Sunday 21 February 2016

RBTL Tours: Dark Devotion by Lauren Dawes


Title: Dark Devotion

Author: Lauren Dawes 
Series: Dark Series #3
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Momentum (Pan Macmillan)
Release Date: Feb 25 2016
Edition/Formats: eBook


Blurb/Synopsis:

The time of Odin is over. The Aesir gods now live among the humans in their bustling modern cities. Their brutal dominion over the other gods and their eradication of the entire dark elf race may have ended, but their actions have not been forgotten.

Beneath Rhys's skin lies a legendary and feared beast. Rhys is tormented by his daily struggle to contain the ruthless, cold-blooded creature sharing his body. But when his best friend Galen disappears, Rhys's careful restraint and self-control are finally broken. Fueled with a desire to find Galen, Rhys strikes an unlikely alliance with the only god who knows the truth about his dark past.
Taer has found her revenge, yet she's still not happy. There's something missing from her life, but still she fights what her heart is telling her. It's only when the incredibly infuriating and dangerously sexy Aubrey goes missing that she can admit her true feelings for him. Taer's racing against time to rescue Aubrey, but when will she finally allow him into her heart?
Featuring myth's original antagonist, Loki, Dark Devotion is perfect for fans of Gina Showalter and Patricia Briggs.

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Excerpt:

Taer was up in Raven, the nightclub on the second floor of the Eye. Bryn had asked her to work a few hours up there before coming back downstairs later on in the evening. Working the bar beside her was a guy called Dex who was shamelessly flirting with her. He had piercings through his nose and eyebrow, two through his lip, and countless others in his ears. He also had his septum pierced. Taer had watched the women flock to him, all blatantly leaning over the bar just to make their breasts spill out of their low-cut dresses and tops.
She shook her head at the stupidity of the female species and got busy making the next drink order. As she worked, she thought about the other night. Going to see Aubrey hadn’t been a good idea, but she’d had to tell him, face-to-face, what had happened with her and Darrion. Aubrey was the one who had trained her to fight. It was because of him that she had survived.
And it was because of him that she felt her resolve not to get involved with him lessen every time she saw him. She’d been so very close to giving in when he came to stand behind her in his kitchen, but she was afraid. Once Aubrey had gotten what he wanted from her, he would simply disappear.
“Stop thinking about him,” she chastised quietly under her breath. A familiar scent filled her nostrils and she looked up. Her eyes found Aubrey even through the crowd and the near darkness. It had been less than forty-eight hours since she’d last seen him, but her heart stuttered and her stomach clenched. Shaking her head, she refocused on the customer in front of her.
“That’ll be twenty-five,” she said.
The guy slapped a fifty on the bar and smiled. “Keep it.”
She returned the gesture only because she’d learned that if she smiled more, she got bigger tips. “Thanks.” She dragged the bill toward her, her breath catching when Aubrey approached the bar.
“Winter Fox,” he said with a wry smile.
Taer’s eyes drifted down his body. Damn, he looked good. He was in a black suit and shirt with a dark gray tie at his throat. Her whole body gave a little shudder and she sucked in a sharp breath. If this was how she reacted without any physical contact, she could only imagine how good it would be when she allowed him to touch her intimately.
“Aubrey,” she said. “What are you doing here?”
He glanced from her to the customer she was serving, then back at her. For a moment there, it seemed as if jealousy had flared in his eyes. “I came looking for you,” he replied smoothly.
“You found me,” she said.
From the corner of her eye, Taer could see Dex watching them. After telling his customer to wait a minute, Dex approached Taer and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Is everything all right, Tay?” he asked.
A small growl came from Aubrey.
Pulling Dex’s arm away, Taer said, “Fine.”
Dex shrugged off the snub casually. “Who is this guy?” He jerked his chin in Aubrey's direction.
“I’m the only man allowed to touch her like that,” Aubrey hissed, his pale eyes darkening with rage.
Oh, fuck. She had to diffuse the situation, and quickly. “He’s my boyfriend, Dex,” Taer blurted out. Seeing the smug smile on Aubrey’s lips, she pulled on her apron strings, wadded up the fabric and stowed it under the bar. “I need a minute.”
Shooting Aubrey a look, she walked to the end of the bar and stepped out from behind it. She watched the light elf saunter in her direction, a definite swagger in his step.
“Boyfriend, huh? Soon-to-be lover would have been a more accurate description.”
Taer brushed off his comment with a huff. “Dex wasn’t going to leave any other way.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she said, “What are you really doing here, Aubrey?”
He studied her, seemingly drinking in every one of her features. “Where can I get you alone?”
She bit her bottom lip then sucked it into her mouth. “I’m working.”
“Take a break.” Aubrey placed both hands on her waist and dragged her body into his hips. Their faces were mere inches away and for a few seconds, Taer actually let him hold her that way. Those few seconds were enough for him to show her just how much he wanted her. Taer looked down at their bodies closely pressed together. Gods, she wanted him too. All this time, she’d been telling herself it wasn’t true, but she’d been lying.
And just like that, her resolve crumbled.

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Author Information:


Born in South Africa and raised in Sydney, Lauren Dawes is an urban fantasy/paranormal romance writer and the author of the Dark Series.

In 2009, she quit her full-time job teaching English as a Second Language to finally begin writing "that book", letting her over-active imagination pour out onto the digital pages, much to everyone's horror. The catch phrase "I didn't know you had such a dark imagination" only fueled her to write more, where her love for Norse mythology and gods finally got the spotlight.

She currently lives with her husband and daughter in whatever city they happen to be posted to, and her cat, Oscar, who has inspired more than one character quirk or scene in her books.

To find out more, visit www.authorlaurendawes.com


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Other Works by Lauren

The Dark Series
Half Blood Series
Half Cast ~ Coming Soon

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