Review: Perfect Pitch by Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliott

November 22, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

PERFECT PITCH
Series: Found In Oblivion #5
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Author: Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliott
Release Date: August 4, 2017

A lead singer, a professor, and another lead singer walk into a bedroom…

Molly McIntire loves her career as the lead singer of the band Warning Sign. Who she does not love?

The cocky, seductive lead singer of The Grunge, rockstar Luc Moreau, who through a series of misfortunate events ends up singing with her.

In her band. On her stage. Together.

It’s like getting naked, with a microphone between them. So is there any surprise they’re tempted to hate screw each other afterward?

But someone sees them with their tempers running hot. And open-minded Professor Ethan Haywood wants them both, in every dirty, decadent way. For a night or so much more.

Except he’s not the only one who’s watching them—and the band. Their every move is being monitored, and when the lights go out, not everyone will still be standing.

Suddenly it’s not just about falling into bed for Molly, Luc, and Ethan, but falling in love when everything they know and love is in danger.

Author’s note: This book contains mènage scenes, and while the men are always focused on the woman, they also focus on each other. With and without their clothes on.

Author’s note part deux: While the romantic relationship ends in a full HEA, there are ongoing events that will not be fully explained or resolved until the next book, Raw Rhythm.

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A lead singer, a professor, and another lead singer walk into a bedroom…


I was honestly just going to end my review here. Because, c’mon! Sweet mother of ovaries, people. This book was so ridiculously hot, I still can’t even.

But beyond the hot cover and the ridiculously hotter set up, what truly sucked me in was the story. Being a longtime fan of all things Cari and Taryn, I love getting more of my Oblivion peeps in this spin off. And Jazz being one of my favorite heroines, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the story of her sister, Molly.

Molly is finally in a great place in her life. She’s the lead singer of a band, she has a great relationship with her once estranged sister, and she’s living on top of the world. Who needs a man to complicate things. Especially one impeccably dressed man that has a deliciously dirty mouth and a penchant for the kinky things in bed that she can’t seem to stay away from.

Professor Ethan Haywood is never lacking for a bed partner; male or female. But little Molly has been the star of his every fantasy lately and he knows he’ll stop at nothing to have her. Even if she thinks that they’re nothing but an itch to scratch. Another man coming into the picture should be a complication, but proves to be so much more.

Luc Moreau finds himself in a place he never hoped he’ll be back; rock bottom. Facing the potential boot from his band and his role as the lead singer is bad enough. But when a sexy little powerhouse blows into their recording studio and is convinced that she can sing him out of the water, he’s thrown for a loop. His attraction to her is inconvenient at best. But his pull to the man that already staked a claim on her, is even more so.

Thus begins a delicious game of sexual power plays and playing with fire. Luc and Molly have too much riding on their career to focus on anything besides it. But their connection proves to be too strong to resist. Where Ethan is open with his sexuality, Luc has been on the reserved side. But when Ethan calls him out on his urges, he can’t help but give in. What starts then is a whole lot of sexy.

Much in Cari and Taryn fashion, they leave us hanging at the end. The sadists. While the relationship is a resolved, there’s a terrible even that happens that leaves everything up in the air for the band. And I for one cannot wait to see how it all comes together in the next book.

THE SERIES

BEDDED BLISS | TRIPLE TROUBLE | DIRTY DUET | LOST LYRIC | PERFECT PITCH | RAW RHYTHM

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New Release & Review: The Rivalry by Nikki Sloane

November 21, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

THE RIVALRY
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Author: Nikki Sloane
Release Date: November 21, 2017

This tight end is at the top of his game.

He’s good with his hands, even better with his sexy mouth, and the best at making me forget my own name.

His—ahem—stats are perfect.

But I can’t fall for him.

He might be everything I want, all rolled into a glorious package of gridiron god, but there’s one teeny-tiny problem.

The vile, loathsome team I’ve spent my entire life hating—my beloved school’s arch-rival?

This guy is their star player.

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I shouldn’t have gotten in his car, but his mouth had been too convincing. He was the devil. The seduction of his lips could make me do anything.

I have a confession to make. When I first first started reading this book, I thought I’d hate it. Put down that rotten tomato for a second, killer, and hear me out, mkay? What I mean is, I thought I’d find this whole rivalry thing trivial, juvenile, and kind of…well…cheesy. *cringes*
I’m sorry! I can be a judgmental a-hole. This is nothing new. *shrugs sheepishly* Admission is the first step, isn’t it? Quit judging meh!

But I digress. And I’m also happily eating my words…or is it thoughts? *scratches chin* Whatever the case may be, I have never been more happy to be wrong about judging a book by the first few chapters. Because The Rivalry was a fun and sexy ride that I enjoyed with a goofy smile on my face and a burn in my ovaries. Wait… That came out wrong. But you get my drift here, right?

This girl was electricity. It sparked across my skin, crackling and demanding more.

Two rivaling schools. Two die hard football fans. One undeniable connection.

You can pretty much say that Kayla came into the world predisposed to love football. Her father is a coach and her mom is a downright fanatic. Her being an opinionated, die hard football junky is in her blood. As the head cheerleader for Ohio State university, she literally eats, lives and breathes football. Men? Forget about it. Not many can tolerate her opinionated hassling ways. Until one sexy stranger at her friend’s wedding changes everything…

Every shudder he made and every pulse of him, I was the cause. I’d let this gridiron warrior conquer me, but I’d done it right back to him.

But what happens when Kayla finds out that the first man to put a sizzle in her ovaries also happens to be the tight end for her school’s biggest rival team?
Indeed, Scooby. Ruh roh indeed.

But no matter how much Kayla tries to fight it, the chemistry between them is simply too hot to walk away from. And when Jay sets his sights on the girl he wants, he’ll stop at nothing to have her. And no one is more determined than this tight end. Ha! See what I did there?

But I digress again.

Kayla could have easily been on the annoying side, but yet she was entirely endearing and fun. Though admittedly she did have her moments, she ultimately won me over in the end. And as for Jay? I’m pretty sure I was ready to pee proprietary circles around him. Can you even do that with a fictional character? Because I totally would! With just the right amount of secondary character personalities, fast paced plot, and sexual chemistry, this book was a total winner for me.

If you’re looking for a sizzling sports romance with plenty of witty banter, strong characters, enough sexual tension to set your kindle on fire, and even more sexy times to make sure that it turns to ash, welcome to your next read! But we warned, spontaneous lusting for football may be a side effect. Especially tight ends. *giggles*

Nikki Sloane landed in graphic design after her careers as a waitress, a screenwriter, and a ballroom dance instructor fell through. For eight years she worked for a design firm in that extremely tall, black, and tiered building in Chicago that went through an unfortunate name change during her time there. Now she lives in Kentucky and manages a team of graphic artists. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America, is married with two sons, writes dirty books, and couldn’t be any happier.

Stalk Nikki:

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Geri’s Review: Holiday Wishes by Jill Shalvis

November 20, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

HOLIDAY WISHES
Series: Heartbreaker Bay #4.5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Jill Shalvis
Release Date: November 7, 2017

It’s Christmastime again in Heartbreaker Bay!

When Sean O’Riley shows up at the Hartford Bed & Breakfast for his older brother’s bachelor weekend, he’s just hoping to make it through the weekend.

What he’s not expecting is to come face to face with the woman he lost his virginity to a decade ago—a woman he’s never really forgotten.

The last time Lotti Hartford saw Sean, she told him she loved him while he said nothing. Now, ten years later, she’s just looking for a good time.

For once, she wants to be the wild and free one, and Sean – the good time guy – is the perfect candidate.

But as the weekend continues, Sean realizes that after a lifetime of being the hook-up king, he’s ready to find happily-ever-after, and he wants it with Lotti. But will she open her heart to him again?

As Christmas sweeps through the little B&B, he can only hope love and magic are in the air.

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What makes a perfect holiday read?

For one, it has to be sweet. Nothing says holiday novella than a sweet, satisfying romance that make your toes curl. Holiday Wishes has plenty of romance, and yes, it’s sweet and satisfying, just the way I like it.

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Two, it has to be the right length. Look, holiday season often means, you’re pressed for time. You have to do a lot of shopping and cooking. And as much as you want to sit by the fire and read a fabulous 300+ page book for hours, you can’t. Not always. So a novella length book that packs in the romance in under 150 pages or so is a godsend.

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Three. It features familiar characters you already love. Sean O’Riley has been a familiar figure in the Heartbreaker Bay series. He started out as Finn’s younger, troublemaker brother. But as the series goes on, Sean grew up and matured. He’s proven himself a good brother and a loyal friend so reading about him getting his woman made me happy. Especially with a heroine as lovely as Lottie. Jill Shalvis always writes interesting heroines. They’re complex, flawed but inside they’re just full of love and loyalty.

Plus, we get to see the gang again. Nothing makes a reader’s heart happy than to see the characters she loves happy and content. Like do you know of anyone who wants to see their fave characters sad and miserable? No!

And last but not the least, the thing that makes a book a perfect holiday read is its ability to give you the warm fuzzies.

Look. Don’t me make me come at you with a 1,000 page dissertation of what constitutes warm fuzzyiness. All i know is that YOU’LL KNOW IT WHEN YOU FEEL IT!!!

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And yes, this book gave me all the warm fuzzies down to my toes.

Any questions? None? Good. Go forth and enjoy this book! <3

 

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras with her family and far too many assorted quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental.

Look for Jill’s latest, LOST AND FOUND SISTERS on shelves and e-readers now, and get all her bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold.

Visit Jill’s website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

 

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Geri’s Review: Someone to Wed by Mary Balogh

November 18, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

SOMEONE TO WED
Series: Westcott #3
Genre: Historical Romance
Author: Mary Balogh
Release Date: November 7, 2017

A very practical marriage makes Alexander Westcott question his heart in the latest Regency romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Someone to Hold.

When Alexander Westcott becomes the new Earl of Riverdale, he inherits a title he never wanted and a failing country estate he can’t afford.

But he fully intends to do everything in his power to undo years of neglect and give the people who depend on him a better life. . . .

A recluse for more than twenty years, Wren Heyden wants one thing out of life: marriage. With her vast fortune, she sets her sights on buying a husband. But when she makes the desperate—and oh-so-dashing—earl a startlingly unexpected proposal, Alex will only agree to a proper courtship, hoping for at least friendship and respect to develop between them.

He is totally unprepared for the desire that overwhelms him when Wren finally lifts the veils that hide the secrets of her past. . . .

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It was not just her face that she had hidden from the world. It was the whole of herself. Her instinct was to hide behind veils within veils, and she had done it for so long that she did not know how to case those veils aside.

Someone to Wed is a story about two people who came together out of convenience but in the process, found not only affection but deep and abiding love for each other.

The romance was top-notch as is expected from a Mary Balogh book. Both characters are flawed, complex and relatable in a way that made you root for their happiness and their developing relationship.

Alexander has inherited a failing earldom and must marry for money in order to rebuild his estates. Wren has spent the better part of her adult life in isolation. She wants to get married and have a family but feels that her appearance (she was a huge port wine stain on her face) and time spent away from society made her less of an ideal candidate for marriage. The one thing she has advantage of is her wealth. She’s an independently wealthy woman and wealth is something that Alexander needs.

But he had glimpsed something tantalizingly fleeting behind the veil. Something – no, he could not find the word. But something that invited him to keep looking.

There’s plenty to love in Someone to Wed.

It’s a fantastic MOC story, something that Mary Balogh does really well. Great, well-developed characters. Wren is such a strong, layered character. She knows what she wants and while she presents this cold and aloof behavior on the outside, her heart is passionate. But years of self-imposed seclusion and loneliness did a number of her, which made her all the more endearing and likable in my opinion.

I really liked Alexander, too. I liked that at very beginning, there’s no feelings or even an attraction between them. Their relationship grew from chapter to chapter and I was swept away with the slow burn romance between these two characters.

If you’re a fan of both slow-burn romances and the marriage-of-convenience trope, I highly recommend this book.

Mary Jenkins was born in 1944 in Swansea, Wales, UK. After graduating from university, moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, to teach high school English, on a two-year teaching contract in 1967. She married her Canadian husband, Robert Balogh, and had three children, Jacqueline, Christopher and Sian. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, music and knitting. She also enjoys watching tennis and curling.

Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling ‘Slightly’ sextet and ‘Simply’ quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.

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DGRFave & Review: Defiant Queen by Meghan March

November 17, 2017 by ·

DEFIANT QUEEN
Series: Mount Trilogy #2
Genre: Erotic, Contemporary Romance
Author: Meghan March
Release Date: November 14, 2017

I’m his entertainment. His toy. Payment on a debt.

I tell myself I hate him, but every time he walks into the room, my body betrays me. How can I want him and fear him in the same moment?

They told me he’d mess with my head. Make it go to war with my body.

But I didn’t realize it would be complete anarchy.

I should’ve known better. When Mount’s involved, there are no rules.

I will not surrender. I will not show weakness. I’ll stand my ground and make it out of this bargain with my heart and soul intact.

But he has other plans . . .

 

Defiant Queen is the second book of the Mount Trilogy. Mount and Keira’s story concludes in Sinful Empire.

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Every time I think I have her figured out, I realize none of my normal barometers apply when it comes to Keira Kilgore. She’s the exception to everything I thought I knew.

Dear mother of GAWD. I’m obsessed! OBSESSED with this trilogy. It’s like it was custom written for me. I want to slap someone with my kindle right now, it was so good. Yes, this is perfectly normal. Quit side-eyeing me.

I have the worst book ADD when it comes to trilogies. Never has one kept me as completely riveted as The Mount Trilogy. Never. I thought I was hooked after Ruthless King but that was nothing compared to what I was feeling after finishing Defiant Queen. I devour and I mean devour these books in one sitting. I cling onto every morsel of information about the mysterious and deadly Lachlan Mount. And I fall even more for the hard-headed, independent, and sassy Keira.

Defiant Queen was just as perfectly paced and action packed as the first book, if not more. We get more details of Mount’s past that helps paint the picture of why he’s the man he is today.

If there were a scale to determine the purity of a person, I would send one side crashing to the ground with the weight of my sins, and laugh while I watched.

Meghan March has written an anti-hero to beat all anti-heroes with this man and I will NEVER get enough of his domineering and sexy ways. Secrets are revealed, twists and turns come out of nowhere, and what started off as a debt, soon turns into something much more complicated for both Keira and Mount.

I finally understand the reason it’s called power exchange, but with Mount and me, it’s more accurately termed a power struggle.
He takes. I fight.
He threatens. I rebel.
He taunts. I argue.

The heat is downright incendiary with this installment. And I mean INCENDIARY. The story was downright addicting. And the ending? ABSOLUTELY INFURIATING.

So if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to rock myself in a corner somewhere until the release of Sinful Empire.

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

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DON’T MISS THE REST OF THE MOUNT TRILOGY 

RUTHLESS KING

Mount Trilogy Book 1

Get ready for the darker and dirtier side of New Orleans with a brand new alpha romance from USA Today bestselling author Meghan March.

New Orleans belongs to me.
You don’t know my name, but I control everything you see—and all the things you don’t.
My reach knows no bounds, and my demands are always met.
I didn’t need to loan money to a failing family distillery, but it amuses me to have them in my debt.
To have her in my debt.
She doesn’t know she caught my attention.
She should’ve been more careful.
I’m going to own her. Consume her. Maybe even keep her.
It’s time to collect what I’m owed.
Keira Kilgore, you’re now the property of Lachlan Mount.

*Ruthless King is book one of the Mount Trilogy*

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Sinful Empire

Release Day December 19, 2017

Mount Trilogy Book 3

The Mount Trilogy concludes with Sinful Empire!

What’s mine, I keep, and that includes Keira Kilgore.

It’s no longer enough to have her in my debt. No longer enough to own her body.

I want something more.

She can try to resist, but I’ll never give her up.

Nothing will keep us apart.

Not her. Not my enemies. No one.

Her debt will only be paid one way—with her heart.

Sinful Empire is the third and final book in the Mount Trilogy.

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· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites, Dirty Talkers, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: , ,

Excerpt & Review: Prince Roman by CD Reiss

November 15, 2017 by · 1 Comment

PRINCE ROMAN
Series: King Of Code #1.5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: CD Reiss
Release Date: November 7, 2017

Rules for my new job:

1) Do not have sex with a man in the office (again).

2) Do not break Rule #1

I’m playing it cool, clean, and professional…until I meet Roman Bianchi.

He’s not an insecure nerd or an ego-hole like the other kings of Silicon Valley.

He’s charming and handsome.

He’s fun, funny, and smart.

He’s also in the office across the hall.

Two broken rules waiting to happen.

I can’t lose this job over some guy.

But Roman’s not just some guy. Under that suit and cocky smile, he’s a prince.

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If Raven Crosby hadn’t picked up some hacking tips from QI4, I’d eat my shoe.She’d left as they were growing. Kept her stock options. That never happens. She was also still friendly with Taylor Harden, the hacker brain behind QI4’s quantum system.

I figured they’d parted on good terms. Maybe with something hanging over Taylor’s head.

My team ended up with a few folders on her. I told myself I was a lawyer. Collecting data on people was what I did for a living.

But this was different.

A week in, I was obsessed with her ebony hair and eyes. Lashes drawn on with black Sharpie. Her voice was hypnotic in meetings, and was only heard after long stretches of listening. The night before, she’d tipped her hand, showing me that she’d peeled the curtain back to get intel on me. I didn’t feel violated as much as vindicated. The attraction was mutual. She wouldn’t have done it for any other reason.

“I’ll be there at eight,” I said to my sister, Teagan. We had a dinner planned half an hour before, but I didn’t want to go. It wasn’t the rain that pounded on the windows. It wasn’t my sister. Teagan was fine, but the office was empty and Raven was right across the hall, working in the glow of a desk lamp.

“You better be,” she said. “I’m starving and I need to get drunk.”

“Get a head start at the bar.”

“I’m not going to sit at the end of the bar by myself with a drink. Do you even know what it’s like out there for a girl?”

I didn’t know firsthand, obviously, but I knew enough from her. Teagan was a career gamer and game designer. One of the best. She had a sweet, harmless face that made her approachable to even the most beta of betas. Regardless, even the betas tried to compete with her once they knew what she did. I was exhausted on her behalf.

Across the hall, Raven stood and clicked off her desk lamp.

“Leaving now,” I said, cutting the call. I grabbed my things and headed out, timing it perfectly so we met in the hall.

“Hi,” I said.

She nodded and gave me a non-committal smile. We spoke often, but never a word that didn’t have to do with the human resources software implementation and how it would protect Neuronet from liability.

“It’s raining,” I said. “You taking the elevator to the parking lot?”

The executive lot was underground, on the other side of campus. If you wanted to get there underground, without crossing the courtyard and getting rained on, you had to take the elevator.

“Yes.” She started down the hall and I followed.

“I’ll walk you.”

You are my ambition. You are my mountain to climb. You’re my only aspiration.”

Prince Roman was a quick, sexy, and entertaining read that I finished in one sitting. Though I’m as far from techie as possible and at times I thought the gamer details would lose me, the author managed to pull it off and keep me totally invested in the story. Admittedly, they weren’t my favorite parts, simply because a lot of it flew right over my head, but they didn’t bore me either.

My favorite part of the book were the strong main characters. I love females like Raven Crosby. Strong, independent, owning her sexuality and making no qualms about it. Here is a woman that’s at the top of her career and she keeps striving for more and she doesn’t want complications like a relationship to stand in her way. She’s all about the hot and quick interludes with men that mean nothing to her the next day. After a hot and heavy office affair just like that, she moves on to greener pastures swearing to herself that she’ll never complicate her life by sleeping with someone she works with. She doesn’t get hung up on the men or has awkward morning afters, but it’s still a complication. Add in her new company’s no fraternization rule and a sexy lawyer that tempts her to break every single one of her rules.

A forbidden affair with everything to lose. Two people that can’t get enough of each other, rules be damned. And a sizzling plot that ties it all together. Prince Roman was one deliciously satisfying read. Admittedly I totally misread the blurb, because I took the “prince” part literally. *shrugs*. I loved the way everything came together at the end. For a short read, it was still entirely satisfying.

C.D. Reiss is a USA Today bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn’t pick up, she’s at the well, hauling buckets.

Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master’s degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere, but it did give her a big enough ego to write novels.

Critics have dubbed the books “poetic,” “literary,” and “hauntingly atmospheric,” which is flattering enough for her to put it in a bio, but embarrassing enough for her not to tell her husband, or he might think she’s some sort of braggart who’s too good to chop a cord of wood.

If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.

 

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New Release & Review: Leap Of The Lion by Cherise Sinclair

November 14, 2017 by ·

LEAP OF THE LION 
Series: The Wild Hunt Legacy #4
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Cherise Sinclair
Release Date: November 14, 2017

She shifts for the first time on the day of her escape.

After a decade of captivity, Darcy MacCormac escapes the corrupt, clandestine organization called the Scythe, leaving family and friends behind. She must find a way to rescue them. Discovered by other shifters, the brand-new cougar gets two mentors. Blademage Gawain is an easy-going blacksmith with a steel-hard core. His brother Owen is a deadly warrior. Grumpy. Rude. And he doesn’t like her.

They aren’t the mates she’d dreamed of—they’re more.

Powerful, dominating Owen protects the clan—especially the weak—and the only remnant of an abused childhood is his avoidance of females. Now he has to mentor one? Although Gawain soon falls for the dauntless little cat, Owen knows better than to lose his head. But Darcy has a gift for repairing everything…including damaged hearts.

Love isn’t in her destiny.

In the brothers’ arms, Darcy finds safety. Comfort. And love. But however much she longs for a future with Owen and Gawain, her people need her. Somehow, she must find the courage and skills to save them, even if the attempt demands her life.

AMAZON

This was why a male lived. Why he fought. To win a female’s love and keep her safe. For this female—for Darcy—he would willingly fight the entire world.

Two things happened almost simultaneously after I finished this book. One, I was kicking myself for a good two hours for not discovering this series before now. And two, I immediately went and one clicked the rest of these books.

There’s just something so magical about Cherise Sinclair’s writing, that no matter what she writes, it never fails to grab you and suck you right into its world. And even though I started this series with book 4, I had no problem at all getting imbedded in the deeply descriptive and rich world of Sinclair’s shifters. Their language, their customs, their enemies, and their love life immediately caught my interest and kept me riveted to the pages until the end.

Darcy MacCormac is an incredible heroine. Here is a female that has seen and lived through atrocities at the hands of the evil Scythe organization during her ten years as their captive. She’s seen her friends suffer at the hands of their experiments, she’s seen friends die, and she’s left with scars both internal and external. Yet, none of that diminished her strength and will to live. So when she has the chance to escape, she grabs it, for the chance to ultimately come back and rescue the rest of the shifter females still imprisoned by the Scythe.

Her escape brings her straight into a world that she was born into but due to her imprisonment knows very little about. Owen and Gawain, two brothers that helped rescue her from being recaptured and whose only thing in common is their blood, are assigned to be her trainers. They’re to teach her to shift and control her abilities while keeping her safe and finding the Scythe compound.

Here are two men that couldn’t be more different. Suffering their own individual scars of their past and a selfish and abusive mother has left them scattered. Owen is a gruff, grumpy protector who believes all women to be inherent liars. Gawain is a sweetheart that even though has every reason to avoid love, deep down yearns for it. And in the middle of it all is a female that makes them realize that perhaps a future full of love and passion is not so foreign.

Leap of The Lion is full of so much emotion, it was almost painful at times. Everything that Owen suffered in his past and everything that Darcy has gone through give them a bond unlike any other. Darcy makes Owen see beyond his past and realize that not all women are the same. I loved the slow built passion between the two. And then with Gawain in the mix as well? FORGET ABOUT IT.

I mean, a female with not one but TWO life mates? Sign me up for that. But don’t think this is some gratuitous MFM non stop orgy. While the passion is definitely there, it’s a slow burn. There’s a lot of story that takes place, that admittedly I found slow at times. I understood the set up and the backstories needed to be told, but they did slow down the pace of the book considerably.

I loved the rest of the secondary characters and The Wild Hunt World. I really loved the romance, and I especially loved the story. There’s so much that happened here besides the romance, but the romance was definitely center stage. If you’re a fan of PNR, this is a series that simply must be read. I know I plan on going back and binging on it immediately.

READ THE SERIES IN ORDER

HOUR OF THE LION (FREE) | WINTER OF THE WOLF | EVENTIDE OF THE BEAR | LEAP OF THE LION

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

Geri’s Review: Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews

November 14, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

MAGIC BREAKS
Series: Kate Daniels #7
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy
Author: Ilona Andrews
Release Date: July 29, 2014

No matter how much the paranormal politics of Atlanta change, one thing always remains the same: if there’s trouble, Kate Daniels will be in the middle of it…

As the mate of the Beast Lord, Curran, former mercenary Kate Daniels has more responsibilities than it seems possible to juggle. Not only is she still struggling to keep her investigative business afloat, she must now deal with the affairs of the pack, including preparing her people for attack from Roland, a cruel ancient being with god-like powers.

Since Kate’s connection to Roland has come out into the open, no one is safe—especially those closest to Kate.

As Roland’s long shadow looms ever nearer, Kate is called to attend the Conclave, a gathering of the leaders from the various supernatural factions in Atlanta. When one of the Masters of the Dead is found murdered there, apparently at the hands of a shapeshifter, Kate is given only twenty-four hours to hunt down the killer.

And this time, if she fails, she’ll find herself embroiled in a war which could destroy everything she holds dear…

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This book was fraught with tension from beginning to end. Kate’s courage and mettle has been tested in the past and she always triumphed. But this might be the toughest test she has to face yet. It’s personal and it threatens everything and everyone she worked so hard for.

I was in pins and needles while reading this book. Kate seemed to be vulnerable in this book. She seemed to be floundering. Kate has always been tough so there were some moments in the book where it’s hard to see her so down and helpless, and feeling defeated. It’s hard to read. And I understand why some reviews feel that this was uncharacteristic for Kate especially since she seemed to be waiting for Curran to rescue her. And that somehow, she’s not a badass anymore.

Fortune favors the brave,” I told her. It also kills the stupid, but I decided to keep that fact to myself.”

I admit at first, I was taken aback. But the more I read the more I realized that this is the reason why Kate is special. She’s not the typical “badass” who doesn’t need anybody or feel vulnerable or doesn’t experience self-doubt. She experiences all these things and come out of it stronger and more resolute. I love that Gordon and Ilona showed us that sometimes our heroes feel helpless and that it’s okay for them to need someone come through for them. That’s what makes me root for them.

In Magic Breaks, Kate and Curran are both pushed to the absolute limits. I feared for their lives and the lives of the other characters in this series. I was still traumatized by a major character’s death in the previous book that I was worried for everyone! Yes, even the ones that we can technically consider the bad guys.

That said, I did want to kill Hugh myself. I still hated his character. Ugh. Out of all villains so far, save from the villain of season 1, I find Hugh the most punchable. I just find his character very grating. His backstory is interesting enough but his motivation was too obvious that there is no way Kate would even be tempted to join him like he wanted.

And his constant flirting with Kate wasn’t cute. It was annoying. He’s like that married boss you had right out of college. Handsome, predatory, and predictable. I’m so glad Curran beat his ass twice now!

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Roland was exceptional as a villain, mainly because you can’t quite put your finger on his motivation. Some of his decisions and actions made me question if he’s the big baddie of the series or just a misunderstood father who wants to get to know his estranged daughter. Plus, he’s just so damn likable.

Magic Breaks marks the end of some major story and character arcs in this series. In the first seven books, it was about Kate hiding her identity from her father, Roland. Everything is out in the open now. Every major players in the series knows who she is and they’ll be gunning for her. This book also marks the end of some of Curran’s arc.

Although you can consider this an ending, it’s hardly THE END because some of the decisions that Kate and Curran made will have repercussions. Not to mention there are some loose ends still that needs to be tied. I’m really excited to get to know more about Roland.

All that was missing was a neon sign that read EVIL AND CONFLICTED ABOUT IT with a flashing arrow pointing at his head.”

Overall, this was another solid installment. The humor, the excellent cast of characters, the plot, everything work seamlessly together. And although I must admit that I was expecting a bigger battle set piece especially during Kate and Roland’s confrontation. But I do understand that they might be saving the big battle towards the end of the series. Roland still holds all the cards here, and we really haven’t seen what he’s capable of yet.

If I pass out face down in this water, will you fish me out?”
“Will you promise to call me Your Majesty?”
“Hell no.”
“Then I’ll have to think about it.”

Ilona Andrews is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army.

Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade. (Gordon is still sore about that.)

Gordon and Ilona currently reside in Oregon with their two children, three dogs and a cat. They have co-authored two series, the bestselling urban fantasy of Kate Daniels and romantic urban fantasy of The Edge.

 

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Review: Ruin You by M. O’Keefe

November 13, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

RUIN YOU
Series: The Debt #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: M. O’Keefe
Release Date: November 9, 2017

Simon

The only thing that stands in the way of my revenge is her.

The lying scheming daughter of the man who killed my parents. She has the secrets I need to bring down her father.

And I’ll do anything to get them. I will lie to her. Steal from her. Use her.

Ruin her.

It helps that our chemistry is explosive.

What I’m not expecting is for her to be so sweet. And so strong.

So…irresistible.

Penny

After so many years of lying and hiding, I finally have a place to call home. With people I can call a family. The Paintbrush Inn is my life now, and I won’t let anyone ruin it.

When sexy and world-weary Simon checks in to the Inn, I never expect him to glance my way. I’ve spent my whole life blending into the background. Being overlooked and ignored. It’s been helpful, even though it’s lonely. And he’s way out of my league.

But our attraction is powerful. Undeniable.

Dangerous.

Because I can’t let anyone close. If the secrets I keep were to be revealed, my whole life would be destroyed. But something about Simon makes me break all my own rules. I’m letting him in to my home, my body, my life, never expecting he has his own secrets.

His own lies.

When the truth comes out, we’ll both be ruined.

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The problem with lies is belief. That’s how things fall apart in the end. When I stop believing the lies, it’s just a story. When I believe the lies, it’s as much truth as the actual truth.

I love all things Molly O’Keefe. It’s hard for me to even imagine that she used to write pure contemporary romance when the woman writes gritty, emotional stories like she was born for it. I devour her words.

When I first read Lost Without You, I was immediately hooked on the story of the foster siblings that faced a horror the likes of which no child ever should. After a decision to save one of their own from the clutches of an evil man lands them in a situation that they see no way out of, excepting the terms of a debt to a different sort of bad man doesn’t seem so bad. After all, the devil you know and all that. Tommy paid his debt, and now it’s Simon’s turn

Simon’s life takes a full circle when Bates comes knocking to settle his debt. It forces him to remember a name and a face of a person that he tried quite hard to forget over the years. A person with a tie to him like no other. A tie to his past, a woman that just may be the answer to a revenge that he’s been plotting since before he landed in a foster home. And nothing can stop him from getting the answer he seeks.

Happiness is a warning. A cloud covering the sun. A change in the soundtrack.

Ruin You, much like the previous book, is quite morose. It’s not a walk in the park and rainbows and butterflies. And while I highly recommend reading the previous two books first to form a better connection to the characters, you don’t need to in order to enjoy this one. The author gives plenty of background to ensure that the reader is never lost.

Desire is like fear, in a way. If you let it take over, it runs the whole ship. But if you ignore it, it’s simply an echo.

Penny has been living under the veil of carefully constructed lies for years. The lies are the only thing that keep her sane. But beyond that, they’re the only thing that keep her safe. No one can ever know the secrets that she guards. Because not only would they ruin her, but the repercussions run much deeper.

She’s never been so drawn to a man before as she is with Simon. He tests all of her careful control and peace that she’s gathered through the years. Can she trust this man to be who he says he is. Penny isn’t a bombshell. She prefers to stick to the shadows in her anonymity. She’s a masterful chef, but she doesn’t want the limelight to go along with it. She has a hard time understanding why a man that looks like Simon would be drawn to someone like her.

The connection between these two is palpable. The tension between them is almost unbearable. Molly O’Keefe writes one sizzling slow burn with this book, and I couldn’t get enough.

It’s the first time she’s touched me. My skin. And my body is suddenly consumed in flame.

The pacing was on the slower end. There’s a lot of build up and that takes time. And then the author finally takes pity on us with a little morsel on Bates that I had a feeling about from the very start. I seriously hope that the man will be getting a book of his own, because he steals the show every time he comes on the scene. There’s just something so alluring about the mysterious and dangerous criminal.

Ruin You was another great installment in The Debt series, and I already can’t wait for more.

PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Each title has a brand-new look!

Lost Without You (The Debt, #1)

Currently FREE for a limited time!

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Where I Belong (The Debt, #2)

Purchase it now:

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 Molly O’Keefe has always known she wanted to be a writer (except when she wanted to be a florist or a chef and the brief period of time when she considered being a cowgirl). And once she got her hands on some romances, she knew exactly what she wanted to write.

She published her first Harlequin romance at age 25 and hasn’t looked back. She loves exploring every character’s road towards happily ever after.

Originally from a small town outside of Chicago, she went to university in St. Louis where she met and fell in love with the editor of her school newspaper. They followed each other around the world for several years and finally got married and settled down in Toronto, Ontario. They welcomed their son into their family in 2006, and their daughter in 2008. When she’s not at the park or cleaning up the toy room, Molly is working hard on her next novel, trying to exercise, stalking Tina Fey on the internet and dreaming of the day she can finish a cup of coffee without interruption.


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New Release & Review: At Your Service by Lexi Blake

November 7, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

AT YOUR SERVICE
Series: Masters and Mercenaries #14.5, Topped #4
Genre: BDSM, Contemporary Romance
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: November 7, 2017

Juliana O’Neil’s promising future was burned away in the heat of battle. She had been an officer with a bright future in the military, but now she is struggling to survive. Her husband gone and her career in shambles, she finds a job at Top as a hostess and tries to put together the pieces of her life. The last thing she needs is any kind of male attention, but she can’t help but be amused at her neighbor and coworker’s lothario antics. Not that she would have anything to do with him, at least not for more than one night.

Javier Leones doesn’t understand monogamy. No woman could ever be enough for his endless libido, but he has to admit Juliana has his attention. For reasons he doesn’t fully understand, he can’t seem to get the gorgeous redhead with the sad eyes out of his head. After one scorching night together, he realizes he’ll never be able to get her out of his system. But with his reputation, he fears she’ll never see him as more than a one-night stand.

When their passions collide, these new lovers will be forced to confront Juliana’s past and come to terms with Javier’s present. Will they find their way or will this reservation be canceled at the last minute?

A Masters and Mercenaries: Topped Novel by Lexi Blake

AMAZON

If she wasn’t smart enough to get away from him, he would catch her and hold her and never let her go.

I adore, simply adore all thing Lexi Blake. Where her Masters and Mercenaries series is my all time favorite, her Topped series is my fix between the M&M releases. They never fail to bring me a little taste of my favorite world with a good dose of Big Tag and Chef Tag while introducing a slew of new and addicting characters.

I’ve been curious about Javier’s book for some time. As the unapologetic playboy of the Topped restaurant, this sexy chef never felt the need to bind himself to any one woman.

Hurricane Javier. He got in, got the job done, and walked away before it got too heavy. Sometimes that meant walking away before names were exchanged.

But lately Javi has found himself craving more. Looking at his happily settled down coworkers, he finds himself curious about a connection beyond just one night. And the woman that sparks his interest? His beautiful neighbor and coworker, Juliana. After she came to his rescue when his brother had another drunken episode since losing both of his legs in the military, he finds himself thinking of her more and more.

Juliana O’Neil is trying to get her life back after losing her dominant hand while serving overseas. Now I ask you, how often do you read about a female vet? Not often enough, I say, and mad props to Lexi Blake for pulling it off. Juliana is strong and competent, though still struggling with the loss of her promising military career and the inevitable though amicable loss of her marriage. Now working as a hostess at Top, she struggling to adjust to her life as it is while still wishing for the things she dreamed about before losing her hand.

She doesn’t believe that someone like Javi could ever give her what she needs. After all, he’s a womanizer that never held on to any one woman longer than one interlude. She doesn’t understand why she would be different, no matter how much Javi tries to convince her otherwise.

At Your Service was a sweet and sexy romance. I adored the way Javier was with Juliana, but even more, I loved the way that she fought for him right back. There’s an added suspense element that serves to spice things up a notch, but the romance was the ultimate ingredient that kept me riveted to the pages. I loved both of these characters and couldn’t get enough of them. There’s also an interesting new addition that I’m hoping we’ll see more of. Especially with the hints of who she has her eye on. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to rock myself in the corner until the release of the next Masters book.

READ THE SERIES IN ORDER

LUSCIOUS | JUST ONE TASTE | PERFECTLY PAIRED | AT YOUR SERVICE

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