29 July 2013

Breaking Josephine by Marie Stewart - Book Tour, Book Review, Excerpt



New Adult / Contemporary Romance
Date Published: 5/29/2013


At 22, Josephine Sinclair thought she’d finally closed the door on her past and was moving on with her life. With a stable job as a waitress, a small apartment in town, and scenic Cannon Beach a two-mile jog to the west, she was getting by.

In a mansion on the beach, Dex Hartley felt just the opposite. After years of living the fast life in New York and L.A., he’d come home to bury himself in the ghosts of his past and his grief.

When an old obsession comes back to life, Josephine finds herself face-to-face with Dex, turning her ordinary world upside down and igniting a burning desire in them both they can’t deny. As Jo opens herself up to Dex, his passion, and his body, she unearths a lifetime of lies and deception that threaten to destroy the normal life she’s managed to start. As her hard-earned life collapses around her, will the truth break her or set her free?

New Adult/Adult Contemporary Romance - recommended for ages 18 and up.




They met in the most unfavorable circumstances. It was heart thumping, not knowing what would Dex do next, but it was so hot at the same time. Even then, the tension, the chemistry was overflowing between the two of them.

Jo was living a new life. She was done with everything she did in the past and was starting from scratch. She got a nice job as a waitress, and had a roof over her head. Finally, she had control over her life. Until one night when an old obsession crawled back to her, she met Dex Hartley. 

To say that Dex is rich would be an understatement. But he lives a simple life, the only evidence of wealth he has is his expensive car. He dressed, spends his time and acts like a normal person. I like how grounded he is and doesn't seem to mind that he has a lot of money. 

I like Jo because she was not overly dramatic. She's tough and grew up taking care of herself. Losing her mom at a young age was hard for her, especially because it was sudden. She learned to do things that aren't great - but it was the only means she could have control over her life. 

She can't help but be drawn to Dex, he was simple, totally hot and amazingly sweet. He kisses like you are the only girl in the world for him. Everything seems perfect, until secrets about Jo's past emerges. She started to dig and what she found out troubled her. Turns out she had been living a lie and it turns out that it is not only her mother who has been lying to her. 

Jo's search for her identity and the truth of her past may make or break her. People she trusted had been lying to her, all she wants to find out is the truth about her mother, and her father as well. But what if it triggers danger? Will the truth be worth it? Breaking Josephine is a novel about deceit, trust, family and love. The steamy scenes were sizzling but what I definitely liked about Breaking Josephine is the twist and turns of events that will keep you glued to the pages. Like Josephine, you will not stop until you uncover all the secrets there is. 

One thing I learn in this novel - never do anything when you're angry.

Rating: ★★★★✩ 


When his eyes found mine I saw an instant of recognition and joy, lighting his face and eyes with an unmatched splendor. But as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, replaced by hot, searing anger. He strode across the house, ignoring hellos, offers of champagne, and curious glances. Every step he took closer to me sent a new wave of simmering rage in my direction, his eyes never leaving my face. He came through the open french doors and out onto the balcony as I instinctively backed up, teetering in Macy’s too-tall heels, my back crushing into the railing. He stopped inches from my face, his eyes alive with a burning intensity of passion and naked hostility. He grabbed my arms and held them in his powerful grip.

“Who are you?” he snarled, inches from my face. I was still shorter than Dex, and although I felt tall and ungainly before, now the urge to cower and disappear under his intense stare was stifling. But I refused to let him know my feelings, putting my hands on his chest and shoving him back.

“Let go of me. You know who I am,” I said, with as much defiance and resistance as I could offer.

“I want to hear you say it,” he said, still gripping me with ferocious intensity and staring at me with a pained and pleading look. I saw the confusion and fear in his eyes and wanted to do anything to take it away. He might have been scaring me at the moment, but the look on his face made my heart ache for him, and for any pain I’d somehow caused him.

“Jo Sinclair,” I answered. “I’m the woman who dropped her groceries all over the sidewalk, the woman you kissed in the forest …” I paused, lowering my voice to a barely audible whisper, “and the woman who broke into your mansion and broke her promise. That’s who I am.” I let out a trapped breath and forced air into my lungs. My heart pounded in my chest and my lungs heaved as if they would burst. We continued to stare at each other for what felt like ages, him scanning my face for some sign, and me imploring him to accept my answer and let me go.

As if in answer to my silent request, his hands fell away from me, leaving searing heat where his fingers had been. Before I could blink, he’d turned on his heels and walked back through the house, out the door, and away from me into the night. I stood there, dumbfounded and staring after him, unable to move, unable to react.

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Although a long-time native of Northern California, Marie currently resides in steamy Atlanta, Georgia with her college-sweetheart-turned-husband and their three daughters. A recovering lawyer, Marie recently stepped off the legal train to write fiction full-time. While her clients miss her, she couldn’t be happier. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her family and sweating her way through the hot Georgia summer.


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