Sunday, January 15, 2023

Release Blitz for Vi Keeland's The Game




Title: The Game
Author: Vi Keeland
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 16, 2023


BLURB

It started out like any other Tuesday.

I spent twelve hours writing algorithms for one of the largest companies in the world and then came home to work on a pet project of mine—feeding facts about the men I knew into a formula to find my perfect match before my twenties came barreling to a close.

But then a man knocked on my door and handed me some papers that turned my life upside down.

Apparently, a father I never knew existed had left me something in his will. That something turned out to be part ownership in a professional football team.

Next thing I knew, I was learning a sport I knew nothing about by spending time with the team’s quarterback who was out with an injury, a man who my formula would definitely determine was all wrong for me.

Christian Knox was too handsome and confident for his own good and could have any woman he wanted. Only lately the only woman he seemed to want was me.

But there was no way I was getting involved when I was now his boss, even if he was insanely gorgeous and had the dirtiest mouth I’d ever come across.

It would be wrong, wouldn’t it?

Probably. But you know what they say about things that are wrong...sometimes they feel so right.







PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU






AUTHOR BIO


Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.


AUTHOR LINKS



OTHER BOOKS BY VI


AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU



AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU



Lisa Kane's 4 1/2 Star Review!

Bella Keating is a math nerd. She spends her days writing algorithms and it completes her. By her own admission she's a bit of a genius with numbers, but people-well not so much. She lives in the same run down apartment above a fruit market that she's lived in for years. She doesn't own a car, she takes the bus everywhere. (I was a little surprised that given she has a very specialized skill, she isn't making a lot more money for doing what many companies would be willing to pay employees beaucoup bucks to do) 

Her life changes drastically when she finds out that she has been left a football team as an inheritance from a man she has never heard of or met before. But the will is ironclad, to the chagrin of his two other daughters. They make sure to let Bella know she will never be accepted or welcomed. 

On her first day at the team's headquarters, one of her evil sisters pranks her into believing the guy walking around with numerous pizza boxes is a perv. That's not quite true-he's the team's golden boy, Christian Knox. Their initial meeting is awkward and embarrassing. But Christian is intrigued by this ginger cutie and he's determined to have some fun pursuing her. 

Bella is down to earth, wants only what she's earned and has no sense of entitlement. She just can't figure out why this man, believed to be her father would leave her so much. When her mother died, she was in her teens and was shuffled into the foster care system. He never sought her out, and had to know she was literally an underage orphan on her own. She quickly learned she could not depend on anyone else in her life. She never quite got over that belief.  Bella believes she can find a man who is her match  based on mathematical analytics and not her emotions.  

Christian Knox knows a good thing when he sees it, and despite the fact that technically Bella is his boss, he's not going to let that pesky little fact stand in his way. This is a good guy; has he had his and probably lots of other men's share of women-yeah, but he never promises what he he isn't willing to commit and he's honest. But will that be enough to change Bella's way of finding a mate? 

This is a Vi Keeland story so expect some angst and disruption to their paradise. Bumps in the road are mandatory for Vi's works and The Game is no exception, but it's well written, the characters are adorable and quirky, the story is page turning and it's one not to be missed! 

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Release Blitz for Sawyer Bennett's Drake (Pittsburgh Titans #5)



Drake: A Pittsburgh Titans Novel Sawyer Bennett Release Date: January 3, 2023




Synopsis


 Drake McGinn turned his back on hockey after the league betrayed him. Will the Titans be his chance to clear his name and take back the career he once loved? After I made the decision to divorce, my ex-wife set out on a smear campaign against me, telling anyone who would listen that I was betting on hockey and throwing games. It wasn’t surprising that my ex told the lies, but the fact that the media, league, and fans chose to believe her baseless claims was unforgivable. I walked away from it all and never looked back. Having settled into life as a single dad to three boys, I’m content. I have more money than I could ever need, and plenty of time to do whatever I want, whenever I want, and whoever I want. So when Brienne Norcross, the team owner for the Pittsburgh Titans, shows up at my house with a job offer, I have no problem turning her down. But the no-nonsense billionaire, with sinfully seductive red lips and killer heels that would look hot as hell thrown over my shoulders, won’t take “no” for an answer. Now I need to find balance between hockey, my boys, and the explosive chemistry Brienne and I can no longer deny. A cast-off hockey player and the league’s only female team owner? I can think of a million reasons why it could never work but can’t bring myself to care about a single one of them. Game on. All books in the Pittsburgh Titans series can be read as standalones. See the entire series here: https://sawyerbennett.com/bookstore/the-pittsburgh-titans-series/

Download Drake: A Pittsburgh Titans Novel Amazon | Nook | Apple | Kobo | Google | Print

Buy the digital and signed paperback direct from Sawyer Bennett: https://bit.ly/SB_Drake ** Digital files must be read within the BookFunnel app **

  

About the Author:

 




New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone. A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs. If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).

Connect with Sawyer:

Facebook | Reader Group | TikTok | Instagram Goodreads | BookBub | Join Sawyer's Newsletter









4 Star Review from Trinette Dungee


There have been quite a few books in this series I’ve been waiting for, and Drake was one of them. From the minute we first met him and Breanne in Stone’s book I prayed they would have a storyline together and it would be hot. This did not disappoint. It was indeed hot, as well as passionate and gave a few giggles. Neither bites their tongue, neither is afraid/embarrassed to share their feelings. They are unapologetically who they are and, they are equally matched in their physical attraction to each other, and what they don’t want. Breanne Norcross and Drake McGuinn don’t just sizzle, the freaking burn and explode. This meeting has been a long time coming…. 


“Are you flirting with me, Drake? Because it would be considered improper.” I shake my head and lean toward her. Dropping my tone, I give her the honest truth. “I don’t flirt. I fu*k, and that’s it.” Brienne gasps, not in horror or shock, but more like a tiny exhale of lust as her cobalt eyes darken. I take advantage of the shock. “Boy toys flirt. That’s not me.” “And why do I need to know the difference?” she asks. I’m pleased her voice is huskier than usual. My lips curve in a wicked grin. “In case you want proof of what I’m saying.” I watch in fascination as her eyes go from sizzling in contemplation to icing back over to the multibillionaire owner of an empire. “Not interested.” Her tone is bland… disinterested as she glances over her guests. “Oh, you’re interested,” I say knowingly, and her eyes fly back to me.


Drake McGuinn is done with the hockey world. His wife’s drug addiction tore his family and marriage apart, and when she falsely accuses him of places illegal bets against his team the league seemed perfectly content to believe her lies. Drakes main concern is raising his three boys and ensuring their lives are as normal as possible. When Breanne Norcross first approached him about returning to help rebuild the Pittsburgh Titans, her entertained her until she pissed him off, but Breanne won’t be dismissed so easily. 

Drake is rude, crude, dirty talking, sex on a stick: 


“Trust me… no pus*y is ever going to make things right with me for what the league did. I fuc*ed you because I wanted you, plain and simple. Just like you let me fu*k you because you wanted me too.”


Something that has become more and more prevalent in Sawyer Bennett’s books is vulnerability with her male characters. There has always been a level of vulnerability with them, but lately it seems to be at the forefront of their personalities/characteristics. Drake isn’t afraid to show his emotions, especially when it comes to his family. Whether it be his sister or his kids. 


All three boys are crying—good, happy, emotional tears—and yeah, I am, too. I flop us down on my small front lawn that’s starting to crisp in this first month of fall. I spend quality time letting them crawl over my chest and hug the ever-loving shit out of me. Yeah… think I’ll just stay this way for eternity. 


Although his divorce was hard on him more because of the league’s response and his boys, it also has jaded him when it comes to relationships. 


That seals it. We agree we’ll fu*k on occasion and are free to be with others. It’s the perfect deal for me and holds with my current philosophy that I’m never committing to another woman again. 


His ex has left him bitter and with little trust in women or relationships, but when he realizes that Breanne means more to him than just a “fu*k”, he doesn’t hesitate to admit it to himself. When he realizes he’s done something to hurt her, he owns it.


Where Drake is rude and crude, Breanne is right there with him. She matches word for word and action for action. 


You didn’t break up with him because of me, did you?” Brienne frowns. “No. I ended things before you.” “Good,” I say adamantly. “Because I’m not asking you to.” “Good,” she mimics. “Because I fu*k who I want and when I want. Clay was convenient, just like you’re convenient. Just like there are a lot of convenient men.” Well, damn. She turned that around on me.


Breanne Norcross has always been on top of her game and a force to be reckoned with in the business world, but after losing her brother, the owner of the Pittsburgh Titans, in the crash that killed the majority of the team she’s thrust into a whole new world that’s she’s not all that familiar with. As she struggled to rebuild the Titan’s she had a few missteps, one being her first interaction with Drake McGuinn. From the moment he stormed out of her office she’s been determined to get him back


What I liked about Breanne was her assertiveness. When the time came, she let Drake know she was attracted to him, but she didn’t let him call the shots completely. Breanne gave him a run for his money in the emotions department. She wasn’t clingy and needy. She called the shots quite often and she scheduled the “booty calls” and “hook ups”. Something else that really resonated with me about Breanne is her sexuality. While it’s not unlike authors to write their female leads as women who embrace their sexuality, they don’t usually have them openly dating another man. Those men are mentioned but nothing major. With Breanne, she actually has a “boy toy” that she interacts with. While she may not actually have sex with him, he’s there and you know the purpose he serves to her. 


Best way to scrub Drake McGinn from my mind is to have Clay distract me in bed. Of course, it’s a crapshoot since fifty percent of the time I’m free, he’s not, and vice versa. I’m surprised when I get a quick text back. Absolutely. Eight p.m.? That works, I type back and exhale in relief. There… back on track. I’ll have my chef whip up something light for us, we’ll share a drink, and then I’ll let Clay fu*k my brains out. It’s a good plan.


While Drake may be grieving losses in his life, and has the support of his family, Breanne is coping with the death of her brother and taking his place with the Titans. She’s hardly had a chance to truly grieve the loss of her best friend pretty much on her own. She puts on a brave face and other than a support group she started, she basically grieves alone. During their stolen moments and nights together, Drake and Breanne learn a lot about each other. They learn so much that there sex only rules and arrangements quickly morph into so much more. 


What I also enjoyed was the friendships in this book. Although she has developed something of a friendship over time with Jenna, she’s never had actual girlfriends. So, when Jenna introduces her to other wives on the team, she begins to get a real feel for friendship. Drake is initially and understandably hesitant about getting close to the guys on the team, but he soon realizes he has a good group and they’ve had back even when he didn’t know it. 


The players never turned on me, and those who were my friends stayed true. Those who were merely acquaintances listened to those who knew me, and their support came my way. It was probably the only thing that kept me sane during this last year—messages of support from players I barely knew on other teams.


In a nutshell, this was hot and steamy, but not just hot and steamy; there was passion, feelings and growth with the characters.


Cannon’s book is next, and I have a feeling vulnerability will be a major player in his story.


Cannon’s story of how he lost a loved one through a slow death versus how I lost someone so quickly is a pointed reminder there’s no recipe on how to deal with any of it. “I want to ask a favor, and feel free to say no… but I formed a support group for the family members of the victims. We’re really connected via phone and social media because we’re scattered all over, but we have a monthly Zoom call to check in on one another. I’d love to have you talk at one of our meetings… about your experiences with grief. You’ve survived it, but I know some who are really struggling.” “I’d be glad to,” he says easily and then stands from his chair.






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