All Reviews – Page 114

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.

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

Jennifer’s Review: Just What I Needed by Lorelei James

August 14, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

JUST WHAT I NEEDED
Series: Need You #2
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Lorelei James
Release Date: August 2, 2016

The second sexy novel in the Need You series, from the New York Times bestselling author of the Mastered Series and the Blacktop Cowboys® Series.

Trinity Carlson might be having the worst day ever. And that was before she started drinking in a dive bar, right across from her ex and his new girlfriend. So when she finally decides enough is enough, she grabs hold of a hot, blond stranger and gives him the kiss of his life.

Walker Lund never expected that a chance at love would hit him right on the mouth. Since the moment his brother decided to settle down, Walker has been dodging his family’s hopes that he’ll do the same. He’s never been interested in following in anyone’s footsteps. But when he discovers his sexy assailant has given him a fake name and number he suddenly finds himself in the mood for a little hot pursuit…

AMAZON | iBOOKS

5 Walker-Is-Mine Stars

I have a problem, and his name is Walker. It’s a problem because HE’S NOT IN MY PANTS RIGHT NOW! I’ve been indifferent of the long hair/man bun. I can usually take it or leave it, but in this case, I’ll take it!

My Walker:

More Walker…He’s just….UNF!:

I cannot get enough of Walker:

My Trinity:

Walker works in construction. Yeah, can he get any hotter or more perfect?! I think not. He is actually from a wealthy family, but he is the rugged man in his family and the glue that keeps everyone together. He is the good guy in the family. I usually lean more toward the bad boy/asshole characters, but I DARE YOU TO RESIST WALKER. It’s not possible.

I loved all of Walker’s brothers and sisters and cousins, constantly ragging on each other. They were so much fun. I love books with close-knit families. It just makes the book that much more cozy.
Trinity is adorable and spunky. She is an artist, but she isn’t up in the clouds. She knows who she is, and she knows what she wants. She is a little flighty but in a charming way. She tries to warn Walker that she is a lot of work, but he is the perfect man up for the challenge of all that is Trinity, and he takes pleasure in every single moment.

”I like that you’re warning me up front that you’re going to be a lot of work.”

“You are?”

“Yep. It’ll give me a chance to prove my awesome work ethic.”

I LOVED the meet-cute in this book. I don’t want to give it away, but I was sold on this book from the beginning and it kept my attention through the whole book. Some books start to drag for me around the 50-60% mark, but not this one. This is such a FEEL-GOOD book with all the smiles and giggles and swoons. There is not much drama, which I love.

”You have any idea how hard I’m digging on you right now?”

“Digging on me,” I repeated. “Is that a construction worker’s come-on?”

Walker, Trinity, and this whole book is endearing with the perfect slow burn. I love Lorelei’s writing style. It’s no-nonsense, straight to the heart of the story. Her dialogue makes me smile throughout the whole book. I have read a few of her cowboy series, and enjoyed the heat in her erotic books. I wouldn’t put this book in the erotic category, but it is just as hot!

Then I pursed my lips around the straw and sucked. “Want a taste?” His eyes went molten. He leaned in, resting his forearm on the brick wall above my head.

“No. I’m thinking I’ll get a little lust drunk just watching you.”

“Watching me what?”

“Lick. Suck. And swallow.”

THE NEED YOU SERIES

WHAT YOU NEED (book 1)

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, New Adult · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, Jennifer Reviews

Review: Dare To Stay by Jen McLaughlin

August 10, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

DARE TO STAY
Series: Sons of Steel Row #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Jen McLaughlin
Release Date: August 2, 2016

Fans of Katie Ashley, Joanna Wylde, Kristen Ashley, Sophie Jackson and Katee Robert will be thrilled by this dark, steamy series, from the New York Times bestselling author of the Out of Line novels, where one gang of criminals knows just how being bad can be so good…

Bruised and bloodied on Boston’s mean streets, Chris O’Brien is reeling from the loss of his childhood best friend. But after barely escaping a hit placed on his head, Chris is desperate to live. A safe haven comes to mind – the home of the perfect girl from his childhood, Molly Lachlan. Before he has fully considered what it would mean to involve her in his mess, he finds himself on her doorstep.

When Molly agrees to let Chris inside her home, she realizes she’s also letting him into her life. Danger and desperation are coming off him like steam, and yet she can’t bring herself to turn him away. His bad boy charm always had a hold on her, but now there’s a soulfulness and sorrow in him that she’s never seen before. And despite the heart-stopping risk of helping him, she hopes against all reason that he’ll stay…

The stakes are dangerously high…and the passion is seriously intense. Follow the exploits of the Sons of Steel Row in Dare To Run and Dare To Stay.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

My life didn’t need to be all murder, guns, and meaningless sex. It could’ve been more- if I’d been born into another family. Another life. But I hadn’t been.

When I saw that Chris would be the hero in the second installment of The Sons Of Steel Row series, I’ll admit to having doubts. After all the events at the end of Dare to Run, I wasn’t sure how the author would redeem him enough to make me feel for the man. After all, Chris not only betrayed his best friend, he tried to kill him and the woman he loved in order to go after a power position within The Sons. How do you come back from something like that? Will the author be able to justify his decision? Make it believable? Make the reader connect with an anti-hero like that? Well I’m happy to report that the answer to all of those is a resounding YES.

He was more monster than human. All men like him were. Deep down, beneath his acts of neighborhood friendliness and that devastatingly handsome smile…He was a killer.

Dare To Stay picks up immediately where book 1 left off, with Chris bleeding in the alley, waiting for certain death. If you haven’t read Dare To Run yet, don’t worry, you can easily jump into this book first and the author gives plenty of background to ensure you won’t be lost for even a minute.

Molly Lachlan lost her beloved father to the violence of street crime and gangs. Chris and her grow up next door to each other in the same nice neighborhood, but their upbringing couldn’t be more different. Now Chris is a deadly killer and she’s a kindergarten teacher and they may as well live worlds apart. But when Molly finds a wounded Chris, all she can think of is fixing the broken man.

While I liked this book a whole lot better than the first, there were still a few things that kept it from being a solid 4 star read for me.

I had an issue with Molly’s personality at times. After all she’s been through and the way she lost her father, her connection to Chris never quite clicked for me. He should be everything she wants to stay away from, yet she’s willing to put her life on the line from the very beginning for him. I understood their history goes back many years, but I just didn’t feel that connection between them right away. She was just too self sacrificing at times.

Chris’s never ending back and forth of ‘I want her’ but ‘I’m not good for her’ started to grate on me too. I understand that he’s not a good man, but I just didn’t need it repeated at every turn. Or at least it felt that way at times.

I knew, even after all the blood, dirt, and sweat washed away, I would still be dirty. I’d never be clean.

The story itself was gritty and sexy. There was just enough to make me connect to the characters and keep reading curious to know what happens next, yet not quite enough to make it feel like an unputdownable read.

The romance was great and I definitely liked Molly and Chris a whole lot more than Lucas and Heidi. Heidi also had a lot more self preservation than Heidi did, which was a huge issue for me in the first book. I really liked Chris and her together, and there were definitely plenty of sizzle added into the mix.

I kissed her like I was a dying man and she was my last chance at salvation. And she was.

I had a hard time with the believability factor of the ending, but I can understand that Chris couldn’t have the same options as Lucas did. What I do know for sure, is the set up for the third book sounds utterly amazing. And I can’t wait to finally get my hands on Scotty’s book.

SONS OF STEEL ROW SERIES

DARE TO RUN (book 1)
MY REVIEW | AMAZON

DARE TO LIE (releasing February 7, 2017)
PRE-ORDER

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Romantic Suspense · Tagged With: antihero, Book Reviews: 3.5 stars

New Release Review: Ruthless by @authorlexiblake

August 9, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

RUTHLESS
Series: Lawless #1
Genre: Contemporary Suspence
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: August 9. 2016

The first in a sexy contemporary romance series featuring the Lawless siblings—from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.

The Lawless siblings are bound by vengeance. Riley, Drew, Brandon, and Mia believe the CEO of StratCast orchestrated their parents’ murder twenty years ago to steal their father’s software program. And there’s only one way Riley can find some solid evidence…

Heir to the StratCast legacy, Ellie Stratton hires a new attorney to handle a delicate business matter—and she’s shocked by her attraction to him. Over the course of a few weeks, Riley becomes her lover, her friend, her everything. But when her life is threatened, Ellie discovers that Riley is more obsessed with settling an old score than in the love she thought they were building. And Riley must choose between a revenge he’s prepared for all his life and the woman he’s sure he can’t live without..

AMAZON | iBOOKS

You tempt me like no other woman ever has. I don’t understand you and I might never, but I’m going to know you, Ellie Stratton. I’m going to know what makes you smile and what makes you scream out my name.”

I don’t know how this woman does it, but she manages to write books that do it for me. Every. Single. Time. Being a huge fan of her Masters & Mercenaries series, I’ve been salivating for more of the mysterious Lawless siblings ever since we first met Mia and Drew in From Sanctum with Love. I mean, c’mon, a mysterious, brooding billionaire software genius and his 3 siblings that are hell bent on exacting revenge on the people they believe responsible for their parents murder twenty years ago? Yes, please, and thank you!

Ruthless is the first book in the sexy and intriguing series. For those that haven’t read Blake’s Masters & Mercenaries series, don’t worry, you won’t be lost. But for those that have read Mia’s book, Dominance Never Dies, you’ll certainly appreciate the cameos here. I know I sure did. But I digress.

So what does this book have? EVERYTHING.

Revenge plot? Check!
Epic grovel? Check!
Lots of sexy times? Check!
Well developed characters and plot? Check and check!
Suspense? Check!
Perfect Saturday night read? You bet your tuhis!

Riley is the middle brother. He barely remembers the night that took their parents, but he knows that his father didn’t kill himself. Ever since that night, everything they’ve done has been a systematic step closer to their revenge. Now they have their sights set on the StratCast and the CEO, Phillip Stratton and his partner, who may be two of the three people they suspect to be behind their parents’ murder. Unfortunately, Phillip Stratton is now dead, and his daughter is now running the company. Hiring Riley as the company attorney to oversee the corporate buy out from her father’s partner seemed like a great idea to Ellie. But what she doesn’t know, is his interest runs much deeper than a mere paycheck.

It might be wrong. It might be completely unprofessional, but she was going to have him. She was going to sink herself into an affair with him and not worry about the consequences. For once in her life, she was going to do something wild, something for herself.

I loved absolutely everything about this book; the pacing, the character development, and it certainly wasn’t without plenty of unpredictable twists to spice things up. In true Lexi Blake fashion, there was plenty of intrigue and suspense thrown in to perfectly balance the story.

Ellie starts off as a bit of a wallflower, but man, she really comes into her own towards the second part of the book. While their romance feels instant, it is established through weeks of working together. Ellie definitely doesn’t give into the brewing sexual chemistry between them with ease. She thinks things through and I really appreciated that. I also absolutely loved Riley. He’s not quite as singleminded in his revenge plan as his older brother. He knows a good thing when he has it and he knows he wants Ellie for much more than a carefully constructed revenge plan.

This book also had one of the most delicious grovels I’ve read in a really long time. I’m talking SERIOUSLY DELICIOUS levels here. Like half the book sort of delicious!

But it was also so much more than just a romance. All of the secondary characters are carefully plotted and perfectly developed. Everything and I’m talking everything is effortlessly fleshed out. Even the villains of the story are incredibly well developed, which only hooks you that much more. I loved getting glimpses of Bran and Drew and I seriously can’t wait for their books.

Ruthless was everything I could want in a story. It was filled with intrigue and suspense, and enough sizzle to set your kindle on fire. I’m utterly hooked and I can’t wait for more of these Lawless siblings. With the little peek we get of Bran’s story here, I already know it will be just as good as Riley’s, if not better. This author can do absolutely no wrong in my mind. If you haven’t read anything by her yet, you’re seriously missing out, and Ruthless will be the perfect book to start with!

PRE-ORDER SATISFACTION
Book 2 in the Lawless series and Bran’s story
Releasing January 3, 2017

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4.5 stars, Lexi Blake

Jennifer’s Review: Wicked Mafia Prince by Annika Martin

August 7, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

Wicked Mafia Prince
Series: A Dangerous Royals Romance #2
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Annika Martin
Release Date: July 26, 2016

The most violent Dragusha brother…in a standalone romance HEA!

You were the love of my life.
Beautiful and radiant.
Then you betrayed our mafiya family—the only family we ever knew.
Grief-stricken, I did the honor killing.
Quick and vicious.
Your heart no longer beating. Mine ripped to shreds.
When I discovered you were innocent, I was destroyed.

Now, years later—somehow, impossibly—there you are, alive.
The nun who prays and never shows her face.
Trapped on the other side of a webcam.
How can it be?
They think I’m obsessed. Imagining ghosts.
But I’ll always know you.
I’ll always know my Tanechka.

AMAZON | GOOGLE | iBOOKS | KOBO

What I liked:

1. Viktor – I really enjoyed him in the previous book and this book as well. I love how he is with Tanechka, and his loyalty to his family.
2. The brothers – I am ALL over books that have brothers. I have probably have latent fantasies of getting caught in between all of them at the same time. 🙂
3. Mafia – I have a wet spot for all things Mafia.

What gave me pause:

1. Tanechka – The turn of events for her character just wasn’t my thing. This is a personal preference issue. I think I would have enjoyed her character more if the turn of events had not happened to her (sorry for being so vague. I’m trying not to spoil.
2. The lack of sexy times. I’m a dirty bird, and I just need more, even if it was just a tease of more sexy times.
3. Overall, I thought the story was a little slow for me. Even as I was reading, I was hoping for MORE FEELS. And I think there was potential for more feels, but I just didn’t get to that place. I constantly felt that there was something missing or something that wasn’t happening for me.

I am probably in the minority for my opinions. I truly believe most people will love this book.

My Viktor:

My Tanechka:

Start the series with Dark Mafia Prince

AMAZON | iBOOKS | REVIEW

Pre-Order Wicked Mafia Prince NOW
releasing on October 11, 2016

AMAZON

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

Jennifer’s Review: Stormswept by @SabrinaJeffries

August 6, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

STORMSWEPT
Series: Wales #1
Genre: Historical Romance
Author: Sabrina Jeffries
Release Date: June 28, 2016

New York Times bestseller Sabrina Jeffries reignites a daring love affair in this intriguing tale of desire and deception—originally written as Deborah Martin and newly revised for today’s audience.

The first wedding night that Lady Juliana St. Albans spent with the dark and daring Rhys Vaughan was intoxicating, the heady culmination of her new husband’s driving hunger and her own awakened sensuality. When he mysteriously disappeared the next morning, she waited for him in hope and desperation. And when he was finally proclaimed dead in a shipwreck, she bitterly mourned the loss of her love.

The second wedding night that Juliana spent with Rhys Vaughan was six years later, after he returned to claim her just as she was about to wed another. This Rhys was different—bolder, harder, and convinced that she’d betrayed him. Only their blazing passion remains from their years apart. But is it enough to light their way through the maze of mystery, menace, and mistrust—to the love they once shared and would have to find again?

AMAZON | iBOOKS

…how did one comfort a wounded beast who bit anyone who ventured near?

My Rhys:

My Juliana:

Part 1:

This book is in 2 parts. The first part is ALL THE SWOONS. It is the beginning of the relationship between Rhys and Juliana. It is a little bit of a romeo-and-juliet story. Juliana is the daughter of a nobleman, the man who stole Rhys’s birthright and home. Rhys and Juliana both share a love of all things Welsh, determined to keep the language and culture alive. I really enjoyed the Welsh poetry in this book.

Rhys and Juliana fall in love, but they cannot be together, so they run away to marry in secret. Juliana’s brother (I want to slaughter him!) lies to both Juliana and Rhys to pull them apart and sends Rhys away to the military. He is forever changed.

”I’ve heard life of a man-of-war is horrible.”

“Aye,” he clipped out. “And after a while you start to hate anyone and anything that put you there.”

Her anger had dimmed, but the hurt burned even brighter. “Even your ‘true love’?”

He closed his eyes against the accusation in her voice. “Especially your true love, if you think she betrayed you.”

Part 2:
The 2nd part of this book is 6 years later, when Rhys comes back to regain his birthright, home, and wife. His experience in the military was not a good one at all, so he is hardened on the inside an out. I loved this darker side of him. He is determined to punish Juliana for “lying” to him, but there is a constant struggle inside himself to believe her and love her.

”But the truth is, I simply refuse to give you the pleasure of being free of me.”

To his surprise, she met his gaze boldly. “That works both ways, dear husband. I may not be free, but neither are you.”
……
He stared into her flashing eyes, wondering if she’d always been this stubborn. Or this achingly beautiful.

“Then it’s hell we’ll be headed for, Juliana. Because this time you won’t escape our marriage.”

The ANGST in this book! DELICIOUS! I am usually not a fan of all the angst. I don’t mind emotional books, but I prefer humor in the midst of all the emotion. This book had me sinking in all the FEELS.

This book is a constant struggle of trust. Rhys continuously struggles to trust Juliana from the beginning all the way to the end, and it is heart-breaking. I felt so much from Juliana as she tries to get her husband to trust her over and over again. Juliana has a spine of steel and the biggest heart for her true love.

I loved the supporting characters in this book too. They was an additional love story that makes the book all the more sweeter and perfect.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Historical Romance · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4.5 stars, Jennifer Reviews, Sabrina Jeffries

Review: Bound To The Bounty Hunter by Hayson Manning

August 4, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

BOUND TO THE BOUNTY HUNTER
Series: Bound #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Hayson Manning
Release Date: July 18, 2016

Harlan Franco, Colorado’s busiest bounty hunter, and security expert, lives by his rules: be in control, be detached, and never touch the asset. These rules are tested when the asset he’s being paid to secretly guard is none other than his rival, sexy, unpredictable, pain in the butt, Sophie Callaghan––a woman determined to stay away from him. If she finds out he’s in her life on an assignment, he’ll never get the info he needs. But those lips, those curves, that attitude, he bets he’ll have her for one night where she’ll play by his rules.

He didn’t expect his heart to have an opinion.

Freedom loving private investigator Sophie Callaghan is on a mission. The daughter of a con-artist is not going to be used by a man again. What she doesn’t need is hot, broody and controlling Harlan barging into her life and digging into her past. Her brain may say no, but her body craves this bad boy. After a night where both live their darkest desires, Sophie must fight their explosive chemistry because one wrong move could destroy her. She bets he has to stay far, far away.

As the stakes ramp up and secrets explode around them, both are determined to win the bet.

But there can only ever be one winner.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

Number one rule of being on a guard and intel job:
Be detached.
Rule number two:
Be professional at all times.
Rule number three:
Don’t fuck the asset.

Well hot damn! Looks like I got myself a brand new series to stalk! Bound To The Bounty Hunter had a little bit of everything; broody and tortured hero, kick-ass sassy heroine, a little suspense and a whole lot of sexy!

I first fell in love with Hayson’s writing when I read Winning the Boss’s Heart a few years ago. I simply adored that book and I kept waiting (pretty impatiently) for this amazingly talented author to write another book. When I saw she’s coming out with this series, I was sold. When I saw the cover for it? I was drooling. But that’s neither here nor there.

So why is Sophie Callaghan sitting in a dark lit club watching a stranger have kinky sex with two blondes while thinking how to properly bug his table? She has a damn good reason. The daughter of a con man that left her with a lot of debts and even more guilt, Sophie is determined to write all of her father’s wrongs. But first she needs to figure out why the name of an infamous criminal was in the notebook her father left behind. The last person she needs to run into while on her stakeout is the ridiculously sexy bounty hunter that enrages her almost as much as he turns her on. Their brief history doesn’t help matter any either…

Harlan Franco is a successful bounty hunter. But what Sophie doesn’t know, is she’s his newest assignment. Sparks fly when these two go head to head!

I have to say I was super intrigued by the mystery and suspense at play here. I loved the chemistry between Harlan and Sophie and I loved all of the fun secondary characters that were introduced…especially the men Harlan works with (yum!)

Sophie is a tough chick, even if at times she’s too stubborn for her own good. At least she can back it up with her skills and take care of herself when she runs from Harlan determined to solve her own problems. Harlan is a broody, domineering, dirty talker. So basically exactly as I prefer my heroes.

This was a lot different from the other books I’ve read by Hayson. It’s a whole lot sexier and a little bit edgier. She’s definitely heading into some unchartered waters with this series and I can’t wait where it all leads. Admittedly, I got the sense that the author was a bit out of comfort zone while writing some of the sex scenes because they didn’t have a flow to them. Some of the encounters weren’t exactly awkward, but they felt rushed and almost stunted at times.

That being said, I still enjoyed the book immensely. And with the preview at the end of the mysterious character that will be getting his book next? NEED IT. While it may not have been the perfect 5 star read I was hoping for, it was a wholly satisfying one. It was exactly enough to hook me on the series and guarantee that I’ll be reading all the future books to come. I have a feeling once this author really comes into her own with this series, it’ll just get better and better! And I for one, can’t wait!

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

Review: Retribution by Natasha Knight

August 3, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

RETRIBUTION
Genre: Dark, Romantic Suspense
Author: Natasha Knight
Release Date: January 8, 2016

Adam

Payback’s a bitch — or it would be for Elle.

Fifteen years ago, my sister was kidnapped. For months, she’d endured hell. Somehow, she’d survived it. Someway, she’d escaped her captors. But it hadn’t mattered. In fact, it had been like losing her twice, because six weeks after she came home, she was dead, and the man responsible was alive and well, oblivious to her fate, ignorant to what he had coming.

Fifteen years I’d been waiting for this moment, all that time, planning, preparing, readying to put things into motion. To finally make the SOB pay for what he’d done.

Killing him was too easy. Too quick. No. There was a much better way to exact revenge.

Take what he loved best.

Break it.

Break her.

I just didn’t realize that in the process of destroying the girl, I’d destroy myself.

Elle

“I only want your pain.”

I hadn’t understood what those words meant, not really. Not until he made me understand.

I noticed Adam the very first day he moved into my building. He was a badass on a bike in a thousand-dollar suit. When he looked at me, it was with a hunger just this side of obscene.

Our meetings were strange, accidental. Too coincidental. There was something about Adam. Something I couldn’t put my finger on.

Something I couldn’t resist.

He told me I didn’t know him. He warned me to run as far from him as I could. He was moody. Dark. I’d found it romantic. I didn’t know, and I wouldn’t realize until it was too late that he’d meant for me to heed his warnings. That some part of him had hoped I would run, that I would escape him.

For too many years, vengeance had fueled him. It had taught him hate. The object of that hate? My father. And me? I was the means to my father’s end. Adam would destroy my father by destroying me.

I accused him of being a monster, of being no different than those who took his sister, but even in the harshest moments, all I could see in his eyes was pain. And like a fool, all I wanted was to touch that darkness.

To make it light.

Retribution is a full-length, complete Dark Romantic Suspense novel. No Cliffhanger. Intended for mature readers. Contains BDSM content.

AMAZON

I had one plan, one goddamned thing to do. Break the girl. That was all.

Retribution marks my second book by this author and it definitely confirmed what I knew after the first; I’ll definitely be reading all her future books. The woman can write one hell of a tortured, brooding, anti-hero alpha. This was a dark and twisty tale of revenge and pain and second chances. It was gritty, violent, and erotic as hell!

I’d seen the darkness in his eyes before today, but it had been a suggestion, a hint.
Tonight, it had taken command of him. Tonight, he’d given himself over to it.

Adam Smith is a man with one goal on his mind for the past 15 years; revenge. All he wants is retribution against the man who was responsible for his sister’s kidnapping, torture and eventual death. And what best way to make the man pay than to take something dearest to him and break her just like he broke his sister. His target? Elle Vega

The man had kidnapped me, kept me prisoner, tortured me, and yet, I felt cold without him. Empty, alone, and cold.

The story gripped me from the very beginning. Adam was exactly the sort of alpha I love to read about; intense with a touch of depravity. Elle was a touch naive for my tastes but oddly enough it didn’t grate on me like it usually would in any other book. I found it hard to wrap my mind around exactly how naive she was considering her father and what she grew up around, but again, it wasn’t enough to ruin the story for me.

What do you want?”
“What do I want?
I want your pain.”

The writing was engaging and the story was fast paced, yet somewhere around the 25% mark, it began to lose some of the intensity for me. Adam starts off so strong, but soon enough becomes almost wishy washy in his drive for vengeance. He wants to make her pay, yet his conscience gets the best of him. I suppose I just didn’t feel as much connection to his character to truly understand the why’s of it.

Hate had taken over every cell of my body, every ounce of my being. It fueled me.

The other thing that kept it from being a solid 4 star for me was Elle. While her naivety wasn’t enough to bother me, I did have a hard time understanding her easy acquiescence to Adam. Considering everything the man does to her, I found it hard to wrap my mind around how easily she gives into the sexual chemistry between them. She barely puts up a fight and while there are hints of a strong woman somewhere in there, it just wasn’t enough for me to truly ever connect with her.

That being said, around the 60% mark it really started to pick up for me and I couldn’t put it down until the end. There were some twists thrown in that added to the appeal of the story and I really enjoyed the epilogue. I wished the intensity was more than it was and I hoped that I’d connect to the characters more, but I still enjoyed it thoroughly.

If you’re looking for a sexy and gritty revenge plot with a dash of depravity, definitely give this book a shot. I’m looking forward to whatever this author has in store next.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3.5 stars, dark, Natasha Knight

Review: Worked Up by Tessa Bailey

August 2, 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

We’re going to fuck tonight. Your bed. Mine. On the floor. In the shower. Against the window. All. Goddamn. Night. You’re going to know me from every angle when the sun comes up over New Jersey tomorrow.

Sweet.
Baby.
Jebus.
*pervy shudder*
I mean for the love of my ovaries! Holy cock this book was freaking hot! HOT I tells ya! Hands down my absolute favorite book in the series. #PMB for the win!

Firstly, I need to give Tessa props. Because let me tell you, people, it takes skill to take a man that’s the size of a mountain with the beard and temperament of a mountain man, NOT have him be the typical ripped hero, give him a deliciously hairy chest, even a little bit of a beer belly, slap a dirty mouth on him, and have him turn out to be one of my favorite Tessa Bailey heroes to date. And considering I’ve read the woman’s entire backlist, that’s saying something mkay?! And the best part? Even though he wasn’t the stereotypical romance hero with the ripped abs, he was still sexier than most of the ones I’ve read. Seriously. And his dirty mouth only had 1/8th to do with that.

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?
Be a good girl when you answer and I’ll kiss it again later.”

See what I mean? Rarrrr!

But I digress. So back to the book. We’ve gotten to know Duke in Thrown Down as the poor man stuck with 4 divorced sisters and no time to himself for even 5 minutes of sports center. He doesn’t talk much. He doesn’t date much. And he’s not exactly looking to add a woman into the mix when his 4 hellion sisters give him enough estrogen to choke a man twice his size. But then he walks into a bar and sees a gorgeous newcomer and sparks fly…

She had him at the first pun
Samantha Waverly is a children’s book illustrator that’s hoping to finally make her business dream come true. Only thing standing between her and her dream? A ridiculous addendum put into her loan contract by her brother, Renner, that requires her to be married. Le sigh. What’s a girl to do? Take up the sexy mountain man on his offer for a marriage of convenience, of course! Doesn’t hurt that he’s possessive and a freaking rock star in bed that makes her body sing, right?

You’re going to have no doubt how much I appreciate being allowed to squeeze myself into your body. If I ever think you’re unsure, my tongue will service you between the legs until there’s no question. Until you scream the doubt free, along with my name.

Yeah.
As I was saying….

But this book was so much more than what that synopsis implies. Sure there was a heavy dose of insta in play, but it totally worked for these characters. I adored Sam and her quirky personality. Each time she pulled out another cheesy pun, I liked her even more. As for Duke? Hello? Did you miss all my pervy praising on all things Duke previously? Pay attention dammit!

We also got a little peek into Renner and the man that just may have caught the ruthless business man’s attention (le gasp). I’m pretty sure I’d part with an ovary to get my hands on that books already.

After being slightly disappointed by the previous two books in this series, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. I’m beyond happy I gave it a chance because I seriously loved it! It was swoony, entertaining, and sexy as all get out. The perfect read to spend a steamy afternoon with!

I don’t want to be another responsibility to you.
Let me be the place you lose yourself instead.”

MADE IN JERSEY SERIES

CRASHED OUT | ROUGH RHYTHM | THROWN DOWN

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

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