Blog Tour: Necessary Roughness by Julie Brannagh

Tanner Cole’s football career was over in less than thirty seconds one Sunday afternoon. After a lifetime playing the sport he loves he’s been forced into an early retirement. Between figuring out his plan for the rest of his life and dealing with the pain of his injuries, this grouchy hottie isn’t in the mood for the perky physical therapist who makes him in ache in more than one place.

Jordan Mueller doesn’t have time for a sulky ex-NFL player, even one who looks like Tanner. She’s done with falling for the bad boy without a heart. When she’s forced out of her apartment and offered an opportunity too good to pass up, she agrees to move in with Tanner. She’s only there to speed up his recovery. No funny business, even if her body is telling her otherwise.

As Tanner and Jordan spend more and more time together, they begin to see each other in a new light that threatens to change everything. But when the ghosts of girlfriends past reappear, Tanner must decide if he’s willing to put everything on the line for a shot at a future with Jordan.

About the Book

Necessary Roughness
by Julie Brannagh
Series
n/a; standalone
Genre
Adult
Contemporary Romance
Publisher
Avon Impulse
Publication Date
October 10, 2017

EXCERPT

Chapter One

Tanner Cole grabbed the remote off the couch cushions and clicked through the two hundred or so channels on his satellite TV. Daytime TV sucked. Even worse: it sucked yesterday, the day before, and the day before that too. But it wasn’t like he had a lot of choices for entertainment right now. His knee was slowly healing, but mostly, he wanted to be left alone while he tried to figure out how he was going to deal with the rest of his life.

He was a professional football player. Well, he used to be. He’d torn both his ACL and MCL and broken his tibia after planting his cleats on some shitty turf in Washington, DC, during the last two minutes of a fucking blowout he shouldn’t have been playing in in the first place. His coach had practically begged him to sit on the bench that afternoon and spend a few minutes powering down some Gatorade while his backup took the risk of injury instead. In the coach’s defense, “practically begging” meant he glanced over at Tanner and said, “why don’t you have a seat, and we’ll finish this one for you?” But Tanner had insisted that cold afternoon in Washington. He’d played anyway. And his career was ended because of a freak hit by a rookie who thought he was making his mark by permanently sidelining one of the best left tackles in the league.

Winners didn’t sit on the bench. Winners went out there and dominated, in football and in life. He remembered every buzzword and cliché-laden locker-room speech he’d heard in his career, typically when he was lying away at three AM and wishing he had that thirty seconds or so before his injury back again. He’d wanted to make the decision when it was time to hang it up. That was taken away from him. He wasn’t happy about it.

People (specifically his ex-girlfriend) were not as willing to put up with his various personality flaws when he wasn’t headline news anymore. He could tick off those shortcomings on his fingers, and he’d done so more than once while alone in the predawn hours. According to his ex, Star, he was too overbearing, too competitive, too impatient, and too insensitive. She didn’t seem to care about his faults when he was ordering $150 bottles of champagne at the club or buying her a little somethin’ somethin’ at the jeweler’s or the latest designer shoes and bags. He’d wanted to believe their breakup was all her fault, but being alone for a few months brought some clarity. He was as much to blame for the end of their relationship. He’d have to man up at some point and make an apology.

Before he met with the surgeon who was putting his knee back together, Tanner had been told by the team’s doctor that he wasn’t going to play football again.

“With your age and these types of injuries, you’re not going to be able to pass any team’s physical, even after rehab. I know this isn’t how you wanted things to end,” the doctor said.

“No, it isn’t,” Tanner said.

“Look at it this way: it’s a great chance to get on with the rest of your life.”

Tanner knew the guy was just doing his job, but he was already sick of people telling him to look on the bright side. He’d be damned lucky if he walked with a limp. Right now, he’d be happy if he could get off the couch and walk to the mailbox without a walker.

REVIEW

Necessary Roughness was a quick but delightful read.  The banter between Tanner and Jordan built up on the chemistry between them and the developing bonds giving much depth to their relationship. 

Jordan is a hard working, smart and loyal woman. She's positive and sweet. She wants the best for her patients and knows how to help them work for it even if they don't agree or like it.   Tanner is hurting - in more ways than physical pain from his injury and this is making him surly and angry with everyone around him.  

Though their time together isn't sunshine and butterflies, these two find themselves working together well - Jordan is able to help Tanner in ways he didn't expect and their attraction to each other only intensifies as they spend more time together.  There are, of course, hiccups for these two as they find their way which only added to the story for me.  

About Julie Brannagh

USA Today bestselling author Julie Brannagh has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil. She lives in a small town near Seattle, where she once served as a city council member and owned a yarn shop. She shares her home with a wonderful husband, two uncivilized Maine Coons and a rambunctious chocolate Lab. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, or armchair-quarterbacking her favorite NFL team from the comfort of the family room couch. Julie is a Golden Heart finalist and the author of contemporary sports romances.

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Release Blitz: A Love Letter to Whiskey by Kandi Steiner

Title: A Love Letter to Whiskey

Author: Kandi Steiner

Release Date: Oct 13, 2016

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It’s crazy how fast the buzz comes back after you’ve been sober for so long.

Whiskey stood there, on my doorstep, just like he had one year before. Except this time, there was no rain, no anger, no wedding invitation — it was just us.

It was just him — the old friend, the easy smile, the twisted solace wrapped in a glittering bottle.

It was just me — the alcoholic, pretending like I didn’t want to taste him, realizing too quickly that months of being clean didn’t make me crave him any less.

But we can’t start here.

No, to tell this story right, we need to go back. 

Back to the beginning.

Back to the very first drop.

This is my love letter to Whiskey. I only hope he reads it. 

The first time I tasted Whiskey, I fell flat on my face.

Literally.

I was drunk from the very first sip, and I guess that should have been my sign to stay away.

Jenna and I were running the trail around the lake near her house, sweat dripping into our eyes from the intense South Florida heat. It was early September, but in South Florida, it might as well have been July. There was no “boots and scarves” season, unless you counted the approximately six weeks in January and February where the temperature dropped below eighty degrees.

As it was, we were battling ninety-plus degrees, me trying to be a show off and prove I could keep up with Jenna’s cheerleading training program. She had finally made the varsity squad, and with that privilege came ridiculous standards she had to uphold. I hated running — absolutelyloathed it. I would much rather have been on my surf board that day. But fortunately for Jenna, she had a competitive best friend who never turned down a challenge. So when she asked me to train with her, I’d agreed eagerly, even knowing I’d have screaming ribs and calves by the end of the day.

I saw him first.

I was just a few steps ahead of Jenna, and I’d been staring down at my hot pink sneakers as they hit the concrete. When I looked up, he was about fifty feet away, and even from that distance I could tell I was in trouble. He seemed sort of average at first — brown hair, lean build, soaked white running shirt — but the closer he got, the more I realized just how edible he was. I noticed the shift in the muscles of his legs as he ran, the way his hair bounced slightly, how he pressed his lips together in concentration as he neared us. 

I looked over my shoulder, attempting to waggle my eyebrows at Jenna and give her the secret best friend code for “hot guy up ahead”, but she had stopped to tie her shoes. And when I turned back around, it was too late.

I smacked into him — hard — and fell to the pavement, rolling a bit to soften the fall. He cursed and I groaned, more from embarrassment than pain. I wish I could say I gracefully picked myself up, smiled radiantly, and asked him for his number, but the truth is I lost the ability to do anything the minute I looked up at him.

It was an unfamiliar, warm ache that spread through my chest as I used my hand to shield the sun streaming in behind his silhouette, just how you’d expect the first sip of whiskey to feel. He was bent over, hand outstretched, saying something that wasn’t registering because I had somehow managed to slip my hand into his and just that one touch had set my skin on fire.

Handsome wasn’t the right word to describe him, but it was all I kept thinking as I traced his features. His hair was a sort of mocha color, damp at the roots, falling onto his forehead just slightly. His eyes were wide — almost too round — and a mixture of gold, green, and the deepest brown. I didn’t coin the nickname Whiskey until much later, but it was that moment that I saw it for the first time — those were whiskey eyes. The kind of eyes you get lost in. The kind that drink you in. He had the longest lashes and a firm, square jaw. It was so hard, the edges so clean that I would have sworn he was angry with me if it weren’t for the smile on his face.He was still talking as my eyes fell over his broad chest before snapping back up to his sideways grin.

“Oh my God, are you fucking blind?!” Jenna’s voice snapped me from my haze as she shoved Whiskey out of the way and latched onto my hand, ripping me back to standing position. I’d barely caught my balance before she whipped around to continue her scolding. “How about you brush that long ass hair out of your eyes and watch where you’re going, huh champ?”

Oh no.

I didn’t even have time to call dibs, I couldn’t even think the word, let alone say it, before it was too late. I watched it, in slow motion, as Whiskey fell for my best friend before I even had the chance to say a single word to him. 

Jenna was standing tall, arms crossed, one hip popped in her usual fashion as she waited for him to defend himself. This was her protocol — it was one of the reasons we got along. We were both what you’d call “spitfires”, but Jenna had the distinct advantage of being cripplingly gorgeous on top of having an attitude. She flipped her long, wavy blonde ponytail behind her and cocked a brow.

And then he did, too.

His smile grew wider as he met her eyes, and it was the same look I’d watched fall

over guy after countless guy. Jenna was a unicorn, and men were enamored by her. As they should have been — she had platinum blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, legs for days and a personality to boot. Now, before you go thinking that I was the insecure best friend - I had it going on, too. I worked hard, I was talented - just not at the things traditional high school boys valued.

But we’ll get to that.

“Hi,” Whiskey finally said, extending his hand to Jenna this time. His eyes were warm, smile inviting — if I had to pick the right word for him, just one, I’d say charming. He just oozed charm. “I’m Jamie.”

“Well, Jamie, maybe you should make an appointment with the eye doctor before you run over another innocent jogger. And you owe Brecks an apology.” She nodded to me then and I cringed at my name, wondering why she felt the need to spill it at all. She always called me B — everyone did — so why did she choose the moment I was face to face with the first boy to ever make my heart accelerate to use my full name?

Jamie was still grinning, eying Jenna, trying to figure her out, but he turned to me after a moment with that same crooked smile. “I’m sorry, I should have been watching where I was going.” He said the words with conviction, but lifted his brows on that last line because he and I both knew who wasn’t paying attention to the trail, and he wasn’t the guilty party. 

“It’s fine,” I murmured, because for some reason I was still having a difficult time finding my voice. Jamie tilted his head just a fraction, his eyes hard on me this time, and I felt naked beneath his gaze. I’d never had anyone look at me that way — completely zeroed in. It was unnerving and exhilarating, too. 

But before I could latch onto the feeling, he turned back to Jenna, their eyes meeting as slow smiles spread on both of their faces. I’d seen it a million times, but this was the first time I felt sick watching it happen.

I saw him first, but it didn’t matter.

Because he saw her.

Review

A Love Letter to Whiskey was not at all what I expected from the synopsis but then it sort of was. I expected  pain and heartache, I expected drama, I got all of that but there is so much more to the story as well.

When B meets Jamie she immediatedly dubs him Whiskey, his hair, his eyes, the nickname fits and so begins the correlation in her mind of her addiction to Whiskey, also known as her unending and sometimes unhealthy attraction to Jamie. Though Jamie first notices B's best friend Jenna and bbegins a relationship, the two form and  try to maintain a friendship, but eventually its plain to see that they have more feelings between them than that.

The story really begins when B finds herself at the same college as Jamie and they try to rediscover their friendship. But the "more than freinds" feelings remain and wreak havoc on the life they had until that moment.

You know the saying, that something was like a trainwreck, you couldn't look away? That even though you knew something was coming, something big, something bad, but you couldn't stop it and you couldn't quit reaching toward it, that's how I felt at certian times while reading this book. There was a lot between B and Jamie, and while there was a lot of good, there was also bad, and I often thought they were all wrong for each other. But the love remained, they hurt each other, they did the wrong thing, but they would eventually turn back around and find their way right back in the thick of it with each other.

This story was full of emotion, it was full of pain and hurt, but there was also touches of humor, tender sweet moments and  of course love.  Each part of the story got a reaction out of me, be it rooting for B and Jamie or deciding they should walk away. But my mind would change along with the characters and I'd find myself stuck between the two feelings. As Jamie and B pushed and pulled between themselves, I too felt pushed and pulled in two different directions.

While I didn't love everything about this story or the characters in it, the writing was great and displayed the story beautifully. Kandi Steniner gave a realistic depth to the emotional tangle that was the connection between these two characters. I was suckeded in to the story and  it held me captive until the end all the time wondering what would happen next and how the issues would be resolved. A love letterto Whiskey takes you on a journey, a journey of life and love and how sometimes the decisions we make can affect our lives for a long time afterwards. It's also a story about fighting for love even when the outlook appears bleak. I'm glad I took a shot on this book and I hope you will be too.

Kandi Steiner is a Creative Writing and Advertising/Public Relations graduate from the University of Central Florida living in Tampa with her husband. Kandi works full time as a social media specialist, but also works part time as a Zumba fitness instructor and blackjack dealer.

Kandi started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic (like most girls brought up on Disney movies).

When Kandi isn’t working or writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys beach days, movie marathons, live music, craft beer and sweet wine – not necessarily in that order.

   

Release Blitz: Heart Breaker by Erin McCarthy

Title: Heart Breaker
Series: Nashville Nights #1

Author: Erin McCarthy

Publisher: Loveswept
Genre: Contemporary Western Romance

Release Date: May 17, 2016

Blurb

They’re perfectly in tune—but only when it comes to their music. This sizzling romance from New York Times bestselling author Erin McCarthy follows Nashville’s hottest country music duo as they fight for love in a city where dreams often cost a broken heart. 

Self-made singer/songwriter Jolene Hart loves everything about being on top in Nashville. Well, everything except her very public breakup with Chance Rivers, her sexy masculine other half. Once the hottest duo on the scene, they turned Music City on its ear. Now their careers are as cold as their relationship. Which is why their manager has practically locked them in a remote cabin with nothing but a guitar, a bed, and time to do what they do best: make some beautiful music together. 

As Nashville royalty, Chance has big boots to fill—and the pressure that comes with ’em. He fell hard for Jolene, but he couldn’t handle the spotlight, the crowds, and the fights that made headlines and killed any notion that love and success could go hand-in-hand. Still, Chance is more than willing to rekindle the one thing that worked: the wild passion behind their hit songs. Soon they’re making up for lost time, in the steamiest ways possible. But Chance finds himself wishing for the impossible: that their intimate hideaway could last forever.

 

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Review

As a fan of Erin McCarthy's previous works, I was excited to see what she would bring to readers with this new series.

Heart Breaker brings us a story of Chance and Jolene who are post breakup but forced to work together again by their careers.  Their relationship is bitter and filled with dislike and complications.  Finding themselves forced together shouldn't be a good thing, but they can't seem to forget their past connection, the problems that arose, or the fierce chemistry that still burns between them.  The biggest issue between these two is their lack of communication which stemmed trust issues and further problems.

As these two find themselves trying to work together, trying to salvage something, they find themselves coming together again.  I struggled with these characters through parts of the story, as they behaved immaturely and I couldn't see why either of them would want a relationship with the other but did eventually get to a place where I could see where they were both coming from with their personal issues and how it had affected their initial relationship.

Heart Breaker offers up a second chance romance with a twist on the rock star trope, by bringing us two country stars with a whole lot of drama between them.

Author Bio

USA Today bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and has gone on to pen more than 44 novels and novellas in the paranormal, contemporary romance, and young adult genres. A RITA award finalist and an American Library Association winner of the Reluctant Young Reader award, Erin is a member of Romance Writers of America, Horror Writers Association, and Ohioana.

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Release Blitz: Our Secret by Jessa Fox

Griffin is tall, dark, and has a rock hard body that should be illegal on an 18 year old. She’s wanted him from the first time she laid eyes on him. He’s the athletic captain of the basketball and baseball team that all the girls want. He’s funny and kind, and makes Farrah melt every time she sees him.

The only problem? His dad is married to her mom and he’s her stepbrother. He’s off limits and out of bounds. So close yet oh so far away.

When their parents go away for the weekend, it’s the perfect opportunity for anything to happen.

Will they be able to resist or give in to temptation?

AMAZON: http://amzn.to/1UmBtjg

My Review:

Our Secret is the story of two step-siblings falling in love.  This story is a short one, so it moves pretty quickly. 

Griffin and Farrah are step-siblings, both who have held a long term crush on the other, never once revealing their feelings.  When their parents are out of town for a weekend, things come to a head and they both admit they like the other and have imagined what could happen.  They have to figure out how to proceed, as they fell they can't give up on each other, but they don't want to ruin their family unit. 

Our Secret gave us a fast paced glimpse into a forbidden romance between these two people who were supposed to be siblings.  I felt that the story could have been longer and would have liked to know more about these characters and their family dynamic, but as a short story, things worked. 

Hi, my name is Jessa Fox. I’m a professional by day and an erotica writer by night. There’s nothing I love more than writing all of the smutty stories that are in my head and bringing them to life. I specialize in writing down all the taboo, sexy scenarios that we all wish we could experience, at least once.

But maybe that’s just me.

I’m also a wife and mom, and dutiful member of the Parent’s Association. Shh, don’t tell.

Jessa Fox is my pseudonym, because no one knows about all of the kinky stories and characters I love to create. They would never imagine all of the dirty thoughts running through my mind.

I hope you enjoy my stories as much as I love writing them. If you’re looking for a quick smutty treat, you came to the right place.

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Release Blitz & Review: Something for the Pain by Victoria Ashley

Cover Model’s Page (Robert Simmons)

Photographer’s Page (Eric David Battershell/FI Tography)

Cover Designer’s Page (Cover It Designs)

Tempting, inked and highly addictive. Alex is all that and more… I’ve made a lot of mistakes – ones I’m not proud of, and definitely ones that have left their marks both mentally and physically. Things got lonely; I got lost in my own fucked up mind and in the end it left me fucked out of my mind and unable to fight – or at least win. That life’s over for me and I’ve moved on. Six months into tattooing at Blue’s and already I’m the most wanted and sought out tattooist. My biggest clientele consists of women. They come into the shop, end up in my bed and we both come out happy. It’s been my release since I’ve stopped fighting. It’s become part of the “new” me. But when Tripp reappears in my life, I can’t deny the fact that I would do anything for that girl. So when she asks me to move in with her and her ‘boyfriend’ – our other childhood friend – I never expected for things to get so fucked up and twisted that I would find myself only more attracted to her by each passing second or wanting to protect her from everything that isn’t me. I have worked so hard over the years to suppress my feelings for her but when I find out that her and Lucas have been having an open relationship, I have the strong urge to rip his heart straight from his chest – to destroy the very thing that keeps him breathing. What I didn’t expect was for Lucas to ask what he did. For him to ask me to do the one thing I have secretly longed for since I was old enough to know what the need was. The second thing I never expected was the look of need that I saw in Tripp’s eyes when he asked. One night of free passion could change our lives forever. I never said that was a good thing either…

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1R8t2Xt

Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/ofwgzp7

B&N: http://tinyurl.com/p7qb9l6

 

I’m in my room getting ready when I hear the shower turn on. The party starts in about fifteen minutes so Alex must be getting ready too. Just out of curiosity, I walk over to the bathroom door and turn the handle. It moves, but I don’t push it open. It’s unlocked. That thought excites me, making me realize that he didn’t care enough to lock it, and knowing that I could walk in at any time and see him naked elevates my core temp a little. I just find that to be so damn hot. That’s an open invitation… right? I release the handle and suck in a small breath when I hear him moan out, followed by what sounds like his hand slapping against the shower wall. Oh. My. God. That is the sexiest sound I have ever heard. That low, deep growl is all it takes to get me wet. Collecting myself, I back away from the door and take a deep breath. My legs feel shaky. “Don’t do this right now, Tripp. Dammit, don’t do this.” Shaking it off, I go back to stand in front of the mirror one last time, questioning the way I look in my newest little dress. Dresses are my thing. It doesn’t matter how many I own, I can never have enough. Plus, I love the way Alex looks at me every time he sees me in a new dress. His wandering eyes always cause my heart to flutter out of my chest. I just hope this little red dress is enough to get his attention. I’m in the middle of turning around to check out my ass, when I hear the bathroom door open, followed by a whistle. Please be naked…. What am I saying? Don’t be naked. Cautiously, I turn my head toward the bathroom door, with my eyes squinted, to see Alex standing there in a towel. He looks so damn sexy that I feel as if all the air has been sucked from my lungs. My chest aches as I stare him up and down, watching as the water drips from his beautiful, tattooed body. He checks me out with a smirk before whistling again. “Damn, Firecracker. That dress was made just for you.” He places his hand over the bulge in his towel and bites his bottom lip. “You look beautiful. Stop second-guessing yourself. I’ll see you downstairs in five.” He turns around, pulling the towel away right before he closes the door behind him. My mouth drops open from the glimpse of his ass that I am left with. It’s so firm and perfect that all I can think about is biting it… and the way it flexed when he walked. Is it normal for an ass to look that good? “I hate you sometimes,” I whisper. “Who do you hate sometimes?” I shake my head and look at my doorway to see Lucas standing there, dressed in a black shirt and a pair of gray shorts. He raises his eyebrows, waiting for my response. “No one.” I walk over to him and plaster on my best smile, trying to pretend that I’m not still thinking about those sounds I heard coming from the shower. “I was talking to myself. Just second-guessing my outfit, I guess.” Wrapping his arms around me, he kisses my shoulder and brushes my hair behind my ear. “Well, I would have loved to see you in a pair of short shorts and a tank top tonight, but this dress works too.” I roll my eyes before pulling away from him and bumping him out of the way with my hip. “I didn’t feel like wearing shorts, Lucas. This dress makes me feel good. If I feel good, then I have a good time and enjoy myself. That’s all I want tonight.” “Me too, baby,” he responds. “We’re going to have a lot of fun. Trust me.” I start walking into the hallway, but feel his hand slide up my dress, slipping a finger inside of me. I stop right outside of my room and swallow. Closing my eyes, I begin imagining it were Alex. “Holy shit, you are wet!” Wrapping his arm around my waist, he starts sliding his finger in and out, while moaning in my ear. “So damn wet. You’ve never been this wet before.” Opening my eyes, I look over to see Alex leaning against the wall next to his door, with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes wander down to Lucas’ hand and then up to meet my eyes. Out of instinct I push Lucas away and pull my dress down to cover my ass back up. My heart is pounding like crazy. “Holy shit, Alex. I didn’t know you were out here.” Lucas doesn’t even seem to care that Alex just witnessed him fingering me. I bet he wouldn’t be too happy to find out that Alex is the real reason I was already wet and not because of him. He sucks his finger into his mouth and smiles at Alex. “Hey, man. People are arriving and there’s some hot chick downstairs looking for you. I told her you were almost ready.” I can see the aggravation on Alex’s face as he nods his head and walks past us. “Sure, man. Thanks.” My heart continues to race as I watch Alex quickly descend the stairs to be with a random chick that will get the one thing I have wanted for as long as I can remember, but unlike her, I can’t have. Clearing my throat, I tilt my head back as Lucas pushes me against the wall and kisses my neck. “Come on, Lucas,” I say stiffly. “People are waiting on us.” Not that I actually care. The truth is I don’t really want to fuck Lucas after seeing the look on Alex’s face. I have no idea what that look meant, but it was enough to make me want to forget it. He seemed bothered by our show. Lucas spreads my legs open with his thigh, before running a hand up my leg and cupping my mound. “Shit, I’m so horny right now. Is it wrong that the thought of Alex watching me fuck you is turning me on? I might even like to watch him fuck you. Damn, baby.” I feel a surge of heat shoot through me and can feel the wetness dripping through my bikini bottom now. The thought of Alex and fuck in the same sentence makes it hard to think straight. “Yeah,” I whisper. “And do you think Alex would like that?” For some reason, I want to hear what he thinks about Alex. He’s been around us enough to know more than anyone. “Are you kidding me?” He pushes me harder against the wall and kisses my neck again, lost in his lust to have me. “Alex probably fantasizes about fucking you every day… about sticking his dick into your tight little pussy.” I moan out as he slips his finger back inside and slowly starts pumping. “Damn… so wet and so tight.” He starts pumping faster and harder. “You want Alex to fuck you? Huh, baby? You want him to bust his load inside of you?” I find myself moaning louder as I picture Alex inside of me. “Maybe he can slide his hand up this dress later and finger fuck you just like I am. Do you think about doing that with your best friend? Huh? Do you imagine him pushing his fingers deep inside you? The same ones that he holds that tattoo gun with… You like that, huh? All the girls do.” He speeds up again, going as deep as he can and I lose it. My whole body shakes from my orgasm and I have to grip onto Lucas’ shirt to keep from falling. “Oh fuck!” I try to keep quiet, but the orgasm just seems to keep rolling through me, shaking me to my core. “Damn you, Lucas! You just don’t listen,” I say breathlessly. “Fuck. That was fast though, baby. You loved it.” I turn away and focus on catching my breath as the waves slowly begin to stop. He thinks that my orgasm was due to his abilities, but he couldn’t be more wrong. If I didn’t realize how much I wanted to have sex with Alex… well I do now. Lucas just helped confirm it.

My Review:

Something for the Pain is not your usual friends to lovers story.  Alex and Tripp have been best friends for years, both harboring feelings for the other but unwilling to try anything because of fear of losing the friendship. They've been through good times and bad, hard times and sad times and happy times.  Alex doesn't like Tripp's current boyfriend, nor their relationship, but though he can voice his dislike, he doesn't give Tripp a reason to move on from it.   Then one day everything changes and both Tripp and Alex are forced to see their feelings for each other and decide what they are going to do about it.

Something for the pain, shows the real struggle of falling for your best friend.  The book takes you through the feelings of both as they fight the attraction and also as they finally succumb to their feelings.  Both characters have done things they are not proud of, but they learn that together, the past doesn't have to matter.

Victoria Ashley grew up in Rockford, IL and has had a passion for reading for as long as she can remember. After finding a reading app where it allowed readers to upload their own stories, she gave it a shot and writing became her passion. She lives for a good romance book with tattooed bad boys that are just highly misunderstood and is not afraid to be caught crying during a good read. When she’s not reading or writing about bad boys, you can find her watching her favorites shows such as Sons Of Anarchy, Dexter and True Blood. She is the author of Wake Up Call, This Regret, Slade, Hemy, Cade, Thrust, and Get Off on the Pain. Victoria is currently working on more releases for 2015.

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