I'd like to share a very interesting book with you. Vonnie's book caught my attention with the blurb and kept my attention with her amazing story. Check in later for my full review and see why I love this book!
Mona Lisa’s Room
by Vonnie
Davis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
You won’t believe this email. I’m sitting in a
French safe house, eating caviar and drinking champagne with handsome
government agent, Niko Reynard. He’s wearing nothing but silk pajama bottoms
and mega doses of sex appeal. I’m in big trouble, little sister. He’s kissed me
several times and given me a foot massage that nearly caused spontaneous
combustion. I'm feeling strangely virginal compared to the sexual prowess this
thirty-year-old man exudes.
When I came to Paris for a bit of adventure, I
never imagined I’d foil a bombing attempt, karate-kick two men, and run from
terrorists while wearing a new pair of stilettos. I met a German musician, a
gay poet from Australia, and the most delightful older French woman.
Don’t worry. I’m safe…the jury’s still out on
yummy Niko, though. The more champagne I drink, the less reserved I feel. What
an unforgettable fortieth birthday!
Alyson
EXCERPT:
When Niko ended the mind-blowing kiss, he pulled her closer,
if that were possible, and
whispered in her ear. “We’re being followed. Hold my hand
and run.”
Run? Melting came to
mind, but running? How could she run when he kissed her until the bones in her
legs turned to jelly? Plus, she was wearing new high heels.
His arms squeezed her for an instant. “Now.”
He grabbed her hand, and they took off. They dodged throngs
of pedestrians and at one point, Niko hurtled over a poodle, its protective
owner shouting in French outrage, calling him a fool. “Fou! Fou! Mon chien, mon
chien!”
Alyson had done her
fair share of running, especially after her break up with Chaz. Running was a
stress reliever; so were the Stair Master and martial arts. Still, those activities
were done in sneakers or barefooted, not high heels. Stilettos, no less. Oh,
and the thong. Let’s not forget the damn thong chafing her in places she didn’t
want to think about. She’d kill Gwen when she got home.
“Faster, Aly!”
“You put me in three-inch heels and expect me to run fast?
You bossy Frenchman with a foot
fetish.” She stumbled, and he caught her.
“Typical woman. Kiss her once and she figures she has the
right to bitch at you.” Niko’s head
turned, evidently scanning the area as they ran.
She tried jerking her arm free of his ironclad grasp. “So
help me, God, if that terrorist doesn’t kill you, I will.”
He pulled her around two uniformed nannies pushing toddlers
in strollers. “Promises. Promises.”
“Yeah, well look how nice my hips sway now, nutso, running
in these damned heels.”
Niko quickly glanced up and down the wide tree-lined street
and evidently seeing a slight break in traffic, ordered, “To the other side.
Now.”
They bolted across the four-lane boulevard and its
well-manicured median. Two motorbikes rumbled past, nearly hitting them. Horns
blared as several Renaults and Smart Cars barreled down the street.
Niko shoved her out of the way and she fell, her hands and
knees scraping on the asphalt. Brakes screeched and there was a dull thud
behind her. She glanced back over her shoulder just as Niko rolled across the
hood of a silver car. He never broke stride. “Run, dammit!”
“That must account for your great legs. Which reminds me—”
he slid the ottoman back and picked up her foot “—I promised you a foot
massage.”
Oh, good Lord. “That’s really not necessary.” His thumb
pressed into the ball of her foot, and she wanted to whimper.“Your feet have
taken a beating today. Running in those new high heels couldn’t have been
comfortable.”
His magic fingers rubbed and kneaded the muscles of her foot
and toes. She sighed in pure
pleasure, or purred. God bless magic fingers.
“Yet you never once complained. You’re a strong woman, Aly.”
He bent and placed a gentle kiss to her toes and then to the instep of her
foot, as his warm hands continued kneading her flesh.
“I…I’ve never had my toes kissed before.”
His dark head rose and chocolate eyes stared at her before
he tilted his head to the side, as if
regarding every nuance of her expression. “I have so much I
could teach you, cherie. You deserve to be cherished.” He bent and kissed her
ankle as his large hands moved slowly up her leg, rubbing her sore calves.
“Your skin is so soft. A man could die happy after touching you and feeling you
respond to him. Men dream of such a reaction from a woman.” His fingertips
played a sonata on her skin. Feather-light touches hummed promises. Her body
sang its own sultry reply.
“Your calf muscles are tight. Did you use bath salts when
you bathed?” He seemed intent on
rubbing her muscles into submission. Her womanly muscles had
already succumbed by this point.
Alyson cleared her throat, hoping her voice wouldn’t give
her away. “Yes. Yes, I did.”
“Good.” One warm hand slid behind her knee, slowly raising
it. “Are these scrapes from when you fell this afternoon? He kissed first one
and then the other, slow, sensual kisses. Oh, good Lord! How much more can I
take before I haul him to me and beg him to end this thing?
His palms slowly rubbed her thighs, then stilled. “What do
we have here?” A finger pushed the hem of her sleep shorts higher. “A tat?” His
dark gaze swept to hers and his voice dropped to a sensual whisper. “I never
imagined you would have a tattoo. You know I never cared much for butterflies—”
he placed a kiss on the blue and purple butterfly “—but my opinion of them has
suddenly changed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vonnie
will be awarding a $25.00 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during
the tour. So, the more you follow and comment, the greater your chances to win!
November 12: Books Are Magic
November 13: Rachel Brimble Romance
November 14: Queen of all She Reads
November 15: Realmantic Moments
November 16: Bodice Ripper Novels
November 19: Reviews by Molly
November 20: Christine Young Romance Writer
November 21: Cathie Dunn writes...
November 22: Cocktails and Books
November 23: Live To Read ~Krystal
November 26: Long and Short Reviews: Romance
November 27: Reviewing Shelf
November 27: STOP 2 Read My Mind
November 28: Welcome to My World of Dreams
November 29: Sharing Links and Wisdom
November 30: SnifferWalk
November 13: Rachel Brimble Romance
November 14: Queen of all She Reads
November 15: Realmantic Moments
November 16: Bodice Ripper Novels
November 19: Reviews by Molly
November 20: Christine Young Romance Writer
November 21: Cathie Dunn writes...
November 22: Cocktails and Books
November 23: Live To Read ~Krystal
November 26: Long and Short Reviews: Romance
November 27: Reviewing Shelf
November 27: STOP 2 Read My Mind
November 28: Welcome to My World of Dreams
November 29: Sharing Links and Wisdom
November 30: SnifferWalk
BIO:
Vonnie Davis
holds a degree in English with a concentration in technical writing from Penn
State. She is retired and has traded in her technical writer’s tailored clothes
for the feather boa of a romance writer. Her debut novel, Storm’s Interlude,
was awarded the HOLT Medallion Award of Merit in two categories: Best book by a
Virginia author and Best Mainstream Single Title. She lives in southern
Virginia with her husband, who is also a writer.
LINKS: Website ~
http://www.vonniedavis.com
Blog
~ http://www.vintagevonnie.blogspot.com
Twitter
~ https://twitter.com/vonniewrites
Facebook
~ https://www.facebook.com/WritingStoriesOfTheHeart
Thank you for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteWow, exciting and sexy excerpt. Sounds like fun.
ReplyDeleteIt is fun, Jane. Writing it was fun, too, except for the night Niko woke me to show how he wanted a later chapter started. I was sound asleep when someone slammed our bedroom door. I sat straight up in the bed, heart pounding. Wha...what was that? Hubster was snoring away. He hadn't heard anything. Must be dreaming, thinks I, so I lay back down. I'd just fallen asleep when the door slammed again. Only this time I saw who did it--Niko, my hero in MONA LISA'S ROOM. I moaned and growled, asking him what he wanted. "Watch," he commanded. So I watched or dreamed as he stormed back a hallway, his hands clenched. He opened a door to an interrogation room. There sat Alyson tied to a chair and blindfolded. Niko slammed the door and she jumped. Then, the dream stopped. "That's it?" I asked. "You woke me for that piddlin' little bit? Why are you so angry? Why is Alyson tied up? What the heck is going on?" Took me four chapter to set up that scene. I was not happy. LOL
DeleteLove the excerpt, thank you
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ingeborg. I'll go easy on you. I was pretty windy with MomJane, poor thing. LOL Have a great day.
DeleteI have never had my toes kissed before either because I am just too ticklish. SO sad for me. I enjoyed the excerpt!
ReplyDeletechrysrawr@yahoo.com
Oh Christine, it's quite the sensual experience if the guy knows what he's doing. I love little sensual touches and kisses in unexpected places.
DeleteI love the combo of action and romance in the excerpt. It sounds like it is going to be a great novel
ReplyDeletefencingromein at hotmail dot com
Shannon, I keep hoping readers will love it as much as I do. Of course every writer thinks her/his stuff is great reading. What readers do you enjoy?
DeleteThank you so much for hosting me today. I'm late checking in, I know. I had lunch with my agent and I don't who can talk the most. LOL I'm thrilled you're reading MONA LISA'S ROOM and are enjoying it. The book is the first of a trilogy. Each book has a different romantic couple--Jean-Luc and Gwen are in book two, for example. However, the same band of terrorist wreak havic in all three books until the leader of the group is revealed in the final book.
ReplyDeleteYour characters sound very memorable!
ReplyDeletevitajex(at)Aol(dot)com
Thanks, hon. Good luck in the drawing.
DeleteVonnie...What is the inspiration for the title?
ReplyDeletecatherinelee100 at gmail dot com
That Alyson's life-changing adventure begins in the Salon Carree of the Louvre where the Mona Lisa hangs--or Mona Lisa's Room. Part of the opening scene--being admonished by a security guard for taking a picture while almost everyone else was doing the same thing--happened to me when we were in Paris a few years ago. My mind surged into "what-if" mode from there.
DeleteRegarding your last comment - It's very interesting to practically see how a writer's mind works.
ReplyDeletemarypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com