#BlogTour “Sapphire Heist” by Lauren Blakely

✮✮✮ THE SAPPHIRE HEIST is here! The highly anticipated conclusion of New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely’s new contemporary romance Jewel Novel Series, this enemies-to-lovers series is filled with sex, wit, glamour, and high stakes, with a rugged, ex-military, dirty-talking alpha hero! Don’t miss this explosive and passionate series and check out all the stops on the tour! ✮✮✮

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 My musings…

4.5 Crowns

Sapphire Heist is the conclusion of Jake and Steph’s story.  The reader gets to follow them on their journey as they team up to solve the mystery of the missing diamonds while balancing their new relationship.

All the stylistic components that I love of Lauren Blakely’s writing are evident:

1. There are still a lot of hot and steamy scenes; however, they are balanced out between Steph and Jake actually talking, working together, and being a team. So many times in romance, it becomes about the sex, but Lauren Blakely gives the reader both.  There are definitely hot scenes in the hotel room and other public arenas, but the reader gets to see an actual relationship form.
2. I have yet to encounter a romance writer that can weave mystery and romance together the way Lauren Blakely can.  There are romances that are dark, gritty, and violent, but Lauren Blakely’s are more complex than that.  There are several plots and characters that are woven together into one story, and the reader is never really sure how the story is going to turn out, leaving us on the edge of our seats.  I know that I didn’t expect the perpetrators who stole the loot, and that is a true testament to her ability to create an excellent plot.
3. Finally, the humor in this book is excellent. I laughed at lines and interactions between the characters, which is unusual for me as a reader.  Any writer that can integrate mystery, humor, and romance into on book has made a fan out of me.

There aren’t any new major characters introduced, but I fell more in love with the main characters during this book:

1. Jake in the bedroom is hot!  He takes charge in the bedroom, but is also sweet in the things that he says to her.  Anyone that can dirty-talk and still make me swoon is okay in my book.  He does have an epic screw-up, but his apology is so sweet.  I like that he also allows Steph to be her own person and make her own decisions without being threatened or feeling like less of a man because of it. His job also adds an element of danger, and a little bit of danger makes for an excellent hero.
2. Steph is still just as honorable during this book. I really enjoy her as a character.  She stands up to Jake when needed, follows her conscience when dealing with the investigation, and is still trying to take care of her mom.  What I ultimately love most about her is how she doesn’t take crap from any of the men in her life.  She has learned from her past and knows what she deserves, and, when she doesn’t get it, she walks.
3. Their relationship definitely has some trust issues. She has been burned by several men in her life, and she struggles to trust.  Just like Steph, Jake has been burned by a past partnership with another female, so it is understandable that this is an obstacle for them.  It is nice to see them grow and work through these issues together.  This issue between them is utilized effectively by Lauren Blakely to develop their relationship.

The plot is intriguing, and I was honestly surprised at who was behind the heist:

1. I never expected the criminals to be who they are. Lauren Blakely introduces so many possibilities, and they all seemed plausible.  When the criminal is revealed, I was completely surprised.  I love this the most about the story.  I am usually pretty good at figuring out a story as I am reading, but at least one of these people were never even on my radar.
2. There is a lot of back and forth between the characters about Eli’s involvement, and this did get to be a little repetitive. Ultimately, though, the other elements of the plot and the relationship between Jake and Steph still allow me to really like this book.
3. The ending is sweet. I like the Lauren Blakely didn’t force the standard happy ending.  There is one, don’t fret about that, but it isn’t canned.  Steph and Jake make it work for them; they find their own treasure!

This series solidifies the epicness that is Lauren Blakely, and her sub-genre of mystery/suspense and romance is done so well.  She continues to be a one-click author for me!

ARC received from the author for an honest review.

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Excerpt:

When the woman left the gallery, she blew a kiss to Isla, who held open the door. The woman breezed down the street with a brochure in hand. Jake checked his watch. One more hour ’til showtime. This morning in Steph’s hotel room, they’d checked out every angle of Isla’s Island Gallery with Google street view as they’d prepped, but it was wise to obtain an actual visual with one’s own eyes.

Though the visual he wanted in his line of sight again was Steph Anderson.

Beautiful, blonde, athletic, clever, witty, pain-in-the-ass-and-heloved-it Steph Anderson. The woman who swam with turtles, who loved her family, and who kissed with passion and fell apart in his arms.

As he stared across the street, he adjusted his shorts. Just the memory of her up against the wall, then beneath him, then straddling him, sent bolts of lust through his groin. Last night with her blew his mind and torched all the pathways in his body. She gave herself to him in all the ways that he wanted, and he couldn’t wait to have his hands on her again.

But he also wanted the rest of those damn diamonds that he was sure were inside that gallery.

Wanted them badly. His fingers itched to touch them.

He patted his pocket, running his thumb along the outline of a little something he’d taken from Steph’s hotel this morning. He chuckled silently at the memory of lifting this sweet object. It had been so easy—taking candy from a baby, for sure.

He only hoped snagging Eli’s diamonds would be as smooth. Once he had his hands on all those blue-tinted beauties, he’d be good to go. He could get the hell out of Dodge and head on home to Key Largo. See his sister, see his nephew, have a brew with his buddy Dan. Maybe even fish off the dock near his house.

But out of nowhere, a pang lurched in his heart as he pictured boarding a plane and leaving this island. He scratched his head. What was that all about? He was ready to be done with this job today, thank you very much.

Except if he finished it, he’d have to say good-bye to Steph.

No reason for him to be missing her. They were only having a tropical affair, a little island tryst. Besides, neither one had time for anything more than the here and now. Once he was gone, he’d need to zero in on whatever was coming his way next. Not linger on the woman he wouldn’t see again. Get her out of his mind.

But as he ran a hand absently over his chin, it occurred to him that maybe this odd feeling inside him wasn’t so unusual, considering Steph was sweet, feisty, smart, game for adventure, and had a vulnerability in her that latched onto his heart. They had a damn good time together— he made her laugh, and she did the same for him.

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THE SAPPHIRE AFFAIR & THE SAPPHIRE HEIST are being released by Montlake, which is an Amazon publishing company, and will only be available for sale at Amazon. You can download a free Kindle reading app for any smartphone or tablet here: http://amzn.to/1MIyrHi

**THE SAPPHIRE AFFAIR & THE SAPPHIRE HEIST are available for free on Kindle Unlimited!**

ABOUT THE SAPPHIRE HEIST (Jewel Novel #2):

Keep your lover close and your enemy closer…

After giving in to a fiery night of passion, island adventurer Steph Anderson and bounty hunter Jake Harlowe are back to square one. With millions in stolen jewels at stake, it’s hard for Steph not to question her new partner’s true motives—no matter how sexy he might be. Jake is hungry for more of Steph, but he can sense her growing mistrust, which only fuels his own doubts. Worse, there’s undeniable evidence that someone else is now after the jewels—and that they are both in real danger.

Fighting against their magnetic attraction is a distraction these two can’t afford. In order to survive, they’ll have to pull off one more heist—and trust each other with something even more precious than jewels: their hearts.

 

 

 Amazon US ✦ Amazon UK ✦ Amazon Paperback ✦ Amazon AU ✦ Amazon CA

✦ Audiobook (narrated by Sebastian York)

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And Don’t Miss the First Book, THE SAPPHIRE AFFAIR, now available!

About the Sapphire Affair:

Bounty hunter Jake Harlowe knows how to track a criminal. So when a group of swindled shareholders hire him to trail their former CEO, Jake expects a quick trip to the Cayman Islands to close another case. Until a devastatingly beautiful woman gets in the way.

Steph Anderson is visiting the Caymans for a rock climbing and dive trip—or so she tells Jake. She’s really trying to find out whether or not her stepfather embezzled money from his company. The last thing Steph needs is the distraction of a sexy, charming man whose kisses drive her wild.

Soon, the pair discover they’re after the same target—and millions in jewels. While Jake can’t be certain Steph isn’t working for her stepfather, and Steph can’t be certain Jake isn’t after the diamonds for himself, they can agree the heat between them is intense, and neither can deny the passion for long.

But the morning after, Steph discovers that she just might have slept with the enemy, and now she’ll have to outwit him to get everything she needs…

 Amazon US ✦ Amazon UK ✦ Amazon Paperback ✦ Amazon AU ✦ Amazon CA

✦ Audiobook (narrated by Sebastian York)

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About Lauren Blakely:

Since self-publishing her debut romance novel CAUGHT UP IN US three years ago, Lauren Blakely has sold more than 1 million books. She is known for her sexy contemporary romance style that’s full of heat, heart and humor. A devout fan of cake and canines, Lauren has plotted entire novels while walking her four-legged friends. She lives in California with her family. With ten New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than fifty times. Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire as well as standalone romantic comedies like BIG ROCK and MISTER O, which were both instant New York Times Bestsellers. In the fall she’ll release WELL HUNG, another romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter:laurenblakely.com/newsletter.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter | THE SAPPHIRE AFFAIR Goodreads |THE SAPPHIRE HEIST Goodreads |Lauren Blakely Goodreads

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Blog Tour Stops:

 

Happy reading,

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Lauren Blakely’s THE SAPPHIRE HEIST – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:

August 17^th

Kati’s Bookaholic Rambling Reviews – Excerpt

Naughty Moms’ Story Time – Review

Nice Ladies, Naughty Books – Excerpt

A Bookish Mess – Review & Excerpt

A girl and her books – Review

BJ’s Book Blog – Review

Socially Awkward Book Nerd – Excerpt

Little Red Reading Hood – Review

August 18^th

Got Nikki? – Excerpt

Book reviews by lexi – Review

Bookalicious Babes Blog – Review & Excerpt

Collector of book boyfriends – Review

Devilishly dirty book blog – Review & Excerpt

InBookEden – Review & Excerpt

Marie’s Tempting Reads – Review

Vagabonda Reads – Excerpt

August 19^th

FMR Book Grind – Review

The Reading Cafe – Review & Excerpt

Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

I Love Romance – Review & Excerpt

Inner Goddess – Review & Excerpt

Naughty Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Two Book Pushers – Review

What Is That Book About – Excerpt

August 20^th

Book Bitches Blog – Review & Excerpt

Reading Tigress – Review & Excerpt

Author Groupies – Review

Ashley Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Books and Things Blog – Review & Excerpt

For The Love of Fictional Worlds – Review & Excerpt

August 21^st

A Brit and a Yank – Excerpt

Musings of the Modern Belle – Review & Excerpt

Mia’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Evermore Books – Excerpt

Nerdy Dirty & Flirty – Review

Reese’s Reviews – Excerpt

Dog-Eared Daydreams – Review

Bookaholic Confessions – Excerpt

August 22^nd

Quesarasera Book Blog – Excerpt

Alpha Book Club – Review & Excerpt

Angel’s Book Heaven – Review & Excerpt

Stephanie’s Book Reports – Excerpt

Pretty Sassy Cool – Review & Excerpt

Sassy Southern Book Affair – Review & Excerpt

Jen’s Reading Obsession – Excerpt

The Pervy Ladies Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

August 23^rd

Embrace the Romance – Review & Excerpt

All Romance Reviews – Review

Book Briefs – Review

Brittany’s Book Blog – Excerpt

Ellesea Loves Reading – Excerpt

TjLovesToRead – Review

Mile High KINK Book Club – Excerpt

The Flare Up – Excerpt

August 24^th

2 One Click Chicks – Review & Excerpt

The Book Avenue – Excerpt

My Girlfriend’s Couch – Excerpt

Captain Reads A Lot – Excerpt

Krista’s Dust Jacket – Review & Excerpt

Novel Addiction – Review

Sexyways of Reading – Review

The Book Sirens – Review

Four Chicks Flipping Pages – Review & Excerpt

August 25^th

Beneath The Covers Blog – Review & Excerpt

Two Girls with Books – Excerpt

BFD Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Blushing Babes Are Up All Night – Review

Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt

Smut Book Junkie Reviews – Review & Excerpt

The Read Report – Review & Excerpt

Sofia Loves Books – Review

Friends Till The End Book Blog – Excerpt

August 26^th

G & T’s Indie Café – Excerpt

Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews – Review & Excerpt

Book Loving Fairy – Review

Ripe For Reader – Review

Shelly’s Book Corner – Review

Maari Loves Her Indies – Excerpt

Hooker Heels Book Blog – Review

Book Lovers Hangout – Review & Excerpt