New Release & Review: Hurts To Love You by Alisha Rai

HURTS TO LOVE YOU
Series: Forbidden Hearts #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Alisha Rai
Release Date: March 27, 2018

Being bad never felt so good, in the third novel in Alisha Rai’s sexy Forbidden Hearts series!

Well-behaved women don’t lust after men who love to misbehave.

Heiress Evangeline Chandler knows how to keep a secret . . . like her life-long crush on the tattooed hottie who just happens to be her big brother’s friend. She’s a Chandler, after all, and Chandlers don’t hook up with the help. Then again, they also don’t disobey their fathers and quit their respectable jobs, so good-girl rules may no longer apply.

Gabriel Hunter hides the pain of his past behind a smile, but he can’t hide his sudden attraction to his friend’s sheltered little sister. Eve is far too sweet to accept anything less than forever and there’s no chance of a future between the son of a housekeeper and the town’s resident princess.

When a wedding party forces Eve and Gabe into tight quarters, keeping their hands off each other will be as hard as keeping their clothes on. The need that draws them together is stronger than the forces that should shove them apart . . . but their sparks may not survive the explosion when long-buried secrets are finally unearthed.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

Well-behaved women don’t lust after men who love to misbehave.

I immediately fell hard for Alisha Rai’s writing when I first read Wrong to Need You. Her slow paced, character driven stories are not my usual cuppa, but they never to fail to have me glued to the pages. Her characters are unique without any of the typical OTT flare that you’d find in most romance novels these days. They don’t need it. They’re raw, and real, and feel like someone you know or would meet in real life. There’s something just so refreshing about that, that it immediately clicked with me.

Hurts To Love You is the third and final book in the Forbidden Hearts series, and while it’s a standalone with a different couple, I still highly recommend reading the rest of the series first. There’s so much history with these families that may be lost on a new reader and not enjoyed as thoroughly having read the rest of the books. Evangeline is the youngest Chandler sibling and sister to Nicholas from Hate to Want You. She’s the shy, soft-spoken and unassuming one. But still waters certainly run deep with her, because this a woman that harbors plenty of secrets and desires. Her biggest? Her unrequited love for Nicholas’s friend, Gabriel Hunter. Gabriel is rough around the edges, tatted, and completely off limits to her. Even if he didn’t make it clear to her all those years ago that he’s not interested in her, she can’t help how she feels.

Gabriel is a man with secrets of his own. One, are his own lustful feelings towards the beautiful Evangeline. The other is so scandalous, it can ultimately cost him everything.

Forced together for Nicholas’s wedding, Gabriel and Evangeline are forced to acknowledge their secrets, their demons, and their feelings in a slow building yet deeply emotional romance that was impossible to put down.

I adored Gabe’s dirty side underneath that quiet and unassuming exterior. He fights his feelings for Eve, but a man can only resist so much. And when Eve decides that she’s tired of waiting for things to happen and takes matters into her own hands, there’s only so much a man can take. I loved watching Eve finally find her voice and inner core of steel. She may be shy and introverted, but she’s also no pushover. Her and Gabe were the perfect balance to each other.

Between the continuing family drama, the disastrous wedding that seems to have one thing go wrong after another, and their own internal struggles, there was plenty of things driving the plot forward. It wasn’t full of OTT drama but it had just the right amount of angst with plenty of sizzle. I think this was my favorite book in the series. If you’re looking for a romance brimming with feels and overflowing with passion, I definitely recommend you check this one out.

Review: Three To Ride by Lexi Blake

THREE TO RIDE
Series: Nights In Bliss, Colorado #1
Genre: Erotic Romance, Menage
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: March 20, 2018

Re-released in a second edition with two new chapters and additional new content.

Rachel Swift is a woman on the run.

A stalker sent Rachel’s world reeling. Now she’s running for her life, and Bliss, CO, seems like the perfect place to hide. Bliss is a strange little town, filled with artists, nudists, and the occasional conspiracy nut. It’s a good place to start over.

Max and Rye are just the men to catch her.

Horse trainer Max and Sheriff Rye gave up on their dream of finding one perfect woman to share long ago. Rachel walks in, and they’re both in love and fighting their true natures.

A town like no other….

When Rachel’s past catches up with her, all of Bliss is in danger. Rachel knows she should run, but how can she leave behind the love she’s found with Max and Rye and the home she’s built in Bliss? With her whole town behind her, Rachel is ready to make her stand. It’s time for her to get back in the saddle and ride.

AMAZON

This man tore away all her defenses and inhibitions.

A litte suspense with a whole lot of sexy makes Three To Ride one titillating read! I first got curious about Lexi’s Bliss series when she hinted at it in Nobody Does It Better. As I hadn’t yet read this series that she initially released under her Sophie Oak pen name yet, I was instantly intrigued.

Rachel Swift is a heroine that I clicked with right away. This is a woman that’s trying everything to escape a dangerously obsessed stalker that has the resources of being a cop behind him. Forced on the run with nothing to her but her few meager belongings, she’s about to give up hope when she stumbles into the small town of Bliss, Colorado and instantly falls in love. What she doesn’t expect is to fall for a sweet yet brooding man while also harboring feelings for his twin brother and town sheriff.

I absolutely loved the way that Rachel took no sh*t from either man. She was quick to shut down Rye’s advances since she was dating his twin, and she was quick to put Max in his place any time he let his unreasonable jealousy get the best of him.

You will treat me like a lady, Maxwell Harper. You will politely ask me questions, and you will not accuse me of anything again unless you’re damn sure I’ve done something to deserve it. You will not walk into my place of business and tell the town I’m some sort of harlot. Is that understood?”

While her relationship with Max starts when he pursues her, it’s still a bit of a slow burn. All the while, she’s fighting her attraction to his twin, even though rumors in town is that the men like to share everything…and I do mean everything.

The road to the menage is a slow and sizzling burn. It also had the added element of suspense from Rachel’s stalker which I enjoyed thoroughly. The pacing was perfect and I really liked how everything wrapped up in the end. I can’t wait for more in this deliciously kinky series!

Review: Sinner by Sierra Simone

SINNER
Series: Priest #2
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Author: Sierra Simone
Release Date: March 15, 2018

I’m not a good man, and I’ve never pretended to be.

I don’t believe in goodness or God or any happy ending that isn’t paid for in advance.

What do I believe in?

Money.

Sex.

Macallan 18.

They have words for men like me—playboy.

Womanizer.

Skirt chaser.

My brother used to be a priest, and he only has one word for me.

Sinner.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | KOBO | B&N

“Zenny,” I mumble against her lips, some valiant part of me recognizing that this is far, far beyond the kiss she asked for, and also recognizing that I’m going to come all over the inside of my Hugo Boss suit pants if she keeps it up. Even through the clothes, I can feel her heat, her shameless rolls hinting at where she goes soft and wet between her legs.

Fuck, I want to see it. I want to see her pussy. It’s suddenly all I can think about, all I can want or crave, just one glimpse, just a peek.

“I want to see your cunt,” I say hoarsely, lifting my head.

“My…cunt?” She says the word like she’s never said it out loud before.

“Yeah.” My voice is so ragged right now, so desperate, and fuck, I’ve never felt this frantic before. Like I’ll actually combust if I don’t get this one thing, this one small sight of her secret place.

She lets out a shaky breath, her hand dropping from my lapel to her skirt, which she slowly rucks up to her waist as I devour her lips once more, as I bury my face in her neck and kiss every sliver of skin exposed above her collar. I bite at her ear, at her jaw, my hand finding hers as it pulls her skirt up, so that I’m helping her do it, that we’re doing it together, this forbidden act, this forbidden revelation.

Her forbidden body. 

That word, forbidden, spikes through my mind, bringing with it equal spikes of lust and fear. Because yes, it’s fucking hot that I shouldn’t be kissing her, I shouldn’t be begging to see her most secret place, my hand shouldn’t be covering hers as it slides up her thigh—but it’s also bad. Bad even for Sean Bell.

Bad, bad, bad.

They have words for men like me—playboy. Womanizer. Skirt chaser.
My brother used to be a priest, and he only has one word for me.
Sinner.

So, erm, if anyone needs me, I’ll just be over here in the corner icing my ovaries. Because this book? Set those suckers on FIRE! I mean, sweet baby jesus. Pun intended. But seriously though. Hot damn. Just…hot damn.

As with everything, she is a contradiction. Artless and deliberate, embarrassed but driven past caring.

First of all, that blurb is vague as hell. And if you truly want to enjoy this book to its fullest, keep it that way. You do NOT want to know who the heroine is, or what exactly the taboo element of the story is. It’s so much better to have it unravel for you as you read. That much more delicious too. And let me tell you, it’s SO delicious.

Sierra Simone wrote one emotionally packed and erotically charged forbidden romance, and this girl loved every sizzling page of it. It was so much more than just smoking’ hot. It was brimming with passion and emotion with a perfect amount of feels to make you completely invested in everything happening to the characters. It was multi-layered, perfectly paced, and hot enough to singe your kindle. It was nothing like what I expected and yet it hit the spot SO right.

Jesus Christ. And I am shaking. I’m shaking because I need to fuck, I’m shaking because the woman I need to fuck is a woman I’m feeling insane things for

If you loved Priest, you need to read Sinner.

Sierra Simone is a USA Today Bestselling former librarian (who spent too much time reading romance novels at the information desk.) She lives with her husband and family in Kansas City

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#DGRFave & Review: Neighborhood Watch by @StyloFantome

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH
Series: Twin Estates #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Stylo Fantome
Release Date: March 17, 2018

Rules to Join The Neighborhood Watch:

1. If you see something, say something

2. Report all illegal activities to the authorities

3. Do not associate with criminals

4. And certainly don’t fall for them!

Tori Bellows is a really good friend. She’s always there when a shoulder is needed to cry on, to give dating advice, or for a good ol’ time. Now, though, Tori is the one who needs a shoulder to lean on when she’s in a tough spot. But all of her friends are too busy with their own lives.

Enter the Twin Estates’ resident bad boy, Landon Edenhoff. When he offers her an all expenses paid vacation, she’s immediately suspicious – he’s rarely nice and his intentions are never good. But she’s ready for a change of scenery and knows she can give as good as she gets from Mr. Rude & Nasty himself.

After all, how bad could this neighbor really be?

AMAZON 

The man was trouble. Always would be. He was vice and sin wrapped into a ridiculously sexy package, with a healthy sprinkling of damaged-dickhead on top.

If you follow my reviews or know me even a little, you probably already know my love for a good alphahole? And Landon Edenhoff is in a category all of his own. This man was the alphahole to beat all alphaholes, and he makes no qualms about it. He owns it. He knows it. He even enjoys it.

Stupid girl,” he breathed. “Don’t you know I’ll break you?”
“Yes,” she whispered back. “But maybe breaking me will help you fix yourself.”
“And you would offer yourself?”
“I would.”

First of all, I’m seriously kicking myself for not reading a Stylo Fantome book sooner. Because if this book is anything to go by, I already know I’ll be obsessed. And yes, judgy mcjudgerson, I did start this series with book 4. And you know what else? I’m not even sorry! While there is a clear backstory between all the secondary characters, I had no problem getting fully immersed in their world.

Tori Bellows has been lusting after her boss for way too long. She’s seen friend after friend settle down, and yearns for a HEA of her own. The problem is that her boss is now in love with someone that’s not her, and her drunken endeavor to finally tell him how she feels lands her in bed with his twin brother instead.

The only thing that Landon and Liam have in common is their face. Landon is rude, crude, and the epitome of a bad boy. He’s borderline criminal, actually. And if his sex appeal is anything to judge by, he should be arrested. He’s the exact opposite of the man that Tori should get involved with, but the raw sexual chemistry between them is just too powerful to resist.

So fucking wet,” he grunted as he moved so he was kneeling between her legs. “You’re a mess, dirty girl. I don’t know if you deserve this dick.”
“Maybe not,” she gasped. “But I want it.”
“How bad?”
“I think you can feel how bad,” she laughed.
His hand moved off her chest and clamped down over her mouth. “I didn’t ask you to make a fucking joke,” he growled. “I asked you to fucking beg for my cock.”

Both Tori and Landon are incredibly multilayered characters that I couldn’t get enough of. Watching the development and growth of Landon was one of the most satisfying things about this book for me. I loved watching him falling harder and harder for Tori, even when he does his best to resist. He doesn’t make excuses for himself, but beneath the demons on his forefront is the heart of a man that is desperate for redemption.

He was still, and probably always would be, a bad guy. But just maybe he wasn’t the worst guy.

There’s a gritty and dark undercurrent to this story that I enjoyed immensely. The progression of the characters and their relationship felt incredibly real and oh so satisfying. I loved that Tori gave as hard as she got, and was never hesitant to put Landon in his place. I loved watching Landon soften, ever so slightly, with his feelings for Tori.

I’m always gonna be an asshole,” he warned her. “But for you … for you, I’ll try to be a good guy.”

Neighborhood Watch was a deliciously sexy and utterly riveting story from beginning to end. It may have been my first book by this author, but it most definitely won’t be my last. I plan on binging on her entire backlist. If you like bad boys and watching them fall for sassy women that give as good as they get all wrapped around a gritty and addicting story, this book is simply not to be missed!

Review & Giveaway: Getaway Girl by @mstessabailey

GETAWAY GIRL
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: March 26, 2018

This unlikely getaway driver never expected to help the mayor escape…

After a six-year absence, Addison Potts is back in Charleston to stir things up. And what better place to make her villainous return than her estranged cousin’s wedding? Only, the nuptials hit a snag when the bride doesn’t show, leaving Addison to play getaway driver for the jilted groom. A groom whose heartbreaking smile and deep, southern drawl she should not be noticing…

Elijah Montgomery Du Pont is the future mayor of Charleston. From his military career to city hall, every detail of his life has been meticulously planned. Until now. His only respite from life’s sudden upheaval is Addison, his new, improbable best friend. She makes him happy. Grounds him. And public disapproval be damned, he’s not willing to give her up. But with an election on the line and public pressure rising, Addison—and the cruel hand of fate—might not give him a choice.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

My best friend, my roommate, my conscience. The lines around our relationship blur immediately and fade into nothing. God. She’s nothing I’ve ever experienced.

And this book right here, is exactly why I’m so obsessed with everything that Tessa Bailey writes; her ability to create characters that I fall head over heels for and can’t get enough of. And Elijah and Addison were two amazing characters!

I just realized you always untuck your dress shirt before walking in my front door. Have you been hiding a GIF-worthy ass from me, Elijah Montgomery Du Pont?”
“Addison Potts, this conversation is indecent.”

When Addison decides to crash her cousin’s wedding, she never expects an unlikely best friend that she makes to be the jilted groom. With a history rooted in scandal, Addison isn’t exactly thrilled to be back in the town of Charleston. But after her grandmother passed and left her business and apartment to her, she’s determined to make it work. Being the getaway driver to the groom her cousin stood up at the altar and the town’s golden boy and future mayor isn’t exactly on her to-do list, but there’s just something about Elijah’s sweet smile and gentle eyes that call to her.

What begins with a ride soon turns into the unlikeliest of friendships. Addison and Elijah become an escape for each other. Their friendship is brimming with sexual tension and suppressed desire, but they both have too much to lose if they give in. After all, Elijah has his image to uphold and the last thing Addison needs is to be tabloid fodder. She wants to lay low and he’s always in the public eye. But the connection between them is too incendiary to ignore, and it doesn’t take long before they give into the inevitable.

You shouldn’t be allowed in polite company with this big thing dangling between your thighs, Elijah. Especially when it gets hard. Shame on you, Captain Du Pont.” I bite down on his nipple, laving it with my tongue. “You better apologize.” The muscles of his body bunch head to toe. “Addison.” I stop moving. “Fuck”

One of my favorite things about this book was the banter. Tessa Bailey is the QUEEN of witty and sexy banter. And this book brought it in spades. Elijah was this fantastic combination of sweet and caring but with a hidden layer of dirty talking caveman. I seriously couldn’t get enough of it, and man did I love that Addison managed to bring it out in him the way she did.

It reminds me of you.”
“Does it?”
“Mmmhmm. Old-fashioned and charming…” She squints at my backside. “With a big old kitchen.”
“It’s not polite to make ass jokes about your tour guide.”
“Oh come on. You know I love that thing.” When she crosses to the window and looks down, I ask, “What are you looking at?”
“Just checking to see if your milkshake brought all the boys to the yard.”

Getaway Girl was a light hearted and super fun romance full of swoon and sizzle. With plenty of banter, endearing secondary characters, and a deliciously entertaining plot, it clicked every box for me.

Want to win all the goodies below plus a SIGNED PAPERBACK of Getaway girl?!

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Geri’s Review: Scoring Off the Field by Naima Simone

SCORING OFF THE FIELD
Series: WAGS #2
Genre: Contemporary Sports Romance
Author: Naima Simone
Release Date: March 12, 2018

Tennyson Clark is getting a life. First step: quitting her job as assistant to Dominic Anderson, star quarterback for the Washington Warriors, her best friend … and the man she’s been secretly in love with for years.

But since the gorgeous, if overprotective playboy has only ever seen her as his BFF, she’s finally ready to relinquish her tattered fantasy and move on.

Enter steps two and three: new job and new man.

Football is Dominic’s life, and with his contract soon up for renewal, all his focus needs to be on the game. But Tennyson—dependable, logical Tennyson— is making that next to impossible with her mysterious new job and her sudden interest in online dating.

He doesn’t do relationships. But the thought of another man touching her sexier-than-hell curves has him suddenly wanting more from his best friend.

Indulging in hot, dirty, what’s-my-name sex with no strings and lots of benefits is simple, uncomplicated…until it’s not.

 

AMAZON

Wowza! This book checked all my boxes!

Sexy.
Steamy.
With the right amount of angst thrown in!!

It’s no secret that I love the two tropes equally: unrequited love and friends-to-lovers. Scoring Off Field has both. So yeah, I requested this baby so fast and [insert squee here] I was not disappointed.

Tennyson Clark has been in love with her best friend, Washington Warrior’s quarterback, Dominic Anderson. Football was Dom’s whole life. His other whole life is his best friend and personal assistant, Tenny. Unfortunately, Tenny just dropped a bomb. She’s moving on and getting a life away from Dom. This decision turned Dom’s world upside down and became the catalyst for their relationship changing.

I loved Tennyson. She had a hard life but she never lost her optimism. She had some emotional scars that came from a difficult childhood so I totally felt for her and understood her decision to walk away from Dom. I applauded her decision despite also wanting them to get together.

While I do think that Dom cared about her even prior to their romance, he took her for granted. Football was his last connection to the family he loved and lost so his decision to make football his lover and mistress was understandable. He was clueless about his best friend’s feelings but he wasn’t intentionally cruel. He did everything he could for Tenny but it wasn’t exactly what Tenny wanted from him. It took a while for Dom to realize it but once he did, he was all in. I also understood Dom.

The transition from friends to lovers can be tricky but it felt seamless here. I was already invested in both Tenny and Dom, so their coming together was something I was already invested in. I loved that despite their physical chemistry, there was still some emotional issues and character journeys that they have to embark on, and it was those issues and character journeys that kept me glued to the book. It was emotionally satisfying to read how these two characters grow and develop.

Naima Simone did an exceptional job with Tenny and Dom. I loved them as individuals and loved them together. I sound like a broken record saying this but the romance in this book was so satisfying. It’s one of those books that puts a smile in your face throughout the day after you finished it. Definitely one of my top reads of the year.

Review: Ruin by Samantha Towle

RUIN
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Samantha Towle
Release Date: March 6, 2018

From Samantha Towle, the New York Times bestselling author of Wardrobe Malfunction and Breaking Hollywood, comes a dramatically powerful and passionate new contemporary romance.

And the new heavyweight champion of the world is…

Those are the words that Zeus Kincaid has been waiting to hear since he first put on a pair of boxing gloves. He just didn’t think they would come with a tragedy that would change how he viewed the sport forever.

Cameron Reed was in her second year at Juilliard when her childhood sweetheart, Zeus Kincaid, walked away from her. A few months later, Cam realized that she would never fulfill her dream of dancing for the New York City Ballet.

Now working as a dancer in an upscale club in Manhattan, Cam is brought face-to-face with the man she once loved. And it’s her turn to walk away from him.

After five years of missing Cam, Zeus isn’t prepared to let her go again. But when he finds himself standing on her doorstep the next morning, things don’t go quite as he expected…

AMAZON

The man is my weakness. My downfall. My ruin. He always has been. And it seems that he always will be.


Samantha Towle brought the feels and the sizzle with this angsty second chance romance. I knew from the very first chapter that I’m going to fall in love with this story, and I definitely wasn’t wrong. It was a perfectly paced, emotional slow burn. A deliciously angsty story that tugged at every heart string.

Because, when you love someone—really love them—you fight for them. You fight hard and dirty, no matter the cost to yourself.

At first when all the details of Cameron Reed’s present came out, I thought, oh here we go, been there read that. I was afraid that the author was going to use this particular plot device to string the drama along until the end. I couldn’t have been more wrong. And I couldn’t love the way she handled this story line more. It was even more than I’d hope for.

Cam had her heart broken by Zeus and she’s not looking for a repeat when he comes blazing back into her life. But Zeus isn’t the same man that left those years ago. He’s determined to right all his wrongs, and he’s not afraid to fight dirty to prove to Cam that he deserves her heart back.

God,” I breathe.
His eyes lift to mine, his mouth glistening with me. “That’s what they say, baby.”
“Cocky bastard,” I mutter.


Zeus was not perfect, but he was perfectly endearing. He was possessive, protective, jealous and deliciously broody. God but I loved every facet of this man and he had a lot of them. Samantha Towle definitely created a multi-layered character with him that goes well beyond just a sexy undefeated heavyweight boxing champion. He never once stopped loving Cam and I couldn’t get enough of their sizzling back and forth game.

Cam never stopped loving Zeus, but she also doesn’t trust him. He shattered her when he walked away those years ago, and she refuses to go back to being that woman. I really loved Cam and her no bs attitude. She wasn’t afraid to put Zeus in his place and she took plenty of opportunity to do so.

Ruin was a page turner from beginning to finish. It was sexy and emotional and deeply satisfying. I can’t recommend it enough!

Review: Kissing The Boss by Linda Kage

KISSING THE BOSS
Series: The Fairy Tale Quartet #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Linda Kage
Release Date: March 2, 2018

What’s the one thing you shouldn’t do when your boss is your ruthless evil widowed stepmother who hates your guts more than anyone?

Kiss the man she’s interested in.

So what does Kaitlynn Judge find herself doing?

Yep, she kisses the one man her stepmother currently wants, who also happens to be the CEO of the company where she works.

Can we say doomed?

After the death of her father, Kaitlynn’s life has been stuck in a rut. But that begins to change after meeting a dashing stranger during the office Halloween party. Now she has to navigate vengeful stepmothers, meddling stepsiblings, and gorgeous guys in hot pursuit to reach her happily ever after.

While making a detour from the fantasy aspect, this contemporary take on the Cinderella story continues to cling to a few of our favorite traditions. You’ll still find the unmerited oppression along with fleeing women, missing shoes, mouse companions, magic wands, pumpkin-like rides to the big bash, and so much more. So rest assured, it’s all familiar and yet quirkily different.

AMAZON

Beware of those crazy office holiday parties…


I’ve been a huge Linda Kage fan ever since her Forbidden Men series. She wrote some of my favorite angsty NA romance. This series is nothing like those. I’m actually ashamed to admit that I avoided starting this series because for some reason I thought it was a 4 part book. It’s not. It’s a quartet series. Each book is a full standalone with HEA set inside the same world and focusing on its own individual spins of fairy tales we know and love.

Kissing The Boss is a deliciously fun take on Cinderella and it was a perfectly light and feel good contemporary romance.

Kaitlynn Judge is stuck working for her witch of a stepmother who now runs her late father’s company that she had always dreamed would be hers. Left practically penniless after her father passed and left everything to her stepmother, Kaitlynn is not one to give up her dream. She doesn’t care if she has to work for free as a thankless intern for a woman that has no small amount of resentment and hate towards her. But she’ll take the licks if it means working her way up in the company and that much closer to making her dreams come true. Instead of two evil stepsisters, she has two stepbrothers. One that’s a total manwhore, but loves her fiercely. The other is a bit of a grumpy mystery. But things really spice up for Kaitlynn when an Office Halloween company leads to an unknowing kiss with the company’s co-CEO and the object of her stepmother’s not so secret obsession.

Ezra Nash was the best part about this book. I seriously loved this man. He was sexy, swoony, and while a bit hot and cold at first when he realizes who Kaitlynn is, once he decides he has to have her, he’s not shy about it. I loved the way he pursues and woos Kaitlynn.

I also loved the easy relationship that Kaitlynn has with her stepbrother and how protective he was over her. The slew of secondary characters in this series definitely stole my heart and I’ll be going back and reading the first book immediately. This was a super cute twist on a classic tale with just enough of a unique spin to make it stand out. If you’re looking for a fun contemporary read with a swoony romance and a feel good story, you definitely can’t go wrong with this one.

#DGRFave & Review: At The Stroke Of Midnight by @TaraSivec @SMPRomance

AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT
Series: The Naughty Princess Club #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Author: Tara Sivec
Release Date: February 27, 2018

Meet the Naughty Princess Club: a brand new series from USA Today bestselling author Tara Sivec that introduces readers to Fairytale Lane and the hilarity—and romance—that ensue when three women start a new business to make it rain.

Once upon a time Cynthia was the perfect housewife. Between being the President of the PTA and keeping her home spotless without a hair (or her pearls) out of place, her life was a dream come true. Her husband was once her knight in shining armor, but now he’s run off with all their money…and the babysitter.

Dressed as a princess at the annual Halloween block party on Fairytale Lane, she meets two other “princesses” also facing money troubles: antique store owner Ariel and librarian Isabelle. When the women are invited to wear their costumes to a party where they’re mistaken for strippers, Cindy, Ariel, and Belle realize that a career change could be the best way to make their money problems go bippity-boppity-boo.

But can structured Cindy approach a stripper pole without sanitizing wipes? And could the blue-eyed anti-prince that has been crossing her path become Cindy’s happily ever after? At the Stroke of Midnight is a hilarious, empowering story where princesses can save themselves while slaying in stilettos.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

“I don’t want anything to hit PJ. I don’t even like him,” I lie, picturing his gorgeous face and how nicely he can wear a pair of jeans.
“You don’t have to like him to get yourself some good dicking. You need a good dicking, Cindy. Brian was mediocre at best. You need mind-blowing, toe-curling, forget-your-own-name dicking. And while you’re busy getting fucked into next week, you can also use him for his business knowledge, so it’s a win-win.”


Sometimes all a girl needs is a hilarious, laugh till you pee while vibrating with complete and total book satisfaction glee sort of romcom. At The Stroke of Midnight was that perfect book for me. It was perfectly hilarious. Perfectly swoony. Perfectly written. Perfectly paced. Perfectly perfect perfection! Basically what I’m trying to tell you is that I freaking LOVED THIS BOOK. HARD.

I don’t know how to act, and for the love of God, where does one put her hands when she’s sitting on a guy’s lap in a postorgasmic haze? Do I clasp them behind my head, do I hold them up for a high five and an “’Atta boy!”? Are jazz hands appropriate? What about spirit fingers?

At first when I started reading and I thought, OMG this totally reminds me of First Wives Club! And I loved that movie. A woman that gave up her life and goals for her husband only for him to run away with their much younger babysitter, leaving her with nothing, and mailing the divorce papers. Woman meets her snarky and smart mouthed neighbor whose husband left her for a man, and along with a shy librarian that’s full of random facts that she likes to spew at even more random times, they concoct a plan to get their life back. Hello, winning plot!!!

But this book was so much more than that, too! It’s a deliciously brilliant twist on the classic fairytale, chock full of incredibly endearing characters, and a super fun girlfriend bond between three of the most unlikely people. Man, I absolutely devoured this book!

Can a prim and proper housewife turn herself into a sexy and enticing stripper for a business concocted between her and two other equally desperate friends? That’s the question of the hour for Cynthia. There’s just one thing she needs; some stripper training. Too bad the owner of the well known establishment that she’d like to use to get her stripper shoe in the door also happens to be frustratingly sexy and having none of it. Sparks flew right away between PJ and Cindy. Theirs was a slow burn sizzle to beat all slow burn sizzles. It was also full of hilarious banter and enough sexual tension to light up a 10 mile city block. GOD IT WAS GOOD!

What I enjoyed even more that the banter between Cindy and PJ was the banter between the three girlfriends. I loved the three of them. Ariel with her smart mouth and never ending insults, and Belle and her endearing and shy demeanor.

This is how I love my romcoms. I couldn’t put this book down for even a second. I’m already vibrating for my next fit and I can’t wait to see what hilarity Tara Sivec thinks up for Belle and her Beast. If there’s even a single doubt you have ringing in your head about this book, tell that hooker to STFU, and one-click immediately! This is an absolute no-brainer must read!

Review: More Than Memories by N.E. Henderson

MORE THAN MEMORIES
Series: More Than #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: N.E. Henderson
Release Date: July 27, 2017

 

A heartbreaking second chance contemporary romance that’ll leave you reeling with emotion overload.

Memories are never forgotten.

Or so it’s said, but she did.

She forgot herself, me—us.

She forgot everything.

One day I woke up and there was only pain.

This pain so fierce that I can’t overcome it alone.

My heart was ripped out of my chest.

I’m surviving, but barely.

Not even the physical outlet I seek, to purge the torment of remembering the one I can’t let go, helps anymore.

In all of his agony, what if the worst of his pain has yet to be expelled? A secret that could have changed everything . . . had he known.

AMAZON

She was mine longer than she’s ever known. She was mine from the start. I’ve just never told her that until a few minutes ago.

Truth be told, this book has been on my radar for a while. It first caught my attention with the beautiful cover, and then it completely hooked me with the blurb. I’m a sucker for an angsty read, and More Than Memories certainly delivered on that end.

There’s nothing I love better than a good amnesia plot, and as far as memory loss stories go, this one packed a heck of a punch. Ten years ago, Shane lost the love of his life in the most tragic of ways. They may have been total opposites, but they’ve always shared one heart. One night rips everything apart, and Shane hasn’t been the same since.

Ten years have passed, and Whitney re-enters his life in the most unexpected of ways. She looks like the love of his life, she talks like her, but she has none of her memories. She doesn’t remember him and she doesn’t remember their friends. She’s married. Has a family. She’s a stranger. But the invisible pull that’s always existed between them is still there.

I was instantly hooked on their story and fully invested from the prologue alone. This was a powerful and highly emotional second chance romance.

He’s mine. He has always been mine. And he will always be mine.

Unfortunately, minor issues throughout the story began to wane my enjoyment. While I’m not usually a stickler for grammar, I have to admit that the highly noticeable ones in this book were distracting enough to take me out of the story at times. An extra comma where there shouldn’t be, misspelled words and the like weren’t glaring, but their were noticeable. It wasn’t many, but it was enough to be distracting to the flow of the story. This was more of a minor inconvenience than anything else, however. What ultimately lowered my rating was something that I may be at fault for myself. Since I dove right into More Than Memories without having read More Than Lies first, I struggled on wrapping my mind around most of the secondary characters. While this focuses on a completely different couple than book one, there are clearly a lot of interconnections, the major one being the group of friends. It felt almost overwhelming at times getting all of their backstories as quickly as we did, and I’d forget who was who and how they tied into things. There’s a lot of backstory here, and even though the author does explain it, for a reader just being introduced to this world, it felt confusing. Perhaps if there were just one or two, but there were quite a few, and it took me almost the entire book to really understand the full dynamics of it.

The romance was a slow burn, and deliciously angsty. I really loved Shane and Whitney together. They were memorable and highly developed characters with plenty of layers. Admittedly, while I love angst, there were some twists that were thrown in that felt a little OTT on the drama department and read almost like a soap. Don’t get me wrong, I typically gobble that shit up with a spoon and beg for more. But with the way things unravel at the end, it just felt like a bit much. A little less drama and a little more angst and emotion would have sufficed for me. But obviously you can’t please every reader.

Did I enjoy More Than Memories? Abso-freaking-lutely. It may not have been a perfect read, but it was still perfectly entertaining. I’m definitely a fan of this author and will happily read her books in the future. If you’re looking for a unique and memorable second chance romance with plenty of feels and angst, this will do the trick nicely.

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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