Underground Tour Stop!

The seemingly impossible has happened. The unthinkable. Those I trusted most have betrayed me. I’m a hockey player, and gave control of my finances to my parents so I could concentrate on my game. Big mistake. They stole from me, bankrupted me, in fact. And then someone came looking for money I don’t have and I did something terrible that will haunt me forever. After that, I took off with no thought about where I’d go or what I’d do.

But a secret organization found me and offered a new start, a salvation. I would no longer be a hockey player, I wouldn’t even be an actual person. Doing this would require me to go totally off the grid. I’d be a shadow, fighting crime with a group that’s underground, literally. Do I want that life?

If I went back, what kind of life would I have? Probably one in prison orange. The choice to join Underground is painful, but necessary. As my hockey coach always said, though, pain is weakness leaving the body. I will not be powerless ever again.

Off the Grid is the first installment in a 10-part serial novel. While I did enjoy reading the novelette it didn’t quite capture my attention as much as I hoped. On the contrary, until Ethan actually goes to the Underground facility and meets some of the other operatives, my attention kept waning. Admittedly I felt bad for the guy when he learned that his parents ripped him off and endangered his life. And yes, the hockey stick as a weapon scene was pretty freaking cool. But his initial meeting with Maline and Andre had me rolling my eyes a couple of times. Maline’s “We fight crime” statement annoyed me considering she’s working for a black ops organization, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt that she knew she was dealing with a man who was likely in shock. As her character’s conversational skills were more advanced once they got to the facility, I was more accepting of it. But the exchange that really, really caused my eyes to roll was when Maline tells Ethan about people being able to fake polygraphs and Ethan’s response was “Seriously?” Even if I’m willing to accept that the MAN has made it to thirty without having watched any criminal justice themed show or movie EVER, Ethan majored in Criminal Justice in college. I minored in Criminal Justice and that’s basic information covered in intro classes (plural). So yeah, that was a problem for me. In the grand scheme of things, it’s a minor sticking point but it undermines the character for me.

The ultimate question regarding any serial novel, especially that of the first installment, is: Did it hook the reader enough so that they will read the next installment. For me, the answer is not really. I will be reading parts two and three of the series simply because I have them already and agreed to review them. Because of this, I’m hoping that as the next two installments are larger and because the series’ foundation has been laid, that more will occur to get me invested in the series. But if I had bought this installment just to read, I doubt I would continue on. And I do not say this because it’s a bad book, but rather it just didn’t do it for me. My recommendation is to download a sample and check it out yourself

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I’ve left my old life behind and officially joined Underground. It appears no one knows where I am or even if I’m still alive. I don’t know how I feel about that. My friends thinking I’m dead leaves a hole in my heart, but I’ll drive myself crazy if I obsess about it. So rather than allowing myself to wallow in self-pity or anger about what’s happened, I’m throwing all my energy into training. You would think that whole “elite athlete” thing would make everything easier, but all these new techniques I need to master—hand-to-hand combat, weapons training, surveillance procedures—are kicking my ass.
For my whole life, I’ve only had one identity. Ethan, hockey player. Now that sense of self is gone forever, slowly being replaced by my new identity, Slapshot. Surreal doesn’t even begin to describe this transformation. But the more I find out about the world around me, the problems I ignored for the most part as I played a game for an obscene amount of money, the more I want to make a difference. This is not a game. It’s real life, and I have the chance to be a hero. It’s going to take everything I have—or have left, to do it.

While I enjoyed Creating Slapshot more than I enjoyed Off the Grid, I’m still not hooked on the series. Ultimately a geek at heart, I found the information that was disseminated via Ethan’s training quite interesting. Although I wasn’t surprised that he did well in the testing for skills that relied on hand-eye coordination, I was fascinated by the fact that he scored so much better than everyone else – yet still questioned his ability to eventually contribute to the team. I really should give the guy a break as he is trying to find his way in a new life after having his old life ripped away from him so brutally, but his lack of confidence doesn’t ring true from someone who is a professional athlete who has helped his team win the Cup… twice. I do like that Ethan is not afraid to ask questions and has been encouraged by everyone so far to do so. And the way that the various team members have relayed their personal stories has helped fill in more of the blanks regarding the team and certainly helped make this installment more interesting as well. That said, I believe that parts one and two would have been more effective had they been combined into a single novella rather than two novelettes. I will be starting Initiation by Fire tomorrow and can only hope that it lives up to its name and finally brings the level of action and adventure that I was expecting. A good dose of romance would not be amiss either. 

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I have my first assignment--helping track down a man targeting Cuban bodegas and then using an automatic rifle to massacre all those inside after they're attacked by a Cuban gang and his wife is killed. Underground is tasked with figuring out who this dangerous man is and stopping him before he goes on another rampage. Though I only play a small role in this first mission, it’s satisfying to know I helped find justice for all the innocent people the man has murdered.

Despite that, I still find myself thinking about what I left behind, as I learn more about what my parents did with my money, and my former hockey team struggles to deal with my apparent death. Guilt weighs me down, and the rest of the team does their best to keep me focused on this new life. Can they do that, or will I snap under the pressure?

Initiation by Fire is the third installment in the Underground series and while it was better than parts one and two, it’s my final stop on this journey. There is far more action in this installment than before because Ethan is going out into the field for recon and we get to see him take part in a mission. I liked that Ms. Carr showed Ethan actually learning skills – making errors and learning how to do things correctly or better. It’s expected that he will master some tasks quicker than others because he’s a professional athlete, but thankfully there was no “Boom, he’s a natural born genius who masters everything on his first attempt” scenario going on. Also enjoyable was Ethan’s continued bonding with his colleagues. I liked that we got to learn more about the various team members and that certain ones seem to have taken him under their wing. Unfortunately, the romantic connection remains a hint and is suggested more by the series blurb than the book itself. The mission was intense and action-packed, which is what helped to elevate Imitation by Fire over Off the Grid and Creating Slapshot. Regrettably it ended too soon to finish reeling me in. Would I like to know what happens to Ethan? Yes, but I’m not willing to sit through seven more installments to find out. I think that had parts 1-3 been released as one novel, I probably would have continued on with the series. But at its current rate, it feels like the story is dragging on and on without making enough progress to keep my attention. As always, I recommend that you check it out for yourself because it is an enjoyable storyline, it’s just not working for me at its current pacing. Who knows? Maybe once all 10 parts have been released, I’ll give it another shot. 

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Cassandra Carr is a multi-award winning romance writer. When not writing she enjoys watching hockey and hanging out online. Cassandra's books have won numerous "Best Book Of" awards and her novella Unexpected Top was nominated in the E-book Erotic Romance category of RT's Reviewers' Choice Awards.

 

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Disturbingly Beautiful Tour Stop!

 Is it really possible that somewhere in time, the perfect paradox could be created? Does romance really stand a chance, and could it ever flourish amidst so many intricacies and broken lives? How can a nineteenth-century governess unknowingly cause so much devastation?

As Nell’s world opens up, we follow her on a complex journey, on which she discovers love, loss and betrayal, and is forced to play a dangerous game from which there appears to be no escape.

An intricate family plot slowly begins to unravel, in which she finds herself centre stage. She was never supposed to leave Haunchcroft estate, and he will do everything in his power to keep her there…

Could a possible rip in time be the salvation that Nell seeks?

“I find you disturbingly beautiful,” are the contradictory words bestowed upon the governess by her master.

Mr Buchannan’s infatuation is a shadow from which Nell cannot escape. The feelings he holds for her are not reciprocated, and though his lust soon turns to love, Nell’s feelings towards him turn to hatred. Dreams and a love of literature are Nell’s only escapism from the downtrodden life she leads as a governess in the nineteenth century.

One night, an intruder on the estate catches Nell off guard, but she gives chase; a decision that leads her through an opening in time between the centuries, where she finds equality, true friendship and a completely different outlook on life.

Despite using this to her advantage to escape the advances of her unwanted suitor, she is somewhat perturbed when she unexpectedly finds him at her side in the twenty-first century. Will love conquer all, or will time always stand in their way?

I was really intrigued by the description of this book, so I thought I’d give it a whirl.  I have to admit, my feelings are decidedly undecided, even as I write this review.  Allow me to explain…

Nell is a governess with a wild imagination and a great love of books.  She is hoping to find a new job soon, one that will better utilize her vast knowledge. She has a connection with her young charge, Abigale, and is devastated by the loss of the sickly girl. She is determined to leave the estate she has worked at for so long but her employer, Mr. Buchannan, does not want to give her a reference but instead wants her to marry him.  He doesn’t go about this is the most, um, gentleman-like way and Nell is angry and offended by him.  Then she sees a mysterious stranger, a man that seems familiar to her (the man in her dreams, perhaps?) and runs after him, only to be catapulted into the future.  Now, the question is if Nell’s fate is the literal future or not?

As I said, it was an interesting premise.  It’s like a time traveling Jane Eyre.  And as a fan of the sisters Bronte, I wonder if I expected a little too much from a book that struck me as similar.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the time travel twist, it was fun and it kept the plot original and interesting, but I found that I didn’t quite like the heroine as much as I would have liked.  She was a bit flaky, but seemed to roll with the time travel punches pretty well.

I would have liked a bit more explanation for the mechanics of the time travel.  In that respect, I thought the world building failed a bit.  It was very vague; as a relatively short story, it could have gone into greater detail with a few of the characters and the world, but didn’t. However, I still found myself enjoying the story and the twists and turns of the plot.  It was original, which I think is a pretty hard thing to pull off these days.

Overall, even with a few holes in the plot I found myself enjoying this.  As it stands now, I’m giving it 3 stars.  I almost feel like this is a great first draft for a story that goes a little deeper.

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  Laura Wells is a swimming teacher, with a love of books, animals and, of course, Jane Austen. Once a national swimmer, she now runs three swim schools of her own. She enjoys spending her spare time with her family and two mad Shiba Inus. She lives in Staffordshire, England.

Judy Wells works at a school; in her spare time she enjoys writing poetry and novels, and spending time with her animals. She also lives in Staffordshire, England.

Laura and Judy are a mother and daughter duo; with Judy’s love of poetry and writing and Laura’s ideas, they work extremely well together. Time-travel and historical romance novels are their passion, and they hope that after you have read their books, you will feel the same.

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Single Volume One Tour Stop!

After failing miserably at love, Roxane VanBuren swears off men but not before her determined best friend shows her all the advantages of being single. After a wild weekend full of sex, old-flames, and secrets, Roxane is desperate to forget it ever happened. But she learns it isn't that easy.

Since becoming the President of VanBuren Investments, she knows how important it is for her professional and personal life to remain separate from one another. If the two were to mix, the rumors could possibly ruin her reputation, which is bad for her and bad for business. To avoid that, Roxane allows rules to define and guide her every move. Unfortunately for her, Parker Williams is determined to break them all, one at a time.

While I enjoyed Single, it’s not a book that lends itself well to the serial novella format in my opinion – at least that’s where I’m assuming the author is going with it. Please take cover before reading the next sentence because the sky is likely to fall, but… I think there was too much of a focus on sex in the book to allow for ample storyline development. I know. Honestly I never thought I’d ever use the phrase “too much of a focus on sex” in a review, but there it is. While I understand that Ms. Parish was making a point about Roxane’s life and relationships, the sex scenes took up too much of the book and distracted from the character development. In a standalone novella, that’s not an actual problem. But when you’re writing a series of novellas you have to hook the reader and, for me, this overemphasis on the sex translated into a lack of connection to the characters and failed to hook me.

That said, I did like Roxane’s character but not the way the men in her life interacted with her. Despite working at the family-owned business, she is the President of the company that answers to a Board so she is obviously an intelligent woman. However, her father and her grandfather treat her like she’s still a child. Prior personal relationship or not, Parker’s behavior toward her was unnecessarily antagonistic, borderline insubordinate, and would have gotten him written up by a male superior immediately and possibly fired. Yet Roxane accepted Parker’s behavior as if it were no big deal. This bothered me because in nearly every conversation regarding her job, everything points to Roxane being a major ball-buster but time and time again she does nothing but lose her cool. I’m not sure why this bothered me so much, just that it did. Single is one of those books that was a good read. It’s the kind of book whose sequel will go on my Amazon wish list so I can catch it on sale because while I am interested in reading the next book in the series, I won’t be devastated if I miss it. 

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I was everything. I was nothing. I was weak, crumbling, melting into little pieces each time his tongue touched mine. We didn't rush. My world crashed down around me one touch at a time. This was my own personal doomsday, with an attack on my emotions, but I didn't prep. I wasn't ready to feel like, this but somehow I did.

He pulled me closer, so close, and his kiss deepened.

Parker.

His name was on my lips, but his lips were stealing my words, only allowing my thoughts to burn within me. I couldn't focus. I was losing everything that I was, that I stood for, and that I believed in. Relationships and Roxane didn't go together. What the hell was I doing?

Lyra Parish loves to write, glamp, and sing obnoxiously loud at the top of her lungs in the shower. Sweet love stories (along with the dirty ones) make her gush. She is a firm believer that a person can never have too many cups of coffee, cats, or happily ever afters. When she isn't busy writing, she can be found sipping various beverages from her non-alcoholic drink buffet, pimp slapping excel spreadsheets, or riding her bike. Lyra lives in Texas with her glassblowing, guitar-playing hubby and black cat named Nibbler.

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Variables of Love Tour Stop!

Meena Kapoor knows what life has in store for her. She’s in her senior year at Stanford where she’ll graduate summa cum laude, and then she'll begin her interviews…her marriage interviews. Meena is Indian, and she’s never questioned that she’ll have an arranged marriage like all the generations before her. Not until she meets gorgeous math major Ethan Callahan. Ethan’s sense of humor and free spirit stir feelings in Meena she didn’t know were possible outside of Bollywood movies. It doesn’t hurt that he’s charming and has the uncanny ability to make math sound like poetry, but Meena knows their equation makes no sense in the real world.

Ethan finds himself intrigued by the mysterious, beautiful girl, whose big, brown eyes reflect great pain. His goals are small at first—to make her smile and then to laugh. But he soon wants more, and though Meena is adamant they have no future, he convinces her to share the present. Ethan believes every problem has a solution, but with cultural expectations and family duty among the variables, they will struggle to solve the ultimate equation to find happiness.

I love geeky romances!  And this book is a charming, geeky odyssey that I found not only enlightening, but funny and heart wrenching all at the same time.

Meena is in her senior year at Stanford.  Her future has been all planned out for her.  She’ll graduate, get a good job and her parents will arrange her marriage.  She doesn’t question it, she’s just accepts it as her fate and her duty to her Indian family.  Things get infinitely more complicated when she meets Ethan.  He’s smart, funny, good looking and incredibly intrigued by Meena.  She lets him know that there’s no way things can ever work out between them, but they decide to go ahead and spend what little time they have together.  But as the end of their time together draws near, things become a lot more complicated than either had expected.

This was just a really good, really deep and really sweet NA romance.  I simply loved it.  I’m not a fan of math, but I am a fan of Ethan Callahan.  I’m not sure how any girl could resist his charms!  Meena is no exception either.  And I loved Meena.  She has a quiet strength about her, something that has allowed her to deal with the things life has presented her, some incredibly sad. 

I also really liked the cultural aspects of this book.  I mean, I know in some cultures there are arranged marriages still, but it was an interesting dynamic to read about and explore.  Not to mention, it was a great catalyst for the drama that ensued in this book.  I can’t say that I’ve ever quite read a book like this before, and I found it was something I had a hard time putting down.  I really enjoyed being a part of Meena and Ethan’s world for a little while.  4.5 stars.

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“Why do you have a blanket in your car?”

“In case I need it.”

“Have you ever had sex on it?” I asked, staring at the soft plush material with narrowing eyes.

Ethan laughed. “Of course I have.”

“Oh,” I said, holding the material further away.

“It’s my sex blanket. Whenever I’m in the mood, I just lay it on the ground, take off my clothes, and the ladies line up.”

It took two seconds before his words sank in and I burst out laughing.

“I’ve had sex on it once, but don’t worry—I’ve washed it since then.” His honesty was jarring. Did he always tell the truth? He pulled it over us before crossing his arms behind his head and lying down. Our shoulders grazed each other’s. “Look up, sunshine.”

I gasped. The golden stars appeared to drop right out of the sky like they might fall on us. “It’s beautiful. They look so close.”

“I know. It makes you feel important and insignificant at the same time.”

“That’s a good way to describe it.”

We were silent for a moment, both staring at the magnificent view above us. “Do you bring a lot of girls here?”

Ethan chuckled, turning toward me and resting his head on his crooked elbow. “No, why? You think I should?”

I am a hopeless romantic in a hopelessly pragmatic world. I have a full time life and two busy teenagers, but in the dark of night, I sit by the warm glow of my computer monitor, and attempt to conjure up passionate heartwarming stories with plenty of humor.

I started imagining stories in my head at a very young age. In fact, I got so good at it that friends asked me to create plots featuring them as the heroine and the object of their affection as the hero. We'd spend hours on the phone while I came up with a series of unrealistic, yet tender events, which led to a satisfying conclusion. You've heard of fan fiction... this was friend fiction.

Even with that, it took many years to realize I could produce an actual full-length book that readers would enjoy. I try to make my stories humorous, realistic, with flawed but redeeming characters. I hope you enjoy my stories and always find The Happily Ever After in every endeavor.

 

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Miss Congeniality Tour Stop!

 Miss Congeniality doesn’t curse. Miss Congeniality doesn’t have tattoos. Miss Congeniality doesn’t drink shots. Miss Congeniality doesn’t ride motorcycles….Or does she?

When America’s sweetheart…
Brea Richards is America’s sweetheart. Dubbed Miss Congeniality by the media, Brea has spent years honing her current reputation. And being one of the leading stars of a prime time television show…priceless. It’s a long way from her humble beginnings, but that’s her secret to keep. Or at least that’s what she believes until she gets the phone call.

Meets America’s bad boy…
Lance Holder is America’s bad boy, the guy they love to hate. He lives life the way he wants, and makes no apologies, regardless of what anyone thinks. All everyone sees is the tattooed, motorcycle riding, reckless movie star, preventing anyone from looking beneath the surface. And that’s just fine with Lance. Until his new gig puts him right in the path of Brea.

Will either one escape unscathed?
Lance is the newbie on Brea’s show, and everyone is watching to see if America’s bad boy will influence Miss Congeniality. They don’t know Brea’s worst influences happened long before Lance entered the picture. And Lance seems to be one of the only ones to see beyond her current façade. Maybe America’s bad boy is just what America’s sweetheart needs…

I love Hollywood romances.  I think it’s kind of fun to live the lives of these characters for just a bit, and I thought this book delivered for the most part on the fun, the romance, the drama and the sexiness that a Hollywood story should have.

Brea has worked really hard to be a successful actress in Hollywood.  She is the star of a prime time TV show, which is something considering she has a tragic past.  Raised by a drug addicted mother, she survived only because of her brother Alex.  She’s worked really hard to keep her past a secret, but one thing could bring it all crashing down…and that’s Lance.  Lance is Hollywood’s “bad boy”.  His image is the polar opposite of Brea’s, and when he’s cast in her show as her love interest, the sparks fly both on set and off and they quickly become an item.  The thing is, Lance is actually really sweet, but can they keep their relationship together when it becomes the focus of the Hollywood media and paparazzi?

I loved Lance!  He’s everything that you want in a Hollywood leading man in these stories.  Sweet but dominant and a little dirty in the bedroom…me likey.  Brea I liked too and she seemed a very real character whose past was tragic but with her own strength she managed to overcome it.  Totally admirable and it made her that much more interesting for me.

There was something about the writing style of this book that was kind of a turn off for me.  It’s not that it was poorly written, but the style didn’t really flow for me very well.  It felt stilted and in general the action of the book was spotty and not very interesting in parts.  But even with all of that, I still found myself reading on to see how it all ended for Lance and Brea.

Overall, I did enjoy this book even with my criticisms.  The characters are great and the general plot was interesting.  3.5 stars.

"That wasn’t so bad,” Lance said as they walked in the green room following the conference. The others had scattered soon after, but Brea had followed him to express her displeasure. She simply stared at him; he had clearly been hit in the head if he thought that press conference went well.

Brea tried for calm but failed miserably. Her temper didn’t flair up often, but when it did she tended to lay waste to everything in her path. “Easy for you to say grabby hands,” she hissed. “And what the hell were you doing insinuating that we had a relationship?!”

“First of all, I wouldn’t have had to say shit if you didn’t try to eye fuck me on the way in.”

Brea narrowed her eyes, gritting her teeth so she didn’t rise to his bait. “I didn’t try to eye fuck you. And who says shit like that?”

He leaned in so close she could feel his breath, causing a tingle in the base of her spine. “The guy who you were about ten seconds away from pulling into a back room.” She pulled away, needing the distance, before glaring at him.

“And don’t touch me again without permission.”

He chewed on his bottom lip, looking her up and down like he knew exactly where he wanted to touch her. “What pisses you off more? The fact that I had to squeeze your leg to prevent you from spouting off at the mouth…or that you wanted me to squeeze much more than your leg?”

Her nostrils flared, from desire or anger she didn’t know. They say there’s a thin line between love and hate, and she never felt it more acutely than she did today, as though ever nerve ending was on fire. She didn’t know why this man did it for her, but he did.

“You are obnoxious as hell.” It was pretty weak as far as comebacks went, but she couldn’t think straight. All she wanted to do was feel, but she wasn’t about to give in to shit when it came to Lance.

“That all you got? You really are…nice.” When he said it like that it made it seem like she had the plague.

“One of us has to have manners,” she replied in a way that would have made Emily Post proud.

“Yeah, and one of us had to preserve your reputation in the media. Will they speculate about us? Yes. Did I play it off so they think there’s nothing serious about us? Yes. Just wait and see what they write about you, I guarantee you will be the victim of my evil clutches.” She shifted from side to side, knowing he was probably right. They would be much more forgiving of her, but if she said anything they would have circled like vultures around new prey. She should probably thank him for his foresight, but he had been such an ass about everything.

“And as far as the other stuff- the shit between you and me? You look at me like that again, and I guarantee we’ll be doing a lot more than playing grabby hands under the table.” And just like that, he walked away, slamming the door on the way out. She plopped down on the couch, trying to pretend like she didn’t want to call him back for more.

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Marie Garner hails from North Carolina, and has had her nose in a book for as long as she can remember. Story ideas have been floating around in her head for as long as she can remember when she finally decided to write them down. She is an avid football fan, often found rooting on her Washington Redskins or her alma mater NC State. She has taught for the past 7 years, with a short break to earn her Masters degree. She loves London, having lived there for a year, and loves taking all those crazy ideas to make stories you enjoy!

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