Review: Sex on the Beach (Cocktail Cruises #2) and giveaway

Cocktail Cruises - Box Set

by Allie Boniface

Enjoy all three of the Cocktail Cruise stories in one volume, along with cocktail recipes and excerpts from some of your favorite USA Today and Amazon best-selling authors – available only in this collection!

Quick Facts                                        

Release Date:  December 1st, 2014                

Genre: Contemporary Romance                                           

Formats to buy: Paperbacks and all ebook formats

Heat Level: R-rated for sexual content; 3 Flames (Contains occasional sensual, explicit love scenes, and the language used to describe them may be graphic and direct)

Tequila Sunrise (Cocktail Cruises #1):

Louise wants to find love on board a romantic singles’ cruise – and it looks like her prayers are answered at a speed dating event.

Toby is too busy for a serious relationship; he only goes on the cruise because his best friend’s family owns the line and his sister works on it. But when he meets the luscious Louise at speed dating, his heart’s a goner.

When Lou discovers the dating service uses unethical business practices, though, she’s determined to reveal them, and the resulting publicity hurts Toby’s friends and family.

Can he convince her that true love exists beyond numbers?

Sex on the Beach (Cocktail cruises #2)

Cassidy is an elementary school teacher with a secret: a sexually adventurous online life led under a foolproof alias. Her motto? Enjoy sex and the single life as much as possible.

Bryce works for a major cruise line, which gets him all the sun, sand, and women he could want. But he meets his match in Cass, who’s even less interested in commitment than he is.

When her school’s financial crisis places Cass at the center of a firestorm, she must decide whether she’ll let Bryce become the first man she’ll trust with both her secrets and her heart. 

REVIEW:

- I was given this copy in exchange for an honest review -

3.5 stars!

This is the first book I read by Allie Boniface. I was drawn to it because I thought that the names (Cocktail names) were a fun touch and also because I’m a fan of cruises.

Romance + cruises = MY THING!

What can I say about "Sex on the Beach"? 

The best things:

• First of all, the cover is gorgeous. 
• The writing style is fresh.
• I liked the friend. Lou is amazing! And she is the protagonist of Book 1 (Tequila Sunrise) so I’ll be getting it soon!
•  I enjoyed how the story unfolded when they were back on land, with a tiny bit of mystery and drama. 
• The sexy scenes were nicely done.
• I found the “Savvy tip of the day” really funny and I believe it’s a nice detail.

                                                                                                    

Savvy tip of the day:

"Don’t be afraid to say what’s on your mind, even if it scares you".

• There is a happy ending and that earn points with me hehe. 

The not so amazing things:

• Everything happened too fast, but probably because the book is short. On the bright side, that makes it super easy to read. I read it in just one afternoon.
• I wanted more cruise story. Most of the story develops on land. 
• There were a few editing errors but they don’t divert the reader from the story at all. 
• Cass. I didn't like her much.  

For example: when she first got on the cruise, she said she wasn’t there to pick up a man but she stared at two guys in 2 minutes with a lusty attitude. 

And definitely, it’s different to be laid back, confident and not wanting commitment than being slutty. 

As the story continued,  she changed but at first she was: "looking for her skimpiest bikini", making comments such as “men always notice my different eyes in the morning when I’m naked in their bed” in the first 5 minutes of a talk  with a guy  O.o . Sorry, but I couldn't relate to her. 

Though After one unworthy accusation towards Cass, Bryce gets closer to her to help and they start connecting a bit more and she opens her heart. That part I enjoyed more because it felt more real. 

Anyway, a nice summer read (ok, summer for those who live in the southern hemisphere!)

If you want a spicy and entertaining read, take a look at it.

Between the Sheets (Cocktail Cruise #3)

Andrea is determined to merge a cruise ship career and single motherhood. But that leaves zero time for sex or love, so when she has a chance for a fling with a sexy cruise ship dancer, she goes for it.

Sebastian enjoys a low-key life as the ship’s dance instructor, a welcome change from his previous life in Argentina as the star of a hugely popular dance show. But when Andrea sweeps into his life, everything changes.

Will new love help him come to terms with his past, and convince her to find room in her life for another man? 

Here is an excerpt of  Sex on the Beach:

Bryce ran the back of one hand down her bare arm as he leaned over to flag the bartender. Electricity shot all the way up to Cass's shoulder, and something deliciously warm and familiar tingled between her legs. She brushed his shoulder as she reached for her drink, telegraphing a message that registered in the light of his eyes.He took a long swallow of his beer, then rested one elbow on the bar and turned toward her. Two inches, maybe one, separated them. She could smell him. If she leaned forward, she could probably taste him. And damn, but that mouth looked like it would know what to do on a woman’s body.“That pick-up line, by the way?” she said. “The good-luck charm? Weak.”He clutched his chest as if she’d shot him. “Was it that bad?” The corner of his mouth quirked up. “I thought it had flair.” He touched the neck of his beer bottle to her glass. “Women like flair.”Cass crossed one leg over the other and let her dress ride up. “Flair is over-rated.” She ran her fingers through her hair, loose and falling past her shoulders. “It takes more than that to win a girl over.” A nice ass will do, though, she thought. Good smile and wit helped too, and so far Bryce was three for three, though she wouldn’t tell him that.
“Decided to take the free cruise?”“I did.”“How’s your friend Louise?”“She’s fine. Spends a lot of time with Toby, but I’m guessing you already know that.” She sipped her martini. “What about your buddy? The one from the bachelor party? He get married yet?”“Yep. Valentine’s Day.” He cocked his head when she didn’t answer. “I take it you're not a fan?”“Of marriage? Or Valentine’s Day?” Not either one, she wanted to say.  She set her glass down after another sip. “Thanks for the drink. But I think I’ll be going.” First conversations never needed to last longer than a few minutes. She’d leave him wanting more. 

The Author

 

Allie was born and raised in a tiny community in upstate New York, which probably explains her fascination with the magic of small town life. She holds a B.A and M.A. in English Literature and is a full-time high school English teacher in the northern NYC suburbs, where she currently resides. When she isn’t teaching or writing, she and her husband love to travel both in the United States and abroad. She is the author of seven novels and three novellas and writes sensual contemporary romance because she loves exploring the emotions that connect us all!

Giveaways

U.S and International: 

$10 Amazon gift card, E-copy of Tequila Sunrise

a Rafflecopter giveaway



U.S only:

Signed paperback of The Promise of Paradise (also by Allie Boniface)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Inferno of Love: hilarious guest post and giveaway!

Inferno of Love (Hometown Heroes #2) 
by Allie Boniface

Quick Facts                                        

                                         
Expected release Date: February 23rd, 2014                  

Genre: Contemporary Romance                                              

Formats to buy: Kindle, epub and Paperback 

BOOK SYNOPSIS

What happens when your soul mate returns after twelve long years – and has no idea who you are?

Aubrey Anderson is a pediatric occupational therapist who’s spent the last twelve years rebuilding her life after a car accident killed her boyfriend and crushed her legs. A series of strokes on the way to the hospital left her with no memory of either the accident or the weeks leading up to it, so when she starts having nightmares she can’t explain, she decides to return to the scene to see if she can piece together her past.

Finn Cavallo is Lindsey Point's resident playboy, owner of a popular bar, and hero of the Cove Fire, when he pulled seven people from a burning building twelve years earlier. But his flirtatious personality hides the heart of a man who lost his soul mate the night of the fire. When Aubrey walks into his bar with no memory of who he is or what they had, he’s stunned – and it takes everything he has not to tell her about the summer they spent falling in love.

It's only a matter of time before bar conversation turns to passion on the beach and more. But when a series of events raises suspicion that Finn himself might have started the Cove Fire, Aubrey is forced to do whatever she can to discover the truth about both their pasts, including going back to the spot where it all began...

PURCHASE

AMAZON

B&N

Excerpt:



Aubrey stared at her glass of wine. "God, I just – I wish I could remember something."

            Finn fell again just like that, watching her catch her bottom lip in her teeth as she mulled over her words. The rhythm of her voice, the way her eyes caught the light…he was nineteen all over again, crushing on another man's girlfriend without a clue of what to do about it.

            Only he wasn't nineteen anymore.

            And Aubrey wasn't here with another man.

            Forget it. He was done thinking. He moved from around the bar without a word, and as he closed the distance between them, she slipped from her stool, moving toward him and landing in his arms like she'd been there all this time. His hand went to the back of her head, cupping it and easing it closer. Her chin lifted, and he caught her mouth with his, loving the way her breath hitched in her throat. She melted into him, the warmth of her curves searing his skin and soaking into the very core of him. His eyes closed.

            He slid his tongue over her bottom lip, taking it slow, waiting for her to step back or break the connection. She didn't. A minute passed, then another. The kiss deepened, and he wasn't sure who pressed first, who wanted more urgently, but it didn't matter. Their tongues met, twisting over and under, delicious and wet and so hot he could barely stand it. Her hands moved from his shoulders to his waist to slide down the back of his jeans and pull him close, closer, until he knew she could feel the way he rose under her touch, wanting her like no other woman he'd ever been with.

            "Oh, Finn…" she said into his mouth, and the words set him on fire. He couldn't wait, couldn't hold back one more second. His palm skimmed down her dress and beneath it, to the swell of her ass and skin so smooth he wanted to taste it. She rose onto her toes, and her mouth crushed his until she pulled her lips away and moved them to his neck and his jaw line and up to his ear, leaving a breathy trail every place she touched.

            "Listen, we  – " know each other. We've done this before. He had to tell her. Didn't he?
            "I don't want to talk."

The Author

Allie Boniface was born and raised in a tiny community in upstate New York, which probably 

explains her fascination with the magic of small town life. She currently teaches high school English in the lower Hudson Valley, where she lives with her husband and two furry felines. She is the author of six contemporary romance novels; Inferno of Love is the second in her Hometown Heroes series. Allie loves chatting with other authors and readers and can be found around the Web (visit her on Facebook or Twitter, and stop by her blog to check out the latest news). She loves attending writers' conferences, giving workshops, swapping stories, and generally talking about romance. Allie loves stories set in small towns and is a firm believer in the power of love and the emotions that connect us all!

Find more about her at:

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

Other books by Allie Boniface:

GIVEAWAY:

Win an e-copy of Beacon of Love (Hometown Heroes #1)

and a $20 Amazon GC

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GUEST POST by Allie Boniface

"What to eat (or not) on a first date"

First off, a big Thank You! to my blog hostess for having me here today. I'm super excited that the second book in my Hometown Heroes series, Inferno of Love, is now for sale. 

Inferno of Love is set in the small coastal town of Lindsey Point, and one of the things I loved about creating Lindsey Point was all the small town details: shops, scenery, characters, local restaurants...

Speaking of restaurants, sometimes they play an awfully crucial role in getting people together, don't they? I mean, one of the most popular first dates is still dinner, right? Maybe lunch or drinks, if you're really not sure you want to commit. But dinner is usually one of the first things two people do together, when they're getting to know each other. And that begs the inevitable question: What to eat (or NOT) on a first date?

Now, I'll admit it's been a while since I've been on a first date, since my husband and I will celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary this July. So I turned – where else? – to my readers and posted the question on Facebook. They had some pretty good advice:

"No spinach, broccoli, poppy seeds or anything similar that can get caught in your teeth."

"Anything that requires scooping to eat has an increased probability of landing on the front of your shirt. So that might eliminate the chips and salsa thing. Same idea with burgers piled high with toppings or a Reuben with all that thousand island dressing."

(Side note: I did go on a date once in college with a guy who ordered a burger with "the works" and then proceeded to drop ketchup down the front of his pale yellow polo shirt. He was horrified.)

"I think anything goes, especially if you want to show the true you and avoid surprises later."

"Water is the wisest choice to drink. If spilled, it dries."

"Guys, don't dip your fork in your date's food for a taste. It's a yuck-factor and guarantees a once-only date."

"Mint chocolate chip ice cream! Could make for a cool minty kiss later on..."

"Eating is fun and I think guys like girls who aren't uptight about food. Your choice in food says a lot about your personality. As far as the guys go, just don't eat like a pig or talk with your mouth full. Don't show how disgusting you are until you're bound by marriage."

"Garlic is only okay if both people eat it!"

"No spaghetti sauce dishes. Too messy."

"Chinese food is usually a good first-date choice."

"I think a man or woman should order whatever the hell they want and not worry about what their date might think of their choices."

Good thoughts, right? All in all, I'm of the opinion that you should eat what you want on a date (avoiding anything that will make the tummy rumble later on in the evening - it's no fun to interrupt a date by running to the bathroom).

I do recall one first date I went on in my early 20's. It was with a guy I'd been lusting after for a few weeks, and when he called me up and asked if I wanted to go have sushi with him, I agreed in a heartbeat. Now, I'd never actually eaten sushi before, but hey, I wanted to be alone with the guy. Well, I ate the sushi, I didn't get sick, and when he found out I was a raw fish virgin, he was all the more impressed. So there you go!

Be yourself, above all. If the first date leads to a second and then a tenth and then a fiftieth, you'll be glad you did. 

Follow the tour:

April 1: Karen Docter's Blog: Author Interview

April 2: My Devotional Thoughts: Spotlight

April 3: Mythical Books: Top 10 List

April 4: Little Black Notebook: Guest post

April 7: A Writer's Life: Author Interview

April 8: Every Free Chance Book Reviews: Spotlight

April 9: Reviews By Molly: Review

April 10: Roxy's Reviews: Review

               Books and Fandom: Spotlight

April 11: Lindsey Gray ~ Author and Reviewer: Review

April 14: Clean Romance Reviews: Interview

April 15: Deal Sharing Aunt: Review

April 16: I Know that Book: Top 10 List

Cover Reveal Inferno of Love by Allie Boniface

Inferno of Love (Hometown Heroes #2) by Allie Boniface

Quick Facts                                        

                                         
Expected release Date: January 2014                  

Genre: Contemporary Romance                                              

Formats to buy: Kindle and Paperback 

BOOK SYNOPSIS

What happens when your soul mate returns after twelve long years – and has no idea who you are?

Aubrey Anderson is a pediatric occupational therapist who’s spent the last twelve years rebuilding her life after a car accident killed her boyfriend and crushed her legs. A series of strokes on the way to the hospital left her with no memory of either the accident or the weeks leading up to it, so when she starts having nightmares she can’t explain, she decides to return to the scene to see if she can piece together her past.

Finn Cavallo is Lindsey Point's resident playboy, owner of a popular bar, and hero of the Cove Fire, when he pulled seven people from a burning building twelve years earlier. But his flirtatious personality hides the heart of a man who lost his soul mate the night of the fire. When Aubrey walks into his bar with no memory of who he is or what they had, he’s stunned – and it takes everything he has not to tell her about the summer they spent falling in love.

It's only a matter of time before bar conversation turns to passion on the beach and more. But when a series of events raises suspicion that Finn himself might have started the Cove Fire, Aubrey is forced to do whatever she can to discover the truth about both their pasts, including going back to the spot where it all began...

and here is the beautiful cover:

Excerpt:



Aubrey stared at her glass of wine. "God, I just – I wish I could remember something."

            Finn fell again just like that, watching her catch her bottom lip in her teeth as she mulled over her words. The rhythm of her voice, the way her eyes caught the light…he was nineteen all over again, crushing on another man's girlfriend without a clue of what to do about it.

            Only he wasn't nineteen anymore.

            And Aubrey wasn't here with another man.

            Forget it. He was done thinking. He moved from around the bar without a word, and as he closed the distance between them, she slipped from her stool, moving toward him and landing in his arms like she'd been there all this time. His hand went to the back of her head, cupping it and easing it closer. Her chin lifted, and he caught her mouth with his, loving the way her breath hitched in her throat. She melted into him, the warmth of her curves searing his skin and soaking into the very core of him. His eyes closed.

            He slid his tongue over her bottom lip, taking it slow, waiting for her to step back or break the connection. She didn't. A minute passed, then another. The kiss deepened, and he wasn't sure who pressed first, who wanted more urgently, but it didn't matter. Their tongues met, twisting over and under, delicious and wet and so hot he could barely stand it. Her hands moved from his shoulders to his waist to slide down the back of his jeans and pull him close, closer, until he knew she could feel the way he rose under her touch, wanting her like no other woman he'd ever been with.

            "Oh, Finn…" she said into his mouth, and the words set him on fire. He couldn't wait, couldn't hold back one more second. His palm skimmed down her dress and beneath it, to the swell of her ass and skin so smooth he wanted to taste it. She rose onto her toes, and her mouth crushed his until she pulled her lips away and moved them to his neck and his jaw line and up to his ear, leaving a breathy trail every place she touched.

            "Listen, we  – " know each other. We've done this before. He had to tell her. Didn't he?
            "I don't want to talk."

The Author

Allie Boniface was born and raised in a tiny community in upstate New York, which probably 

explains her fascination with the magic of small town life. She currently teaches high school English in the lower Hudson Valley, where she lives with her husband and two furry felines. She is the author of six contemporary romance novels; Inferno of Love is the second in her Hometown Heroes series. Allie loves chatting with other authors and readers and can be found around the Web (visit her on Facebook or Twitter, and stop by her blog to check out the latest news). She loves attending writers' conferences, giving workshops, swapping stories, and generally talking about romance. Allie loves stories set in small towns and is a firm believer in the power of love and the emotions that connect us all!

Other books by Allie Boniface:

GIVEAWAY:

Win an e-copy of Beacon of Love (Hometown Heroes #1)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't miss Allie's tour with Inferno of Love coming up on January!