Welcome to my stop on The Accidental Assassin blog tour hosted by InkSlingerPR!

Today I am excited to share my review with you all, as well as a giveaway!

The Accidental Assassin
    by: Nichole Chase

Publication Date: Dec. 4, 2014
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by InkSlingerPR in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 286 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N | iBooks
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Ava McKenzie is a creature of habit. Life is passing her by and she has nothing to show for it. She’s had the same job since she started college, she orders the same dish every time she goes to her favorite restaurant, and only reads books from authors she knows. There is nothing new or surprising in her life… until her best friend marries a man from London. When her newlywed friend asks her to house-sit while she honeymoons, Ava jumps at the chance. She thinks this could be the very thing she needs to shake up her life. Ava throws herself head first into her new lifestyle; she wants to try everything, go everywhere, and never get stuck in a rut again. Of course, offing a man in a car garage hadn’t been one of the things on her list to try.

Owen Walker spends every day in a new place with a new case. As one of the most renowned assassins in the world, he has his choice of marks—and he’s never failed in a mission. When a new hit takes him back to his hometown, he looks forward to spending time somewhere familiar. What he isn’t expecting is to help an attractive, confused American woman find out how she’s ended up on a hit man’s list.

As Ava and Owen dodge bullets, will they be able to escape their undeniable attraction to each other? Or will all of that chemistry blow up in a shower of hot and dangerous sparks?

 

 

 

 

After reading and loving Nichole's Suddenly Royal, I was psyched to see her writing a story involving a sexy assassin and an innocent girl who ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time. I really enjoyed Ava and Owen's story. It was a fun, sexy read and I'm hoping this will turn into a series, as I felt there were a few unresolved plot threads.

 

I really liked Ava's character. Chase did a great job of making her believable. Ava is tough, but she's not this tough as nails, nothing can bother me girl. She has feelings and I'm glad Chase showed those! She has lived a safe, comfortable life and now when everything is turned upside down and she's forced on the run- she has a few breakdowns along the way. AS SHE SHOULD! So rock on Nichole for creating a character that is affected by the events surrounding her, as well as showing us that she is capable of doing what she has to in order to survive.

 

Owen was also a great character. He's incredibly sexy and a total badass. Protecting Ava was NOT part of his deal, but the noble, decent guy in him can't just leave her to fend for herself either. He never expected to actually fall for this girl either. Assassins aren't supposed to have vulnerabilities- there's too much risk, too much at stake.... Owen knows she deserves so much better- someone that could actually provide her with a normal life. Ava left normal the moment she accidentally ran over Owen's mark in her car and Owen isn't the only one having these feelings....

 

Ava and Owen's relationship does happen pretty fast. I didn't mind the speed in which it progressed though. They start off visually attracted to one another and engage in flirtatious banter, move on to acting on that attraction with some seriously steamy sex, and finally confess their feelings of love. The only problem is that the time span does occur within a week or so. I liked seeing Ava and Owen together though. Her innocence and naivety to his roughened, hardened world really worked for them and I liked seeing them both want to fit in one another's lives.

 

My only issue with this one was I felt the pacing was a bit off. I felt the book was slower in places that could have been sped up, and too fast in places that I wanted slowed down. This is especially true with the ending. It felt a bit rushed and after all of the action and on the go with Ava and Owen, I would have liked to savor them a bit more. I do think it sets up for a sequel, as I said earlier, so I am hoping that will be happening in the future!

 

Overall, I definitely enjoyed The Accidental Assassin, and I just love Nichole's writing style. It's light, fun, and sexy, and I am excited for what's next from her!

 

Nichole Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Suddenly Royal, Flukes, The Dark Betrayal Trilogy, and several short stories. She is also the instructor of Say What? a dialogue class at the Romance Academy.

Nichole lives in Georgia with her husband, energetic daughter, superhero dog, Sulcata tortoise, and two cats. When not writing, you may find her reading, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises. 

 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

We hope you're ready for the excerpt we have for you today for Nichole Chase's RECKLESSLY ROYAL! RECKLESSLY ROYAL is a contemporary romance, and it is the second novel in the Suddenly series. It is being released on March 25^th, 2014, so add it to your TBR pile now!

 

 

 

Catherine has spent her life being the perfect princess. She’s kept her hands clean, her head down, and most importantly—men at arm’s length. After all, most men are after only one thing, and for Cathy there’s a lot more at stake than her bed; she has to worry about the fate of an entire nation. But at the rate she’s going, Cathy is afraid she’ll give the Virgin Queen a run for her money. She is tired of waiting for someone good enough to come along. She has a plan, and it all hinges on seducing the one man who seems utterly unimpressed by all things royal. The one man she is tempted by more than any other . . .

When David arrives at the royal wedding of his friend, the newly ordained Duchess Samantha Rousseau, he expected to feel uncomfortable and out of his element, but he wasn’t prepared to be targeted by Prince Alex’s gorgeous younger sister. With Cathy’s giant blue eyes, killer figure, and sense of humor, it won’t take long before he gives in. But when he finds out just how innocent the crown princess really is, will he play the part of knight in shining armor or the dashing rogue?

 

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon | B&N

 

Chapter two of RECKLESSLY ROYAL by WilliamMorrowBooks

 

 

Nichole Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Suddenly Royal, Flukes, The Dark Betrayal Trilogy, and several short stories. She is also the instructor of Say What? a dialogue class at the Romance Academy.

Nichole lives in Georgia with her husband, energetic daughter, superhero dog, Sulcata tortoise, and two cats. When not writing, you may find her reading, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises. 

Website  Twitter  Facebook  Goodreads

 

Recklessly Royal (Suddenly #2)

by Nichole Chase

New Adult Contemporary Romance

Avon Books

To be released: March 25, 2014

 

Catherine has spent her life being the perfect princess. She’s kept her hands clean, her head down, and most importantly—men at arm’s length. After all, most men are after only one thing, and for Cathy there’s a lot more at stake than her bed; she has to worry about the fate of an entire nation. But at the rate she’s going, Cathy is afraid she’ll give the Virgin Queen a run for her money. She is tired of waiting for someone good enough to come along. She has a plan, and it all hinges on seducing the one man who seems utterly unimpressed by all things royal. The one man she is tempted by more than any other . . .

When David arrives at the royal wedding of his friend, the newly ordained Duchess Samantha Rousseau, he expected to feel uncomfortable and out of his element, but he wasn’t prepared to be targeted by Prince Alex’s gorgeous younger sister. With Cathy’s giant blue eyes, killer figure, and sense of humor, it won’t take long before he gives in. But when he finds out just how innocent the crown princess really is, will he play the part of knight in shining armor or the dashing rogue?

 

 

Pre-Order Links:

 

 

Other Books in the series:

 

Amazon | B&N

 

 

About Nichole Chase:

 

Nichole Chase is a daydreamer. No, really, just ask any of the math teachers that had the misfortune of seeing her name appear on their class schedule.

For years she has had story lines and characters begging for attention, but she resolutely pushed them aside to focus on more normal (read, boring) jobs.Well, no longer! She is currently heeding the voices in her head and frantically writing their stories. Ms. Chase is the author of the Dark Betrayal Trilogy, Flukes, and Suddenly Royal (including several short stories).

 Nichole resides in South Georgia with her husband, energetic daughter, dog, tortoise, and two cats. When not devouring novels by the dozens, you may find her writing, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises.

 

Website  Blog  Twitter  Facebook  Goodreads  Pinterest

 

 

The Accidental Assassin

By: Nichole Chase

Contemporary Romance

Expected Release: Late Summer 2013

 

 

 

ABOUT THE ACCIDENTAL ASSASSIN:

Ava McKenzie is a creature of habit. Life is passing her by and she has nothing to show for it. She’s had the same job since she started college, she orders the same dish every time she goes to her favorite restaurant, and she only reads books from authors she knows. There is nothing new or surprising in her life… until her best friend marries a man from London. When her newlywed friend asks her to house-sit in England while she honeymoons, Ava jumps at the chance. This could be the very thing she needs to shake up her life. Ava throws herself headfirst into her new lifestyle; she wants to try everything, go everywhere, and never get stuck in a rut again. Of course, offing a man in a car garage hadn’t been one of the things on her list to try.

Owen Walker spends every day in a new place with a new mission. As one of the most renowned assassins in the world, he has his choice of marks—and he’s never failed to complete a task. When a new hit takes him back to his hometown, he looks forward to spending time somewhere familiar. What he isn’t expecting is to help an attractive, confused American woman find out how she’s ended up on a hit man’s list.

As Ava and Owen dodge bullets, will they be able to escape their undeniable attraction to each other? Or will all that chemistry blow up in a shower of hot and dangerous sparks?

 

BIG News about SUDDENLY ROYAL from Nichole Chase:

 

For those of you that have been following me for the last two months, you know that life has gotten a bit crazy. Crazy good! And I have even more good news. I’ve accepted a three book publishing deal with Avon Publishing of HarperCollins. With their help we will be bringing Suddenly Royal, The Royal Agenda, and the untitled third book to stores and bookstores near you! I’m very excited about working with Tessa Woodward and the people of Avon. I can’t wait to see what we do together.

 

What does this mean for the readers? Well, it means more accessible books! You’ll be able to find Suddenly Royal in bookstores, Walmart, and Target in just a few months! AND! And! There will be some added content to the new paperback. Don’t worry—it’s nothing that changes the story, so you won’t be missing anything important—but it does give you a little more Sam and Alex (and I know how much you guys love Alex). We’re also working to have fast turn-around on the next two books so you guys don’t have super long wait times. I will be letting you know those dates as soon as I can.

 

I’m very excited and am so grateful that everyone loves Sam and Alex as much as I do. Thank you to everyone that has made this possible. It’s a dream come true.

 

ABOUT NICHOLE CHASE:

 

Nichole Chase is a daydreamer. No, really, just ask any of the math teachers that had the misfortune of seeing her name appear on their class schedule.
For years she has had story lines and characters begging for attention, but she resolutely pushed them aside to focus on more normal (read, boring) jobs.

Well, no longer! She is currently heeding the voices in her head and frantically writing their stories. Ms. Chase is the author of the Dark Betrayal Trilogy, Flukes, and Suddenly Royal (including several short stories).

Nichole resides in South Georgia with her husband, energetic daughter, dog, tortoise, and two cats. When not devouring novels by the dozens, you may find her writing, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises.

Website  Blog  Twitter  Facebook  Goodreads  Pinterest

Suddenly Royal (Suddenly #1)
    by: Nichole Chase

Publication Date: April 23, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by InkSlingerPR in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 464 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 5/5 stars

Samantha Rousseau is used to getting her hands dirty. Working toward a master’s degree in wildlife biology while helping take care of her sick father, she has no time for celebrity gossip, designer clothes, or lazy vacations. So when a duchess from the small country of Lilaria invites her to dinner, Samantha assumes it’s to discuss a donation for the program. The truth will change the course of her life in ways she never dreamed.

Alex D’Lynsal is trying to keep his name clean. As crown prince of Lilaria, he’s had his share of scandalous headlines, but the latest pictures have sent him packing to America and forced him to swear off women—especially women in the public eye. That is, until he meets Samantha Rousseau. She’s stubborn, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Not to mention heiress to an estate in his country, which makes her everyone’s front-page news.

While Sam tries to navigate the new world of politics and wealth, she will also have to dodge her growing feelings for Alex. Giving in to them means more than just falling in love; it would mean accepting the weight of an entire country on her shoulders.

                   

I am going to try not to gush and fangirl over how much I loved this book.

SQUEEEEE! I LOVED this book. (Ok, in all seriousness now.) What an absolute fun read! Isn't it every girl's dream to wake up and realize you're descended from royalty? That is exactly what happens to our protagonist Samantha (Sam). She is a graduate student working toward her degree and by chance, she receives an invitation to have dinner with the Duchess of Lilaria. Thinking she is going to discuss the possibility of a grant for her program, she is blind-sided when she finds out the real reason behind the chance meeting.

I loved Sam's character. She is down to earth, witty, and not afraid to be herself. She has no desire to wear fancy clothing, attend dinner parties, or flaunt her new status. She cares about taking care of her sick father and getting him the help that he needs to overcome his sickness.

However, the Duchess of Lilaria did not make the journey to America alone. She brought the crown prince of Lilaria, Alex, with her. Alex is flirty, charming, and confident. Sam can't help but be attracted to him. As the two spend more time together, Sam realizes that she needs to put some distance between them, as she wants to focus on learning about her family and becoming an important part of Lilarian society. She tells Alex she wants to have a friendship with him, but how long can the two fight their ever increasing feelings for each other?

Alex's character was amazing for me. He cares about Samantha and wants to make her transition from the US to Lilaria as easy as possible. He promises her he won't 'throw her to the wolves' and is willing to do anything just to be near her. He recognizes her strength and her ability to succeed when she has doubts and is constantly supporting her. He is persistent and refuses to give up on her. I do love that he did back away and give her her space also. He knew the decision to advance things between them needed to be hers, but damn that boy knew just how to pull her in.

I also really liked Alex's sister, Cathy. She was sweet and helpful and jumped at the chance to befriend Sam. I would love to see Nichole do a book about her in the future!

Overall, this book had everything I loved: great characters, an enjoyable storyline, a steamy romance, and a solid ending.

*A big thank you to KP@ InkSlingerPR for sending me an e-copy of this book to review! I received this book in return for a fair and honest review.*

 

About the Author:

 

Nichole Chase is a daydreamer. No, really, just ask any of the math teachers that had the misfortune of seeing her name appear on their class schedule.

For years she has had story lines and characters begging for attention, but she resolutely pushed them aside to focus on more normal (read, boring) jobs.Well, no longer! She is currently heeding the voices in her head and frantically writing their stories. Ms. Chase is the author of the Dark Betrayal Trilogy, Flukes, and Suddenly Royal (including several short stories).

 

Nichole resides in South Georgia with her husband, energetic daughter, dog, tortoise, and two cats. When not devouring novels by the dozens, you may find her writing, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises.
 

Website: www.nicholechase.com
Blog: http://www.nicholechase.BlogSpot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/NicholeChase
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/author.nicholechase
Goodreads Author: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5074162.Nichole_Chase
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/nicholechase/

Awesome Giveaway over at Nichole's blog!

 

 

Here's what Nichole had to say about the giveaway:

"To celebrate the official release of Suddenly Royal, I wanted to do something special. I could have done another giveaway, but that just didn’t seem like enough. This year, I’ve seen a lot of sad things, but I’ve also seen some amazing, spectacular people step forward to help. In a time of uncertainty and confusion, I feel like it’s important to celebrate those that are doing good and making a difference around them. So, this is what I want to do. I want to treat someone like a princess for a day. Really pamper them and make them feel special and loved.

But how to choose? Instead of doing a random drawing, I want you—my readers—to nominate someone deserving. Leave a comment on this post describing your deserving nominee and I will choose five people. Then you guys get to vote on who is the most deserving. All five of those people will receive a small package from me—but the one person with the most votes will receive the grand prize!

What is the grand prize, you ask? Well, let me tell you. We’re pulling out all the stops!
The grand prize winner will receive:
Signed swag from Suddenly Royal
A signed paperback copy of Suddenly Royal
A $100 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Certificate-I’m donating to this too! You do the Ulta and I’ll do the bookstore
A handmade necklace by moi!
A $100 ULTA gift certificate!
And what princess is complete without a crown and wand? Those will be provided for their special day as well!

Let’s give a deserving woman (or man!) the pampering they deserve! Leave a comment with your nominee’s name, why they deserve to be Princess for a Day, and a way for me to contact you. (I may need more information from you for the next round. If I can’t get in touch with you, I may have to move on to one of the other stories.)

Let’s get started! We’ll be accepting entries until 11:59pm on Saturday, April 27th. KP Simmon of InkSlinger PR and I will be choosing the top 5 stories on Sunday and posting the open voting on Tuesday, April 30th. We’ll keep voting open until Friday, May 3rd, at 12:00am and we’ll announce the winner on Sunday, May 5th! I’m a firm believer in passing things forward and I’ve been very lucky this year. Hopefully we can bring a smile to someone that needs it!"

 

Link to giveaway: http://nicholechase.blogspot.com/2013/04/princess-for-day.html?m=1