All Reviews – Page 111

Jennifer’s Review: Baiting the Maid of Honor by @mstessabailey

October 25, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

BAITING THE MAID OF HONOR
Series: Wedding Dare #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: June 9, 2014

He’ll own her from the very first touch.

Julie Piper and Reed Lawson have nothing in common. She’s a people-pleasing sorority girl hiding behind her perfect mask. He’s a take-no-prisoners SWAT commander who isolates himself from the world. But when they’re forced together at their friends’ posh destination wedding, one thing is clear—Reed wants Julie more than he wants his next breath. Which is why he’s not about to stand by when she’s dared to seduce another man.

Julie wants neat, tidy sex, so she could get back to what she does best—making everybody else happy. She never expected to slip into a dark bedroom and have her mind blown by rough, demanding hands, and a sinfully filthy mouth—neither of which belong to the best man.

One night should have been all Reed needed to get the blond temptress out of his system, but when one taste is nowhere near enough, he’ll be forced confront the effects of his hellish past. One that may push Julie away forever… just when he realizes he can’t live without her.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Tessa, I’m just gonna hire you to be my word slave and tie you up in my basement and never let you out except to write more words…..Bwahahaha! Ok, the crazy fangirl is coming out and scaring everyone so I’m gonna reign it in a little.

Mother….effing…..Reed. It’s like he jumped out of my dreams and into this book. Dark, Tattoos, Broody, Mean, Bossy. Ugh. Gimme. He is from the other side of the tracks. The bad boy. He is a SWAT team leader, so he used to bossing everyone around. Everything is black and white to him. He barely even made it to the wedding. The first time he sees Julie, she is letting her hair down, literally, and he knows he has to have her. Reed…..I want him for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and especially for dessert.

My Reed & Julie:

She switched her hips from a circular motion to a gentle front-to-back tease that allowed her to ride his length base to tip. “You like that, sugar?” she whispered, barely audible among the bass-heavy music.

He released a strangled growl against her neck. “Enough teasing. Sit down all the way and work my cock with your beautiful ass.”

Julie is the perfect southern girl. She is the maid of honor and the wedding planner. She is organized and put together. And Reed wants to mess…her…up. She doesn’t understand why she attracted to the bad boy, but her insta-lust is undeniable. She barely tries to keep away from him, and when she does let herself just let go, she becomes a brazen hussy. Lol. Reed doesn’t expect her to loosen up, but she exceeds his expectations in many creative ways. Hehehe. Reed and Julie get…it…on. Pixie-style (His nickname for her is Pixie. Lol.)

He gripped her chin and lifted her head so it faced the mirror. “Watch me. Watch me finish, baby. You need to see what you did.” When she nodded, his movements grew jerky, yet somehow even more determined. Ever so slightly, he tightened his grip on her jaw until her mouth opened from the pressure. He pushed his fingers inside. “Suck.”

That ladder scene?! Tessa, how do make a ladder scene so erotic?!!! Because I will never look at a ladder the same way again!

”Reed. I’m…I’m going to fall.”
“No. You will not fall. You will stay right there until I’m finished.”

Once again, Tessa goes above and beyond. The whole setting of this book takes place before the wedding as they groomsmen and bridesmaids are gearing up for the big event. I knew this would be a quick read, but I didn’t expect the character development to impress me so much. I absolutely loved all of the characters and enjoyed trying to figure out which groomsman will end up with which bridesmaid. I am super excited to read the other books in this series, even though they are written by different authors.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4 stars, brazen, Jennifer Reviews, Tessa Bailey

DGR Favorite & Review: Punk 57 by @PenDouglas

October 23, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

PUNK 57
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Penelope Douglas
Release Date: October 21, 2016

“We were perfect together. Until we met.”

Misha

I can’t help but smile at the words in her letter. She misses me.

In fifth grade, my teacher set us up with pen pals from a different school. Thinking I was a girl, with a name like Misha, the other teacher paired me up with her student, Ryen. My teacher, believing Ryen was a boy like me, agreed.

It didn’t take long for us to figure out the mistake. And in no time at all, we were arguing about everything. The best take-out pizza. Android vs. iPhone. Whether or not Eminem is the greatest rapper ever…

And that was the start. For the next seven years, it was us.

Her letters are always on black paper with silver writing. Sometimes there’s one a week or three in a day, but I need them. She’s the only one who keeps me on track, talks me down, and accepts everything I am.

We only had three rules. No social media, no phone numbers, no pictures. We had a good thing going. Why ruin it?

Until I run across a photo of a girl online. Name’s Ryen, loves Gallo’s pizza, and worships her iPhone. What are the chances?

F*ck it. I need to meet her.

I just don’t expect to hate what I find.

Ryen

He hasn’t written in three months. Something’s wrong. Did he die? Get arrested? Knowing Misha, neither would be a stretch.

Without him around, I’m going crazy. I need to know someone is listening. It’s my own fault. I should’ve gotten his number or picture or something.

He could be gone forever.

Or right under my nose, and I wouldn’t even know it.

AMAZON | B&N | iBOOKS | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

We were perfect together. Until we met.”

Ever since I read Bully, I became an instant Penelope Douglas fan. The woman speaks right to my inner angst junky. It certainly doesn’t hurt matters that she also manages to create the perfect alphahole heroes in every book I read by her. Having loved her Falling Away series and all the others as well, to say that this book is right up there with Bully for me is a lot. Because Bully continues to be one of my top favorites by her. But there was also an underlying message to this book that I loved. That in addition to the incredible writing, the fantastic characters, the delicious angst, and the oh so sexy romance combined to be one of my top reads for the year.

He’s a jerk whose only kick in life is to make mine miserable.

I think we all have a point in our life where we didn’t feel comfortable in our own skin; where being accepted even if it means suppressing your real self a little feels like the easiest thing to do. A time where your peer’s opinions of you feel like the most important thing and acceptance is everything. No one is born full comfortable with themselves and being able to do what’s right even if that means going against the grain, but the road to getting there is the most interesting one.

Ryen is not a heroine that you want to like. What I mean is, here’s someone that’s the exact opposite of your usual heroine. She’s popular, she’s quiet when the weak are being picked on, and she suppresses her real self for the warmth of acceptance that she gets from people that aren’t even truly her friends. But there’s also something about this character that clicks with you. You can’t help but connect with her and understand her on some level, because at one time or another we’ve all been in her shoes.

Ryen and Misha have been pen pals for years, and while they know each other’s deepest and darkest thoughts, they have no idea who the other really is or what they look like. That doesn’t stop them from developing an incredible connection through their letters…until Misha gets a real peak at who Ryen is and everything changes.

We’re all ugly, Ryen. The only difference is, some hide it and some wear it.”

Misha is a grade A asshole in the beginning and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love every page of it. Douglas has this gift for writing some of the sexiest alphaholes I’ve ever read. Yes, they’re mean and you want to slap them at times, but you also understand what drives them to be that way and you can’t help but love them anyway.

I want everything about you, Ryen, and I know you want me.” Her body shakes a little, and I lean in, kissing her on the cheek. “But I love the way you lie.”

The angst is off the charts good. For those that are like myself and enjoy that burn of sexual tension with a bit of hate/lust, you will devour every page and beg for more. And the sexual chemistry?
This is so much more than a sexy NA romance, however. It’s a story of learning to love and accept yourself. A story of learning to stand up for what you believe is right even if no one stands up with you. It’s a story of friendship and love. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that you never want to get off of and a romance between two people that don’t make sense together on paper but couldn’t be more right for each other. It’s dark and light, it’s love and hate. It’s complete and utter perfection.

I miss you every day, I write. You’re my favorite place.

If you’re a fan of Penelope Douglas and you enjoyed her Fall Away series and you want another taste of her Devil’s Night world, this is an absolute must read. If you love angsty NA romances with a H/h that you will love to hate and just flat out love, this is an absolute must read. If you’re a fellow angst whore like me, then this is an absolute must read. Basically, what I’m trying to tell you here is READ THIS BOOK!! You won’t regret a second of it.

You’re not alone. It gets better. You are important, and you can’t be replaced. Hang on.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites, New Adult · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, Penelope Douglas

Review: Savage Mafia Prince by Annika Martin

October 21, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

SAVAGE MAFIA PRINCE
Series: A Dangerous Royals Romance #3
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Annika Martin
Release Date: October 13, 2016

Where is Kiro?
He’s the lost Dragusha brother, heir to a vast mafia empire—brilliant, violent, and utterly savage…and he’s been missing for years.

Ann
I’m supposed to be doing simple undercover research at the Fancher Institute for the Mentally Ill & Dangerous, but I can’t keep my mind off Patient 34. He’s startlingly young and gorgeous, but it’s not just that. He’s strapped way too tightly to that bed. And there’s no name or criminal history on his chart. What are these people hiding? My reporter’s instincts are screaming.

Here’s the other thing: the staffers here believe he’s so sedated that there’s not a thought in his head, but I catch him watching me when nobody’s looking. Our connection sizzles when I enter the room. When our eyes meet, I know he understands me in a way nobody else ever has.

I’m supposed to follow my editor’s orders—I have secrets, too—but everything about Patient 34 is suspicious. How can I not investigate?

AMAZON | iBOOKS

He’s broken me somehow. And I like it. I want to be broken by him over and over.

The wait is finally over. The youngest and most lethal Dragusha brother’s story is finally here. To say that I was eagerly anticipating Kiro’s book would be a HUGE understatement. I was practically panting with need for it.

A young boy, long thought dead, surviving in the wilderness for years and being raised among wolves, only to be captured and locked in a cage. Researched, bound, deemed criminal and mentally insane, Kiro counts down the minutes till he finally makes his ultimate escape, while unbeknownst to him his brothers continue their search for him before their mortal enemy gets to him first. But then a beautiful and broken woman working through the demons of her own past complicates things for Kiro’s plans…

He’s a force of nature. Pure aliveness. Pure power. He’s the most ferociously hot thing I’ve ever seen. The most dangerous thing I’ve ever seen.

Ann only knows him as patient Patient 34. He’s on so many drugs he’s practically comatose, but yet she can’t help but feel an almost electric current of danger oozing from his still form. As an undercover reporter sent on a different assignment than Patient 34, Ann can’t help but sense a deeper story and she’s determined to get to the bottom of it. But what’s more important to her, the story, or the developing bond she feels to Kiro every passing second in his company?

I have to admit, that I may have let my anticipation for this book build up my expectations. I was thinking the series would end with a bang. I expected lots of action and a quick paced story filled with gritty darkness. And while this was some of those things, it also wasn’t. It was slower paced with most of the action happening towards the end.

That aside, I adored Kiro. There’s this hidden savage vulnerability to him that I just couldn’t get enough of. He was like a wounded wolf; you want to take care of him, but you still know he’s a wild predator. His history is heartbreaking and the man is nothing if not a survivor. Ann was a great heroine and I loved her tenderness with him. I suppose I just found myself wishing for a little more. More grit. More dark. Each book in the series is very different and together they do have a good balance. If you’re reading this as a standalone, you’re doing yourself a great disservice. This is a continuing story line and many details would be lost on you having not read the previous two books.

Was it everything I hoped? Not quite. The epilogue was a touch rushed, I wished I had more scenes with all three brothers considering how long they’ve been searching for Kiro. Did it still hit the spot and settle my craving for Kiro’s story? Absolutely.

A DANGEROUS ROYALS ROMANCE SERIES

: Dark Mafia Prince (A Dangerous Royals Romance, #1)

: Wicked Mafia Prince (A Dangerous Royals Romance, #2)

: Savage Mafia Prince (A Dangerous Royals Romance, #3)

DARK MAFIA PRINCE | WICKED MAFIA PRINCE | SAVAGE MAFIA PRINCE

Read our reviews:

DARK MAFIA PRINCE | WICKED MAFIA PRINCE

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark · Tagged With: Annika Martin, Book Reviews: 3 stars, Mafia

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Take Me With You by @ninagjones

October 20, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

TAKE ME WITH YOU
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Nina G. Jones
Release Date: October 17, 2016
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

I watch.
I study.
I prowl.
I hunt.

I always go in with a plan. A set of rules for myself. I don’t take unnecessary risks. That’s how I’ve been able to evade capture all these years.

But there’s something about this girl that is different than the others. When I finally meet her, the rules become a blur. And I break the most important one of all—I take her with me.

——-

It’s just my imagination—that feeling of being watched. That those icy eyes— a vivid turquoise with a distinct golden fleck—aren’t watching me.

It’s just stress. I am the person everyone relies on. Maybe that’s why I haven’t been feeling so content with my life lately. Why I dream those eyes belong to someone who can tear me away from all of my responsibilities.

But these are just shameful fantasies, never meant to breach reality.

Then one night, the dream comes true, only it’s a horrific nightmare.

Now, I only have one task: survival.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

“Who are you?” I cry. “The Night,” he rasps.

What.
The.
Fuck.
Did.
I.
Just.
Read.

This book was all sorts of fucked up. ALL SORTS OF FUCKED UP, I TELLS YA! I need to be committed, my head examined, my sanity questioned… because I liked it. Never has something so wrong felt so…actually no. It just felt wrong. So very wrong.

Nina G. Jones was not afraid to go there. To the deepest, darkest depths of depravity. She didn’t just push comfort lines here, the woman ran over them with a damn mac truck. Then she backed that shit up and ran it the hell over 3 more times to make sure it stuck. To make sure that you question your sanity with every page. To make sure that you’re convinced that clearly something must be wrong with you for enjoying it. For questioning your damn sanity because you can’t put it down and yet it feels so wrong. SO VERY WRONG. Bah! Just bah!

Girls like her don’t want the beast. They want the idea of one. They want to be safe and still revel in the thrill. But there’s no safety with a monster. Because monsters consume. They take your body, your soul, and your innocence.

Imagine watching an episode of Criminal Minds and actually finding yourself falling for the perpetrator. There’s no gray area with this anti-hero. Fuck no. This man is as deep in the black as it gets. There’s no redemption in sight. He’s not a man that will tug at your heart strings. You’ll actually WANT to hate him. But here’s the thing? His character is written so freaking well, that you’ll actually understand him, and that, my friends, is where the mindfuck begins.

He’s all rippled muscles, and sweat, and filth. Eyes that reveal no soul or depth, clear as a demon’s.

Here’s what I’ll tell you about the book: NOTHING

And if you need to know something, then this book is not for you. It needs to be experienced and to do that, you need to be fully unprepared for what you’re getting yourself into.

I have news for you, Vesp. When you’re fucked up like me—like that—heaven and hell aren’t very different.”

Take Me With You is dark, twisted and immoral. It’s violent, crude and dirty. The characters are so far outside typical comfort zones and the norm, they may as well be in a different dimension. It was also phenomenally written, completely unputdownable, and utterly unforgettable.

I want him to fill me with his poison again. He likes the taste of my sadness and I like when he injects me with his venom. He is my danger, my greatest threat. When he’s on my side, I know that I am safe.

If you want a book that will take you out of your comfort zone, this is it. If you want a book with an anti-hero that will redeem himself at the end and it’s all twu wuv and rainbows at the end, this book is certainly not for you, my delicate friend.

He’s right there, still in front of me, forcing me to look into those eyes. Eyes that have stolen everything.

I’m still questioning my sanity for enjoying it as much as I did. I also need a mental health break full of bunnies and unicorns shitting rainbows after it. I tip my hat to you, Nina G. Jones, you’re a true evil genius. You’re not afraid to cross boundaries and go where most would shudder to. This was dark and twisted brilliance…in a filthy, completely fucked up way that is.

Nina G. Jones is the author of seven full-length novels of various romance and erotica sub-genres. Her latest novel, Take Me With You, releases on October 17th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Blog Tours, Dark, Giveaways · Tagged With: dark, Nina G Jones

Jennifer’s Review: Between Here And The Horizon by @_callie_hart

October 20, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

BETWEEN HERE AND THE HORIZON
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Callie Hart
Release Date: October 18, 2016

“You think you know me. You think you want to know me. But trust me, Miss Lang. Pursuing me will be the worst mistake you ever make. I’m broken beyond repair…

…and I take great pleasure in breaking everyone else around me.”

Ophelia Lang needs money, and she needs it bad. Her parent’s restaurant is going under, and ever since she lost her job teaching third grade elementary, scraping enough cash together to pay the bills has proven almost impossible. Her parents are on the brink of losing their home. The vultures are circling overhead. So when Ophelia is offered an interview for a well-paid private tutoring gig in New York, how can she possibly say no?

Ronan Fletcher is far from the overweight, balding businessman Ophelia expected him to be. He’s young, handsome, and wealthy beyond all reason. He’s also perhaps the coldest, rudest person she’s ever met, and has a mean streak in him a mile and a half wide. A hundred grand is a lot of money, however, and if tolerating his frosty temperament, his erratic mood swings and whatever else he throws at her means she’ll get paid, then that is what Ophelia will do.

Her new boss is keeping secrets, though. Awful, terrible secrets.

The ghosts of Ronan Fletcher’s past are about to turn Ophelia’s future upside down, and she can’t even see it coming.

Note: Between Here and The Horizon is a brand new standalone contemporary romance novel from USA Today bestselling author, Callie Hart. Between Here and the Horizon does contain some scenes of violence and sexual content, and so is directed at audience 18+

AMAZON | iBOOKS

Please excuse me as I make sure my heart is no longer in pieces……
The way this story builds up is nothing but true perfection. You fall in love with each word they say to each other. Out of hatred or out of love, it doesn’t matter. You are enthralled in this journey with them wondering what the hell is really going on sometimes, as if you are missing something and just waiting for it to happen.

He was a man posseded. I was a woman lost. Together, we were two halves of something fragile and delicate, beautiful in its complexity.”

Sully & Lang:
Nothing is better than two people hating each other and avoiding each other in every way just to find themselves in each others company far to much and learning their inner workings even though they find each other insufferable….It’s seriously the BEST!!!!

Sully is pretty much the biggest jerk you will ever meet. So of course you are going to love him. You can’t help yourself. At one point I literally looked ahead to see when we was coming back into the picture because I just wanted to read about him again(NO I did NOT skip ahead, I just had to know when I could read about his hotness again!)

I needed him. I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anybody, and I couldn’t wait any longer.

Lang. Whew. I just lover her. She wasn’t anything specactular. She wasn’t the heroine that made a great impression or was submissive. She was just Lang. And all the little pieces that made her up, made her a character that was worth while! When I was reading her POV it was like we were sitting down for tea and she was just telling me her story. Lang is beautiful.

We breathed as one, our bodies mirroring each other as we finally came back into ourselves.

Words cannot express the love I now hold and cherish for this book. I find Callie Harts writing so deep that it tears me open, rips my heart out and then puts me back together. I love that she writes a story, where the people are so real that I find myself thinking about them days later wondering what they are doing and if they are fighting or fucking. It is not just about the romance. She captures my heart with the story. She wins me every time, and this book is just another explain of her expertise and skills!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4.5 stars, Callie Hart, Jennifer Reviews

Review: Patchwhore by Kim Jones

October 18, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

PATCHWHORE
Series: Devil’s Renegade MC #2
Genre: Erotic Romance
Author: Kim Jones
Release Date: October 10, 2016

I’M THAT GIRL…

The girl who thought she was living her happily ever after.
The one who fell for the lies.
A victim of infidelity.

After months of heartache and loss, anger ensued.
Rage replaced sadness. Fury took over heartache. Revenge became irresistible.
Now he’ll feel what I felt. One by one, his brothers will take his place in my bed.
They have a name for me in the MC world…

PATCHWHORE.

And this is my story.

If making her ex jealous is what she wants, Devil’s Renegades Prospect Cook is more than willing to oblige.
He only has one rule: He doesn’t share.

She can seek her revenge. Follow through with her plan.
But her body will be his. He’ll own her fantasies. And her pleasure.
But in her eyes, he’s just a lowly PROSPECT—nothing more.
Little does she know, she’s about to be enlightened.

AMAZON

The best way to get over one man is to get under another.”

Well…that was smuttertaining. Smutty and entertaining. Totally coining that phrase.

If you haven’t read Clubwhore, I’m totally judging you right now. Seriously. You need to get on that. I seriously loved that book. But then again, I love any heroine that goes against the grain and the norm of the typical cookie cutter romance. But if you haven’t read it yet (I’m still judging you), no worries, because Patchwhore, while being part of the series is still a full standalone.

Carmen is a woman scorned. After finding out her boyfriend not only cheated on her but also left her for her sorority sister, she’s out for revenge. When she finds that he’s a now a patch holder at the local MC she decides the best revenge is to sleep with a brother of his…or all of them to really drive her point home. But then Mr. Delicious comes along and all her plans go up in flames just like her ovaries did.

Mr. Delicicous aka Cook aka a lowly prospect is everything she shouldn’t want. But everything about the man totally gets to her…and gets her off. She’s determined to follow through with her plan, and Cook is determined for another taste of her. Suffice it to say things get real interesting.

This was a super quick and highly entertaining read. Even though Carmen acted like a bitch in heat for a large chunk of the book I still loved her. She was entertaining to say the least. Cook was as fitting to her nickname for him as it gets. DELICIOUS. The man is hot as all hell and a dirty talker to boot. So why not rate higher? Well, I supposed it was just too much sex at times. As much as I loved Cook and Carmen together, I would have loved more development for them aside from all of the sex they were having. God. I can’t even believe I’m complaining about this right now. I feel like I should get my pervert card taken away. But it is what it is.

If you’re looking for a dirty and smutty romance, this will pertainly hit the spot. Is it your typical MC romance, not quite. It’s more of a MC romp. But this girl does love her romps, so I can’t complain much. *pervy grin*

Read my review for book 1, CLUBWHORE

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Bikers, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3.5 stars, Devil's Renegade, Kim Jones, MC

Excerpt & Review: Tonic by Staci Hart

October 17, 2016 by Lana · 1 Comment

TONIC
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Staci Hart
Release Date: October 13, 2016

Joel Anderson doesn’t take anything seriously.

Not his relationships, which have been few and far between since his brutal divorce. Not the drama of working in a tattoo parlor, which seems to be around every corner. When things get him down, he smiles and cracks a joke. But he’s not the kind of man you cross, or you’ll find yourself at the wrong end of his fists.

Annika Belousov takes everything seriously.

Like her job as a reality television producer, given that she typically has something to prove. Or her love life, which is defined by a series of requirements — affluent, ambitious, accomplished, to name a few. Definitely her family, who worked their whole lives to afford her every opportunity, a sacrifice she doesn’t take lightly. When she’s tapped to produce a reality show at Joel’s shop, she doesn’t think twice, just goes in for the kill, as if there were any other way.

The second Annika walks into Joel’s shop, he makes it his mission to crack her open, but she’s not having it. He’s all wrong — too crass, too hairy, too un-serious. But it doesn’t take her long to find out there’s more to him than smirks and tattoos. And what she finds could put her career and his heart on the line.

Not that Joel cares. Because for the first time in a long time, he’s found his tonic.

Amazon US | Amazon UK
FREE on Kindle Unlimited

“Let me see it.”

“What?” I blustered, caught off guard.

“Stand up and turn around. I want to see it.” I was too surprised and caught up in the moment to refuse, so I stood and turned, laying my palms on the armrests as I faced the back of the chair.

One hand rested on my hip.

My heart stopped as I wondered what the hell I’d gotten myself into.

I glanced over my shoulder, my gaze bouncing between his face —turned down too much to read —and his reflection in the speckled, antique mirror, which I couldn’t see much of either. His free hand moved to the waistband of my tailored pants, and his fingers hooked and tugged, pulling the band down low.

His thumb ran over where I knew the tattoo was, and I felt his breath. Every place where we connected spoke to me of ownership.

“You got this done here? In New York?” His voice was rough.

Mine wasn’t much better. “Yeah. In Brooklyn.”

“Let me cover it up for you. Give you something you’re proud of. Your skin …” He paused, and I wished I could see his face, read his mind. “This shouldn’t be here, not on you. Let me … I want to …” He had moved closer, his hand on my hip pulling me back into him slightly enough for me to not have noticed that the backs of my thighs were touching his, my back arched just enough, his breath hot.

And then, he disappeared. I stood, finding my hands were trembling, wondering where I was and how I’d gotten there. The shop was mostly empty —no one had seen, not that it would have looked like much from the outside. But from where I stood, I felt every single deliberate move like a telegraph, telling me exactly what he wanted to do without him having to finish the sentence.

His back was to me when I turned around, his face down —I couldn’t see it in the mirror over his cabinet of ink and needles as he dug around in the drawers, seemingly for nothing in particular.

“Let me know if you want me to draw something up.”

“Okay, I will.” I paused, not knowing what else to say, feeling like I should say something. But there was nothing that I could say. “Well, have a good night, Joel. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He nodded, glancing at me in the mirror. “See you, Annika.”

I tried not to bolt out of the shop, but once outside, I admit it —I took off. I hauled up the stairs and into the office to grab my bag, grateful that Laney was already gone, and I texted my driver, asking him to pick me up a few blocks away so I could walk, put some distance between me and Joel, get the energy out of my body, through my legs and feet, into the pavement.

My heart! Staci, what have you done with my heart?! And my cheeks…..I’m going to need my cheeks back because they have melted off my face with all of the smiling. I’m just a pile of goop.

…his dark skin against my white, the ink of him against the cream of me, the marked and the blank…

Staci….effing…..Hart. Where have you been all my life?! This is my first Staci Hart book, and I am never looking back. I will be purchasing this gorgeous paperback and keeping it on my bookshelf forever. This review might be a little random, but I just FEEL so GOOD after this book that I’m a little crazy right now. Staci’s words. All of Staci’s words. It’s not just the story or characters that I loved so much….it’s her words.

This book killed me….with BEAUTIFUL WORDS. I loved this so much, I literally grabbed a napkin while reading it and started writing down notes for my review.

Joel & Annika:

Joel (aka Hairy) is a tattoo artist….a hairy tattoo artist. He owns the tattoo shop, Tonic, which is getting its own reality tv show. He isn’t excited about it, but he realizes he would rather be the show on tv than the competition to get the show. When he first meets Annika…..FIRE! I LOVED the animosity between the two right away. Annika tries to give him the cold, but his fire is so hot that she cannot resist him. I’ll take a little bit of THIS and THAT.

”I’m not supposed to want you. You…you make me mad and you make me laugh and you make me crazy, and I’m not supposed to want you, but I do. What am I supposed to do? What do you want? You want me to throw away my career? How about you? Should I use you up and toss you out too? Or maybe you’ll do the same to me. I don’t know, because I don’t know you. But that hasn’t stopped me from wanting you, not since the first time I ever saw your stupid, hairy face. I hate you, and I want you, and I hate that I want you. But I do.”

Annika is the ice queen, known for her ability to scare men away with a glare, but Joel is resistant to her ice. Annika is a producer of the reality show, so she know it would not be a good idea for her to get involved with Joel. He is all hairy smirks and jokes. He knows right away that he wants Annika, wants to figure her out and break through that ice.

Her eyes finally snapped to mine, and I tried to melt her panties off with my mind.

I loved that there was low drama, despite the reality show setting. I loved loved loved all of the side characters. I cannot wait wait wait to read MORE OF STACI HART. Always more Staci Hart.
Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life — a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t forget that. She’s also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife, though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey.

From roots in Houston to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

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1 Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Excerpts · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, Jennifer Reviews

DGR Fave & Review: Black Swan Affair by @klkreig

October 12, 2016 by Lana · 1 Comment

BLACK SWAN AFFAIR
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Author: KL Kreig
Release Date: October 17, 2016

I’ve loved him as long as I can remember.

The gangly boy with big brown eyes and unruly hair who grew up into an intoxicating man. He wears scruff like he invented it and ambles with a swagger that makes panties drop.

Killian Shepard.

Shep.

We grew up together. We played Ghost in the Graveyard. Had our own rock band. It didn’t matter that he was five years older than me. It didn’t matter that he looked at me as a kid sister even as I grew into a woman. It didn’t even matter when he left me behind to go to college and start his adult life.

He’d be back.

He was always meant to be mine.

He came back, all right. But instead of smelling of promises, he stunk of betrayal. And he destroyed me—us—the day he married my sister instead of me.

So I did the only thing a girl like me in my position could do.

I got my revenge.

I married his brother, Kael.

Now we’re one big happy fucking family.

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Pining after someone’s husband is one thing. Pining after someone’s husband when you’re now married- to his brother- is taking immorality to an entirely new level. But that’s me.”

It’s official. I’m ruined. Utterly and totally ruined by this incredible book, by these beautiful words, by the heart wrenching story, by the devastating angst…this…EVERYTHING.

How can I even begin to describe to you all what I read? Let me try…
Yep. That about sums it up.

Truth be told, I do NOT do love triangles. As a matter of fact I tend to avoid them like a case of the clap…by practicing love triangle abstinence. What? It’s totally a thing. But then my trusty book pimp Nashoda Rose told me this book had my name written all over it, and I was convinced (read= threatened bodily harm if I get a flashback to Thoughtless). But that’s neither here nor there. What IS here, is how much this book owned me, because GOOD GAWD did it!

When he walks past, he grabs my hand, telling me softly against my cheek, “He will never love you like I do.”

If you’re thinking this is a typical love triangle, you couldn’t be more wrong. That blurb doesn’t even begin to do this book justice. It’s so much more than a woman who can’t have the man she wants so she settles for his brother. This is not a black and white story. It’s settled very firmly in the gray.

The rope he has tethered to me is unraveling, thread after fraying thread. I hear them snapping, faster and faster now. Feel the stinging bite of each one against my tender flesh as they break apart.

Maverick is not a heroine you’d think you like, but with every page you grow to understand her more and more. The incredibly spellbinding writing will pull you into the story so well that it won’t be long before you’re just as conflicted about your feelings as she is.

Maverick is a woman that’s loved two men her entire life; one man with the love of passion and the second with the love of friendship. But then the man she always thought she’d end up with breaks her heart by marrying her sister. Try as she might, she can’t burn away her love for him, even if she is now married to his brother and her lifelong best friend, Kael.

I want to kiss these fucking lips, Maverick. And not a kiss of a boy who has been friends with a girl for almost thirty years. But as a lover. I want to bite and suck and own and devour. Whenever I want. However I want.”

Have you ever read a romance where you didn’t know which man to root for? Where your feelings were so up and down you felt like you were in a never ending spiral? Where you spend the entire time glued to the pages, utterly incapable of tearing yourself away for even a mere second? Because I just did.
Mesmerizing, maddening, heart rendering; this book owned me to the depths of my dark soul. I devoured every page, I screamed, I cried, I raged. I was enraptured.

That’s how much I love you. That’s how wound around the very fucking center of my soul you are. It’s the same place you’ll be until I close my eyes and take my last breath. You are rooted in here”- he pounds his chest- “in the bowels of me so far I will never be rid of you. No matter how much I’ve tried.”

If you don’t read love triangles; read this book.
If you want a book that will make you feel; read this book.
If you want a book that will make your heart bleed; read this book.
If you want a book that will have you thinking about it days after you’ve finished it; read this book.

1 Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, DGR Fave

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Thief of Hearts by @LHCosway

October 11, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

Thief of Hearts
Series: Hearts #5
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense
Author: L.H. Cosway
Release Date: October 4, 2016

Seduce the teacher.
Meet the cousin.
Make a deal.
Steal the painting.

Andrea Anderson has no clue of the thoughts churning around in the dark and dangerous ex-con’s head as he enters her classroom. In fact, she’s momentarily lost for words. Not in her entire teaching career has she had a student who looked quite like Stu Cross.

A widow at just twenty-eight, love is something Andie hasn’t considered a part of her life for a very long time. However, when lingering touches turn to whispered words and hot, searching stares, she begins to wonder if maybe she should take a leap of faith.

But Stu is in her class for a reason, and it has nothing to do with love. He’s there to burrow his way into her life and repay a debt, otherwise his family will suffer. Andie is the first person to show him true kindness since he left prison, and though he doesn’t want to mislead her, he doesn’t have another choice.

Before long, Stu can’t tell whether or not he’s acting anymore, and his feelings for Andie could throw all of his carefully crafted plans into complete and utter disarray.

**Can be read as a stand alone.

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toh5

5 L-H-Cosway-I-LUV-YOU Stars!!!!!

à la Mode St. » fashion

People like you give people like me a soft place to fall. Otherwise we’d just be cold and hard.

à la Mode St. » fashion I haven’t read an L.H. Cosway book in waaaay too long. And I haven’t read all of her books. But I love every single one that I’ve read so far. What I love about L.H. Cosway is her ability to make me feel all the feels without telling me how to feel (Did you get that?). Her words and dialogue evoke such emotion and I get the feels from them. I usually don’t like student-teacher tropes but I went into this blind, and because I will read anything LH Cosway writes, I ended up loving it (duh!)! It’s not your typical student-teacher story.
à la Mode St. » fashion

I’d always been fascinated by stories like that, where words on a page could make you feel things as strongly as though the emotional trauma was happening in real life.

à la Mode St. » fashion Stu & Andrea:
Andrea teaches adult students. Stu recently got out of prison and is sentenced to attend the adult class. He is the typical bad boy, and I fell SO HARD for Stu. He’s got a dirty mouth. Cosway has a way with dirty words probably because she’s British and dirty words just sound so much more cool and natural in a British accent. Lol. Stu is tall, dark, wears sunglasses, and he smokes! Gah, I love a smoker! (only in books. Haha). Stu PURSUES Andrea…relentlessly, and I loved every second. And he can be sweet as pie! He’s pretty much my perfect man….
both physically and cerebrally.
à la Mode St. » fashion

”You’re just very, um, fit. I’m feeling a little self-conscious of all my jiggly bits.”

Stu grinned and reached for my hips. “I love all your jiggly bits.” Dipping his head down, he sucked one of my nipples into his mouth. “Especially these ones,” he continued, mouthing my breast.

à la Mode St. » fashion There is insta-attraction, and these two are so
sexy awkward.
Andrea immediately thinks Stu is the bees-knees. She’s the dorky teacher, and he’s the hot student, and there is nothing cliché about anything in this book. After learning that Stu has a way with numbers, she connects him with her father who is a math professor to get Stu some individual tutoring. Andrea is actually a widow (so sad!), so she has trouble letting go of this part of her life. I loved how she did and how Stu got her there! I can’t say too much about the plot because I don’t want to give away any spoilers, and there were a couple surprise twists in the story. Ugh, I wish I could tell you everything, so go read the book so my mouth doesn’t splurge out all the deets! Go!
à la Mode St. » fashion

”I’m sure my oversized grey slacks get you real hot and bothered, Stuart,” I deadpanned.

“I could take or leave the slacks,” he breathed, all gravelly. “But those lips and your big brown eyes, now those are what get me all jacked up.”

à la Mode St. » fashion Andrea’s all like…

And Stu’s all like…

And I’m all like…

I LOVED Andrea’s dedication to teaching and wanting to see her students succeed. It defined her character so well. Being a teacher myself, I definitely related to Andrea in that way. I loved that it was a continuing theme in the book…education. Even after Stu and Andrea started their thing, Andrea didn’t stop wanting Stu to continue his education. She has the ability to see students’ strengths even if they aren’t the typical types of intelligence. My nerdy teacher side was like “Yes!” through this whole theme in the book. I love that Cosway even HAS themes in her books. What romance author has themes these days?! LOL!

I love that this whole book is written in Andrea’s pov. So many books coming out are written in alternating pov’s, which I really like sometimes, but I LOVE Cosway’s writing style so much that she just doesn’t need to alternate. I loved the mystery of Stu. I love the thief heist of the story. It was just so much fun! This book is all kinds of hot and swoony and perfection, so yeah, go read it now!

l-h-cosway-author-pic L.H. Cosway lives in Dublin, Ireland. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books. She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories. L.H. is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

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Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Blog Tours, Contemporary Romance, Giveaways · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, Jennifer Reviews

Jennifer’s Review: Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh

October 9, 2016 by Lana ·

CARESSED BY ICE
Series: Psy-Changeling #3
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Nalini Singh
Release Date: September 4, 2007

The author of Shards of Hope and Shield of Winter presents a Psy/Changeling novel in which two people who know evil intimately must unlock the good within their icy hearts…

As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins – cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna…

Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted – and had her mind violated – by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives…

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N

This book is BEYOND. That’s it. Just beyond. It has to be one of my favorite paranormal books ever. Definitely my favorite in this series so far.

“His eyes fixed on hers, the gold flecks darkening to amber. “An assassin who looks after his own skin? That’s exactly what I am, Brenna. I would rather die than harm you, but anyone else? I could kill them without blinking. It’s what I was born to do.”

JUDD.
JUDD.
JUDD.

I am puddle on the floor because this man has melted all of my icicles. And I want to lick his giant icicle. Ok, I’m done.

My Judd:

My Brenna:

I LOVE assholes. And Judd was so cold to Brenna in the beginning that I ate him up. At the same time, he is unlike any hero I’ve ever read because he does not know or realize that he is being an ice man. As a Psy, he cannot FEEL anything. Not only is he a Psy, but he is an Arrow, which is the most lethal Psy assassin. They are so rare that they are the best kept secret among the Psy. He was trained to reject all pain and emotion, so his brain refuses to feel anything. I enjoyed the journey that Judd went through in order to let himself FEEL.

Brenna was kidnapped in the first book of this series. I was hoping that she was going to get her own book, and I am so happy that she did. Judd is her perfect other half. Because she was kidnapped and tortured by a Psy, she has lingering issues, and she feels a connection with Judd and only he can understand what she went through.

Brenna’s eyes widened. Raising a hand, she brushed his hair gently off his forehead.
“Why do I keep telling you things I swore I’d take to my grave?”

The contact shot electricity through his nerves. “Because you know I’ll always be your shield against the nightmares.”

Singh is the queen of sexual tension. In books by other authors, I’ll be rolling my eyes if the couple hasn’t had sexy by the 50% mark, but with Singh, I don’t even care. I feel the sexual tension so much in her books that I don’t even think about the sex, and I’m pleasantly surprised when they get finally get their groove on.

“Aren‘t you going to get up?”

He put a hand on the curve of her hip, a possessive gesture that had already become
familiar.

“No. Let‘s have more sex.”

With this book, Singh switched everything up. She threw a curve ball, and it worked so hard! In the first two books, the heroine was the Psy and the hero was the changeling, but this is the first book in the series where the hero was the Psy and the heroine was the changeling. I NEED more Psy men in my life because Judd was my type of man!