Blog Tour Review & Giveaway ~ All Fired Up ~ Madelynne Ellis

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Madelynne Ellis' All Fired Up. My stop includes all the information on the book, my review, and a giveaway.

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ALL FIRED UP (Black Halo #2)

by Madelynne Ellis

Contemporary/Erotic Romance

Published by Mischief on December 18th, 2014

All Fired Up is the follow-up to New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Madelynne Ellis' scorching rock star romance novel, All Night Long, and is the fourth novel about the band Black Halo.

Ginny Walters always knew her weakness for bad boys would get her into trouble. Her one night stand with Black Halo's lead guitarist, Ash Gore, was only supposed to be a fun, not the prelude to the sort of relationship that'd scorch holes in her heart as well as her bed sheets. She'd be the happiest woman in the world if Ash wasn't so determined to keep their connection off radar.

Ash Gore knows girlfriends are bad news for bands, which is why he's resolved to keep his attachment to Ginny a secret. He and the guys have enough on their stages as they try to piece themselves back together after the band's split. But when new drummer, Iain Willows, starts taking an active interest in Ginny, tensions quickly mount. Soon, Ash is not only at risk of losing Ginny, but everything he holds dearest--including life itself.

Amazon UK – Amazon US – Barnes & Noble – GooglePlay – Kobo – iBooks

Add All Fired Up to your Goodreads list!

Suggested reading order:

Come Undone (Rock Hard #1)

All Night Long (Black Halo #1)

Remastered (Black Halo #1.5)

Come Together (Rock Hard #2)

All Fired Up (Black Halo #2)

**All Fired Up is the second book in the Black Halo series but fourth book in a series of related novels. I've read Come Undone (#1 Rock Hard) where Black Halo, the band, was introduced. And I read All Night Long (#1 Black Halo). My reviews will post soon. You don't have to read Come Undone before starting the Black Halo series, but it did provide background.**

I like to imagine what it might have been like to date a rock star. With Ash and Ginny, Ms. Ellis portrays the pros and cons, the ups and downs, realistically. There was plenty of steam which was expected since Ash and Ginny throw sparks with just a look. Ms. Ellis also dove a little deeper into the band's interpersonal dynamics - especially Spook's role. <-- I'm hoping he gets his own book *hint hint* And Ms. Ellis threw in a little mystery for some added excitement and suspense. Yeah, All Fired Up had me, well, all fired up!

Ash and Ginny are now dating but with the band on shaky ground and about to embark on a tour, Ash wants to keep their relationship on the down-low. At least that's what he's telling himself and Ginny. Ginny's okay with the arrangement, at first. But as feelings start to grow, the secrecy wears thin. 

The two are my favorite couple from both series. (there are only 2 so far) They fit together well. Ash wears his leathers, guy-liner, and guitar as a shield - all to protect his vulnerable heart from further trampling. He did open up to Ginny though, showed her pieces of himself her preferred to keep buried in an effort to move forward. I admired him for that. Ginny is blunt, independent, and strong-willed. I appreciated that she was unapologetic for her views. And I liked that she stood up for and fought for what she wanted. 

There's band drama, naturally. And this is where we get better acquainted with Spook as well as getting to puzzle out the mystery. It was all very exciting and entertaining. The story did end on a tiny cliffhanger but not one I can't live with. Besides, All Right Now isn't too far away.

INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY

GRAND PRIZE:

$20 Amazon Gift Card

Troll Cross

Black Halo Mini Cards set

RUNNER-UP:

Black Halo Mini Cards set

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Madelynne Ellis is a New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of erotic romance. Her novels and short stories have been published by a variety of houses including HarperCollins, Harlequin and Random House, and have been translated into several languages. She lives in the UK, not far from the Welsh border with her partner of 20 + years, their two adorable children, and a crazy cavachon puppy. Madelynne drinks decaf out of preference, and has a healthy obsession with a certain Japanese rock star. Her aim is to deliver scorching, character-driven stories that enchant, torment and don’t shy from darker aspects of life.

Website – Blog – Twitter – Facebook Author Page
Facebook Readers Retreat – Goodreads - Newsletter

Cover Reveal ~ Fading Out ~ Trisha Wolfe

Fading Out (Living Heartwood, #3) by Trisha Wolfe


Love means fading out so another shines brighter.

Right clothes. Right school. Right fiancé. As a Wyndemere, Arian’s expected to abide by the rules. The most important: be perfect. But Arian’s seemingly flawless life is far from it. An embarrassing expulsion from her parents’ alma mater spirals an already unhealthy obsession out of control, exposing a dark truth.

Faced with having to attend a small private college after a stint in rehab, Arian’s just ready to coast under the radar and repair some of the wreckage, but her father’s looming control is like a vise choking off her air supply.

Whena run-in with Braxton’s beloved star quarterback, Ryder Nash, puts Arian squarely in the crosshairs of his devoted teammates, the last of her controlled, orderly world unhinges. As the pranks and paybacks escalate, Arian and Ryder’s rivalry takes a passionate turn. And once Arian glimpses beneath the all-star-athlete exterior Ryder projects, she realizes he’s far more than just a jock.

As their relationship intensifies, outside forces feel the threat. Outrunning their pasts doesn’t mean history won’t repeat itself, but Ryder can’t let that happen. He’s just one Championship game away from breaking the mold. Only one moment, one choice, might change everything.

Told from both Arian's and Ryder's POV. New Adult Contemporary Romance intended for readers 17 years of age and older.

Available 2/18/15

Add to Goodreads

Pre-Order on Amazon

About the Series...

Click covers for GR links

The Author...

From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fantasy worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her fantasy worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself.  

Newsletter | Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Teaser Tuesday ~ #55

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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All Fired Up
Black Halo #2

Synopsis
Ginny Walters always knew her weakness for bad boys would get her into trouble. Her one night stand with Black Halo's lead guitarist, Ash Gore, was only supposed to be fun, not the prelude to the sort of relationship that'd scorch holes in her heart as well as her bed sheets. She'd be the happiest woman in the world if Ash wasn't so determined to keep their connection off radar.

Ash Gore knows girlfriends are bad news for bands, which is why he's resolved to keep his attachment to Ginny a secret. He and the guys have enough on their stages as they try to piece themselves back together after the band's split. But when new drummer, Iain Willows, starts taking an active interest in Ginny, tensions quickly mount. Soon, Ash is not only at risk of losing Ginny, but everything he holds dearest--including life itself.

***Teaser***

'You're going to talk dirty to me?' She heard the catch of excitement in his throat. 'Babe,' he purred, 'you're way too good to me.'

#2015HW Review ~ Bully ~ Penelope Douglas

Bully 
Fall Away Series #1
Release Date: February 18, 2014
Genre: New Adult, Mature Young Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Kindle
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms

Synopsis
My name is Tate. He doesn't call me that, though. He would never refer to me so informally, if he referred to me at all. No, he'll barely even speak to me.

But he still won't leave me alone.

We were best friends once. Then he turned on me and made it his mission to ruin my life. I've been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got more sadistic as time wore on, and I made myself sick trying to stay out of his way. I even went to France for a year, just to avoid him.

But I'm done hiding from him now, and there's no way in hell I'll allow him to ruin my senior year. He might not have changed, but I have. It's time to fight back.

I'm not going to let him bully me anymore.

**This novel contains adult/mature young adult situations. It is only suitable for ages 18+ due to language, violence, and sexual situations.

Bully is a unique story about love and hate. A story of Tate and Jared -- neighbors and a pair that were once inseparable. Their friendship was special -- the good stuff where they shared everything and Jared helped Tate through a very difficult time in her young life. But something happened the summer before they started high school. Jared became cold -- never explained why he suddenly ended their friendship. And not only did he end their friendship but he also did everything possible to make Tate a pariah. Tate even goes abroad for a year to escape. But when she returns she's different. And she's not going to be bullied anymore.

Watching the dance between Tate and Jared before she left was rather appalling but also telling. Once she returns from France, the dance becomes heated and at times humorous, as Tate stands up for herself. But here's the thing -- Tate loves Jared...at least the boy he used to be. And I know Jared had his reasons for his behavior -- I could speculate on one reason -- and I was right -- but there was more to the story. And when Jared asked Tate to trust him once again, I was proud of Tate for sticking to her guns on needing to know all of it. Jared's story -- the reasons behind his actions towards Tate -- didn't excuse him but it did offer valid explanation for his thinking...the psychology behind all he did.

Both Tate and Jared suffered a lot in their young lives. They both showed inner strength and resilience in surviving it all. 

Bully is a love/hate story. Tate and Jared are a couple you're going to root for. It's a gripping story and although it's entitled Bully, it was about so much more. I very much enjoyed my introduction to Ms. Douglas and am excited to read Until You, Jared's POV.

Bought, Borrowed, & Bagged ~ #53

Bought, Borrowed, & Bagged is a weekly meme, hosted by TalkSupe, where I share with you the books I have bought, borrowed, or bagged (gifted or won) plus a recap of the previous week's reviews, upcoming reviews, and any other bookishness I want to share. :)

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Woohoo! I'm done with working more than my seasonal hours for this year! :) Thanks again for your patience with me as I catch up with commenting, both on your blogs and responding to comments here. This week was a doozy as I worked and had a sick kiddo. Then I had a few days of feeling under the weather myself. But I one-clicked a few freebies to help me feel better. :) 

Here's what was added to my ereader library this week:

BOUGHT
*Freebies*

Bagged



I totally forgot to add The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright to my bagged list last week. I won this from Lexxie @Unconventional Book Views in her 3 Historical Romances in 3 Weeks Mini-Challenge - which was part of COYER. Thanks again, Lexxie!  



Last Week's Reviews

Endure by Carrie Jones
A Gentleman's Promise by Tamara Gill
Strange Magic Part 2 by Michelle Mankin

Upcoming Reviews

All Fired Up by Madelynne Ellis
Bully by Penelope Douglas
Dance For Me by Helena Newbury
Spend the Night Volume 2 by Elizabeth Lee

#COYER Review ~ A Gentleman's Promise ~ Tamara Gill

A Gentleman's Promise
Scandalous Series #1
Release Date: November 18, 2013
Genre: Historical Romance
Source: Kindle Freebie
Rating: 3 Bookworms

Synopsis
Against her better judgement, Charlotte King bows to family duty and marries a man who is not as he seems. Now trapped in a marriage of the worst kind, her life is an endless cycle of pain and fear. That is until Lord Helsing shows her another way to live...

Lord Mason Helsing walked away from the one woman he'd always cared for, but upon returning to London, he finds Charlotte is in a loveless and cruel marriage. Should he throw away the principles by which he lives and follow a different path than he ought?

But divorce for Charlotte means ruination. And Mason is relied upon to marry well and continue his family. Can they overcome thr strictures of society and live the life they've always wanted? Or will they bow to pressure and do as society deems appropriate?

**I read A Gentleman's Promise as part of Lexxie @Unconventional Book Views' COYER 3 Historical Romances in 3 Weeks Mini-Challenge.**

A Gentleman's Promise was a pretty compelling read. I felt it was fairly realistic in it's portrayal of marriage in the 1800's - where a woman would be stuck in a marriage because her family couldn't withstand the scandal of divorce. But there were other parts I felt were unrealistic portrayals.

Charlotte seemed a typical young woman - bewitched by Lord Remmick's charm. Her heart did belong to someone else - but she though that was a dead-end. By the time she began having misgivings about the arrangement with Lord Remmick, it was too late.

Lord Remmick was a despicable man. The way he treated his wife, and women in general, was disgusting. There was nothing redeeming about him.

Lord Helsing was infatuated with Charlotte but didn't make his intentions known in time. He did offer a gentle warning about Lord Remmick, but was rebuffed. He left London, unable to deal with Charlotte's marriage mistake, but returns when he hears that she may be unhappily married.

As I said, this was a fairly compelling read. The reasons I'm not giving it a higher rating are thus:

• Some of the dialog didn't seem period to me - I don't believe a Regency-era woman would have said "sleep with me"..."lie with me" maybe, but...

• Transitions weren't smooth in places, and it affected the pacing.

• Events happened too quickly for me to really feel the connection between Charlotte and Lord Helsing

• The change in Charlotte wasn't explained so it was confusing (I'm being vague so as not to spoil things) 

I think my issues were a result of this being a novella, and therefore too few pages. I would have enjoyed a longer length for the character development. I did like the story and description of London life though, so I will read Ms. Gill again.

#FitReaders ~ Week 5 Check In

The #FitReaders Challenge is hosted by Felicia the Geeky Blogger and That's What I'm Talking About. For all the details on this challenge, click on the button above.

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Work and a sick kiddo slowed me down this week. But I squeezed in exercising. :)

Monday ~ I worked. But I got in an hour of cardio when I got home. I did get 11304 steps - 4 miles.

Tuesday ~ I did my hour of cardio at home - no yoga because I had a sick kid at home. I only got 7138 steps in.

Wednesday ~ Nada. Besides being home with my sick son, I wasn't feeling all that well either.

Thursday ~ I worked. And I did a yoga class - because I needed it. AND I did an hour of cardio. I got in 8380 steps.

Friday ~ I'm planning on doing a PiYo class - combination of pilates and yoga. And I'll get my cardio workout in as well. :)


I'll get some extra workouts in over the weekend. I'm still feeling good about getting my exercise in and eating well. Still haven't noticed a difference in my clothes. Hmm...

#COYER Release Day Review ~ Strange Magic Part Two ~ Michelle Mankin

Strange Magic Part Two
Strange Magic Series
Release Date: February 5, 2015
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance, Mythology
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms

Synopsis

Billy Blade is a hardworking, hard living, razor sharp musical force. Mysterious behind his dark shades, the rough around the edges Texan mesmerizes with his haunting harmonica and tantalizes with his dangerous looks and smooth country charm. His latest album is topping the charts. He's the newly crowned King of the Bacchus Krewe. He's definitely living the rock star dream.

Exotic Creole beauty Thyme Bellerose couldn't be more content. She has it all. An adoring grandmother. A handsome Tulane medical student beau. A satisfying job in the heart of New Orleans' French Quarter. Her life is as rich as the ice cream she creates. She's got everything under control.

But control is an illusion. Dreams can turn into nightmares. And now during Mardi Gras, otherworldly powers stand ready to shape their destinies in ways they could never imaging.

Shadow and light. Magic and mystery. Reality and myth. All come together in a place where rules bend and lines blur. Even those between life and death.

Please note: This is Part Two, the finale of Strange Magic. It does NOT stand alone. Part One must be read first. Part Two is available exclusively on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RU3NNX6

Recommended for mature readers. 17 and older.

Wow! What an ending for Billy and Thyme. What a world Mankin has created!

In this final installment of Strange Magic (but only the beginning of the series!) we learn more about Billy Blade and his connection to Thyme. We also learn more about about the Immortals and what they're up to. Strange Magic is an incredible story about second chances at love but it's so much more. Mankin created a fantastic mythological world, set in New Orleans, and is really setting the stage for what comes next.

I liked how Mankin used circumstances in her mythological world to mirror ones in our own. The battle lines have been drawn and change is a comin'. I also liked the comparison between the Mississippi River -- caring for her people, healing them -- and Thyme's mother, doing the same.

Mankin demonstrates her remarkable talent as she deftly incorporated her mythological world -- the In Between -- into that of New Orleans. I knew she could create kickass, realistic rock worlds. Here, she proved she's equally able to conjure a world of imagination -- one with bioluminescent waterfalls and duality demons. A world populated with Zeus, Hades, Ares, and Bacchus -- gods who set the rules that are being called into question.

At it's heart, though, is the love story. Both Billy and Thyme had love and lost it. Both were "dead" until they found one another. All the elements Mankin surrounded Billy and Thyme with -- poetry and music -- were a delight. Their end is not the end and I'm eager to see where things go from here.