then she whispered, Better not let that man out of your sight, so I figured that was her way of showing approval.

“What I really wanted was for you to come home with me. Tonight.” His fingers tangle in my hair and I close my eyes, enjoying his touch.

“We couldn’t have found a flight.” A sigh escapes me when he leans in and presses his lips to the top of my head.

“We’re going to find a flight tomorrow. You’re coming home with me.” His voice is full of steely determination and a ripple of pleasure moves through me at the sound. I love how possessive he is. I love how much he seems to care about me. How did I get so lucky?

“Whatever you say boss.” I trace my fingers across his chest, note the shiver that he gives when my index finger trails over his nipple. There is nowhere I’d rather be than in bed with Matt, naked and nestled up close. He throws one leg over both of mine and the next thing I know, he’s flipped us so I’m the one lying flat on my back and he’s hovering above me, all dark and dangerous with a foreboding glint in his eyes.

“We’re still going to play that boss game, huh?” he asks, sounding worried.

“Well, you’re the one who called me Miss James,” I point out.

“I find it a turn on.” His sexy crooked smile flashes. “Maybe you could call me Mr. DeLuca next time I make you beg me to let you come.”

“Beg you to let me come?” I raise a brow and he laughs, bending down to kiss me.

“Don’t tell me you’re into that sort of thing, Miss James,” he murmurs against my lips, his tongue darting out for a lick.

“You’re the pervert who mentioned it first.” I shift beneath him, feel his erection brush against my belly and a little whimper of anticipation escapes me.

“I’m in to whatever you’re in to.” He kisses me again. Deep and hot and with lots of tongue. I’m panting by the time he pulls away again. “Miss James.”

I slap at his chest, then moan when he thrusts his hips against mine. “We’re going to do it again, aren’t we?”

He laughs. “Hell yeah, we are. We have to make up for lost time.”

“That sounds…fun.” I curl my hands around his shoulders, pulling him down for yet another kiss.

“Lots of fun,” he whispers. “Endless fun.”

Just the sort of fun I like…especially with the man I love.

 

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy is a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite. A wife and mother of three, she writes New Adult and contemporary romance for Bantam and Avon. She is the author of One Week Girlfriend and Second Chance Boyfriend.

Author:   Pepper Winters

Genre:   Erotic/Dark Contemporary Romance

Release Date:   December 13, 2013

Tour Organized by:   As the Pages Turn

“All my life, I battled with the knowledge I was twisted… fucked up to want something so deliciously dark—wrong on so many levels. But then slave fifty-eight entered my world. Hissing, fighting, with a core of iron, she showed me an existence where two wrongs make a right.”

Tess is Q’s completely. Q is Tess’s irrevocably. But now, they must learn the boundaries of their unconventional relationship, while Tess seeks vengeance on the men who sold her. Q made a blood-oath to deliver their corpses at Tess’s feet, and that’s just what he’ll do.

He may be a monster, but he’s Tess’s monster.

Brooke and I LOVE this series – SO much!  Did you read our interview with Q & Tess and our reviews of Tears of Tess?  Check it Out Here…

Title:   Tears of Tess  (Monsters in the Dark #1)

Author:   Pepper Winters

Genre:   Erotic/Dark Contemporary Romance

Release Date:   August 28, 2013

“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.
Then it all changed.
I was sold.”

Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility.

For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.

But lusty paradise is shattered.

Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.

Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.

Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?

We are excited beyond words about the third and final book in the Monsters in the Dark series – this will finally be the HEA that Q and Tess have earned!

Title:   Twisted Together  (Monsters in the Dark #3)

Author:   Pepper Winters

Genre:   Erotic/Dark Contemporary Romance

Release Date:   Early 2014

“After battling through hell, I brought my esclave back from the brink of ruin. I sacrificed everything—my heart, my mind, my very desires to bring her back to life. And for a while, I thought it broke me, that I’d never be the same. But slowly the beast is growing bolder, and it’s finally time to show Tess how beautiful the dark can be.”

Q gave everything to bring Tess back. In return, he expects nothing less. Tess may have leashed and tamed him, but he’s still a monster inside.

He struck almost tenderly but it still hurt like a bitch. I cried out as the tiny tails and beads of the whip kissed my skin with red hot licks. The pain radiated like an earthquake from an epicenter and Q kept touching me, kept stroking till the pain threaded with the sensation of his fingers and I no longer knew what pain was. It was all delicious. Nothing but pleasure.

“Merde, esclave, stop. For fuck’s sake, you’re ruining me.” Even with the ferocity of Q’s anger, I thrilled with the knowledge I was winning in some small measure—the former slave training the master. If I’d been a poet, I would’ve written how serendipitous it all was. How fate entwined and cursed us both.

Q gripped my hips, propping me higher. Pulling out, the heat of his erection nudged my ass; I jolted with urgency.

Sitting higher on his knees, Q muttered, “This is going to be fast and hard, and I don’t want you to say a word, do you hear me?”

I nodded, breathless already. “I’ll do anything you want, as long as you let me come.”

“You can come, but only when I say.” His nails imprinted crescent moons into my skin, digging deep. “But if you come before, I’ll punish you worse. I won’t feel regret or remorse. I’ll find a way to punish you that doesn’t make me suffer, too.”

He rocked, and his cock eased down my ass, between my spread thighs, nudging my core.

Words were beyond me. I nodded wildly, scrabbling at the carpet. The strands wrapped around my fingers and I held on for dear life.

With urgent hands, Q untwisted my coiled ponytail and grabbed a handful.

With a jerk, he forced my head back. My spine arched as he plunged inside me.

Deep.

Hard.

Excruciating fullness.

I opened my mouth to scream, but he clamped a hand over me, riding me, containing my cries. “Shush, esclave. Not a sound, remember?”

The intrusion was pain personified, the rocking endless bliss.

The way he took me held no remnants of the sometimes sweet man beneath the blackness. This was purely brutal and dark and animalistic.

I loved it.

With his cock deep inside, his fist wrapped around my ponytail, and his other hand clasped over my mouth, he fucked me. Bucking so hard, carpet burn incinerated my pantyhose in a matter of seconds.

But every time he thrust, I pushed back to meet him. I bowed more than I’d ever bowed before, relishing in the burn of my hair being tugged. My lungs strained as Q grunted and rutted, taking me true to his word.

Quintessentially Q by Pepper Winters

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

4.5  ‘I’m hungry. I’m tired. I’m cold. I just want to go home.’ “my woman” Kisses

I don’t even know where to begin about my feelings for Quintessentially Q. They are not black and white, yes or no, right or wrong. They’re convoluted and confusing and just…a big messy disaster in my brain right now. I have never personally suffered and struggled more with a book than I did with QQ. Ever. Hands down, this book was the biggest mind fuck I have ever read…and don’t you worry I will explain all of my insane feelings. If you haven’t read Tears of Tess…stop right now because none of this is going to make sense – the Monsters in the Dark series is one that absolutely has to be read in order. Plus…these books are ones that have to be experienced, first hand. QQ is…dark and twisted, parts of it are so horrible and just tears at your insides…but in the end, it’s a beautiful, heart-wrenching love story.

Q…maître…my monster. It’s so funny because you would think with all of the things that are ‘wrong’ about Q that there are few redeeming qualities. His proclivities and tastes may lead toward the darker side of things but in my book that in no way makes him a monster. Q is a product of the environment he was raised in…but he is still human, he has an enormous heart and an incredible capacity to love…if he gives himself the chance. The fact that he has dedicated his life to saving others speaks volumes in my opinion for where the core of his values lie. I love his weaknesses when it comes to Tess…this strong and fortified man who has never shown a single layer of vulnerability since he was 15 years old is finally breaking free and allowing himself to actually be himself…I freaking loved it. He’s deep and passionate…he’s strong and …he’s conflicted and torn…he is his own worst enemy. I absolutely loved being in Q’s POV. Getting his perspective…his deep dark inner thoughts…understanding his monster…I can’t even tell you what that did for me as far as understanding his character more. Best. Thing. Ever!

‘Ah shit I was a goner. I was completely and mind-bendingly falling for this woman.
I swallowed back the thick taste of lust and murmured, “Too fucking late, esclave. I’m ruined beyond redemption.” In the last moment of gentleness, I pressed my forehead against hers and breathed deep. “I’m lost.” Then the gentleness left, abandoning me to the hard-edged need to hurt.’

Tess…esclave…oh my God, this girl held my heart in her hand. I ached with her every step of the way…the tears I shed for her…I felt so helpless when all I wanted to do was just dive into the book and save her. One of the things I loved the most about Tears of Tess was how strong she was. In the face of absolute insurmountable evil, she still fought. And even with Q, against his monster, against his will – she always fought for what she knew was there. I mean…if there is one word that describes Tess…it’s fighter. Through everything that happened to her (and trust me…a lot of really bad shit happened to her in ToT), she never waivered on that. In QQ…she broke. And that broke me. Seeing my resilient Tess crumble might be one of the hardest things I have ever had to read. Because this wasn’t a fast process. This was a gradual, slow fracture of her…mentally, physically, emotionally…until there was nothing left. I can’t even put into words how much that tore me apart. I guess that’s a nod to Pepper’s writing because she killed me right along with Tess. I never thought I would ever see that happen.

‘He was afraid.
But afraid of what? Maybe because he’d never had a bond like this before. Maybe he truly believed he was the devil and incapable of true love. But I wouldn’t give up on him.’

I don’t know why I didn’t see this plot coming…it really should have been blatantly obvious – it was kind of one of those duh moments for me, completely logical but that’s just not what my brain was focused on. Clearly it was the same for Q and Tess. Maybe it was because it caught me so off guard that regardless of how rational and how much sense it made, because honestly it was a great story line…but I just didn’t like it. I didn’t like it because it emotionally, mentally and physically hurt me. I had to force myself to read it and it took me over a week to get through because I kept taking breaks. Why? Because for absolutely no reason that I can think of I would break down and cry…uncontrollably. I didn’t enjoy the subject of what I was reading, so it didn’t encourage me to read it. I am an emotional reader to my core – whatever the characters are feeling, transfers to me…so my characters are in pain, I’m in pain. Anyone like pain? Not this girl! I have never had such a loss of control over my emotions while reading a book…this book did that to me. But it’s a huge mind fuck to love the characters you’re reading about…love the writing…want the piece of mind to know how the story plays out but have absolutely zero desire to read about it. But lucky for me, I’m a stubborn bitch who has to go through that process with the characters and read the ending for myself. Or else I would have given up by 50%.

‘Something fissured deep inside. My soul folded inside me like a tattered piece of origami, taking everything good left in me, leaving me with nothing.
My memories, my happiness, my strength, and passion for Q all vanished. Just like that.
Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
It’s happening. It’s happened. I’m done. I literally stared at the end of my life.’

I had to be coached through reading this book. My bestie/blog partner kept telling me it was going to get worse before it got better…every time I wanted to give up, she forced me to keep going…she tried to prepare me, but there really is no preparing yourself for this stuff. I’m not joking when I say that for about 70% of this book I was in pain. It went from bad…to worse…to horrible…to me in the fetal position just begging for any sign of hope. There were points in there where I felt…vindicated. Justified. Hopeful, maybe? I never wanted to give up hope but when the shit just keeps piling up you start to lose your hope without even realizing it. But I needed to feel like my pain was worth it in some teeny-tiny way…and like I said, sometimes I did…but then it was quickly replaced by more suffering because there was only more heartbreak and torture to go through. I felt such helplessness…and I hated it. I just wanted Q and Tess to finally have their moment together! It’s not like they haven’t already been through enough to finally get to a place where they can grown and establish something…but they did get there.

‘Home.
A place where I used to be free, but not anymore.
The moment Tess walked into my life she owned me. I would never be free again. I never wanted to be free again.’

The last 10% of the book made all of the pain worth it. I loved the last 10% a million times more than the rest of the book…it made getting to that point worth it because they healed each other…and watching that healing happen, seeing their growth and progress, it made me feel very complete and honestly made me appreciate their struggles so much more than I ever thought I could. Pepper Winters has absolutely fucked with my brain beyond recognition because there were points when I was 100% convinced that as much as I loved the characters and the writing…I just could not like this book because I despised what was happening. All the pain that was being inflicted on these characters that I loved so much, it’s impossible for me to sit back and be okay with it. But here I am. Sitting back…being okay with it. See…mind fuck – party of one! If you thought ToT was dark…QQ is a million times darker…at least it was for me. Not that ToT didn’t affect me, trust me it did but with QQ it was somehow different. Maybe it was being in Q’s POV, maybe it was the way the plot unfolded and I watched what I considered impossible happen…QQ just deals with a whole different level of pain and anguish that I didn’t think was possible to cover with words, but clearly it is!

‘We broke each other, and the only way to stay whole was to entwine ourselves, gluing the jagged parts, stitching our souls into one.’

So the light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter and brighter every second because guess what boys and girls – this isn’t the end for Q and Tess! WOOOOO!!!! (Can you tell I’m excited?) After the torture I went thru with QQ I can’t believe I’m signing up for more but with the way QQ ended…you bet your butt I am. The third book, Twisted Together is all about them…their HEA…and all the goodness that comes with it. I guess it’s going to be what I thought QQ was and I’m excited beyond words for the possibilities.

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Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex. 
She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends. 
Her debut book Tears of Tess is followed by Quintessentially Q and Twisted Together. You didn’t think Q could stop so soon, did you? Her other two titles, Last Shadow and Broken Chance will be coming soon.

Title:    Until You

Series:    A Fall Away Novel, Book #1.5

Author:    Penelope Douglas

Genre:    New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date:    December 5, 2013

Tour Organized by:   As the Pages Turn

Have you ever been so angry that hitting things felt good? Or so numb that you actually felt high? The past few years have been like that for me. Traveling between fury and indifference with no stops in between.

Some people hate me for it, while others are scared of me. But none of them can hurt me, because I don’t care about anything or anyone.

Except Tatum.

I love her so much that I hate her. We used to be friends, but I found out that I couldn’t trust her or anyone else.

So I hurt her. I pushed her away.

But I still need her. The sight of her centers me, and I can pool all of my anger into her. Engaging her, challenging her, bullying her…they are my food, my air, and the last part of me that feels anything human.

But she left. She went to France for a year, and came back a different girl.

Now, when I push, she pushes back.

I cannot make it more clear – I am obsessed with this series…with Jared…with Tate…with Madoc…with all of it.  I love everything about it – the characters, the story, the writing – by far, this is one of my top favorites of 2013.

You can check out my review for Bully and an excerpt from Until You here – plus I also got to interview Tate and Jared at the Birthday Celebration, which you can read here.

Title:    Bully

Series:    A Fall Away Novel, Book #1

Author:    Penelope Douglas

Genre:    New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date:    June 17, 2013

My name is Tate. He doesn’t call me that, though. He would never refer to me so informally, if he referred to me at all. No, he’ll barely even speak to me.

But he still won’t leave me alone.

We were best friends once. Then he turned on me and made it his mission to ruin my life. I’ve been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got more sadistic as time wore on, and I made myself sick trying to stay out of his way. I even went to France for a year, just to avoid him.

But I’m done hiding from him now, and there’s no way in hell I’ll allow him to ruin my senior year. He might not have changed, but I have. It’s time to fight back.

*This novel contains adult/mature young adult situations. It is only suitable for ages 18+ due to language, violence, and sexual situations.

**This book is the first in a series but can be read as a STAND ALONE. The next books will focus on side characters from this story.

EEEEP!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this series…Jared is my heart!  So who is ready to read this awesome deleted scene?  It makes me love Jared more…I can’t help it!

Picking Up Tate’s dad – Airport

“Stop it.” I grabbed Tate’s fingers out of her mouth—chewed up finger nails and all—and held her hand tightly. “You look guilty, and we didn’t do anything wrong.”

We sat in the chairs near Baggage Claim, waiting for her father, and she was looking at everything but me.

“I can’t sit here,” she grumbled and popped out of her seat. “You don’t understand. It’s different for guys. My dad’s going to look at me differently.”

Mr. Brandt was due in at any moment. In fact, his plane was on the ground already. Tate had been all nerves since school yesterday, and to be honest, so was I.

We skipped classes today, since her dad was coming in early, and we wanted to be here to face him together. She was so nervous about him and the video that she wouldn’t even let me spend the night last night.

Like he would be able to smell me on her or something.

Yeah. I almost smiled. James Brandt knows everything. Who was I kidding?

That man was the father I should’ve had, and, I hoped, he could see me in his daughter’s life and future. I would apologize for being careless with our actions. I would tell him I was sorry for Tate’s pain.

But I was the man in her life now, and I wasn’t going to apologize for anything else.

Standing up, I snaked an arm around her waist and cupped her face with my free hand. “Would you change anything?”

She still wasn’t looking at me, and I felt my heart pounding in my throat. Her sweet face was scrunched up with worry, and she looked like she was about to break into tears. Her father meant a lot to her, even more so since her mother died probably. His opinion mattered, and she needed his love and respect.

I wanted that from him, too, and for Tate’s sake, I would try to earn it. I’d even forgone my usual t-shirts today in favor of a light blue long-sleeved button up that my mother bought me last Christmas. I’d finally gotten around to taking the tags off this morning.

My mom had glowed with pride this morning, while I just tried to make into the car and out of sight before Madoc or someone saw me.

“Look at me, Tate.” I tipped her chin up. “Your dad is not stupid. He knows you’re a good person, and he knows shit happens. He wants solutions and resolutions. We stand together, and we don’t apologize for shit we’re not sorry for.” I raised my eyebrows. “At least I’m not sorry.”

I willed her to feel the truth in my words. I love you. I’ll love you forever.

“Would you change anything?” I asked again.

She hesitated a moment, and then smiled, hopefully seeing what she wanted in my face. “No.”

I exhaled. “Then stop acting guilty,” I ordered with a smile. “What happened in your room, in the shower, on the kitchen table, against my garage wall yesterday—”

“Alright!” she cut me off, shaking her head, but I continued smiling.

“All of it…” I tipped her chin back up to me, “was love. And no one takes it from us. Remember?”

And I saw my girl smirk at me before laying her head against my chest. “I remember.”

“Ahem,” a burly voice growled behind me, and we both stiffened.

Turning around, I had to make an effort to keep my face stern.

“Sir.” I nodded.

Somehow I knew he wasn’t in the mood for a handshake today.

“Dad.” Tate sounded relieved more than anything as she walked over and hugged James Brandt.

And my shoulders relaxed to see him scoop her up for a loving hug and pat her on the back. He didn’t see her any differently.

Now me, on the other hand…..I wasn’t getting much eye contact.

With his arm still around Tate, he leveled me with his blue eyes.

“Son, I hope you brought your car, because I’d like my daughter to myself for a while.” And as usual, I wanted to crawl into a hole at his scolding tone.

Not to mention, that—no—I did not bring my car, because it’s barely drivable.

Tate and I exchanged a look. Hers was apologetic at the mention of my banged up Boss.

I straightened my shoulders. No excuses and no bullshit.  

“Sir, I stay with Tate.” I spoke evenly and decisively. I maintained my position, hoping he didn’t advance more.

A small smile peeked out on Tate’s face as she inched out from under her father’s arm to come stand next to me. Hand in hand.

He narrowed his eyes on me.

She was his daughter, and he deserved to see her alone, but I wasn’t leaving until this was settled and Tate felt comfortable.

“Then you’re in the backseat,” he snipped.

I don’t know if he gave in to avoid a fight or avoid upsetting Tate, but I let out a breath anyway.

Tate drove, of course, while everyone suffered the deafening silence in the car. Once we were home, her dad ordered us to the dining room table where we at in a triangle. And he was at the top.

“So tell me everything.”

Until You by Penelope Douglas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

5 “Such a handful.” “A man knows what needs to be done and just fucking does it.” Kisses

*sigh* Jared…

I am in love with Jared Trent. 100% over the moon in love. There is no cure for my love for him. And I’m perfectly okay with that. He’s mine, I claim him…all of you can borrow him for short periods of time, but I am staking my ownership. I loved Bully, it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year by far, one of my favorite books of all time and it completely knocked me on my ass with how much I loved it. If you haven’t read it…stop the presses and do that immediately, plus you need to read Bully before you read Until You. And trust me…you need to read Until You.

Jared Trent…OMG he’s an ass hole and I love him (have I said that yet? Well…just in case I haven’t…). He’s not an ass hole, really…but he’s just…different. He’s clearly not overly emotional, he’s set in his ways, he does what he wants, when he wants – and you either like it or you don’t, but it really doesn’t phase him either way. You don’t mess with Jared without there being consequences and so a lot of people try and stay on his good side. Is he a bully to everyone? No…just one specific girl is entitled to that wrath, but I’ll get to that. Beneath the hard shell of the Mr. Tough Guy Act there is this incredibly passionate, sweet, kind guy that has so much love it completely melted my heart. While some of that bravado is just the essence that is Jared (love it or leave it), a majority of it is because of his past. He was not raised to experience love so a lot of this is new and difficult for him to understand, but getting his back story, his parents, seeing things as they happened from his POV just enriched the story that much more for me. Jared Trent held me in the palm of his hand for the past few hours and I couldn’t have loved every second of it more if I tried. I will always need more Jared in my life.

‘ Dammit. I ground my teeth together.
How did she do that? How did she always manage to make me feel happy to see her happy?’

Tatum Fuckin Brandt…hehehe…that’s what Jared calls her. I love it. I love her. I love her for loving Jared, because he’s not an easy person to love. Tate is just…awesome. She’s brave, she’s strong, she’s kind and adorable. She’s put up with so much for Jared and honestly…she had every right to tell him to fuck off. Multiple times. In fact I wouldn’t blame her for it. But I love that her love for him was greater than her desire to give up on him. Seeing Tate thru Jared’s eyes was…fun. I know that’s not a very descriptive word for it but the whole process was so unique and complex. You’re riding this roller coaster with him, with both of them, experiencing it all over again and I don’t know why I was holding my breath at some points cause – clearly – I knew what happened, but it was just…different! And interesting. I had certain predictions on what I thought I knew about Jared and the way he felt about Tate and there were so many squeee’ing moments when I was right, it was ridiculous. But it made me so happy – or really, they make me so happy. Like my love for them separately is re-donk-u-lous, so combine that and it’s just out of this world.

‘With long, shiny hair and flawless skin, she looked like fire and sugar, and I wanted to gorge and burn at the same time.
Tatum was hot, but she didn’t know it.
And blonde or not, that was my type.’

Okay…if you’re someone who does not like hearing the same story over again from a different POV…then be prepared. A lot of what is told in Until You are the same events that happened in Bully…they’re from a completely different POV, and in my opinion, there is a lot of new insight to be had. I don’t mind hearing the same events as long as I am learning new information, which for me totally happened. I also think that the information that you get on the K.C. situation is…enlightening and explains so much, which I really liked. Plus, there are a lot of things about Jared’s past that we hear about but didn’t see in Bully and you get that in Until You. It really brought his character around full circle for me and totally made me love him more (as if that was possible). There is a lot of conflict and confusion…I got that a little bit with Tate, but with Jared it’s much more apparent. He’s battling himself and his feelings…this is not easy stuff for him to deal with. Which speaking of…the bulling thing. I got it in Bully, I understood his motives but it was even more crystal clear in Until You why he did what he did. Honestly, it was not difficult for me to forgive Jared in Bully and I could never really explain why…but I just felt his emotions, his pain, his struggle and just felt for him in general…but seriously, he stole my heart with this book.

‘God, I missed her.
The reality disgusted me, but it was true. When I hated Tate, my world got small. I didn’t see all the other shit: my mom, my dad, or my brother in foster care. If I only just had her here again, I wouldn’t be such a jumble of fucking breathing fits and outbursts.
It was stupid as hell, I know. Like she should be around just for me to push whichever way I wanted.
But I needed her. I needed to see her.’

Being in Jared’s head is…amazing-fabulous-awesome-super-stupendous-wonderful-yes-please-more-thank-you. That is all one word by the way. He is magnificence, rolled in hilariousness, dipped in sex and served on a plate of love & swoon. I just cannot even describe how someone that…on paper and under any normal circumstance, I should seriously dislike. And don’t get me wrong, for a large portion of Bully, I was worried that with this build of these things to hate about him, that I wouldn’t be able to get over it. Ha! Fooled me. And seeing those scenes, from his POV, knowing the truth behind his actions, I felt bad for even thinking about not liking Jared! Seriously, he is one of the most endearing and loveable characters I have ever read and once you know his past, it is the easiest thing in the world to forgive him. Your heart breaks for him and you just want to scoop him up and cuddle him. Or is that just me?

‘She’d always cared. She’d always loved me. I’d treated her worse than a dog for three years, and she still cried for me. I felt the ache in my throat as I looked at her, her face twisted up in sadness, and I knew she had every tight not to forgive me.
But I knew she would.
Maybe that’s the thing I’d been missing about love. You don’t withhold it or partition it out when it’s deserved.
You can’t control it like that.’

Heads up – this book is freakin’ hilarious. Jared is dry and sarcastic and just his random inner thoughts made me bust out laughing so many times. For example… ‘Yep. I’m a big bucket of stupid idiot.’ Just typing it makes me giggle. Chalk it up to another reason why I love him so. He was not the only one who made me laugh…of course, the awesome Madoc is there for comedic relief, and I feel in love with him even more. For the record…my favorite Madoc line – “The only time you smile is when you’re pulling the wings off of butterflies.” Because he’s Jared’s best friend, he is much more present in this book which is perfection because now I need more of him in my life. The other boy that stole my heart was Jax, Jared’s little brother (he was pretty funny too – these boys are just so damn cute I can’t help myself!). Jaxon is so similar and yet so different to Jared…it’s very interesting, but needless to say, his book is going to be a blast! I can tell… 🙂 Oh and I totally already have a prediction of who Jax’s ‘mystery girl’ is going to be!

‘“You own me body and soul, and everyone is going to know it. Sometimes I’m going to go slow with you, and sometimes I’m going to fuck you. But it will always be love, Tate.”
Always has been. And always will.’

Oh-my-ever-loving-JESUS this book was amazing. God bless Penelope Douglas for creating these characters and their story. I knew I was going to love being in Jared’s head…there are just some characters that hearing their thoughts and getting their feelings directly from their POV’s just makes everything so much better. And for me, Jared is the prime example. The Fall Away series is just…a series that has to be read and experienced first hand. In my eyes, it has everything…love, angst, emotion, passion, humor, a kick ass heroine with a super sexy BBF on top! Perfection!

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Penelope Douglas is a writer and teacher in Las Vegas. Born in Dubuque, Iowa, she is the oldest of five children. Penelope attended the University of Northern Iowa, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, because her father told her to “just get the degree!” She then earned a Masters of Science in Education at Loyola University in New Orleans, because she hated Public Administration. One night, she got tipsy and told the bouncer at the bar where she worked that his son was hot, and three years later they were married. To the son, not the bouncer. They have spawn, but just one. A daughter named Aydan. Penelope loves sweets, the show Sons of Anarchy, and she shops at Target almost daily.