All Reviews – Page 111

DGR Fave & Review: Disclaim by @pamgodwinbooks

August 30, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

Disclaim-Review DISCLAIM
Series: Deliver #3
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Pam Godwin
Release Date: August 31, 2016

Disclaim

Camila was seventeen when Van Quiso kidnapped her. Ten years after her escape, the shackles refuse to release her. Not while there are still slave traders preying on her city.
She will stop at nothing to end them.
Even if that means becoming a slave again.

Returning to chains is her worst fear—and only option. They won’t know who she is or what she intends to do. She’s prepared for every complication.
Except him.
The one who decimated her sixteen-year-old heart.

Matias is charming, gorgeous, and dangerously seductive. He’s also untrustworthy and enshrouded in secrets. After years of no contact, he finds her—on her knees, wrists bound, in the clutches of her enemy.
Will he sabotage her mission by needlessly saving her?
Or will he keep her in chains and never let her go?

It is recommended to read after Deliver & Vanquish, but it can be read as a stand-alone.

Buy Links AMAZON | iBOOKS

Over the years, his need for her hadn’t faded. It had become a living, starving thing inside him, ruling his fucking world.

No one can make you fall head over ovaries for an anti hero quite like Pam Godwin. And no one can write a dark, gritty and addicting romance quite like her either. Every time I read a book of hers they just get better and better. The woman is an evil genius and I can’t get enough of how her twisted mind works.

Twelve months after her disappearance, she’d become a mirage in his wasteland, distorting at the edges and flickering out of reach.

First of all, while you can read this as a standalone, I highly recommend reading at least Vanquish first. Van has a very heavy presence in this book, and it would help to connect to the story and the characters having read his book first. Besides, the book was amazing, so do you even need a better reason than that? But I digress…

When Camilla was just 17 years old she was stolen from her home and the boy of her youthful love. She survived being Van Quiso’s slave and escaped her captivity over ten years ago. Now her goal is single minded; find every sick and twisted trafficker and make them pay while climbing her way to the top of the organization to cut off the head of the viper.

She could fight her desire, but she couldn’t disclaim their unbreakable bond, one that had taken root so long ago in the haven of their citrus grove.

Matias is not the young innocent boy she left behind those years ago. He’s a broken man, a man haunted by the demons of his past and his present. He’s a man that’s shed blood and didn’t bat an eye lash or lose a minute of sleep over it. He’s also a man with deep and dark secrets…and he also holds the answers that Camilla seeks. But is she brave enough to let down the walls she’s so carefully constructed though the years in order to seek them out?

He needed vindication and intended to take it from her pleading screams, from the give of her body beneath his thrusts. Pain and pleasure. Twisted justice.

Disclaim, much like its predecessors in the series, was one fucked up ride…and I couldn’t get enough of it. Camilla was such a strong heroine. But beneath that hard shell of hers lay the soul of a woman that yearns to submit. Watching her inner struggle and turmoil though the story was almost mesmerizing. When you add in the brooding intensity of Matias and it was the perfect recipe for an unputdownable read. Matias was an alpha to beat alphas. His dominance practically crackles though the pages.

He was going to fuck her until they were both annihilated. Until their broken pieces scattered in an unholy tangled mess. And when they put themselves back together, there would no longer be hers and his. Only them.

The story was a perfect blend of erotic and gritty, suspenseful and dark. It was everything I’ve come to love in a dark romance without any of the predictable plot twists. As a matter of fact, the only thing predictable about it was the fact that I loved it.

I loved getting more pieces of Liv and Van. I loved the progression of the story and all of the twists and turns. I had no idea where any of it would lead and when the secrets were finally revealed? Mind. Blown.

Pam Godwin is a queen of dark romance and she crafted the perfect couple with Camilla and Matias. They were a ying and yang of dominance and submission. They were dark and darker. They were pain and pleasure. They were devastatingly perfect.

He couldn’t stop. He was so fucking lost in her he didn’t want to find his way back.

If you’re looking for a page turning read with a twist of dark and a whole lot of sexy, then this book is a no brainer purchase. Trust me on this. And if you haven’t read anything by this incredible author yet, you my friend, are seriously missing out.

THE DELIVER SERIES

DELIVER (DELIVER #1)

VANQUISH (DELIVER #2)- My Review

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: antihero, Book Reviews: 5 stars, Deliver, DGR Fave, Pam Godwin

Blog Tour & Review: Bad Judgment by Meghan March

August 29, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

Bad Judgment
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Meghan March
Release Day: August 22, 2016

He’s so arrogant.

She’s so self-righteous.

I can’t stand him.

I want her.

He’s a distraction I don’t need.

She’ll say yes eventually because I’m not giving up.

Justine Porter is stuck between a rock and a stripper pole. She lost her law school scholarship, which means she has two choices to keep her life on track: strip for her tuition or tutor the most distractingly sexy guy in her class—the one she’s been turning down for two years straight. It should be an easy choice, but tutoring Ryker Grant could derail her plans to graduate with honors faster than two-for-one night at the Déjà Vu. Then again, topless has never really been her color.

She could take the easy road, just this once . . . but the deal has enough loopholes to trip anyone up.

Who knew they taught bad judgment in law school?

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“I’ve got some things I need to say to you, and you’re going to let me.”Her brown eyes snap up to mine, surprise clear in them. “Why should I?”

“Because you’re nothing if not curious, and you want to know what I have to say.”

She steps backward, and I let my fingertips trail across her skin before they drop away. Justine adjusts the straps of her backpack on her shoulders and tucks Chewbacca into a side pocket.

“You know you want to hear the rare sound of me apologizing, don’t you?”

Justine purses her lips, and all I can think about is the dreams I had all weekend of her staring down at me from a stage while she danced and stripped. My own private show. I’m not going to admit how many times I jacked off to the mental picture. I need the real thing, and I won’t have another shot if she won’t even give me a chance to talk to her.

I don’t know what changes her mind, but she relaxes her posture and relents. “Fine. You’ve got five minutes. This better be good.”

It’s not much, but I’ll take it. I lead the way out of the classroom, slipping out the side door I used to make my unobtrusive entrance. Or at least, it was unobtrusive until I decided to share my strike-out history with the entire class at Professor Turner’s invitation.

Glancing behind me, I’m marginally surprised to see Justine actually following. I head for the third-floor doors to the library, where the private rooms are. This conversation isn’t for public consumption.

The first private room on the right is empty, so I push the door open. Justine trails me inside, and I shrug off my backpack and drop it on one of the four chairs.

She closes the door behind her and leans against it, her arms crossed over her chest. I’m guessing she wouldn’t stand that way if she realized how it draws attention to her chest. I force my eyes back to her face. I’m not about to fuck this up.

“Wow, you must really plan on groveling if you need privacy,” she says, an eyebrow raised in challenge.

“Maybe I just wanted to get you alone.”

She rolls her eyes. “And I’m already getting bored.”

“You love to bust my balls, don’t you?”

“I don’t really like to think about your balls, if you want to know the truth.”

I try on my charming smile, the one that has dropped panties for years. “I’m calling bullshit on that. You’ve thought about me at least once.”

She pushes off the door and turns halfway to reach for the handle. “And if that’s all you wanted to say, then I think we’re done here.”

“Wait.”

I’m shocked when she listens.

Justine rubs her hands over her face, her every move revealing her frustration. “You ask me out for two years, practically blackmail me into a kiss, then you blow me off completely, and now you’re all up in my business again. What the hell do you want from me?”

Her confusion punches me in the gut, making me wish I could tell her why I wasn’t there the morning I promised to help her move. It wasn’t for any reason she thinks.

I stride toward her, pressing one palm against the door beside her head. “I’m not blowing you off, and I haven’t stopped thinking about that night.”

“Then why—”

I can’t give her the explanation she wants, so I try something different.

Lowering my head, I catch the next words out of her mouth on my lips. They’re just as soft as I remember, and I drop my other hand to her hip, drawing her against me. Her fingers curl into the fabric of my T-shirt, almost reluctantly, but she’s not pushing me away.

I take her mouth, my tongue diving between her lips to taste her again—finally, but the pulsing of my dick against the zipper of my jeans forces me to back off. If I don’t, I’ll be laying her out on the table behind us, and that’s not what this is about. At least, not all of what this is about.

With her face flushed and her hair messy from my fingers, Justine shutters her expression. She’s rebuilding her walls brick by brick.

That’s not going to work for me.

“What’s it going to take, Justine?” I remember asking her the same question at the bar.

Her dark eyes fill with confusion. “What’s what going to take?” The words come out defensively.

“With you. To get a second chance. I fucked up once, but doesn’t everyone deserve another shot?”

That’s not how this works. We come. We study. We leave.”
“If we’re doing this my way, you’d definitely be coming.”

This book may be titled Bad Judgment, but reading certainly was no error on my part. No sir. Meghan March never fails to disappoint with introducing readers to yet another hero that’s sure to melt panties within a 50 mile radius. Guaranteed. Ryker Grant was dirty talking, possessive deliciousness and I couldn’t get enough of him. Nothing beats a man on a mission and a woman that’s determined to resist him at every turn.

I want it all, Justine. Including the chance to show you how fucking amazing life can be when you let a few distractions in.

Justine has been avoiding the temptation of Ryker for over 2 years now. She’s doing good, dammit. That is until she’s stuck between a rock and a broke place. When her scholarship is snatched from her quicker than she can say “objection”, she has two choices; strip to finish her final year of law school, or tutor the man that tempts her beyond reason yet she knows is so very wrong for her. So what’s a girl to do?

I want her addicted to me. It’s only fair, because I’ll never get enough of her.

Yeah. She never stood a chance.

Bad Judgement was a slow burn sizzle. It delivered on what I’ve been missing in Meghan’s books lately; that tension and sizzle of a couple that doesn’t give into their lust but lets it burn between them until it explodes. It was utterly delicious! Ryder is a bad boy and definitely one that didn’t deny himself the pleasures of women, but once he sets his eyes on Justine, she’s all he wants…and he won’t stop until he gets her.

Justine was a pretty endearing character. Usually when the woman is pushing the man away as much as Justine did here, I begin to get annoyed. But it surprisingly really worked for me here. Their chemistry together was fantastic and when they finally get together? Yowza! Incendiary.

So why not a higher rating? Welp, the ending. There was just way too much happening at the end. There’s his stuff, her stuff, their stuff, a lot of stuff basically. Quite honestly it just felt unnecessary. And the fact that all of it hits you right at the final 15% just felt OTT for me. It would have been good with one or even 2 issues, but having all 3 combined just didn’t do much for me, unfortunately.

Was it my favorite book by this author? Not quite. But I have no doubt that she has plenty more planned in that devious little pervy mind of hers and I can’t wait to read it. Meghan is still an auto-buy author for me and will continue to be. I love her alphas and the woman can write one hell of a hot sex scene. Did I still enjoy this? Abso-freaking-lutely! Would I recommend it? Without a doubt!

Don’t make me beg.”
A darkly satisfied smile tugs at his lips. “Oh, you’re going to beg.”

Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She’s also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she’s ever had. She loves hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Excerpts · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3.5 stars, Meghan March

Review: First Star I See Tonight by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

August 27, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

FIRST STAR I SEE TONIGHT
Series: Chicago Stars #8
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Release Date: August 23, 2016

A star quarterback and a feisty detective play for keeps in this sporty, sexy, sassy novel—a long-awaited new entry in the beloved, award-winning, New York Times bestselling author’s fan-favorite Chicago Stars football series.

Piper Dove is a woman with a dream—to become the best detective in the city of Chicago. First job? Trail former Chicago Stars quarterback, Cooper Graham. Problem? Graham’s spotted her, and he’s not happy.

Which is why a good detective needs to think on her feet. “The fact is . . . I’m your stalker.Not full-out barmy. Just . . . mildly unhinged.”

Piper soon finds herself working for Graham himself, although not as the bodyguard he refuses to admit he so desperately needs. Instead, he’s hired her to keep an eye on the employees at his exclusive new nightclub. But Coop’s life might be in danger, and Piper’s determined to protect him, whether he wants it or not. (Hint: Not!) If only she weren’t also dealing with a bevy of Middle Eastern princesses, a Pakistani servant girl yearning for freedom, a teenager who just wants of fit in, and an elderly neighbor demanding Piper find her very dead husband.

And then there’s Cooper Graham himself, a legendary sports hero who always gets what he wants—even if what he wants is a feisty detective hell bent on proving she’s as tough as he is.

From the bustling streets of Chicago to a windswept lighthouse on Lake Superior to the glistening waters of Biscayne Bay, two people who can’t stand to lose will test themselves and each other to discover what matters most.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N

She was a woman who attacked life instead of waiting for it to unfold around her. And her general imperviousness to him had stirred up some kind of primitive bullshit need to conquer.

#HappyFeels
This book.
*Attempts to wipe goofy grin off of face*
*fails*
*grins even bigger*
I mean…THIS. BOOK.

As a long time fan of SEP and especially her Chicago Stars series, when I heard the news that she’ll be releasing another book in one of my most beloved contemporary romance series, I downright wet myself in fangirling excitement. True story. Well…maybe not the wetting myself part. But close. I was dang excited, mkay?!

I mean let’s face it, no one, and I do mean no one does an enemies to lovers romance quite like this author. She delivers these irresistible grumpy alphas that are just the perfect amount of endearing and sexy. They’re not perfect, but that’s what makes them perfect. Am I even making sense here? Let me put it this way; have you ever read about a hero that has a trigger happy moment yet manages to come off all the more endearingly sexy for it? Yeah? Didn’t think so.

If you love quirky, sassy, and adorably awkward heroines with just a dash of crazy to them, you will simply adore Piper. The woman is a downright nutter and I couldn’t get enough of her antics. If you’ve read any book in this series, you already know that SEP can deliver some of the best banter, and this book certainly didn’t disappoint in that department.

Did I ever mention what a bad lover I was when I first started out?”
“I don’t believe you did,” she said.
“I got lots of complaints, so I had to work at it. Treat it as a job.”
“Put in the extra practice time, right?”
“Precisely. When I think of the mistakes I made…”
“Mortifying, I’m sure.”
“But I kept my eye on the ball.”
“Only one? Curious. Oh, well, I hope your deformity didn’t make you too self-conscious. I’m sure you could still-”
“I finally got the hang of it when I was about-”
“Thirty-six?”
“Eighteen. I was a fast learner. All those older women willing to take a young kid like me into their loving arms…”
“Blessed are the merciful.”

I love a slow burn, and that’s exactly what I got with this romance. Sparks flew between Cooper and Piper right away…but not of the sexual variety. Oh no! Piper is hilariously failing in her job to trail former Chicago Stars quarterback. The problem? He makes her right away and is not entirely pleased about the slightly deranged woman that seems to be everywhere he turns lately.

The fact is…” She released her breath in a whoosh. “I’m your stalker.”
“Stalker?”
“Not a dangerous one. Lord, no. Merely obsessed.”
“With me.” A statement, not a question. He’d been here before.
“I don’t make a habit of stalking people. This…quite got away from me, you see.” She didn’t know exactly how this tactic will save her, but she plunged on. “I’m not full-out barmy, you understand. Just…mildly unhinged.”
He cocked his head, but at least he was listening. And why not? Lunatics were always fascinating.

This book will make you laugh, and laugh some more. Piper’s antics are downright hilarious.

Watching the unwilling development of a relationship between these two go from antagonistic, to grudging respect, to something more, was pure gold. I couldn’t get enough of the two of them. Of course it didn’t hurt that I got plenty of cameos from one of my favorites. If you’ve read Match Me If You Can, you’ll definitely appreciate it.

First Star I See was everything I’ve come to love about this author and so much more. It was full of fun banter, swoony moments, fantastic secondary characters, and the perfect slow building romance.

What about your scruples? I’m still the hired help.”
He leaned forward and nibbled on her bottom lip. “You’re not the help. You’re the obstacle.”
She nuzzled the cleft in his chin. “To what?”
“My peace of mind.”

It was the perfect light hearted sort of read I needed and I loved every single page of it. It reminded me exactly why I fell in love with this series in the first place. SEP fans are in for one delicious treat with First Star I See Tonight. If you’re in the mood for laughs and swoons, this book has EVERYTHING. The perfect contemporary romance to satisfy any romance lovers!

CHICAGO STARS SERIES

IT HAD TO BE YOU (Chicago Stars #1)
Heaven, Texas (Chicago Stars, #2)
Nobody’s Baby But Mine (Chicago Stars, #3)
Dream a Little Dream (Chicago Stars, #4)
This Heart of Mine (Chicago Stars, #5)
Match Me If You Can (Chicago Stars, #6)
Natural Born Charmer (Chicago Stars, #7)

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4 stars, enemies-to-lovers, humorous, Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Jennifer’s Review: Fool Me Once by Katee Robert

August 24, 2016 by Lana ·

FOOL ME ONCE
Series: Foolproof Love #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Katee Robert
Release Date: August 1, 2016

They say opposites attract, but this is just ridiculous.

Aubry Kaiser doesn’t like people—actually, that’s not right. She loathes people. With her crippling anxiety, there’s no way she can demo her favorite video game at a convention with five thousand other people. Maybe if she brings someone to act as a shield…

But the only person available is the sexy cowboy she can’t stand.

Quinn Baldwyn is in a mess of his own. He’s been dodging his wealthy family’s matchmaking attempts—and life advice—for years, but with his sister’s wedding on the horizon, he needs of a shield of his own.

He and Aubry can barely hold down a civil conversation, but in bed…fireworks. And the closer they get to Quinn’s sister’s wedding, the more he realizes that he might actually like Aubry.

Now it’s up to him to convince her she might actually like him, too.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

A cowboy and a female gamer walk into a bar…..Ok, it isn’t a bar, but you get the idea right? These two could not be more opposite and yet this book just worked! This book is QUICK, DIRTY, and NO DRAMA. That’s all I really need in my life.

”No panties. Naughty, peaches. Very naughty. I like it.” He leaned close enough that his chest pressed against her back. “I don’t know if we’re going to make it back to the room. Maybe after the ceremony, I’ll drag you out into the vineyard and fuck you right there in the dirt.”

My Quinn: (Yep, this is JJ Watt in a cowboy hat. Yum!)

My Aubry:

Aubry is a wealth of contradictions. She is a gamer, the best out of millions and is asked to test a new game before it is released. She has some serious social anxiety and doesn’t think she would survive the trip by herself. Her best friend arranges for her to be accompanied by Quinn on the trip. In exchange, Quinn needs a pretend-date to his sister’s wedding, which he is not all excited to attend. Aubry is the perfect date because she has perfected her resting bitch-face.

(I need this shirt, y’all! Lol!)

”You don’t want polite. You want a hot fuck in the shower, on the bed, in the cab of my truck. You want me to finger you like this, and you to get off on the fact that there isn’t a damn thing between us and anyone who walks down that hall. Hell I bet if I slid down your jeans, you’d turn around and let me fuck you right here.” She around him and she buried her face in his shoulder as she came, her moans barely muffled. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

I loved Aubry’s character. Despite her social anxiety, she is confident and saucy. She knows who she is and what she wants. Her anxiety doesn’t stop her or hinder her. It is an inescapable part of herself. I love how Roberts writes about social anxiety in this book. I need a Quinn of my very own to help separate me from all the people in the world, because there are a lot of people. As a sufferer of social anxiety of my own, I completely understand Aubry’s issues. I loved how Quinn knew exactly how to help Aubry through her panic attacks.

Quinn and Aubry need each other. They don’t like or understand each other, but opposites definitely attract in this book. Quinn is a wall of a man, literally. Aubry needs him to protect her from the many people that cause her anxiety so she can fulfill one of her dreams. He is her trusty steed.There is so much delicious chemistry between Quinn and Aubry. They are complete opposites, and at first, I wondered how it was going to work between a cowboy and a gamer, but I was quickly sold on these two together.

Quinn barked out a laugh. “And here I was thinking I’m growing on you.”
“Like a fungus. Or mold. Reallly, really sexy mold.”

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4 stars, brazen, Jennifer Reviews, Katee Robert

Jennifer’s Review: A Brit On The Side by Brenda St. John Brown

August 23, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

A BRIT ON THE SIDE
Series: Calder Castle #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Brenda St. John Brown
Release Date: August 15, 2016

Bea’s English escape plan:
• Work in a real British castle
• Quality time with bestie
• Figure out what spotted dick really is
~~• Fall for bestie’s older brother. Hard.~~

Bea Gillespie would rather do anything than teach summer school math two classrooms down from her ex-fiancé. So when her best friend, Scarlett, invites her to England for the summer to work in her family’s castle-turned-hotel, she jumps at the chance.

Now Bea’s an ocean away from her problems at home, but she’s got a bigger one. A British one. Scarlett’s older brother, Jasper, is at Castle Calder for the summer, too. And he’s as sexy and smart as Bea remembers. Two years ago Jasper came stateside, and he and Bea shared a hot weekend. But that’s all it was — a weekend. One she purposely didn’t tell Scarlett about.

It didn’t feel like much of a secret until now. As Bea falls for Jasper, what started off as a fling begins feeling more and more like the kind of thing you’d gush about to your best friend. If you hadn’t been lying to her all along.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

I was a moon to your star. Wherever you were, I was painfully aware of your orbit. Painfully being the key word.

This is such an easygoing book, and it swept me away. If you are looking for a book to escape into, this is it. It was relaxing to read this book. I just wanted to sit in a corner window with some English Breakfast tea and disappear into this book. This book is “ace.” *giggles

My Jasper:

My Bea:

Jasper, Jasper, Jasper. I loved him! Jasper is…intense. Jasper is Bea’s best friend’s brother. I would have loved to be inside his head to get his point of view. He was little hot and cold, and I loved the contradiction of him. After Bea and Jasper have a sexual tryst one weekend, they don’t keep in touch, so Bea moves on and gets engaged. After the engagement falls through, she decides to move to England to work through the summer and get her head out of her ass. I loved all of the people in this story, such interesting main and supporting characters.

Bea is still finding herself. She is still confused about her feelings for her ex-fiance. She is confused about her feelings for Jasper. She is confused about her weight. And I felt a bit confused during her whole confusion, but maybe that was the point? I actually struggled casting her because it was difficult putting a picture to her character. I kinda wish she was a little more sassy and threw that sass back into Jasper’s face sometimes. Maybe she was meant to be a little awkward. If so, I got that.

If it’s possible to die of awkward, I’m going to keel over right here, in a borrowed flannel shirt with chocolate on my lips.

There is some angst, but not too much. On personal preference, I usually don’t enjoy the angst, so I gravitated more toward the light bickering and flirty side of Jasper of Bea, and there was enough of that to keep my attention zeroed in on these two.

This was my first book by Breanda St. John Brown, and I think she is an excellent story teller with a side of spicy hotness. Her writing reminds me of Samantha Young, but still has her own unique quality to it. If you are a fan of Samantha Young, you will love this book.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3.5 stars, Jennifer Reviews

Jennifer’s Review: Worked Up by @mstessabailey

August 17, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

WORKED UP
Series: Made In Jersey #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: August 1, 2016

Factory mechanic Duke Crawford just wants to watch SportsCenter in peace. Unfortunately, living with four divorcee sisters doesn’t provide much silence, nor does it change his stance on relationships. But when a fellow commitment-phobe stumbles into his life, getting him good and worked up, he can’t deny his protective instincts.

Samantha Waverly’s brother just put her in an impossible situation. The only way out? Marry huge, gruff, gladiator look-alike Duke—for show, of course. She doesn’t make promises—she knows too well how easily they can be broken—and this is no exception.

As the blistering attraction between them grows, the lines around the no-strings relationship blur. But Duke and Samantha’s marriage is only for show…or is it?

AMAZON | iBOOKS

5 Pouty-Man-Bear-Forever Stars!!!

I have one question for you, reader…..Have you ever read Tessa Bailey? If your answer is no, then stop reading this review and go read her books……right now…..Seriously, stop. (There are no spoilers in this review, I just wanted to emphasize the awesome-sauce that is Tessa Bailey!).

”I was thinking I could switch to light beer for you.”

“Romance, thy name is Duke.”

This book is a modern-day fairy tale…..BAHAHAHA! Not really. The hero is a ginormous mountain of a man who is hairy and large in every way that counts. He is burly and blue collar and a POUTY MAN BEAR. I am a HUGE fan of the #PMB….I have my own #pmb t-shirt signed by Tessa herself, y’all. I have read all of her pouty man bear short stories that she wrote on Facebook in her private reader’s group, Bailey’s Babes. #PMBforever
Ok, onto the book……Holy hotness! I can’t even handle Tessa’s dirty words. She writes the best words of all the words. I don’t even know from where she gets these words. Her words give me the tingles in my jingle.

”That’s Duke’s clit between your thighs, Samantha. No one touches that clit but Duke. You need it polished, teased, banged, or just plain slapped, who’s the one you call?” Leaning all his weight to one elbow, he gripped her jaw once again. “Be a good girl when you answer and I’ll kiss it again later.”

Duke is a mechanic who likes to get his hands dirty. He is the responsible brother who takes care of his four divorced sisters when he isn’t working at the factory. He had no idea what was about to hit him when Samantha walked into the bar. It’s one of those instant-attraction moments. Duke is rough and gruff and tries to hold back and be gentle with Sam, but of course he can’t, but she can take all that he dishes out!

My Duke:

My Sam:

Sam is a children’s book illustrator at heart. She loves to draw and is never without her sketchpad. In fact, she whips out her sketchpad to draw Duke when she first sees him in the bar. I loved all of the characters of Duke in this book – the sea captain, Goliath, the superhero, etc. Sam has an over-protective brother who has agreed to fund her art business for children if she agrees to marry. You can see where this is going, and I loved every second of it.

Oh God, the puns in this book! So adorkable! Sam is such a dork, and I love her.

”Stealing someone’s coffee is called mugging,” she whined.

“Ah, if you can pun, sweetheart, you’re wide awake.”

“I can pun in my sleep.”

Renner and Milo….Tessa’s first M/M…..GIVE THEM TO ME!!!

I could gush about Tessa’s books all day, but I’ll let you read them instead. Go! Go! Go!

MADE IN JERSEY SERIES

CRASHED OUT | ROUGH RHYTHM | THROWN DOWN

Lana’s Review for Worked Up HERE

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Dirty Talkers · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, Jennifer Reviews, Tessa Bailey

Jennifer’s Review: Reaper’s Fire by Joanna Wylde

August 17, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

REAPER’S FIRE
Series: Reapers MC #6
Genre: Erotic Romance, MC
Author: Joanna Wylde
Release Date: August 9, 2016

It’s time for more men and motorcycles in the latest from the New York Times bestselling author of Reaper’s Fall…

The club comes first.

I’ve lived by those words my whole life—assumed I’d die by them, too, and I never had a problem with that. My Reaper brothers took my back and I took theirs and it was enough. Then I met her. Tinker Garrett. She’s beautiful, she’s loyal, and she works so damned hard it scares me sometimes . . . She deserves a good man—one better than me. I can’t take her yet because the club still needs me. There’s another woman, another job, another fight just ahead.

Now she’ll learn I’ve been lying to her all along. None of it’s real. Not my name, not my job, not even the clothes I wear. She thinks I’m nice. She pretends we’re just friends, that I’ve still got a soul . . . Mine’s been dead for years. Now I’m on fire for this woman, and a man can only burn for so long before he destroys everything around him.

I’m coming for you, Tinker.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

Reapers forever. Forever Reapers. Sometimes loyalty sucks.

This book was one of my most anticipated books this year. I love this MC world. I have a wet spot for bikers of all kinds. If it’s a biker book, I’ll read it. I have been a fangirl of Joanna Wylde from the beginning.

My Gage:

My Tinker:

The start of this book was super hot. I was digging Gage and his insta-attraction to Tinker. Gage comes to town to spy on a rival motorcycle club. He has to make up a fake identity, get a job, and date a skank in the rival club. He begins working for Tinker as a handyman. Gage is my kinda biker – quiet & rough & easy on the eyes. I love a good dirty-talker, and his dirty-talk was flawless.

”I’ve been watching you twitch that ass of yours for too long,” I whispered. “You sit out on that pretty little porch of yours with your friend. You pretend you aren’t scoping me out, but you are. You’ve wanted it bad for a long time, and now you’re gonna get it.”

Tinker MADE this book for me! I loved her. Despite everything she put up with regarding her ex and the huge loss in her life, she decided to start fresh and move home to help take care of her father. She was stomped on by multiple people in this book, but it didn’t get her down, and I loved that. I wish that Gage and Tinker could have had more of the book to be together.

I turned, catching the back of her head and pulling her in for a hard kiss, because fuck loyalty.

The DRAMA – Talia – She got me ALL riled up. I was like….guuuurl…you crazy. There was just too much of Talia for me. It sucked that Gage had to put up with her for so long. It sucked that I had to put with her for so long.

Something happened in the book that gave me pause on my overall rating. A couple times during the book, I found myself wondering WHY the dialogue kept going. I would prefer the plot move forward rather than people standing around talking about the plot moving forward. I feel as if this might be the most that can be done with this series. I am happy that there is a spin-off series with the Silver Bastards.

Lana’s Review for Reaper’s Fire HERE

THE REAPERS MC SERIES

Reaper’s Property
Purchase | Read My Review

Reaper’s Legacy
Purchase | Read My Review

Devil’s Game
Purchase | Read My Review

Reaper’s Stand
Purchase | Read My Review

Reaper’s Fall
Purchase | Read My Review

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Bikers · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3 stars, Jennifer Reviews

Review: Reaper’s Fire by Joanna Wylde

August 16, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

REAPER’S FIRE
Series: Reapers MC #6
Genre: Erotic Romance, MC
Author: Joanna Wylde
Release Date: August 9, 2016

It’s time for more men and motorcycles in the latest from the New York Times bestselling author of Reaper’s Fall…

The club comes first.

I’ve lived by those words my whole life—assumed I’d die by them, too, and I never had a problem with that. My Reaper brothers took my back and I took theirs and it was enough. Then I met her. Tinker Garrett. She’s beautiful, she’s loyal, and she works so damned hard it scares me sometimes . . . She deserves a good man—one better than me. I can’t take her yet because the club still needs me. There’s another woman, another job, another fight just ahead.

Now she’ll learn I’ve been lying to her all along. None of it’s real. Not my name, not my job, not even the clothes I wear. She thinks I’m nice. She pretends we’re just friends, that I’ve still got a soul . . . Mine’s been dead for years. Now I’m on fire for this woman, and a man can only burn for so long before he destroys everything around him.

I’m coming for you, Tinker.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

Yup. I was woman enough to own it. Tinker Garrett, aged thirty-six, was in lust with Cooper Romero. The man was so damed easy on the eyes that it caused me physical pain. Okay, not pain. Warm tinglies.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating Gage’s book ever since the little snippet I read in Reaper’s Fall. Add into the mix the interconnected story happening in Silver Bastard and I was utterly salivating for this book. I was hooked from the very first chapter! I knew from the very begging that I’d absolutely love Gage and I wasn’t wrong. After years of managing the Reaper’s strip club, the man that’s used to sleeping with a different woman every night gets to hook up with the one he actually doesn’t want…while lusting after the one he truly craves but can’t have. Sound intriguing? Because it totally was!

Sent in to investigate an MC the Reapers suspect of stealing from them, his best in is the president’s trashy sister. Unfortunately for him, it’s also the same time he meets the one woman that tempts him to leave his womanizing ways behind. Too bad he can’t have her since his job and brotherhood come first.

I loved the first 30% of the story, but then somewhere around the 40% mark, I began to get…aggravated. While I don’t mind a bit of angst between the hero and heroine and even more slow burn in their relationship, having the hero spend over half the book sleeping with another woman was a bit much. It began to take away from the story for me because after the 40% mark I got tired of reading about it. I almost wished it was handled off the pages for parts because Talia drove me batty.

Tinker was a fabulous heroine. She had a bit of sassy and a bit of quirky that really worked for her. I really connected with her from the very beginning and watching her trying to fight her attraction to Gage was definitely highly entertaining.

All things considered, this still would have been a solid 4 star read for me…until the end. After all the build up with everything, nothing felt resolved. Things that truly needed page time and should have been fleshed out more, were handled off the pages. I felt I got no resolution to some of my biggest questions. There was a lot of build up with Tinker and her ex, and then…nothing. The author mentions at the end why she chose to deviate from the timeline, and I sincerely respect her choice. However, I felt that it could have gone a different direction while in that timeline. It read like it was almost two different plot points that were tied together, but not really. There was a lot of focus on the fire at the end, but none of it really led anywhere, particularly for the plot. It didn’t drive the plot. At least not for me. A lot of the action happened off the pages. I wanted certain parts to be fleshed out more. Certain parts I wished were merely addressed or resolved, but they weren’t. Not really. It was like chunks of story that loosely connected together.

I’ve loved every single book in this series and I adore all things Joanna Wylde, but I have to admit I wished more from the ending here. The epilogue was amazing and even managed to bring a tear to my eye. But once more, I just didn’t feel like it fit the series. The whole book just had an entirely different vibe from the rest of the series for me. This can easily be a case of wrong expectations on my behalf. I still enjoyed the story for the most part, just left a little underwhelmed with the ultimate resolution of it. Fans of this series will likely enjoy the newest additions to the Reapers MC. I for one am really looking forward to more from the Silver Bastards now.

THE REAPERS MC SERIES

Reaper’s Property
Purchase | Read My Review

Reaper’s Legacy
Purchase | Read My Review

Devil’s Game
Purchase | Read My Review

Reaper’s Stand
Purchase | Read My Review

Reaper’s Fall
Purchase | Read My Review

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Bikers, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3 stars, Joanna Wylde, MC

Review: Burn Down The Night by @MollyOKwrites

August 15, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

BURN DOWN THE NIGHT
Series: Everything I Left Unsaid #3
Genre: Erotic Romance
Author: Molly O’Keefe
Release Date: August 9, 2016

A battle for control turns explosive as a beautiful con woman takes a bad-boy biker hostage in this edgy, seductive novel set in the world of Everything I Left Unsaid (“Toe-curlingly sensual.”—Katy Evans) and The Truth About Him (“Absolutely one-click worthy”—J. Kenner).

The only thing that matters to me is rescuing my sister from the drug-cooking cult that once enslaved us both. I’ve run cons my whole life, and I’ll use my body to get whatever I need. Max Daniels is the last connection I have to that world, the one person reckless enough to get involved. Besides, now that his brothers have turned on him, he needs me too.

The deal was supposed to be simple: a place to hide in exchange for rescuing my sister. Now he’s my prisoner. Totally at my mercy. But I’m the one captivated. Enthralled. Doing everything he asks of me until I’m not sure who’s in control.

We both crave the heat. The more it hurts, the better. But what if Max wants a different life now, to leave the game . . . to love me? I thought I knew better than to get burned. Now I’m in too deep to pull away. And the crazy thing is . . . I don’t want to.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

You want to fuck, let’s do it. Let’s burn down the fucking place. We got that in us…between us. But when it’s over…all I’ll leave you are bruises.”

If I had a dollar for every time I read about an anti-hero that falls head over balls for the heroine and all of a sudden his switch is flipped form bad to good faster than you can say “golden vag”, I could happily retire in my land of many books. So when I first met Max as the baddie MC prez brother of Dylan in The Truth About Him suffice it to say I was intrigued. Then when Joan carted him off wounded and passed out in her car in the end of that book, suffice it to say I was ready to sell an ovary to get my hands on his book. But I was also fearful that it would be another one of those books that I mentioned above. Joan was an interesting character to say the least in the first two books and I was beyond curious how these two very broken people would fit together. I wasn’t sure what I expected when I started Burn Down The Night, but I can tell you that I certainly didn’t expect it to absolutely blow me away. (Pun definitely intended).

My entire life I’ve been at the epicenter of crazy. I am the hurricane’s eye.

THIS. This is what grit feels and tastes like. This is what angst is. This is what true tension feels like. This is what a slow burn feels like when it builds and builds to a flame so hot, it will explode everything in sight. I could actually taste the tension, it was so thick. And man, it was delicious.

If you haven’t read the first two books, I highly recommend you do that before this one. While this is a standalone with a new couple and there’s plenty of background given to make sure that a reader new to this series wouldn’t be lost, I also feel like you lose a bit of the background going into this without the previous two books.

Burn Down The Night begins around where The Truth About Him ended. You get all the details that led to the events at the end of the book and a few puzzle pieces will definitely click together.

She had a chip on her shoulder so big and so hard it was like armor, hiding something so hot, so fucking needy, I could barely stand to look at her not bend her over something.

Joan is on a mission to rescue her sister from a mad men. Everything she has done up until this point has been for her sister. Her job as a stripper, her hiding in plain sight, the lies, the lies…and the lies. Now she’s one step closer to the man that has her sister, and the wounded MC president, Max Daniels, is her answer to everything.

Max knew that coming back for his bother would mean certain death, and he was not wrong. Shot and left for dead by his brothers, he’s kidnapped by a crazy woman that’s apparently a lot more than she seems to be. Biding his time to exact his revenge on the men that should have been his loyal brothers, Max doesn’t plan on the connection that slowly begins to build between him and Joan.

Save your act for other people. The lies and the show- I don’t want it. I want you. Fucked up and crazy. I want you.”

This book was the definition of a slow burn. Oh man but I loved it. The build up between Max and Joan is filled with tension and enough sexual sizzle to burn your fingers flipping the pages. It was so well developed, it was so amazingly written, that you can’t but root for them from the very beginning. I loved how believable the author made their relationship. These two people have lived their entire lives on survival and lies, and anything quick would not fit. Molly O’Keefe wrote it in such a way that you truly understand what ties them together and bonds them.

With Joan- I wanted her to peel back her armor. Her skin. I wanted to see her beating heart. Her ragged should.

The writing was pure poetry. It some of the best I’ve seen from this author, and quite honestly some of the best I’ve read in a long damn while. It was lyrical, gritty, violent and erotic. And it all flowed together so well, and blended into a something that was purely addicting to read.

We were like magnets that had been flipped and as hard as we’d repelled each other-that’s how hard we came together.

It’s not a traditional romance, and if you’re looking for that, you should look elsewhere. If you recall Joan’s bisexual nature, you should also know that there are a few f/f scenes in this book. This was just another layer into the depth that is her character, however, and it only served to add to the story. Nothing was gratuitous about this story or these characters. Every scene, every word, every development served a purpose. There wasn’t one wasted word.

I loved every single page of this book. I loved the characters, I loved the slow build romance, I loved the grit, I loved the realistic development and timeline, and I absolutely loved the end. For those that read The Truth About Him, the ending here will only serve to whet your appetite for the book that I”m hoping and praying will be next.

If you’re looking for an action packed, gritty read filled with plenty of suspense, this book is an absolute must read!

EVERYTHING I LEFT UNSAID Series

EVERYTHING I LEFT UNSAID (book 1)
AMAZON | MY REVIEW

THE TRUTH ABOUT HIM (book 2)
AMAZON | MY REVIEW

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, Molly O'Keefe

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Midnight Soul by Kristen Ashley

August 14, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

MIDNIGHT SOUL
Series: Fantasyland #5
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Author: Kristen Ashley
Release Date: August 15, 2016

Against his will, Noctorno Hawthorne, an undercover vice cop, finds himself embroiled in magic, mayhem and parallel universes. Too late, he meets an amazing woman only to find she’s destined for his identical twin in another world.

And things aren’t going real great there.

Noc is recruited to help save that world.

What he doesn’t know is his destined love resides there.

Franka Drakkar wears a mask. A mask she never takes off to protect herself in a world of malice, intrigue and danger.

When Franka meets Noc and he discovers her secrets, convinced she carries a midnight soul, having shielded herself from forming bonds with anyone, she struggles with accepting his tenderness and care.

When Noc meets Franka, over wine and whiskey, her mask slips and Noc knows it’s her—only her—and he has to find a way to get her to come home with him.

And then make her want to stay.

AMAZON | B&N | GooglePlay | iBOOKS | KOBO

~Franka~

That day had been one I wished to quickly forget.

Indeed, the months since those witches took my Antoine had been time I wished I had the power to erase from my memory.

I had power.

I did not have that kind of power.

These thoughts on my mind, I moved down the hallway of the Winter Palace, seeking my room where I planned to pull the cord, ring a servant and request several bottles of Fleuridian wine.

Wine might not make me forget, but I’d found of late that it served well to dull the pain.

I turned the corner, my eyes to my slippers, but my senses made me lift my gaze to the passageway.

At what I saw, I halted and grew still, then slowly and quietly retraced my steps and ducked behind the corner, peering back around.

Oh my.

The Prince Noctorno of the other world was in the doorway to a bedchamber.

Although, he was not actually a prince. Not in this universe. Apparently they had very few princes in that other world. A world that existed on a parallel plane where all beings had twins to my own world.

This I thought was rather mad (everything about it, obviously), but with few princes, that meant there were few kings, so who ruled?

He reported that he was instead a member of the city guard, an occupation he referred to as being “a cop.” A rather surprising statement considering all that was him.

He was no member of a guard.

He was a prince.

And he called himself Noc, for some unknown reason, as Noctorno was a fine name, a strong name, a regal name (this last was true as his counterpart in this world was a prince).

And right now he had has back to me.

He was wearing a pair of trousers the like that couldn’t be found in my world. They were made of a rough, sturdy, faded-blue material. He also had a shirt that was not the fashion in this world. It was attractive and made of an equally attractive plaid. And it was a shirt that fit his broad shoulders magnificently.

His thick, black hair was untidy (this also attractive).

And I could see his light-blue eyes but only in my imagination as he had his back to me.

They were not eyes you were likely to forget. With his dark hair and skin browned in the sun, those eyes were deliciously striking.

There was a day, though now that day seemed lifetimes ago, when a sight such as Noctorno Hawthorne of another world (or indeed this one) would have caused me to have a much different reaction, not only to him, but to my plans for the imminent future.

That was before Antoine.

That was before I met the man who introduced me to, well…me.

But there was a reason I carried a midnight soul, for the evil contained in both my parents set their souls to cinders years ago. It was not a wonder I’d inherited the blackness.

What a bittersweet book this was for me to read. Midnight Soul marks the conclusion of one of my favorite Kristen Ashley series. After all, it’s the series that brought me The Golden Dynasty, only my top favorite KA book of ALL time.

This is not a series I recommend reading out of order. You need the entire backstory and it’s one that develops with each story arc and later carries over into the next. Yes, there’s a new couple in each book, but it just wouldn’t be the same experience to read them as standalones.

I have to admit I was nervous reading a book with Franka as the heroine. Considering the woman has sharpened her claws on plenty of previous heroines, I had to wonder how KA could redeem someone like her. While she wasn’t quite a villain, she wasn’t exactly a nice person and she certainly wasn’t someone you’d root for in the previous books either. After the culmination of events at the end of Broken Dove, I also wondered where the story had left to go. The ultimate baddies had been beat. Everything was right in the world and most questions answered.

If you’re expecting a book much like the rest of the Fantasyland series, don’t. This was as different as it gets and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I certainly enjoyed the flip side of the switch here. I don’t want to give you too many details and ruin it for you, but let’s just say I appreciated the slight reversal Kristen took with the last book in the series. It was most fitting.

I loved the mix of the heroine being the one from the ‘other’ world and the hero being the modern one as well. It was different and refreshing. Plus, let’s be real, I loved me some Noc. There’s also a secondary romance that happens on a mix of in and off the pages here that I would have absolutely loved more page time for. I was hoping to get more of them towards the end, but alas they were mostly just loosely mentioned.

So why not a higher rating? Well, I just didn’t get the oomph here that I’ve come to rely on this series. There’s not much in the way of things happenings. After the resolution in the first 20%, the rest reads like the typical second half of a KA book. The relationship development, the hero and heroine getting to know each other. It was a lot of pages of their day to day lives, and while it wasn’t quite boring, it wasn’t exciting either. I kept waiting for the typical conflict at the end, but there wasn’t much in that respect either. To me, it read like one long epilogue. There wasn’t much conflict past the revelation in the first 20% and that may work for some or not.

I loved the way the author redeemed Franka and made her into a heroine to root for pretty much right away. You get the true heart of her and you understand they why’s of what she did in the past. No, this wasn’t the action packed thrill ride that some of the other books in the series were, but it was by no means a bad thing…just different. The epilogue at the end is nothing short of what I’ve come to expect from Kristen and definitely managed to bring a tear to my eye. So while this may not have been my favorite book in the series, it was still a fitting ending to what had come to be one of my favorite series and one I strongly recommend to any lovers of fantasy romance.

And Don’t Miss the First Books in the Fantasyland Series!

WILDEST DREAMS | THE GOLDEN DYNASTY | FANTASTICAL | BROKEN DOVE

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA and nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn’t taken her first breath!). Her mother said they took Kristen away, put her Mom back in her room, her mother looked out the window, and Gary was on fire (Dr. King had been assassinated four days before). Kristen’s Mom remembered thinking it was the end of the world. Quite the dramatic beginning.

Nothing’s changed.

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana and has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus, she’s blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her family was (is) loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. They all lived together on a very small farm in a small farm town in the heartland. She grew up with Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing, it keeps getting better.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Blog Tours, Excerpts, Giveaways · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3.5 stars, Kristen Ashley

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