Bared by Him: by Red Garnier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Blurb

My Review

He’s as powerful as Zeus, but has the disposition of Hades

Something in her gaze snared and trapped him. There was passion in there, in those eyes. Kindness. Compassion. And something deep and wounded.

I have been addicted to this series ever since book 2, Taken by Him. And I have been looking forward to the brooding and man of few words Cade ever since. I had a feeling that his story will be a good one, and I was not wrong. While book 2 still continues to be my favorite in the series, this was the most emotionally charged one.

Cade West lost his wife to cancer 10 years ago, and continues to grieve her loss. Though it’s not as much sadness that he feels, as it is anger; anger that he wasn’t able to help her, that no amount of money and treatment was able to save her from death at such a young age.

So when the beautiful Ivy barges into his office demanding that he donate to her cancer research charity, his rage hits an all time high. He wants to throw the ballsy blonde out of his office but there’s just one problem, he wants her, and he hasn’t wanted a woman like this in as long as he can remember.

So what does he do to take care of this problem? Well he challenges her to a game of strip poker and promises his donation if she wins.
Ivy can’t help but feel an intense pull to Cade. She knows the wounds that he has, and she want to get to the man behind it, so she takes him up on the offer.

But when the game begins, all bets are off.

This novella, like all the others, was incredibly steamy and sexy. Cade may be a man of a few words but when he’s in the bedroom…well, let’s just say he says ENOUGH.

Ivy was a wonderful heroine. She was hesitant to get emotionally involved with Cade, but I can completely understand why that was given the information we find out about her in the end of the book. There was no unnecessary angst, which was refreshing as well.

Cade was dark and broody, but when he finally recognized his feelings for Ivy…I just fell even more for him.

I want you, Ivy. I want you more than I’ve wanted anything in my life – I take you in my sleep. I take you any way I can get you, any fucking time I can.”

While the sexy, womanizing, manwhore Luke continues to be my favorite in this series, Cade definitely came in in a very close second.

Each novella is told in dual POV and can easily be read as a standalone. Though I highly recommend reading them all. Red Garnier has this fantastic writing style that allows the reader to not only get a feel for the characters in 100 pages, but to fall for them as well.

And let’s be honest here, these books are friggin HAWT with a capital H.

Buy Links

MacRieve by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Hot and Hotter stars










“You’ve let me tend tae your fire, and tonight it’s searing me clean. I can be what you need.”



He was so domineering. And a dirty talker. Apparently, she liked both.

Book Blurb:

My Review

That is totally me right now. Yes, fairy wings and all. Why you ask? Well, because I’m fun and eccentric that way. But mainly, it’s because I just read a Kresley Cole book and IT.WAS.AWESOME!

I admit that after reading some mixed reviews on this book, I had put off reading it. I have loved every book i this series, and I was terrified that book 13 might take me off of my IAD buzz.

I should have known better. Kresley definitely did not disappoint! MacRieve turned out being so much better than I even hoped. Now this might have been a case of not having any expectations while going into the book. But whatever the reason may have been, I couldn’t put it down until I read the very last page.

The one thing that I have to give praise for, is to this day IAD books continue to focus on only 2 POVs. While there is a whole lot of world building and action that takes place, I never see it take away from the main couple. There are no unnecessary side characters POVs. We get to touch base with many favorite characters, like my personal favorite Nix (and her bat), but the main focus is the couple.

The one thing that I definitely did notice change, is the books are certainly becoming much more sexual. Or at least this one was. Which you will not find this girl complaining about. But then again, I’m a smut connoisseur 🙂

So finally we get the story of the first half of the Hot and Hotter twins, MacRieve. And let me tell you, it was quite brutal. Poor Will has been through quite a bit in his long life, with the recent addition of his stint in The Order’s prison and favorite play thing of a demented scientist.

When he escapes the prison, he’s not quite right. And then his life takes a turn when he unexpectedly finds his mate.

Kresley Cole has yet to write a heroine that I haven’t loved, and Chloe was no exception. I loved her sass, and the way she stood up to everyone, even MacRieve.

Of course we had to get some angst, when a particular secret comes out and throws their mating for a loop. My sexy MacRieve goes from sweet to complete and utter asshole in no time flat.

Luckily for me, I like that sort of thing. When the hero makes mistakes and treats the heroine like dirt, but then has to grovel to make up for it? Oh yea! I am ALL over that.

He also happened to be a dirty talker. Which if you follow my reviews, you know is an Achilles heel of mine. Plus the steam in this book? Sweet mother! I’d say this is the steamiest book in the series.

I can see why some reviewers found him to be a little excessive in his anger. but considering his past and what he’s been through, I understood it, and it didn’t bother me much. Considering that he was able to (view spoiler)[suppress his beast on a full moon for her (hide spoiler)], which was huge, he did his best to make up for his mistakes with Chloe.

We also get the set-up for Munro’s book, which was a hell of a start. I’m really looking forward to finding out what happens there. But according to Kresley Cole, we will be getting Lanthe and Thronos next. Can’t wait to see what that brings. I’ve been looking forward to their book since Demon From The Dark.

13 books in the series, and still going strong. This has definitely become one of my favorite PNR series, so a huge rec from me.

If you like tortured, dirty talking heroes and sassy, strong-willed heroines with fun side characters and amazing world building, snark, humor, and steam, you must check out this series.

Buy Links

Safe With Me by Kristen Proby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ll be damned if I’ll screw this up for her. I’m too fucked up for anything long-term, and she deserves nothing less.

Book Blurb:

My Review:

I’ve been looking forward to Caleb and Brynna’s story for a while now. Kristen Proby definitely knows how to write a steamy as hell romance. While I can’t say this book will be making to my favorites list, I did enjoy it.

When a tragic event forces Brynna and her twin daughters to fear their safety, they pick up their life in Chicago and move to Seattle where Brynna’s cousin lives. It’s been a year since the incident that sent them into hiding, and Brynna is finally starting to settle into a somewhat normal life until a threat rises up again and she has no choice but to accept protection in the form of her walking fantasy, Caleb Montgomery.

Brynna has been lusting after Caleb for months, but Caleb insists on a hands off friendship. He doesn’t think that he’s capable of a relationship; his experiences as a SEAL left him broken and damaged. He doesn’t think that he has anything to offer Brynna or her girls. But that doesn’t mean that he stops wanting her any less.

Caleb still suffers horrendous nightmares from his past tours. He thinks he’s broken, damaged, not worthy of someone like Brynna.

Brynna was a wonderful heroine. She was strong, in a very understated way. She wasn’t a pushover or whine when she didn’t get her way. I loved the way that she handled Caleb and his problems. She was understanding and patient.

Caleb was just pure sex on a stick. Kristen Proby definitely did not disappoint in the sex department. This book was HOT. When Caleb finally gave in to the red hot passion between them IT.WAS.ON.

These two just burned up the pages together. It wasn’t just all Caleb, I really liked how Brynna went after what she wanted and didn’t shy away from getting it.

Brynna’s girls were adorable, and I especially enjoyed Caleb’s interaction with them. It was incredibly sweet.

We also get to catch up with all the characters from the past books and find out how their relationships have developed, which was great.

So why only 4 stars? Well, while I loved Caleb and Brynna, and Brynna and Caleb together, and the super steamy scenes, I just didn’t connect that much with this book as I did with Rock with Me.

I think my biggest quibble was the “suspense” part of this book. I felt like it was really glossed over and just a quick filler. In the beginning, it explained Brynna’s move, and then the reason for Brynna to need Caleb’s protection, but then it sort of just fizzled out? The way that it resolved just felt entirely too glossed over. I just felt like something was missing. It seemed like there was all this build up, and then in the end the quick resolution just fell slightly flat. I’m not even sure why I think that, and I very well may be in the minority with my opinion. But whatever the reason may be, it still just didn’t feel like a 5 star book for me.

What I’m very happy about? The little teaser we get into Matt’s book in the end. Sweet baby jebus! I am ALL about the dirty and kinky cops.

Bring it on! I cannot wait.

Buy Links

Perfect Regret by A. Meredith Walters

Blessed are the hearts that bend; they shall never be broken.

That awkward, confused looking person in that gif? That’s me right now. Minus the penis and plus some more hair. Why you ask? Well because I’m in a bit of a loss as to how to rate a book like this.

I loved, absolutely loved the first book, and I really enjoy the author’s writing. I loved everything about this book. Well everything aside from one tiny weenie little thing: the heroine, Riley. She drove me out of my ever loving mind! Now, it will be fair to say that I seem to have a short fuse for annoying and weak heroines. But here’s the thing…Riley was not weak. If anything she was the polar opposite of that times infinity on steroids.

Riley Walker has just been dumped. To say that she’s not handling it well is an understatement. She’s supposed to be the girl that doesn’t make mistakes, that leads the perfect life, that has her goals and priorities in order, and knows what she wants from her life. She had all of that, plus the perfect on paper boyfriend…until her perfect boyfriend tells her that their relationship has become boring and dumps her. So of course she’s going to wallow in some self pity for a while.

And to commemorate my recent descent into early spinsterhood, I had compiled a list of the most obnoxious and annoying songs ever written. Nothing says heartache and the overwhelming urge to disembowel yourself with a butter knife quite like an hour of Celine Dion ballads.

But then, to add insult to injury, she finds out that her ex just asked her very annoying coworker out. So what’s a girl to do? Well get drunk and have a very hot one night stand with the person she least expected to pay any attention to; Garrett Bellows.

Time to take a ride on the Garrett Express all the way to Fuck Me town

Riley never thought to give him the time of day. After all he’s a townie, a pot head, and no goals in mind aside from being the guitarist of Generation Rejects…but is that really all that was to him?

Garrett

We’ve found something in each other that we want. Hell if I understand why. Out of all the fish in the sea, I had to hook you. One giant, snarly toothed piranha ready to bite my fingers off.”

Buy Links

Unattainable by Madeline Sheehan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Love, they say, has the potential to kill a person if they aren’t careful. I wasn’t careful. I let that love blossom uncontrollably until it was in full bloom, exploding from within me, with nowhere to go.

Well Madeline Sheehan has done it again, she has taken broken, damaged, and completely imperfect characters and managed to write a dark and gritty book that you will not be able to put down until the very last page.

I was not a fan of Tegan from the past books, and I’ll be honest that I wasn’t thrilled to be reading a book with her as the main heroine. But I love this series, and I loved Cage, so I thought what the hell. Well I am eating my words, I’m not too proud to admit that, because this book was fucking awesome!

Cage is the son of Deuce, the president of the Hell’s Horsemen MC, and he’s also the asshole manwhore responsible for breaking little Tegan’s heart at the tender age of 16.

Considering the woman didn’t have a sound below screeching, it’d be hard not to. She’s a vulgar, rude, mean, mouthy little bitch. But considering what she has been through in her 24 years, it’s somewhat understandable. Tegan is the the daughter of Dorothy, a “club whore” and has been in the MC life since she was eight. She has also been in love with Cage just as long, up until he shattered her world and her heart when she was 16, and she hasn’t been the same since. She learned one very tough lesson from all of it

You stupid bitch. You ignorant, stupid bitch. Love isn’t a fucking answer. It hurts more than it doesn’t, it’s harder than it is easy, it takes work, guts, and perseverance.”

Tegan escaped to California for college and to be as far away from the club as possible. To say that she hates them and the life they lead would be putting it mildly. But now she’s back at the request of her mother, who’s still dealing with the fallout and issues following her gunshot wound the head courtesy of Jase’s wife a year ago, and Tegan is forced to come face to face with everything that she had hoped to forget.

Wow wow wow! The side story of Dirty and Ellie was one of the best parts of this book for me. I think they were the saving grace to Tegan’s constant screeching, yelling, and swearing. Ellie is Danny’s friend from UnBeautifully; she was the reserved and somewhat shy one of the group of friends. Dirty was a character that I barely paid any mind to from the past books…until he pretty much stole the show in this one.

My heart broke for him with every new bit of information I read. He was such a broken, dark, and damaged soul.

He was nothing. He was shit. He was a damaged, deranged, sick motherfucker who deserved to be put the fuck down. He shouldn’t have lived for as long as he had; he didn’t deserve to share the same earth with people like Ellie.

Ellie was the light to his dark. I absolutely loved her and the way she treated Dirty. Their story was gut wrenching and beautiful at the same time. My heart broke for each of them and what they were going through.

Every day she was faced with his beautiful face, his long, lean, sculpted body, and his personality, so damaged, so fragile, she couldn’t help but want to fix him. He was a woman’s worst nightmare— beautiful on the outside, ravaged on the inside. A deadly combination.

Their story was the perfect yang to the ying of Cage and Tegan. Had it been just Tegan and Cage, the book would have been something close to 3.5 stars for me. But Dirty and Ellie added that dark and damaged softness that this book so needed to bring it to a beautiful 5 star read.

But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Madeline Sheehan has a writing style that’s dark and gritty but at the same time so incredibly emotional that I’ve come to fall in love with it. There’s been plenty of MC books I’ve read before and after, but not one of them compares to her books. Not even close.

There was so much that happened in this book that I don’t want to go into since I don’t want to spoil or give anything away, but prepare yourself for another roller coaster of emotions.

ZZ, oh sweet baby jebus! I cannot wait for his book. The event that took place toward the end of Unattainable

I can’t even imagine what his book will bring. Wow, just fucking WOW!

And of course there was more Dorothy, Hawk, and Jase. I can’t wait to see what happens with them.

Madeline Sheehan just keeps getting better and better with each new book. Yes, her characters are far from perfect. Yes, they will piss you off more than make you happy. And yes, her stories will gut you and at the same time make you feel eeeeeeverything. You will hate it, you will love it, and you will be unable to set it down.

But that is enough gushing from me. You will want to drop everything you’re doing and READ. THIS. BOOK. And I thank you

Buy Links