BOOK RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW: Playing with Fire by L.J. Shen

"Clear off a top spot on your Best of 2020 list.

Playing with Fire is coming in HOT!"

- Harloe Rae, USA Today Bestselling Author

Playing with Fire, an all-new intense and all-consuming small town standalone romance from USA Today bestselling author L.J. Shen is available now!

A broken boy on the path to destruction.

A scarred girl without direction.

A love story carved in secrets, inked with pain and sealed with a lie.

Grace Shaw and West St. Claire are arctic opposites.

She is the strange girl from the food truck.

He is the mysterious underground fighter who stormed into her sleepy Texan college town on his motorcycle one day, and has been wreaking havoc since.

She is invisible to the world.

He is the town's beloved bad boy.

She is a reject.

He is trouble.

When West thrusts himself into Grace's quiet life, she scrambles to figure out if he is her happily-ever-after or tragic ending. 

But the harder she pushes him away, the more he pulls her out of her shell.

Grace doesn't know much about anything beyond her town's limits, but she does know this:

She is falling in love with the hottest guy in Sheridan U.

And when you play with fire--you ought to get burned.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/35scdah

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

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3bDlzRh

Add PLAYING WITH FIRE to Goodreads - https://bit.ly/MDVljgr

MY THOUGHTS

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Point of View: Alternating First Person
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am so obsessed with this book! It's full of angst and witty banter. It will piss you off, warm your heart, and make you feel ...all the things.  

Grace Shaw and West St. Claire are polar opposites.

Grace likes to hide in the background.
West captures the attention of everyone.
Grace refuses to step outside of her comfort zone.
West HAS no comfort zone.
Nothing flusters West.
Everything flusters Grace.

Despite their differences, Grace and West have two important things in common:

1. They have suffered an unimaginable tragedy. 

2. They are stuck in the past and allow it to dictate their future. 

Grace is surprised to find an unexpected ally in West after being forced to work with him. While West is best known for his hotheaded attitude and total domination in an underground fighting ring, he's different with Grace. He's quick to smile and shares parts of himself that he keeps hidden from everyone else. 

"In a lot of ways, the food truck felt like our bubble.
A snug confession booth.
The rules were different in the truck.
Like we shed our primary skin, of our stigma and reputation and social status.
Here we were simply... us."

PLAYING WITH FIRE is much more than a simple love story. It's also a story about life, loss, recovery, and rising up from the ruins. 

ABOUT L.J. SHEN

L.J. Shen is a USA Today, Washington Post, and Amazon #1 best-selling author of contemporary, New Adult, and YA romance. Her books have been sold to twenty different countries.

She lives in California with her husband, son, cat and eccentric fashion choices, and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows and catching sun rays with her lazy cat.

Connect with L.J. Shen

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2OhSvp1

Twitter: http://bit.ly/36ELHZc

Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2oMbFsu

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2AlOiTo

Stay up to date with L.J. Shen by signing up for her mailing list: http://bit.ly/36MnmAQ

Website: http://www.authorljshen.com/

*A big thank you to the author and Social Butterfly PR for giving me the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own and have been written in own words. Life as Jane Doe does not accept monetary compensation for reviews, interviews, giveaways, and/or book tours and does not participate in affiliate programs. 

RELEASE BLITZ: The Hunter by L.J. Shen

"This is L.J. Shen at her wittiest, steamiest, heart-aching best!"

- Kennedy Ryan, Wall Street Journal bestselling author

The Hunter, an all-new scorching hot contemporary romance from USA Today bestselling author L.J. Shen is AVAILABLE NOW!

Boston's debauched elite is going up in flames, and it's the Fitzpatrick family that set it on fire.

HUNTER

I didn't mean to star in a sex tape, okay?

It was just one of those unexplainable things. Like Stonehenge, Police Academy 2, and morning glory clouds. 

It just happened.

Now my ball-busting father is sentencing me to six months of celibacy, sobriety, and morbid boredom under the roof of Boston's nerdiest girl alive, Sailor Brennan. 

The virginal archer is supposed to babysit my ass while I learn to take my place in Royal Pipelines, my family's oil company. 

Little does she know, that's not the only pipe I'll be laying...

SAILOR

I didn't want this gig, okay?

But the deal was too sweet to walk away from.

I needed the public endorsement; Hunter needed a nanny.

Besides, what's six months in the grand scheme of things?

It's not like I'm in danger of falling in love with the appallingly gorgeous, charismatic gazillionaire who happens to be one of Boston's most eligible bachelors.

No. I will remain immune to Hunter Fitzpatrick's charm.

Even at the cost of losing everything I have.

Even at the cost of burning down his kingdom.

Download your copy today or read FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KZt7S9

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

Add THE HUNTER to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2Qav11R

About L.J. Shen

L.J. Shen is a USA Today, Washington Post, and Amazon #1 bestselling author of contemporary, new adult, and YA romance. Her books have been sold to twenty different countries.

She lives in California with her husband, son, cat and eccentric fashion choices, and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows, and catching sun rays with her lazy cat.

Connect with L.J. Shen

Facebook:        http://bit.ly/2OhSvp1
Goodreads:      http://bit.ly/2yhgPBx
Instagram:       http://bit.ly/2AIOiTo
Pinterest:         http://bit.ly/2oMbFsu


Stay up to date with L.J. Shen by signing up for her mailing list: http://bit.ly/36MnmAQ
Website: http://www.authorljshen.com/

RELEASE BLITZ - Violent Triumphs by Jessica Hawkins

THE WAIT IS FINALLY OVER!

VIOLENT TRIUMPHS

WHITE MONARCH SERIES - Book #3

BY JESSICA HAWKINS

Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 12, 2019

The highly anticipated conclusion to the “emotional, steamy, and dangerous” USA Today bestselling White Monarch series.

I’ve become a queen to the forsaken, a leader to thieves, and the wife of a man who instills fear in all who cross his path. He was the husband I didn’t want. Now, I can’t fathom life without my king.

I should’ve been ready for anything. Like the caterpillar that feeds on poison during metamorphosis, I was raised in the dangerous world of cartel crime. But nothing could’ve prepared me for Cristiano de la Rosa, his brother’s poison, or the Calavera cartel.

This is still a story about a love strong enough to topple households, unite enemies, and divide brothers. Resilient enough to bring down those who would try to destroy it . . . and selfless enough to make the ultimate sacrifice.

But I was warned, and so were you. Death’s day always comes. This time, it will find what was once a caterpillar is now a butterfly—and hell hath no fury like the White Monarch. 

Violent Triumphs is not a standalone and must be read after Violent Ends and Violent Delights.

ADD TO GOOD READS

AMAZON | APPLE BOOKS | GOOGLE PLAY

NOOK | KOBO

Audible Alert ➜ http://bit.ly/videaudioalert

Start your binge read with book 1 ➜ https://www.jessicahawkins.net/violentdelights.html

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessica Hawkins is a USA Today bestselling author known for her "emotionally gripping" and "off-the-charts hot" romance. Dubbed "queen of angst" by both peers and readers for her smart and provocative work, she's garnered a cult-like following of fans who love to be torn apart...and put back together.

She writes romance both at home in New York and around the world, a coffee shop traveler who bounces from café to café with just a laptop, headphones, and coffee cup. She loves to keep in close touch with her readers, mostly via Facebook, Instagram, and her mailing list.

BOOK REVIEW: Hush, Hush by Lucia Franco

HUSH, HUSH is about two best friends living it up in NYC.

Aubrey and Natalie are college roommates, addicted to money and designer clothing, and having the time of their lives. A pretty clear picture of their party life is painted when they go out for Aubrey's 21st birthday.

"It's time to pregame," she says dropping a pill into my hand.

"We're celebrating this birthday in true New York City fashion--with a few shots and some Molly."

"I'm gonna need to find a hot rando tonight if this is what we're doing."

Naturally, this lifestyle lends itself to risky behavior -- and lots of it. It also leads Aubrey's path to cross with James Riviera. Thirty years her senior, James is an attractive, incredibly wealthy, and well-known attorney. He also happens to be married.

Pshhh... married, shhhmaried.

RIGHT?

As it turns out, James and his wife have an understanding... of sorts. This is great news for Aubrey, as it momentarily soothes her guilty conscience when she can't stay away from him. Unfortunately, the good news stops there and a surprising revelation flips her world upside down. With more than just a broken heart at stake, Aubrey must decide how far she's willing to go to live a double life and keep the first man she's ever truly wanted.

MY TAKE

Despite my lack of knowledge about the subject matter, and having never read other work by this author, I requested an ARC from the publisher. Why would I do that? Well... the synopsis and teaser photos intrigued me. They reminded me of Gossip Girl. And, who DOESN'T love Gossip Girl?

Much to my dismay, it didn't take long to realize HUSH, HUSH was nothing like Gossip Girl. Nevertheless, I really wanted to like this book. I hate writing negative reviews for ARCs (especially when I personally request them from the publisher), which is why I never gave up on this book (even though I wanted to about a million times).

The first half of HUSH HUSH is pretty brutal. Nothing happens. Seriously. N-o-t-h-i-n-g. Aubrey doesn't meet James until CHAPTER 21.

TWENTY-ONE, guys!

The first twenty chapters are filled with nothing but page after page of inane, whiny dialogue.

"I could be every man's wet dream."

"Real recognizes real," she says with such a heavy Bronx accent in the back of her throat.
"Say no more. I got you, girl."

"I really don't want to fold clothes tomorrow."
"I really don't want to go to class tomorrow."
"I really don't want to babysit these bratty kids all weekend."

It was very hard to power through these chapters, but things get a little better after Aubrey meets James.

REVIEW BREAKDOWN

GENRE:   New Adult

TROPE:   Forbidden Romance
POV:       First Person

*** This book contains taboo subject matter ***

OVERALL: ❤️❤️

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 👩👩👩

STORY LINE: 📚📚

STEAM FACTOR: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

ANGST: 😒😒

PRO: well-written (aside from the whiny dialogue), hot and steamy scenes
CONS: shallow characters, slow moving and repetitive plot, casual drug use

I understand that HUSH, HUSH was written for a younger audience. HOWEVER... there are many authors who have written similar books without glamorizing drug use. I'm not talking about a little pot. I'm talking about MDMA (aka molly, ecstasy), cocaine, and oxy. The opioid problem in this country is bad enough already. Crafting young characters that pop prescription pain pills (without consequence) as if it's the answer to every problem is not something we really need right now.

I was tempted to give this book one star for that reason alone.

TO SUMMARIZE

HUSH, HUSH will not be for everyone (it certainly wasn't for me), as it's centered around a taboo subject that will turn off some readers. Worst of all, the synopsis doesn't mention the taboo subject matter or provide a trigger warning. Other authors have tackled the same subject more delicately than Franco. It's all about how the subject matter is initially presented, and it was poorly executed here.

*A big thank you goes out to the author for granting me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. The thoughts expressed in this review are my own personal opinions and have been written in my own words.