There are three things I have to protect: My heart, my scars and my life. Even from my best friend.

Some secrets have the power to change lives.

Or ruin them.

What I didn’t expect was for my best friend to walk away when I needed him most.

I made the only decision I could.

And I have no regrets–even if Lars Trouble can’t handle that.

Now I just have to convince my broken heart it’s better off without him.

***

I don’t do secrets, I hate deceivers and I’m not in love with my best friend.

Or so I thought.

As the man in the shadows, the drummer of the Darling Devils, the person I rely on most is my best friend.

That is until I discover Naomi is a liar.

If walking away from her was hard, learning she isn’t mine to love feels impossible.

And just when I think it’s all finally coming back together, fate steps in and proves me wrong.

But when you love someone, you do the only thing you can. You fight for your love story to begin.

A friends-to-lovers romance to the beat of the Darling Devils – the legends of music.

This novel contains chapters with difficult scenes that might trigger some readers. Please reach out to me for specific details.

(click to read)

What a breath of fresh air!

I hardly come across any books with an Asian woman as the main character and a sassy one at that, so picking up this book has been a gem!

Haven't read the first book, I was a bit confused when I first started the story but the writing didn't make you feel like you missed out on a lot seeming as Trouble can be read as a standalone. We were introduced to the troubled drummer who seems to be the most put together in the band and his best friend, Naomi who is running from the demons of her own.

They formed the most unlikely friendship, but with the things that were happening, it gets harder to deny the underlying chemistry they shared. Will they thrive in the intensity or risk their relationship to go up in flames?

It was a rollercoaster ride of emotions indeed, there was so much drama going on that every page was a page-turner, I was in love with Naomi's tenacity to become her own person and the things she had to endure just made my heart breaks.

Romance, angst, and a whole lot of emotions, highly recommended to the romance junkie out there!

Can't wait for the next one!

About the Author

Gabrielle G will do anything for a hot cup of tea, still celebrates her half birthdays and feels everyone has an inner temptuous voice.

Born in France and having lived in Switzerland, Gabrielle currently resides in Montreal with her husband, three devilish children and an extremely moody cat.

After spending years contemplating a career in writing, she finally jumped off the deep end and took the plunge into the literary world. Writing consumed her and she independently published her work.

Gabrielle's style is fiercely raw and driven by pure emotion. Her love stories leave you out of breath, yearning for more, while at the same time wiping away tears.

Connect with Gabrielle:

Monday, May 18, 2020 2 comments

Friday, May 15, 2020 2 comments

Wednesday, May 06, 2020 No comments

The Billionaire's Fake Fiancée, a sexy romantic comedy by New York Times bestselling author Annika Martin is LIVE!

I'm no Prince Charming, and the last thing I want is a Cinderella.

My instructions were simple: scour the city for a fake fiancée who's not my type at all. Have her on my jet Monday morning, dressed appropriately for a yacht vacation.

I need a woman believable enough to convince a certain client that I've changed my playboy ways…yet nothing like the supermodels and socialites I usually have on my arm.

Somebody too annoying to tempt me—no emotional entanglements, thank you very much. This is business only.

If she's unfazed by my looks and wealth, all the better.

Should be easy. Right?

Apparently not, because my people go and hire Tabitha. My hairdresser.

What were they thinking? Yes, I said annoying, but I didn't mean her, the most frustrating woman in the world.

Tabitha is sunshiny. She has a pet hamster. She loves Hello Kitty, and she gets under my skin like nobody else.

As if that's not bad enough, the minute we step on deck, she thinks that certain people on the yacht are up to something shady—based completely on her soap opera knowledge.

She won't listen when I tell her she’s being ridiculous.

But as the days go by, I find that we’re actually having fun. And our fake kisses are heating up. And suddenly her wild theories aren't sounding so strange after all…

My Review Rating: ★★★★★

I'm in awe.

It's not rare that we often fall heads over heels with a fictional OTP, but y'all, I was completely, utterly, wholly, extremely, absolutely ENGROSSED into Tabitha and Rex's story. Reading Annika Martin's books always do that to me, her writing is like a supermassive black hole, the gravity of it so strong that it sucked in your surroundings and let you forget the world, existing only in the bubble her words had created.

I get what you're thinking: it's the usual play at the hot, grumpy billionaire with layers falling for the nobody fake fiance trope. How original can it even get?

If you are new to Martin's works, never let the title or blurb fool you (I admit, I was guilty of it once before). Her writing has a tendency to blow your mind!

"Tabitha knows how to tell a story to get a laugh - it's a talent of hers....but when I actually think about the stories she's telling, they're not funny at all."

Disguising itself as a contemporary romance plot, this book will leave you with a smile on your face and an ache in your heart. The love I have for Tabitha was instant, beneath her many layers of fun and bubbly personality lies a broken soul who had been hurt before. And despite how ruthless and impenetrable Rex made up to be, I loved seeing him falling in love. The entire process was beautiful.

Now, why do I think Rex and Tabitha is a breath of fresh air? It's because, underneath all the fun and flirting, I sense a genuine connection, their chemistry and understanding for one another were so palpable the "FEELS" jumped off the pages and right into my heart. How could you not fall in love with love?

Annika Martin has quickly become one of my favorite contemporary romance authors and her "Billionaire" titles may be just one of my favorites in the genre yet.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review

Meet the Author

Annika Martin loves fun, dirty stories, hot heroes, and wild, dramatic everything. She enjoys hanging out in Minneapolis coffee shops with her writer husband, and also likes birdwatching at her bird feeder alongside her two stunningly photogenic cats, especially when she should be writing. She’s heavy into running, music, saving the planet, taking long baths, and consuming chocolate suckers. She’s worked a surprisingly large number of waitressing jobs, and has also worked in a plastics factory and the advertising trenches; her garden is total bee-friendly madness and her most unfavorite word is nosh or possibly fob. A NYT bestselling author, she has also written as RITA award-winning author Carolyn Crane.

Connect with Annika:

Facebook | Reader Group | Twitter | Mailing List

Thursday, April 30, 2020 No comments

Today we have the blog tour for Royally Flushed by Ainsley St. Claire! Check out this new contemporary romance and grab your copy today!

Title: Royally Flushed

Author: Ainsley St. Claire

Genre: Contemporary Romance

About Royally Flushed:

Staying with him will be dangerous… They call him Billionaire, Environmentalist, and Playboy. I call him Boss. I try to keep it professional, I want to resist him, but the pull is too strong. A bomb threat, a ransacked apartment, mysterious warnings, all telling me to leave him alone. Yes, staying will be dangerous, but leaving him will destroy me. Royally Flushed is a standalone romance with a happy ending. It’s second in Tech Billionaire Series. It takes place in the same world as the Billionaire Venture Capitalist and Clear Holiday and includes many of the favorite characters from the other books. .

Grab Your Copy Today!

My Review 3.5 STARS ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review. My first read by author Ainsley St Claire and I am pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to love Corrine and Jackson. Corrine has been Jackson's highly efficient assistance who helped him get his life together, but when a mystery stalker appeared to harass and threaten Corrine, Jackson stepped in for her safety. Sparks fly and suddenly Jackson saw her under a new light, one where he realized that his admiration goes beyond lust and stepping into the territory of... love. But with the danger lurking and after being burned by a man before, will Corrine take a second chance at love? Especially when Jackson was the same kind of man who broke her heart once? What I loved: 1. Corrine - How can you not love this independent, no-nonsense, highly efficient woman in heels. Everything about her "boss lady" personality had me looking up to her and admired her for the way she handles herself even in a demeaning situation. 2. I just love the mansion in Hawaii and those over the top poker games. Living the billionaire lifestyle does have its perks. So much fun! Things I wished would be executed better. 1. The entire mystery harasser plot. The book actually set off on a good start, nothing like a bomb threat scene to reel you in and keep you captivated, but somewhere in the middle, I felt as if the writing lost sight of that as the couple's dynamic took center stage, the mystery harasser plot took a backseat and was overshadowed by other things going on in the storyline. It was too much, too many, at the same time, it kinda threw off the pacing a little for me and I found myself speeding through the chapters. When it came to the reveal, I was a little bummed that I guessed it right from the start. 😂 2. Seconding my point in no. 1 with the pacing, I was unsatisfied with how Jackson seemed to "suddenly" viewed Corrine as something other than his assistant. Maybe I just missed the trigger and needed a reread, but I found this bit a little odd and would love it better if we have a little background from Jackson's POV just to get a feel of their relationship. I do love Corrine and Jackson so this is just a minor setback. Other than that, it was a good read and recommended to those who love a good billionaire/assistant trope with a side of thrill and mystery! A Christian Grey novel minus The Red Room.
About Ainsley St. Claire: Ainsley St Claire is a Romantic Suspense Author and Adventurer on a lifelong mission to craft sultry storylines and steamy love scenes that captivate her readers. To date, she is best known for her series Venture Capitalists. An avid reader since the age of four, Ainsley’s love of books knew no genre. After reading, came her love of writing, fully immersing herself in the colorful, impassioned world of contemporary romance. Ainsley’s passion immediately shifted to a vocation when during a night of terrible insomnia, her first book came to her. Ultimately, this is what inspired her to take that next big step. The moment she wrote her first story, the rest was history. Currently, Ainsley is in the midst of writing a nine-book series called “Venture Capitalist.” When she isn’t being a bookworm or typing away her next story on her computer, Ainsley enjoys spending quality family time with her loved ones. She is happily married to her amazing soulmate and is a proud mother of two rambunctious boys. She is also a scotch aficionada and lover of good food (especially melt-in-your-mouth, velvety chocolate). Outside of books, family, and food, Ainsley is a professional sports spectator and an equally as terrible golfer and tennis player.

Connect with Ainsley:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon

Monday, April 27, 2020 No comments

We have an exciting excerpt reveal from Rosie Weir and her debut sci-fi romance, Adamantine! Check out the excerpt and pre-order your copy today!

Title: Adamantine

Author: Rosie Weir

Genre: Sci-Fi Romance

Release Date: June 1st

Deep in the Appalachian Mountains, a brilliant scientist and his daughter retreat from a catastrophic global plague. Worried for Molly’s future, James crafts the ultimate gift for his lonely little girl: A sentient AI charged with the task of protecting her and keeping her company in the event he is no longer able to do so. His creation, Will, is bestowed with an expansive intellect, superhuman strength, and a fierce protective streak. However, as year go by, Will’s feelings start to change from duty and service to something more.

At eighteen, Molly knows little of the world beyond a collection of grainy VHS classics. Life with Will and James is idyllic. But Will’s mission to protect involves keeping dangerous secrets, including some that could destroy the trust between them forever. Will struggles with the rigid self-discipline of his programming, versus turbulent, irrational feelings that grow stronger each day. True love can’t exist without honesty and risk; the two things Will has been programmed to control at all costs. But trouble is brewing outside their sheltered utopia, and ignorance might be a luxury neither of them can afford any longer.

From the primitive heights of the Appalachian Mountains to the revolutionary scientific breakthrough hidden within, Adamantine, a story of love, sacrifice, and sentience is scheduled to be released in June 2020.

Pre-Order Today:

Amazon | Apple Books | Kobo | B&N | Publisher

EXCERPT

Fatigue lines circled James Walkers eyes and forehead; dry canals of wrinkled flesh ran down the sides of his face. A flood of light washed over him, flickering ever so often. He found himself hissing at that inconvenience before resuming his examination. James spent months inspecting every piece of hardware and taking voice notes—he was ready to proceed.

“James Walker, Ph.D.,” he said into the recorder. “After meticulous examination that produced minor wins and fails, everything seems to be in order. The mechanism is responsive. I’m proceeding to the next step—implementation. Cooling systems have taken to the previous modifications, refer to doc-234. Internal examinations will continue intermittently.”

James clicked off the recorder and sighed. He walked across the room and paused inches from his destination, letting his eyes scan the table and its contents. The thin, silicone-based polymer suit reflected the soft light in the room. The project was close to completion and when he thought of what was at stake, the usual litany of questions and doubts arose. He scratched his stubble and pushed aside thoughts of consequence. He knew all too well that one wrong move might bring down his research like a flimsy deck of cards.

“Positivity doesn’t exist in the realm of fringe science, but you have to try,” he muttered under his breath. Those words fueled James, who focused on the most favorable outcome.

The augmented bio-hybrid suit had muscles, tendons, and ligaments designed to replicate the human body—an exact replica. He rolled the table close to the gurney then proceeded to couple the parts together. It took thirty minutes of concentrated effort to get the body sheathed. James took a step back and admired his masterpiece. It reminded him of a Renaissance anatomical painting he once saw in a museum. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, but he wiped it away with the back of his hand. He attached a transfusion tube to the small glass cylinder filled with dense liquid. He injected the mixture into the body’s cervical vertebrae. Spider-like microscopic nanocells hurried down the spine and spread into the hybrid suit. The muscle tissues expanded and solidified over the impenetrable frame underneath.

James watched the process unfold. His heart beat in double time, eager to move to the next phase. The pulsating vibe in his ears synced with his anxiety. He ambled to a wall lined with metal cabinets and retrieved the synthetic skin from its compartment. At the table, he arranged them over the entire body like a giant jigsaw puzzle. He watched the panels of skin adhere to one another. His hands imprisoned within his pockets to resist the urge to touch. Soon, skin covered the mechanical suit and a man lay in its place. The transformation was a success.

Exhausted, James glanced at his watch and wondered if he should call it a night or continue to the next phase. Logic advised against that course of action, but the restless inventor needed to proceed. A tremor ran through his hand, a reminder of the imminent situation he was in. Time was no longer a commodity he could afford.

He shook off the reverie and began the final phase. He flipped a switch and waited.

James didn’t expect movement, so when the eyes fluttered, he was startled. Rapid eye movement meant the system transmitted the packets of data through a private server James created, which allowed limited access to a vast global network.

“William? Can you hear me?” James whispered. He moved closer to the table and repeated the question. The eyes continued to flutter for a moment, then flew open. Gracefully, the body sat up and surveyed the room. It—he—was trying to assess its surroundings.

“How do you feel?” James asked tentatively.

“William? Is that my name?” His deep voice resonated throughout the room. His eyes stopped on the bespectacled man in a dark green, cable knit sweater, who stood next to the table. He looked to be in his fifties with tired blue eyes and short, graying, brown hair.

“Yes. Your name is William. And my name is James. I am your creator.”

The AI tilted his head to the side. His dark brown eyes rose to meet James’. “You’re ill. You ha—”

“I-I know,” James interrupted. “Do you know what you are?”

Will held up his hands and flexed the digits. “Am I awake, or am I programmed to feel awake?”

James smiled and sat in a chair near the wall. Excitement welled up inside him. “The fact you even ask that question gives me hope that you are exactly what you’re meant to be.”

“I’m not human,” Will stated.

“No, you’re far more advanced. I was able to correlate specific patterns of the central nervous system with emotions and thought processes to create something beyond a program—an organism. You are the first AI ever to have this organism installed.”

They held each other’s gaze for a moment before James broke contact and continued.

“This evolutionary system will gradually alter and determine your choices based on the human interaction you experience throughout your life, much like a regular person. Over time—I’m not sure how long—but over time, you will start to engage in a more human-like behavior. You will continue to write code as a sentient being.”

Will canted his head and blinked rapidly. “I’ll be able to freely write my own code?”

“To a degree. There are restrictions, uh, goal-oriented programs. More specifically, there is a source code which will prevent you from accessing data that can alter or corrupt your program. Once certain milestones are crossed, you will have the ability to act upon your own thoughts and emotions.” James looked at Will and let out a deep sigh. The expunged breath formed a visible cloud over his face before it dissipated. “For the time being, I need you to remain here in the lab until I’m certain your program is fully functional and is safe enough.”

“Safe enough for what?” William asked.

James didn’t answer.

About Rosie Weir:

Rosie Weir is an authoress by passion and now profession. She penned her first story at the age of 10 and has been writing ever since. Obsessed with science fiction, horror, and sometimes dark historical romances, her writing repertoire is wide-ranging and wildly diverse. On a quest to tell unconventional stories, human behavior and humanness are at the heart of all her literary works; stories that inspire readers to rethink and reshape their perspectives. When she’s not busy writing, she’s baking and chasing after a tiny, and rambunctious human.

Her debut novel, Adamantine, is scheduled to be released in June 2020 with The Champagne Book Group.

Connect with Rosie:

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Saturday, April 25, 2020 No comments

Sunday, April 19, 2020 No comments

When every day feels like a Saturday, who's counting the days anymore.

Hello and welcome to my new blog feature!

Day 29th into the quarantine period and I still have at least 2 to 4 more weeks to go, while I'm still working three days out of the week, I am left with ample of time during the evenings and weekends - and with more TIME meant only one thing - I can finally invest it into my hobbies!

Now, to those who know me in real life growing up also know that Natasha doesn't have a single artistic bone in her body. My drawings were so horrendous I could turn fruits into animals and my drawing ability is something to laugh at, but that doesn't mean that I stopped admiring those artists from afar.

My typical thought process:

I wished I could draw like that someday!

Ugh, my drawings will never measure up.

Just give up, you will never achieve that level of perfection.

Negativity kills, and I am the living example of that.

At the beginning of 2020, that's when I stumbled across an article that completely changed my life. One sentence that left a significant impact on my life.

"Let yourself go"

And that's it! As simple as that, I found the answer to why I have always been bad at drawing - I always started with an expectation in mind. The trick to creating art is never the end result, but it's all about falling in love with the process.

To be honest, this rule of thumb can be applied in every aspects of our everyday lives.

LET'S BEGIN!

There are many forms of art, but I've always been drawn to the simplest & most basic form of art - sketching. So in January 2020, my artistic journey began.

With zero basics on hand, I started watching youtube tutorials from artists I followed. These were my results!

I started with the basic lip (because it's one of my favorite face features), I only had an HB & 2B pencil on hand, and a cheap sketchbook I bought from the stationery store. I kid you not, I screamed when I saw how it turned out.

I, Natasha, managed to draw something that doesn't look like crap, that revelation!

08/01/2020 - First try

Feeling extremely motivated to do more, I started learning more and more basic facial structures - eyes, nose, lips & ears. Although...it wasn't one of my finest works. But, keep going right?

15/03/2020 - After two months of progress (I took a month break in between)

But I was just bored of drawing just one single facial feature each time, so I challenged myself to do a full portrait. Besides, it was the start of the lockdown in my country, I wanted to see where time & practice will lead me.

18/03/2020 - First Day of Lockdown and my first official portrait

You know how you are your biggest critique? While I thought my art progress was good (total artmateur here *coughs*), I wanted to achieve realism, that meant diving deeper into the world of online tutorials and also where I discovered my lifesaver, my guru, my online tutor.

I started subscribing to @SilvieMahdal on Patreon and my art improved tremendously! I recommend checking out her Instagram because you will just fall immediately in love!

23/03/2020 - My first realistic curl! As you can see, the effect is a much softer look.

After browsing for inspirations on Pinterest, I wanted to recreate a portrait look with the newfound knowledge I discovered.

Let me tell you, I was so f******* proud of myself.

08/04/2020 - I DID IT

What's next for me? Draw and draw somemore! I want to draw a realism portrait of my favorite celebrities one day, one that I would be proud of, and that's how I measure success.

I will continuously post my artworks via this tag #Artmateur on my blog.

What have you been up to during this quarantine period?

Tuesday, April 14, 2020 14 comments

Title: Royally Flushed

Author: Ainsley St. Claire

Genre: Contemporary Romance

About Royally Flushed:

Grab Your Copy Today!

Connect with Ainsley:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon

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Title: Royally Flushed

Author: Ainsley St. Claire

Genre: Contemporary Romance

About Royally Flushed:

Grab Your Copy Today!

Connect with Ainsley:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon

About me

Follow Me

Subscribe to be a Dreamer!

Labels

recent posts

Blog Archive

Followers

Goodreads

Natshane's bookshelf: read