Happy Friday everyone! I'm jumping the gun a bit with this Friday Book Club post because the book I really, really, *really*, want to talk about is released on Tuesday and if I can do my little part to send y'all to either your nearest bookstore or online store of choice, then I'll be happy.

Let us discuss Lauren Dane. A long time love of mine since my early ebook days, her stories always end up being some of my favorites. She writes beautiful romances, with the kind of people you wish you were friends with in real life. The drama is never excessive but true to the story and the characters. And the HEA is always awesome.

Last month she released Opening Up, the first book in her new Ink and Chrome series. From her website... "Welcome to Twisted Steel — Seattle's premiere custom hot rod and motorcycle shop where the men are covered in ink, pierced in all the right places and are very, very good with their hands." Good introduction right?

Asa and PJ are a classic Dane couple and the intriguing bits and pieces about cars, tattoos, and power games in the bedroom make it a story I've already reread - and recommended to plenty of friends.

But you know this had to be going somewhere right? Or why else would I be posting this early? Well, on Tuesday the second book of the Ink and Chrome series comes out, Falling Under.

The men of Twisted Steel are great with their hands.

And they’re not afraid to get dirty.

Duke Bradshaw, co-owner of the Twisted Steel custom motorcycle and hot rod shop, may devote his days to chrome and leather, but his nights belong to Carmella. His sultry redheaded neighbor has a smile like an angel and a body built for sin, and for the past year both have dominated Duke’s dreams. When a problem at Twisted Steel requires a fast fix, Duke sees his chance to finally make his fantasy a reality.

Ever since she first heard the low rumble of his engine, Carmella Rossi has wondered if Duke Bradshaw handles his women as expertly as he handles his bike. When he shows up at her door offering her a much-needed job at his shop, she gets her chance to find out. Beneath Duke’s masterful touch, Carmella soon submits to a world of unimaginable pleasure.

But history has taught Carmella how bad a boy boy can be. If she doesn’t put on the brakes fast, her hard-bodied heartbreaker could drive her right over the edge . . .

I won my copy on Twitter in an ARC contest earlier this month and once I had it in my hands I realized it was both a blessing and a curse. Did I want to know immediately what was happening for Duke? Yes. Did I then want to agonizingly wait even longer for Mick's story? No. But I was not strong enough to resist and I of course started it immediately and finished it in less than a day.

Sigh. #bookproblems

Still, this second book cemented for me my initial feeling that this was going to be another regular comfort read series for me. Are Duke and Carmella's lives perfect? Of course not. They both have family baggage and they have to learn how to balance that with the people they want to be and the relationship they can see themselves having. It's a smart, fast paced story with the perfect amount of sexy times (if I do say so myself). If you're in the mood/market for a contemporary romance that's got just a bit of edge than I highly recommend you pick up both of these books ASAP :).

This top from Doll Me Up Darling is a more recent purchase, and all in all I'd say it was worth the $20. The polyester/spandex mix looked a little "swimsuit-y" in the lighter colors I tried, and finding a bra to wear with it was almost impossible, but it works great as another top option with this skirt so I'm happy.

Since this dress was a happy accident (someone returned my size in a color my store never carried) and it's on sale right now with an additional 20% off, I just had to blog about it. I picked it up for a couple reasons, one being I like how I look in white, and two because the pattern of the lace made me think of ancient civilizations, which was exactly what I needed for an outing to the Indiana Jones exhibit at the Nat Geo Museum.

The post title is a nod to my face in these pictures. Due to the sun I could really only look one way without getting gnarly shadows. Shrug, lol.

Oh and one more thing - I'm wearing a size 12 in this dress which fits but is tight. The lace doesn't have any stretch and getting the zipper up the back requires a bit of maneuvering. Just something to keep in mind!

// I actually didn't spend much time watching any of the SDCC coverage, but this post (even as someone who doesn't use Dubsmash) is AMAZING.

You're on @ChloeBennet4 @clarkgregg pic.twitter.com/Dm41ZFwzSu

— Hayley Atwell (@HayleyAtwell) July 11, 2015

// I've just decided that Go Set a Watchman doesn't exist.

// I definitely think that Con Man is going to be worth renting in September...


//I wish my library would get a copy of this book.



Fun Posts & Random Finds: Simon R. Green came out with a new book and it was pretty spiffy. // One of my coworkers drinks Kambucha on the regular and I just. Don't. Get it. // I've been working on transitioning to a .com address and let me tell you - it has been ROUGH. I don't know nearly enough about DNS settings to play in these waters but posts like this are helping me through. Wish me luck! // Thanks, StudioDIY, for yet another completely useless crafting project I now really want to do


Clothing & Jewelry: Like everyone else it seems, I've taken a gander at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I'm not actually in the market (or have the budget for) a significant haul but I purchased a few things to try - this coat, this coat, and this sweater. If I had what were considered "normal" calves I'd probably look at more boots but [shrug] what can you do? // So I really want this crop top but I can't decide if it's for me. My body issues are still ongoing and since they're not directly related to dieting per se, I can't tell if I'd be co-opting a movement or helping my brain do better. // Ditto for this tank top.

I might be late to the Junebugs and Georgia Peaches game, in fact I can't even remember what Blogger hole I fell in to find them, but when I saw they were coming out with a collection in partnership with Pinup Girl Clothing I was intrigued. And when I saw that the collection contained one of the cutest-but-still-kind-of-ridiculous dresses I had ever seen I was obsessed. I kept the tab open to the Amanda dress for weeks and promptly followed both Amanda and June on Instagram to stay in the loop. It's not really a surprise then when I say that as soon as it popped up for purchase I couldn't wait to click buy, huh?

I only own a couple other dresses from Pinup Girl Clothing but the quality continues to be awesome. This dress is fully lined with just a bit of fullness in the skirt - I've added a petticoat here and will probably always wear it that way. While it's on the pricier end of my closet I would have to fully recommend it - it's SO much fun and not only did I wear it twice over the Fourth of July weekend, I intend to wear it whenever I can get away with it this summer.