“Why should I sleep with you?” I cross-examined the witness. It was the only way to manage Byron.
He considered his cup as if committing to his goal, then studied the way my finger tapped the counter as if choosing a strategy, then pondered my face as he decided on his tactic.
“Because you’re wet already,” he said with a deep knowledge of what aroused women looked like. “Because you want what I can give you. Your head hasn’t even acknowledged it, but your body knows.”
“That’s—” I was going to end in a denial, but my nipples were hard. “—not relevant. You and I don’t make sense.”
“That’s correct.” He gulped tea. I left my cup on the counter, refusing the challenge. “We are a disaster. You despise me too much to want a relationship and just enough to turn you on. And from what I can tell, you don’t want to get involved enough to force an ethical quandary. So, if you agree in principal, I have a proposal.”
Agreeing in principle meant revealing how badly my body ached for him.
Disagreeing meant never satisfying that ache.
“I agree in principal.”
“My proposal is one night. One full night…”
I could commit to that, and I was about to when he continued.
“…where I own your body.”
“Wait.”
“You let me own you when we fuck. You come when I say. You obey me without hesitating. That’s what you want and you know it.”
My cheeks prickled, radiating the heat of my shame.
“No, then.” I pushed my cup away. “It’s never been like that. I’ve had three long relationships and a couple of flings but never—”
“—really enjoyed it.”
It was all lies… even when he spoke the truth, he lied.
About CD Reiss
CD Reiss is a New York Times bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn’t pick up she’s at the well hauling buckets.
Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master’s degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere but it did give her a big enough ego to write novels.
She’s frequently referred to as the Shakespeare of Smut which is flattering but hasn’t ever gotten her out of chopping that cord of wood.
If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.
“Every time I think Kennedy Ryan can’t possibly raise the bar any further, she proves me wrong in the most delightful way possible. Lennix left me breathless. Maxim stole my heart.” — Katee Robert, New York Times Bestselling Author
The Rebel King, the stunning, beautiful conclusion to the All The King’s Men Duet, from USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan, is available now! Get ready for a binge read!
Ambition. Revenge. Love.
RITA® Award-winning author Kennedy Ryan delivers the gripping conclusion to the All the King’s Men Duet.
Raised to resist. Bred to fight. Survival is in my blood and surrender is never an option.
Though surrender is what Maxim Cade demanded of my body and heart, I had other plans. We were fast-burning fascination and combustible chemistry, but the man I trusted with everything was a trickster. A thief who stole my love. If what we had was a lie, why did it feel so real? The man I swore to hate will have it all, and wants me at his side. But power is a game, and we’re the pawns and players.
Facing insurmountable odds, will we win the world, or will we lose it all?
Download your copy of THE REBEL KING today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Enter Kennedy’s giveaway for a chance to win a $100 gift card: http://bit.ly/2XtW3ak
About Kennedy
USA Today bestseller, RITA® Award Winner and Top 25 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy Ryan writes about women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. Her heroes respect, cherish and lose their minds for the women who capture their hearts.
She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine and Frolic, Kennedy’s writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Atlanta Autism families, she has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other media outlets as an advocate for families living with autism.
Q&A: Author Karina Halle 1. To start off, can you tell us a little about your main characters from Disarm. Seraphine and Blaise have quite a history (not to mention they share the same last name!) Seraphine and Blaise Dumont are (gasp) cousins. But not to worry, they aren’t blood-related. Seraphine is actually from India and was adopted by Ludovic Dumont when she was a young girl. Even though she was brought into the “nice” side of the family, she has always had trouble fitting in. Her looks, her accent, the fact that she was born poor and discarded like trash, gives her a very different perspective to life than her affluent family. This POV has colored her into the very outspoken, vibrant and feisty woman she is today – she is definitely one of my favorite female characters I’ve written. Blaise, of course, belongs to the bad side of the family, though there were hints in the first book, Discretion, that he’s not as bad as you would think. In fact, he’s a lot like Seraphine, a bit of an outcast and the black sheep of his family. As we read Disarm, we also discover the history that Blaise and Seraphine have together which sets up for the angst, tension and hate for each other that they have in the present day, especially as Seraphine thinks Blaise has something to do with her father’s death. 2. They live in a world of privilege that most of us cannot fathom. What are the biggest pluses and some minuses of living with fabulous wealth? The biggest plus is the material things: houses, cars, clothes, jets, vacations. You name it, they have it. You would also think a great deal of freedom comes with money too and it does but with that sort of wealth, it makes you go to great lengths to keep it. So that freedom still ties you to the wealth, in maintaining it and getting more of it. Of course, it breeds some pretty out of touch and unscrupulous characters, too, and you can never know who to trust when your world (and family) revolves around money instead of love. 3. What about Blaise makes him totally unique and different from all other book boyfriends? The torch he has carried for Seraphine for so many years. This man is the epitome of yearning and pining for someone you can’t have, more so than most book boyfriends you’ve come across (and I won’t spoil exactly how but you’ll find out in the book just how secretly devoted to his cousin he is). He’s also an anti-hero, a man who has done some crooked stuff but still tries to do the right thing, even if it comes at the expense of his own family. 4. Seraphine has faced many difficulties during her life, but one of her toughest challenges is thinking Blaise abandoned her. How does she deal with this heartbreak? She deals with it the way that Seraphine deals with any hardship—she tucks it away deep down inside and rises above it. She’ll force herself to be strong – her pride is very powerful – and she’ll trick herself into thinking she never cared about him to begin with. It’s much easier to paint Blaise with a villainous brush, that way it doesn’t hurt so much.
5. Extreme events are said to bring out a person’s true character. What harrowing situations do Seraphine and Blaise get entangled in and what does this say about them? There isn’t anything more extreme than fighting for your life, and the two of them have had to do that in this book. Literally. But they willingly walked into those situations as a way to put an end to the tangled web they’ve been caught in. It says they would rather face it and fight than flee. This is especially true for Blaise, who, at the end of the book, choses to confront his loved ones face to face, even if it potentially means making some difficult choices. 6. What scene from the book do you think readers will enjoy the most and why? Personally, I love the scene at the end, a nail-biting showdown between Blaise and his brother Pascal (and his father, too). That was a blast to write and read, I basically just watched it all unfold in my head and it had my heart pumping as if I was watching a movie. It’s DELICIOUS. Romance-wise, I think the flashbacks are pretty special, particularly their first kiss in Italy. There was something about that scene that felt so real. 7. It is often said that writing is re-writing. What were some things that didn’t make it into the book that you were hoping to add? Nothing. It’s all in there, baby! If anything, scenes were added during edits.
8. What did you learn about yourself while writing this book? I learned a lot about Muay Thai fighting moves haha.
9. What do you want readers to take away from reading this book? That family isn’t just through blood, and that sometimes in order to do the right thing and be your own person, you musn’t be afraid to stand up to your family, even if it means tension or separation down the line. 10. Who is the next Dumont on your list to receive their own story? The infamous Pascal. And believe me when I say, this villain’s story will both wow and win people over. His book is even more thrilling and dramatic than Disarm and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!
Disarm Excerpt
“We can never be together, Blaise,” Seraphine says, like frustration is rolling through her. “I know you understand that.”
“But it doesn’t mean we can’t try.”
“No,” she says and suddenly gets up to her feet, walking out of the room. “No. I can’t do this. I can’t handle this,” I hear her cry out as she heads down the hall.
I get up and run after her, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her right up against me, and she opens her mouth to protest and then my mouth is on hers, swallowing her words.
I kiss her with everything I have, every bit of anger and frustration and the years of lust and pining and wanting. I should be more gentle after the night she’s had, but I can’t help myself; in fact, I think I’m seconds from turning into an animal as I hold the back of her head and press my hand at the small of her waist, keeping her pressed as close to me as possible.
Her tongue slides across mine, hot and fevered and—
She pulls back, gasping for breath, and slaps me across the face.
Whack.
That hurt.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she says. “What are you doing? What am I doing?”
Her face is red with anger, perhaps even shame. I mean, my cheek is stinging from her powerful wallop, but even so, I expected it. She’s always been the type of woman to put you in your place. But I didn’t expect her to slide so easily back into hating me.
“Don’t pretend you haven’t been dreaming about that,” I tell her, trying to control myself. “Don’t pretend that you haven’t wanted that, wanted me, all these years.”
“The only thing I’ve been dreaming about, Blaise, is getting justice for my father. That’s it. That’s all that matters. And as far as I’m concerned, you’re no better than the rest of them.”
Anger pokes at me, building up inside. “Hey,” I say, my inflection razor sharp. “I risked my neck tonight for you. I saved you from a bad situation. And more than that, I let you know the truth. I chose you over my family.”
“And I’m choosing not to trust you,” she says. “You’ve given me no sign over the years that I mean anything to you at all. Why should I believe you now? Why do that when it might derail everything I’m working on?” Something comes over her, a flash in her eyes, as she’s realizing something. “This is all a setup, isn’t it? This is just something that Pascal is having you do, just like you followed me. You’re supposed to tell me all this nonsense about wanting me and staying celibate like some joke and waiting for me, and it’s all a lie to get my guard down. If you’re telling me I’m in danger, it’s because you’re putting me there.”
I knew she’d go this route at some point, but even so, it stings. “That’s not it at all. Seraphine, please, I’m serious.”
“You just want me to back off because I’m close to the truth,” she says, shaking her head wildly as the idea takes over. “For all I know, every single thing this evening that’s come out of your mouth has been a complete lie, all to throw me off.”
I run my hands down my face, trying to squash my frustration. I knew this was coming, and yet that tiny coal of hope was always burning inside. “That’s not true,” I mutter into my hands, but I know when she gets like this that there’s no changing her mind.
“Get out,” she says.
I look up to see her opening the door and gesturing for me to hurry up.
“You’re making a big mistake by not trusting me,” I tell her.
“And I don’t take threats very well. Get out, and if I see you around me again . . .”
I almost laugh. “You will see me again. At work tomorrow.”
“Right. I almost forgot that you’re taking over my job.” She runs her fingers under her eyes and sighs so defeatedly that leaving her feels like a crime.
“It’s not like that,” I tell her.
“Just go,” she says quietly, holding open the door and looking away, like she can’t be bothered to face me.
“You know where to reach me, if anything happens,” I tell her as I walk past and out into the hall.
“If anything happens, you’ll be the first one I’ll blame,” she says to me.
Before I can say anything in response, she closes the door in my face.***
About The Book Title: Disarm
Author: Karina Halle
Release Date: November 19, 2019
Publisher: Montlake Summary Seraphine Dumont seems to have it all: she’s gorgeous, brilliant, and part of one of France’s most illustrious dynasties. But underneath the facade, Seraphine struggles to hold it all together. Besides grieving her adoptive father’s suspicious and sudden death, she also shares a tenuous role in the family business with Blaise, her in-name-only cousin. As tumultuous as their history is, he may be the only member of the deceptive Dumont family she can trust.
Seraphine is a temptation Blaise can’t resist. The torch he’s carried for years still burns. It’s his secret—a quiet obsession just out of reach. Until his brother demands that he spy on the increasingly cagey Seraphine, whom their father considers a dispensable Dumont outlier. But the more Blaise watches her and the closer he gets, the more he sees Seraphine may have every right to be suspicious. And she could be the next one in danger—from his own family.
As blood runs hot and hearts give in, Seraphine and Blaise have only each other. But can their love survive the secrets they’re about to uncover?
Author Biography Karina Halle, a former travel writer and music journalist, is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of The Pact, A Nordic King, and Sins & Needles, as well as fifty other wild and romantic reads. She, her husband, and their adopted pit bull live in a rain forest on an island off British Columbia, where they operate a B&B that’s perfect for writers’ retreats. In the winter, you can often find them in California or on their beloved island of Kauai, soaking up as much sun (and getting as much inspiration) as possible. For more information, visit www.authorkarinahalle.com/books.
Suzie Samuels is the only thing standing between Clifford and his life’s work. All he has to do is change everything about her. Perception creates reality and Clifford Rutledge needs the irascible stripper to prove it.
Suzie Samuels is set to prove once and for all she’s more than Short Fuse Suze, stripper for the Black Demons and renowned motorcycle arsonist. If all it takes is hard work, then Suzie knows how to work it hard.
But Suzie’s scandalous spirit tests Clifford’s resolve. And Clifford’s buttoned-up bullying is driving Suzie bonkers.
Can Clifford move past their differences long enough to pull off the impossible task of changing the bare lady into a fair lady?
More importantly, as perceptions shift and priorities change, will he want to?
‘My Bare Lady’ is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book #1 in the Scorned Women’s Society series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.
Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
I was transfixed. It wasn’t just the way she mastered the room. It wasn’t just how her choreography perfectly correlated with the entrancing music. It wasn’t just her sex appeal. It was that unwavering gaze and focus on her task. To the rest of the room, staring blatantly at her admirable—ahem—assets, she was an object, but I recognized the barely controlled passion roiling under her skin. What would it be like to be that strong? Not just physically, but strong in a way that allowed her to bare her soul to a group of greedy strangers. My passions were locked away safely inside me and yet she put it all out there. Such bravery and passion.
In certain moments, I swear she looked right at me—quick stolen glances that shot a bolt of adrenaline down my spine. Perhaps this was a skill she learned to earn more tips, as the money was out in droves now, peppered over the stage and her sweating skin. But I swore she saw me. Saw through me. To the things I didn’t want seen. I stepped back further into the darkness knowing my concerns were irrational but unable to tear my eyes off hers. I was stronger than this. I was thoughtful, pragmatic, and not a victim of animalistic natures and poetic fantasies.
Though she occasionally snapped the thin strips of material that made up her outfit in a playful tease she never took any clothes off. She didn’t need to. She’d managed to capture the attention of every person in that room with her movements alone.
My body reacted despite my rationale; heart pounding, skin aflame. I needed to leave. I wouldn’t be like the rest of these people.
The song crescendoed and in a show of strength, she launched herself back to the top of the pole once again. A small gasp escaped from me but the music drowned out all noise. She performed a trick that made her appear to fall down the entire length of the pole, tumbling over and sideways, limb over limb, only to catch herself at the bottom using only her thighs. She hung upside down, panting, dark hair sprawled out around her and her gaze set on me. Her eyes were a brilliant emerald, unlike any color I’d ever seen. They were luminescent in the stage lighting. Even across the hazy bar, they were transcendent. Glowing. Fixated on me.
Nobody else.
I swallowed but it wasn’t easy. The song ended and the lights went out. The crowd went wild. Several moments passed before I gained control of my faculties again. With that control came the shame of watching her. The understanding that just seeing her perform was enough to make me forget who I was. That couldn’t happen.
I got out of there as fast as I could. The entire drive back to Knoxville my chest heaved at an alarming rate; my body remained a mass of tension. Her hypnotic gaze flashed repeatedly in my vision no matter how often I tried to shake it loose.
Thankfully, I’d never see her again.
About Piper Sheldon
Piper Sheldon writes Contemporary Romance and Magical Realism books that hope to be New York Times bestsellers when they grow up. For now, she works as a technical writer during the day and writes about love the rest of the time. Of course she also makes room for her husband, toddler, and two needy dogs at home in the Desert Southwest.
The first in the new Wild Scots series is titled HARD NOX (Wild Scots, #1).
This book is out in just under a month and I am DYING OF EXCITEMENT. Here’s the blurb: — He’s a brawler, she’s a speed racer. Together, they’re explosive.
Isobel
Heir to the McRae estate, Lennox is the huge Highlander everyone respects. But deep down, he’s a dirty fighter. He crashed my car, stole my first kiss, then walked away with another woman.There’s no reason why, years later, when I see him in a fight, I should be lusting after his body. They call him Hard Nox, but I know him, and damned if he’s getting an easy ride back into my life.
Nox
Isobel is a menace. She races cars and has tattoos in places I can’t even imagine. I shouldn’t want her. But I can’t forget the one kiss we shared as teenagers. Fresh out of the military, I have one thing in my sights – her.Isobel Fitzroy is my best friend’s sister, and I’m going to tame her wild heart.–From the author of the Marry the Scot series comes a brand-new generation. Wild Scots brings you everything you love about Scottish heroes and contemporary romance but sexier, faster, and supercharged. Yep, it’s a new generation series.
Hard Nox (Wild Scots, #1) is available to preorder now at my usual discount –> mybook.to/HardNox
“I signed on for you, whatever that means, wherever that takes us.”
Throughout my life, I’ve read the works of women whose books infected my soul with their truths. From Austen to Alcott to Morrison, these women infused the truth of their own societies into their storytelling in a way that challenged my thinking and left me altered. It’s these moments when writing is most powerful when people’s truths are articulated decidedly, as a willful act for change. It’s hard to believe that the genre of romance, so often ridiculed for its light and erotic fare, could proffer these same lessons, these same truths. And yet, we see it often. Kennedy Ryan is flaying her soul open and offering us the, often painful, truths of our time. Her most recent book, The Rebel King, along with its counterpart, The Kingmaker, leaves its poignant mark on the romance community and on our thinking. At least, like my favorite books of my youth, she’s made me question my thinking on privilege, the climate, politics, and the necessity to connect your soul with another’s.
The Rebel King, the second book of her duet, All the King’s Men, is the place where you, the reader, fall more deeply in love with Maxim and Lennix. The Kingmaker introduces us to their character, their passions, their burgeoning love. The Rebel King sets us on their journey towards building a future together, replete with action, suspense, political campaigns, and sensual bedroom action. There is something here for everyone.
At its core, and at its best, Ryan’s The Rebel King’s hero and heroine are its endurance. Is there anyone like Maxim? He is a controlled heroic characterization of intellect, alpha-male, sensitivity, sensuality, emotional adeptness, etc. Above all of that, he’s sweet. He washes Lennix’s hair, meets her needs WELL in the bedroom, and he makes her a priority. Maxim’s character has the soul of a poet. In him, the man of white privilege, we find the rule, not the exception. Ryan crafts him to illustrate the best response to marginalized people from a person in his position. And she completes this with one of her swooniest male heroes to date.
Without Lennix, there is no essence of Maxim. These two are soulmates, the yin to the other’s yang. Lennix’s passion and fire match Maxim’s passion and fire. They are wholly complete in each other. What I love most about Lennix’s character in this book is her need to maintain her identity. Maxim’s charisma dominates the room, yet Ryan makes space for Lennix as his complement and his contrast. She’s bold, intelligent, unapologetic, effective, resolute, and Maxim’s perfect match. I believe Olivia Pope of Scandal provided a minor influence for this character. From my perspective, Lennix’s character is better. She isn’t petty, and she thoughtfully considers the best for Maxim, sometimes at the expense of her own happiness. These soulmates sense the needs of the other and provide it without question, without personal needs being met. Time and time again, I felt deliciously overpowered by their love and adoration for each other.
In terms of other characterizations in The Rebel King, Ryan creates gradients of character. In the Kingmaker, Warren Cade seems the villain. His dislike of Lennix and his inability to accept Maxim’s life choices make him unlikeable. Yet, after this book, Ryan carefully illustrates true evil. She makes it possible for the reader to accept Warren Cade when it’s appropriate for the story. She carefully creates the gray area of character as a reminder that most of us are flawed in our intentions, yet most of us still exude humanity.
Even more, Ryan is inclusive in this world. She recognizes all points of view, shining a magnifying glass on our differences. While she might privilege some of them, she does so through the logic and clarity of her research. It’s clear, in this book and the former one, that she is well-read for the politics of her book. It makes her credible and lends believability to her characters. We are challenged by them. The diversity of thought in this story isn’t overbearing; instead, it seeks to remind us that sides can disagree, but harmony can be reached through mutual respect and the need to listen. This is a necessary lesson of Ryan’s book for our world today.
Beyond her characterization, her story, and her message is Ryan’s style. It’s important to note because it is one of the driving forces of her writing. There is an intentionality in her writing choices. To ramp up the tension at the beginning of The Rebel King, she shortens the chapters. This adds tension to the action. She is a magician with words so elemental to her storytelling that it’s become an expectation of her writing now. She uses the eloquence of language to build Nix and Maxim’s lovemaking, the tragedy of this book, and the urgency of its action. Whether it’s alliteration or metaphor or allusion, Ryan’s words, her style, drive the meter of this romance, feeling as though the pages turn themselves.
Time and time again, Kennedy Ryan reminds me of my favorite female authors of the past. Her insistence on finding a voice TODAY for the marginalized, for women, for anyone who struggles feels necessary and honest. I was absolutely looking forward to The Rebel King, but, quite honestly, I didn’t expect to come away with it attached to my mind, heart, and soul. This book is about the tattoo on Maxim’s body: endurance. In The Rebel King, Kennedy Ryan is reminding those of us who are troubled by our world, fearful for the future, that we can and will endure, working towards making it better. Just as those who have come before us, endurance is the key to fighting the good fight and loving with all of our souls.
“…She didn’t need a hero. She didn’t need to be saved. She was the champion of her own story, and she knew it. Olivia asked for nothing not because she feared she’d never get it, but because she was a master of creating her own truth. I didn’t want her or anyone—I was going to be alone for the rest of my life. But she would tempt me, this magical creature who fought like a warrior and quoted poetry like an artist. This goddess who needed no one, but chose me for now.”
There’s a profundity to CD Reiss’s writing. Echoing through her story of hedonistic passion and prosaic emotionally- wrecked heroes and heroines are truths. About life. About love. Shadowing the romance of Byron Crowne and Olivia Monroe in her newest book, Iron Crowne, is the truth about control and the freedom of love and the need to heal.
In feminist criticism, as power is delineated in the realm of gender, the male tends to act as a colonizer of the woman’s body. He controls it and, in essence, he controls her. In this story, Reiss illustrates this struggle in one of two ways: first, in Olivia’s physical want for Byron’s colonizing and HIS want to write himself on her body, and secondly, in Byron’s need to build his monstrosity on the hill, essentially wrecking the synergy of nature. These two moments in this story are the vociferous lessons of control. Olivia and Byron, while seemingly different, are alike in their need to control outcomes. In that control, they protect themselves, yet bind themselves too. It’s in the resolutions of this control that these two find their future. But only in embracing fear and letting go, can this happen. It’s Reiss’s calling card in this book for her readers. We need to embrace the things that make us afraid so that we can heal the wounds of our pasts and find our happiness. Herein lies the profundity of Reiss’s writing.
She achieves this innately through her style. There’s a poetry to Reiss’s writing. It flits and floats across the page drawing her readers into its rhyme and meter. She creates tension through her words that underscore the tension between her characters. This is necessary. Then, she writes healing after cutting through her hero and heroine’s trauma. Her words wrap around your heart, pulling you deep into her storytelling, making you feel her truths viscerally. Her style ingratiates itself into your soul that NOT turning the page feels like a rebuke to her, to her characters, to her truths. So you do. You keep turning pages because to stop would make your soul feel heavy. I couldn’t stop reading Byron and Olivia’s story because it felt more painful to stop than to endure the pain of their coupling. To me, this is the brilliance of a writer such as CD Reiss.
Even more, the passion and $ex of Iron Crowne are filthy. This isn’t an admonishment or criticism. It’s the strength of the storytelling. It’s not written in ways that feel prescriptive or like steps to complete. Reiss creates this physical relationship that wholly represents the essence of her characters and their struggle to be together. Their physicality belies their emotional states. And it melts the pages of her book.
As a hero, Byron is everything you adore about the tragic hero. Unlike other tragic heroes, he doesn’t need to die to find his resolution, but a part of him must die in order to find his eventual happiness. Through much of the book, he is the colonizer. He razes land and body, marking them for ownership and name. Yet, he does this to overcome temporality. His life is a testament to trauma, and he makes decisions that self-sabotage him because the trama keeps him feelings muted, numb. The beauty of his characterization, the part of him (and heroes like him) that I love the most, is the moment when the trauma can no longer sustain his walls. When, in this book, Olivia acts as colonizer and obliterates his self-preservation. Just as he writes himself on Olivia’s body, she writes herself on Byron’s heart. This moment is the transcendent juncture of the story, and I suffered through their pain to get to its beauty.
Lastly, Olivia. There is nothing better than a woman who is self-reflective. Her struggles against a male-dominated profession, her choice in fertility and becoming a mother, her want to win, conspire together to underscore her true beauty. Outwardly, we are told, she is beautiful. Byron calls her “beauty” and ascribes poetry to her essence. Yet, Reiss’s characterization of her inner traits makes her more impressive and insightful. Even at the beginning of their story, when her self-control seems lost to Byron in terms of her body, her mind and heart remain resolute. She’s truly his soulmate in her resolve. In many ways, Olivia could be a “tiger lady,” a derogatory title for a woman with power. However, intertwined with her beauty and power is a compassion and love for others. We find this illustrated in her relationships with Emilio and Linda. All of her qualities conspire to produce a heroic female who should be reproduced over and over again in modern romance. She is a necessity in this story, and she’s a role model for women who want it all.
As I was finishing CD Reiss’s Iron Crowne, the words for this review were rushing through my mind. They were a veritable swell of feelings and thoughts about a book that challenges, titillates, and captivates the reader. I try to help readers understand why I enjoy certain books. I’m never sure that I can elucidate why a particular author transcends the norm of romance. And, for me, I think it comes down to one thing (well, not just one thing): the turn of the page. I read a lot of romance (A LOT), at least one book a day (or a day and a half). I turn pages. But some don’t compel me forward as others do. They don’t challenge my thinking, and they certainly don’t insert themselves into portions of my soul. Yes, they entertain, but they don’t engage the academic nature of my brain. This book, Iron Crowne, did. It found my words for me, it reminded me of my past life as a master’s in lit student, and it engaged my heart in its depth of feeling. If that is the level of romance that you love, then you will hunger for Olivia and Byron’s story. You will open this book, turn the page, and get lost in a story about letting go and finding love.
CD Reiss is a New York Times bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn’t pick up she’s at the well hauling buckets.
Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master’s degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere but it did give her a big enough ego to write novels.
She’s frequently referred to as the Shakespeare of Smut which is flattering but hasn’t ever gotten her out of chopping that cord of wood.
If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.
No Whisk, No Reward, an all new romantic comedy with twists and turns from Ellie Kay, is available now!
How do you know if a risk is worth taking? If you knew, there wouldn’t be any risk.
Following a disastrous appearance on a televised baking show, Sophie Copeland is certain things can’t get any worse. Several calamities later, Sophie finds herself in Green Valley, Tennessee with no plan, no place to stay, and no prospects. But at least she has a temporary seasonal arrangement with the famed Donner Bakery. And that’s something, right?
It’s not permanent, and it’s not a home, but it’s still something.
Enter Joel Barnes, a Green Valley mystery, wrapped in rumors, and a whispered connection to the local notorious biker gang. Joel’s got a name for being bad news, but he also has an apartment for rent.
Intrigued by the dichotomy of Joel’s reputation and sexy southern pull, Sophie can’t help but be tempted, even though she knows—given her (bad) luck—she should stay far, far away. . .
Yet as everyone knows, without risk, there’s no reward.
‘No Whisk, No Reward’ is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book#3 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.
Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
That’s when I saw Joel sitting alone in a booth by a large window, eating a sandwich, and reading a newspaper.
Oh. Hello, conflicted feelings. You’re looking extra conflicting today. Did you do something with your hair?
His gorgeous brown hair was a mess and the sleeves of his gray shirt were pushed up revealing his forearms which looked even thicker than I remembered them being, as he worked to fold the gigantic pages of the newspaper into neat manageable folds.
This man was seriously hotter than a melting ice-cream analogy.
And also, possibly involved with a crime organization! I reminded myself as I continued to stand uselessly trying to find somewhere to sit.
I tried not to stare, but it was impossible not to smile at the indelicate way he shoved the corner of his sandwich into his mouth and then proceeded to chew as though it might try to escape.
He picked up his coffee and was mid-sip when his eyes rose up from the rim of his cup and saw me standing by the entrance staring at him.
Busted.
“Take a seat wherever you can find one, hon, I’ll be along shortly to take your order,” a lady with a nameplate that read Janice, instructed me as she hurried by with a tray of coffee and doughnuts.
I looked back over at Joel who was watching me and gestured to the empty seat across from his.
My mind immediately went to Joy and Tempest’s reaction when they found out he was my landlord, but I quickly reminded myself that he’d done nothing to warrant any rudeness on my part.
Despite their apprehension, I figured this was a good opportunity to try and get more insight into whether I thought their response carried any weight.
Plus, I really needed coffee.
I made my way over, feeling his eyes on me as I crisscrossed around tables while trying to be ever vigilant of any sudden movements from other patrons.
My good sense will not be thwarted by your blue-green eyes and frowny brows, you magnificent biker beast.
“Good afternoon,” he greeted in a smooth as hot honey drawl. I was glad that I was already halfway into the seat because I felt my knees completely give out.
Traitor knees.
My armor of detachedness was not as hefty as I’d hoped.
“Taking a break from work?” I inquired, proud of my cool, even tone.
“Yep, just grabbing something to eat. You?”
“I’m done for today,” I replied reaching for a menu and unfolding it as though it were just as informative as his newspaper.
“Nice. Got any plans?”
“Not really, I was going to check out the bookstore downstairs, but that’s about—”
I was interrupted by the feeling of fingers gently stroking my cheek and looked up to find him reaching across the table, his eyes focused on a spot as he gently swiped at something on my face.
“Sorry, you got flour or something on your cheek it was driving me crazy,” he said before pulling away and leaning back coolly against his seat.
I’m gonna get thwarted, aren’t I?
About Ellie Kay
Ellie Kay is an Australian born living in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada who honed her creative writing skills in the colorful, and imaginative world of Corporate Insurance.
Socially awkward, she loves to respond to theatre ticket vendors who say, “enjoy the movie” with, “Thanks, you too,”, but she also likes to cook, travel and spend time with her partner and cat Taako.
Ellie is on a mission to help change the stigma surrounding the Romance genre and hopes to see a day when they are no longer considered “guilty pleasures,” but rather, just a pleasure.
Professor Romance 