Engagement and Espionage by Penny Reid - Blog Tour and Review

Engagement and Espionage, an all-new quirky and swoon-worthy romantic comedy featuring fan favorites Jenn and Cletus Winston from New York Times bestselling author Penny Reid is available now!

 

 Jennifer Sylvester made her deal with the devil . . . and now they’re engaged!

 But all is not well in Green Valley. A chicken choker is on the loose, 61 dead birds most "fowl" need plucking, and no time remains for Jennifer and her devilish fiancé. Desperate to find a spare moment together, Jenn and Cletus’s attempts to reconnect are thwarted by one seemingly coincidental disaster after another. It’s not long before Cletus and Jenn see a pattern emerge and the truth becomes clear.

Sabotage!

 Will an undercover mission unmask the culprit? Or are these love-birds totally plucked?

 'Engagement and Espionage' is the first book in the Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries series, is a full-length cozy mystery, and is a spin-off of Penny Reid's Winston Brothers series. This novel is best read after 'Beard Science,' Winston Brothers #3.

 

 Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3auZzqI

Apple Books: https://apple.co/33ONMAK

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/engagementespionage

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Kobo: https://bit.ly/2wxWreY

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3aqIT3h

 Add ENGAGEMENT AND ESPIONAGE to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2UoVpea

 My Review

You know when you need a feel-good story and a return to characters that you absolutely adore?
This was it.
This is everything.

Cletus and Jenn are back - and trying to figure out who is trying to sabotage Jenn's bakery supply chain. There's dead chickens (and all the jokes that go along with THAT), burned bees (NO - not the Bees!), farm animal auctions, bickering parents, and Jenn is in the middle of all of it.

What's best about this - it's a mystery with humor, love, and a fierce connection between the two characters. Cletus adores Jenn, and it's clear he will protect her at all costs. His devilish and devious mind is brilliant, and Jenn is adorable here!

 Excerpt:

“Don’t stop.” She reached for my belt again, this time completely undoing it, the button of my pants, and my zipper at world-record speed.

Her phone buzzed. Then it chimed. Then it buzzed and chimed two more times. Then it rang again. Reba.

Cursing, Jenn pulled the phone from her pocket, once again her face illuminated, murderous rage in her eyes. Her finger moved to the power off button. She blinked, hesitating. Her eyes widened, her body stiffened, and she gasped.

“Cletus!”

Something about her tone, like she was horrified, and maybe a little afraid, cut through the heavy haze of lust inertia, and my hands stilled. Shaking myself, it took me a few moments to realize she was showing me the phone screen, and another few to bring the content of the text messages into focus.

 Momma: Jennifer Anne Sylvester, pick up your phone. If you’re with Cletus, I need his help. Please.

Momma: ALL THE CHICKENS AND ROOSTERS ARE DEAD! PICK UP YOUR DAMN PHONE!

Momma: I’m calling you in a second, pick up the phone. Mr. Badcock’s chickens are dead. All of them. I got here and he’s running around, deranged, yelling about his dead chickens! I called the police and they’re on their way. Please, please, please pick up the phone!

 At some point, I must’ve taken the phone from Jenn and stepped away, because I glanced up upon reading the messages for the third time, finding the phone in my hand and Jenn fixing her skirt.

“This is nuts.” Her big eyes searched mine imploringly. “Who could have done this?”

I shook my head, having not yet managed to fully shift head gears—you know, from that head to the one on my neck—and my gaze dropped to the wet patch on the front of her dress just visible in the swath of light. My erection throbbed.

So we’re . . . not having sex?

“Why? Why would they do it? And WHO?” She snatched her phone back, her tone bewildered, distracted, and distraught. She was distraught because of the dead chickens, like any normal person would be.

I was distraught also, but my distress had nothing to do with farm animals.

“We have to go.” Jenn grabbed my hand and began walking toward the direction of the hall. Meanwhile, it took me until her hand found the door handle to realize my zipper and belt were still undone.

“This is crazy.” She paused as I zipped up, her tone halting and distracted. “Poor Mr. Badcock. And those poor chickens.” A sound of distress escaped her throat. “This is terrible.”

It was terrible.

And I was going to hell.

Because all I could think was, Talk about a cock block.

  

 Meet Penny Reid:

Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Selling Author of the Winston Brothers, Knitting in the City, Rugby, and Hypothesis series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she just writes books. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.

 Connect with Penny:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennyReidWriter/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lakzsD

Twitter: @ReidRomance

Mailing List: http://pennyreid.ninja/newsletter/

www.pennyreid.ninja

 

Shake It Up, an all-new sexy standalone by #1 New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner, is LIVE!

Shake It Up, an all-new sexy standalone by #1 New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner, is LIVE!

There are a million reasons why I need to stop thinking about Taylor D'Angelo naked.

She's too young for me, for starters.

She's too ambitious.

She's my job.

Romance was the last thing on my mind when I agreed to look into her stalker as a favor.

Now, she's all I can think about--and in every position I can imagine.

I'm not the only one obsessing.

The threats against her are intensifying along with our connection.

If I give in, if I let our bodies take over, it could draw her stalker out.

Our passion could save her.

Or it could destroy us both.

Meet Mr. August - He'll do anything to protect her.

**Shake It Up is part of a binge read series by New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and #1 International bestselling author of the million copy Stark series, J. Kenner.

Each book in the series is a STANDALONE novel with NO cliffhanger and a guaranteed HEA!

Read Today!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2Hwr18K

Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/ShakeItUp

iBooks: https://apple.co/2AutnBp

Nook: https://bit.ly/2FhtC4K

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2jgOL9P

Google Play: https://bit.ly/2r6KtC8

Add to GoodReads: https://bit.ly/2qXIvF4

Start the Series of Standalones Today!

Down On Me

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2hqLF2p

Amazon Universal: myBook.to/DownOnMe           

iBooks: http://apple.co/2AsnDrJ

Nook: http://bit.ly/2AsnOmT

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2iN8nOZ

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2iNkziM

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2jd6hs6

  

About J. Kenner

J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly,  Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy,  and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.” A five time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy). Her Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series (as Julie Kenner) is currently in development with AwesomenessTV/Awestruck.

Her books have sold over three million  copies and are published in over twenty languages.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas.  She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.

Connect with Julie:

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Website: www.jkenner.com

Only You, by USAToday bestselling author Melanie Harlow is LIVE! Blog Tour and Review

Only You, an all-new sexy and emotional standalone from USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow is LIVE!

Nate Pearson is ridiculously handsome and wears the hell out of a suit and tie, but I've seen the parade of beautiful women leaving his apartment across the hall-a different one every time-and I want no part of it. When it comes to romance, I'm looking for something real, something that will last: the happily ever after.

As a divorce attorney, he loves to tell me there's no such thing.

As a wedding planner, I choose to disagree.

We disagree on almost everything, in fact. Everything except James Bond. The only time we really get along is when we're watching 007 flicks together, and I'll admit-he has rescued me from a disaster or five. So when one of the baton twirlers from his parade leaves a baby girl at his door with a note that says "I'll come back for her" and he begs me for help, I can't turn him down.

But it's a mistake.

Because watching him with his daughter, I start to see another side of Nate, a side that has my breath coming faster, my body craving his, my heart longing for him to change his mind about love and tell me there's a chance for us.

I don't want to be just another girl leaving his apartment in the morning.

I want to be the one he asks to stay.

 Review: 

I really enjoyed this one and felt like I was discovering Melanie as a new author all over again! My first read was "Frenched" which introduced me to Mia Devine. This one is focused on Emma Devine - continuing the event planning business and a romantic gal at heart. She's looking for her forever. Enter Nate. He lives across the hall and is a playboy divorce attorney who has no plans to settle down...until he's forced. 

When a baby is left at his door, Nate is a mess and has no idea what to do. He asks his neighbor Emma for help - and the two start to form something more than a friendship while caring for little Paisley. Their James Bond movie nights soon turn into a different type of bond action. 
I knew I could trust Melanie to give me a "single dad" book that was different from the rest. This one is a sweet story with very little angst, and as a bonus, you get to revisit Luke again! Oh, of course Mia and Coco and her man as well! :)

Read Only You Today!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2FAb3d3

Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/OnlyYouMH

Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2HoxTVk

iBooks: https://apple.co/2C9jauj

Nook: http://bit.ly/2HrkrjF

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2FLx6Re

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2FLY6A6

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2C4DIEs

Excerpt

“So did you mean what you said last night? About me?”

He grimaced, his eyes closing briefly. “I’m sorry about that. I shouldn’t have said it.”

“But you think it, right? That I’m a little girl living in a fantasy world?”

“No.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “I think you’re an optimist. I think you see good in people they don’t even see themselves. You build people up—especially me.”

“You?” I laughed a little. “You don’t need me to build you up.”

“Hell yes, I do. You think I’d have been able to handle this whole fatherhood bombshell if you hadn’t been here? If you’d said, ‘That’s what you get for fucking around, asshole. Good luck.’”

I shook my head, a strand of hair coming loose from my bun. “I’d never have done that.”

“I know.” He tucked the strand behind my ear and moved his hand to the back of my neck. His eyes dropped to my lips. “But I would have deserved it.”

I held my breath. Things seemed to be happening in slow motion. His forehead came to rest on mine. And then our noses touched. Our eyes closed. An eternity passed, his lips a whisper from mine. Either one of us could have initiated a kiss. A slight lift of my chin. A little drop of his head. The question—will we or won’t we?—hung there between us, even as his closed lips brushed mine, eyelash soft.

I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around his neck and fit my body flush against his, but my wrists lay inert on the edge of the sink. Suddenly he spoke, his breath warm against my mouth.
“You know that dream you have, the one where you really want to do something, you’re desperate to do something, but you’re paralyzed?”

“Yes,” I whispered.

“I think I’m having that dream right now.”

“Me too.” And then I felt it, the gentle pressure at the back of my neck, pulling my head toward him.
It was all I needed. Our mouths came together firmly this time, our lips opening, and I angled my body toward his, throwing my arms around his neck. His hands explored my back while his tongue explored my mouth, and he backed me into the corner, his hips pinning mine against the hard stone counter. He kissed with a fervor and intensity that surprised me, his mouth traveling down my neck, his fingers threading through my hair, pulling the pins loose, his body giving off heat that mine hungrily absorbed. I wanted to get closer to him, wished I could feel his skin against mine. I rose up on tiptoe to press against him, my back arching to fit the question mark curve of his body.

He felt big and strong and reassuring, exactly how I wanted him to feel. I wasn’t even sure what it was I wanted reassurance about… My desirability? Our chemistry? Something new and different happening between us? He swept his lips to the other side of my throat, a necklace of soft, insistent kisses that warmed my blood. When his mouth returned to mine, the kiss grew hot and frantic. He reached down and hiked the hem of my skirt to my waist, and I immediately jumped up, wrapping my legs around him. His hands moved under my ass and he carried me like that into the living room, never lifting his mouth off mine. When he reached the couch, he knelt on it and tipped me backward, stripping off his shirt and stretching out above me.

My hands moved lightning fast over hot skin, solid muscle. Chest and arms and back—I couldn’t get enough. His hand stole beneath the T-shirt I wore and I arched my back so he could reach underneath me and unclasp my bra, then moaned softly at the feel of his palm over my breasts. Moving down, he shoved the shirt and bra up to my neck and put his mouth on me, his lips, his tongue, his teeth, my nipples hardening into tight little peaks that begged to be licked, sucked, teased, tortured.

What are we doing? What are we doing? What are we doing? screamed a voice in my head.

I ignored it, hooking my arms beneath his and pulling him up so I could kiss him again. I didn’t
care what we were doing.

It felt way too good to stop.

About Melanie:

Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she's not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak. Melanie is the author of the AFTER WE FALL series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

Connect with Melanie:

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