Virtual Blurb Blitz Tour & Giveaway for Breaking His Rules by Alison Packard

Welcome to my stop on the book tour, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Breaking His Rules by Alison Packard.  Please leave a comment or question for Alison to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway, for a $25 Amazon GC, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You must comment to enter the giveaway.  You can follow the rest of Alison's tour by clicking on the tour banner above, the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning.  

Breaking His Rules
by Alison Packard
Feeling the Heat, Book 4

Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: September 8, 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 177 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-426898-92-1
ASIN: B00KV5ZKC

Buy Links: Kindle | Nook | Kobo | All Romance eBooks | Carina Press 

About the book: 

Losing fifty pounds is an incredible achievement. But for Melissa Atherton, progress doesn’t come with praise—a scathing comment from an evil cousin at a bridal shower threatens to crush her new self-esteem. Who will she bring to the upcoming wedding? Showing up without a date would be humiliating. It just isn’t an option.

Personal trainer Jake Sawyer was attracted to Melissa before she lost weight, but her progress has him floored. When she admits she plans to hire a male escort—and why—his heart all but breaks. Melissa’s come too far to be knocked down, especially by her own family. He’ll go as her date…and figure out a way to keep his hands to himself.

But when a steamy hotel room encounter takes them both by surprise, Jake balks. He’s sworn never to date one of his clients, not again. And Melissa can’t bear to be just friends with the man who treated her so tenderly, even if it was only for a weekend. Jake’s helped her see she’s strong enough to stand up for herself, but will she find the strength to pursue the only man who’s ever seen the real her?

  

Excerpt

It was after ten when Jake pulled up to the curb in front of her townhouse. The porch light was on and bathed the small garden and walkway near the front door in a warm golden glow. Inside, the house was dark. Paige was either upstairs in her bedroom at the back of the unit, or she’d decided to spend the night with Rob.

“You talked to Gentry, didn’t you?” Melissa asked the question that had been on her mind ever since she’d seen Trey head toward the men’s room not long after Jake had done the same thing.

“We had a brief discussion.” Jake’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “I didn’t lay a hand on him. If that’s what you’re worried about.”

“The only reason I’d worry is because I wouldn’t want you to get into any trouble because of me. Him, I couldn’t care less about.”

“My father taught us to respect women. What Gentry said to you was out of line. I took it upon myself to call him out on his behavior.”

“I guess he thought I’d be flattered that he found me attractive.”

“His success has gone to his head. He’s got women panting after him all the time and he takes advantage of that situation on a daily basis, according to J.T.”

“Well, he picked the wrong woman tonight. I wish I would have had the nerve to deck him. Paige would have done it in a heartbeat.” She sighed. “Paige thinks I need to stand up for myself more. She says I always turn the other cheek and let people like Shauna and Denise get away with insulting me.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes,” Melissa admitted, with a tentative nod. “I was always heavier than all the other kids. When they made fun of me it was easier to pretend it didn’t matter instead of confronting them.”

“But it did matter, didn’t it?”

“It hurt.” Her heart clenched at the thought of those painful times. “A lot. Luckily, I had Paige. I don’t think I would have gotten through school if she wasn’t there with me. She fought my battles for me. No one would dare say a word to me when she was nearby.”

“You’ve never struck me as the kind of person who wouldn’t stick up for herself.”

“That’s because you don’t really know me.”

“I think I do.” Jake reached up to brush a lock of hair from her cheek, and then quickly lowered his hand. “That strength you think you don’t have is there. Inside you. One day you’ll figure that out.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Alison now lives in Southern Nevada where she’s still getting used to the blistering summers and the slot machines in every grocery store.

When not working at the day job that pays the bills, keeps a roof over her head, and supports her book and chocolate habits, Alison spends most of her free time writing. But when she takes a break, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time with her family and friends.

Website: http://alisonpackard.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alison-Packard-Author/368976796492227?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alleyfics

A light hearted contemporary romance dealing with issues of weight, self – image, honor and integrity, Breaking His Rules by Alison Packard caught me by surprise.  Well-developed characters, a sweet and spicy romance and family love are key issues which made me enjoy the book.  While the fourth book in the Feeling the Heat series, this book stands very well on its own and it’s not necessary to have read any of the other books in the series to enjoy it.

A woman who has struggled with weight all of her life, Melissa Atherton turned over a new leaf, joined a gym.  After managing to lose 50 pounds in nine months Melissa is proud of her achievement but she still has to deal with image issues.  Issues which are highlighted when she’s invited to her mean, dangerously thin, cousin’s wedding.  Ms. Packard did a good job developing Melissa’s character; even though she’s managed to lose weight she still has image issues and she’s never stood up for herself when people make disparaging remarks about her weight.  Emphasizing how much our society today places an emphasis on a false image of “perfection”, Ms. Packard reminds us that being healthy should be the goal of every woman – not being a size zero. 

A fitness trailer and the brother of a professional athlete, Jake Sawyer was once an overweight kid.  Knowing the hard work required to lose weight, and become fit and healthy, Jake is impressed by client Melissa Atherton’s personal success.  When he discovers that she still has image issues and needs a date for a snooty cousin’s wedding, Jake finds himself volunteering to help her out.  Something he knows is dangerous since he’s been attracted to her beauty and personality for some time and he has a strict no dating rule with clients.

Ms. Packard also does a good job developing Jake’s character; he’s attractive, fit and devoted to his family and his dog.  Knowing how cruel people can be – and hating the image society has presented as the “ideal woman” – Jake refuses to let his gym become one of those places where real people who need help don’t feel uncomfortable.  A real man, Jake is the perfect hero for Melissa – he’s just afraid of losing a good friendship for a romance he’s not sure about.

The secondary characters are well developed and I really enjoyed getting to know both Jake’s family – especially his brother JT and his wife, who happen to know Melissa and are friends with her too.  I also fell in love with Paige, Melissa’s twin sister and hope we get to see her get her own book.  The snooty cousin was a real pill and was definitely the “villain” of the story – I like how Paige stood up for her sister and how eventually Melissa learned to stand up for herself.

Will Melissa and Jake’s friendship be damaged by their physical attraction?  Will Melissa realize she’s the “perfect’ girl for Jake?  You’ll have to read Breaking His Rules to find out.  I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Packard’s work.  I know I’ll be reading the previous books in this series to see how those relationships worked out.

My rating:  4 out of 5 Stars

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FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review.  I received no compensation for my review..