Title: Holding Aces (The Kingdom #1)
Author: Nikki Groom
Release Date: May 29th 2014
Genre: Adult contemporary romance
The girl I once was has been replaced by a stranger. I don’t even know who I am anymore. I run.
And I hide.
Pretending to be someone I’m not… Until I meet Denham King.
My burst of color in an otherwise grey world. And for the first time in my life, I find myself running towards someone instead of running away.
But fate can be cruel, and I can’t escape my past. Can I?
**Holding Aces is part one of a two part Adult Contemporary Romance series that contains mature sexual content and language and is not intended for readers under the age of 18.**
Both his hands move to my ass, squeezing and pulling me closer as he kisses me with a fierce tenderness I can’t explain. I vaguely register him flicking the lock on the door as he walks us backwards, never breaking contact.
He turns me as we reach his desk, and I hear paperwork flutter to the floor and glass smash as he sends everything on the desk flying before lying me down on the cold, hard surface, his body pressed tightly against mine.
I have a desperate need to touch him, to taste him, to feel every inch of this man. I slide my hands in the waistband of his trousers and pull out his shirt. I let my hands roam freely over his torso, realizing I’ve wanted to do this since the very first time I saw him at the elevator.
He runs his hands down the length of my body and pushes them back up again, skimming my thighs and taking my skirt with them, exposing my lace underwear. “Stunning,” he says before bringing his mouth to mine.
Tasting… Feeling… Testing…
Our teeth crash together as the desire grows, and we both know it’s impossible to stop this now. “Arianna,” he says breathlessly.
His chest is heaving and there are little beads of sweat gathering on his brow. “Yes…” I can barely form the word. I haven’t answered to my real name for a very long time, but it feels natural coming from him. “Tell me you want this...” It’s a command, but I don’t feel threatened. I want this as much as he does.I nod my answer. “Tell me, Ari. I won’t touch you until you tell me.” “Yes, yes I want you...”
Holding Aces was a brilliant
read for me, the way it was written was not only captivating but you could feel
the emotion in the words, the feelings that Natalie had the fear, the hope and
the love, it all came through in this book and I loved every single chapter
This book starts off telling
by telling us exactly what Natalie has gone through in her life and in this day
and age I feel it will touch a lot of people out there in that they will
unfortunately relate to the circumstances here and to me that made this book
more real.
This is a dramatic,
mysterious and sexy book; it has some very tender moments in here that will
melt your heart.
For a debut novel this is to
me a 6 star, I can’t fault it, there was everything in here that I had expected
right from the beginning and the book kept me sitting and reading, I hated
having to stop reading and actually go to sleep and now I want book 2.
Natalie our leading lady, has
been put through hell by her ex and feels she can’t let herself trust anyone,
while reading about her story and life I found myself crying in sympathy with
what she has gone through it was so emotional and raw that it just broke my
heart. I longed for her to find love and peace.
You can tell how Natalie
see’s life from the beginning when she makes a statement to herself “Happily ever
after was never possible” to me this
just shows how unhappy and defeated she felt about her life.
There is still a lot of
uncertainty with Natalie, her self confidence has been bashed and bruised for
years and the self doubts come in but the good thing about Denham is he is
different; he gives a damn about her and will never make her do anything she is
not ready for. The way the scenes are
described will make you want more and you will, you will keep reading this book
and then at the end you will read again, that is what I did, I have read the
book twice now as I loved it so much.
Denham King, well what can I
say about him, hot as hell, so sexy he
should be illegal, he is funny, dramatic and mysterious and a real man, he is
also very protective but so kind and gentle, honestly he is everything you want
in a man and more. The way Nikki has described him in this book conjures up
imagined in my mind and phew they are HOT.
In the words of Natalie, Denham King is OFF. THE. CHART. HOT!!!! That
sums it up really
There is so much sexual
tension between Mr King and Natalie in this book that you feel it, it is very
erotic and yes I was shouting at my kindle “Oh my God, get it on already” but
when they do, watch out as it is extremely hot and very sexy to read even I was
in need of a very cold shower.
A phrase from Mr King that
keeps coming back to me is: - "I'm all or nothing sweetheart, when I do
something, I do it with everything I've got." – Super hot
And Natalie’s reply is just as hot, wanting even: - "I.... " I stutter, the words faltering and sticking in the back of my throat. Then I look at him, his soft eyes with those mesmerising gold flecks, and I muster up all the confidence I own. "I want you to kiss me, Mr King. "
And Natalie’s reply is just as hot, wanting even: - "I.... " I stutter, the words faltering and sticking in the back of my throat. Then I look at him, his soft eyes with those mesmerising gold flecks, and I muster up all the confidence I own. "I want you to kiss me, Mr King. "
This book does have a cliff
hanger but it made me want to know more and I would have no doubts in
recommending this book to everyone
Nikki Groom is a hopeless romantic, lover of all things happily ever after and firm believer that love makes the world go around. In her spare time, you will find Nikki laughing with her very treasured family, walking with her beloved dog in the hundred acre wood or curled up in a cosy corner with words and wine.
She lives in East Sussex with her husband and two children. Having turned her hand to many things over the years, Nikki is now proud to add ‘author’ to that list.
Having always been a dreamer, Nikki’s imagination stretches far and wide, which enables her to get lost in faraway places and imaginary people.
Nikki loves to chat, especially about books! You can find her here…
Facebook | Twitter | Email | Booktropolous Social | Goodreads
THIS OR THAT
Ice cream or Cake? Cake, chocolate cake, coffee cake, carrot cake, lemon drizzle
cake. ANY cake!!
Sports car or motorbike? Sports car. Bikes terrify me.
Whips or Handcuffs? Can I choose both? If I had to
pick it would be…Handcuffs
Top or Bottom? Bottom
Snow or Sea? Sea. Snow is too cold.
Lean or Muscled men? Muscled. Think athletic,
defined swimmer!
High Heels or Flats? Heels are so sexy, and pretty!
But I spend most of my time in flats. Ironically, I have way more sexy heels
than I do flats!
Batman or Superman? Batman, so much more
mysterious.
Boxers or Briefs? Boxers.
Tattoo’s or Piercings? Tattoos. Although I do love a
piercing in the right place.
Money or Love? Easy, Love, love, love.
Drummers or Guitarists? Always the drummer. I have no
idea why. I want to learn to play drums! I’d be like Animal off the Muppets!
Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
Sausage or eggs? Eggs, yuk! Has to be sausage.
Bath or Shower? Bath.
Spanx or Spanking? Oh spanking, for sure.
Hugs or Kisses? Tough one. I love kissing my husband (He’s a great
kisser) but you can hug anyone so I’m choosing hugs!
Cats
or Dogs? Dogs.
I love my dog.
Smart
Suit or ripped jeans? Gah! Such a tough one. Are we talking ripped jeans and nothing else?
No tee? No shoes? That athletic, swimmers body with a little nipple piercing
and a tattoo across those broad shoulders…what were we talking about? Oh yeah,
Jeans it is!
Guest Post
Writing your first book is like being on
the world’s biggest rollercoaster. It’s full of ups and downs, there are some
really exhilarating times and there are others that make you want to be sick!
It’s not easy, and I never thought it would
be. But, it fulfils my soul in ways I never imagined.
I never dreamt of being a writer, or
aspired to be an author since I was small, although I did want to be a
journalist while I was at school. I have always loved books and reading and
when I found the online romance community it started an obsession that made me
feel like I fit just right. I could waffle on all day about books I love, and
characters that I’ve fallen in love with and no one would get bored and it
meant hubby wouldn’t be falling asleep, dribbling on my shoulder at the mere
mention of the words ‘book boyfriend’
So, I started to blog, and along the way I
discovered that the authors I admire and consider my rock stars, are just
normal (nearly), everyday people like you and I. They have families, jobs and
commitments but write in their spare time because they can’t not do it. It’s in
their veins. I thought how wonderful it must be to have such creativity flowing
from them. I never understood when they would talk about the ideas that
wouldn’t stop and the characters that actually speak to them. How cool would it
be to have Jesse Ward whispering in your ear all day?!
Then one day, as I drove to my day job, a
song came on the radio and a scene flashed through my head. Random, I thought.
For the next few weeks, this scene got bigger, it morphed into a deep story and
the characters started talking to me. It was like someone had switched
something on in my brain. So, I started writing, and Holding Aces consumed the
next few months of my life. When I wasn’t writing, I was thinking of plot
twists and developing the characters in my head. It consumed me, and I’m not
sure if I’ll ever be free of it and if I’m honest, I don’t want to be.
I never thought I would publish my story, I
just knew I had to get it down. And here I am, with a story that I adore. It
has a beautiful cover, that’s been professionally edited, proofed and
formatted…and it’s published.
One word- Overwhelmed!
I don’t profess to be a literary genius or
the world’s best writer. But if people read my story and enjoy the ride I take
them on, then it’s a winner!
There have been tears along the way. I have
been sick to my stomach with nerves, mostly the first time I let my fabulous
betas read it. But it’s worth every minute.
I have learned so much from so many people
and I learned a lot about myself too. The indie community is beyond supportive.
There is always someone willing to help or offer advice.
So, to anyone wanting to write-Do it! It’s
amazing.
But, don’t expect it to be an easy ride.
It’s not!
Be cautious, but kind.
Remember anything negative you post on the
internet can (and probably will) come back to bite you in the ass! Do not step
on others to get to the top, there’s room for everyone!
Listen and learn.
Don’t lose yourself and don’t write to sell
books. Write the story you want to write. I was told not to write my story with
a cliff hanger. Well, I did just that!! I’m well aware that I will get slammed
by some for it. It’s not for everyone. But, it was set that way in my head from
the beginning and I don’t want to change it to appeal to the masses. I won’t
compromise my story for the sake of popularity or sales. It’s MY story. Write
YOUR story!
Find good, honest beta readers. They are
worth their weight in gold. (Well, mine are anyway!)
Pay for professional editing, proofreading
and formatting. If you can’t afford it, shop around. There are many editors out
there that offer very reasonable rates. Editing is invaluable.
Reach out to the indie community and make
lifelong friends.
Have FUN!!
I am by no means a guru! But I’m always
happy to chat and if I can help, I will!
Nikki
xx
Post a Comment