A Smexy Birthday and a winner!!

Today is Ms. Smexy's Birthday and I found two little gifts for her!

Happy 

Birthday

Ms.

Smexy!!!!

I hope you have a wonderful day full of cake, wine and smexy men!!!
Can't decide which one I like more!

And before I forget it while looking at these hunks. We also have a winner of Moonlight Menage by Stephanie Julian:

*~*drumroll*~*

Wildcat!!!!

Congrats! I will give your Email addy to Steph and she will contact you!

Hope you all have a great week!

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Review: Colters' Woman by Maya Banks & Giveaway

Description:
Adam, Ethan and Ryan aren't looking for women. They're looking for a woman. One woman to share their lives and their beds. They don't want a casual romp in the hay, they want the woman who will complete them and they're losing hope of finding her. That is until Adam finds Holly lying in the snow just yards from their cabin. He knows she's different the minute he holds her in his arms. But before Adam gets his hopes up, he knows he has to gauge his brothers reactions. Soon its evident that she's the one. There are a few problems, however convincing her she belongs with them and keeping her safe from the man who wants her dead. Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, ménage à quatre, violence.

Review:

I won this book over at Patti's place. I agreed to review it cuz she was not so fond of the book and wanted to give it another chance(here is Patti's review). But I have to say it really wasn't a book for me either. It took me forever to read it and I had to force myself to do it. But I think my reason for not liking it aren't all the same as Patti's so I will try to tell you what my problem was.

The beginning reminded me of Amber Eyes also by Maya Banks but after I grabbed that one again I saw that the beginnings aren't that identical but it was what I thought as I started it. When he finds Holly in the snow and immediately knows that she is the one I thought okay, it is a book and not reality after all. But when we learn what horrible things Holly went through and then see her falling in love again to 3 men so soon after that I was rather disappointed. I don't have any problem with the 3 men being brothers. They don't really interact in bed with each other, what I find rather an achievement with all these bodies and all, so I really don't mind. But seriously: you have a frightened woman running away from her murdering husband and she meets 3 brothers and bam she loses all her problems with commitment after perhaps 24 hours? I so don't get that at all. I think I would have liked this book more if at least the building up of the relationship would have been more. You can say a hundred times that the men love Holly but that doesn't make me believe it.

I want to read about the struggles and the inner problems all 4 of them faced and not only a short rundown of it.

Another problem I found myself confronted with where the sex scenes. I think this was the first book where I really skipped some of them cuz I just couldn't stand it. Not at all sexy. I felt like reading a porn movie. Perhaps this book is written for men? No idea. Since I finished it I'm thinking about why I didn't like the smex. Perhaps it is connected to the first problem. I think I like the smex in a romance or erotica book when I can feel for the characters or at least like them. Neither was the case in this book for me.

The suspense plot was unfortunately not to my liking either. It was too slow for me and it didn't grab me. The decision for the divorce felt a bit too forced for me and all the surprising action was not surprising at all. I always knew what would happen next- it was really predictable.

So all in all not really my kind of book. The romance was too fast and the action was to slow. I couldn't really feel for the characters and it all left me untouched in the end.

To learn more about Maya Banks and her books please visit her website here.

Other reviews @goodreads. Buy the book @amazon

 

*~*Giveaway*~*

I decided to give the book to

another reviewer so we all can read another opinion about this book.

All you have to do is state that you want to read and review this book in the comments and I will pick one commenter next Sunday(April, 4th).
Good Luck everyone!

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Interview & Giveaway with Author Stephanie Julian

Please welcome today Stephanie Julian, author of the Magical Seduction and  the Lucani Lovers Series. Stephanie is here today to talk a bit about her last release Moonlight Ménage. You can read my review here.

It's getting hot so stay tuned girls and grab yourself something to cool yourself down. There also a chance to win a copy of Moonlight Ménage at the end of the interview.

Susi: Hi Stephanie, it's so great to have you here today. Thanks so much for taking the time.
Stephanie: Thanks for having me. It's great to be here.

Susi: Tell us a bit about yourself?
Stephanie: Well, I'm a professional writer, have been since I graduated from Penn State University with a degree in English. I've been a reporter and feature writer for a daily newspaper for many years in addition to being a novelist. Romance has always been my favorite genre and I can't imagine that ever
changing. I live in a house full of guys, my wonderful husband and two teenage boys and I wouldn't change it for the world, even though it is a little smelly now and then.

Susi: I thought it would be nice to ask a few other things, that will give us a deep look into your soul *snort* so here are a few bullet questions:
Tea or coffee?
Stephanie: Neither. I'm strictly a hot chocolate girl.

Susi: Pepsi or coke?
Stephanie: Coke

Susi: Cat or dog?
Stephanie: Cats. They're so adorably Machiavellian.

Susi: Sunny beach or winter wonderland?
Stephanie: Hell is cold. Give me a sunny beach any day. Make it 90 degrees and humid nd it's even better.

Susi: Werewolf or vampire?
Stephanie: I love to write werewolves. But I'm a Cellie so I love JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

Susi: Star Wars or Star Trek?
Stephanie: Trekker from the time I was five. Seriously. I had a babysitter who got me hooked. It's the first TV show I remember watching. I've seen all the episodes of very incarnation. I'm such a dork that I used to keep a list of every classic episode and how many times I'd seen it.

Susi: Cinema or home-movie?
Stephanie: The bigger the screen, the better. I worked in a movie theater from the time I was 16 through my college years and even after college for a little while. Besides reading, there is nothing I enjoy more than watching something blow up on a huge screen. And if it has hot guys, all the better.

Susi: Weighted Companion Cube or cake?
Stephanie: I'm not much of a gamer so I will take cake. Actually, I will take cake over just about anything unless there's Junior Mints. Are there Junior Mints?

Susi: Tell us a bit about your Lucani Lovers Series and your new book Moonlight
Ménage?
Stephanie: Lucani Lovers came about because I wanted to write wolf shifters. Every culture has shifter legends but I wanted to tie mine to the Roman legions. If there really were werewolves in ancient Roman, you can be damn sure they'd have their own auxiliary. So my wolves are soldiers. The characters
I'm focusing on now are the special forces soldiers, the sicari (assassins). Duke and Nic are two of the best soldiers the legion has but even they can't fight fate. And fate's a bitch. Just ask its goddess, Nortia. She'd agree.
Nic and Duke have been in love with Tira for years but Tira's Goddess Gift of foreseeing has torn them apart. She can't bear to touch Nic because each time she does, she sees his death in the not-too-distant future. For eight years, Duke has tried to shut himself off emotionally from Tira but Nic is determined to show Tira that no matter how much or how little time he has, spending it together is better than spending it apart. And just because you can't fight fate, doesn't mean you can't change it. Fighting means battle. Sometimes you need finesse.

Susi: The first thing I noticed, as I started reading Moonlight Ménage was the glossary and the huge amount of Italian words. How come you choose an Italian background for this world?
Stephanie: Because I'm Italian on my dad's side and most everyone else was writing about Celtic fairies and witches. I wanted to do something different, something I could pull from my heritage. And I really haven't seen anyone else doing Etruscan mythology so I carved out my own niche.


Susi: All the gods and mystical beings are "real" so far as I noticed. That must have been a great deal of research? Is Italian mythology a hobby of yours or was it all just for the books?
Stephanie: I took Latin in high school for four years. I loved it and I had a great teacher who made learning about mythology interesting as opposed to a chore. I still call on Miss Rurode when I need something translated into Latin. As for research, give me a five-inch-thick college textbook on the death
practices of the Etruscans and I will be in heaven for many, many hours. I love research.

Susi: Your heroine, Tira has a rather limiting ability. She sees the future while touching someone. Why did you choose this ability for her?
Stephanie: Tira first appeared in Nica's story in Seduced by Two. And quite honestly, I didn't consciously pick her ability. Sometimes when I'm writing, little pieces of the overall puzzle of the story arc show themselves and you wonder why you wrote that. Eventually, the reason reveals itself. When I started
writing Seduced by Two and Tira and Nica are in the bar at the beginning of the story, Tira uses her ability to see if Nica will be safe with Tanner and Jensen that night. I had the vague idea that Tira would have her own story later but didn't have a clue what it would be about. But when I thought about Tira's character, she always had this ability. Weird, I know.

Susi: Which supernatural ability would you personally love to have?
Stephanie: The ability to make my sons clean up their room without me screaming at them. Otherwise, teleportation. I have really bad motion sickness so flying can be a hassle.

Susi: Tell us a bit about our 2 heroes: Duke and Nic. There are both very different and both had a rather unconventional upbringing. Tell us why you chose this setting for these two?
Stephanie: Because I'm fascinated by unconventional relationships. Duke and Nic grew up seeing that love isn't always confined to the narrow box some people want to shove it in. They're well-adjusted adults who love the same woman and each other enough to want to make their relationship work.

Susi: Okay, naughty question: you can choose 2 guys for yourself, free and without repercussions. Who would it be?
Stephanie: Right now, Sam Worthington and Sam Worthington's twin brother. He's actually the physical model for the hero in my next book.

Susi: Who is up next in this Lucani Lover series? What can we expect in the
future?
Stephanie: ...John Simmons and Kaine Giliati in Edge of Moonlight. You met Kaine
briefly in Kiss of Moonlight and she has a larger role in Moonlight Ménage.
You'll continue to see more of Cat, Kyle's daughter, and Tivr, the God of
the Moon.

Susi: Do you have something else up your sleeve we should keep our eyes on?
Stephanie: Actually, I just sold a three-book series to Sourcebooks for their new erotic romance line that will feature the Forgotten Goddesses of Etruria. You've actually met some of them already. Nortia, Goddess of Fate, is one, though she won't get a hero for a while yet. The first three are Thesan, Goddess of the Dawn; Lusna, Goddess of the Moon, who you meet in Moonlight Ménage; and Amity, Goddess of Health.

Susi: Last question: what would you ask yourself if you were in my position? And please feel free to answer!
Stephanie: Why is your trashcan stuffed with empty Junior Mint boxes? Because I'm a Junior Mint addict. Really. I might need help some day.

Thanks so much for taking the time and answering my questions. If you have some questions just shoot. Stephanie will be happy to answer them for you!


To get in touch with Stephanie or to get more information about her books you can reach her @website, @twitter,@facebook, Blog
Now to the contest: 

Stephanie offers to give away an eBook copy of Moonlight Ménage to one lucky commenter.

Giveaway rules:
1.) Leave a comment telling us which 2 guys you would choose or ask Stephanie a question! 2.) Leave me a way to contact you(email in blogger profile or twitter is okay)!
4.) You can get an extra entry when you spread the word about the giveaway(just leave a link).
5.) Open to everyone!
6.) Giveaway ends on Sunday, March, 28th and I will draw a winner after getting up the next day!


That's it! So comment away!

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Review: Moonlight Ménage by Stephanie Julian

Description:

For eight years, Etruscan witch Tira Belludi has longed to give herself, body and soul, to the two shifter men who hold her heart. But visions of death and fears for her sanity have forced her to keep her distance.
Nic Rocca and Duke Ducati are brothers in everything but blood and partners who have each other’s backs. They share a home, a job and had planned to share their life with Tira between them…until the night she saw their future and built a fortress around her heart.
Now danger and death stalk Nic and Duke. And Tira must make a choice—grab love while she has the chance or watch Nic die from afar and lose Duke forever.

Review:
I received this book as a review copy from the author and I was a bit shy to start it at first. I haven't read Kiss of Moonlight so I was afraid to be totally lost in this one but I was wrong. Okay from time to time I noticed that I missed out on something but I plan to get Kiss of Moonlight ASAP.

This book starts with a big bang. We are thrown in the middle of a burning house and with the fear of losing someone important. This part was the confusing part for me because I had no idea who all these people are but after the first chapter I was totally drawn into the story and just couldn't stop.

 

Tira is very complex character. She cares for the ones she loves but she also has to shield her heart from breaking. She knows nearly all her life that she loves Drake and Nic however unusual that may seem. She always accepted that and knew they would live their lives together. But one day she gets this awful vision while touching Nic and she just can't resume living this way. She accepts that the decision to leave them will probably break her but it's better than the alternative. Or that's what she thought before Nic nearly dies in the aforementioned fire. Now she sees how short life could be and she has to grab her opportunity of happiness however short it may be, now.

Drake is the silent broody type and he could never accept Tira's decision. He thinks she hates him because of what she saw in her vision so long ago and he just can't let it go. Every chance he gets he makes some asshole comment and always gets into a fight with her. He still wants her but he just can't stand this situation.

Nic is more outgoing than Drake. He's full of life and some would say he has a death wish with all the risks he takes each day. He's a real Don Juan and didn't waste any time in the eight years without Tira.

What I found real surprising that these relationship seemed so real to me. I'm mostly skeptical when it comes to long time threesomes. I always think that this kind of relationship could be really problematic from time to time. After all there is one person who can get hurt or feel out of the loop. But I could believe it works for these three.

The relationship development between these 3 was heartbreaking. I so felt for them and I was they find a solution through the whole time and I felt as desperate as they felt . The whole situation seemed to be unsolvable.

I also enjoyed the side characters. The whole story around the 3 was gripping and I loved the community Ms. Julian created. I especially liked that all seemed so tolerant and full of love. I'm always a sucker for a strong family and I always had to smile at all the Italian words. That was so like being in Italy. LOL

All in all the book is a really hawt read with good m/f/m action. You will so need extra undies for this one. *wink* At times the story felt a bit rushed and the solution at the end was way too easy for me but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

To learn more about Stephanie and her books please visit her website here.

The Lucani Lovers Series:
1. Kiss of Moonlight: reviews @goodreads, buy @Ellora's Cave

2. Moonlight Ménage: reviews @goodreads, buy @Ellora's Cave

Steph will be here on Tuesday for an interview and she will also give a copy of Moonlight Ménage for one lucky commenter.

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Review: The Rose of Shanhasson by Joely Sue Burkhart

Description:
Shannari is destined to unite the Green Lands and wear the Rose Crown, though she doesn't yet know how. SHe's the avatar of the Goddess, but she's only ever been betrayed in love. She's beset on all sides by enemies, including the current pretender to the throne, who wants to marry her and then kill her, cementing his claim.

When she prays to the Goddess for Guidance, she doesn't expect her answer to come in the guise of a barbarian warrior who demands her hand. Now, all she has to do is survive a battle with the barbarian, marry him, escape him and his elite warrior band, kill her former fiancé, and make it home in one piece.

Shannari's worth fighting for, and the men in her life don't take no for an answer easily. Unfortunately for them, Shannari never says yes. She doesn't believe in love. Now Rhaekhar, her barbarian warrior, has to convince her that his love is worth fighting for, and help keep her alive while doing it.


Review:

I received this book from the author and I'm totally biased cuz Joely is one of the nicest people I know and I totally adore her work. You have been warned!

I haven't read a romantic fantasy book as good as this one for a long time. It has everything I love about this genre and even a bit more. I always like it when the fantasy is something special. I don't want to read about orks and elves any longer. I have so had enough of those.
I appreciate it when the author creates something new and creative and not just a Tolkien copy. I love the invention of new races and divine creatures. I love it when the different cultures speak individual languages. Yes, I know it's totally crazy but I'm one of those people who actually owns a copy of the Elvish Dictionary.

But back to this book. The world we find ourselves in is kind of medieval with a touch of magic and more than enough divine intervention. The people in this world believe in the power of their deities, so they all try to stay on the good side of the one they chose to follow.

The story is all about Shannari. She is a princess but not the kind we normally think of when hearing that word. She had to defend herself more than once and got gravely hurt in the process - physically and even more so emotionally. She is a strong character with deep bonds to her people. She knows what her destiny is and she is not afraid to sacrifice herself on the way. She knows what the important and right thing to do is but all this knowledge doesn't make her feel better. She knows there is no way around it so she will hold her head up high and just live through it.
The first time she meets Rhaekhar is in a battle and she sees him as a strong warrior and also as the barbarian he is. But OMG, I want my own barbarian now. Nope, I take that back I want my own PAIR of barbarians now. *wicked grin* But more about that later.

Rhaekhar is the Khul of the Nine Camps of the Sha'Kae al'Dan, so to speak their leader. He is the best in everything *wink* and has to stand up to all expectations in order to stay Khul. He's an alpha male from head to toe and he never gives up when his goal is in sight. And his goal is to have Shannari. Not as some low sex-slave as some of our dirty minds might think. No, he wants to marry her and spend the rest of his life at her side- forever. He knows from a vision that she is the one and he will fight for her hard with all he has and let me say that this would win my heart ASAP. He's a kind man although he rules with a strong hand. But he has a good heart and wants to make everything right.

And then we have Gregar *big sigh*- the Shadowed Blood. A Blood is a kind of personal bodyguard for the Khul and all 7 of them should never leave his back. And with never I mean like not even in the personal moments we sometimes have. *blush* Gregar is a special one- he has so much darkness, shadow inside that it sometimes broke my heart. He's a passionate man with a really wicked grin and oh so many other good characteristics but he really can be scary from time to time. I can't even say for sure why I loved him so much. Perhaps cuz I wanted to hug him and make it all better? I'm really not sure but Gregar is so my new book boy friend. We get the first glimpse at a wonderful love triangle but at the end we have to be patient for the next book to get a better look at my beloved Gregar.

The Rose of Shanhasson grabbed my heart from the first sentence to the last word and I wanted to scream for the next book when I closed this one. Okay, it's probably not for the faint of heart with all the blood and shadows in it but I felt honored with every drop. The emotional build up was heart wrenching from time to time and the sexual tension will boil your blood. The fantasy is fascinating and wonderfully developed, the storyline thrilling through the whole book. All in all a must read for all the fantasy lovers out there who love to read something hot and spicy. The Rose of Shanhasson so deserves the title na'lanna for me.


To learn more about Joely and her books please visit her website here. You can also find a free prequel about Gregar here(The Shadowed Blood) and another one called The Horsemaster plays in that world too.

The Shanhasson Trilogy:

1. The Rose of Shanhasson: reviews @goodreads, buy print copy @amazon,
                                                   buy ebook @Drollerie Press
2. The Road to Shanhasson: reviews @goodreads, buy @Drollerie Press

3. Return to Shanhasson (TBD)

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Finally a winner!

OMG I'm so sorry that I forgot to draw a winner but this week was stress with a capital S.

Wrote my last exam today and we should not talk about that one. *sigh* But I already got myself a won derful bottle of sparkling wine and I celebrated that I finally can do what I want again.


But back to the drawing...

*runs to random.org*

Ah that was fast. So without further babbling the winner of an eBook copy of My Everything by Julia Rachel Barrett is:

*~*drumroll*~*

Marissa

Congrats hon! I will contact you ASAP!

P.S. I knew I should have asked my kitty for help with my exams:


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

I hope you all have  a great day!

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My February Reads

This last month was so not what I call relaxing. We still had a few html issues with Book Lovers INC, and you all know my deep love for html *sarcastic voice*, and my long feared exams started. I already had 3 of them and now there are only 2 more to go. *yay*
I can't wait for that to be over and I so hope I will finally get my normal schedule back. I so miss to visit all the blogs and to procrastinate on twitter. I really miss you all!
So I think it's quite surprising how much I read in February. Otherwise I think I watched 5 hours TV tops last month (I don't count the hours were the tv was on and I was asleep. LOL).
So here's my list:

1. Flirting With Fate (Stiletto Girls, #2) by Lexi Ryan 

This is the second book in this series and I really enjoyed both books. It's a nice quick paranormal romance with a nice twist here and there. The character are lovely and we get many POVs through the whole book.

The main plot was gripping and the suspense was good too. I wanted to know how all this will work out so bad. I couldn't put this book down and now I so want to know how the story will go on. I'm officially hooked. 
A few things were missing for me but I can't wait to read teh next one.  (my full review)

 

2. The Rose of Shanhasson (Blood and Shadows, #1) by Joely Sue Burkhart 

I so loved this one. I started writing the review last week but every time I think I'm done it feels like I didn't do the book justice so I will keep changing it till I'm ready and feel like it says exactly what I want it to say. I'm always this way when I love a book. Just can't stop messing with it.

Just a few things about it: a really sexy great developed fantasy including yummy alpha males, the dark brooding "bad" assassin and a fascinating and thrilling plot. 

  

3. Scarlet Woman (Middlemarch Men, #1) by Shelley Munro

From the blurb I expected something more emotionally intense with many obstacles and struggles for trust. What I got was slightly different. All happened really fast and it really surprised me.
But the characters were lovely and I liked the kitty shifters. The sidecharacters were so much fun and the scenes between the sheets were really hawt.
A good read to keep you warm in this cold winter.

You can read my full review here.

 

4. Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (Jane Jameson, #1) by Molly Harper 

I read this one for a challenge from a fellow Book Lover, Larissa from Larissa's Life. I agreed to read the whole series and she in return agreed to read Lauren Dane's Brown Siblings Series. Will review this book when I read all book in this series. But I can say I really loved it. Jane is such a great character and I had to laugh so much. One of the funniest books I read so far.
Really great book. You all should really give it a try.

 

5. The Road to Shanhasson  (Blood and Shadows, #2) by Joely Sue Burkhart 

Book 2 in this series and I loved it as much as the first one. Haven't started to write the review yet but it's on top of my to-do list after the exams.
This book had so many new twists and there a few things happened that made me scream "Oh Nooooooooo!" and perhaps I cried a bit. But the whole review will tell you more about that.
Oh and before I forget it: I so adore this cover. I can't wait to get this one in print. It totally reflects the story and it just fits. Love it!
 

6. Dirty by Megan Hart 

Again wow to a Megan Hart book. How does she always find a way to sneak behind my defenses with her books? A whole day I could do nothing else than read this book and believe me I really annoyed Heather with what felt like a million quotes while reading it. It was just great. It has all a good book needs: something to laugh about, something to swoon about(yep a man *wink*) and things to cry about. Again a roller-coaster ride for me and I so want to review it but we will see how much time I can find after the exams. As I said so often: everyone should read one Megan Hart's books cuz I think you can hardly understand what I mean with all my praise without having read one. This one is definitely one of my faves of hers and I decided cuz of lack of new books written by her that I have to re-read one: so on my tbr is now Tempted again. =)

  

7. My Everything by Julia Rachel Barrett

This book was a real surprise for me. Okay that sounds mean. I didn't expect a bad book after reading Captured but what I got was really more than I hoped for.
It was such a lovely and fast read. It was thrilling and sexy as hell. The characters were great and I wanted to hug them all. I'm not usually a huge suspense reader but this one really glued me to my chair/bed. Loved this one. I so want more of those so Julia keep them coming. You can read my full review here.

  

8. Kissing Sin (Riley Jenson Guardian, #2) by Keri Arthur 

After already having read book 8 and 1 I was a bit disappointed with this story. Can't even say why really but it was like: Oh that was the last page? Huh?

I think I need a break before I resume reading this series. Perhaps this book had not enough Quinn for my taste or I'm really too much human to accept this I have a different man in my bed every day. I can so relate to Quinn in this point.
I still like Riley so perhaps not all hope is lost. We will see....
 
9. Pleasure of a Dark Prince (IAD, #9) by Kresley Cole 

I'm a Immortals After Dark addict and I can't say enough how much I love this world. This book was especially great cuz it has my 2 most loved species in it as our couple- a Lykae and a Valkyrie. I love these werewolves not only cuz they talk so funny. That bluidy amused me. Gareth is so yummy and just droolworthy. Loved him.
And I think I mentioned more than once my love for the Valkyrie. These girls are just perfect. And I was so happy to see a bit more of Regin in this book. Hope to read hers soon. You haven't read this series? What are you waiting for?

  

10. Shift (Shifters, #5) by Rachel Vincent

I received this one from netgalley and it's another one I still have to write a review about. =/
I love this series and am so curious about how Ms. Vincent will solve this whole mess. I alway thought that the whole ruling system would be a hard thing to solve but now we also have a love triangle. Ohoh! I'm so curious about how she will solve this mess and I so hope she will not chose the wrong solution.

 

11. Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter, #2) by Nalini Singh

I really like Nalini's Psy/Changeling series but in my opinion this series is her absolute best. I adore the characters and the world she created is so creative and individual. I love the way she tells the story and OMG I completely adore Raphael. Hottest angel ever!! And the covers are so great. Couldn't stop reading this one and can't wait to get the next one.


 

And at last to show you how I felt last month:

 Hope you all have a great weekend!
P.S. My Julia Rachel Barrett giveaway is still running for the next 48 hours. Here's the link.

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