Review: Her SEALed Fate by Lori Ryan

Her SEALed Fate

Sutton Capital Series, #7
Lori Ryan

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Cara Shannon
Date of Publication: September 14, 2015
Number of pages: 217

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon     BN     Kobo

@GoddessFish Book Blast & Giveaway: Sutton Capital Series by Lori Ryan

Sutton Capital Series:

Legal Ease, Book 1
Penalty Clause, Book 2
The Baker's Bodyguard, Book 2.5
Negotiation Tactics, Book 3

Lori Ryan



Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Date of Publication: February 11, 2014
Number of pages: 671

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon     BN     Kobo

Regularly priced at $4.99, Lori is discounting it to 99 cents 
from April 29th through May 5th only! 
Grab it now before the price goes up.

With over 150 five star reviews for the books in the set, you're sure to love this one! Fall in love with the Sutton Capital Series at a savings of of over $2 off the set.

Legal Ease: a marriage-of-convenience that ends with hearts and lives on the line.

Penalty Clause: an unusual prenup is the only way for Andrew to win Jill's heart, but will he lose her anyway?

Negotiation Tactics: when well-meaning friends push Chad and Jennie together, Jennie ends up on the run from dangerous criminals...and her own heart.

Bonus novella: The Baker's Bodyguard: Jesse doesn't know if she'll ever have the courage to face the world again, until Zach comes along and holds her up, showing her just how strong she really is.

Excerpt: 
Legal Ease: 

Jack waited in his home office, keeping busy as he looked at projections and company profiles until her heard Kelly come in from her run and start the shower. He climbed the stairs and headed into their bedroom. He opened the French doors that led to the balcony and leaned on the railing while he waited for her to finish. This was going to be fun, he thought.

He heard the shower turn off and turned to wait for her to open the door, but if he thought he was prepared for what he saw, he was dead wrong. Kelly stepped out moments later with her hair hanging wet over her shoulders, wearing nothing more than a towel wrapped around her. She’d tucked an end into the dip between her breasts to hold it up. He was actually stunned silent for a minute and stared as she crossed the room to the walk-in closet. He had known Kelly was gorgeous, and he had felt some of her body, but seeing her like this was so much more than he imagined. He felt a jolt straight down to his groin and swallowed as he watched her.

Her skin was creamy and looked so soft he was dying to nibble every inch of it. Her breasts were full and begged for his hands to hold them, his tongue to explore them. The towel fell just past her luscious hips that curved and cried out to be held, explored, entered. Her legs were smooth and bare and still had small droplets of water on them that shimmered against her skin. Jack could picture himself covering those legs from her ankles to thigh with slow, lazy kisses.

Kelly turned and saw Jack watching her from the balcony, and her small scream jolted Jack back to his senses. A slow smile spread across his face, but his eyes burned hot and intense as he watched her. Kelly pulled the towel tighter around her curves as he walked slowly over to join her in the room.

“Why are you avoiding me in the evenings, Kelly?” he asked her softly.

***

Kelly felt as if Jack’s low, gravelly voice were washing over her, caressing her. Her body tingled in anticipation.

“I-I….” She stumbled over her words and couldn’t come up with more to say as he slowly stalked her. He moved in on her, and she had to back up toward the wall to keep some distance between them. When she couldn’t go any further, Jack leaned down and kissed the curve between her neck and her shoulder, lingering as his breath tickled and teased her.

“You’re avoiding me, Kelly.” Jack pressed hot kisses down her shoulder. “What I can’t figure out is why you would do that because I know you’re as attracted to me as I am to you.” Now he looked her right in the eye as she shook her head, causing him to grin in response.

“Kelly, it’s my job to know when people are bluffing,” he said as he ran the tips of his fingers lightly over her arms, down to her wrists and back up again.

“You’re bluffing, Kel. You’re attracted to me. I feel it when I kiss you, when you press your body against mine, when your breath catches as I whisper in your ear.”

Kelly’s head swam, and she could barely think straight as Jack attacked all of her senses. “No, I’m not. I mean, I’m….” Frustrated, she felt the color creep up her cheeks as she tried to explain why she had avoided this very scene.

“Jack, I’m not like the women you’ve been with. I don’t sleep around. I’m not a supermodel. I’m just normal. Completely normal with a normal body and normal breasts, and I wear normal size clothes not Barbie Doll sizes like you’re used to.” Once Kelly got started, she blurted it all out. “I can’t compete with what you’re used to. I don’t want to compete with them.”

Jack stopped his seductive teasing and stood up, stunned. Now he leveled a serious look at her, and he could see she really meant what she’d said. She wasn’t fishing for compliments or playing games like a lot of the women he had dated.

“You’re completely serious, aren’t you? You don’t think I’m attracted to you.” He didn’t back off an inch. He kept her pressed against the wall.

“It’s okay, Jack. I mean, I didn’t expect you to be when we started this, and I’m okay with that.” Kelly continued to babble on as he watched her in disbelief. Finally, Jack made up his mind and shook his head.

“Then, I’ll have to convince you.” He dipped a finger into the vee of Kelly’s towel at her breasts and tugged her gently toward him as he captured her mouth with his once again. When he broke from her lips, leaving her breathless, he looked her in the eyes again.

“I’m extremely attracted to you, Kelly. I love your body. I love the curves of it, the size of it, your softness, your full breasts – everything about it. All you have to do is enter the room and I’m ready for you. And soon, I’m going to convince you of that and get you into bed in the true sense instead of just sleeping next to me.” As Jack spoke, he peppered her neck, shoulders, mouth, and jawline with searing kisses that had Kelly’s legs shaking and her body melting for him.

“And when I take you to bed, Kelly, you’ll be confident that I’m truly interested in being there with you – and nobody else. That I want to be there with you.” With one last deep kiss, Jack released her.

“Good night, sweetheart,” he said, and he smiled at her dazed expression as he slipped from the room.

My Reviews: 

• Legal Ease, 4 Stars
• Penalty Clause, 4 Stars
• The Baker's Bodyguard, 4 stars
• Negotiation Tactics, 5 Stars

Giveaway: 

Lori will be awarding a $15 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

So follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

Book Tour Info: 
Don't forget to check out the other stops on the Book Tour:

April 29:
Room With Books
Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock
Read More Romance
Literary Nook
Harlie's Books
A Book, A Beer, and A Dream

April 30:
Rage, Sex and Teddy Bears
Harps Romance Book Review
The Book Review
Reviews by Crystal
Mad In Wonderland Reviews
Reading In Twilight
Deal Sharing Aunt

May 1:
We Love Kink
Urban Girl Reader
Read Your Writes Book Reviews
Romance Novel Giveaways
You Gotta Read Reviews

May 2:
Queentutt's World of Escapism
Queen of All She Reads
Musings and Ramblings
For the Love of Bookends
Beyond My Writing Space
Books Are Love

Author Bio:

Lori Ryan is a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author who writes contemporary romance with a twist of suspense. She lives with an extremely understanding husband, two wonderful children, two mostly-behaved dogs, and a lone little cat in Austin, Texas. It's a bit of a zoo, but she wouldn't change a thing.

To connect with the author online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Review: Baker's Bodyguard by Lori Ryan

I discovered this series during a book blast tour for the first book in the series, Legal Ease.  I didn't do a review during the tour, but the book nagged at me enough that when the second book, Penalty Clause came up for tour, I signed up for it and read and reviewed both of them.  The third book, Negotiation Tactics was a 5 star read for me and I was thrilled to see that there was a novella available. Ms Ryan was stupendous enough to send me this story upon my request for review.

This is the story of Jesse, sister of Kelly from book one and Zach Harris, the bodyguard from book two.  It has been about 9 months since Kelly was kidnapped and recovered.  Unfortunately for Jesse, she is slowly becoming too afraid to go anywhere alone and too afraid to admit the truth to her family. She has even deferred her admittance into a prestigious culinary academy in New York where she planned on getting the training she needed to open her own bakery.  Luckily for Jesse, her mother starts to suspect that something is wrong and goes to Jack, Kelly's husband for advice and counsel. Jack knows just the bodyguard slash victims advocate who can help Jesse overcome her fears.

This story about a woman overcoming her fears and learning to live again was beautifully written. The chemistry between Jesse and Zach is a slow build, as Jesse comes to terms with her fears and learns to trust herself again.  Zach is the right mix of tough guy, tough love and supportive friend.  This was a 4 star book and one that I am so glad I got to read.

This steamy, sexy, funny novella is the perfect read for the beach or a vacation!

Jesse Bradley never thought she'd need help going out into the world. But, after her sister was kidnapped, she began to have trouble going anyplace alone. An anxiety attack would start if a stranger asked her what time it was. Before she knew it, she was making up excuses to stay inside. Where things were safe.

Zach Harris was going to change all that. The steamy, sexy bodyguard got her into counseling to help her overcome her fears. He went with her everywhere helping her learn to feel safe again.

Jesse and Zach both feel the chemistry sparking between them. But will there be more than just chemistry for these two?

This book alternates between making you laugh and making you hot with its steamy sex scenes as Jesse and Zach navigate their way through New York City.

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon     BN     Kobo

Review, Guest Post & Giveaway: Negotiation Tactics by Lori Ryan

Negotiation Tactics

Book Title
Sutton Capital Series, Book 3
Lori Ryan

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense


Date of Publication: September 6, 2013

Number of pages: 339

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon

Fans of the Sutton Capital Series have been waiting for Jennie and Chad’s story for a long time and they won’t be disappointed! And, new readers are sure to fall in love with the series.

After the crushing heartache of losing her husband at a harshly young age, Jennie Evans had finally found a place to call home. She had a job she loved and new friends to support her. With the exception of having to continuously fight off the feelings she had for Chad Thompson, she was happy again. As happy as she could be anyway. When Jennie’s well-meaning friends meddle in her life, they send her world into a tailspin once again. Soon, she’s on the run from some very dangerous people with the one man she doesn’t want to be with.

Chad Thompson has loved Jennie from afar for the last year, but he’s maintained control. Jennie’s made it clear she wants nothing to do with him and he won’t cross the line she’s drawn in the sand. Until she asks him to. And, when that happens, their world is turned upside down. Chad’s left scrambling to keep Jennie safe as he tries to right their world again. Unfortunately, Chad has to accept the fact that his heart is likely to be crushed in the process and nothing will ever be the same again.

Excerpt: 

Jack laughed at Chad’s frown. “Hey, get yourself a wife and you won’t miss us so much.”

“Funny.” Chad scowled as the men picked up their bags and started toward the exit.

Jack and Andrew got quiet and Chad groaned inside. He knew what was coming.

Can’t everyone drop the whole Jennie and Chad thing?

He had barely managed to get the image of Jennie in a T-shirt with no bra, out of his head for the last hour of the basketball game and now they had to put it front and center again without even mentioning her name. That sight had plagued him for two damn days and he wasn’t likely to get over it anytime soon.

“Chad, you really need to see where this thing with Jennie might go. Have you even been on a date with anyone else since you met her?” Jack asked.

They crossed the parking lot toward their cars, but it was clear Jack and Andrew were going to stay until he gave them an answer. Chad didn’t want to tell Jack the answer to that question and he didn’t want to have this conversation with Jack and Andrew again. As far as they knew, he didn’t want to date Jennie because he was her boss at Sutton Capital. And, that was part of it, but Chad hadn't told anyone the truth.

Guest Post: 

Lori has gone from being a lawyer to dog trainer to writer. I invited her to tell us a little bit about when she knew it was time to transition to the next phase of her life.

Here’s the thing. I’ve loved each phase of my life for different reasons, but my previous careers have involved a high level of stress.

When I went to law school, I felt like I had found my niche for the first time in life. To say I loved law school is the understatement of the year. I loved the classes, the people, the campus in Hartford, Connecticut – everything. When I graduated, I went to work for one of the best law firms in the state, working for the partner every associate in the firm wanted to work for doing intellectual property litigation. I had it made.

And, I was miserable. The love that I’d found in law school just never translated into the real world. And, I knew that if I had all those things going for me, it wasn’t just a matter of finding the right firm or the right field of law or the right person to work for. I was stressed out, miserable, and literally crying every night when I went home. It just wasn’t for me.

When I went into working with dogs, I found a field I loved. Dog behavior fascinated me – and still does. I loved being able to help people with their dogs and getting to work with animals I loved on a regular basis. The only problem was, there was a whole new type of stress to get used to. The “fix my dog” for me kind of stress. As a consultant who specialized in dog bites and dog aggression, a great deal of the cases I saw involved dogs and owners who were at the end of their rope. If I couldn’t fix their problems, the dog may have to be rehomed to a safer setting or euthanized. Not a stress you want on your shoulders.

When you add in the fact that some of the owners didn’t have the time, resources, or just plain skill level to deal with the dog they had, the burn out rate gets pretty high. Even though I was able to help 99% of the dogs who came to me, those 1% get to you after a while. Getting calls from people around the country who want to know if their dog is safe or how bad their dog’s bite level was, and what their options are for keeping their family safe but saving their dog from euthanasia just began to weigh too heavily.

Add in the fact that dog trainers work a lot of weekends and evenings and I have two kids under the age of four and the equation just wasn’t working for me and my family any longer. So, I began to pull back a bit and let others run my company. One day, I decided I wanted to try writing. My husband and friends and family supported me and voila, here we are!

And, I’m finding I’m very happy with this line of work. There are some stresses in meeting deadlines, but the work is creative and I get to communicate with my readers every day when they email me. I love it! I can also always try new genres and find new ways to stretch myself as a writer. There are just so many options. I plan to keep writing for a very long time and don’t see an end to this career anytime soon.

Review: 

This is the third book in the Sutton Capital Series by Lori Ryan. I discovered this series doing book tours and have been lucky enough to have been involved in a tour for each of the books as they have been released. Each book has built on characters introduced in previous books, and this one is no exception. This is the story of Jennie and Chad, first introduced in Book 1, Legal Ease. We have watched them dance around each other for two books, and this book is the big release after all that building tension.

The story opens with Chad waking from a nightmare. He still suffers them from his time spent in the military. It becomes obvious that Chad has some survivor's guilt over making it out alive. He answers his phone to Jennie needing a ride. She was stranded at a park with no shoes and no way home. Chad is immediately worried that someone has hurt her or worse, but she quickly assures him that she is fine. Just tired and sore from running in bare feet. When Chad gets to Jennie, he demands to know how she got in this predicament. Jennie had gone for her normal run, ending in the unauthorized swim in the pool of a frequent traveler. She never used his pool if he was home, but apparently he figured out that someone was poaching and got a guard dog.  This caused Jennie to have to make a run for it, and when she grabbed up her things, she left her shoes behind. This is typical Jennie, and when she told Jill and Kelly, her best friends, they laughed about it. Chad on the other had, was not amused.

It is shortly after this incident between the two, that Jack, head of Sutton Capital, Kelly's husband and Chad's cousin, gets a request from an old friend about checking into a potential investment property, a tropical honeymoon destination.  The plot is hatched to send Chad and Jennie undercover to investigate the property for 2 weeks as honeymooners. The hope is that by forcing them together, maybe they will finally admit their attraction to each other. Except, things are not always as they appear at the resort and soon Chad is taking Jennie into hiding for the sake of her very life.

Let me first start by saying, that it is a darn good thing that I read this on my day off. I had a nice chunk of time set aside to be devoted to this book, and I needed every bit of it. Because I wasn't going anywhere once I got into this book. Between the emotional roller-coaster that Ms. Ryan had me on and the box of tissues I went through from the emotional wringer I went through, I wouldn't have been able to get anything else done. Typically, I don't like to read books that I know I am going to cry in. But I just couldn't put this one down. I was so emotionally invested in Chad and Jennie's journey, I just had to keep reading. If Ms. Ryan keeps amping up the emotional power of each book, the next one just might kill me! This was a 5 star read.  Just remember to have the time and tissues to invest in this book before you start it.


Giveaway: 

Lori will be awarding a $50 gift certificate to Amazon to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

So follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

Book Tour Info: 
Don't forget to check out the other stops on the Book Tour:

October 18:
Unabridged Andra

October 25:
Regina May Ross's Blog

November 1:
Susana's Morning Room

November 8:
Beyond My Writing Space - review only

November 15:
Straight from the Library

November 22:
Musings and Ramblings

Novmeber 29:
The Reading Addict
Musings From An Addicted Reader - review only

December 6:
Reading In Twilight

December 13:
Crazy Four Books

December 20:
Book 'Em North Carolina

January 3:
Harlie's Books

January 10:
Simply Ali

January 17:
Booklover Sue

January 24:
Brooke Blogs
Storm Goddess Book Reviews and More

January 31:
Sharing Links and Wisdom

Author Bio:

Lori is an award winning author and stay-at-home mom. Her second book, Penalty Clause, won first place in the romance category in Lcuky Cinda Publishing’s Annual Global Writer’s Contest in 2013.

Lori has had a number of careers before embarking on her newest adventure of writing novels. After graduating from the University of Connecticut School of Law, she practiced law for three years, working primarily in the areas of utilities law and intellectual property litigation.

More recently, Lori owned and operated a dog training business in Austin, Texas, where she specialized in aggression and became an expert in the field of dog bite analysis. Lori sold her dog training business in 2013 and is now a full time writer and mother of two.

Lori still lives in Austin with her husband -- who is endlessly supportive of her changing career paths -- and her two children, one cat, and three dogs.

Want to be a part of my online street team? Email me at Loriryanauthor@gmail.com and put the words ‘street team’ in the subject line. I’ll email you back with directions for joining my team.

To join my email list to receive updates and news, including sneak peeks and free giveaways or contest news, visit http://www.loriryanromance.com/#!join-my-mailing-list/cdpp.

To connect with the author online:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Review & Giveaway: Penalty Clause by Lori Ryan

Penalty Clause

Penalty Clause
Sutton Capital Series, Book 2
Lori Ryan

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Cara Shannon

Date of Publication: May 15, 2013

Number of pages: 396

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon

Andrew Weston and Jill Walsh had to be the two most unlikely people to fall in love. When Jill’s first husband’s love for her simply fizzled and died, Jill knew she’d never trust that love could last again. After Andrew’s first love betrayed him in the most brutal way possible, he knew he might fall in love again someday, but there was no way he’d ever make himself vulnerable again by confessing those feelings if he did.

Fate had a different ending in mind for these two, though, and when Andrew discovers his love for Jill, he knows the only way to get her to stay with him forever is to offer her an iron clad penalty clause in a prenuptial agreement. He stays with her forever or he loses everything he owns. The millions he’s worked for, his property, his cars, everything. Now he just needs to hope that’s enough to hold onto Jill forever.

***First Place Winner Romance Category, Lucky Cinda Publishing's Annual Global Writer's Contest, 2013***

Excerpt: 

“Nora asked me what my intentions toward you were. When I told her we were just spending time together, she told me you have a reputation for being – and I swear to you, I’m quoting here – ‘good in the sack.’ It was by far the most uncomfortable conversation I’ve ever had,” Jill said.

Andrew’s fork hung in midair as he stared, open mouthed at Jill, a horrified expression on his face. “She did not. Please tell me she did not say that to you. Of course she did. Who am I kidding? This is Nora we’re talking about.”

Jill just laughed as she watched Andrew try to process her conversation with Nora. “At least you didn’t have to sit there and figure out how to explain our relationship to her,” Jill said.

Andrew grinned at that. “‘Spending time together,’ huh?”

“I couldn’t think of any other way to tell her I was banging her grandson.” Jill blushed furiously as the frank colloquialism left her mouth. She picked up her wine glass and sipped to try to cover her embarrassment, but Andrew leaned in, moved the wineglass out of his way and kissed Jill soundly on the cheek.

“I like banging you, Jillie Walsh.”

Review: 

This is the second book in the Sutton Capital Series by Lori Ryan and focuses on Andrew Weston, CFO of Sutton Capital and best friend to Jack Sutton from Legal Ease.  We really didn't get to know much about Andrew in book 1.  Andrew is a bit more of a complicated character than Jack was, due to his past and he has some real issues to be resolved.  In that regard him and Jill are a good fit, since they both have been hurt romantically in the past and are much more guarded about falling in love.

The book begins with Jill packing to move from the house her and her ex-husband, Jake had shared. Jill is planing on moving down to New Haven to the house her grandparents own until she figures out what she wants to do. Jake shows up, causing Jill all kinds of emotional turmoil.  Although Jake had left Jill for his mistress and married said mistress, Jake keeps coming around and gets upset when Jill asks him to leave. Jake doesn't seem to understand why Jill doesn't want to lean or depend on him. This leave Jill wanting a fresh start somewhere else.

We meet up with Andrew as he is on his way into the office. He is going through his normal morning routing of getting something to eat and flirting with the ladies in the office when his uber-efficient assistant Debbie. Debbie tells him that his grandmother, Nora has fallen on some ice and broke her hip.  Since his grandmother is his only acknowledged family, Andrew rushes for the hospital. Andrew moves into the carriage house at his grandmother's while she is rehabilitating at home.  It is about a week after coming to stay with Nora that he learns that Jill, the girl he had a crush on during childhood, has moved into her grandmother's place next door.

This book was even better than the first one.  The characters had a depth and complexity that was missing from the first book. There wasn't a surprise twist in this one, but there was still plenty of suspense as the author built to the book's climax. I really enjoyed the book and could barely put it down.  I even shed a few tears at a particularly emotional scene involving Rev, Jill's dog. This book earned every one of it's 4 stars on Goodreads.


Giveaway: 

Lori will be awarding a Giana Bernini Handbag to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. (US ONLY)

So follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

Book Tour Info: 
Don't forget to check out the other stops on the Book Tour:

July 8:
Long and Short Reviews - Review
Whit's Book World Review - Review

July 15:
Books and Other Spells

July 22:
Book 'Em North Carolina
The Bookcast

July 29:
Janna Shay's Fair Play

August 5:
Welcome to My World of Dreams

August 12:
It's Raining Books

August 19:
My Devotional Thoughts

August 26:
A to Z Reviews

September 2:
A Writer's Life

September 9:
Andi's Book Reviews

September 16:
Read Your Writes Book Reviews

September 23:
Tinasbookreviews

September 30:
Musings and Ramblings - Review
Reviews by Crystal

October 7:
Romance on a Budget

October 14:
We Love Kink - Review

October 21:
Dawn's Reading Nook Blog


Author Bio:

Lori has had a number of careers before embarking on her newest adventure of writing novels. After graduating from the University of Connecticut School Of Law, she practiced law for three years, working primarily in the areas of utilities law and intellectual property litigation.

More recently, Lori owned and operated a dog training business in Austin, Texas, where she specialized in aggression and became an expert in the field of dog bite analysis. Lori sold her dog training business in 2013 and is now a full time writer and mother of two.

Lori still lives in Austin with her husband -- who is endlessly supportive of her changing career paths -- and her two children, one cat, and three dogs.

To connect with the author online:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Quote-Tastic: Arrogant Ass... Sounds exactly like him

This meme is about sharing your favorite quotes and the books they come from!
Hosted by Anna at Herding Cats and Burning Soup.


Everyone is welcome to join in: Readers, Bloggers & Authors.

Just grab the button and don't forget to add your post to the link at the bottom.

Penalty Clause by Lori Ryan

Andrew slammed the door with a little more force than was probably necessary but it felt really good. Turning Jill in his arms, he studied her face. She still wore the same stunned, confused look. Damn, she felt so good in his arms. So right pressed up against his body.

“Sorry, I probably should have let you handle that. It just didn’t sound like he was gonna leave any time soon and your eggs were burning,” Andrew said. Andrew couldn’t seem to let Jill go. The bewildered look on her face was just too damn cute.

“My eggs? Oh! My eggs. Oh, crap!” Jill broke out of Andrew’s hold and rushed back to the kitchen, leaving Andrew with a disturbingly empty feeling where she’d been.

Andrew walked into the kitchen to find Jill dumping eggs in the garbage can.

“I hate that he still gets me flustered. But, what the hell is he doing showing up this early in the morning, unannounced, now that I live forty minutes away from him. Who does that?” Jill looked up at Andrew as if she expected him to be able to explain her ex’s behavior.

“You handled him just fine. You stood your ground and told him to go away. I wouldn’t call that flustered.” Andrew watched as Rev tried to get into the garbage can for the trashed eggs.

“I tell him that every time he comes around. So far, the words are completely ineffective,” Jill said.

Andrew watched her crack more eggs into the pan and begin to scramble them as he tried to figure out how to ask his next question.

“When you say he doesn’t listen, you don’t mean... I mean, he doesn't ever force his way in, does he?” Andrew could feel the tightness in his jaw as he asked the question. He clenched his fists at his sides, holding his breath as he waited for Jill to answer.

“No, no. Nothing like that. He just doesn’t listen, you know? What I don’t get is why he keeps coming around? He’s the one who left.” Jill gestured Andrew toward the kitchen island as she slid scrambled eggs onto two plates. “Here, you earned breakfast.”

Jill smiled and pulled two pieces of toast from the toaster, buttering them and placing one on her plate and one on Andrew’s.

Andrew was quiet for a minute while he thought about Jill’s question.

“Only two reasons he’d keep coming around,” Andrew said slowly. “Either he really is an arrogant ass who thinks you can’t live without him or he still wants to sleep with you.”

Jill’s head shot up. “What? No! I mean, no. He’s...he left me. He’s living with his mistress. He doesn’t want... I mean, we don’t. He’s not...”

Andrew laughed. “Okay, then he’s an arrogant ass who thinks you can’t live without him.”

Jill frowned at her eggs. “Well, yes. Actually, that sounds exactly like him.”

Available at the following retailers: 
Amazon


Jill was standing at the door arguing with her ex-husband Jake.  Andrew had come in through the backdoor and noticed the eggs burning in the kitchen and went to find out what was going on. Andrew listens for a few minutes and then appears behind Jill and pulls her into his arms. With Andrew's appearance, Jill is finally able to get Jake to leave.


Do you have a favorite quote from a book or series?


Check out some of the other Quote-Tastic Monday picks.

Review: Legal Ease by Lori Ryan

This is the first book in the Sutton Capital Series by Lori Ryan.  Back in May, I was part of a Book Blast for this book and regretted not being able to review it.  When I saw a book tour open up for the second book in the series, Penalty Clause, I knew this would be a perfect chance to correct that oversight. Tomorrow the book tour and review for Penalty Clause will be posted, so make sure you stop back by!

This book starts with an introduction to Jack Sutton, the CEO of Sutton Capital.  He is currently in a bit of a pickle.  Jack's parents had a wonderful marriage and set a great example for Jack to follow. Jack just hasn't been in a big hurry to follow their example. When his mother died 5 years before, she set up a stipulation in her will that Jack had to be married within 5 years or the proxy for her 45% chunk of the shares of the company would go to Jack's Aunt Marby.  As the deadline neared, Aunt Mabry has threatened to use the strength of her own shares and the proxy to oust Jack as CEO and install her son, Chad.  Chad of course, has no interest in the position, but his mother is not listening. If this issue makes it to a vote, the repercussions could harm the company no matter what.

The prior week, Jack had lied to his Aunt Mabry by saying that he had a fiance who she would meet before his deadline. He was trying to buy some time for himself and his other cousin Andrew to come up with a plan to preempt her ability even with the 45% chuck of shares. Now, they are down to only a few days left before Jack must produce a wife and still no ability to stop her. Until Kelly walks through the door with a bold proposition.  She will be his wife for one year in return for tuition to Yale Law School.

See, Kelly has been accepted, but without some means to supplement her meager scholarship, she won't be able to afford to go. Kelly's best friend Jennie, is Jack's temporary secretary and has been listening in via the intercom in Jack's office.  When she tells Kelly all about the latest juicy gossip, Kelly decides to make a bold and brash proposal. When she walks in, Jack thinks that Andrew has found a last ditch answer and is shocked when he finds out he knows nothing about it. After a little bit of negotiation, Jack accepts Kelly's proposal.

As I read this book, the beginning felt just like a 'marriage of convenience turned real' themed book. Not that this is bad, I really enjoyed Jack and Kelly getting to know one another and falling for each other. If that had been all that happened in the book, it would have been a sweet and humorous read.  But just as I thought we were all settled in and just waiting on the 'I Love Yous', the author threw a major curve ball at me. Suddenly we have mystery and thriller elements taking over. Holy Shitake Mushrooms! Now I was on the edge of my seat and biting my lip trying to figure out what was happening.  IT WAS AWESOME! I totally wasn't expecting it and it took this sweetly funny book to a whole 'nother level. Looking back I can see it coming, but otherwise the author did a great job of dropping hints and foreshadowing without giving anything away. I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads.

Jack Sutton was a man who is used to getting his way. So when his mother's will forces his hand, he does the only thing he can. He cuts a deal with the brazen law school student who walks into his office with a proposition he can't refuse. That deal fixes Jack's business problems, but his personal life spirals out of control. And, just when Jack realizes he can't live without Kelly, he may lose her forever.

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon

Book Blast & Giveaway: Legal Ease by Lori Ryan

Legal Ease

Legal Ease
Sutton Capital Series, Book 1
Lori Ryan

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Date of Publication: April 18, 2013

Number of pages: 262

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon     

Jack Sutton needs a wife and he needs one now. Jack loved his mother, but she really screwed him over when she set up her will. If Jack doesn’t have a wife by the end of the week, he’ll lose control of the largest chunk of voting stock in his company and will most likely lose his position as CEO as a result.

And Jack’s Aunt Mabry is waiting in the wings to make sure that the terms of the will are enforced. If he doesn’t find a wife, she’ll seize control of the stock so she can install her own son at the helm and she couldn’t care less that her son doesn’t want the job or that he probably won’t be any good at it.

Enter Kelly Bradley, a twenty eight year old college graduate with a spot at Yale Law School but no way to pay for it. Kelly and Jack’s eavesdropping secretary have discovered Jack’s secret need for a wife and Kelly comes up with a plan to fix both of their problems.

Just when Jack needs her, Kelly breezes into his office, introduces herself to his Aunt and cousin, and hands Jack an offer. She will marry him for a year so that he can retain the stock that will keep him in control of Sutton Development if he’ll pay for her to go to law school. Jack has no idea where his beautiful savior came from or who she is but he’s willing to take a chance to save it all.

The deal may have kept Jack in control at Sutton Development but his private life quickly spirals out of control. Just when Jack realizes that he wants more than a year with Kelly, his wealth puts her in great danger and he is left scrambling to save her life and their future together.

Excerpt: 

“We’re here to meet Jack’s fiancé,” a smug-looking Mabry announced to Chad and Jack watched a bemused expression come over his cousin’s face.

Chad had to be wondering what the hell was going on. He and Jack were more like brothers than cousins, so if Jack were getting married, Chad should have been the first to know.

Oh, shit. I’m never gonna’ hear the end of this from him.

So there they sat, waiting for an introduction to a fiancé that Jack had never mentioned to Chad and a fiancé that Chad had never set eyes on.

Jack leaned forward in his chair, took a deep breath and prepared to come clean. Just then his secretary’s voice cut in and he could swear he heard her say that his fiancé was here.

His head whipped around and he stared open-mouthed at the phone, unable to process what was going on. Jack’s experience in business had taught him to school his expressions and hide his thoughts from those around him and though he was shocked, he did just that. He quickly hid all emotion from his face as he listened to his secretary.

“Sir, did you hear me? Mr. Sutton? Your fiancé has just arrived. Shall I show her in?” Jennie spoke again.

Andrew. Andrew must have sent him a fiancé. How in the hell had Andrew found him a fiancé? I mean, how does one go about that, Jack thought. Oh God, what if Andrew sent him a prostitute?

Giveaway: 

Lori will be awarding a $25 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

So follow the tour and comment to win. The more you comment, the better your chances.

Book Tour Info: 
Don't forget to check out the other stops on the Book Tour:

Wicked Readings by Tawania
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Musings and Ramblings
fundinmental
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Beyond My Writing Space
Read Your Writes Book Reviews
Musings From An Addicted Reader
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Sexy Adventures, Passionate Tales
Sharing Links and Wisdom
Happily Ever After
Danita Minnis
Bunny's Review
Farm Girl Books
United By Books
Crazy Four Books
My Devotional Thoughts
Coffee and A Book Anytime
The Life (and lies) of an inanimate flying object
Lindsay's Scribblings
Wickedly Wanton Tales
Hope Dreams. Life... Love
Beyond Romance
Sexy Between the Covers
Illustrious Illusions
The Snarkology of a Romance Author
Delighted Reader
4 the LUV of SANITY
Urban Girl Reader
Love, Laughter, Friendship
Just Trying to Let it Be
My Odd Little World
Bad Barbs Place
Simply Ali
Reviews by Crystal
Andi's Book Reviews
Author Raine Delight's Blog
Danita Minnis
Fantasy Powered by Love
Welcome to My World of Dreams 
It's Raining Books 
Straight from the Library
Long and Short Reviews
Black Velvet Seductions Readers Blog
Queen of the Night Reviews

Author Bio:

Lori has had a number of careers before embarking on her newest adventure of writing novels. After graduating from the University of Connecticut School of Law, she practiced law for three years, working primarily in the areas of utilities law and intellectual property litigation.

More recently, Lori owned and operated a dog training business in Austin, Texas, where she specialized in aggression and became an expert in the field of dog bite analysis. Lori sold her dog training business in 2013 and is now a full time writer and mother of two.

Lori still lives in Austin with her husband -- who is endlessly supportive of her changing career paths -- and her two children, one cat, and three dogs.

Want to be a part of my online street team? Email me at Loriryanauthor@gmail.com and put the words ‘street team’ in the subject line. I’ll email you back with directions for joining my team.

To join my email list to receive updates and news, including sneak peeks and free giveaways or contest news, visit http://www.loriryanromance.com/#!join-my-mailing-list/cdpp. 

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