Sunday Snog-8/28/11

Today's Sunday Snog comes from my current WIP:

And now they weren't kids anymore, and he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her so badly, he couldn't tear his eyes from her mouth. Perhaps his thoughts were loud enough to hear, because she bent forward and placed her lips on his cheek.

“Get some sleep, then.” She began to pull back, then hesitated, like she'd changed her mind. She leaned back in and placed her lips on the edge of his mouth, just as he'd done that night at Beach Bums. Oh, God. She smelled like apricots, from her shampoo or hand lotion or something, and without even thinking, he turned his head, no more than an inch, and their lips were joined. They both froze with the shock of it, until Beck tilted his head slightly, and their mouths were joined even more perfectly, if such a thing was possible. He boldly ran the tip of his tongue against the seam of her lips, and they parted to allow him entry.

Jesus. He'd never tasted anything so wonderful. The soft-firm pressure of her mouth on his shot hot waves through his belly. Her tongue was wet and smooth and perfect, and he wanted to suck it in his mouth and bite it. Hard. The thought made his cock twitch with longing, and he was suddenly grateful that Henry was still tucked beside him on the couch, a fifty-pound shield between Lainey and the growing evidence of his lustful fantasies.

Lainey pulled away, and they stared at each other with wide, wild eyes. Whoa.

“Beck.” Her voice was low, throaty...it made him even harder.

“Yeah?”

She shook her head, as if trying to clear it, then gave him a shy smile. “Good night.”

“Good night, sweetheart.” He meant it as a joke, like before, when they were pretending to be a couple. But his voice betrayed him—it didn't sound like a joke at all.

“Am I your sweetheart?”

Holy shit. Holy shit. “Of course you are.”

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For more great Sunday Snogs, head on over to http://www.victoriablisse.co.uk/blog/sunday-snog-sweet-surrender/

Review of Intimate Friends by Smexy Books!

Last week, I read a review of Intimate Friends by Claire Matthews at Fiction Vixen. I read the words – friends to lovers and that the hero is a beta math professor and decided I had to read this novella – I love nerdy heroes. My mini review:

A friends to lovers story, that is really cute. Both Noah and Emma are quite shy and quiet. Noah is recently divorced and Emma has just come out of a long term relationship. Both teachers, they spend a lot of time together at the same school – and both pretty much have eyes for the other.

I think this book could have been much cuter if it had been longer. The conflict rests with the fact that Emma has an opportunity to go study in England. Once they tumble into bed (where Noah isn’t quite as shy – Rawr) Emma is then unsure if she should go. I just think it needed more pages for this uncertainty to be explored.

Otherwise, this is a cute, quick book (47 pages). I will definitely check out this author again. (Goodreads, Amazon)

My Awesome New Cover from Rebel Ink Press

For "The Sure Thing", release date 12/7/11. Isn't it purdy?

Review of Intimate Friends at Smitten With Reading!

Review:

It's no secret that this is my favorite trope...friends to lovers. This is another good one!

After running into her ex-boyfriend with his new fiance, Emma has spent the afternoon drowning her sorrows forgetting her evening plans with Noah. When he arrives, she is drunk, sad, and needing validation. Noah has been in love with Emma forever so when she puts the moves on him, he doesn't have the willpower to turn her away. This one night of passion turns into a powerful affair with incredible sex...the friendship was already there in this relationship, and adding in the incredible sex, just makes everything perfect...except for Emma is about to leave for a 2 year course in England.

Noah was incredible in this book. He always knew exactly what Emma needed when she needed it. When she was feeling awkward, he didn't allow her to wallow in that. Sweet, sexy, funny....really a perfect guy. He knows what he wants with Emma...he's been there mentally for a long time, and now that he has her where he wants her, he is not going to let her go without a fight.

Emma, on the other hand, is not quite there. She is not used to thinking about her buddy Noah as anything other than a friend. The transition is not a smooth one and she has been planning this move for a year now...one month of passion is not enough time to alter her entire life plan.

This is a sweet little read. It doesn't take much time....maybe an hour or two. It's great for a night when you simply need a happy feel-good romance.

New Review of Intimate Friends at Fiction Vixen!

A- review, which I am THRILLED with!


The perfect way to describe this friends-to-lovers novella is short and sweet. The fact that I enjoyed it and am giving it a high rating is saying something, because normally romance novellas don’t do it for me. With romances, I need substantial character and relationship development, and just by default, it’s very difficult – if not impossible – to deliver that with a short book form like a novella. Claire Matthews’ Intimate Friends proved to be an exception, and an absolutely lovely one at that. One of the things I loved was that from the beginning, Emma and Noah’s friendship feels authentic; you really do get the sense that you’re looking in on two people who know each other very well and care about one another.

Emma and Noah are best friends and teach at the same high school in Austin, Texas. Emma is a friendly girl-next-door type heroine and a lover of English literature; Noah is a sweet beta hero and math teacher, who in many ways appears to be your stereotypical nerd – though that does not extend to the bedroom *wink* *wink*. Both of them ended serious relationships about a year ago and neither has since reentered the dating world. What has happened in the meanwhile is that Noah’s feelings towards Emma have coalesced and grown into full-blown romantic love (see sigh-worthy quote below). He is afraid of jeopardizing their friendship and that Emma does not return his feelings, so despite his love for her, he has so far remained silent on the matter. Until … well, read the book to find out!

The story is so short that writing too much of a summary will make reading it seem repetitive, so I’ll stop there. It’s very enjoyable watching Noah and Emma’s relationship move beyond friendship. One of the things that is a definite plus about novellas is the lack of room to throw in tons of obstacles, Big Misunderstandings, or Things Left Unsaid, and luckily Matthews didn’t even try. The obstacle they do have to overcome is a realistic one that fits with the story and characters. Even when they’re facing it, they’re still open about their feelings for one another – there’s no pretending or covering up or deflecting for their own sake or their partner’s. A hero and heroine acting maturely about their relationship: what a nice change!

Intimate Friends is short – only 47 pages – and as with most novellas, I was left wanting more. However, the fact that I wished it was longer (not shorter), yet greatly enjoyed it despite its (lack of) length, is noteworthy. There are interesting and engaging main characters, sweet scenes, funny dialogue, and some nice sizzling chemistry: what’s not to like?

Favorite Quote:

"It was so stupid, and random, but at that second, with the morning sun hitting her auburn hair, and her huge brown eyes fixed on him, the lock flew off the “do-not-allow-yourself-to-even-think-about-it” portion of his brain, and every feeling he ever had for her—feelings he never even realized he had for her—flooded over him like a tidal wave. Love, tenderness, desire—it hit him so hard he had to excuse himself, go to the men’s room, rest his forehead against the cool metal of the bathroom stall, breathing heavily, wondering what the hell had just happened. It left him exhausted and spent, as if he’d just run a hundred miles.

And almost a year later, he was still exhausted, spent, frustrated … and madly in love."

Sunday Snog-8/14/11

Today's Sunday Snog comes from my (currently untitled) WIP:

“God, she's coming, she's coming,” Cam whispered savagely. “Put your arm around her.”

“Wait, what? Now?” Beck was nervous.

“Yes, now!” Cam looked desperate. Beck slung his arm over Lainey's shoulder.

“Now kiss her!”

“Whoa, ho,” said Lainey, leaning back an inch.

“Do it!”

Before she could blink, Beck leaned over and captured her mouth with his. His lips were soft and warm, and tasted like cherries. He cupped the back of her head in his palm. She kept her lips tightly closed, and resisted the urge to pull away. This was Beck. She'd caught him and Cam going through her underwear drawer when they were in junior high. She'd sat in the back seat with him when he was ten years old and broke his arm falling off the roof of their garage. She remembered how he stretched out with his head in her lap while her mom drove them to the hospital. He'd tried so hard not to cry, and she'd pushed his sweaty bangs back from his forehead and told him that everything would be alright. There was no way she could do this.

But he continued, kissing each corner of her mouth, then moving in, until her lips softened without her permission, and blended with his into a sweet caress.

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Check out all the other great Sunday Snogs at http://www.victoriablisse.co.uk/

Sunday Snog-8/7/11

From "Making Summer Last," coming October 8th from Secret Cravings Publishing:

They were on the roof of his apartment building, star-gazing, drinking wine. He was sitting cross-legged on the plaid blanket they'd dragged out of his closet, and her head rested in his lap. They sat in companionable silence for a long moment, until he spoke softly, tracing the lines of her forehead with his fingertip.

“You look beautiful in the moonlight, My-My-My Mia.” She grinned at his stuttering endearment.

“Muted light is good to me. You should see me in total darkness, I look like Angelina Jolie,” she joked, suddenly embarrassed by his intense gaze. He continued to study her face, his eyes wide and solemn. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“I don't know, just...so serious.” She let her voice boom low at the end. “What are you thinking?”

“Umm...that it'd be cool if I could just sit up here with you forever. I mean, interspersed with eating and sleeping in a real bed and going to Mets games. And sex, of course.”

“Of course,” she echoed, in a well, duh voice.

They were silent for a while, both contemplating his wish, and the deeper meaning of what lay unspoken between them. The words remained unspoken, because they violated the rules of their summer tryst, but when Jonah leaned down and pulled her to him, and kissed her, over and over, soft, slow, deep kisses, she began to wonder how she would go back to Tulsa...how she would get up every morning without him...without Gus. Who would call her his-his-his-Mia back home? The Starbucks guy?

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For more Sunday Snogs, head on over to http://www.victoriablisse.co.uk/