Romancing the Hop -- Recommended Romances!

Welcome to stop #53 of Romancing the Hop! 

Below I recommend some of my favorite romance authors and explain what kind of romances I like, so if you like the same thing, you just might find some awesome new-to-you authors! I'm also giving away a $15 Amazon gift card. To enter, go to the RaffleCopter at the end of this post and follow the instructions. The more items you do, the more entries you get! 

When it comes to romance, I like dark, gritty, sexy books with tortured heroes and anti-heroes, so I read a lot of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. I also love historicals that delve into the darker parts of history. Again, I like the gritty, even when it comes to lords and ladies! And did I mention that I *love* sexy, sexy books? The steamier the better. So I've read more than my share of erotic romance as well.

Here are some authors I highly recommend checking out!

Romantic suspense: Kristine Cayne (Deadly Vices series), Pamela Clare (I-Team series), Diana Layne (Vista Security series), Ann Charles (Deadwood series), Cherry Adair (Lodestone series), Trish McCallan (Forged series), Stacey Joy Netzel (Lost in Italy), Zee Monodee (Walking the Edge)

Paranormal romance: J.R. Ward (both the Black Dagger Brotherhood and Fallen Angels series) and Larissa Ione (both the Demonica and Lords of Deliverance series). And if you like gritty urban fantasy as well, check out Karen Marie Moning (the Fever series), Darynda Jones (Charley Davidson series), and Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series up through Cerulean Sins. 

Historical romance: Delilah Marvelle (School of Gallantry, Scandal, and Rumor series), Laura Navarre (The Devil's Mistress)

Erotic romance: Emma Holly (especially Menage), Joey W. Hill (especially Natural Law), Lorelei James (Rough Riders series -- oh, those cowboys!), Lacey Danes (Being Wicked), Jess Michaels (Everything Forbidden, Something Reckless)

And if your tastes run a little lighter than mine, try Julia Quinn in historicals, Diane Kelly's Tara Holloway series in humorous romantic suspense, or Natalie G. Owen's Moonlight Dating series in short paranormal romance. 

What are your favorite romances or romance authors?

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Now that you've read my recommendations, are you wondering what kind of books I write? Of course you are! :)

My current romantic suspense series is called Blood and Honor and is set in Italy among the Calabrian Mafia. The series chronicles the battles--both bloody and romantic--between two warring Mafia clans. Books 1 and 2 are available now. Here's a taste of Book 1: 

A woman on the run. A damaged Mafia don. A rival bent on revenge...

Kate Andretti is married to the Mob--but doesn't know it. When her husband uproots them to Italy, Kate leaves everything she knows behind. Alone in a foreign land, she finds herself locked in a battle for her life against a husband and a family who will "silence" her if she will not do as they wish. When her husband tries to kill her, she accepts the protection offered by a wealthy businessman with Mafia ties. He's not a mobster, he claims. Or is he?

Enrico Lucchesi never wanted to be a Mafia don, and now he's caught in the middle of a blood feud with the Andretti family. His decision to help Kate brings the feud between the families to a boil. When Enrico is betrayed by someone in his own family, the two of them must sort out enemies from friends--and rely on each other or die alone. The only problem? Enrico cannot reveal his identity to Kate, or she'll bolt from his protection, and he'll be duty-bound to kill her to safeguard his family's secret. 

Attacks from without and within push them both to the breaking point, and soon Enrico is forced to choose between protecting the only world he knows and saving the woman he loves. 

Excerpt: 

Enrico’s hand dropped from Kate’s forehead to caress her cheek, his fingers skimming over the bruises Vince had left. Then his thumb traced over her swollen lip, his face darkening. “I could kill him for this.”

Kate felt a jolt. Did he mean that? He looked so grave. She didn’t want him to do something foolish; he’d already taken enough risks for her. “I’m okay. Just a little beat up. I’ll be fine in a few days.”

He crouched down beside her and took her hands in his, resting them in her lap. “I will protect you from now on. I swear it. You will never be unsafe again.”

Kate’s throat constricted painfully and tears threatened to spill down her cheeks again. Jesus, how did he know just what to say? This man who looked at her with such tender eyes couldn’t possibly be a mobster. Certainly her faulty Italian was to blame for what she thought she’d overheard. 

Enrico leaned forward, one of his hands going to the back of her chair, the other releasing her hand and cupping her knee. He was now just inches from her, his eyes darkening with care, with… desire. Kate inhaled in surprise, her body suddenly on alert. He smelled sharply masculine, like citrus and pine trees mixed together, a hint of something that was all him underneath. He was too close, much too deliciously close. Her heart hammered out of control. She should stop this. She was still married, even if her husband had tried to kill her. 

Enrico let go of her knee and placed his fingers under her chin, tilting her mouth to meet his. Kate stiffened, but after his lips touched hers, she relaxed and forced herself to stop thinking, forced herself only to feel, only to hear. The satiny brush of his lips across hers, the touch of his hands on her face, his fingers tracing her cheekbones. The groan low in his throat when she opened her mouth to his, when she let their tongues touch. He groaned again, the sound more urgent when she opened her mouth wider, her tongue swirling around his. 

He pulled her up from the chair, his large hands sliding down to her ass, crushing her to him greedily. When she felt the bulge of his erection against her belly, a warm tingle ran through her, zinging down between her legs. 

My God, he was an amazing kisser. And if she wasn’t mistaken, his body was going to be amazing too. He was all hard slabs of muscle and sinew, granite next to her softness. She ran her hands across his wide shoulders and down his back. Jesus. This was going to be out of this world—

He broke the kiss, both of them breathing fast. She looked up at him, confused. Why was he stopping? 

“Are you certain you want this?” he asked. “A lot has happened—”

“I’m sure. Very sure.” 

His lips curved into a slow smile. “Then we need some place more private, yes?”

***

Want to know what happens next? You can find out in Revenge (Blood and Honor #1). Regularly $4.99, Revenge is on sale now for only $0.99, for a limited time. You can find Revenge at these retailers: Amazon US (Kindle), Amazon UK (Kindle), Apple, All Romance eBooks, Barnes & Noble, Diesel, Kobo, OmniLit, Smashwords, and Sony. If you prefer print, Revenge is also on Amazon US (paperback) or Amazon UK (paperback).

Prize Giveaway!

To thank you for visiting my blog and participating in Romancing the Hop, I'm giving away a $15 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble (winner's choice)! To win, you MUST post a comment with your name and email address. For additional chances to win, follow the instructions in the RaffleCopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grand Prize Giveaway!

Romancing the Hop has THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $130 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: The following Swag Pack!