Cover Reveal: Losing an Edge by Catherine Gayle

Blurb: In any other family, Levi “501” Babcock would have been the

golden boy. Instead, he’s lived his entire life in the shadow of his
almost-perfect older brother. They both play for the NHL’s Portland Storm, but
Levi is tired of being the second-best Babcock brother. He’s determined to find
at least one thing he can do better. He thinks he’s found it when Cadence
Johnson, Canada’s darling at the last Olympic Games, shows up in Portland; he’s
going to land a girlfriend who’s more famous than his brother’s Hollywood-starlet
wife. Gold medals don’t mean much when every day is a living nightmare. Figure
skater Cadence Johnson just did the unthinkable; she left her partner and her
coach, and she’s starting over from scratch. New partner. New coach. New
choreographer. New hair color. New city. She’s looking forward, not behind,
keeping her secrets firmly locked up tight. Her bubbly personality and
perpetual smiles conceal a world of hurt she can’t let anyone see. After Levi
charms his way into Cadence’s life, hope that it’s all been laid to rest blooms
within her. But even the darkest of secrets eventually seek the light. Soon,
Levi comes to realize that life with Cadence might not be all sunshine and
roses, and attraction isn’t going to be enough to her. Now being the man she
needs in her life seems a lot more important than finally besting his brother,
but with every step, he feels like he’s Losing an Edge.

Author Bio:

Catherine Gayle is a USA Today bestselling author of
Regency-set historical romance and contemporary hockey romance with a New Adult
feel. She’s a transplanted Texan living in North Carolina with two extremely
spoiled felines. In her spare time, she watches way too much hockey and reality
TV, plans fun things to do for the Nephew Monster’s next visit, and performs
experiments in the kitchen which are rarely toxic.

If you enjoyed this book and want to know when more like it
will be available, be sure to sign up for Catherine’s mailing list.
You can find out more on her website, her
blog, at Red Door Reads, at Hockey
Romance, at Facebook, on Twitter,
and at Goodreads. If you want to see some of her
cats’ antics and possibly the occasional video update from Catherine, visit her YouTube account.

 

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Cover Reveal: Smoke Signals by Catherine Gayle

 

Blurb: Growing up poor with a mother who would do anything—even

sell her body—to help him get ahead in life had a profound impact on Ray
“Razor” Chambers. Now he’s a defenseman for the NHL’s Tulsa Thunderbirds, which
allows him the means to make sure his mother never needs to do anything like
that again. He’s in Vegas because his best buddy is about to get hitched, but
not before Razor and the guys throw him a bachelor party. Viktoriya Dubrovskaya
had been studying ballet in California, but money is tight and there’s no help
coming from home in Russia. She started out making some extra money as a dancer
in a club, and that eventually led her to the adult film industry. Porn may
have paid her well, but it stripped her of everything she was and all she
wanted. She’s left the business behind, but too late. Now she’s out of time,
money, and options. In desperation, Viktoriya makes herself available to Razor
on the casino floor. There’s no chance he’ll take her up on what she’s selling,
but he offers a counter-proposal—one involving a ring, a green card, and the
chance to reclaim her body. It’s an opportunity she can’t pass up. For
Viktoriya and Razor, learning to live together as husband and wife is as
foreign as interpreting Smoke Signals, but where there’s smoke, there’s usually
fire.

Author Bio:

Catherine Gayle is a USA Today bestselling author of Regency-set historical romance and
contemporary hockey romance with a New Adult feel. She’s a transplanted Texan
living in North Carolina with two extremely spoiled felines. In her spare time,
she watches way too much hockey and reality TV, plans fun things to do for the
Nephew Monster’s next visit, and performs experiments in the kitchen which are
rarely toxic.

If you enjoyed this book and want to know when
more like it will be available, be sure to sign up for Catherine’s mailing list. You can find out more on her website, her blog,
at Red
Door Reads, at Hockey Romance,
at Facebook, on Twitter,
and at Goodreads. If you want to see some of her cats’
antics and possibly the occasional video update from Catherine, visit her YouTube account.

 

Book Review: COMEBACK by Catherine Gayle (Portland Storm 6)

Blurb: Nicklas Ericsson is an addict. He’s also a star goaltender with the NHL’s Portland Storm, or he was until his addiction changed everything. Now he’s throwing himself into doing all the necessary things to pave his path to a comeback, both in his personal life and on the ice. Nicky’s run out of options, and now his sister and her children are in Portland. They need help he has no clue how to provide, though, and figuring it out might derail all the progress he’s made.

For a few years now, Jessica Lynch has been running the Portland office for the Light the Lamp Foundation. Between her work and several people from her past, she knows more than she’d like about addicts. One lesson she’s learned is that even when addicts try to turn their lives around, more often than not, they fail. That’s why she takes a hands off approach, keeping her heart well away from the addicts she works with, like Nicky Ericsson.

Nicky’s recovery efforts put him directly in Jessica’s path, and she can’t ignore his very real need for help. Where Nicky is concerned, she can’t separate her emotions. His niece and nephews further complicate her efforts to guard her heart. The attraction between Nicky and Jessica is instant and mutual, but she’s misplaced her trust too many times before. Can he prove that he won’t fall back into old habits in time to complete the perfect comeback?

Thoughts: I become giddy with excitement when I see a new book from Catherine Gayle’s Portland Storm Series. I honestly do not know how Ms. Gayle does it but book after book she keeps bringing it and I loved this book more than the last. Which is crazy because I think she can’t top it and she always does!

You’ll need your tissues when reading this book and you’ll need them from nearly the beginning. You’ve been warned. I cried reading this and not the pretty cry (I don’t have a pretty cry) but the ugly go hide in your room becuase you don’t want your husband to see you cry. I adore Ms. Gayle voice as she is pushing the limit and talking about real issues that many people can relate to. Also, the hockey component is awesome. When you get down to it the romance is sweet and wonderful.

If you have not noticed by now I LOVE this series.

You can find the whole series on Amazon!

-Romance Reader Girl

Review: Delay of Game by Catherine Gayle

Book Blurb: With her father’s health in question, Sara Thomas is focused on reducing his anxiety. That’s no small feat considering his high-stress job, not to mention her own distractions. Everyone knows Sara’s single; no one knows she’s pregnant. There’s never a good time to unexpectedly get knocked up, but now is definitely not it. Regardless, she doesn’t want anyone to know—especially not her father—until she has a game plan in place. But when Jonny, one of her father’s players, seeks vigilante justice on the ice, everything gets tossed out the window.

Cam Johnson’s role as a fourth-line winger with the NHL’s Portland Storm entails more than scoring goals. He has to ensure other teams don’t take liberties with the Storm’s star players. The way Cam sees it, that’s the most important aspect of his job. His teammates call him Jonny; opposing fans call him a goon; the media calls him an enforcer. The title’s unimportant. Cam will always fight for his team—even if he has to break the rules. He’s used to taking penalties, but he never meant for anyone else to suffer from his choices.

When Cam’s actions cause Sara’s worst fears to be realized, he blames himself. He’s screwed everything up; now he has to set things right. Mutual attraction leads to lust, and suddenly Cam is taking penalties at every turn…at least where Sara is concerned. He’s got to think on his feet or he’ll end up with a Delay of Game.

My Thoughts: Take the coaches daughter that is against dating any man associated with the hockey association and pair her with a big solid enforcer and you have yourself a romance that is full of laughs and drama.

I was really curious to read this book and who Sara would be paired with. Sara has been part of each book and you get a sense of who she is on the surface. She is brash, sassy and takes no prisoners. I love that attitude. What we don’t see behind that sas is her fear to rely on anyone but herself.

Cam is gentle giant. On the ice he is full of power and determination off the ice he is quiet. What I adore about Cam is that he knows what he wants and he is an all or nothing kind of guy. He’s not about talk he is about action and he proves time and time again during this story.

Ms. Gayle doesn’t shy away from real issues in her books and it is something I admire and love about these books. It’s real and honest. The love story is great with a cast of characters that we have loved from the first book. I don’t know how she does it but I want to keep reading when I finish. I don’t want the book to end. I just want to keep reading.

Bottom line I enjoyed this book and loved this series and can’t wait for the next book.

BUY LINKS
AMAZON | B&N | KOBO | SMASHWORDS |

 

 

 

Blog Tour/Review: Light the Lamp By Catherine Gayle

Book Blurb: Life’s been rough lately for Noelle Payne, but she’s not one to let negativity rule. So, she lost her job? She’ll find another one. The bank foreclosed on the house? Well, she can live out of her car for a while. There’s always an upside to be found…but now Noelle needs to find something to give her life meaning. She owes it to the universe to figure it out, too, because a stranger just saved her life.

When Liam Kallen’s wife died, his goal-scoring ability died with her. After a
trade from the only pro hockey team he’s ever played for, he’s now playing for the
NHL’s Portland Storm. Everyone said he needed a change of scenery, but nothing
changes until he rescues Noelle. All of a sudden, the world once again looks bright and he’s lighting the lamp like he used to.

Noelle’s cheerful disposition is just the bit of sunlight Liam needs in his life. He wants to give her everything she needs because she’s everything he wants. The
problem? She doesn’t believe she needs anything…at least nothing material. The
one thing they both know she truly needs—a real purpose—also happens to be the
one thing he doesn’t know how to give her. If he can’t help her find that, she might walk away and take all her sunshine with her.

My Thoughts: Let me just say I love this series. Not the kind of love that you have for you siblings, you know, the kind of love you have to have, well, because they are your siblings but the kind of love you have for your favorite sweatshirt (the one with the holes you refuse to throw away) or slippers. Yeah for me it’s that kind of love.

Ok…on to my thoughts of Light the Lamp! When I first met Liam Kallen in On the Fly I needed to know more about him. I even reached out to Ms. Gayle asking if he would get his own book and here it is! Liam has had a rough time with the loss of his wife and ability to play hockey the way he is known for. With all the pain he is still a stand up guy that wants to do good in this world. He created a non-profit in the memory of his late wife. He is a sweetheart with a broken heart that needs mending.

Enter the quirky, live your life the best you can, Noelle Payne. Noelle’s personality is happy go lucky, don’t worry about it, smile because crying never solved anything, just live in the moment. She is cheerful despite all the hardships she has been enduring over the last few years. She is strong as the day is long and inspiring. She has the weight of the world on her shoulders and she acts like she has no cares in the world. I love that about her and wish I could be more like her.

When Liam and Noelle meet they are as different as can be but as different as they are, they are both lonely and that is what brings them together. They truly are magnificent together and their relationship that is a friendship that turns to love is beautiful. I love the way their relationship builds. It’s not all at once but it’s gradual and just lovely. There is a lot of pain in this story and I’m learning to keep the Kleenx next to me when reading these stories (Kleenx should send Ms. Gayle a cheque for her help in their business). I just loved everything about it. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Portland Storm book without all the wonderful characters we have been introduced to from the beginning. Just a quick note Babs steals every scene and I giggle like the sixteen year old when I read those scenes. He really is dreamy.

Yes, I loved this book and I rated it FIVE wonderful stars! I recommend this book and this series. I am looking forward to the next in the series.

BUY NOW: AMAZON | B&N | SMASHWORDS | iBOOKS | KOBO | ALL ROMANCE eBOOKS |

Connect with Catherine Gayle: FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | GOODREADS |

*Giveaway* Click on the a Rafflecopter giveaway to enter to win a free copy of LIGHT THE LAMP.

Portland Storm Series

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Reading!

-Romance Reader Girl

Review: On the Fly by Catherine Gayle

Official Blurb: Injury after injury has put Brenden Campbell’s NHL career on hold for years. Now he’s playing for the Portland Storm and determined to make it stick. Few things in life drive him more than being told he can’t have something he wants, and what he wants most is to prove he belongs. Brenden also wants Rachel Shaw, the cute, little redhead who just got hired as the general manager’s new assistant. But then she went and made herself off-limits, telling him: “I don’t date.” Those three words pretty much guarantee that he’ll do everything he can to change her mind.

Rachel is changing things up on the fly for her family, moving them somewhere she can be the kind of mom her kids deserve. Allowing anyone else to be in their lives is out of the question, at least until her instincts get back on track. How else can she be sure who to steer the kids clear of? Right now she trusts no one, including herself, and especially not a man like Brenden Campbell. He’s way too handsome and a little bit cocky. Falling for a guy like him is a mistake she can’t afford to make twice.

My Thoughts: What I loved about this book and series is Ms. Gayle does not shy away from real word problems and emotions. She confronts them head on with her characters and you are right there in the trenches with them. Don’t get me wrong On the Fly is a love story but it’s more than just a man and woman coming together to find love. It’s about a family and personal healing.

We first met Brenden Campbell in Breakaway (see my review for Breakaway here) as the protective older brother of Dana. He is struggling with his hockey career and needs to keep his head in the game. Though, fate has a strange way of putting people in places at that right or wrong time. Rachel Shaw a single mom of two trying to get her life back on track in Portland, OR. Rachel’s main mission is supporting her two young children and giving them the life they deserve. She has no time for dating or men like Brendan Campbell. But sometimes fate has other things planned and most of the time it’s better not to fight it.

I have enjoyed everything about this series. Catherine Gayle writes with passion and heart and you can feel that when reading this series. You are right there with the characters and all the characters are important. They all add depth to the story and it’s a wonderful family that you are apart. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I do recommend reading the first book, Breakaway first before reading On the Fly. You’ll be happy you did.

Purchase On the Fly on AMAZON and B&N.

-Romance Reader Girl

Review: Breakaway by Catherine Gayle

Offical Blurb: She’s reaching for a breakaway pass.

Dana Campbell has spent the past seven years in self-imposed isolation for a crime she didn’t commit. The danger is well in the past, but her panic attacks make it impossible to have a normal, healthy relationship with a man. Even her counselor has given up on her. She has to find someone she trusts to help her fight through the panic, or her seven-year ordeal will become a lifetime sentence. There’s only one man she feels safe enough to ask.

He got caught with his head down.

As the captain of the NHL’s once elite but now fading Portland Storm, Eric Zellinger knows a thing or two about keeping his focus on the job. Questions are flying about his ability to lead the team back to the playoffs. If they don’t make it, he might be shipped out of town. It’s the worst time possible for his best friend’s kid sister to divide his focus. How can he give her what she needs without jeopardizing both the Storm’s playoff hopes and his future with the team?

It’s her only chance, but it’s his last shot.

My Thoughts: Breakaway hit home with me on so many levels, and it made me appreciate the story all the more. Dana is a young woman that had a bright future in hockey until one terrible night after a game when she was brutally raped by a group of men. She is a former shell of herself for the obvious reasons, but she knows that she needs to overcome her fear of men to live again. After seven years of self-imprisonment she has come up with a plan to begin the healing process. She travels to visit her brothers best friend, Eric to enlist his help. Eric has always loved Dana but knows that nothing could ever come from that love, but when she shows up asking for help he cannot say no. What is supposed to be a courtship of healing becomes a full-out romance that neither Dana or Eric can prevent from happening or the heartbreak that could come from it.

Breakaway is very emotional, and you feel for Dana every step of the way. Your heart breaks for her when she try’s to overcome the things we take for granted; like receiving a touch on the arm. Eric is a wonderful man that wants to do right by the woman he  secretly loves, his best friend (her brother) and the hockey team he is captain of. Not everything always goes right, but he truly fights to make it right at the cost of his happiness sometimes. The cast of characters is great and not only are their some scenes that make you want to cry their are hilarious scenes that leave you smiling. I recommend readers to read this book, it’s uplifting and romantic. I am really looking forward to this series.

Purchase Breakaway on Amazon and B&N.

-Romance Reader Girl

Author Interview: Catherine Gayle

Readers, Please welcome the wonderful Catherine Gayle, on the blog today.

RRG: What made you decide to sit down and start writing?
CG: I took a creative writing course in my return to college several years ago. At the time, I thought I was a poet. My professor very kindly described my style as “maximalist” and nudged me toward writing long fiction. I’ve had stories running through my head since I was very young—when I’d lay in bed at night, unable to get to sleep, I’d run through my stories like movies. LOL. Anyway, after I finished my creative writing course, I decided to try my hand at writing one of those stories and seeing where it would take me. It turned into a career.

RRG: You’ve started writing contemporary romance, what made you switch from historical romance? Will you continue to write historical romance?
CG: It wasn’t a conscious decision on my part, so much. I’ve tried writing in other genres in the past and failed spectacularly, so it wasn’t really something I was interested in doing. But one day I was working (struggling might be more apt) on one of my historical novels, and I was insanely frustrated with it, and the opening scene to my novel BREAKAWAY popped into my head. It was fully formed—not just a tiny little moment. I decided to give myself an hour to write it down, and then I would send it off to some friends who write contemporary romance and see what they thought. I was sure they would tell me it was awful, that I had no business writing contemporary and should get back to work on my historical and never think about writing anything like that again. Instead, the opposite happened. Even if it hadn’t, I have a feeling I would have kept going with BREAKAWAY. It was a story that consumed me and took over my life for a while. Anyway, I am definitely going to continue with the contemporary romances, but I’m not giving up on my historical romances, either. I’m just going to have to make the time to write both.

RRG: If you gave one of your characters an opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say?
CG: Exactly what they say in my books? Write my book faster? I don’t know. LOL.

RRG: What do you like to read?
CG: I read a lot of things. Of course, I read romance novels. I do read more historical romance than any of the other subgenres, but lately I’ve been picking up a few more contemporaries and new adult romances, and I like to sometimes read erotic romance. I’m a sucker for the Harry Potter books and the Percy Jackson books, and YA dystopian novels are always finding their way onto my Kindle, like The Hunger Games and the Divergent trilogy. Lord of the Rings is one of my all-time favorite books, I’m currently reading George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, and I have an awful lot of the classics on my bookshelves.

RRG: Who are some of your favorite heroes and heroines?
CG: Hmmm… my favorite hero would probably have to be Lord Dain from Loretta Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels. Many years later, he is still incredibly vivid in my mind. For heroines, I think I’ll go with Freyja Bedwyn from Mary Balogh’s Slightly series. She is so fiery, and yet so good-hearted, that she nearly ran away with the entire series and several other connected books, as well.

RRG: What song can you not get out of your head?
CG: There are a lot of them, and they vary. LOL. At the moment, the one that seems to be stuck in my head is Royals by Lorde.

RRG: Can you tell us about your new contemporary series?
CG: I’d love to! BREAKAWAY is the first book in the Portland Storm series. The Portland Storm is an NHL hockey team based in Portland, Oregon, and each book in the series will be a romance in which one of the various players or someone else involved with the team is the hero. Why hockey? Because I’m an addict. I’ve been a hockey fan since I was a kid growing up in Texas—back before Texas had an NHL team of their own. The series is set in the current day, and they’re all going to be written in dual first person points of view like is popular in the new adult field right now. I’m currently writing the second book in the series, ON THE FLY, which will release in late February or early March. Then I’ll be heading back into Regency England for my historical fans.

Favorites!
Quote: Have more than thou showest, speak less than thou knowest, lend less than thou owest—from Shakespeare’s King Lear. Wise words. J
Sport/Team: Hockey, Detroit Red Wings
Shoes: These days, Orthaheel brand shoes, since I’ve got plantar fasciitis.
Animal: Cats!
Disney Movie: Sleeping Beauty

Thank you Catherine for being on the blog today. Readers, you can connect with Ms. Gayle via her website, Facebook and Twitter. You can purchase her books on AMAZON and B&N.

-Romance Reader Girl

Review: Seven Minutes in Devon by Catherine Gayle

I always enjoy finding new authors to read. Seven Minutes in Devon is the first book I’ve read by Catherine Gayle, but it will not be my last.

See my review below for Seven Minutes in Devon:

Three years ago Aiden Cardiff and Emma Hathaway were present when Aiden’s sister, Lady Morgan tried to kill herself. From that moment on Aiden blamed Emma for every suicidal attempt Lady Morgan tried. However, Emma never did aid Lady Morgan in anyway to kill herself, it is was just easier to place blame on a person that wasn’t around.

 Three years has past since that terrible afternoon and now Aiden and Emma are forced to attend a house part given by Emma’s sister and brother-in-law, Lord and Lady Burington, which mind you Lord Burington aka David is Aiden’s childhood best friend. Emma is at this house party to find a husband. Aiden and Lady Morgan are there to reemerge themselves into society. Since Aiden cannot stand Emma he should have no problem staying away from her, right? How hard can it be for Emma to find a husband? 

 Sometimes, one needs to confront the past to move onto the future.

 I really enjoyed this book. Aiden is dark and the brooding type. He really detest Emma for no reason, and normally that would make me not like him very much, but when he realized that maybe he’s being a bit too rough on Emma he becomes a likable guy. It’s hard not to like a guy when loves his sister so much. 

 Emma is a strong heroine. She doesn’t sit idly by and let things happen to her. She goes out and takes action. She often is saving someone without even realizing it. She is bookish and witty and I love her stance for the underdog. She considers herself to be an outcast so she takes it personally when anyone someone is being bullied. Emma is a young lady I would love more or today’s ladies to emulate. 

I look forward to the next book in this series.

You can purchase Seven Minutes in Devon on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Catherine Gayle can be reached via her webiste or Facebook.

-Romance Reader Girl