Jess—aka Reviews by Jess—is a sassy, top-ranked Goodreads reviewer who reads a little of everything. From steamy romance to dark fantasy, plus stories featuring mental health, hidden disabilities, and LGBTQ+ rep, she brings bold, unfiltered reviews readers can trust. Expect sass, sparkle, and a TBR that’s about to explode.

Reviews by Jess- Unfiltered. Unapologetic. Unforgettable Reviews.

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Undeniably Release & Giveaway




Title: Undeniably
Series: Brighton Academy #3
Author: Cala Riley
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: June 10, 2020



Blurb

There was only one woman in the world who had the power to destroy me.
Morgan Wright.
I never thought I would see her again. Then she showed back up out of the blue, weaseling her way back into my life.

Keaton Yates is everything I hate. Two years ago, we were best friends.
Inseparable.
Until he did the unthinkable and broke my heart. Moving back means being back on Keaton’s turf. Am I strong enough to survive a second time?







Purchase Links


Free in Kindle Unlimited





Excerpt

"I can't believe we just did that," she whispers against my chest.
"Oh, come on, like you never saw that happening. You even admitted to having a crush on me when we were younger." I chuckle.
"Fine, you're right."
"Can you say that again?" I tease.
"Ugh." Morgan pushes on my chest. "You're ridiculous." 
I lean in and kiss her softly. "You have no idea." I kiss her again as my bedroom door flies open.
"He...Holy shit! Fuck! I just saw your fucking ass!" Sage screeches.






Also Available



Free in Kindle Unlimited




Free in Kindle Unlimited






Author Bio


Cala Riley, better known as Cala and Riley, are a pair of friends with a deep seated love of books and writing. Both Cala and Riley are happily married and each have children, Cala with the four-legged kind while Riley has a mixture of both two-legged and four. While they live apart, that does not affect their connection. They are the true definition of family. What started as an idea that quickly turned into a full-length book and a bond that will never end. 


Author Links





Giveaway

Sour Grapes Release & Giveaway




Title: Sour Grapes
Series: Blue Plate #2
Author: Rachel Goodman
Genre: Light Women's Fiction/Chick Lit
Release Date: June 5, 2020



Blurb

Uncork this delectable Texas Hill Country romance from the critically acclaimed author of From Scratch, the “smart, sexy, and funny” debut that “piles on the Southern charm” (Publishers Weekly).

Margaret Stokes is bitter. And not in the robust fine wine or tangy dark chocolate kind of way. She just got dumped, is fed up with her job as a glorified party-planner for the rich, and can’t possibly listen to one more veiled insult from her impossible-to-please mother. So she retreats to the comfort of her grandmother’s ramshackle bed and breakfast in Texas wine country, where the wide open vineyards are filled with surprises, from the shockingly delicious Tempranillo to the aggravating yet oh-so-tempting man who makes it.

Ryan Camden’s easy approach to life encourages Margaret to loosen up and have a little fun, despite her better judgment. She resists the urge to micromanage every detail, embracing the welcome distractions of her surroundings and letting their relationship unfold at a natural rhythm. But when a health scare forces Grammy J to give up the B&B, Margaret begins to wonder if Ryan really is the man he promises—and whether the problems she tried so hard to escape ever really went away.







Purchase Links


Free in Kindle Unlimited

NOW ALSO AVAILABLE IN 




Excerpt

The night has taken on a dreamy quality, and it feels as if I'm buzzing in a sort of tipsy state that has nothing to do with the wine I've consumed and everything to do with my renewed sense of confidence.
Ryan is staring at me with an expression I can't quite read. It's part contemplative, part desire, part something else. I wait for him to speak, but he remains quiet.
As I start moving toward his SUV, he grabs my hand and draws me around to face him. We're standing so close I can smell the remnants of his aftershave and feel his breath on my forehead. Ryan brushes an errant strand of hair away from my cheek, his callused thumb ghosting over the sensitive spot below my ear. I swallow, my chest tight, as though there isn't enough space for my heart to fit inside my rib cage.
Ryan slides his hand around to cradle the back of my head, while the other travels down and settles on the curve of my hip. "If I kiss you again, is there going to be a jail cell on the other end of it?"
"Only one way to find out," I say with a breathless laugh.
He pulls me flush against him, and then his lips are on mine. An electric jolt shoots through me as the pressure of his mouth changes from tender and coaxing to needy and demanding.
And I'm right there with him, matching everything he's giving. My palms skate over his broad shoulders and arms, his shirtsleeves stretched over the hard muscle beneath. He tastes like the chocolate cake we shared for dessert. Like something I could eat every day for the rest of my life.
I weave my fingers into the soft hair that curls slightly at the nape of his neck, tugging gently at the roots. Ryan lets out a sexy grunt that I want to hear over and over again. He lifts me off the ground, and I hook my legs around his waist. He steps backward until I'm pressed against his car. With the dark surrounding us, it feels as if we can do anything and not get caught. A rush of heat shoots through me at the idea. I reach for the buttons on his—
Sudden loud barking makes us jump apart, our chests heaving.
I sway a bit before regaining my balance. I glance at Ryan, who looks as disoriented as I feel. Sticking her head out the open window, Bordeaux paws at the inner door handle. Ryan pushes on her nose and mutters what sounds like, "Great timing." Snorting, Bordeaux ducks back inside and drinks from the water bowl on the floor mat. Ryan turns to me, rubbing a frustrated hand down his face. "She's a resource guarder, and I'm her favorite toy."
I let out a shaky laugh, my whole body vibrating with pent-up energy. "Or maybe she's warning us that we're about to have an audience," I say, gesturing to the hostesses emerging from the side entrance of the restaurant. They walk around the building to the service lot.
Ryan's expression morphs from slightly irritated to focused and determined. He leans in close to me, his lips grazing the hint of collarbone peeking out from beneath my shirt. Air catches in my lungs and my skin prickles, but I force myself not to fidget, not to move for fear I may collapse right here on the gravel. Skimming his mouth up my neck, his breath stirring wisps of my hair, he whispers in my ear, "What happened to living recklessly?"
My brain is a fog, so I only manage to blurt, "Show me."
A devastatingly wicked grin spreads across his face. "Follow me."



Also Available



Free in Kindle Unlimited

NOW ALSO AVAILABLE IN 






Author Bio


Rachel Goodman is the critically acclaimed author of the Blue Plate and How to Score series. She was raised in Colorado on Roald Dahl books and her mother's award-worthy cooking. Now an engineering professor at her alma mater, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, she has not lost her passion for culinary discovery or a well-told story. A member of RWA, she continues to hone her craft through the Writer's Path at SMU while seeking to create the perfect macaroni and cheese recipe. Follow her on Twitter (@mojitomaven), Instagram (@mojitomaven), and Facebook (@RachelGoodmanBooks), or visit her website at rachelgoodmanbooks.com.


Author Links

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Stupid Cupid Cover Reveal



Stupid Cupid by J. Haney and S.I. Hayes is releasing June 22nd!

Pre-Order today! https://amzn.to/3f1RJXc 

Add it to your TBR: https://bit.ly/StupidCupidTBR

Cover Designer: S.I. Hayes with Haney Hayes Promotions


Life comes at you when you least expect it…

Katie Belle Wilson is a single mom. At twenty-six, she's busting her hump to get her master's in Early Childhood Education. Her pet project, Cupid Is Calling was supposed to help her study people and how letter writing could connect them. Little did she know she was to become a participant and perhaps find the one thing she's always craved but never gained... Love.

What if a driven single mom lets a sweet and caring widower into her world?

Rest assured it's nothing short of Bee-u-tiful.



Be sure to join the release party on June 22nd:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/LGSheapr/



Connect with the authors!

The Girl in the Love Song Release

At Santa Cruz Central High School, they called them the misfits, the outcasts, the weirdos. But most of us knew them as the Lost Boys…

The Girl in the Love Song, book one in the Lost Boys, an interconnected coming-of-age series of standalones, from USA Today bestselling author Emma Scott, is live!

Miller Stratton is a survivor. After a harrowing childhood of poverty, he will do anything it takes to find security for himself and his mom. He’s putting all his hopes and dreams in the fragile frame of his guitar and the beauty he creates with its strings and his soulful voice. 

Until Violet. 

No one expects to meet the love of their life at age thirteen. But the spunky rich girl steals Miller’s heart and refuses to give it back. 

Violet McNamara’s life hasn’t been as simple as it looks. Her picture-perfect family is not so perfect after all. Her best friend Miller is her one constant and she is determined not to ruin their friendship with romantic complications. 

But the heart wants what it wants. As Miller’s star begins to rise to stratospheric heights, what will it take for Violet to realize that she’s the girl in all of his love songs?

The Girl in the Love Song features two original songs written by Emma herself.

Download today or read for free in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3h9bjml

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2MLnYhU

About Emma:


Emma Scott is an internationally bestselling author whose books have been featured in Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, New York Daily News and USA Today's Happy Ever After. She writes emotional, character-driven romances in which art and love intertwine to heal, and in which love always wins. If you enjoy emotionally-charged stories that rip your heart out and put it back together again, with diverse characters and heroes with a heart of gold, you will enjoy her novels.

Connect with Emma:
Amazon author link: https://amzn.to/2yUnFKJ

Webpage: emmascottwrites.com

Facebook: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottFB

Reader group: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottEntourage

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottBB

Instagram: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottIG

Twitter: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottTW

Stay up to date with Emma by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2nTGLf6

Monday, June 8, 2020

Review: Outmatched



Now a USA Today Bestseller.

What happens when a boxer finds chemistry with a geek?

Parker Brown can't believe she needs to hire a fake boyfriend. When she landed her dream job in renewable energy, she thought she'd be entering a world at the forefront of progressive thinking. But the head boss prefers to promote employees who are "settled." Thankfully, she's found the perfect candidate, a fellow intellectual looking for some quick cash. What Parker gets is his protective big brother--Rhys Morgan. The tall, muscled ex-boxer with a foul mouth shows up just as her boss does, and now she's stuck with the manipulative jerk. 

Responsibility weighs heavily on Rhys. Now permanently out of the ring, he's trying to hold together his late father's gym and keep his younger brother, Dean, on the straight and narrow. To save Dean from himself, Rhys takes his place, ready to give this society girl a piece of his mind. Instead, he finds an opportunity. Even though they can hardly stand each other, posing as Parker's boyfriend is a win-win deal. She gets to keep her job, and he'll charm her star-struck boss into sponsoring his gym.

Problem is, they can barely keep their hands off each other. And what started as an easy deal isn't so easy anymore. Because what future can a rough ex-boxer, afraid to open his heart, and a polished society geek, who has sworn off real relationships, possibly have?

They say opposites attract. These opposites are about to combust on impact.


My Review 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What happens when a boxer finds chemistry with a geek? It's a TKO for Young and Callihan as they Knocked this one out of the park!
 I'm a first-timer for both Samantha Young and Kristen Callihan. I'm beyond excited to add them to my ever-growing list of authors that I love reading or listening to, which would be the case for some.
 Outmatched is a Sports and Fake Boyfriend Romance. Two tropes that I absolutely love. Add in that they are polar opposites, and you are for a ride. Prepare for Parker Brown, who may be wealthy, but she's also a smart and nerdy woman. Now we'll enter with Rhys Morgan (Just his name makes me want to try him on for size.) He's a retired boxer, swoon, and hot as sin. These two together were freaking perfect. I just loved it.
 This entire story was great and will go into the listen or read again pile as the narrators were okay but a little distracting at times.

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Rewritten Release




Title: Rewritten
Series: Unscripted #2
Author: J.R. Gray
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 4, 2020


Blurb

Movie star 102: The headlines are never what they seem. 

Quellcrist wasn’t new to fame or the effect it had on a relationship. He’d been married in the spotlight for as long as he’d been famous. But that was before Hale. He knew it was going to test him but even he hadn’t known the toll that months apart would take on his fledgling relationship.

Long days of shooting, different time zones, calls every day dwindled to days without calls, and rumors were all over the rags. Through it all Quell had to battle his own worst enemy but he didn’t know how to win against something inside him. Depression ate him whole and pain took over. 

There was so much more at stake than losing his boyfriend, he was losing his best friend. His lifeline, the love of his life. Was there any way to come back from the damage done? 

Can they rewrite their ending?






Purchase Links

AMAZON

Free in Kindle Unlimited





Excerpt

Hale

I woke up wrapped in Quells arms. We were home. Wed been here for weeks and I still wasn’t used to it. The light streamed across the foot of our bed in a fractal pattern. I could smell the ocean or maybe it was my imagination. How easy this was. We had a ticking clock, but it had been a small taste of how our time off would be. How waking up with Quell would be when we didn’t have to be on set eighteen hours a day. Our life was slow and I loved him more every day we spent here. Our demeanor had changed with the pace of our life.
He was lovely lying there still asleep. Id never seen a more beautiful human in my life and he was my partner. It was hard to believe we had a week left of this.
And then uncertainty. 
I didn’t like going into a drastic change in our relationship without building up to it, but we didn’t have much choice. I guess it was going to be trial by fire. Because for as many times as Id tried to talk to Quell about it he hadn’t seemed to want to. So Id left it. We loved each other. Wed find a way to make the time apart work.
I had nothing booked for the next nine months, and Quell had two movies.
I was about to detangle myself to go make coffee when Quells phone started to ring. I reached for my phone to check what time it was. After seven. I was shocked hed slept so long. More often than not, since being home, he was off wandering the house before I was even awake. Id gotten so used to it—it was strange to wake up in bed with him. Maybe he was settling into our life here.
I pressed into him and kissed along the back of his neck. Maybe I would stay awhile. Quell was better than coffee any day.
Is that my phone?” Quell mumbled, sleep evident in his tone.
I think so.”
He groaned and rolled towards me. Who would be calling me so early?”
No clue.”
What time is it?”
Just after seven. Im shocked youre still in bed.” I pushed my fingers through his hair.
He turned and kissed my palm. I am too. I slept hard.”
You needed it.” More than I even think he realized.
Im sure I did. Maybe it will be a trend.”
I hope so.” At least until he left.
The phone quieted and he kissed me. I lost track of time in Quells lips and soft touches. It was an entirely new way to wake up. One wed not even had filming Pirate Night. Then we were eating, rushing off to call or Quell had been up on days off. Lots of training sessions. I liked that hed moved them to a different time.
I stroked my fingers down his sides and over his back. He grabbed me in a hug so tight I could feel his heart beating against mine. We laughed and kissed and I was happy.
Happy felt good. Not that Id been particularly not happy before meeting Quell, but this was a whole new level of the experience. Now if only my career was less uncertain Id feel a whole lot better, but I guess that was the nature of the job. Quell would get a contract for another season of Pirate Night before he left. I had faith.
The vibrating started back up.
Who is calling me this early?” Quell said through a yawn rolling half out of my arms to grab his phone. He squinted at it then answered.
No idea. Who is it?” I asked before realizing it might not be the best to expose the fact we were in bed together, although anyone calling his cell would probably know.
He put his hand over the speaker, as if that did anything, and said, It’s our publicist.”
Wed shared one now since hed left his other because of the conflict of interest with Rachael. Mark was good at his job and more on top of things than Quell’s last one had been.
Yes, Hale is with me,” Quell said with a chuckle and I was sure I knew what was running through his mind. Naked wrapped up with me.’ “I’m going to put you on speaker.”
Quell clicked the button and held the phone between us.
Hey, Mark.”
Hello, Hale. Since I have you both—” He wasn’t one to beat around the bush, so he dove right into it. There are some pictures from last night I woke up to questions about. They are already being widely run… so the concern is more: do we have a comment?”






Also Available



Free in Kindle Unlimited






Author Bio


Gray is a cynical Chicago native, who drinks coffee all day, barely sleeps, and is a little too fashion obsessed. He writes realistic and damaged characters because everyone deserves a happily ever after. 


Author Links




Passport 2 Love Collection Release & Giveaway

Passport 2 Love has you covered this summer!

Runaway and get lost with us as we kick off vacation reads. Join us and go all over the world between the sheets. Sexy and sweet reads that will have you falling in love without having to stamp your passport!

Enter the Giveaway -- https://bit.ly/P2LGiveaway


Participating Authors:

Fly Girl by Aria Cole & Mila Crawford - https://amzn.to/3ct2Erd

London's Calling by KL Donn - https://amzn.to/3gQ8XbZ

Dirty Prince by L. Nicole - https://amzn.to/36XfWez

First Touch by Loni Ree - https://amzn.to/2U6Bikp

The Do-Over by Mayra Statham - https://amzn.to/3eHR8d6

Resort to Love by Ja'Nese Dixon - https://amzn.to/2MnKpsJ

Whoa! I Married the Pitcher by Megan Wade - https://amzn.to/2XrG6CR

Paging Dr. Hook Up by Mika Jolie - https://amzn.to/2U28NEE

Rocking Vegas by Regina Frame - https://amzn.to/2XV1e3t

Stay Right Here by Terra Kelly - https://amzn.to/3gUQ1ZJ

Never Letting Go by Tory Baker - https://amzn.to/2XZjPvz

Irish Whiskey by Tracie Douglas - https://amzn.to/2XYkYmL


\

Zaan Preorder Blitz


First love gets a second chance...
Zaan (Sidewinders: Generations) by Kat Mizera releases on June 9th! 

 Amazon -- https://amzn.to/304tt2u 
Apple -- https://apple.co/3clcNGO 
Nook -- https://bit.ly/34Qfo9d 
Kobo -- https://bit.ly/34J7XRb



First love gets a second chance... Norwegian-born professional hockey player Zaan Hagen has only ever loved two things: Hockey and Lexi. He never imagined he’d have to choose, until he was forced to let her go. After beating breast cancer at sixteen, Lexi Rousseau vowed to live her life with no regrets. When her singing career took off with one of the hottest pop groups in the world, her dream came true— but it cost her the only man she ever loved. When an unexpected turn of events brings them back together, Zaan and Lexi will have to learn to balance their demanding careers and irrefutable desires before history starts repeating itself. Have they finally figured out how to play the game without losing everything? Photographer: Wander Aguiar Model: Wayne Skivington

About the Author:

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Kat Mizera is a South Florida native. Born in Miami Beach with a healthy dose of wanderlust, she's called Los Angeles, Long Island, upstate New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Atlanta home. She's never been able to pick which locale is her favorite, but if pressed, she'd probably choose the west coast.

A typical PTA mom with a wonderful and supportive husband (Kevin) and two amazing boys (Nick and Max), Kat can usually be found scrapbooking or indulging in her second love (after writing) - traveling. Greece is one of her favorite places in the world. She loves that Athens is a big city with a small-town feel. The food, beaches and culture keep her going back as often as possible.

Kat's been a working freelance writer for nearly 30 years. She sold her first article--a review of a rock concert--for $10 in 1985. Since then she's been an entertainment journalist, waitress, bartender, legal assistant, food critic, magazine editor, substitute teacher, and sports writer. She also spent some time working at A & M Records in Los Angeles.

As you can guess from her Las Vegas Sidewinders series, Kat loves hockey and occasionally writes articles about her favorite team, the Florida Panthers. The rest of the time, she writes novels: sexy, romantic fiction that she hopes makes you as happy as it makes her. There's something enticing about hockey players and romance...

Connect with Kat: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkatmizera/ 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3gNDGX1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorKatMiz 

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2li6zRe 

Website: http://www.katmizera.com

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Mr. H.O.A. Cover Reveal & Giveaway




Title: Mr. H.O.A.
Series: Fake It #1
Author: Carina Taylor
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: June 30, 2020



Blurb

Bane Fox knows exactly what he wants in life: financial stability.

He does not want to be homeless.
He does not want to be the president of an HOA.

It’s rather unfortunate he is both of those things. 

Oh, and did I forget to mention he has a fake wife?
Yeah, that’s me







Pre-order Links

$2.99 for a limited time!







Author Bio

Carina Taylor writes zany romantic comedies that make you ugly laugh.
When she's not writing, you can find her chasing after three little boys, ignoring her laundry pile, pretending to work out, drinking large amounts of coffee, and consuming as many cinnamon rolls as possible.


Author Links