Lana & Geri’s Review: Temporary by Sarina Bowen & Sarah Mayberry

September 18, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

TEMPORARY
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Authors: Sarina Bowen & Sarah Mayberry
Release Date: September 12, 2017

The most beautiful man I’ve ever seen is the one who can ruin everything…

The first time I lay eyes on Callan Walker, I know he’ll be trouble. With his smug grin, hot Aussie accent and thousand dollar shoes, he’s just the kind of rich guy who always gets what he wants.

And he wants two things: a night of sin, and my cooperation as he outmaneuvers his powerful mother to take control of his uncle’s estate.

I can’t afford either one. I’m the only thing standing between my little sister and the foster care system. He may have money and charm on his side, but I have something even more powerful — pure desperation. This temp job at his mother’s company can become a full time job for me. It has to.

But when Callan’s eyes rake over my body, sometimes I forget my obligations. His piercing gaze finds the fun, optimistic girl I used to be and not the tired person I’ve become.

And it works–if only for a moment. Our night together was a mistake. I can’t afford to get sucked into his high-powered family’s treachery. But the closer I get to Callan, the more layers I find beneath those expensive clothes. Though I can’t forget this is temporary. He’s temporary. I have too much to lose.

Too bad my foolish heart didn’t get the memo…

AMAZON | iBOOKS

 LANA’S REVIEW4

The most beautiful man I’ve ever seen is the one who can ruin everything…”


A woman barely making ends meet and a playboy that holds a piece to one of the world’s most powerful business empires couldn’t possibly have anything in common…or could they?

I had ignored the fact that we could not have two more wildly divergent lifestyles. I had ignored everything and let myself get swept away.

Grace is barely keeping a roof over her head while taking care of her teenage sister. With an addict for a mother and a father long out of the picture, Grace is all her sister Olivia has. A temp job for the Walker empire is exactly the chance that she needs. The possibility of turning it into a permanent position is what she hopes. But finding herself at the beck and call of the powerful and cold head of the business is not what she expects. When her assignment is to make sure that the estate of her boss’s recently passed brother are documented and quickly taken care of, the last thing she needs is the meddling of the prodigal son.

He wasn’t looking to strike up a thing with a cash-strapped temp who acted as guardian to her teen sister, and I was not looking to have a fling with a playboy ladies’ man I found way, way too likeable.”

Callah has left behind everything that made him a Walker. A ruthless mother that cares nothing for his happiness, and a sister blindly serving his mother’s whims, his beloved uncle was the only person that showed him any love. He’ll be damned if he allows his estate and life to be packed up in boxes with a cold efficiency that only his mother is capable of. The one thing he doesn’t anticipate is the beautiful temp sent to do his mother’s bidding.

No flirting, no touching, no eye-fucking, no dirty-talk between nine and five. And that includes lunch.”

Temporary was a slow build that admittedly I struggled a bit to get into at first. The first 30% really sets everything up, but at a pace that didn’t quite hook me. I immediately fell for the main characters. There was always so endearing about both Grace and Callan. Perhaps it was the fact that there’s so much more to them than first meets the eye. Callan is not the typical bad boy and playboy that you expect. This is a man with plenty of depth to him, and the more you find out about him, the harder you fall for him. Grace is a woman that’s barely getting by, but there’s this tenacity to her that you can’t help but respect. She’s doing her best and try as she might to ignore the pull to the handsome man that she has no business getting involved with, inevitably it proves to be too much.

Don’t get used to it. This is only temporary.”

The secondary characters of Claire and Olivia added to the mix perfectly and come the second half, I was hooked. This was a delicious slow burn romance with characters that you can’t help but root for. It was swoony, sexy, humorous, and utterly endearing.

GERI’S REVIEW

Everything about Callan Walker was a little more glamorous than I was used to. A little brighter, a little more perfect.

I love both Sarina Bowen & Sarah Mayberry so when I heard they’re co-writing a book, I was ecstatic! I mean, two of my faves in one book? Take my money already! My expectations are quite high and fortunately, I liked it! I liked it a lot!

This is another slow burn romances where their feelings sort of built over time. I personally love stories where the hero underestimates the heroine at first and vice versa, only to have that expectation slowly turned on its head. Temporary is like that.

Callan thought that Grace is another shark in heels, willing to do anything to get a position at his family’s company. His prejudice is a result of his past experience with his family and how his mother runs the business. Nevertheless, Callan is wrong on both counts. One, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being ambitious. Two, Grace’s motivation is so far from what Callan initially thought.

Don’t get used to it. This is only temporary.”

At first I was nervous about the clear power imbalance between Grace and Callan. But Grace has agency and she uses it despite being attracted to her son’s boss that when she gave in to her attraction, it didn’t feel like she was manipulated in any way. It was clear that she knew the score and she knew what could happen but did it anyway because she was starting to have feelings for him.

The conflict between Callan and Grace felt organic. It was set up perfectly and wasn’t just added for drama sake.

I have some issues with the main antagonist in this book a little bit because she seems like the typical Disney-esque villain with cliched motivation. But that said, I do feel like there are some things about this character that hasn’t been revealed yet. And we might get more of it in the next book about the hero’s sister. Or at least that’s what I feel. I could be wrong.

Speaking of sister, I want Claire’s story. I’m intrigued by her and there’s something more to her than just her mother’s pawn or something. I also liked Olivia. Sarina & Sarah was able to capture teenage angst very well.

Despite not being 5-star perfect, Temporary is a solid start for this new duo. And yeah, I’m definitely looking forward to reading more!

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Review & Giveaway: Arrogant Bastard by Zara Cox

September 15, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

ARROGANT BASTARD
Series: Dark Desires #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Zara Cox
Release Date: September 12, 2017

I’m known as the Black Widow because the desires I hide inside are pure poison.

I was a different person once. Faith, a young wife, hoping to become a mother. My life was pleasant. Stable. It was hell. Until Killian Knight opened my eyes to a world of espionage and intrigue. He saw something in me, something I was too afraid to acknowledge. I didn’t want to be excited by the danger. Didn’t want to crave the wicked passion only he could provide. But I did want, so now I run. And I pay.

I never meant to corrupt her, but I’m not sorry. 
After all, I’m already damned.
After four years of searching and longing, I’ve finally found her. Faith, the one person in the world I breathe for. She lives beneath my skin as surely as I wear proof of our transgressions inked on my body. And like the forbidden fruit that doomed us from the beginning, our end is inevitable. We lived with no regret. We loved without inhibition. We betrayed those closest to us. We killed for that love. Now…we will burn in hell together.

AMAZON | B&N | B-A-M | GOOGLE PLAY | iBOOKS | KOBO 

Chapter One

Killian

Present Day

I’ve found her.

After four years and two months.

I stare at the screen, my blood pumping relief and shock and fury and joy through my veins. The cocktail of emotions paralyzes me for several minutes.

Then I force myself to analyze what I’m seeing.

Her hair is different. Longer. Darker. Pin-straight and rigid where soft, friendly waves used to be. The curve of her jaw captured by the camera lens also shows the difference. She’s leaner. Meaner. Even from this obscure angle, I can tell any trace of gentleness has been wiped clean. Eroded by sin and tragedy and horror. The change was probably inevitable, but I still don’t want to see the evidence.

To anyone else, the picture would seem ridiculously vague, the image nothing more than a blurred black-and-white pixelation of hair, chin, and shoulder.

It’s the reason my algorithm spat it out almost reluctantly, a last batch of possibilities in the dregs of to-be-discarded possibilities, and then dumped it in my supercomputer’s equivalent of a spam folder, the code scrolling impatiently as it waited my command to delete, delete, delete.

But I know it’s her. Despite the dark leather cap pulled low over her forehead. Despite the bulky jacket designed to hide her true shape. Her stealth speaks volumes. Besides, she’s in my blood, in my heartbeat. After so many years of dead ends and fruitless hoping, of agonizing disappointment and withering despair, this time I simply…know.

It’s her. The Widow.

My hand shakes as I hit the zoom-in key. My gut churns, and I feel a little sick as my ever-helpful brain cheerfully supplies me with all the ways she could’ve continued to elude me—if I’d turned away, for a second, to stare at one of the other three screens on my desk. If I’d trusted my supersmart computer and accepted the prompt to delete without reviewing this particular needle in my mountain of haystacks. If I hadn’t tweaked the code yet again last night to capture just such an obscure image.

Hell, if I’d blinked at the wrong time…I torture myself with infinite possibilities as I stare at that mesmerizing angle of chin and shoulder.

A chin I’ve trailed my treacherous fingers over many times in helpless wonder.

A shoulder I’ve rested my guilty but secretly unrepentant head on.

There’s so much more to her. And I treasured every single inch of her forbidden body, fucked her at every opportunity she granted me. Until she systematically erased herself from my life.

But why New York? And why now?

I know how good she is. Hell, she’s the best or she wouldn’t have eluded me for this long. The thought of another four years without her punches a cold fist through my gut. With it comes the certainty that I wouldn’t have survived those next four years without her. That I’ve been clinging on with the very last dregs of my endurance to make it this far.

But here she is…

The Widow.

I can’t see her eyes, but I don’t fool myself into thinking they’ll hold an ounce of softness. What we did changed us forever. And not for the better.

I lean back in my chair. Exhale slowly. Terrified of blinking in case she disappears from my screen. It doesn’t matter that I’ve copied and stored the longitude and latitude of her location in a dozen vaults on my server and memorized every single piece of data on the screen.

New York City. East Fifty-Third Street. CCTV camera. A one-in-a-billion shot.

Without taking my eyes off her, I reach for my phone and press the voice activation app. “Good evening, Mr. Knight.”

“Nala, how many times do I need to tell you to call me Killian?”

“You have yet to change my default settings, Mr. Knight.”

My lips twitch but a smile doesn’t quite form. My eyes water with the need to blink. But I resist. “I changed them last week. You reset them again, didn’t you?”

“I assure you, I’m quite incapable of doing that.”

“Yeah, right. Fine. Place a call for me. Pilot. Home.”

“Dialing pilot. Home,” the female AI obliges me.

Nelson Whittaker, my LA-based English pilot, picks up on the second ring. It’s three a.m. but he answers as if it’s normal working hours. Which it is, to be fair. Everything is normal for me in my line of work.

“Good morning, sir.”

“How soon can you get to the airport?” I snap.

“As soon as I put on my trousers and chuck a bucket of water over my son to wake him up,” he replies with a dark chuckle.

My fingers fly over the keyboard as I save her information in a few more electronic vaults. “Give William my apologies,” I say.

“No need. He’s been champing at the bit to take the new girl for another spin.” The new girl being the Bombardier Global 8000 I added to my collection of private jets last month.

“In that case, I expect to see you at Van Nuys within the hour.” At this time of the morning, traffic from their Santa Monica apartment should be light enough to get them there fast.

“We’ll be there.” He clears his throat. “I expect the paperwork regarding out-of-curfew flights—”

“Will be taken care of. I’ll text you the details but we won’t be straying far from the usual parameters.”

“Very good, sir. Destination?” he asks crisply.

My gaze tracks that chin. That shoulder. The hair. Four years’ worth of turbulent emotion threatens to rip free. My chest burns with it, but I contain it. “New York.”

We went from forbidden fruit to torrid lovers without pausing to take a breath. Then added the dangerous ingredient of international espionage to the mix right up until it all blew up in our faces. Then I took the only option available to me and ran like hell.

I have a slight obsession with this series. Zara Cox has a signature grit to her writing that I simply can’t get enough of. Her stories are passionate and with a dark undercurrent that never fails to satisfy this picky reader. Arrogant Bastard had a slightly different feel that the other books in this series. Killian wasn’t the broody alphahole like Q or the tortured alphahole like Axel. He was a man that lost the only woman he loved and was determined to do anything to get her back. Even if all the odds were stacked against him.

Known simply as the Black Widow in the Punishment Club that she works for that’s owned by Axel Rutherford, B is not a woman that you want to mess with. She metes out punishment like the deadly creature that she is, leaving men panting in her wake. But she’s a woman that’s clearly running from her demons and secrets so dark, that not even those closest to her know them. But then the man that she ran from all those years ago tracks her down, and her carefully constructed new world gets tilted on its axis.

B and Killian share a past that no one knows about. It was a convoluted and dangerous connection that in the end, cost B everything. She’s been running since. But when a dangerous enemy learns that she’s alive, Killian knows that he’s the lesser of two evils and will stop at nothing to protect the woman that he’s never forgotten or gotten over.

Arrogant Bastard was an action packed, sizzling combination of espionage, suspense and romance. B is one hard core woman on the outside, but on the inside she’s never healed from the scars of her past. Killian is a dangerous enigma that’s as lethal as he is sexy, but beyond the man’s magnetism and allure, he’s completely head over heals for B and makes no qualms about it. Their road to a HEA is not an easy one but entertaining from start to finish. Zara Cox wrote a real page turner that kept this reader up well into the night, eager for each little morsel of information that ultimately led to one mind blowing revelation.

My only quibble is the hows and whys of B getting into the line of work that she did. It seemed a little much even if I did suspend my disbelief for the sake of enjoying the story. But ultimately, I stopped caring because I was enjoy the story and couldn’t get enough of her and Killian together.

THE DARK DESIRES SERIES


BEAUTIFUL LIAR | BLACK SHEEP | WICKED S.O.B. | ARROGANT BASTARD

Zara Cox has been writing for almost twenty-five years but it wasn’t until nine years ago that she decided to share her love of writing sexy, gritty stories with anyone outside her close family (the over 18s anyway!). This series is Zara’s next step in her erotic romance-writing journey, and she would love to hear your thoughts. Visit her:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads


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Review: Eye Candy Anthology

September 13, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

EYE CANDY Anthology
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Authors: Tijan, J. Daniels, Helena Hunting, Tara Sivec
Release Date: September 5, 2017

A frightfully good time! Dive into these Halloween novellas from bestselling authors Tijan, J. Daniels, Helena Hunting, Bella Jewel and Tara Sivec. Featuring stories set in the worlds of their popular series.

Tijan’s Fallen Crest crew are back for a weekend of mischief that takes a sinister turn; all four couples from J. Daniels’ Alabama Summer series gear up for Halloween in their own sexy ways, with a special surprise at the end; Helena Hunting’s characters from Shacking Up plan a Halloween gala that features a few ghouls and witches; Bella Jewel brings the chills and thrills in her suspenseful take on Halloween night; and Tara Sivecgathers the Holiday family together one last time as they try to make this ghostly holiday one to remember—or one they’d rather forget…

Cozy up with a mug of hot cider on a dark night and fall under the spell of this Halloween anthology!

AMAZON | iBOOKSI read only two stories out of this anthology; Tijan’s Fallen Crest Nightmare and J. Daniel’s So Much More and my rating for the anthology is an average for those.
———————-

SO MUCH MORE by J. Daniels
5 STARS

Goo! I’m a pile of goo! This story was just perfection. Sweet, sexy, giddy smile on your face perfection. J. Daniels brings her entire gang back in her Alabama Summer Series, and it was GLORIOUS. Mia and Ben, Reed and Beth, CJ and Riley, and my favorite couple, Tessa and Luke all get a story here and it was like the ridiculously perfect icing on the already tasty cake. I loved this series, but getting this additional peek into these couples lives was fantastic. And then there was Nolan. OMG NOLAN! You guys! This is easily one of the most vivid, most endearing characters J has ever written to date and he’s just a kid. But oh man, he steals my heart each and every single time I read about him. And that final chapter? PERFECTION!
——————–

Fallen Crest Nightmare by Tijan
4 STARS

Firstly, how am I only discovering this author now? What sort of rock have I been living under? This novella was a fun and spooky bonus to the Fallen Crest series and I. Am. Hooked.
There were so many characters that I was just discovering and I had no issues keeping up. If anything, this novella just whet my appetite for more. This was a fun hybrid of Scream and NA goodness and I gobbled it right up. Then I went and immediately one-clicked the Fallen Crest High series. I feel a reading binge coming on in my very near future.

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Review: Dirty Filthy Rich Love by Laurelin Paige

September 11, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

Dirty Filthy Rich Love
Series: Dirty Duet #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Laurelin Paige
Release Date: September 11, 2017

I’ve discovered Donovan Kincaid’s secret.

It’s dirty and filthy and rich – as dirty and filthy and rich as he is – and it haunts me as much as he ever did.

Even after knowing what I know now, I still want to talk to him, to touch him. But there’s an ocean between us, and I’m not sure it can be crossed with something as easy as a phone call or a plane ride.

Yet I’m willing to try.

He doesn’t know this yet, but this time I’m the one with the power.

And maybe – just maybe – if the air were cleared and all our secrets bared, there could still be a chance for us.

And this dirty, filthy thing between us might end up being love after all.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO 

Start the Duet TODAY with Dirty Filthy Rich Men

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

Right then, right there, with my hands tied behind my back, my cheek pressed against the wall, and his hand clasped at my throat, I finally understood the depth of what he felt for me. And so I surrendered.

*Pervy shivers*

Oh man. This duet.

*pervy shudders*

It was downright sinful. The conclusion takes off immediately where Dirty Filthy Rich Men ended; leaving Sabrina in the aftermath of her revelations about Donovan.

Obsession. Posessiveness. Lust. All the lines got blurred during their whirlwind romance. A romance based on nothing more than a shared kink and an undeniable connection. But was it more? Can a true relationship be formed on something that was so jagged. That is the answer we get with Dirty Filthy Rich Love.

…I am not a knight in shining armor.”
“No,” I laughed. “You’re not.” I sobered. “And yet you are….
You’re also the villain, don’t forget that.”
“Lucky for me you’re the kind of girl who likes to fuck the villain.”

Donovan never expected for his heart to get involved or to even give it to anyone else again after so many years of hiding it behind impenetrable walls. But if his actions are anything to go by, he’s done just that with Sabrina. And though he was willing to walk away from her to protect her from himself, the pull between them is much too strong.

Walking toward him was like deciding to walk through fire when I was already covered with first-degree burns. It hurt like I couldn’t describe. But I was a girl who lived in darkness. His fire sure looked bright.

Laurelin pulls the reader deeper into the orbit of this couple and their dark brand of kink. She throws them right into the epicenter of their storm and it was impossible to tear your attention away for even a second. I’ve always loved Donovan’s intensity, but I loved seeing his vulnerable side even more. The man is all sorts of delicious with his possessive and controlling tendencies. I loved seeing Sabrina put him in his place while giving into him at the same time. I loved watching the the sparks between them blaze hotter and hotter until it explodes into something sinfully delicious.

The author brings the story in a full circle with the events that we first read in book one and gives the reader an immensely satisfying ending.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurelinPaige/

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#DGRFave & Review: Reaper by A. Zavarelli

September 10, 2017 by ·

REAPER
Series: Boston Underground #2
Genre: Dark Romance, Mafia
Author: A. Zavarelli
Release Date: May 19, 2016

Sasha.

He’s dark and mysterious. Quiet and lethal.
An Irish mobster.
Pure sin wrapped up in a beautiful package.
But there’s also something off about him.
He doesn’t feel anything. He shows no emotions.
Sometimes I question his humanity.
He hasn’t spoken to me in two years. Not a single word.
But we share a secret, he and I.
And if it ever comes out, I have no doubt in my mind…
He won’t have a problem killing me too.

Ronan.
I’ve slain for her. I’ll do it again.
When it comes to Sasha, there isn’t a line I won’t cross.
I watch her. She doesn’t know it.
She thinks I hate her. Sometimes, I think I might too.
But I’m always there, lurking in the shadows.
Craving her. Trying to keep the beast within at bay.
I’ll keep her safe. I’ll slaughter anyone who tries to hurt her.
The only thing I can’t do… is protect her from myself.

****This is a full-length standalone novel full of hot Irish guys with accents. Dark mafia themes throughout. HEA included.****

AMAZON

I’ve never believed in fairytales. There is no white knight in my story. Only me. And I’m not the girl who gets the prince. I’m the girl he bangs because he can.

Holy.
Hell.

I do believe I just read one of the most tortured anti-heroes ever. And let me tell you, I’ve read A LOT of dark romance. I’ve read the violent, broody, alphahole bad boys, but all of them pale in comparison to Ronan Fitzpatrick

I’ve been called a sociopath. A monster. But I don’t fancy myself one. I’m simply a man doing a job that needs to be done. If it wasn’t me doing it, someone else would be. The men that I kill, they’ve all had it coming. They knew what they were getting themselves into. They’ve either done Niall wrong or threatened the syndicate in some way. And threats have to be eliminated, just like vermin. One of the few moral codes I still abide by. I will protect my brethren at all costs.

Cross the MacKenna syndicate, and you’ll find yourself in front of The Reaper. He’s the man that handles all of the delicate and painful jobs. When someone needs eliminating, they find themselves in Ronan’s basement, their screams forever becoming a part of the cement walls. A brutal upbringing that knew only pain, Ronan doesn’t function like any other man. He’s numb. Unfeeling. He only feels rage and breathes punishment. There’s only one person that ever stirred a different reaction in him, but she’s forever off limits to a man like him.

Damaged souls have their own beauty. A dark, terrifying beauty. The same type of beauty I recognize in Ronan. 

Sasha hasn’t had an easy life herself. Taking care of her ailing mother and protecting her younger sister put her in the crosshairs of a man that changed her life irreparably. Forced into a life she never wanted and doing whatever she can to survive, she’s tired. All she wants is to leave, move to a different place where no one knows her or her past. There’s just one problem with that; Ronan is not about to let her go.

He nudges my legs apart and pushes his palm between my legs like he owns that part of me. Who am I to argue? He does fucking own me. He’s polluted my mind so that I can only ever think of him. Only ever want him.

Their relationship is a turbulent one. Both of these characters are so completely messed up, it’s a wonder how they go through the motions at times. But yet together, they made a messed up sort of sense. They offered each other a calmness that they never found on their own. They were like violent waves on a rocky coast.

I’ve seen him kill. I’ve tasted his rage too. Tasted it so fiercely that some of it spilled over onto me, tainting me with the mark of the animal that lives inside of him. I crave that animal. I crave everything about this man with his perfect suits and his complete lack of human emotions. Maybe, just maybe, I envy him too. What it must be like not to feel anything. Anything at all.

This was such a dark, captivating story. I was glued to the pages, completely enraptured. My heart hurt for everything that Sasha went through and I wanted her to feel just a little of happiness. It made a dark sort of sense that she would find it in the arms of a ruthless killer that’s a borderline psychopath.

Ronan was just…GAH. This man. His training ensured that he feels almost nothing. No empathy. No sympathy. Most human emotions are far beyond his realm of understanding. But you see more and more of his humanity peak out with each minute he spends with Sasha.

Nobody else gets to see you like that,” he declares. “Ye’re claimed.” His words douse me in gasoline. His eyes light the match. And when he grinds himself against me, all that’s left to do is burn for him. 

I loved this gritty and sexy dark mafia romance. The story was completely unputdownable and the characters vivid and unforgettable.

THE SERIES

CROW | REAPER | GHOST | SAINT

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Excerpt, Review & Giveaway: Can’t Hardly Breathe by Gena Showalter

September 8, 2017 by · 1 Comment

CAN’T HARDLY BREATHE
Series: The Original Heartbreakers #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Gena Showalter
Release Date: August 29, 2017

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with an irresistible Original Heartbreakers story about a woman who’s never felt desired and the man who wants her more than air to breathe…

Bullied in high school, Dorothea Mathis’s past is full of memories she’d rather forget. But there’s one she can’t seem to shake—her longstanding crush on former Army Ranger Daniel Porter. Now that the sexy bad boy has started using her inn as his personal playground, she should kick him out…but his every heated glance makes her want to join him instead.

Daniel returned to Strawberry Valley, Oklahoma to care for his ailing father and burn off a little steam with no strings attached. Though he craves the curvy Dorothea night and day, he’s as marred by his past as she is by hers. The more he desires her, the more he fears losing her.

But every sizzling encounter leaves him desperate for more, and soon Daniel must make a choice: take a chance on love or walk away forever.

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Nook | Book Depository

Powell’s | iBooks | BAM | Kobo | Google Play | IndieBound

Daniel, having served multiple tours of duty, had come back a hero.His life had meaning, hers didn’t. He and two of his friends had started a security company right here in Strawberry Valley. He took care of his ailing father, and in his free time he dated a plethora of city girls.

Dorothea knew about the girls because he’d stayed at the inn every time a date had ended…successfully.

Her flush returned full force as she considered the other five rooms he’d wrecked since his return…all the pleasure he’d been having…all the pleasure she wished she could experience.

Not with him, of course. With someone she liked and respected. Someone who liked and respected her, too, despite the fact that she was still too round for society’s unhealthy standards, a lot too freckled and trapped in a dead-end job.

Daniel Porter would never qualify.

Dorothea found him attractive, yes, but to her, ap­pearance would never outshine personality.

My man must be my equal. She had a lot of love to give. She’d even grown to like herself…kind of. Maybe. Fine, she was trying to like herself.

Avoiding Daniel’s gaze, she said, “No, you stay. I’ll go.” Words her mother had drilled into her shouted in­side her head: the customer comes first. “I’ll finish your room later.” She rolled the vacuum toward her cart.

“You live here, right?” he asked. “You own the inn?”

“I… Yes.” Technically she lived in the attic. The more rooms she had available for guests, the more money she would make. At least in theory.

Money was the number one reason she cleaned the pig­sties herself, rather than hiring a maid. She was saving her pennies to turn every plain, ordinary room into a themed paradise. Then Strawberry Valley residents would hap­pily pay to stay just for fun.

Again, in theory.

So far she’d decided on six themes. (1) Four seasons—the weather, not the hotel chain. (2) An enchanted forest. (3) A techno dance club. (4) The underwater world of Atlantis. (5) A royal palace. And (6) an inner sanctum, aka a superhero’s wet dream.

Also up for consideration? A beach hut, an igloo, an insane asylum for her more daring patrons and a des­ert oasis.

With twenty-three rooms in total, she needed other ideas fast. And more money. A lot more money.

Maybe, when the transformations were completed, the feeling of accomplishment would finally chase away her anger and bitterness. Maybe she would feel alive. Happy.

“If any part of your stay was subpar,” she said, “I will personally—”

“No, everything has been great.” He looked over his shoulder and winked at her. “Just wanted to make sure you weren’t going to get into trouble with the boss.”

Every pulse point in her body leaped with excitement. He’d winked at her. Her!

I think you’re perfect just the way you are.

Red alert! She would not read more into his words than he’d intended. Not this time. He was a flirt, plain and simple. Always had been, apparently always would be.

“Why would I get in trouble?” she asked.

“For not finishing the room.”

Oh. Right. “Well, as long as you plan to come back to the inn, I won’t fire myself. Not because I’m desperate to see you or anything,” she added in a rush. “I’m not.” Dang it! “I mean, I’m always glad to see you here. I mean, I just want your money.” Okay. Enough!

He laughed, his amber eyes twinkling.

Air caught in her throat and sizzled. He had the sexiest laugh on the planet. His entire face softened. He pulsed with new life; fresh and vibrant, he was the epitome of spring.

Then he frowned, as if he couldn’t believe he’d found humor in, well, anything.

Her brow furrowed with confusion. Why the doom and gloom?

“In that case,” he said, his tone flat, “I think I’ll stay another night.”

“Really?” She licked her lips. “What about your girl­friend?”

He stiffened. “She isn’t my—”

“No, don’t tell me. I’m sorry I asked. Your love life isn’t my business.”

“I live in Strawberry Valley. My love life is every­one’s business.”

His wry tone made her chuckle, and he stiffened all over again. Great. What had she done wrong this time?

“I’ll be alone tonight,” he said, looking anywhere but at her. “Apparently I hover over my dad when I’m home, so he’s asked for another night off. But I swear to you, this room will be clean in the morning.”

She snorted. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

The corners of his mouth twitched. “Doubting Dot­tie.” A pause, then, “Would you like a cup of coffee be­fore you go?”

“Oh, uh, no, thank you.” While she no longer viewed Daniel through the wounded eyes of high school betrayal— he’d been a nice boy doing a nice thing for a vulnerable girl in desperate need of a white knight—she’d endured too much heartbreak over the years to risk getting to know him better and reigniting her crush.

Look at the way she’d reacted to him already.

He appeared…disappointed? No, of course not. A trick of the light, surely. “Well. See you around, Daniel.”

“Yeah. See you around, Dottie.” He returned his at­tention to his toiletry bag, dismissing her.

Irritation had her snapping, “My name is Dorothea.”

Before he could respond, she stepped into the hall and closed the door with a soft snick. Hands trembling, she hooked the vacuum to the cart and rolled the cargo to the supply room…where her younger sister Holly was smoking a cigarette.

Nightmares didn’t really come to life. Nor did pornos. Not that she watched those…very often. But dang it, this had to be one or the other. The sexiest man on the planet had just strode into the room. He was shirtless, sweat glistening on his eight pack—and his name was Daniel Porter. The Daniel.

I love an underdog heroine with a backbone and who’s full of sass and witty banter. I love a broody hero that goes after what he wants with single minded intent. I love Gena Showalter’s humorous writing. I love a delicious slow burn. And I LOVED this book! SO HARD.

Dorothea Mathis was a heroine that was impossible not to love. I remember being intrigued by her in The Hotter You Burn and she completely stole the show here. Bullied in high school, she still feels the remnants of it with her self esteem. But the one memory that truly bruised her heart was of the boy that she fell for in high school that proved to her that while nice guys exist, she’s never going to be the one of the pretty girls that gets his attention.

Now she’s older, wiser, and no longer the naive girl she once was. A failed marriage only served to drive home the point that a passionate love is something that will always allude her. She tried chasing her dreams but her choices led her back to her small hometown, licking her wounds, running her family’s failing inn, and trying to regain the trust and love of her snarky and grumpy teenage sister. The last man she expects to darken the doorstep of her inn is the one boy that she never forgot, that now grew into a man that makes her heart beat even faster in her presence.

He was the human equivalent of a brownie. Yummy, but oh, so bad for her.

Former army ranger Daniel uses women to escape memories. A sweaty nights between the sheets with no strings attached is his version of therapy. He’s always had a thing for the beautiful Dorothea, but she refuses to be just another notch on his bedpost and that only serves to intrigue him more.

Say yes, and I’ll spend the first hour in bed making you come over and over again, doing anything you want. Everything you need. The second hour, I’ll make the first one look like amateur night. By the third, there’s no place on your body I won’t have explored—no place you won’t ache for me.”

This book had some of the most delicious banter I’ve read in a while. It was humorous and sexy and ridiculously fun. I loved how hard Daniel chased and I loved the way that Dorothea really made him work for it. She may be the underdog, but she’s no pushover. She’s got sass for days but her vulnerability served to make her so incredibly endearing. I couldn’t get enough of these two.

There’s also a slew of secondary characters that are introduced that I’m already hooked on, line and sinker. Especially the womanizing bad boy, Brock.

To Ryanne, Brock said, “Baby, kissing your go-tohell is what I’ll be doing for twelve of your fifteen minutes in heaven.” “Lucky me.” She pretended to gag. “By the way, your dates are wearing pants so tight I can see their religion.”
“I saw you bend over earlier. Yours are tighter, doll.” His gaze swept over her, his eyes twinkling. “Tsk-tsk. Haven’t been to church in a while, have we.”

I absolutely adored this slow burn romance. I loved watching Daniel fall harder and harder even if he refused to acknowledge the fact. I loved watching Dorothea really come into her own and grow into a sassy, confident woman that finally goes after what she wants.

He was hot, his lips soft, his jaw prickly. The taste of him…mint and…sin? Crack? He kissed her deeply, dreamily, slow and easy, sweeping her up in the gentlest of storms. A soft summer rain. An exploration.

I’m absolutely giddy for more in this series. GIDDY. Yes, it’s slightly campy, but in the best possible way. It was steamy rom com perfection. If a feel-good romance with plenty of laughs, amazing banter, and swoon for days is what you’re craving, Can’t Hardly Breathe will deliver in spades. I loved every page of it.

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, two young adult series–Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles–and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a National Reader’s Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she’s appeared on Nightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black–if you ask her about it, she’ll talk for hours…hours! Her books have been translated in multiple languages.

She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com or Facebook.com/genashowalterfans

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


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#DGRFave & Review: Crow by A. Zavarelli

September 6, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

CROW
Series: Boston Underground #1
Genre: Dark Romance, Mafia
Author: A. Zavarelli
Release Date: February 8, 2016

An Irish mobster. A missing friend. Two loyalties, ripping me apart.

I had a plan.

Get in, get my information, and get out. Easy, right?

Turns out, infiltrating the Irish mafia isn’t exactly what I thought it would be. I just wanted a soldier. Someone I could flirt with to get me in the door.

That’s when Lachlan Crow noticed me. Problem was, he wasn’t a soldier. No, he was next in line for the throne of the Irish underworld. And he was determined to hate me from the outset. My sob story about needing a job? Yeah, he wasn’t buying that either.

Too bad for him, I won’t let anyone get in the way of my mission.

Who cares if we have some kind of crazy chemistry? He’s the worst kind of wrong- and I would never in a million years be with a guy like him.

Because they took her from me, and I’m going to make them pay.

AMAZON

You live for the syndicate, you die for the syndicate.

FREAKING. LOVED. Where has this series been all my life?! Or rather, where have I been living that I’m only discovering it now?!

This book was EVERYTHING I love. Gritty, dark mafia romance with a seriously kick ass heroine and an anti-hero that’s just as delicious as he is dangerous.

But let’s start with the heroine, shall we?

I’m the daughter of Jack Wilder. A third generation Irish-American with champion’s blood running through my veins. I was raised on the streets of Southie, and I’m not afraid of anyone. I’ll take on every single one of those motherfuckers and I’ll do it with a smile on my face.

Mackenzie “Mack” grew up hard. After losing her underground boxer father to a brutal murder by the Russian mafia, she was left with nothing but her best friend Talia. The girls became everything to each other, sisters in everything but blood. So when Talia goes missing, Mack is determined to find her. She doesn’t buy the story that she simply left with her boyfriend. And when the cops and FBI won’t listed to her, she’s determined to do it herself…by going undercover at the strip club owned by one of the most ruthless mobs in Southie. This is what lands her in the crosshairs of Lachlan Crow.

Jaysus, woman,” he sighs. “Ye clean up your fecking mouth before I do it for you. You want to work for me ye better start acting like a lady.”
“I am a goddamn lady.” I grin.

The chemistry between these two is immediate. And what begins is a delicious game of cat and mouse, though at times you’ll wonder who the true cat is. While Crow is a force to be reckoned with and is as lethal as he is sexy, Mack is a force of her own. This is one tough chick and I loved her sass and balls to the walls attitude.

But it’s not long before lines begin to get blurred and Mack’s game is no longer a game. What happens when the man you believe holds your life is in hands is also a man you begin to crave beyond reason?

The sound of his pleasure and depravity jump starts my heart and explodes into my bloodstream. I’ve never felt anything like it before. Whatever it is, it’s ricocheting through my body, possessing me like a demon. My hands draw him closer, and the next thing I know, I’m kissing him back. Hard.

The story is downright addicting. It’s full of twists and turns and with a depraved sort of grit that kept me glued to the pages. It was violent, unapologetic, and spared no detail. And this girl? SALIVATING.

I’m not sure how this series has flown under my radar for so long, but I’m rectifying that mistake as we speak by binging on the rest of these amazing stories!

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

New Release & Jenn’s Review: Raw Heat by Cherrie Lynn

September 5, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

RAW HEAT
Series: Larson Brothers #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Cherrie Lynn
Release Date: September 5, 2017

The third book in the Larson Brothers series from New York Times bestselling author Cherrie Lynn is the sexiest installment yet!

Youngest Larson brother Damien has the luck of the devil. Fast talking and faster thinking, he owns a successful nightclub in Houston and runs an illegal poker room upstairs. After a troubled childhood, now nothing is out of Damien’s reach—except his accountant, Emma Haskell.

Emma has always been drawn to Damien’s dark intensity and the gleam in his eyes that promises more than she can possibly handle. But when her brother’s gambling threatens to destroy her family, Damien makes her an offer she’d be crazy to accept—but can’t refuse: her brother’s debts will be forgiven, and Emma belongs to him for thirty days.

In Damien’s world, he shows his angelic bookkeeper what it’s like to live with the devil. But Emma brings out a side in Damien he thought didn’t exist. Will the flames of lust scorch them both, or will this beauty tame the beast and give him something to fight for?

Raw Heat scorches with emotional intensity and smoldering passion that will leave readers spellbound!

AMAZON | iBOOKS

4.5 “Buy the shoes, eat the cake, fuck the guy” Stars!!!!!

I was all up in this book. Numbers. Poker. Nerd. Asshole. A perfect book recipe, and this book baked itself into my heart and into my pants.

à la Mode St. » fashion

“The idea, when it hatched, slithered from its shell in his mind, dark and slimy but irresistible. His best ideas usually made him feel like a dirty sonofabitch; that’s how he knew they were good ones. Suddenly nothing seemed impossible anymore. That sweet pink mouth could be his for the taking.”

à la Mode St. » fashionEmma is the nerdy accountant. Damien is her boss, and also a poker genius. When Emma’s brother gets caught up in some debt to Damien, Emma is willing to do anything to help him get out of it, and Damien takes full advantage. Damien wants Emma, and he is determined to get her, morals be damned. This alpha-hole goes down in the books because he is sooooo mean to her.

Damien. He is a tall glass of asshole, and I drank every last drop. His soul is black as night, and that’s how I like ‘em, ya’ll. He’s smooth. He’s sexy. He’s perfect. Of course, I loved how Emma started working her light into his darkness, but it wasn’t too fast, and he was still an asshole in the end. I loooooved that they had numbers in common. An accountant and poker genius?! Perfection! Damien likes it dirty dirty dirty. Oh yeah, I saw it coming too. This book has some BDSM touches to it, and that isn’t a spoiler.
à la Mode St. » fashion

“I’m the mean, selfish bastard who has you here. I’m the one taking advantage of the situation. Maybe if I had a kind bone in my body, I would send you back home and consider the deal done. But I’m not going to do that. It isn’t how I operate. So absolve yourself, and blame me. I promise you. I can take it.”

à la Mode St. » fashionI loved that we got Damien’s pov. It makes this book so much more worth it. The characters were all written so well, even the side characters. The plot was fantastic. It was basically perfection. Cherrie Lynn has always had a special place in my heart, and I’m so glad this book brought me back to her.

THE SERIES

RAW DEAL | RAW NEED | RAW HEAT

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Jenn’s 5 Star Review: Drifter by Janine Bosco ‏

September 1, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

DRIFTER
Series: Nomad #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic
Author: Janine Infante Bosco
Release Date: September 20, 2016

“Stryker”
I’m a drifter.
A man born to ride through this world alone.
There used to be a time when I thought I was the rescuing type. I enlisted in the Marines and made it my duty—I was going to save lives.
I was going to be a true American hero.
But God had another plan.
Or maybe Satan did.
For everything I touch finds mortality.
I’m no hero.
I’m nothing.
I’m a veteran biker, a former nomad who survived war only to live in hell.
Now I ride with the Satan’s Knights of Brooklyn and I’m drifting into a different kind of chaos.
The kind that revolves around a pretty girl with intoxicating green eyes.
A girl who has the power to turn me inside out.
A girl who doesn’t need anyone to rescue her because she’s her own savior.
Until she’s not.
But a man plagued by war and the devil inside him can never be her hero.

Gina Spinelli

Strong. Independent. Fierce.
They are the three things I strived to be.
But sometimes being successful can be lonely.
Sometimes a girl just wants to be a girl and have someone take care of her.
Maybe even love her.
Sometimes the strong become vulnerable.
Or worse, the victor becomes the victim.
Sometimes we lose control or in my case it’s stripped from you.
Defeated. Broken. Haunted.
They are the three things I have become.
In my darkest hour I admit defeat.
In my darkest hour I need one person.
I need him.
Stryker.

***NOTE:Contains explicit sexual situations, violence, sensitive subjects, offensive language, and mature topics. Recommended for age 18 years and up. ***

AMAZON

5,000 Stars!!!!!
1. I love this book with everything in me.
2. I love this author with everything in me.
3. I love the people. (These people are REAL. They exist. Leave me alone!)
4. I love the sex. (The dirty talk! Unf!)
5. I love the FEELS. (The ugly cry is waiting for you. But not in the whole book. I don’t like when the entire book is depressing.)

You know when someone tells you they didn’t enjoy one of your favorite books EVER?! Yeah, this is one of those books. I mean, everyone is entitled to their own opinion….Blah, Blah, Blah. But really, if you don’t like this book……
Gina is just a stock broker, and a woman with balls of steel. I love a feisty heroine. The meet-cute between her and Stryker over a pool table is delicious and had me grinning like an idiot the whole time. In fact, I was in the middle of Chick-Fil-A while my kids were playing in the indoor playground, and I bust out laughing. That’s right, Other Moms. I don’t watch my kids while they play. I read. I digress….
à la Mode St. » fashion

She isn’t the girl you nail down, she’s the one you watch fly, and if you’re lucky, you’re the bastard who gets to spread your wings alongside her.

à la Mode St. » fashionStryker. Jesus Christ. Stryke me with lightning right now because I will say the Lord’s name in vain in order to express my feelings about THIS MAN. In fact, I will thank The Lord in my prayers tonight for creating Janine Infante Bosco so she could write THIS MAN. Stryker is a drifter. He is a nomad of the Satan’s Knights MC, never feeling like he belongs anywhere. He suffers from PTSD from his time served as a Marine, and this is a big part of Stryker’s character. He find the Satan’s Knights, and this book also shows his journey of learning to depend on family.

The FIRE…..this book is scorching. And I am a picky bitch when it comes to the dirty talk. And Stryker delivered the dirty talk to my ears and put the tingles in my jingle. I just want Stryker to call me his “pretty girl,” ok? Is that too much to ask?!

The issues! Janine does not sugar coat. She brings up the issues. And I loved the way that she addressed them and delivered them. I was pretty much a SOBBING MESS. You probably have no idea what I’m saying right now because I can’t say too much without spoiling something (and I hate spoiling). Just know that JANINE CAN WRITE A DAMN BOOK.
What I loved most about this book (and what gets me every damn time I love a book), is the writing. Character development = Off the Charts. I felt attached to every single character. I usually don’t mind reading books out of order, but I regret it this time because most of these characters are from a previous series that I am dying to read now.

I am now going to read ALL of Janine’s books every second that I can in between all the life going around me. I’m gonna go all crazy-bitch. I can feel it coming. Don’t botha me.

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Geri’s Review: Fallen Heir by Erin Watt

September 1, 2017 by ·

FALLEN HEIR
Series: The Royals #4
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Author: Erin Watt
Release Date: August 28th, 2017

These Royals will ruin you.

Easton Royal has it all: looks, money, intelligence.

His goal in life is to have as much fun as possible. He never thinks about the consequences because he doesn’t have to.

Until Hartley Wright appears, shaking up his easy life.

She’s the one girl who’s said no, despite being attracted to him. Easton can’t figure her out and that makes her all the more irresistible.

Hartley doesn’t want him. She says he needs to grow up.

She might be right.

Rivals. Rules. Regrets. For the first time in Easton’s life, wearing a Royal crown isn’t enough.

He’s about to learn that the higher you start, the harder you fall.

 

AMAZON | iBOOKS

You guys!

I’m sorry. Please don’t hate me.

I liked Fallen Heir and I enjoyed it but I just DIDN’T love it the way I did Paper Princess.

*cue my awkward face
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Before I go into the whys, let me tell you what I did enjoy about this book.

One. The writing as usual was impeccable and seamless. The way they write the dialogue and East’s POV is on point.

Two. I adored the secondary characters especially Pash and Bran. Pash is Easton’s best buddy and comic relief in the book. Brandon is the new guy in Astor Prep and his character is a breath of fresh air full of farts. Privileged Astor farts. I hope he doesn’t get screwed over by that crowd and lose his innocence too soon. He’s the perfect foil for Easton’s rich boy arrogance and privilege.

Three. The Easton-Ella dynamic. Boy, this one…I knew a few chapters in that something is up and I have my suspicions (which was proven to be right, by the way!) but I just like the way Erin Watt slowly unraveled that thread. It played out perfectly. And nope, I won’t spoil it for you. You have to read the book yourself. Trust me. It’s worth it.

Now for the so-so parts…

Easton. I know, I know. I loved him in PP. Maybe not as much as the other readers but I was interested to know what made him different from Reed and his other brothers. And I gotta say…he’s OK. I sympathized with his issues and feel for him but other times, he annoys the crap out of me.

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I’m SORRY but he does. The whole book is written in his POV and sometimes I wish I could take a break from it because he can be real douchebag.

I would’ve loved to get Hartley’s POV because I want to know what she sees in him. I want to see him through her eyes. I want to see what she thinks of him. I want to read her thoughts about Easton and whether or not he’s redeemable.

Like I said, I needed another POV, another lens through which I could see his character grow and change. Which brings me to my second so-so. Hartley.

I needed her POV. Did I say that already? Yes, I did.

I needed it to get to know her and relate with her. Without it, I’m kind of apathetic towards her. Aside from being the girl that Easton like, she’s…meh so far. I think that would change once we get her POV…maybe in the next book but for now. I’m not loving her but I’m also not hating her.

Now for the not-so-great part…I only have one issue, which is why I said I still enjoyed this book. But the main reason why I didn’t outright loved Fallen Heir is that it’s a little repetitive.

Okay, more than a little.

What I’m saying is for most of the book, about 70% of it, we get the same Easton-Hartley interaction which basically goes like this: Easton pursues, Hartley demurs and then acquiesce. Easton then does something stupid and Hartley gets hurt and pulls away. Easton gets wasted and does something even more idiotic things. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Just when there’s progress in their interaction, you get pulled back into the very beginning and start all over again. One step forward, two steps back. It’s great for maybe one or two instances but after the second time, it became annoying and frustrating.

It wasn’t until the last 30% where the plot got tighter and we see breakthrough in Easton that the book really took off! Only to have the rug pulled out from under me with that wicked cliffhanger!!!

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But I ain’t even mad. I was just so happy that the story progressed beyond the Easton and Hartley drama. But OMG, that last scene is stressing me out.

The wait for the next book is gonna be brutal.

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