VBB Weekly – 05.09.2016
On My Shelf
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Bookish News
- Tonight we’ll be talking about The Rose and the Dagger with Renee Ahdieh! Join us in the Vixens and get the scoop on this beautifully written novel!
- Enter to win an ARC of Eleanor Herman’s Empire of Dust!
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When a deliciously bad idea leads to a bliss she’s never known…
Coming tomorrow, pre-order now >
New Releases
The Empty Jar by M. Leighton (Available Now)
Three months touring Europe.
Romantic. Dazzling. Unforgettable.
The trip of a lifetime.
But some lifetimes are shorter…
We couldn’t have known it would work out this way. No one could. No one could’ve guessed that something so beautiful could be so tragic.
But it is tragic.
Yet so, so beautiful.
That’s what sacrifice is—beauty and tragedy.
It’s pain and suffering for something or someone you love.
And this is the ultimate sacrifice.
One stunning act of true love.
This is our story.
Our true love story.
Standalone novel.
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Behind the Hands that Kill by J.A. Redmerski (Available Now)
Even professional killers need vacations, but for Victor Faust, his vacation in Venezuela is about more than relaxation and time alone with Izabel Seyfried. It is a chance for him to come clean to Izabel: to tell her the truth about why he sent her to Italy with his brother, the truth behind his interest in Nora Kessler, and about his knowledge of Izabel’s child with her former captor. But before Victor can spill his soul, reality proves that for some killers, vacations are just pipe-dreams.
Attacked and kidnapped, Izabel finds herself stuffed in a suitcase, while Victor later wakes up imprisoned in a cage. In any other situation, Victor would find a way out and save himself and the woman he loves—but not this time. When the identities of their kidnappers are revealed, Victor loses all hope, and begins the mental process of accepting his and Izabel’s last moments together. And Izabel’s final moments of life.
As if his circumstances are not complicated enough, members of Vonnegut’s Order are finally closing in on Victor. And when they do, he comes face-to-face with someone else he once knew and loved, who could either help him, or make a grave situation much worse. Victor’s past has finally caught up with him: the women he has cared for, loved, and killed; the families he has destroyed; the unforgivable crimes he has committed. And now he must face the consequences, and pay the ultimate price for absolution.
But when it is all over, Victor may not have the strength to pick up what is left and move on. Because the event changes him. Because love changed him. And because, unlike before when he thought it is was for the best, he cannot imagine a life without Izabel in it.
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Dear Heart, I Hate You by J. Sterling (Available Now)
JULES
I didn’t plan on him….
Or for him.
Or anything that had to do with Cal Donovan from Boston.
Meeting him had been a complete and utter surprise, taking me one hundred percent off guard. I met new people every single day in my line of work and none of them affected me. Wasn’t that the way of things though? You could meet a thousand people and they’d all mean nothing to you, but then you’d meet that one and they suddenly meant everything.
I had always been focused on work. When did making yourself your number one priority become such a negative thing? I wasn’t entirely sure, but I learned fairly quickly after my last breakup that men didn’t like being second on the priority scale. And they seemed to be intimidated by a motivated woman, calling me things like “hard to handle,” “challenging, ” and “difficult.”
Being single seemed to work best for me and I had no plans on changing my relationship status anytime soon.
And then I met Cal.
And he f*****g ruined everything.
Standalone novel.
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Hustler by Meghan Quinn and Jessica Prince (Available Now)
I make my living as a hustler, and I’m great at it.
I don’t have a single tell and I use that to my advantage to manipulate any situation.
I’ve always known what a person is about to do before they’ve even decided.
That is, until I met Penelope.
I can’t get a read on her, and what’s worse, she doesn’t want anything to do with me.
Which only makes me want her more.
Now I’m in for the hardest hustle of my life.
Somehow I have to convince her she belongs with me.
Good thing I’m always up for a challenge.
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Dirty Little Rendezvous by Emma Hart (Available Now)
Sometimes the past becomes the present… And he’s hot, cocky, and British.
Leila Burke expected a lot of things when she joined her brothers on tour in Europe. He wasn’t one of them.
Jase Masters had no idea what to expect when he agreed to support Dirty B. on tour. She definitely wasn’t it.
It’s been eighteen months.
He remembers that night a little too well.
She insists she has no idea who he is.
He’s rugged and determined.
She’s wild and free.
Together, they’re a tornado.
Keeping it from touching down is the least of their worries.
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Falling Under You (1001 Dark Nights) by Laurelin Paige (May 10)
Norma Anders has always prided herself on her intelligence and determination. She climbed out of poverty, put herself through school and is now a chief financial advisor at Pierce Industries. She’s certainly a woman who won’t be topped. Not in business anyway.
But she’s pretty sure she’d like to be topped in the bedroom.
Unfortunately most men see independence and ambition in a woman and they run. Even her dominant boss, Hudson Pierce has turned down her advances, leaving her to fear that she will never find the lover she’s longing for.
Then the most unlikely candidate steps up. Boyd, her much-too-young and oh-so-hot assistant surprises her one night with bold suggestions and an authoritative demeanor he’s never shown her in the office.
It’s a bad idea…such a deliciously bad idea…but when Boyd takes the reins and leads her to sensual bliss she’s never known, the headstrong Norma can’t help but fall under his command.
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The Ending I Want by Samantha Towle (May 10)
Taylor Shaw had the perfect life—until she was sixteen. That was when everything changed. From that moment on, life went from bad to worse…to the worst.
After recovering from a brain tumor, months later, she suffers the tragic loss of her whole family.
Since that fateful day, she’s been coasting through life.
Now, the brain tumor has returned, and Taylor decides she’s had enough. She’s going to take her fate into her own hands.
No more hospitals. No more surgeries. No more anything.
She’s going to join her family.
It’s her decision.
What she longs for.
The ending she wants.
She just has a list of things to do before she goes.
First, go to England.
Second, kiss a stranger…
Only, Taylor didn’t expect Liam Hunter, the stranger—with his handsome face, his six-foot-three of gorgeousness, and his oh-so-hot English accent—to change things.
To change her.
To change the ending she wanted.
What is a girl, who is standing on the edge of nothing, to do when offered the chance of everything?
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Wrong Place, Right Time by Elle Casey (May 10)
Jenny’s single-parent life revolves around her kids and her job, which means that hours of Animal Planet and strings of computer code are about all she has time for. Not that Jenny’s looking for adventure or romance—she’s the type of woman who believes in playing it safe.
When Jenny is called upon to do some consulting for the Bourbon Street Boys—a New Orleans private security firm—she knows she should stay away. They conduct surveillance on known criminals and put themselves in harm’s way pretty much every day, so No is the obvious answer…Problem is, there’s a guy on the team with a body to die for and a dimple that just won’t quit luring Jenny in, tempting her to throw all caution to the wind.
Will Jenny take the risk or will she do what she’s always done—play it safe and wait for the right time?
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The Debt by Tyler King (May 10)
Hadley saved my life . . . and I ruined hers
Hadley’s my best friend. We share a house, our friends, a life. She knows all my secrets . . . except one. My desperate need for her is inked on my body, it’s the best I can do. But Hadley needs to hear the words . . .
Growing up as foster kids, Hadley made me feel whole-sane. And what did I do? I destroyed our chance to be together. I ran out on Hadley when I should have stayed, and something broke between us. Now I’ll do anything to fix it.
I’ll never leave her again. I won’t ever let her feel afraid again. But the more I try to protect her from my pain, the more I just make things worse. I’m terrified that if I tell her everything, she’ll never forgive me. I’m even more terrified that it may be too late to make her mine. I have to try to give her what she needs . . . it’s a debt I’m determined to repay.
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His to Love by Stacey Lynn (May 10)
In the explosive debut of Stacey Lynn’s irresistible Fireside series, a pair of estranged lovers are reunited by dangerous loyalties—and intoxicating desire.
Tyson Blackwell never saw it coming when his Mafia princess girlfriend dumped him and disappeared at the age of eighteen. He never forgot her, either, even after what happened next: the killing of his father, a Detroit PD officer, at the hands of one of her father’s men. Tyson swore revenge, and now, ten years later, the kid who dreamed of a pro football career is a hard-nosed FBI agent, back in town to take down the Galecki crime family once and for all. But Tyson’s mission gets complicated fast—because going undercover means seducing the only woman he’s ever loved.
Gabriella “Blue” Galecki has been in hiding for a decade. She finally comes home to spend time with her terminally ill mother, only to receive a blast from the past when she runs into Tyson. His brooding eyes and electrifying touch still send chills down her spine. But as heir to the family empire, Blue has been promised to another. Caught in a web of deception, she is tempted to pull the trigger on the boldest risk she’s ever taken: trusting Tyson with her life, her body, and her heart.
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Big Girls Do It Running by Jasinda Wilder (May 10)
Top Recommendation
From New York Times bestselling author Jasinda Wilder comes BIG GIRLS DO IT RUNNING, a straightforward guide to lifelong health and wellness.
No gimmicks, no counting, no measuring, just practical advice on how to eat better, get moving, and live well, delivered with refreshing honesty and humor.
Do you want to start a journey to health and strength, but are afraid of failing yet another diet or exercise program? Have you ever struggled with your weight? Do you have problems losing weight and keeping it off? Do you have allergies, ADHD, PCOS, diabetes, constipation, skin problems, or insomnia? Are you worried about your kids developing unhealthy eating habits and making poor lifestyle choices, but don’t know how to help them make changes? Do you want to eat healthier and be stronger, but just don’t know where to start? Using her own unique life experiences, Jasinda has developed an 8-week plan, The Wilder Way, that will get you eating, moving, living well, and feeling great.
BIG GIRLS DO IT RUNNING contains everything you need to succeed in achieving your goals and become a fit and fabulous health warrior: tear-out shopping lists, easy menu plans, delicious recipes, and simple, effective workouts. If you find yourself struggling and failing to manage your weight, then read this book-it will change your life!
Go ahead, put on your big girl panties and let’s kick some ass!
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Unrivaled by Alyson Noel (May 10)
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël comes the first book in the Beautiful Idols series. With mystery, suspense, and an insiders-only look at Los Angeles that echoes Gossip Girl’s racy and real New York, fans of Pretty Little Liars and readers who crave pulse-pounding romance will love Unrivaled.
Everyone wants to be someone. Layla Harrison wants to be a reporter. Aster Amirpour wants to be an actress. Tommy Phillips wants to be a guitar hero.
But Madison Brooks took destiny and made it her own a long time ago.
She’s Hollywood’s hottest starlet, and the things she did to become the name on everyone’s lips are merely a stain on the pavement, ground beneath her Louboutin heel.
That is, until Layla, Aster, and Tommy find themselves with a VIP invite to the world of Los Angeles’s nightlife and lured into a competition where Madison Brooks is the target. Just as their hopes begin to gleam like stars through the California smog, Madison Brooks goes missing. . . . And all of their hopes are blacked out in the haze of their lies.
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Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley (May 10)
Teen and adult fans of All The Bright Places, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and Everything, Everything will adore this quirky story of coming-of-age, coming out, friendship, love…and agoraphobia.
Sixteen-year-old Solomon is agoraphobic. He hasn’t left the house in three years, which is fine by him.
Ambitious Lisa desperately wants to get into the second-best psychology program for college (she’s being realistic). But how can she prove she deserves a spot there?
Solomon is the answer.
Determined to “fix” Sol, Lisa thrusts herself into his life, introducing him to her charming boyfriend Clark and confiding her fears in him. Soon, all three teens are far closer than they thought they’d be, and when their facades fall down, their friendships threaten to collapse, as well.
A hilarious and heartwarming coming-of-age perfect for readers of Matthew Quick and Rainbow Rowell, Highly Illogical Behavior showcases the different ways in which we hide ourselves from the world—and the ways in which love, tragedy, and the need for connection may be the only things to bring us back into the light.
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Stout by Georgia Cates (May 10)
Craft beer and the sexy men who brew it. A beautiful neighbor. A complete stranger. That’s all she was when I moved in next door.Adelyn Maxwell is my neighbor but she’s no girl next door. The more I come to know her, the more I discover she’s a good girl with a lovely dark side. And maybe I don’t want her to stay on her side of the fence.
I want to disturb the rhythm of her pulse.
I want to see the way her hair spills on the bed when she lies beneath me.
I want her to teach me the dirty pretty things she desires behind closed doors. And she does.
But mostly I want to leave my mark on the most intimate, untouched part of her body. Her heart.
A seemingly insignificant intersection of our lives neither of us recalls suddenly becomes a pivotal moment in our future. We aren’t strangers at all. And our paths aren’t crossing for the first time.
These twists and turns of fate will become one of two things: a wrecking ball to tear us apart or the connection to bond us together forever.
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The Bachelor by Winter Renshaw (May 10)
Derek Rosewood is never going to marry.
Ever. Again.
Fresh off the heels of a bitter divorce, there are only three things he gives a sh*t about: his daughter, his career, and his bachelorhood.
An attorney by trade and happily married to his job, he saves the drama for the courtroom and keeps women at an arm’s length. Their fragile, sequined hearts are safer that way. And besides, he’s not in any condition to offer them the love and attention they so foolishly seek from him.
Believe him, he’s not what they need. Not after what he’s been through.
It’s not until he’s assigned as the financial conservatorship for an aloof, enigmatic heiress that he finds his professional – and personal – boundaries pushed to the wayside. They’re all wrong for each other. Emotionally unavailable. Bitter. Jaded. And he’s supposed to look out for her best interests. Protect her.
But *this* wasn’t supposed to happen. And for that reason, Derek Rosewood pleads the fifth.
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The Dance by Alsion G. Bailey (May 11)
Bryson Walker stumbled heart first into the steady rhythm of her life, never questioning whether other possibilities existed. She had been Will’s girl since their junior year in high school, followed him to college, and married him soon after graduation.
In every respect, they were a loving and successful couple, until a series of missteps shattered all of Bryson’s truths. Maybe their life was nothing more than smoke and mirrors. A performance that was never based in reality.
Hart was barely an acquaintance. He and Bryson shared one brief moment during senior prom, full of friction and heat that ignited a spark. But that night Bryson walked away and Hart let her go.
Years later, twisted fate brings Bryson and Hart together again, causing her to wonder if this is her second chance at once in a lifetime.
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Below the Surface by Elizabeth Lee (May 12)
Daniella Alvarez and Dylan McKendrie used to be in love. They used to be a team. An inseparable force to be reckoned with. But, when tragedy struck, their relationship sank faster than the ships they used to scour the ocean floor for. Now all that’s left are scattered remains of what used to be.
Dylan, no longer seeking the mysteries on the ocean floor, now goes for the sure things and the guaranteed paychecks. When a longtime friend suggests he has hard proof that one of those legends that used to keep Dylan up at night could be real, he’s torn between going after the gold and maintaining the life he’d built since leaving The Florida Keys.
Daniella was always a dreamer. She’s always been chasing what would most deem unattainable—professionally and personally. Everything she’d ever wanted seemed to slip through her fingers the day he left, which is exactly why his return has her seeing red.
Can the two of them put their past aside long enough to figure out a mystery that has plagued them both for years? Can they work together to see what lies below the surface?
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★ Visit THIS PAGE for the full list of upcoming releases ★
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Current sales list for Amazon U.S. Click on image to purchase; click here to search my reviews.
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Young Adult
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New Adult and Adult
- 99¢ Series Sale: Game Series by Emma Hart
- 99¢ Series Sale: The Billionaire’s Obsession by J.S. Scott
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