The Best Books Jan ~ July 2015 ~ * ~ Janett's Picks

1. Stop!

by Alison G. Bailey

Synopsis

Every life has a different path full of sharp turns, smooth curves, and steep drop offs.

Hollis Murphy has a plan—college, career, boyfriend, love, marriage, family. A predictable, normal life. She’s on track until an outside force causes her to crash and burn. They call it an accident, because that’s the only word they know to explain what happens to her. It helps everyone move on with their lives, except for Hollis. She holds on to the belief that she’s been targeted for a reason.

Risher Stevenson is intelligent, caring, sweet, and the hottest boy Hollis has ever laid eyes on. He fits perfectly into her original plan for a normal life. Everyone loves him.

Benton Daniels is intelligent, caring, sweet, and the bravest boy Hollis has ever met. He doesn’t fit into her life but gives it purpose and makes it extraordinary. Everyone hates him.

One is bullied. One is tormented. All are judged. How will it STOP?

Buy Link

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/p4fb8zg

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2. A Legal Affair Story (Cal and Macy)

Clash, Grind, Yield

by Sawyer Bennett

Clash (Book 1)

 Synopsis

 Clash (verb): to conflict, disagree.

It might be fair to say that I despise Macy Carrington. She slings insults with precision, not caring about the destruction she leaves in her wake. We clash in a battle of wills every time we’re around each other, and yet… I still fantasize about being lodged deep within her body.

Clash (verb): to come together or collide.

I have never encountered someone that grates me the way Cal Carson does. His pompous, arrogant demeanor. A holier-than-thou attitude. Any interaction with “Saint Cal” ends in a verbal clash of epic proportions, and yet… there’s no one I’d rather have in my bed than him.

Clash (noun): a battle, fight or skirmish.

Her breathy moans mingle with the sound of our flesh coming together, clashing with the silence that surrounds us, dispelling any notions I once had about Macy Carrington.

Maybe I can break down her walls if we can call a truce to this battle.

He whispers filthy words in my ear, provoking feelings I never knew were possible. The burning desire in his touch clashes with everything I once believed about Cal Carson.

Maybe he can be the balm I need to soothe my broken soul, if only temporarily. 

Buy the Book

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/o95fvdx

Grind (Book 2)

Synopsis

 Grind (verb): to weaken or destroy gradually

Macy Carrington is not the woman I once thought her to be.

What she does not allow her heart to feel, she gives with her body. The sex between us is explosive and depraved. I’ve done things with her that would never have crossed my wildest imagination, and I can’t ever seem to get enough.

But now I want more from her. I want to figure out her dark secret, expose it and then help her to heal from it. I know, without a doubt, that Macy is capable of love, and I will grind her down until I make her accept the truth of it.

Grind (verb): to wear down, polish, or sharpen by friction

Cal Carson is not the man I once thought him to be.

Strong, determined, sexy as hell and a beast in the bedroom. He is every woman’s fantasy.

He is my fantasy.

But no matter how hard Cal tries to grind me down, my heart and secrets are mine and mine alone.

Buy the Book

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/pvpk87d

Yield (Book 3)

Synopsis

**Due to sexual content and heavy subject matter of an abusive nature, this book may not be suitable for all audiences.

Yield (verb): to surrender or submit (oneself) to another

Macy Carrington is broken. The strong, beautiful woman that I’ve unwittingly fallen in love with is all kinds of broken from a secret that she has carried for far too long.

A secret so dark, she has gone to great lengths to protect it.

A secret that I’m terrified will one day rip her away from me.

The only time Macy frees herself from the darkness is when she is naked and in my arms. When I am deep inside her body, there is nothing she fears. When she wraps herself around me, she is at peace.

If she would only yield to me completely, I know I can set her free.

* Yield is the final book the Legal Affairs trilogy of Cal and Macy’s story. Clash and Grind, Books #1 and 2, can be found on this retailer’s site for purchase.

 

Buy the Book

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/odnblgl

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Black Balled

by Andrea Smith and Eva LeNoir 

Synopsis

Two dominant males, two worthy adversaries, in a business that takes no prisoners, will soon learn that fate refuses to be ignored...

My name is Troy Babilonia, but I'm best known as Babu, a renowned literary critic with my own online column. I'm followed by thousands! I'm a living god in the literary world. I have no filter, and for that, my flock of humble followers are forever grateful. If it weren't for me, they wouldn't know what to read. I have zero tolerance for the weak-minded attention seekers, nor do I have respect for the self-proclaimed geniuses of the Indie world. My advice to all Indie authors is to never break the cardinal rule in this cut-throat business. Ever.

My name is L. Blackburn and I'm an Indie author. My extraordinary genius was loved and worshiped throughout the literary world, until one egocentric critic tried to obliterate my career. It seems I broke some "cardinal rule," and now I'm paying the price for it. But I don't plan on going down without a fight.

Buy the Book

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/ooaslpt

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 Stone Walls

by A.M. Madden

Synopsis

 Benjamin Stone has an unrealistic determination to rid the streets of New York from any and all drug dealing scum. That determination quickly moves him and his partner, Rob Withers, up the ranks to Senior Narcotics Agents within their precinct. A new case assisting the FBI has Ben facing the ghosts of his past. Those same ghosts are the very reason he moved to New York to become a cop.

Ella Parker is bright, beautiful, kind, and severely damaged as a result of one tragic night in her past. Having lived an idealistic life, that horrific night sent her pretty castle of cards crumbling down. Forced to start over, she leans on her best friend, Andrea Hensen, to help her move on. With Andrea’s help, Ella quickly settles into her new life in New York City. It’s a safe and comfortable existence, albeit very boring.

Their paths may have never crossed, if it hadn’t been for their meddling best friends. Rob and Andrea believe that Ben and Ella are soul mates that were meant to be together, a perfect match. There’s one slight problem. Ben and Ella want no part of this matchmaking scheme. Funny thing about fate, it’s inevitable.

Or is it?

Can a truth cause the possibility of a happily ever after to crash and burn? Ben and Ella learn that sometimes truth isn’t the best answer. Sometimes ignorance is most definitely bliss.

Buy the Book

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/pox4ejb

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5.  Deep Down

by Brenda Rothert

Synopsis

I’m falling.
Faster.
Further.
Deeper.
Sometimes you fall so hard you can’t get back up. My closest companions now are shame and loss. But a sliver of hope lies in the only person I have left in this world – the one who’s growing inside me.
Survival becomes living again because of my child, and the town where I begin anew. That’s where I meet the man who starts to melt the ice inside my heart.
As we get closer, reminders of my past become sharper. Clearer. To confront the pain, I have to discover what’s deep down inside me. Is there enough left there to become whole again, or am I too wounded to heal? 

Buy the Book

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/nngbuec

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6. Secret 

by Kindle Alexander

Synopsis

Tristan Wilder, self-made millionaire and devastatingly handsome CEO of Wilder-Nation is on the verge of a very lucrative buyout. With tough negotiations ahead, he's armed with his acquisition pitch, ready to launch the deal of a lifetime. There’s just one glitch. The last thing he expects is to fall for the hot business owner he's trying to sway.

Dylan Reeves, computer science engineer and founder of the very successful social media site, Secret, is faced with a life-altering decision. A devoted family man with three kids and a wife, Dylan has been living a secret for years. Fiercely loyal to his convictions, his boundaries blur after meeting the striking owner of the corporation interested in acquiring his company. For the first time in his life, reckless desire consumes him when the gorgeous computer mogul makes an offer he can't refuse.

Buy the Book

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/p6yxbrr

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7. Garrett 

by Sawyer Bennett 

Synopsis

Carolina Cold Fury star Garrett Samuelson never wants to miss out on a single minute of fun. Whether he’s playing hockey, hanging out with friends, or walking the red carpet with a new date on his arm, he lives every day to the fullest. When he meets Olivia Case, he sees someone who’s exactly his type—confident, sexy, smart . . . his next fling. But the more he pursues her, the more Garrett shares a side of himself that other women don’t normally get to see.

Olivia has been keeping a secret. While Garrett lives for the next thrill, Olivia’s not sure she’ll live to see the next day. She’s undergoing treatment for some serious medical issues, and she doesn’t have time for a relationship with no guarantees—especially one with a hot-as-sin womanizer who won’t take no for an answer. But as she gets to know the real Garrett, Olivia can’t help falling for him . . . hard. To reveal the truth would mean risking everything—but you can’t score without taking the tough shots.

Buy the Book

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/nlfz4rl

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8. Spencer 

by Kerry Heavens

Synopsis

 @TheSpencerRyan exudes confidence,
I mean, have you seen him???
His dark good looks and tattooed muscled perfection are too much.
He's hot. Lickably hot.
And he has a way with words that leaves me breathless.
But cocky doesn't even cover it,
this guy is so arrogant you have to fight back.
But God he's so lickable!
The thing is though,
he looks like sex but he'll taste like jackass.

@OMGJazzyP is a sexy, annoying ball of rage in fuck-me heels
and she hates me.
Although her nipples would tend to disagree.
It's a deadly combination.
She’s a princess.
And when I say princess, I mean intolerable, spoiled brat with a tiara.
Sure she's got that curvaceous goddess thing going on,
but that mouth of hers...
God it needs something in it to shut it up.
#GotJustTheThingRightHere

This is not your average British romance.
It's a tale of high heels, hot tattooed bad boys and
sex oranges, all wrapped up in a coating of chocolate.
It's 'love' in a social media world,
where not everyone is who they seem
and where some people’s bios should carry a warning.
#JustSayin

Buy the Book

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/pcygsb4

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9. Imperfect Truth 

by Ava Harrison

Synopsis

I’m a blogger. He’s a writer.
He was my weakness.
I was his muse.

Once upon a time my marriage was built on love...
Until it wasn’t.

Where had we gone wrong?
I had given up hope…

But then he messaged me,
And his words intoxicated me.
Made me believe in love again.

Made me believe in truth.
My imperfect truth…

Buy the Book

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/qhgahnk

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10. Kyland 

by Mia Sheridan

Synopsis 

Dirt poor. Hillbilly. Backwoods hick. Mountain folk.

Tenleigh Falyn struggles each day to survive in a small, poverty-stricken, coal mining town where she lives with her sister and mentally ill mother. Her dream of winning the college scholarship given to one student by the local coal company and escaping the harshness of her life, keeps her going.

Kyland Barrett lives in the hills, too, and has worked tirelessly—through near starvation, through deep loneliness, against all odds—to win the Tyton Coal Scholarship and leave the town that is full of so much pain.

They're both determined not to form any attachments, but one moment changes everything. What happens when only one person gets to win? When only one person gets to leave? And what happens to the one left behind?

Kyland is a story of desperation and hope, loss and sacrifice, pain and forgiveness, but ultimately, a story of deep and unending love.

THIS IS A STANDALONE SIGN OF LOVE NOVEL, INSPIRED BY TAURUS. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Buy the Book

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/ptbfltv

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11. Hero 

by Samantha Young

Synopsis

Alexa Holland’s father was her hero—until her shocking discovery that she and her mother weren't his only family. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets. But when she meets a man who’s as damaged by her father’s mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.

Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa’s efforts at redemption, but it’s not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and explosive affair.

Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for. And when they're on the precipice of danger, he finds he’ll do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again…

Buy the Book

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/p52rrbx

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12. The Deal 

by Elle Kennedy

Synopsis

She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy...

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice... even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.

...and it’s going to be oh so good.

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn't take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn't going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

Buy the Book

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/qxgvsn5

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13. Priest 

by Sierra Simone

Synopsis

There are many rules a priest can't break.
A priest cannot marry. A priest cannot abandon his flock. A priest cannot forsake his God.

I've always been good at following rules.
Until she came.
My name is Tyler Anselm Bell. I'm twenty-nine years old. Six months ago, I broke my vow of celibacy on the altar of my own church, and God help me, I would do it again.
I am a priest and this is my confession.

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***Priest is a standalone, full-length novel with an HEA.  For mature audiences only.***

Buy the Book

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/qf8jqkf