Review: HOT SEAL Redemption by Lynn Raye Harris

May 16, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

HOT SEAL Redemption
Series: HOT SEAL Team #5
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Lynn Raye Harris
Release Date: May 15, 2018

Bailey Jones doesn’t know jack about babies, but she knows how much it sucks to have a deadbeat father. So when her sister drops off her newborn baby and then disappears, Bailey is ready and willing to confront anyone, including a six-foot-two, sexier-than-sin Navy SEAL sniper, and make him do his duty.

Alexei “Camel” Kamarov is not the sort of man to carelessly father a kid, but as the oldest of six, he does know a thing or two about babies. The firebrand on his doorstep might have mistakenly tagged him as the baby daddy, but Bailey is cute, and Alexei is more than willing to give her a hands-on class in Baby 101.

When a ruthless criminal comes looking for the missing sister–putting Bailey and the baby in danger–the situation escalates. Bringing them under his roof and enlisting his HOT teammates to help find Bailey’s sister are easy. But as Alexei and Bailey draw closer, passions erupt and feelings tangle.

That’s nothing compared to the danger lurking in the shadows–and the test that awaits them both. Bailey will need to give everything she’s got to redeem Alexei’s faith in love. And he’ll have to move heaven and earth to save her–before someone takes her away from him for good…

AMAZON

But what he didn’t understand was why he cared what she thought. Why it bothered him. Why he couldn’t get her out of his head no matter how he tried.


It’s official; Lynn Raye Harris is the queen of sexy romantic suspense. It just doesn’t get any better than the men of HOT, unless of course, it’s the SEALs. With the teaser of Alexei’s story in the previous book, I was already salivating for his story by the time I got my grabby little hands on this one. And it did NOT disappoint.

You really are a good guy, Alexei.”
He hesitated a moment. “No, I’m really not.” A chill slid down her spine at the coolness in his voice. “But I am right now.”

A knock on his door from a woman claiming that he’s the father of her sister’s newborn daughter is probably the last thing Alexei “Camel” Kamarov expects when he gets home from his recent mission. He’s convinced the kid can’t possibly be his, but there’s something about the woman’s tenacity and his inner gentleman that has him humoring her. She looks completely out of her element with the newborn, and being the oldest of six kids, he knows a thing or two. I swear, my ovaries melted a little every time I read just how amazing Alex was with the baby. *dreamy sigh*

Bailey was one of my favorite heroines in the series. This is a girl that grew up rough but didn’t let that beat her down. With deadbeat parents and a young sister, she was forced to do what she has to in order to survive and make ends meet, and she’s not apologetic about it. Yes, she’s a stripper. And yes, Alexei’s macho posturing over her interim job to get her through college rankles, but she’s not about to let anyone belittle her for her choices. Man but I loved her backbone and tenacity. She had so much fire and passion to her, it’s no wonder it didn’t take long for Alexei to give in to the passion that brews between them from the very first meeting.

There’s plenty of suspense with the mystery of just where her sister ran into and who exactly is after her. Of course there’s plenty of action and cameos from the rest of the HOT team as they step in to protect Bailey from the threat against her.

HOT SEAL Redemption was an action packed ride from beginning to finish, with a sizzling slow burn romance and characters that I couldn’t help but love. It was another fantastic addition to an addicting series, and as always I’m only left craving more.

THE SERIES

HOT SEAL | HOT SEAL Lover | HOT SEAL Rescue | HOT SEAL Bride | HOT SEAL Redemption

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense · Tagged With: , , ,

Geri’s Review: Making Up by Lucy Parker

May 15, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

MAKING UP
Series: London Celebrities #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Lucy Parker
Release Date: May 28, 2018

Author of Act Like It and Pretty Face Lucy Parker returns readers to the West End, where it’s fireworks onstage and off in a sexy enemies-to-lovers showdown.

Once upon a time, circus artist Trix Lane was the best around. Her spark vanished with her confidence, though, and reclaiming either has proved…difficult. So when the star of The Festival of Masks is nixed and Trix is unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight, it’s exactly the push she needs. But the joy over her sudden elevation in status is cut short by a new hire on the makeup team.

Leo Magasiva: disgraced wizard of special effects. He of the beautiful voice and impressive beard. Complete dickhead and—in an unexpected twist—an enragingly good kisser.

To Leo, something about Trix is…different. Lovely. Beautiful, even though the pint-size, pink-haired former bane of his existence still spends most of her waking hours working to annoy him. They’ve barely been able to spend two minutes together for years, and now he can’t get enough of her. On stage. At home. In his bed.

When it comes to commitment, Trix has been there, done that, never wants to do it again. Leo’s this close to the job of a lifetime, which would take him away from London—and from Trix. Their past is a constant barrier between them.

It seems hopeless.

Utterly impossible.

And yet…

AMAZON

 

Lucy Parker became an instant favorite after I fell in love with the first book of her London Celebrity series. She has never fails to deliver on the swoons and the great characters. The third book, Making Up, is no exception.

We’ve met Trix in Pretty Face. She’s a circus artist and Lily’s best friend who was in an abusive relationship with Dan. That abuse took a toll on Trix and the aftermath was even more heartbreaking. She lost confidence in herself and her talents, and just when it seems like her career and life are in the doldrums, an opportunity to take the lead role in the long running show she’s in dropped on lap right along with her old nemesis, Leo Magasiva.

We’ve also met Leo Magasiva briefly in Pretty Face. He’s a make up artist whose Holywood rise was derailed by an allergic reaction mishap. Now back in London, Leo joined Trix’s company as the head make up artist.

Can I just say how refreshing it is to read about a hero who is not a billionaire/Rockstar/biker/soldier but a makeup artist? I loved it. Plus, Leo Magasiva was just divine. Swoon-worthy, creative guy with a heart of gold. He’s the perfect man for Trix, and lord knows she needs someone trustworthy after Dan the snake oil man almost ruined her life.

It doesn’t have to be complicated, Trix.” It was the only thing he could say. It was also a total bloody lie. It was them. It was going to be completely fucking complicated.”

The chemistry between Trix and Leo just leaps off the page and their banter was amazing. Lucy Parker definitely knows how to write banter. The relationship between Trix and Leo was complicated from the start. They had history and they had personal issues to deal with on top of everything. I of course, adored it because I love me some complicated.

It was delightful going back to the London setting of this book. I wish more contemporary romances are set there just to break the monotony of American set romances. I loved that the London described in this book is filled with diverse characters and it felt lived in. London’s West End is in and on itself a main character in the book. And oh, this book was also damn funny. It’s not slapstick humor but the sarcastic, offbeat, and deadpan kind, which I personally prefer.

There’s a new character introduced in this book which I feel readers will either love or hate. I wasn’t sure about it myself but I think I love to read more about this character. Fingers crossed Lucy will have something plan because it’s going to get interesting to say the least.

We do not squee over anything to do with this man, ovaries. Rein in the hormones immediately.”

I enjoyed this book immensely. Although I’ll be the first one to say that it’s far from perfect. I had a bit of an issue with the pacing especially the middle. It was definitely slow during that part but it did pick up and finished strong. And that epilogue!! Loved it.

There is also a scene that might raise some discussion around consent. And after thinking about it and rereading that part again, I personally wasn’t bothered by it. I felt that something was already established between them. So I wasn’t bothered by it. I’m mentioning this, trying to be as vague as possible as to not spoil the book but I also feel that it’s a good point to discuss among readers.

Anyway, I still adored this book. Those little snags weren’t big enough to affect my overall enjoyment at all.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, By Star Rating, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Disturbing His Peace by Tessa Bailey

May 12, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

DISTURBING HIS PEACE
Series: The Academy #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: April 24, 2018

She’s got probable cause to make her move . . .

Danika Silva can’t stand Lt. Greer Burns. Her roommate’s older brother may be sexy as hell, but he’s also a cold, unfeeling robot. She just wants to graduate and forget about her scowling superior. But when a dangerous mistake lands Danika on probation—under Greer’s watch—she’s forced to interact with the big, hulking jerk. Call him daily to check in? Done. Ride shotgun in his cruiser every night? Done. Try not to climb into his giant, muscular lap and kiss him? Umm…

Greer doesn’t let anything—or anyone—distract him from the job. Except lately, all he can think about is Danika. He’s wanted the beautiful, cocky recruit since the moment he saw her. But she’s reckless and unpredictable, and Greer is painfully aware of what can happen when an officer doesn’t follow the rules. Probation seemed like a good idea, but now Danika’s scent is in his car and he’s replayed her voicemails twenty times. Christ, he’s a goner.

Danika’s melting Greer’s stone-cold exterior one ride-along at a time. Being together could have serious consequences… but breaking a few rules never hurt anybody, right?

AMAZON

Greer is like a pair of distressed leather boots in a shop window. I can admire them and hate them a little for drawing my eye, but I’m definitely not supposed to try them on.

I’ve been itching for Greer and Danika’s story since the first book in the series. Something about their antagonistic relationship with a deep undercurrent of suppressed lust just got my engine roaring. I couldn’t wait to get my grabby little hands on this book and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

What if we get caught?”
“Then you’ll hide your pretty face in my neck while I show them my badge. And when they leave, you’ll keep fucking moving. You want to break the rules, baby? Let’s break them…Once I’m inside you, that’s where I’m staying. God himself couldn’t drag me off. Are we clear?”

Ummm…hot cop fantasy, anyone? Because dang!

Greer is Charlie’s broody older brother that we first meet in Disorderly Conduct. He’s also the lieutenant in charge of the police academy class that Danika is currently trying to finish. To say that their “relationship” gets off to a rocky start is an understatement. Greer’s rough and grumpy disposition certainly doesn’t win him any fans. The man is downright brutal on his cadets, and his past has made him prickly and closed off to everyone else. But Danika has a way of getting under his skin like no one else. And soon their unwilling attraction begins to brew to a degree of scorching that neither one of them can escape.

Danika is used to being the one with the answers. She’s the one coming to everyone’s rescue. But she doesn’t have an answer for the chemistry between her and the untouchable Greer. Their relationship is not quite forbidden, but it’s not one they want exposed either. Danika wants to be a great cop on her own merit. Greer wants nothing to do with relationships and entanglement. Yet somehow the undeniable chemistry between them begins to bring them both some consequences they never saw coming; like feelings.

I loved watching Greer fall harder and harder for Danika. Danika is such a sweet yet strong heroine. This is a woman that can kick some serious ass, but then also has this incredibly endearing hidden soft side. I loved watching Greer bring that out in her. And did I mention the dirty talk? Because holy ovaries, the dirty talk! It was delicious!

Disturbing His Peace was another sexy and entertaining installment in The Academy series, and the perfect book to end it with. It was fun, action packed, and hot enough to set fire to ovaries within a 100 block radius!

I’m fucking yours, you know that?” He drops hot, panting kisses beneath my ear. “I just want to be yours, Danika.”

THE SERIES

DISORDERLY CONDUCT | INDECENT EXPOSURE | DISTURBING HIS PEACE

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Adult Urban Fantasy, All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Merciless by Gina L. Maxwell

May 10, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

MERCILESS 
Series: Playboys In Love #3
Genre: Erotic Romance
Author: Gina L. Maxwell
Release Date: May 7, 2018

I’m not always the hero. Sometimes, I’m merciless.

My whole life I’ve been the good guy—loyal friend, helpful son, dedicated firefighter—but in the bedroom I’m someone else. That’s where my inner villain likes to come out and play.

With a kink as taboo as mine, it’s too risky to play with anyone who doesn’t crave it like I do, so I’ve gotten used to depriving that side of me.

Then I see HER. She’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen and my darker half recognizes itself in her mysterious brown eyes. She’s everything I could ever want and thought I would never find.

Our arrangement may seem twisted to everyone else, but the sex is explosive—and soon my soul is demanding to own every part of her. We come from different worlds that want to tear us apart, but I won’t give up on our future.

For her, I will fight. And I will be…MERCILESS.

Reader Advisory: Merciless deals with forced fantasy between consenting adults. Readers sensitive to non-consensual sex fantasies should be advised.

AMAZON

I want to protect her, take care of her…and in the dark of night when we let our fantasies out to play, I want to violate her.

You see that squirming uncomfortable mess in the corner icing her ovaries? Yeah. That’d be me. Because this book SET THEM ON FIRE!!!

I’ve been stalking Gina for Austin’s book forever! The mere second I got a whiff of his particular kink, I knew I had to have it. Because I happen to love me some dub con. So Austin’s penchant for things being a little…rougher? Bring. It. On.

I highly recommend the entire series, but this could also be easily read as a standalone. I mean, who doesn’t get a lady hard on for a firefighter during the day, male stripper during the night? When this bad boy meets a woman who’s much more than initially meets the eyes? He’s hooked. And when he finds out that she craves exactly the type of sex that he does? He’s addicted.

Merciless is one deliciously kinky thrill ride that I enjoyed from beginning to finish. It was a little depraved and a whole lot of sexy. I loved the relationship development and I especially loved that the heroine truly made Austin work for it. She gives into his demands, but she certainly doesn’t make it easy to win her heart. And I especially loved the way everything was handled in the end and the slight role reversal of the ultimate conflict.

I read a very early copy of the ARC so I won’t go into too much detail, but I will tell you that if you’re looking for one sizzling read, this book is a done deal. Just have a change of underwear and some ice on hand, because your ovaries will never be the same.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dirty Talkers, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: , ,

#DGRFave & Review: Bane by LJ Shen

May 9, 2018 by · 1 Comment

BANE
Series: Sinners of Saint #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: LJ Shen
Release Date: May 10, 2018

A COMPLETE standalone and a Sinners of Saint spin-off.

Bane
Naked surfer. Habitual pothead. A con, a liar, a thief and a fraud.
Last I heard, he was extorting the rich and screwing their wives for a living.
Which is why I’m more than a little surprised to find him at my threshold, looking for my friendship, my services, and most puzzling of all—looking humbled.
Thing is, I’m on a boycott. Literally—I cut boys from my life. Permanently.
Problem is, Bane is not a boy, he is all man, and I’m falling, crashing, drowning in his sweet, perfect lies.

Jesse Carter
Hot as hell, cold as ice.
I wasn’t aware of her existence until a fat, juicy deal landed in my lap.
She’s a part of it, a little plaything to kill some time.
She is collateral, a means to an end, and a side-bonus for striking a deal with her oil tycoon stepdad.
More than anything, Jesse Carter is a tough nut to crack.
Little does she know, I have the teeth for it.

AMAZON

We weren’t a boy and a girl. We were two lonely, fucked-up souls. It made wanting Bane in my life acceptable. I wanted him to fix me.

The queen of angst has done it once again. She’s given me a hero that I have fallen head over ovaries for, and I can’t stop thinking about. Bane is so different from the heroes we’re used to from LJ Shen, but he’s no less potent. He’s not the typical alpha-hole that she writes oh-so-well. But he’s also not quite a nice guy either. Bane is that somewhere in the middle, that gray zone of sex appeal and criminal. This book was EVERYTHING.

You’re poisoned. Sheltered. Yet, you’re no Snow White. Wanna know why?”
“Why?”
“Snow White waited for the prince. You’ll be the one saving yourself in this story.”

Jesse may have been one of my favorite LJ Shen heroines to date. This girl is so broken, yet her spirit shines through even through her shattered pieces. And I absolutely loved that Bane is one of the few people in her life that sees it. He sees beyond the frumpy clothes she tries to hide behind. He sees the fiery woman behind the disguise; a woman with scars but one that will fight with the ferocity of a tiger if ever cornered. Man but I loved their immediate chemistry and dynamic. This is a slow burn, and boy does Shen make you burn. She makes you crave every stolen look, every secret touch, every forbidden erotic moment. GAH. It was so freaking delicious.

He was cracking my heart with every touch, shattering it with every smile, and it didn’t make any sense, because how could he break something that was already broken?

Bane is not a nice guy, but he’s not quite a bad guy either. This is a man with many layers that are full of depth beyond what his bad boy appearance gives off. I was turning the pages well into the night, ravenous for another layer to be revealed. The tumultuous connection that he has to Jesse had me sitting at the edge of my seat just waiting for the other shoe to drop. You experience him unwillingly and unexpectedly fall for a girl that was supposed to be a tool in his arsenal. She was only supposed to be a pawn but soon began to turn into so much more.

I survived many things, but Roman Protsenko was probably not going to be one of them.

Bane was a delicious slow burn full of depth and emotion. It was a story of survival and finding love in the darkest most unexpected corner. It was angsty, sexy, and a page turner from beginning to finish.

1 Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Hooked On You by Kate Meader

May 8, 2018 by ·

HOOKED ON YOU
Series: Chicago Rebels #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kate Meader
Release Date: May 7, 2018

The steamy Chicago Rebels series returns with this racy and sassy tale of embittered hearts, second chances, and going for the goal—on and off the ice.

Violet Vasquez never met her biological father, so learning he left his beloved hockey franchise—the Chicago Rebels—to her is, well, unexpected. Flat broke and close to homeless, Violet is determined to make the most of this sudden opportunity. Except dear old dad set conditions that require she takes part in actually running the team with the half-sisters she barely knows. Working with these two strangers and overseeing a band of hockey-playing lugs is not on her agenda…until she lays eyes on the Rebels captain and knows she has to have him.

Bren St. James has been labeled a lot of things: the Puck Prince, Lord of the Ice, Hell’s Highlander…but it’s the latest tag that’s making headlines: washed-up alcoholic has-been. This season, getting his life back on track and winning the Cup are his only goals. With no time for relationships—except the fractured ones he needs to rebuild with his beautiful daughters—he’s finding it increasingly hard to ignore sexy, all-up-in-his-beard Violet Vasquez. And when he finds himself in need of a nanny just as the playoffs are starting, he’s faced with a temptation he could so easily get hooked on.

For two lost souls, there’s more on the line than just making the best of a bad situation… there might also be a shot at the biggest prize of all: love.

AMAZON

If he could resist a drink, he could certainly resist the charms of Violet Vasquez. Siren. Temptress. His daughters’ primary caregiver.

This was definitely, hands down, my favorite book in the series. As soon as the grumpy Scot came on the scene, I’ve been salivating for his book. And it just doesn’t get better than pairing him with a sassy and smart-mouthed Latina that doesn’t take any of his broodiness. Man. I was in banter heaven.

Violet’s attention was a fresh slice of hell, because in a way it was. She reminded him of everything he couldn’t have. She reminded him of the man he used to be.

Bren was a broody, deliciously grumpy, recovering alcoholic. After almost losing his daughters and career to his drinking, he’s determined to right his wrongs. As the captain of the team, he wants to bring them the Cup, and he wants full custody of his daughters. The one thing he doesn’t need is a distraction in the form of one third of the Rebels owner and stunning Violet Vasquez.

For alcoholics, one drink was too many and a thousand were never enough. He suspected it would be the same with drinking down Violet, an addiction he couldn’t risk.

Violet isn’t anything like her two sisters. She really doesn’t want the team. She just wants to fulfill her duty in order to get her piece of the will from the father that never wanted her, and to hightail it back. But Violet is also nothing like what she seems. This is a woman with a past, and one that carries so much responsibility and strength on her tatted shoulders. She likes to appear like the good time party girl, but she’s so much more than that. She’s a survivor. She’s a fighter. She’s a woman that puts up a hard front that hides a soft heart. When she met Bren a year ago and he turned her down flat at a bar thinking her another hockey groupie, they’ve gone into a delicious back and forth of suppressed sexual tension and desire. GOD. It was soooooo good.

This wasn’t a textbook or fairy-tale kiss. This wasn’t smooth or gentle. It was hard and needy and unrepentant. It was Violet. It was Bren. It was everything.

I adored the way Violet had with Bren’s little girls and the bond they formed. I loved the slow burn between her and Bren. I couldn’t get enough of the strength they offered to each other and the way they each filled in the broken pieces in the other.

With her he felt renewed. Changed. Worthy. With her he felt like the man he was meant to be.

Hooked on You was romantic perfection. It was full of emotion and brimming with passion. It was swoony and sweet, humorous and the absolute perfect book to conclude this series with.

THE SERIES

IRRESISTIBLE YOU | SO OVER YOU | UNDONE BY YOU | HOOKED ON YOU

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Sports · Tagged With: , ,

Review & Excerpt: Jock Row by Sara Ney

May 7, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

JOCK ROW
Series: Jock Hard #1
Genre: New Adult, Sports Romance
Author: Sara Ney
Release Date: May 3, 2018

Scarlett is always the sensible one: The sober driver. The planner. The one holding your hair back while you’re worshiping the porcelain gods.

Week-after-week, she visits Jock Row with her friends—the universities hottest party scene and breeding ground for student athletes. And if keeping her friends out of trouble, and guys out of their pants, was a sport, she’d be the star athlete.

Being a well known jock-blocker gets her noticed for all the wrong reasons; just like that, she’s banned from Jock Row. NO GUY WANTS A GIRL AROUND WHO KEEPS THEIR JOCK FRIENDS FROM GETTING LAID.

“Rowdy” Wade is the hot shot short-stop for the university’s baseball team—and the unlucky bastard who drew the short straw: keep little Miss Goody Two-Shoes out of the Baseball House.

But week-after-week Scarlett returns, determined to get inside.

AMAZON

Jesus Christ, she has a dimple in her damn cheek.I’m a sucker for those.

She shoots me a tentative smile, ass parked on the stoop, back propped against the wooden siding of the house.

It’s obvious that she’s blushing by the way she ducks her head, glancing down at the floor, the soft glow from the two busted lamps illuminate the crown of her head.

The porch lights are busted and rusty, needing their bulbs changed, one flickering—the other just about to burn out. It makes the entire place look like a goddamn Halloween fun-house, casting a weird glow on the girl’s smooth, pale skin.

And her pretty dimple.

Stop staring at it, dipshit.

I cast my glance at her outfit, doing my best to analyze her under the dim lights; she must have been sweaty inside the house; I got a good look at her before convincing her to follow me, but still study her as if seeing her for the first time.

Both of her boots are tucked under her legs, and she sits, cross-legged on the ground. Blows out a frustrated puff of air that translates into a billowing stream of steam.

“So.” She wraps her puffed sleeved arms around her knees, hugging them tight. Shivers. “Now what?”

Her prim ponytail is jaunty, bobbing when she tilts her head to gaze over at me.

“Now I babysit you.”

“Lovely. We can bond.”

I position my large body against the railing, giving it a gentle shake to make sure it’s sturdy before supporting all my weight on it. It’s solid and secure and is going to get real uncomfortable real fucking fast if I have to stand here all night.

The girl raises her brows at me. They appear black in this light; full and arched expertly. “Have you babysat anyone before?”

“No one I managed to keep alive,” I joke. “A few cousins my parents forced me to watch a few times; never would feed them but would occasionally throw out a dog bone so they wouldn’t get hungry.”

She smiles, dimple denting the smooth right side of her face. “Is that what you have planned for me?”

I raise my empty hands. “I’m fresh out of Scooby snacks. Guess we’ll both have to starve.”

“Sorry you have to sit out here.”

“Really?” I sound hopeful. “No one is forcing you to sit out here.”

Her light laugh is quiet. “Fine. I guess I’m not that sorry.” She bites down on her lower lip. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying your discomfort—just a little bit.”

“Gee, thanks.”

I’m an athlete—a champion. I play hard and jock harder, and these little games I’ve started with her? I’m playing to win.


I read this in one delicious sitting. Stayed up WAY past my bedtime to finish, and I don’t even care because it was SO FREAKING CUTE!! Such a fun start to what looks to be another addicting series from one of my favorite authors.

Jock Row introduces another New Adult sports series from Sara Ney, this time about baseball. We get the ball rolling *giggles* (sorry couldn’t help myself) with the story of Rowdy and Scarlett.

I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the sizzling slow burn of their romance. What starts as an unlikely friendship full of banter and laughs, soon begins to develop into something much deeper. When Rowdy is picked to kick Scarlett out of a party on Jock Row for being a bit of a cockblock to his friends, the last thing he expects is the immediate connection he forms with a girl wearing a bulky sweater and a mischievous grin. This was a deliciously character driven story and I think that’s what I enjoyed most about it. I loved the banter between these two and I’ll never think of Never Have I Ever without thinking of this couple.

Rowdy may be a jock, but he’s not an a-hole. He’s cocky, but rightfully so. He IS the captain of the baseball team and worked hard to get where he is. Scarlett was a breath of fresh air. She’s sassy and sharp witted and isn’t as boy crazy as her college friends even if Rowdy does make her keep showing up to a party she has no intention of going inside for. I seriously adored the way their connection formed. Watching their feelings develop and the chemistry between them go from sparks to incendiary proportions.

Jock Row was an adorably sweet and super cute romance full of laughs and sizzle. It had me glued to the pages from beginning to finish and totally head over heels for this couple by the end. If New Adult sports romance is your thing, this series is your new catnip!

Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced latte’s, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives colorfully, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British.

She lives with her husband, children, and her ridiculously large dog.

 Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Newsletter | Website

 

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Sports · Tagged With: , , ,

New Release, Review & Giveaway: Lead Me Home by AL Jackson

May 7, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

LEAD ME HOME
Series: Fight For Me #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: AL Jackson
Release Date: May 7, 2018

Fourteen years ago, my life changed forever.

My sister disappeared. That day I was selfish. That day I chose myself over her. And that day, I lost everything.

Including Nikki Walters.

She’s the girl I’ve loved my whole life. She’s gorgeous. Caring. Every single thing I’ve ever wanted but denied myself. She was my sister’s best friend, and I destroyed any chance of keeping her.

When her safety is threatened, I have a second chance to do the right thing. But as soon as she moves in, I want her in all the wrong ways.

All it takes is a brush of her hand, and I’m losing all control.

The fire between us is only burning hotter.

But neither of us saw what was coming.

And it just might be Nikki Walters who destroys me in the end.

The highly anticipated sexy, suspenseful stand-alone second-chance romance from NYT Bestselling Author, A.L. Jackson.

AMAZON PAPERBACK | AMAZON EBOOK

Oliver Preston was armor and stone. Bitterness and venom.
Broken fragments. Shrapnel waiting to bust. He was the bullet that pierced right through the center of me.

AL Jackson sure knows how to sucker punch her readers with some feels. And while I felt like the entire series has been leading up to this conclusion for me, nothing could have prepared me for the potency of emotion it brought. Each book in the series focuses on a different couple, but I highly recommend reading the previous two books to truly appreciate this one to its fullest.


I had always belonged to Oliver Preston. The problem was, he’d never fully belonged to me. I owned his gazes. His protection. His regret.

Ever since you learn Ollie’s heartbreaking past, you’re left craving for this man to finally have some light in his life. Nikki Walters has been in love with Ollie for as long as she remembers. And he’s been her biggest heartache almost just as long. Lead Me Home details their full connection, starting from the time they were just children, leading up to the tragedy that changed both of their lives, and all the ways it ripped them apart in the aftermath.

He was an enigma. A veiled mystery. A cliffhanger waiting to be written

After years of heartache and hope, Nikki is done taking a chance on Oliver. She can’t settle for the little scraps of himself he has to give and she refuses to stop her life right along side his. Oliver is a shell of the person he once was, refusing to move on and blaming himself for the tragic disappearance of his sister and Nikki’s best friend. While the events of that night inevitably changed every person in their group of friends, no one took it harder than Ollie. And while he knows he has nothing left to give Nikki and she deserves more, when a mysterious threat appears, he knows he’ll stop at nothing to protect her. Even if it means being faced with their undeniable connection that has only grown through the years.

This girl was a wave getting ready to take me under. And I didn’t think she’d ever let me up for air.

This was definitely the most emotional book in the series for me, and it was most definitely my favorite. I adored Nikki and Ollie together. Even when Ollie was too blind to see what was right in front of him, he didn’t stop fighting for her. And I loved how solid and determined Nikki was when it came to him. She doesn’t take any of his bull, but she’s still there for him. She still cares. As you get a closer look at the potency of their connection, you fall harder and harder for them. I loved their push and pull. I loved their chemistry. I simply loved everything about this couple. Their light and their dark, their love and pain, their tragedy and happiness.

My whole life, all it took was a glance from you, and I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be.” 

Lead Me Home was a poignant, emotional, and unforgettable story of loss and pain. It was a story of an undeniable love and heartbreak. It was beautiful and the writing was stunning. I love AL Jackson’s way with words. The woman’s writing is lyrical and almost poetic. I couldn’t imagine a more captivating conclusion for a series that has grabbed me from the very beginning.

THE SERIES

SHOW ME THE WAY | HUNT ME DOWN | FOLLOW ME BACK | LEAD ME HOME

Don’t miss the amazing giveaway going on to celebrate the LEAD ME HOME Release!! Grand prize includes signed SHOW ME THE WAY and FOLLOW ME BACK and the entire BLEEDING STARS SERIES Paperbacks!!

Rafflecopter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e42d6b41113/

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: ,

Review: Knotted by Pam Godwin

May 3, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

KNOTTED
Series: Trails of Sin #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Pam Godwin
Release Date: May 1, 2018

I try to forget her.
It’s impossible.

Growing up together, Conor and I shared all our firsts.
First love, first kiss, first…
Not all our firsts.

We were sixteen the night she was violently assaulted while I helplessly watched.
I’ll never forget the sounds of her suffering.
Or my inconsolable agony when she left Oklahoma.

Years later, she returns to honor our teenage pact.
Except the boy she loved is gone, replaced by a ruthless cattle rancher knotted with secrets.
She doesn’t know my dark cravings or the trails of sin that lead to her.

I don’t deserve her, but one truth remains.
She’s mine.

TRAILS OF SIN series (HEAs with no cliffhangers – must be read in order):
Knotted #1 – Jake and Conor
Buckled #2 – Jarret and Maybe
Booted #3 – Lorne and Raina

AMAZON

With a hand in my hair and the other on my hip, he bends me into his heat and sets fire to my world.

No matter what she writes, Pam Godwin never fails to bring her signature grit to the stories that make them simply unputdownable. When I saw she’ll be coming out with a brand new series revolving around kinky cowboys, I’m not even sure I took a moment to blink before adding these bad boys to my TBR. And while I should be used to her knack for knocking me on my ass with her brand of emotional grit, I still wasn’t quite prepared for what this story will bring.

I made her believe I let her go. God, if I only could. Nothing will stop me from watching over her, but I can’t have her. I’ll protect her with my life, but I must forget her.

Jake and Conor were childhood sweethearts. The best of friends with an undeniable connection that leads to an unforgettable love. Their fathers frown on their relationship, with Conor’s father forbidding it, but nothing could keep them apart. Along with Conor’s older brother, and Jake’s brother, they’re as thick as thieves. Until what should have been a nigh of stolen kisses and lost innocence turns into a thing of nightmares that irrevocably changes the course of all of their lives.

Forced to watch the love of his life brutally get her innocence stolen while he can do nothing about it breaks something inside Jake. When her father takes her away to Chicago, he knows the best thing he can do is let her go, even if she leaves with his heart and doesn’t know it. Their bond may be broken, their connection now ravaged, but the pact they form after the violence of their evening will never be forgotten.

Years later, Conor returns to the small to honor their pact, but nothing is the same. Jake isn’t the boy she remembers, and their teenage connection is in tethers from the choices he made over the years. But Jake is determined to right his wrongs, and he’s even more determined to protect Conor from a danger that she never even knew existed. He’s going to break through all her walls, even the one she’s built to protect around her heart.

Something clicks inside me, like a turning key. I’ve been wandering aimlessly, so lost and far away from myself. But I just found the door the leads me back. He’s the other half of me, and he holds the pieces that will make me whole again.

Knotted was a slow burn second chance romance with plenty of hidden danger and suspense to keep the reader glued to the pages. It would have easily been a 5 star for me if not for the way Conor’s therapy was handled. I struggled to wrap my mind around the fact that someone that gets brutally raped is able to heal at the hands of her lover that did nothing more than research her condition, as quickly as she did. Yes, Conor has her triggers, and yes it takes her a while to move past them with Jake. But I still found it difficult to suspend my disbelief enough to buy into her being able to move past them through Jake’s form of sexual and mental therapy. I could see it in the long run, maybe, but not as quickly as it happened here.

That aside, I absolutely devoured this story. I was desperate to turn the pages to learn more and more about the mysterious danger, and the Dallas sized drama with Conor and Jake’s families. There’s a delicious hook for Jake’s brother’s story here, but I’m downright salivating for Conor’s brother to get his book. I have a feeling his book will pack one heck of a punch.

Jake and Conor were sizzling together. And while I wanted to hate Jake for how he chose to drive Conor away, I also couldn’t help but understand his reasons behind it. I loved Conor’s strength even after everything she’s faced and forced to endure in her young life.

This is us, wild and incendiary, dancing in the open air like a campfire. Galloping through the pasture against the wind. Soaring over the ridge with falcon wings and marveling at the glory of our life together.

Knotted was a gritty and suspenseful read full of sizzle and mystery. It wasn’t Pam’s typical dark, but it was certainly no walk in the park either. I can’t wait for more in this series!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Two To Love by Lexi Blake

May 2, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

TWO TO LOVE
Series: Nights In Bliss #2
Genre: Erotic Romance
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: May 1, 2018

Three lost souls

Growing up in the eclectic, small town of Bliss was wonderful for Callie Sheppard. She loved everything about it, except for the lack of potential romantic partners. She only went wild once in her life, sharing a perfect weekend in Dallas with two incredible men she never thought she would see again. When they parted, she was left with a hole in her heart she feared would never be filled.

One romantic weekend

DEA agents Nathan Wright and Zane Hollister were thrilled when Callie agreed to spend the weekend with them. Just days away from a long, undercover assignment, they considered this passionate affair to be an ideal way to spend their last days of freedom. They never expected to fall in love. Leaving her behind was the hardest decision of their lives.

An unexpected reunion

Six years later, Callie is preparing to break in a new sheriff after Rye Harper walked out on the job. Her heart skips a few beats when the man walking through the door is none other than Nate Wright. Nate and Zane have come to Bliss, but their time undercover has left them broken and scarred. The boys are determined to win back Callie’s heart. But when the criminals they took down come seeking revenge, Nate and Zane may have to save the strange little town of Bliss before they can reclaim the woman they love.

AMAZON

We won’t be polite with you. There won’t be anything staid about the way we fuck you. You’re ours. We’ll take you when we want, how we want.”

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; I’m obsessed with these re-releases. I’m not sure how I’m only discovering now, considering I’ve devoured Lexi Blake’s entire backlist. But better late then never, I say. And as much as I’m enjoying her titles under Sophie Oak pen name, nothing stokes my fire more than the Nights In Bliss series. There’s just something about this deliciously kinky series with its added element of suspense that just does it for me.

Callie Harper was a character that caught my attention immediately with book 1. There were hints about a man from her past, and I couldn’t wait to learn all the kinky details. And lo and behold, but the woman was hiding not one, but two men in her past. Two incredibly sexy men that she hands her virginity to in one amazing weekend that her friend Stefan helped to set up, only to never hear from them again.

Nate and Zane are about to go on a career making undercover assignment for the DEA, and while they know they can’t have anything with the beautiful woman that immediately steals their heart, they can’t help but fall for her anyway. Only to sneak away in the early morning to never see her again. But when the assignment that they invested years into goes all kinds of wrong, they need a place to escape. And what’s better than the sleepy town of Bliss where their old friend Stefan still resides. While Zane broods and hides away at their house, Nate becomes the new town sherif. But nothing prepares him for the quirkiness of the town or the potency of his feelings for the woman still residing there that he’s never gotten over.

With these two men she wasn’t Callie, the shoulder to cry on, the responsible one. With Nate and Zane, she was a lover, a sexy vixen who took two men at once and left both of them satisfied.

I loved Callie’s sass and the way she didn’t just roll over and take Nate’s grumpiness of dealing with the quirky town and it’s people. I also loved the way she wasn’t afraid to give as good as she got. I certainly didn’t expect for the broody and broken Zane to be the sweet and easy one in the menage, but man did I love the sparks between them. I loved watching Nate fall deeper and deeper under the spell of the town and Callie. And while this was an MFM coupling, I still loved the bond he had with Zane. Even if my inner perv did want them to get it on at times. What? Like you wouldn’t.

I thought I loved the first book in the series, but this one was even better. I already can’t wait to see what the next one brings and to see the domineering Stef finally brought to his knees by a woman.

Two To Love had everything; fun secondary characters, a great story with some action packed suspense, and of course some steamy menage action. I couldn’t get enough of it!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: , , , ,
Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

%d bloggers like this: