Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway! Ignited by J. Kenner

Ignited(Most Wanted #3)

by J. Kenner

About ignited

He promised to take me as far as I could go—and I wanted to go to the edge. My whole life has been a cover, a con, a lie. I was born into the grift, raised on the thrill of playing someone I’m not. As a rule, I never let anyone get too close—until Cole August makes it impossible for me to stay away. Cole is tough, sexy, and intensely loyal, yet his secrets are dark and his scars run deep. Not many women can handle his past, or the truth behind his fierce demands. But something about him beckons me—and our desire is a game I must play. I know he’s dangerous, that even his touch is trouble, but what is passion without a little risk? 

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Review: 4.5 Stars

First let me say, I am not a fan of BDSM. However, despite it not appealing to me, I can easily say that if this is something you enjoy, then you will love this book!

Katrina (Catalina) and Cole have both been given the raw end of the stick in their lives. They are both irreparably damaged, and completely drawn to each other.

Kat has lived her whole life on the grift. She could sell ice to Eskimos, as they say. On her last con, she ended up befriending her mark and realized that she wanted roots in her life. She wants to choose one place, one persona, and grow a life from the scattered pieces of her past.

She is immediately fascinated by Cole, and yet she cannot find the confidence that comes with being a grafter to seduce him. They form a friendship, though there is an underlying tension between them as a result of their attraction. Finally, Kat works up the courage to make her move. She discovers two things. Cole desperately wants her too, and he is hell bent on making sure that it doesn’t happen.

Cole has dragged himself from the depths of a dark and evil past. Though his life is not all on the “up and up” he lives on the cusp of the shadows rather than immersed within them. He believes himself lost in the demons that haunt him, but within his art, he manifests an eye for beauty. He is captivated by Katrina and paints his longing for her into an ethereal beauty that puts her on a pedestal he is not willing to topple.

He refuses to taint her purity. She is determined to show him that there is darkness within her as well.

Eventually, Kat must go to Cole for help when her father, who is still in “the game” gets himself into trouble with the mafia.

Together, they work at finding a solution to the danger around them. Along the way, Kat convinces Cole to begin teaching her about a type of passion she has no understanding for, but is intrigued by. She has to fight for every step forward, but eventually she finds that her tastes and preferences align with Cole’s and they are able to find a passion and love that becomes a balm to one another’s souls.

This book is not for the faint of heart. It’s dark and intense, traveling into a world where pleasure and pain are wrapped up in each other. Kat and Cole’s pasts are rough and when they are revealed, it becomes very clear why they have been shaped into who they are.

Kat is a strong, and incredibly likable character. She has a light sense of humor and is determined to succeed. She is passionate, curious, and very open-minded. She brings a light to Cole that helps to keep the story from being blanketed in the depressing atmosphere that can accompany a story about such tortured souls.  

Cole is… The best kind of dark chocolate. Smooth, rich, creamy, bitter, and sweet. He seems to set in the belief that his life simply is what it is. I was so relieved when he finally let himself see the future he could have with Kat.

Again, if you want a light, happy read, or are not a fan of BDSM (all though, it is not incredibly hard core, flogging being the extent of pleasure/pain), then move on to the next book. But, if you are a Fifty Shade of Grey groupie, get ready to be sucked into this book until every page is read. 

Other Book in the Most Wanted Series

Wanted (#1)

Heated (#2)

About J. Kenner

Julie Kenner (aka J. Kenner and J.K. Beck) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over forty novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres. Praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations,” J.K. writes a range of stories including super sexy romances, paranormal romance, chick lit suspense and paranormal mommy lit. Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner, is in development as a feature film with 1492 Pictures. Her most recent trilogy of erotic romances, The Stark Trilogy (as J. Kenner), reached as high as #2 on the New York Times list and is published in over twenty countries. J.K. lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and several cats. 

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Release Day Blitz!! Ignited by J. Kenner

Ignited(Most Wanted #3)

by J. Kenner

About ignited

He promised to take me as far as I could go—and I wanted to go to the edge. My whole life has been a cover, a con, a lie. I was born into the grift, raised on the thrill of playing someone I’m not. As a rule, I never let anyone get too close—until Cole August makes it impossible for me to stay away. Cole is tough, sexy, and intensely loyal, yet his secrets are dark and his scars run deep. Not many women can handle his past, or the truth behind his fierce demands. But something about him beckons me—and our desire is a game I must play. I know he’s dangerous, that even his touch is trouble, but what is passion without a little risk? 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

Excerpt:

He let go, then moved to face me. I missed his touch, but the trade-off was worth it. I’m not the kind of girl who swoons over hunky firemen calendars and I’ve only seen Magic Mike once. But as far as eye candy went, Cole was a walking, talking Milky Way bar, and at least as tempting. “Really,”he confirmed. An easy smile bloomed on his face, and he shook his head slowly, with obvious pleasure. “I didn’t realize that working as a barista required such honed salesmanship.” “I’m a woman of many talents,”I said, then fluttered my lashes. “Damn right you are.”He drew in a breath as he looked at me, and try as I might, I had no clue what he was thinking. “That was quite the commission you just brought in,”he finally said. “I have a feeling you’ll be getting Christmas cards from Tiki for the rest of your life.” “I look forward to it. What about you?”I asked boldly, and blamed it on the wine. I met his eyes, and fervently hoped that mine really were a window to the soul, because right then I wanted him to see straight inside me. “What will I get from you?” “That depends on what you want.” “Want,”I repeated. Where Cole was concerned, what didn’t I want? “I told you earlier that you owed me,” he said. “Do you want to call us even?” “Do you?” He was silent for a moment, and then one moment longer. “No,”he finally said. I lifted my chin. “Good.” His expression remained perfectly stoic, but he lifted his hand toward my face, then dropped it, as if he were a child who’d caught himself about to do something naughty. “It’s okay,”I said, my voice almost a whisper. “I won’t break.” “Don’t be so sure, blondie. I’ve been known to destroy even the most resilient things.” “I’m not a thing. And you won’t destroy me.”I hesitated only a second, then took one step closer. The difference was only inches, but the air seemed suddenly thicker, as if my lungs had to work harder to draw in oxygen. “It’s okay,”I said again. All around us, the party continued, but I’m not sure either one of us was aware. Instead, it felt as if we’d stepped into a vortex, and at least in our little corner of space and time nothing else mattered or even existed. I held my breath, wanting his touch so badly I could taste it. And when he finally brushed the side of his thumb over my cheekbone, it was all I could do not to moan aloud. All too quickly he took his hand away, leaving me bereft. All too quickly he stepped back, forcing the world around us to come back to life. “I just had to see if I was right,”he said. “About?” “Your skin. It’s like touching a promise.” “Is it?”I murmured. “Tender,”he said. “And a bit mysterious. With layer upon layer just waiting to be discovered.” My breath stuttered in my chest. “I didn’t know you thought that,”I said. “I didn’t know you thought about me at all.” He was silent for so long I began to fear he wasn’t going to answer. When he spoke, his words cut through me, sharp and sweet. “I think about you more than I should.” It was suddenly very warm in the gallery. Little beads of sweat gathered at the hairline on the back of my neck. I needed air, because it seemed as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. Somehow, miraculously, I formed words. “What are you thinking now?”

Other Book in the Most Wanted Series

Wanted (#1)

Heated (#2)

About J. Kenner

Julie Kenner (aka J. Kenner and J.K. Beck) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over forty novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres. Praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations,” J.K. writes a range of stories including super sexy romances, paranormal romance, chick lit suspense and paranormal mommy lit. Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner, is in development as a feature film with 1492 Pictures. Her most recent trilogy of erotic romances, The Stark Trilogy (as J. Kenner), reached as high as #2 on the New York Times list and is published in over twenty countries. J.K. lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and several cats. 

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