Making It by Christine d'Abo

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From Riptide:

Devan knows exactly what he wants from life: a good career, a husband who loves him, and a child to call his own. He’s working at the perfect job, and has found the man of his dreams in Eli. That only leaves one box left to tick. When his friend offers to be a surrogate mother for Devan and Eli, he’s convinced all his dreams have come true.

Eli has been fighting his entire life. Fighting to keep his sick mother safe, fighting his frustration, and fighting daily as an up-and-coming MMA star. The one thing he can’t fight is the feeling that he’s made a terrible mistake agreeing to be a father with Devan. On the worst night of their lives, Eli knows Devan is better off without him, and leaves.

When Eli returns three years later, he comes face-to-face with Devan and a son who might be his. Devan has moved on with his life, but seeing Eli once again reignites forgotten passion. Yet if Eli wants to make it work with Devan, he must decide if he’s ready for the biggest fight of his life.

Source:  Advance electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

Eli's a messed up dude.  His past has completely wrecked him, leaving him no ability to deal with emotions.  Couple that with living deep in the closet as an MMA fighter and he is just a mess.  Devan's actually got his life together, but sometimes ignores what others want or need when he's focused on his goals.  When Eli leaves him without warning, he's devastated.  When Eli suddenly comes back to town, he's conflicted.  

Devan has to figure out if he can move on from the past and Eli has to figure out what he's willing to do for love and family.  Making It has d'Abo's signature smoking hot sex, a sexy fighter, and a baby!  What more could you ask for?

Making It is the third in the Ringside Romance series, each featuring a different friend - Zack, Max, and Eli grew up together training at Ringside.  Now they are re-opening Ringside and finding love.  Book 1, Working It, is my favorite of the series, but all three are well worth the read.  

~Shel

Breaking A Legend by Sarah Robinson Blog Tour - Review & Q & A

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BREAKING A LEGEND

Kavanagh Legends #1

Sarah Robinson

Released Sept 29th, 2015

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Perfect for fans of Katy Evans and Monica Murphy, Sarah Robinson’s blistering-hot series debut introduces the Kavanagh brothers—mixed martial arts fighters who work hard, play hard, and love with all their hearts.

As one of the big names at his family’s gym, Legends, MMA star Rory Kavanagh is used to being in the spotlight—until a gruesome leg injury knocks him out of the cage. Rory is left feeling sidelined in more ways than one, battling the inner demons that come with losing the one shot at his dreams. Then Clare walks into his life and gives him a new dream: winning her heart. There aren’t many new faces in Woodlawn these days, but this tough, beautiful stranger makes Rory want to get his life back into fighting shape.

Clare Ivers doesn’t think she’ll be able to tell anyone what really brought her to the close-knit Bronx neighborhood where she just started bartending. But her life’s on pause and her past is catching up fast, try as she might to move on—with new friends, steady work, and a chiseled alpha male trying to get her attention. Even though Rory’s more than a little intense, she can’t deny that her heart beats faster when he looks at her with those soulful silver eyes. Clare thought she was done with love, but Rory might just be man enough to show her she thought wrong.

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Sarah Robinson is the bestselling author of The Photographer Trilogy and the Sand & Clay rock star series. A native of Washington, D.C., Robinson has both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal psychology. She is married to a local police officer who is just as much of an animal rescue enthusiast as she is. Together, they own a zoo of rescue and foster animals.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

We asked Sarah Robinson a few questions and she very kindly joined in our silliness!  Check out the Q & A below:

BiblioJunkies:  What is your favorite thing about sports romance?

Sarah Robinson: Masculinity and rugged alphas, for sure. Almost every sports romance has a muscled, strong athlete who’s one of the best in his field, and won’t let anything stand between him and his dreams. Being an athlete takes dedication, skill, and ambition- all very attractive qualities to me in a man, and ones I hope to portray in all my novels. Rory’s career is over at the start of the novel due to an injury, but the same drive and determination never leaves him. He knows what he wants, and he’s going to get her.

BiblioJunkies:  Do you have a favorite book boyfriend/literary crush?

Sarah Robinson:  Gabe Hyde from Rachel van Dyken’s Ruin Series has stuck with me for a while, something about the way she writes men is intoxicating to me. They’re both strong and capable, yet wounded and in need of a woman’s help to be the man they want to be. If you’re talking specifically MMA       romances, then any man in the Fighting Series by JB Salsbury has stolen my heart more than once. Honestly, I don’t have one specific favorite, because my favorite is usually whatever I’m   reading at the time!

BiblioJunkies:  What is your favorite book of 2015 (so far)?

Sarah Robinson:  I adored The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon, which I’m not sure came out this year but I read it   this year. That story was fantastic. I laughed out loud, literally to Confessions of a Reformed Tom            Cat by Daisy Prescott. For a chilling and fantastic read, I read Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes         which actually comes out next year. Her first book, You, was amazing, and it’s in my top favorites        of all time. For romance specifically, I really loved After the Kiss by Lauren Layne, and that whole     series. I plan on reading at least 30 more books before the end of the year though, so who knows   what else might catch my eye! At the end of every year, I post a “top books of the year” list on my website, which you can subscribe to in order not to miss it at www.booksbysarahrobinson.net.

BiblioJunkies:  Are you a boxing/MMA fan?

Sarah Robinson:  Do I like sweaty men groping around at each other and flipping around on a mat? Yes, yes I do.    Do I like the sport itself and am a diehard fan? Not necessarily. I enjoy the sport itself, but it’s   always so short. So often when I’m watching, it’s always the lead up to the fight, then the fight is ten seconds, and it’s over. Those ten seconds are pretty freaking awesome though.

BiblioJunkies:  We are all about books, boys and pie (or really any sweet treat) here at BiblioJunkies HQ, we’ve covered the first two, so I have to ask, what is your favorite treat?

Sarah Robinson:  I’m eating pizza as a type this and wearing a t-shirt by Chris Crocker that says “I ain’t tryna please ya, I’m just tryna eat some pizza,” so one would think that is my favorite, but that’s just my favorite of the day. My favorite sweet treats varies based on the time of the month, you know what I’m talking about ladies, and based on how heavily my personal trainer shamed me and my eating habits that particularly, but if the calories don’t count, sheet cake is my favorite thing in the world. Generic vanilla sheet cake with dye-your-tongue-blue frosting and outrageously large frosting flowers. Heaven, right there. Sometimes I crash kid’s birthday parties just to eat the cake, and if they have one of those weird fruit cakes, they’re off my friend list for life. This is very serious.

I often post the silly things I’m wearing and eating on my Instagram (www.instagram.com/booksbysarahrobinson) so make sure to follow me to keep up!

Review:
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There seem to be a lot of boxing/MMA books out there right now where the badass fighter falls for the abused girl.  Breaking a Legend was well-executed, thoughtful and a good read, but I think I'm burnt out on this particular storyline.  I will never tire of staring at the book cover, though.  :)  That said, I enjoyed Breaking a Legend, especially the supporting cast of characters.

I do adore the Kavanagh family and can't wait to read Kieran's story in Saving a Legend (coming in March 2016).  Lots of siblings, each will get their own book according to Ms. Robinson's website, and if you have siblings, you know the kind of hijinx that ensue.  There's a real family dynamic that is entertaining and engrossing, and that is what will keep me coming back for more.  

~ Shel

Abby Niles Q & A and Winning Love Giveaway!

Today we are celebrating Winning Love by Abby Niles!  And we should celebrate - seriously, check out that cover - Hot, Hot, Hot!  Abby was nice enough to do a Q & A for us, so check it out, then read all about Winning Love and last, but certainly not least - enter the giveaway at the end of the post!  We are super excited, fighting hotties, a super author that loves superheroes like we do and a giveaway!  Best. Monday. Ever.

1.         What is your favorite thing about writing Winning Love?

I have a lot of favorite things about this book all for different reasons, so this is a difficult question. If I had to focus on one particular thing, it would be the storm chasing. Mostly because of the amount of research that went into those scenes and how hard they were to write. I really challenged myself as a writer with those scenes and I’m very proud of how they turned out.

               Do you have a favorite book boyfriend/literary crush?

Oh yes. Jericho Barrons. For those who do not know who he is, he is the hero in Karen Marie Moning’s earlier Fever books. All I can say is OMG.

            Action flick or romantic comedy? 

I love both genres, but I have to be in a certain mood to watch either of them. If I’m in a good mood and looking for something light-hearted and funny, I’ll pick the romantic comedy. But if my moods a little darker, I’m definitely picking the action flick. I really am one of those girls who one week is laughing her tail off at That Awkward Moment and the next week freaking out over Robocop. Now, if the choice is between a superhero flick and romantic comedy, superheroes win out every time. I love my superheroes.

           What is your favorite book of 2014 (so far)?

I’m really far behind on my reading list, so I haven’t read very many books that have released this year. The one book that really stands out to me came out at the end of last year and was by Jamie McGuire. I read it while at the beach with my family. It was called RED HILL. It was a zombie apocalypse book. I’m a huge, huge Walking Dead fan, but had never read a book based on zombies. I came across this one by accident just looking for something to read while at the beach. Man, I devoured that book.  

         

      Your Awakening Series is paranormal (hot shifter lovin’) and Winning Love is the third installment of your contemporary Love in the Extreme Series, so do you have a preference between writing about hot fighters versus hot shifters? 

I really don’t. Each genre gives me a little break because how I write the book is different. I get to be more creative with my paranormal series since I am actually building the world. So that is refreshing. However, sometimes my creative juices needs a break and it’s nice to have parameters to have to work in, which is why contemporary is so awesome.

We are all about books, boys and pie (or really any sweet treat) here at BiblioJunkies HQ, we’ve covered the first two, so I have to ask, what is your favorite treat?

I have the sweet tooth that beats all sweet tooths. There isn’t a sweet I would turn away. I will say that because I am ready for Fall, I have been craving a pumpkin pie like mad.

Thank you so much for having me today!
Abby

Book Title: Winning Love

Author: Abby Niles

Release Date: 8/26/14

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Author Website: http://www.abbynilesauthor.com/

Author Blog: http://www.abbynilesauthor.com/

Author Twitter:  https://twitter.com/abbyniles

Author Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/abbynilesauthor

Author Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4899743.Abby_Niles

Newsletter:  http://abbynilesauthor.us6.list-manage2.com/subscribe/post?u=4407679d068941b08a1e08239&id=ca82ea84ad

Author Bio:

Ever since Abby Niles picked up her first Sweet Valley High book in sixth grade and fell in love with Elizabeth and Todd, she’s been hooked on romance. By the time she reached high school, she was devouring meatier romances with pirates, cowboys and knights. She never imagined that those years of reading would one day lead to becoming a published author.

In her late twenties, after having twins and becoming a stay-at-home mom, she started doodling stories to keep her sanity. Next thing she knew, she was actually submitting to publishing houses. And was immediately rejected. That didn’t stop her though. She found some kickass critique partners, honed her craft, and continued submitting.

And eventually sold.

Today, she is a full-time writer and lives with her two kids in North Carolina.

Abby is the author of the contemporary MMA romance series Love to the Extreme. The first two books, Extreme Love and Fighting Love, released in 2013. The third book, Winning Love, will release on August 26th, 2014. She is also the author of the dark paranormal romance series The Awakening: Aidan, The Awakening: Liam, and The Awakening: Britton. Both series are with Entangled Publishing. Defying Convention, with Carina Press, is a geeky romantic comedy held at a Sci-fi convention, where Live Action Role Players (LARPers) set out to teach their favorite author a lesson.

She is represented by Maureen Walters at Curtis Brown, LTD.

You can find Abby on Facebook and Twitter.

Book Synopsis:

Mac “The Snake” Hannon has spent years throwing himself into cage fighting as a way to lash back at the natural disaster that destroyed his future. A call for help has Mac returning to the one place he swore never to return: Kansas—in the height of tornado season.

There he meets free-spirited Gayle Matthews. At first he wants nothing to do with the infuriatingly persistent woman, but the crazy challenges she tosses his way are impossible to resist. As she thaws years of bitterness, bringing back the Mac he believed long gone, he starts to make peace with the past and see the future again. Until he learns she chases his worst nightmare—then he can’t get away fast enough.

Meteorologist and storm chaser, Gayle Matthews is no stranger to being left behind and now believes in living in the moment. She wants to do just that with the handsome extreme fighter with the achingly sad eyes. As she works to replace the sorrow with desire, she finds herself breaking her one rule: have fun but don’t fall in love. When he suddenly pushes her away and she discovers the horrifying reason why, she issues one more challenge: face his fear and come on a chase with her.

Will squaring off with the past lead to a victory for heartache or love?

Tagline: The biggest fight of his life isn’t in a cage...

Goodreads Book Link: http://bit.ly/WinningLoveGR

Amazon Buy Link: http://bit.ly/WinningLoveAM

Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://bit.ly/WinningLoveBN

Entangled Page: http://bit.ly/WinningLoveEP

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