Review: Blush by Lauren Jameson

From the author of Surrender to Temptation comes a provocative story of overwhelming passion set free with one exquisite touch.… Madeline Stone is determined to heal from her tragic past, one difficult step at a time and she doesn’t need any distractions. Then she meets a mysterious and captivating stranger—and over a glass of outrageously expensive wine, her world turns upside down. Try as she might to banish the wealthy business mogul from her thoughts, Madeline can’t fight Alex’s staggering appeal or his enticing offer of intimate discovery. Alex doesn’t date—at least, not in the traditional sense. Still, he wants Madeline …and his sexual intensity provides her with a much-needed escape. They embark on a tumultuous erotic affair, one that takes them to the pinnacle of obsession and desire. But underneath each explosive encounter lie dangerous secrets waiting to consume them both.

Madeline has been going through the motions ever since she and her sister were in a car accident. Madeline was driving and walked away from the crash, her sister did not. She’s living with guilt and horrible anxiety now, she moved away from her home and sister’s fiancé, her job, basically everything she once knew and is now living in Paradise, Nevada. She’s working as a waitress and at the suggestion of her therapist as part of her recovery, she’s making a list of things that she wants to do that she’s too anxious/nervous/petrified of doing now. Her life reminded me of a bubble, she has a hard time handling new situations and places that she hasn’t fully prepared herself for, so this list is a way for her to slowly break out of her shell. Currently at the top of the list is to go into a casino and play a hand of blackjack. Never could she have expected to meet Alex when she unknowingly walks into his casino. Alex is instantly intrigued by Madeline and wants to get to know her much better.

Alex is a Dom and senses that Madeline might be the submissive he needs and wants in his life. Madeline is pretty inexperienced all the way around and Alex’s lifestyle isn’t something that she’s ever considered much less thought about. But for her, the appeal lies in the safety she feels when she gives control to Alex. For some reason, having him in control and her not having to make all the decisions brings her a level of comfort she hasn’t had since the accident. Their relationship doesn’t start right out in the bedroom, thankfully. Alex keeps showing up, talking to her, getting her to be comfortable around him. It’s hard for her at first, but she eventually takes a chance on Alex and takes a chance on moving forward with her life.

This book was a hard one for me for the simple reason that when I finished it, I can’t say that I loved the story, but I also can’t say that I disliked it. There are parts that I liked, I liked when both Alex and Madeline finally opened up about their pasts and trusted each other enough to be vulnerable in that way. And this was something that was very hard for Madeline and it in fact causes the main relationship angst between the two. While there is a BDSM theme running through the story, for as important as the lifestyle is for Alex, it never felt overly so. I almost expected there to be more with that storyline. He does take her to his club that he co-founded with two other men as a place where they could be themselves and act in a safe, accepting environment, something Alex didn’t always have. There are a few scenes at the club, and he is dominant in the bedroom, but other than that and a few scenes where he wants her to wear specific clothes, or call him sir, it never felt as big of a deal as maybe it should have. But that’s ultimately the problem I had with the story – all the storylines just feel like they skimmed the surface and never went as deep as they could have or as I wanted them to. There’s a side story with Madeline and her sister’s fiancé that just gets touched on but I’d have loved to know more about this man. A co-worker of Madeline’s shows interest in her and it was brought up but never explored more. It was little threads like that that were introduced, but I felt like more could have been expanded on them in some way to add a little more depth to the story.

Ultimately, I liked the story – I can’t say that I was completely caught up in the romance but I did like seeing these two people find comfort with each other. It’s a good story, I just felt like it needed something more.

Rating: C+

Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: NAL
Lauren Jameson: Webpage | Facebook | Twitter
Buy Here: Amazon.com | B&N
*eARC provided by publisher for review* 
 

Jill Shalvis: It Had To Be You Excerpt & Giveaway!

 
The Lucky Harbor series by Jill Shalvis is one of my current favorites on the shelf and I’m so excited for her next release It Had To Be You, out the end of this month. Today, I have a special excerpt to share with you and thanks to Grand Central Publishing, I have one copy of It Had To Be You to giveaway! Details on the giveaway are below, but first, here’s a look at Ali and Luke:

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Ali appeared. She’d showered and changed faster than any woman Luke had ever known. She was in sweats and makeup-free, wet hair piled up on top of her head, with wavy tendrils framing her face. She headed straight to the kitchen and headed back with a carton of ice cream from Lance’s shop. Luke felt a small smile play around his mouth as she ate right out of the container with a wooden spoon. Ali Winters might be down, but she wasn’t out for the count. She scooped another big bite, and her expression finally relaxed. Until she saw the mess of the house. That wiped the smile right off her face. “Oh no. Oh Luke, I’m so sorry.” “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “It’s seen worse.” “This is true.” Jack rose off the couch. “Way worse. We were what you might call wayward teenagers.” Jack had the same height as Luke, but more bulk to his muscle tone. Of the two of them, Jack also possessed the charm, which had gotten him out of more trouble than Luke had ever managed to get into. Jack flashed all one thousand watts of that charm at Ali now. “Jack Harper. I’ve seen you around, but we’ve never been introduced,” he said, holding out his hand to Ali, smiling his “reassuring” smile. It was number three in his arsenal, behind his “you can’t resist me” and “I want you” smiles. “I’m the best friend, by the way. The better-looking, far more fascinating one, I should add.” “Ali Winters,” she said, looking a little dazzled, which made Luke roll his eyes. “Nice to meet you.” She glanced at the mess again, but Luke stepped in her way. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” Jack said. “I’m sorry,” she said, glancing at Luke. “I can’t say the same.” “Not surprised,” Jack said. “Luke’s not exactly a big talker.” “No,” Ali said faintly, a slight blush coming to her cheeks. “He’s not.” There was nothing in Ali’s tone to suggest that they’d spent some time in Luke’s truck kissing like their lives had depended on it, but Jack knew him better than anyone else on the planet. Proving it, his gaze shifted from Ali to Luke. “Also, he can never find his keys and he snores,” Jack said. “Thanks, man,” Luke said. Jack smiled at Ali. “Hope you’re hungry; I brought Chinese. Ben, my cousin and the third musketeer, would’ve brought a loaded pizza. He’s on government assignment right now, and I’m just superstitious enough that I won’t eat a pizza until he’s home. You need anything else?” Clearly surprised to be asked, Ali blinked. “No, thank you.” Her voice sounded funny and gave Luke a very bad feeling. Jack didn’t miss it either. Jack didn’t miss much. “All right, I’ll get plates,” he said very gently, waiting until he was behind her and out of her peripheral vision to send Luke a steely look. One thing the two of them had always shared was a hatred of seeing anyone mistreated or taken advantage of. Jack loved Luke, but the message was clear—don’t hurt her more than she’s already been hurt. When Jack vanished into the kitchen, Ali moved to the couch, head averted. There might even have been a muffled sniffle. Oh, Christ. Luke had faced down countless gangbangers, armed felons, and drugged-up perps. He’d faced the worst humanity had to offer, but he’d never gotten the hang of dealing with a woman’s tears. Sucking it up, he sat next to her. She stiffened. Ignoring that, he reached for her ice cream, thinking to set it down for her, but she surprised him with an elbow to the gut. “What the hell?” She hugged the ice cream to her chest. “I told you not to be nice to me right now!” “I’m not nice. I’m never nice. And Jesus, remind me to never try to separate you from your ice cream again.” Jack reappeared, paper plates and napkins in hand as he took in the scene. “Bad time?” “Yes,” Luke said. “No,” Ali said, and glared at Luke. Jack nodded in approval. “Keeping him in line. That’s good. He needs that.” Luke shot Jack a look, which Jack ignored as he plopped down on the couch right between them. The big oaf actually bounced Ali nearly to the floor and half sat on Luke as he settled in. He took the ice cream from Ali—and didn’t get elbowed, Luke couldn’t help but notice—and then handed out plates. They divided up the food, with Jack taking the last eggroll. “Hey,” Luke said. “It’d go straight to your ass,” Jack said, and popped the eggroll into his mouth. “No one wants to see that.”

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I have 1 copy of It Had To Be You to giveaway, just enter through the Rafflecopter below. Contest is open to US only and will run through 5/20. Good luck!

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Sinful Sirens Blog Hop: Giveaway!

It's that time again - time for free books! So, recently I started getting caught up with the Spindle Cove series by Tessa Dare. I love. I love so hard. I have one book left to read (book #1, I do things backward around here) and I can't get enough of these slightly unusual heroines finding love with their heroes. The banter, the emotion and yes the sexiness all works for me in this historical series and I want YOU to try these books too (or add the upcoming brand spanking new release to your library). 

One winner will get their choice of any book in the Spindle Cove series, in either paperback, Kindle or Nook format. Winner's choice! International peeps - I will be using Book Depository if the winner is international, please make sure you are listed on their delivery list first, found here. (thanks!) 

First up, a little detail on each book and then enter via the Rafflecopter below. Good luck!

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Book #1

Spindle Cove is the destination of choice for certain types of well-bred young ladies: the painfully shy, young wives disenchanted with matrimony, and young girls too enchanted with the wrong men. It is a haven for those who live there.

Victor Bramwell, the new Earl of Rycliff, knows he doesn’t belong here. So far as he can tell, there’s nothing in this place but spinsters…and sheep. But he has no choice, he has orders to gather a militia. It’s a simple mission, made complicated by the spirited, exquisite Susanna Finch—a woman who is determined to save her personal utopia from the invasion of Bram’s makeshift army.

Susanna has no use for aggravating men; Bram has sworn off interfering women. The scene is set for an epic battle…but who can be named the winner when both have so much to lose?

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Book #2

Minerva Highwood, one of Spindle Cove’s confirmed spinsters, needs to be in Scotland. Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, a rake of the first order, needs to be… anywhere but Spindle Cove.

These unlikely partners have one week to fake an elopement to convince family and friends they’re in “love” to outrun armed robbers to survive their worst nightmares to travel four hundred miles without killing each other All while sharing a very small carriage by day and an even smaller bed by night.

What they don’t have time for is their growing attraction. Much less wild passion. And heaven forbid they spend precious hours baring their hearts and souls.

Suddenly one week seems like exactly enough time to find a world of trouble. And maybe…just maybe…love.

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Book #3

After years of fending for herself, Kate Taylor found friendship and acceptance in Spindle Cove–but she never stopped yearning for love. The very last place she’d look for it is in the arms of Corporal Thorne. The militia commander is as stone cold as he is brutally handsome. But when mysterious strangers come searching for Kate, Thorne steps forward as her fiance. He claims to have only Kate’s safety in mind. So why is there smoldering passion in his kiss?

Long ago, Samuel Thorne devoted his life to guarding Kate’s happiness. He wants what’s best for her, and he knows it’s not marriage to a man like him. To outlast their temporary engagement, he must keep his hands off her tempting body and lock her warm smiles out of his withered heart. It’s the toughest battle of this hardened warrior’s life…and the first he seems destined to lose.

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Book #4 (out 5/28/13)

Griffin York, the Duke of Halford, has no desire to wed this season—or any season—but his diabolical mother abducts him to “Spinster Cove” and insists he select a bride from the ladies in residence. Griff decides to teach her a lesson that will end the marriage debate forever. He chooses the serving girl.

Overworked and struggling, Pauline Simms doesn’t dream about dukes. All she wants is to hang up her barmaid apron and open a bookshop. That dream becomes a possibility when an arrogant, sinfully attractive duke offers her a small fortune for a week’s employment. Her duties are simple: submit to his mother’s “duchess training”… and fail miserably.

But in London, Pauline isn’t a miserable failure. She’s a brave, quick-witted, beguiling failure—a woman who ignites Griff’s desire and soothes the darkness in his soul. Keeping Pauline by his side won’t be easy. Even if Society could accept a serving girl duchess—can a roguish duke convince a serving girl to trust him with her heart?

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One winner gets their choice of any book listed above. (if the winner chooses Any Duchess Will Do, this will be preordered for them.) Enter through the Rafflecopter below, giveaway runs through May 20th. Good luck!

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Make sure to keep hopping!

Review: Sworn to Protect (Sugarland Blue #1) by Jo Davis

Sugarland loves their men in blue, especially Detective Shane Ford. But Shane’s mission to protect and to serve has just gotten personal… Detective Shane Ford, Sugarland’s favorite cop, has been blindsided by the sudden death of his best friend, NFL star Brad Cooper, and becoming the legal guardian of Brad’s son, Drew—a bitter, angry sixteen-year-old with a dangerous secret. Shane is determined to pry the truth from Drew, but only manages to alienate him—and winds up going head to head with Juvenile Detective Daisy Callahan, whose job is to protect the teen’s best interests. Shane has always been drawn to Daisy’s beauty and strength, but he’s determined not to allow their intense attraction to interfere with his duty ever again. It’s a vow that will prove difficult to keep, as the realities of Shane and Daisy’s blossoming love and their growing bond with the grieving teen propel Shane headlong into danger for the new family he’s sworn to protect.

The story opens with our hero, Shane, finding out that his best friend Brad died of a suspected overdose leaving behind his teenage son. Shane was given custody of Drew and the two struggle to deal with their pain over losing someone they both loved and finding a way to make their new life work. Add in Daisy, a woman that Shane messed up big time with in the past, having brushed her off after they had sex and regretting the brush off ever since. Daisy is still dealing with the pain of what Shane did, she foolishly thought that their short time together was the start of something big, and was crushed after Shane called things off before they ever really got started. Now they’re back together working on Brad’s case and helping Drew adjust to life without his dad. But when Drew finds himself in the middle of a bad situation, connected to the drugs his dad was taking, it takes both Shane and Daisy to help find and save him.

Right off, I had issues with this story. For as much pain and angst that was set up for Shane and Daisy and how much I thought we were led to believe that Daisy hated Shane for how he treated her, they sure fell back into bed and a relationship way too easy. Daisy, at one point, even acknowledges this and makes a comment about probably regretting the decision to sleep with Shane again, but she’s so drawn to him, she just can’t say no. Their relationship felt like it had zero depth to it. I wanted Shane to have to work for it, to make some effort to get Daisy back and it just wasn’t there. Why bother with setting up this angsty past for them to only brush it off so easily? It set a bad tone for their relationship for me and I never really got into their story.

A pet peeve of mine is characters making stupid “don’t go out into the woods late at night alone when a bad guy is out there” decisions and both Daisy and Drew have moments that made me groan. Daisy makes many dumb decisions one night going out dancing with a friend that leave her getting into a fight and being rushed to the hospital. Without going into spoiler detail, the entire scene was one “oh geez” moment after another with the decisions she makes and just not being smart. The end result was having Shane rush to her side and come to the decision that she’s his and he’s never letting her go again, well fine. But I wish that they’d have gotten there using a different route instead of Daisy doing some dumb things. Same goes for Drew, he wants to help Shane and the case by spying on the dangerous bad guys to get information and it just came across as Drew being dumb, which is too bad because he was an interesting character going through a really tough time, but it was frustrating as a reader seeing him and Daisy do things on page that just made me shake my head.

I just didn’t feel like there was any meat to this story. The romance had no depth, the drug case surrounding Brad and the dealers they’re tracking felt rushed and it was a completely underwhelming read.

Rating: D

Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Signet
Jo Davis: Webpage | Facebook | Twitter
Buy Here: Amazon.com | B&N
*eARC provided by publisher for review* 
 

Spolight on Blush by Lauren Jameson and Giveaway!

Today I'm spotlighting Lauren Jameson's new release Blush! Below, check out the book blurb, information on Lauren and three lucky winners will win a copy of Blush. Details on the giveaway are below.
 

From the author of Surrender to Temptation comes a provocative story of overwhelming passion set free with one exquisite touch.… Madeline Stone is determined to heal from her tragic past, one difficult step at a time…and she doesn’t need any distractions. Then she meets a mysterious and captivating stranger—and over a glass of outrageously expensive wine, her world turns upside down. Try as she might to banish the wealthy business mogul from her thoughts, Madeline can’t fight Alex’s staggering appeal or his enticing offer of intimate discovery. Alex doesn’t date—at least, not in the traditional sense. Still, he wants Madeline…and his sexual intensity provides her with a much-needed escape. They embark on a tumultuous erotic affair, one that takes them to the pinnacle of obsession and desire. But underneath each explosive encounter lie dangerous secrets waiting to consume them both.…

About Lauren: Lauren Jameson is a writer, yoga newbie, knitting aficionado and animal lover who lives in the shadows of the great Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. She’s older than she looks—really—and younger than she feels—most of the time—and she loves to explore the journeys that take women through life in her stories. Jameson’s stories are erotic contemporary romances that take a walk on the wild side. Make sure to check out her work as Lauren Hawkeye, where you will find erotic historical, steamy paranormal, and hot contemporary.  Twitter | Webpage | Facebook

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Thanks to Penguin, three lucky winners will each receive one copy of Lauren Jameson's new book Blush! Contest is open to US/CAN only and will run through 5/17. Enter through the Rafflecopter link below - good luck!

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Guest Post with Catherine Bybee: Not Quite Mine Blog Tour & Giveaway

Today Catherine Bybee is here to talk about her inspiration behind her newest release Not Quite Mine. Please welcome Catherine and then check out the links and blurb for her new book Not Quite Mine and enter the blog tour giveaway!

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The Inspiration Behind Not Quite Mine
Guest Post Catherine Bybee

Nearly every time I release a book, this is a question that’s asked. So let me see if I can answer this as simply as I can without giving away plot points or spoilers.

I wanted to write a twist on the secret baby story. Many of us have read the story where the hero has a baby left on his doorstep and the entire books is centered on finding who the mama is. Well, if a baby is left on a woman’s doorstep, she’s usually damn sure that the baby isn’t hers. So the story begins there…but I think Not Quite Mine has more than just one ‘mother’ story within its pages. In fact, I don’t know if I worked terribly hard to hide who the mother is, but I did want it to be a surprise to my heroine Katie.

You see, Katie’s own mother wasn’t there for her and now she’s trying to be a mother while struggling with her own demons and the journey isn’t easy. Of course her hero, Dean, is there to help her out.

So this book is embodies mothers of all shapes and sizes and the men who love them.

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Catherine's Bio: New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee was raised in Washington State, but after graduating high school, she moved to Southern California in hopes of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full - time and has penned novels Wife by Wednesday, Married by Monday, and Not Quite Dating. Bybee lives with her husband and two teenage sons in Southern California. Twitter  |  Webpage | Facebook

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Gorgeous hotel heiress Katelyn "Katie" Morrison seems to have it all. But when she crosses paths with Dean Prescott - the only man she's ever loved - at her brother's wedding, Katie realizes there's a gaping hole in her life. After the ceremony she gets an even bigger surprise when someone abandons a baby girl on her doorstep. Determined to keep the newborn until she learns who her mother is, Katie has her hands full and doesn't need Dean snooping around, especially when his presence stirs feelings she thought were long gone. Dean Prescott knows Katie is lying to him when he discovers a baby is living with her. He shouldn't care what the woman who broke his heart is up to...and he most certainly shouldn't still be aching for her. Yet Dean can't ignore the need to protect Katie - or the desire to be near her every chance he gets. But when he and Katie solve the mystery surrounding the baby, their second chance for happiness could be shattered forever.  You can check out an excerpt of Not Quite Mine here.

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Enter through the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win some great prizes! Details can be found within the Rafflecopter link. Good luck!

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Review: Game On (Out of Bounds #1) by Tracy Solheim

The only way to win is to score… With a reputation for fast moves on the gridiron and even faster moves off the field, Shane Devlin was a player in every sense of the word. Unfortunately, his bad-boy persona has made him a risky prospect as a quarterback, and only the Baltimore Blaze are willing to give him a chance. And he’s about to take a hit he never expected. Working for the Blaze, Carly March knows too well how jocks think—and what they think with—so she’s always made a point of keeping them at arm’s length. But when she shares a kiss with the devilishly handsome Shane, she finds it hard to play by her own rules—and even harder to resist him. Can a football hero and a business-minded beauty take it all the way? Or will their mutual attraction cost them the big game?

Shane, known as the Devil of the NFL, is currently teamless but he has a chance at the QB position for the Baltimore Blaze after their starting quarterback is injured during the offseason. He signs with the Blaze and his drive to beat every single one of his dad’s NFL records is still on. He can’t stand his father and has refused to try and rebuild their broken relationship over the years and as a result he hasn’t gotten to know his now 12-year old half-brother by choice. He wants nothing to do with his dad or his current family and all he wants to beat his records and he plays up the image the press has given him, a playboy who doesn’t really care about anything other than football and women. His life takes a turn when he meets Carly, the sister-in-law of his new head coach and an executive assistant within the Blaze organization. His life takes another sharp turn when tragedy strikes and he’s forced into his brother’s life.

First, the things I enjoyed were Carly and Troy, Shane’s brother. I loved the scenes with Carly and her family. She brought the emotion and some depth to the book and I very much enjoyed getting to know her throughout the story. She has a bit of a problem with a stalker who won’t pay attention to the restraining order she has against him. Carly’s past is a bit crazy, she and her mom were in the paparazzi’s sites and after her mom died, Carly got her education in a boarding school overseas. She was engaged to a soccer player, who was a player on and off the field and it caused more media attention forced Carly’s way. She’s finally at a place in her life that has her out of the media spotlight and surrounded by family.

Shane was a different story. I honestly couldn’t stand the guy for much of the book and he only barely came around during the last 20%, too little too late for me. My problems with him mainly centered around his attitude toward Troy but also with his relationship with Carly. First, with Troy, Shane wanted nothing to do with him, channeling his anger at his dad and taking it out on this innocent kid. Troy is dealing with some very heavy, very sad emotional things in his life and he finds himself without a place to live. Shane is all too ready to pawn him off on his Grandparents who look at Troy and see dollar signs. There was nothing about this storyline between Shane and Troy that had me liking Shane. At all. He constantly refers to Troy as “the kid” and always in a rude way. I hated the way this played out on page and it did nothing but make me a fan of Troy and dislike Shane a lot, which is too bad because those feelings carried over into other storylines that featured Shane, including his relationship with Carly.

Their relationship starts out as just being a one (then two) night stand. Shane can’t get her out of his head, and they end up having sex every time they’re together. They’re a sexy couple, so no issues there, but they both constantly kept their distance and would say or do something with the intention of driving the other person away so their relationship never went too deep and never very romantic. I’m still not sure why they kept doing this instead of trying to build their relationship, it went from hot and sexy to one of them wanting space and nothing really convinced me that they’re a great long term couple once the HEA declarations came at the end. I think I just needed to see more romance between them instead of coming off as so hot and cold.

This was an ok read for me – I really enjoyed Carly and seeing her and all the different relationship she has with people in the story, including Troy who stole my heart. I can’t say the same for Shane. Because my soft spot was Troy and Shane acted like an ass towards him through much of the story, I never warmed up to the hero and that’s never a good thing in a romance story.

Rating: C

Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Berkley
Tracy Solheim: Webpage | Facebook | Twitter
Buy Here: Amazon.com | B&N
*eARC provided by publisher for review*