Friday, December 30, 2016

Bad Husband by Shey Stahl








Ridley Cooper is on a mission. 
And if there’s one thing he’s good at, it’s getting what he wants.
What’s he not so good at?
Being a husband. At least that’s what his wife would say.

For most of my life I’ve been focused on one goal. Making a name for myself and building a business from the ground up. I’m a hard-working man, confident in my trade and quite frankly pretty awesome if you ask me. Sure, I make mistakes, you’ll see, but I think my dedication helps me out here. It’s the devoted work ethic that has me following through with anything thrown my way.
That being said, my wife of the last eight years served me with a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.
Believe me, I’m shocked too. 
She’s under the impression I don’t care.
Ridiculous assumption.
I know what you’re thinking, what the hell did I do?
Let’s not judge me yet until you know the whole story. 
The way I see it, in the state of Arizona, I have approximately 60 days to make her fall back in love with me. 
Easy enough, right?
You’ve clearly never met Madison.





4.5 Stars
Review by Jen Skewes

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I loved this book.  From the moment I started reading it I did not want to put it down.  I started it in the morning and was up way past my bedtime because I had to see how it would end.  I needed to know that everything would be ok.  Bad husband was a story that I connected with for so many reasons and I think anyone who is married can as well, and and I don't mean in regards to the divorce aspect,  just being able to relate to the characters and understanding their issues and struggles.   This book played with my emotions, at times I hurt with them, and cried with them but I also laughed and smiled along with them as well.  It has it’s emotional moments but at the same time there is wit and humor there as well.  I devoured this book and was so sorry to see it all end.

What do you do when your wife completely shocks you by sending you divorce papers?  If you are Ridley Cooper you fight and you fight hard.  Ridley loves his wife and kids more than anything in the world.  And he thought his life was pretty good up until that day when he was served.  He owns his own business and is very successful.   This man works his ass of to provide for his family, to give them a great life, and to give them the things that he didn’t have growing up.   But working so hard means spending less time with his family, which is part of the problem.  But he is willing to do what it takes to prove to his wife that she still loves him and that they can save their marriage.  Will it be too late?

I absolutely adored Ridley.  I felt so bad for this man at times.  He loved his wife and kids so much and would do anything for them.  But while he was out trying to do what he thought was the best for them, he was clueless as to what was really going on at home.  He didn’t realize how much he missed.  I loved his humor, his witt, and the way he fought for his family, never wanting to give up.  They meant the world to him. 

Madison was a hard character for me to like.  As a wife and mother I completely understood her issues and struggles and why she was so upset with Ridely.  But I didn’t agree with the way she handled it at all.  And for that reason I had a hard time liking her.  I don’t want to go into too much detail but here is a man that loves his family and works hard to provide for them and give them everything they want.  When he does try to fix his marriage and become the father and husband that his family deserves, it seemed like all of his efforts went without notice, which bothered me.  And then…BAM!!!  Ms. Stahl throws us another curveball that completely shocked me and made me question Madison all over again.  But after that twist, came the really emotional moment that had me trying so hard to hold in my tears.  It was then that I started to understand Madison in a way that I didn’t before.  And maybe it was their moment of truth as well, because in a way I think at that moment they truly understood everything that had happened and why. 

Despite everything I just said about Madison and my feelings for her, it didn’t take away from me loving this book at all.  I think when two people are going through what Ridley and Madison went through, you tend to take one side over the other.  I just happened to take Ridley’s side.  The man completely captured my heart from the beginning. I loved watching him with his children and seeing how much their relationship changed and grew.  I loved how much he loved his wife and I loved how much he fought to fix his marriage.  What I loved about the book was how real it felt.  That is why it didn’t matter how I felt about Madison because everything about her character, her decisions and her feelings just felt real. 


Bad Husband is a very beautiful and very emotional story.  More than once my heart just broke for these characters and everyone involved.  I could relate to them and understand them.  Believe me there are times when I am sure many women have felt like Madison did at times.   I wanted nothing more than for the two of them to work it out.  And at times I wasn’t sure if that would happen or where this story would go.  But every emotion was worth it.  A fantastic job by Ms. Stahl.  

I would love to know if we will be seeing more of these characters, specifically Brantley.  I would love to see him find the one woman who can capture his heart.   And on another note I wanted to say that I loved the way this story was written.  It is solely in Ridley’s POV but it was done in a way that you felt like you were right next to him the entire time as he told you his story.  I loved it. 

Blog Tour: Face Off at the Altar by Toni Aleo







Markus Reeves is sucking. Big-time. Toiling away on a minor-league hockey team hundreds of miles away from home, he's watching his dreams of an NHL career fade away. Add in the lingering guilt he has over the dramatic demise of his relationship with college girlfriend, Mekena, and he's a mess on and off the ice.


But the family of his heart, the Sinclairs, won't let Markus suffer any longer. When he arrives himself back in Nashville for a trial run on the Assassins, it feels like his life may be making a turn for the better. If only he could get Mekena to forgive him...


Mekena Preston has been hurting since fleeing Nashville following the horror of Markus's betrayal with her sister. Now a professional photographer, Mekena finds herself in the same place at the same time with Markus to celebrate Lucy and Benji Paxton's wedding. Neither of them has been able to move on—and they're starting to wonder if they really want to.


They're headed for a face-off at the altar unless they can confront their past and unearth the truth about what really happened on that fateful night.




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Review by Lisa Kane
Markus Reeves is almost 25 and wants things to change. He’s stuck playing hockey for the Jackson Ninjas but knows the team is falling apart. He wants to play for the Nashville Assassins. He knows Elli Adler can make this happen for him. 
He didn't click with the guys, he didn't click with the coach, and most of the time, he just felt like he was worthless. 
He’s been playing like crap-too much partying, too much playing around and not enough giving a damn about this team. Marcus seemed to have it all not too long ago but then he screwed it up, first with Mekena Preston. He just about annihilated her and things haven’t been the same since then. 
Meanwhile, Markus was almost twenty-five, not where he wanted to be careerwise but also drinking and fucking through his feelings.
And it was getting pathetic. 
Mekena Preston is trying to move on with her life. It’s been over a year and a half since she saw her sister, Skylar half-dressed walking out of her boyfriend Markus’ place. Neither one denied that they had slept together. In fact, Skylar seemed to take pleasure in rubbing it in Mekena’s face. Told her she was better off without him-he wasn’t worth it. She hasn’t talked to her sister since and hasn’t had to face Marcus either. 
After almost eighteen months of no contact or even seeing his face? She hadn't even Facebook-stalked him. Nothing. Cold Turkey. 
But now she’s going to be the photographer at a mutual friend’s wedding and there won’t be any escaping that meeting. To top it all off-Skylar is moving back home and Mekena will be living in the same house. Her parents think she should just let things die down and move on.
"Don't you think this is getting old? It's been well over a year. Time to bury the hatchet, don't you think. You two are sisters."
Mekena scoffed. "Yeah, and one would think that would keep her from fucking the guy I was with. But apparently, it didn't."

Markus is getting a second chance to do things right. Ellie called him up to the big league. His coaches don’t think he has what it takes, but he is going to prove them wrong. Seeing Mekena again makes him realize just what he lost. If only things hadn’t gone down the way they did with Skylar….
"I compartmentalized what had happened with Skylar, and I chalked it up as a loss. But I learned very quickly I couldn't forget you," he admitted, his eyes burning into hers.  

There are a lot of twists in Face Off at the Altar-one of them I never considered. Both Markus and Mekena have suffered and are going to come face to face with the demons that are haunting them. Can they get back what they had or will they make the same mistakes over again?
She was his second chance. 







“You are, by far, the most patient man I know.”
Baylor grimaced as she took Dawson from Markus’s outstretched hands. He smiled as Dawson looked at him innocently. He knew the little guy didn’t mean to puke all over him and he wasn’t upset, but he was trying to figure out a way to get to the house and shower before he had to talk to Mekena. He highly doubted that baby puke would be an aphrodisiac. Maybe it would be? Huh.
He wasn’t going to try, though.  
As Baylor cuddled Dawson against her, Markus waved her off. “It’s no big deal. He’s a baby.”
She smiled shyly. “Yes, but Ashlyn pooped on you too.”
He grinned as he shrugged, trying not to laugh. It was a tough rehearsal for Dawson, Ashlyn, and Markus. Puke and poop were big-time stars during the hour of watching the Sinclairs and Grace Justice try to put together a wedding. He wasn’t sure what was funnier, Jace glaring as Jordie walked with Avery, or Ashlyn farting and then realizing she had just shit all over him. It was a toss-up, but then Dawson decided to puke down the front of his shirt, and he figured he was now a substitute for a baby rag. “I volunteered.”
“Still, we’re really sorry,” Avery said, holding Ashlyn close as she rocked her back and forth. “I understand if you don’t want to watch her ever again.”
“Nonsense,” he said, laughing as he tucked his hands into his pockets and looked around. He spotted Mekena at the front of the altar, taking pictures of random things. He wasn’t sure if she was done, but maybe he could slip away. “How much longer until y’all are done?”
“We’re done, but Lucy and Benji have some pre-wedding pictures they’re having done with Angie.”
“So Mekena isn’t done?”
Avery smiled. “Nope, she’s got a bit.”
“Can you pass a message for me?”
“Sure.”
“Let her know that I went back to the cabin to shower and clean up?”
“Yeah, of course. I’ll tell Jace to tell her since I’m taking Ashlyn to bed.”
“Cool, thanks,” he said, kissing her cheek and then Baylor’s, before rubbing Dawson’s head. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.”
Before he could get far, though, Baylor smiled. “Thanks again.”
“Anytime. I mean that.”
Avery smiled. “Thanks.”
“Also, good luck,” Baylor added.
Flashing them both a big grin, he nodded. “I need it.”
Heading out the back, he made it back to the cabin quickly. When he entered, though, Mr. Right was sitting on the windowsill howling. “Whoa, man. What’s up?”
Meoooooowwwwwwww, he wailed, with his mouth wide open as his hair stood on end.
“Bro, I don’t know what to say. I don’t speak your language. Are you singing? Do you want me to sing too? Meoooowwwwww,” he said, and Mr. Right looked back at him, almost with a glare. “We should add some beat to that and make a remix,” Markus joked as the cat wailed. Deciding that was a good idea, he pulled out his phone and started to beatbox as the cat wailed, recording it on his SnapChat. The cat must have realized what he was doing because he looked back, scowling, and Markus hid his phone. He didn’t want to admit it, but Mr. Right kind of freaked him out.




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My name is Toni Aleo and I’m a total dork.
I am a wife, mother of two and a bulldog, and also a hopeless romantic.
I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!
When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughter’s dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, scrapbooking, and reading the latest romance novel.
I have a slight Disney and Harry Potter obsession, I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, I might have been a Disney Princess in a past life… probably Belle.
… and did I mention I love hockey?



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Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Blog Tour: Something There in Between

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Something There In Between by S. Ferguson
Publication Date: December 19th, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance


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Synopsis:

After a life full of cruelty, Bree is left with no one to turn to—except him.
Declan, who's suffered his own fair share of tragedy, sees the girl on the park bench with the sad eyes and Converse shoes as a kindred spirit —and a chance to redeem himself. He couldn't save his mother. Maybe he can save her.
But is Bree too broken to let him in?
Declan may be her only hope for solace, if he's strong enough to break down her walls. Will she risk letting him in ... or let her pain consume her?
This book is intended for readers 18 and older. It contains violence and references of rape and child abuse
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4 Stars
Review by Jen Skewes

Something There in Between is S. Ferguson’s debut novel.  Honestly I cannot believe that this is her first book.  From the moment I read the prologue to the very end I was completely captured by her words, by these beautifully broken characters and the story itself.  It was so well written and it gave me everything that I love in a book.  The emotional moments where your heart hurts for these characters, the moments that you fall in love with them and feel every bit of chemistry between the two of them.   It was emotional, at times a little dark but also just a beautiful story about finding yourself, learning to love yourself and to see that you are worth it. 

Bree is this broken girl who I felt so bad for.  From the moment you read the prologue and see what she has been through you heart just breaks for this poor girl.  Her mother is a monster who she managed to escape from at the age of sixteen.  She ran away with her boyfriend at the time who was the love of her life, the boy she thought was her future, until he left her.  Now she is just barely living.  Going to work every day and when she is not at work sitting on the park bench that she has claimed as hers, just thinking.  In her mind anyone who has left her, did so because she wasn’t worthy of their love.  She has a hard time seeing her own self worth.  She has a brick wall up that no one can break down.  Even the men at the bar she works with look after her and love but her she is just too broken to see it. 

Then there is Declan, the guy who noticed her from afar sitting on her park bench.  From the moment he saw her he knew that she was broken but he also knew that she was someone he needed in his life.  Declan has had a horrible life as well and is broken in his own way.  When his brother gets him a job at the bar he works at, he takes it knowing that the girl who sits on that park bench works there too.  He can see how broken she is but he wants nothing more than to fix her, make her see just how worthy she is.  But will he be able to break down her walls and make her see what just how loved she is?

I really loved this book.  I loved the connection between Bree and Dec.  Despite the way she felt about herself she was still such a strong woman.  She has been through so much but she has survived.  Even if she is just living, she has still managed to fight.  And with Dec she is able to truly open herself up, smile and start to love her life.  Declan is the perfect person for Bree.  On the outside he looks like a complete bad boy, the long hair and tattoos.  But on the inside he is this really sweet and down to earth guy who truly cares for Bree.  I love when you can feel the emotion of the story and I certainly felt it all with this one.  Ms. Ferguson pulled me in from the very beginning and I from that moment I did not want to let go.  Even in the end I wanted so much more of these two characters.

The supporting characters added so much to this story and I cannot wait for their stories.  There were twists and turns and moments that will hurt you.  But seeing what these characters went through and then seeing how much they grew at the end of the story made it all worth it.  I did have one issue with this book and it was something that happened with Declan that I honestly felt was so unnecessary to the story.  But it wasn’t something that took away from the story either.


Something There in Between is a beautiful love story about finding yourself, learning your worth and being able to break down those walls and see just how much you deserved to be loved.  It is an unexpected love story between two broken people.  It is emotional at times but in the end it was worth it.  An amazing debut novel.  I cannot wait for the next one. 


Excerpt:

That does it for me.
The idea that someone is hurting her causes a rage I’ve only ever felt once before in my life to flow through my entire body. I clench my fists and decide now is the moment I confront her. Is there another asshole bothering her now? Did her douchebag ex make an appearance? I will fucking end whoever did this to her. I know without asking that Jake would have my back on that move. I’d be willing to bet money Ron would as well. It takes every ounce of strength I have, but I wait until the night is a little closer to being over before snatching her arm and pulling her through the doorway into the dark kitchen. I spin her around to the wall beside the doorway, leaning down so we’re face to face, eye to eye.
“You’re gonna tell me what the fuck is going on, and you’re gonna tell me right the fuck now. Is someone hurting you? Why are your knuckles all bruised? You been fighting?” I fire off everything at once, realizing I sound like a nagging girlfriend, but I need to know she’s okay. I NEED to get this off my chest.
Bree sighs deeply, her warm breath fanning across my neck, making me aware of our proximity. I have her pinned to the wall, my left hand is still gripping her shoulder, and my right hand is on the wall above her head. I’m being a bastard, and using my size to cage her in. I watch her closely for signs of fear, but she almost looks bored, and mostly just annoyed. I know she can still refuse to answer, but I’ll be damned if she gets away from me until I have my say.
She raises her eyes to give me an angry glare and I feel my dick twitch. Seeing fire in her eyes as opposed to the sadness they always carry makes her ten times hotter. Fuck, I’m an asshole. Something is seriously wrong with her, and I’m standing here getting turned on.
“I’ve just had a lot on my mind. I’ve been…training. You know exercising and punching a bag. That’s why my knuckles are bruised.” She raises an eyebrow at me, daring me to question her more. I smirk down at her…she has no idea who she’s messing with.
“You need to wear gloves then. You’re going to ruin your beautiful hands. You’re not actually sparring are you? ”I ask, my voice deeper than I intended. I’ve never been this close to her before, and my dick is currently trying to punch its way out of my zipper to reach her.
She glances down, and I have a moment of horror when I realize there is no way she’s going to miss my erection. I’m a healthy boy, and my jeans were already on the tight side. Her breath hitches, and she jerks her eyes back up to meet mine.
When I see the heat in her eyes, I swear I almost come in my pants like a teenager. Bree is fucking turned on by me. I can work with this. Letting go of her shoulder, I put my hand on the wall, completely closing her in, and lower my head towards hers.
“I don’t fool around with Ron’s guys,” she says softly, making no move to avoid my quickly approaching lips.
“Good thing I’m not one then,” I say, my mouth forming a smirk. I’m now so close to her lips I can feel their warmth on my own.
“YO BREE, where ya at?” I hear Jake yell from outside the door. His voice is like a splash of cold water, causing me to jerk back, and the moment is gone.
“My brother is an asshole,” I grumble, lowering my hands to adjust my erection, and backing further away from her.
“Your brother just stopped me from making a stupid mistake,” she says, before walking out of the door.

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Meet S. Ferguson:

Ferguson is a military wife and mother of three. She loves to find beauty in the flawed and broken.

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