Reviews – Page 3

Review: ★Undesired Lust★ by Eden Summers

August 22, 2015 by Lana · Leave a Comment

Undesired Lust (Mason Lynch)
Series: Reckless Beat Series #3
Author: Eden Summers
Genre: Contemporary Rockstar Romance

They used to be the perfect team.

Two years ago, songstress Sidney Higgins ruined her life by sleeping with not one, but two of the famous Reckless Beat men, Mason Lynch and Sean Taiden. Their night of intimate celebration turned into a worldwide sensation when the video Mason vowed to keep private was uploaded to the internet, destroying her squeaky-clean reputation and turning the orld against her. Now she’s broken and left without hope, trying to find the one thing that can get her back on her feet.

A mistake neither one of them is willing to forgive.

When the sex tape went viral and his best friends held him accountable, Mason bore the stigma of asshole with pride. Now, bitterness has destroyed him, driving away his muse and making him worthless in the industry he loves. There’s only one option left to reclaim his creativity, but that would mean collaborating with a woman who wants to castrate him with a plastic knife.

A palpable chemistry even hate can’t diminish.

Forced to work together, neither one of them is prepared for the undesired lust which immediately takes hold. The lies fade away, exposing the truth; however, it also awakens a threat from their past. The person responsible for tearing them apart is back to ensure they don’t rekindle a spark. With their safety in the balance, Sidney and Mason need to determine what they’re willing to risk to reclaim a relationship they wish they’d never lost.

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The guilt at destroying her was nothing to his need to have her. She was an obsession. An addiction.

A musical collaboration that wins a grammy serves for a night of celebration. The pull between Reckless Beat’s front man, Mason Lynch and Sidney Higgins has always been there. One night of celebration and alcohol leads to a sizzling threesome between Signey, Mason, and Mason’s best friend and Reckless Beat’s drummer, Sean Taiden. But then a video recorded on Mason’s phone meant to capture the moment to forever remember in private gets leaked, it ruins everything and completely shatters Sidney. She lost everything; her career, her self-worth, and the man she thought she trusted.

Two years later, Mason is still paying the price for what everyone had assumed were his actions. Having completely lost his muse and the respect for his band mates that were quick to think the worst of him, he’s lost…and desperate. So when his band’s manager offers to bring back Sidney, he jumps at the chance, even though he knows she still can’t stand the sight of him. What happens when two people that have two years worth of damage and a never diminished chemistry? Well, let’s just say the books is very appropriately titled.

The damage faded away. There were no more lies, no humiliation, no lack of hope for the future. The slate was clean, her heart was full, and she would cling to the thrill of being alive again, until she had no choice but to return to reality.

I’ve had this series on my radar for what feels like ages and the promise of some sweet delicious angst in this one finally sealed the deal for me to read it. Jumping into book three without reading the first two books, however, feels like I’ve done this series a disservice, and may explain my slight disconnect throughout the story. While I never felt confused or lost, it does feel like I missed out on the history behind the band. But this is a mistake I plan on rectifying immediately by going back and reading the rest of the series. Eden Summers is a new to me author but one that I know I’m not going to hesitate to read in the future. I highly enjoyed her writing style and Undersired Lust was a perfect blend of steamy romance with a dash of angst.

I did see the twist at the end coming pretty much from the very first page, so that did diminish thing a bit for me. I also found myself growing a little bored through parts of the story where I found I could easily pause the book and get back to it later. Mason and Sidney together were angsty perfection. Though there were parts where I wanted to shake Sidney were her blindness and failure to see certain things that I felt were pretty obvious. The biggest highlight of the book for me, besides Mason of course, was Sean. my heart absolutely broke for him. It helped set the stage for his book perfectly (ha! see what I did there?), and I can’t wait for him to get his HEA in the next book which luckily is already out. All in all, Reckless Beat is a series that I will definitely be hooked to from now on, but perhaps I should have started from the beginning and not book 3. If sexy and angsty rock star romance is your thing, this is a series you need to have on your TBR.

Other Books in the Reckless Beat Series

Blind Attraction
(Reckless Beat #1)

Amazon

Passionate Addiction (Reckless Beat #2)

Amazon

Reckless Weekend
(Reckless Beat #2.5)

Amazon

Sultry Groove
(Reckless Beat #4)

Amazon

Reckless Rendezvous (Reckless Beat #4.5)—> Coming Soon

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Contemporary Romance, Rockstars · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3.5 stars, rockstars

Blog Tour, Review & #Giveaway: ★Insider★ by @oliviacunning

July 12, 2015 by Lana · Leave a Comment

Title: Insider (Exodus End #1)

Author: Olivia Cunning

Release Date: June 30, 2015

Toni wants to be an insider.

Logan just wants inside her.

She’s finally ready to rock…

Toni Nichols set aside her dreams to raise her little sister, but now she’s reaching for the stars as the creator of a revolutionary interactive biography about Exodus End. She’s on tour with the rock band to immerse herself in their world, but how will she ever gain the trust of four veteran superstars who’ve been burned by the media before? Nobody said this was going to be easy. Then again, good things can come in hard packages.

He’s always ready to roll…

Adrenaline junkie Logan Schmidt lives for the rush of playing his bass guitar before thousands of screaming fans. When he’s not performing onstage or in the bedroom, he’s looking for his next thrill in extreme sports. So why does a sweet, innocent journalist get his heart pumping and capture his full attention? Is Toni the real deal or just digging up dirt on his band? Logan’s eager to rock Toni’s world and roll her in the sack, but when she starts to get too close to his heart, she takes her insider look to a place he may never be willing to go.

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“Have a seat, Toni,” Dare offered. He stood and took a gym bag from her hand. He set it on the floor next to the spot he’d vacated, making it clear that Toni should sit next to Logan on the sofa. Logan loved the guy. Such a thoughtful son of a bitch. Toni’s dark eyes, hidden behind a pair of thick-rimmed glasses, scanned the interior of the bus as if searching for refuge. Apparently the seat next to Logan was not it. Dare plopped himself down in the only available recliner and extended the leg rest, as if he had no intention of moving for the night.“Th-thanks,” Toni said, pushing her glasses up her nose with one trembling hand.

Logan wasn’t sure what she was so nervous about all of a sudden. She’d seemed perfectly at ease when they’d been interacting with their fans. Perhaps she’d taken his comment about a lamb in a den of wolves to heart. He’d only been teasing, but he found her skittishness endearing in a world where most women threw all inhibitions to the wind when in the presence of any member of his band, much less all four of them.

The bus rumbled as it rolled forward. They were on the road again. Toni’s hands flew out as the unexpected movement threw her off balance.

She plopped down beside Logan, perching on the edge of a cushion as if the sofa’s back was made of shards of glass. Logan was pretty sure she was looking for the emergency exit. Her gaze settled on Butch, who was standing next to their driver and running over a strict schedule detailing how to get them to their next show in time while making a promotional stop between venues. Their schedule never had an inch of give. Their manager, Sam, was a genius when it came to getting the band the most exposure, but he had the tendency to believe that because they were a metal band, they were made of iron. They didn’t require useless things like down time and rest.

“So tell us more about this book,” Dare said, which was apparently the exact right thing to say to Toni, because her unease evaporated instantly.

“Have you seen the new interactive electronic textbooks?” she asked, her eager gaze moving from Dare to Max to Steve.

Logan was very conscious of the fact that she didn’t look at him once. He’d thought their attraction was mutual, but maybe not. He scooted several inches closer to her because he saw something he wanted and wasn’t one to sacrifice his personal needs for the greater good.

“Textbooks?” Steve asked. “Like for school and shit?”

“Yeah, that’s usually where textbooks are used,” she said, a teasing grin on her lush lips. When no one laughed, her face fell. Logan forced a guffaw about five seconds too late. That got his bandmates laughing. Not at Toni’s understated joke. They were laughing at his blatant stupidity. Nothing new there.

“I can’t say I’ve even seen a textbook since high school,” Steve said.

“These new interactive ones are amazing. Each topic has videos and pictures and links. It presents the information in a way that gets students who are used to constant entertainment excited about learning.”

“So you’re writing a textbook about us?” Dare asked, brows drawn together in a confused scowl.

“What kind of textbook would that be? A manual on mayhem and debauchery?” Toni cringed when no one laughed at that joke either.

Logan guffawed five seconds too late again. He was going to have to pay really close attention to what she said to figure out when she was joking. He didn’t think she lacked a sense of humor, she just looked serious. She’d definitely fit in better at a library than at standup-comedy night.

“The publishing company I work for designs and distributes these interactive textbooks,” she said. “Samuel Baily approached us to make an interactive book about the band, the first of its kind. He’s very forward thinking.”

That got the band laughing. “You might say that,” Max said. “Sometimes he’s a bit too forward thinking. He’s got every minute of our schedules booked for the next eighteen years. He thinks we’re robots or something.”

Toni’s eyes bulged. “Eighteen years?” she muttered under her breath.

Surely she knew Max was joking, so why did she look so unsettled? Wondering if he could make her blush again, Logan scooted a few more inches closer to her. His knee brushed her thigh, and she yanked on her skirt. Other than her hands and face, not an inch of bare flesh was showing. He wasn’t sure exactly what she was trying to conceal. Maybe she wasn’t open to his attempts to seduce her. Which made her a challenge. Which, like her tits, he couldn’t resist. Or maybe she had a nice boyfriend at home. His loss.

“Speaking of robots,” Steve said. “How are the prototypes of our androids coming?”

“Good until they tried to replicate my dick and ran out of materials,” Logan said.

Toni’s sudden intake of breath made him grin. That shocked her? Seriously? Too easy.

“If they ran out of materials, it had to be due to Max’s giant forehead,” Steve said.

“Or your enormous feet,” Max countered.

Toni grabbed a pad of paper out of her bag and started writing furiously. Logan leaned against her shoulder to read what had her so excited. She was writing down their conversation. In the margin, she wrote: Keep video camera close at hand when all band members are together. They’re hilarious.

He was close enough to feel her body heat and inhale the sweet fragrance of her fruity shampoo. He wondered if she tasted as sweet as she smelled.

“For the record,” Logan said in her ear as he pointed toward her notes, “I was the one with the big dick.”

Toni leaped from the sofa as if it were on fire. Her gaze darted from one guy to the next, and she pushed her glasses up her nose with the back of her wrist. God, he wanted to take those glasses off, take those clothes off, and do things to her. Naughty, devious, delicious things.

“Um . . .”

The twin bumps poking against her shapeless turtleneck drew Logan’s attention.

Hard nipples? Did his crassness turn her on? That was all the encouragement he needed to behave inappropriately. Visible nipples also meant that her bra was not padded. There was so much win in that, he should have her name engraved on a trophy.

“What’s wrong?” Logan asked. “I won’t bite. But I will nibble. And suck. And lick.”

She stared at him with her mouth agape and her eyes wide. Her nipples strained against her sweater, begging him to do all those things and more to the tips of those luscious melons.

She glanced down at her tits and immediately crossed her arms over her chest. “Is, um, there a bathroom I can use?”

“At the back of the bus,” Dare said, nodding his head toward the end of the corridor.

“Don’t take a dump in there,” Steve said. “We stop at rest areas to do that business.”

Face flaming, she sucked in a deep breath, turned, and sprinted to the back of the bus. She fumbled with the closet door and when it popped open, a stack of towels that had shifted during transit tumbled out and pummeled her in the face.

Logan climbed to his feet to rescue her. He decided to take it easy on her for the moment. He wouldn’t want to traumatize her so much she decided to leave. They both bent to pick up the same towel at the same time and bumped heads. They jerked apart and rubbed their heads in unison. Toni looked up at him, her brown, doe-like eyes watery with tears. He wasn’t sure if they were tears of pain or humiliation, but seeing them in her eyes did strange things to his chest. He wasn’t sure why it was suddenly tight.

“It’s okay,” he said, deciding that though it was fun to tease her, he’d better tone it down a bit. She obviously wasn’t used to it, and he didn’t want to harass a woman who wasn’t receptive to provocative flirting. He hadn’t intended to upset her, just wanted to have a little fun and get under that conservative skirt of hers. “I’ll get the towels, Toni. You go ahead and do your business.” He opened the bathroom door for her.

She lowered her hand from her forehead to reveal a large reddened bump.

Logan winced and leaned forward to press his lips to the lump. She sucked a startled breath into her chest. Shit. There he went crossing the line again.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “I always kiss boo-boos.”

“I have a pimple on my ass that needs kissing,” Steve called.

Logan closed his eyes and shook his head. “One of the things you should consider stressing in your book is how little fucking privacy a man has while on tour with his band.”

“I can include that,” she said, “but I think fans are more interested in the size of your dick.” She backed into the bathroom. “I know I am.” She bit her lip before closing the door in his face.

What are you going to do to me?”
“Lamb, the question you should be asking is what aren’t you going to do to me?”

No one and I mean no one can write an erotic rockstar romance quite like Olivia Cunning. This book served as the perfect reminder of why I fell in love with her writing and characters in the first place when I first discovered her Sinners series years ago. But this book? This gloriously sexy and make you laugh out loud like a loon book? This is easily my favorite book by this author to date. Coming in at over 500 pages, I never wanted it to end. Yes, it’s long, but never once did it drag, never once did I want to skim, and never once was I bored. Never. I can safely tell you that Insider was very much worth the 2 year wait because it was just that good.
So what did I love about it? Everything. But I suppose I can give you a list since I’m generous like that.

First there was Toni Nichols, the adorably naive virgin with the heart of gold and a quirky habit of collecting mismatched socks. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I loved her character and I’m usually not a reader that enjoys reading about 25 year old virgins. But Olivia Cunning managed to create such an incredibly endearing heroine with her that you can’t help but love her right away. I could also understand how growing up the way she did with a mother that’s more wrapped up in her job, losing her father young, and caring for her special needs sister would explain her current hymen challenged issues. She was just adorably clueless about everything. And while normally that would annoy me, here I just couldn’t get enough of it.

With her mother owning the company she works in, she never quite felt like she belonged. But then she gets the job of a lifetime going on tour with Exodus End in order to create a revolutionary interactive biography about the famous rock band. This of course lands her right in the path of Logan Schmidt; adrenaline junky, manwhore, and the band’s super sexy bassist.
The chemistry between them is instant and absolutely sizzling. And soon Toni begins to get the lesson of a lifetime in more ways than one…

You’re sensitive,” he murmured to her belly button. “I can’t wait to latch on to your clit. I’m going to suck it until you come so hard you scream.”
Toni’s knees clamped shut again. he was going to do what to her whozit?

I loved how naive and clueless Toni was about most things and Logan’s ways of teaching her. I just loved these two together. They never failed to spice things up but with a signature humor to it all that made this book absolutely unputdownable.

I can’t wait to keep you in my hotel room for an entire day and show you all the dirty things I want to do to this body,” he whispered.
Eyes wide, Toni’s body stiffened. She wasn’t sure if she should be excited or nervous by the prospect.
“Your pussy tastes so sweet,” he said. “I’m going to start you off by licking it for hours.”
Okay, excited it was.

Logan was everything I love about rockstar manwhores. Seeing him slowly begin to realize that his relationship with Toni is much more than he had intended. What’s that they say? The bigger they are, the harder they fall. And when Logan falls, he definitely falls hard. It’s impossible not to fall for someone like Toni. While Logan introduces her to the dirty side of things, she never loose her sweet disposition that draws everyone to her like bees to honey.
I also loved that no matter how much sex this book had (and it had quite a bit), it was ALWAYS sizzling hot and I never got tired of it. Olivia Cunning is probably one of the very few authors I know that can actually pull off this much sex in a book without it taking away from the story. It just fit. I didn’t skim one scene in over 500 pages. And it never failed to make me uncomfortable aroused with how hot it all was.
The humor is really what took this book from a solid 4 stars straight to a glorious 5 stars for me. It was quirky, self depreciating, and so much fun. Logan is like a teenager with ADD most times, but it just worked. I just loved him to pieces.

So whose idea was the cleavage cam?” he asked.
“Mine. It’s impossible to get anyone’s attention when Max is around.”
“Tell me about it,” Logan grumbled.
“So I figured if they wouldn’t talk to me, maybe they’d talk to my boobs.
Okay, who’s next?” she called out.
Logan leaned toward her chest. “I’m Logan Schmidt, and I’ve been a fan of Toni’s boobs for almost a day now.”

I also fell hard for the rest of the members of Exodus End. Miss Cunning manages to give each of them a background full of depth that will captivate the reader from the very start and leave you panting for their story. And let me just tell you, if you’ve been impatient for Dare’s book before? This book will probably put you over the edge. Holy mother but do I need his book something fierce. We also get more peeks at the members of the Sinners, which was great; particularly my favorite threesome.

Insider is a quick paced, funny, and absolutely sizzling sexy read that I loved from beginning to finish. Logan and Toni together never failed to make me laugh, oddly enough mostly during their sexy times. Which really just added to their appeal for me.

Raw means without a condom.”
“It does?”
“What did you think it meant?”
“Well….I thought it mean you’d do it to me until my vagina got sore.”
“Do what to you?”
“Pound me.”

Seriously. I think I had practically the entire book highlighted with their banter.

Ouch! There’s a gearshift in my ass.”
“Oh, sure, you barely know this car, and yet you’re already giving it privileges you won’t give me.”
“Not inside my ass. It poked me in the hip.”
“You got me all excited for nothing. Back seat?”

I read the entire book with a huge goofy grin on my face, when I wasn’t fanning myself like a maniac, of course. This had to be have been one of my all time favorite rockstar romance books that I’ve read in a long while. Fans of Olivia Cunning will fall for Logan and Toni just as quick as I did. It’s impossible not to. I’m positively obsessed with this series already and I already know it’s just going to keep getting better and better. I’m so excited to be getting more Trey with the next book (because let’s be honest, you can never have enough Trey. But I also cannot wait to get my hands on the rest of the boys of Exodus end; Dare, Steve and Max all have such intriguing history that I already know their individual books will suck me right in.

In short, I fucking LOVED this book. HARD. If you’re a fan of super sexy rockstars, this is one book that you definitely don’t want to miss. Read it. Loved it. Thank me after. Trust me.
Combining her love for romantic fiction and rock ‘n roll, USA Today Best-Selling Author Olivia Cunning writes erotic romance centered around rock musicians.

Raised on hard rock music from the cradle, she attended her first Styx concert at age six and fell instantly in love with live music. She’s been known to travel over a thousand miles just to see a favorite band in concert. As a teen, she discovered her second love, romantic fiction — first, voraciously reading steamy romance novels and then penning her own.

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Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Erotic Rom, Giveaways, Rockstars · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, rockstars

Author Interview, Review & #Giveaway: ★Toxic★ by @authorkimkarr

July 7, 2015 by Lana · Leave a Comment

Last week I read this book that made me want to rip my hair out and throw my kindle at the wall. If I could have done both at the same time, I’m pretty sure I would have. I was enraged…and I was entranced. Phoebe and Jeremy together was a train wreck that you just couldn’t tear your eyes away from. I loved each agonizing, made me want to curl into a ball of rage and scream to the ceiling second. I have the super fabulous Kim Karr on the blog today for an interview where I got to pick her brain about all things Toxic. Read on to read that along with my full review below. And don’t forget to scroll to the bottom to enter the giveaway for your chance to win a paperback of Toxic!

TOXIC

Author: Kim Karr

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: July 7, 2015

The New York Times bestselling author of the Connections novels turns up the heat in a sexy new romance about money, power, danger, and passion…

Sometimes you have to wonder if your life is just too good to be true.
Is it real or just an illusion?
Does the man lying beside you really love you like he says he does?
If the answer is yes, you’re meant to live happily ever after.
If the answer is no, you’re living my life…
and nothing will ever be the same.

I know I should walk away, but I can’t.

I’ll take whatever I can get for as long as it lasts.
I know when it’s over…
I’ll never find another man like him.

Amazon / iBooks / B&N / BAM / IndieBound / Google / Kobo

If you haven’t added this deliciously angsty book to your TBR yet, I’m pretty sure this interview just may convince you 😉

DGR: Can we start out with a quick introduction for any readers out there that haven’t heard of you yet (if those even exist?)

KK: I’ll be 49 soon and can’t believe I’m one year away from 50. I don’t feel old at all and I hope to stay that way. I grew up in Rochester, NY and now live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I have always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I write romance books because I love to watch love blossom.

DGR: I’m a HUGE fan of the second chance romance. Do you have a favorite trope to write? Or is it more about when inspiration strikes you?
KK: I love second chance romances as well. That feeling you get in your stomach when it flips the first time they see each other again—it’s priceless.

DGR: Did you have any inspiration behind the story and/or the characters of Toxic?

KK: I’d read an article about underground nightclubs and thought it was such a cool idea. People show up in the oddest of places to party and then move to another. That transformed into Jeremy’s business in a more legit way. As for Phoebe and friends, I wanted to create a group that was somewhat against the grain of how we think of socialites.

DGR: Jeremy McQueen. The blurb describes him as a sexy, intense, sometimes brooding entrepreneur that goes after what he wants. I have to admit I was sold on the book from that alone. What else can you tell us about the brooding Jeremy?

KK: He was always the hired help’s son. A guy from the wrong side of the tracks so to say that turned his life into something good. He, like everyone, has issues and his stem from his childhood, from believing he was a bastard and then learning that wasn’t the case. All he wants is for someone to believe in him. However, sometimes his darkside makes it hard to do that. I just love him. Can you tell?

DGR: If you had to describe Phoebe St. Claire in 6 words or less, what would they be?

KK: As bold and delicate as a rose. I think that’s 7, oops.

DGR: What was your favorite part about writing this book?

KK: The intensity these two characters felt for each other. I felt it on every page. They were meant to be together.

DGR: Now without giving away any spoilers, what was one of your favorite scenes from Toxic?

KK: When Phoebe sees Jeremy after 5 long years. Here’s a peek: “Someone stepped between us. The distressed leather was the first thing my eyes were focused on when my skin started to tingle with a sense of familiarity. The tingling quickly turned into trembling as my gaze lifted and I saw the bluest of blue eyes.”

DGR: If you had to describe the book to us in a twitter size type sum-up, what would you say?

KK: #Toxiclove I’m so not good at twitter. Sorry.

DGR: Any little teasers or excerpts you can entice us with? Pretty please?

Phoebe St. Claire
————————
Feeling a bit drunk and overwhelmed with so many and so few choices at the same time, I needed some time alone and snuck off toward the beach path.
I ran toward the ocean and twirled in the sand as the wind blew around me. Once I started to feel dizzy from twirling, I still wasn’t ready to head back to the party, so I took the path that would lead me to the large Olympic-sized pool. I tugged my sandals off with thoughts of putting my feet in the water to rinse the mud and sand away. As I approached the pool, I noticed how it glowed like it was lit by small pale fires. Lost in the enchantment of it, the sudden movement beneath the surface startled me.
A fair-haired boy emerged from the water. He pulled himself up and out so quickly that I was momentarily stunned. And then when he drank me in with his eyes, I shuddered.
I couldn’t help it, the way he looked at me just made me shiver. No one had ever looked at me like that before and I found myself gazing back into his intense eyes.
He was utterly beautiful. His bare chest was sculpted but not overly bulky like Danny or Jamie. They worked out every day pumping obnoxious amounts of iron to look the way they did. In contrast, the boy standing before me had a swimmer’s build.
He stood stoic and a cautious look crossed his face. He was long and lean in a pair of bright green neon swim trunks.
Right away I could tell he didn’t care what anyone thought about him.
I loved the idea of that.
So I smiled at him.
He shook his head and his hair fell into his eyes.
I wanted to reach out and push it away. It wasn’t long, but it wasn’t short. It was perfect.
“Hey,” he said, grabbing a towel off the ground.
It didn’t belong to the club. It was small, beige, and a bit worn—not the large hunter-green fluffy ones monogrammed in white I’d always gotten when I used to come here to swim as a kid.
“Hey,” I said back, swinging my sandals nervously.
He grabbed a pair of jeans that lay next to where the towel had been and walked right by me.
I turned to watch him as he strode into one of the cabanas and dropped his trunks. I froze and squeezed my eyes shut, thinking I shouldn’t be watching him but then opened them quickly when I couldn’t resist maybe catching a glimpse.
“Didn’t your parents ever tell you it isn’t polite to stare?” His voice was low and sexy, and it tugged me out of my own head.
I put my hands on my hips. “Didn’t your parents ever teach you not to get dressed in mixed company?”
He pulled his jeans on and laughed. “My mother might have mentioned that once or twice but I’ve never been good at following the rules.”
And it didn’t escape my notice that he didn’t put any underwear on first.
Hot. Totally and completely hot.
I didn’t see anything I shouldn’t have seen, it was too dark, but something inside me electrified at the thought of seeing him naked and I stepped closer. That’s when I noticed the scuffed-up black work boots on one of the lounges with a T-shirt thrown next to them.
I raised a brow. “Is this your changing room?”
He laughed again but this time added a smile and put his hands up. “Okay you caught me. I better get out of here before anyone else does.”
He was adorable and charming and my heart skipped a beat or two.
Then I stepped even closer and entered the cabana entrance, effectively blocking his way. “Why? You’re not doing anything wrong.”
He shrugged but he didn’t try to move around me. “I usually swim in the ocean but when the water is too rough, like tonight, I come here.”
I bit my lip in contemplation before speaking. “Does it really matter if you get caught?”
He crossed his arms over his bare chest. “Let’s just say it’s not just the swimming. It’s more that I’ve been caught doing a few too many things that I shouldn’t have been doing in the past.”
A bad boy.
The thought made my pulse thunder. “So you’re not a member at this club?”
He cleared his throat and shifted from foot to foot. “No,” he laughed but his laugh was anything but genuine. “Are you?”
I hesitated as I considered my answer. “No, I was just walking the beach and wanted to rinse my feet. I’m Phoebe,” I said extending my hand. Technically, I wasn’t lying. I wasn’t a member, my parents were. I hadn’t even been here in years. And I was out for a walk.
Amusement danced in his blue eyes. “Jeremy,” he said back.
When I chewed on my lower lip, I noticed how his eyes focused on it.
Mine focused on the entirety of his mouth—his strong, firm jaw, his sensuous lips, and his tongue that had snuck out to lick his lips.
That mouth.
It was almost too much.
Almost.

DGR: Anything else you’d like to leave the readers with?

KK: I hope you read Toxic and fall in love with Jeremy and Phoebe’s world. Enjoy!

Jeremy McQueen.
He wasn’t just any boy- he was “the boy”. The only one I never should have met, and the one I’d never trade meeting for the world.

It’s been over a week since I read Toxic and it’s taken me this long to be able to sum my feelings and clear my head enough to rate it. If I can describe this book for you in one word, it would be exhausting. I was absolutely emotionally spent when I finished it. I spent a good 40% of it feeling like I want to rip my hair out. And this is coming from a self-professed angst whore, mind you.
But then here’s the thing; I liked it. Even though the constant back and forth between Phoebe and Jeremy left me feeling like they’re going to give me whiplash, I still liked it and gobbled it up like the angst starved junky that I am. Was it delicious? Heck no! I thought I may choke on it. But god help me, I still liked it. My favorite trope is the second chance romance and Toxic delivers it in spades.

It was emotionally draining, erotic, touching, and rage inducing all at once. Yeah. Try wrapping your head around that.

I loved him once, even though I’d never told him I did. And as I looked at him, everything I’d ever felt for him came rushing back.

Phoebe and Jeremy first met as teenagers years ago. Phoebe was the rich girl with the golden spoon in her mouth and Jeremy was the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Their connection was instantaneous and burned hot and bright, but then lies tore them apart. While Phoebe never got over the boy that once made her entire body and heart burn, she moved on. Now years later fate brings them together again, but he’s no longer the boy she once knew. He’s successful and rich but still invites everything in her like they never spent any years apart.

He took all my air away. I didn’t care- I didn’t need to breathe.

While both Phoebe and Jeremy know they may be toxic together, they can’t stay away from each other. Their chemistry practically crackles in electricity. There’s one thing that’s certain, Kim Karr can write some scorching sex scenes. But the lies between them are like poison that won’t leave. Much as they try to purge it from their relationship it remains that one toxic factor that brews the way for mistrust and mistakes. I think it would be safe to say that neither of these characters are perfect, far from it in fact. These two fuck up so many times it made me want to throttle them and chuck my kindle at the wall. It was rage inducing.

That’s the thing with jealousy- it festers and builds until there is nothing left.

There’s a wealth of secondary characters that were introduced that added to the story in a very significant way. Maybe that’s what helped dilute the angst between Jeremy and Phoebe? It made the book evolve like a movie in front of my eyes and it made me really connect to the characters’ lives. I’m not sure I’d be able to say the same thing if this happened in any other book, but in this one it just worked.

The focus of the story of course are Jeremy and Phoebe and their romance and road to forgiveness and maturity.

We were frantic for each other- time hadn’t done anything to quash what we felt physically for each other. In fact, it only fanned the flames and the fire was bigger than ever.

I think I felt every emotion along with them and that really helped connecting with them. Kim Karr did an amazing job creating two imperfect characters that were imperfectly perfect together. Does that even make sense? In my head it does, but then again I’m still getting over this book. As much as I wanted to rip my hair out for the last 40% of the book, I also secretly loved it. I guess I’m just a masochist that way.

With my eyes closed, I felt the earth move and the sky shift. In my own darkness, I felt a million different things but I didn’t feel lost in him. I knew then for certain, I wouldn’t get lost in him. There was no way I could. Not when I had found myself in him.

If you’re looking for a book that will enrage you and enrapture you all in one, Toxic is that. It’s a make you want to rip your hair out while still rooting for the characters kind of second chance romance. It was far from perfect, but yet it worked. It may not be for everyone, but if you’re a reader that enjoys your angst in rage inducing proportions while getting an unforgettable second chance romance, Toxic is definitely a must read.

ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review

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Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, All Reviews, Author Spotlight & interview, Contemporary Romance, Giveaways · Tagged With: angst, Book Reviews: 4 stars, Second-chance-romance, spotlight

Blog Tour, Review & #Giveaway: ★Chasing River★ by K.A.Tucker

July 5, 2015 by Lana ·

CHASING RIVER is a Suspenseful Romance novel, and the third novel in K.A. Tucker’s Burying Water Series, published by Atria books, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster. CHASING RIVER is set to be released July 7, 2015! If you haven’t already, be sure to grab BURYING WATER and BECOMING RAIN, the first two books in this thrilling series!!

Armed with two years’ worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude.

Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn’t let her die, but he also couldn’t risk being identified at the scene—so, he ran. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, how wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around. Chasing her off would be the smart move.

Maybe it’s because he saved her life, or maybe it’s because he’s completely different from everything she’s left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone.

And River isn’t the kind of guy she’d want to catch.

CHASING RIVER US Links:

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CHASING RIVER UK Links:

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So…Where’d you meet this guy?”
“At the park one day. He kind of…ran into me.”
“Sounds romantic.”
“It was, in a way.” If pipe bombs could be called romantic.

I’m not sure why I didn’t realize from reading the synopsis that Amber Welles is the twin sister of Jesse Welles from Burying Water. Although I was hoping this book would have one of the 2 characters that were introduced in the previous one, I have to say I was excited when realized out who Amber was. Always the good girl to her troublemaking twin brother, I couldn’t wait to find out what her story will bring. I have to say,
while I enjoyed this book, comparing to the first two it was probably my least favorite in the series. That’s not to say it wasn’t good, because it really was. I adore KA Tucker’s writing style and her ability to bring her words to life. With the previous two books being in Oregon, it was a great change of pace to get the beauty of Ireland in this one.

Amber Welles is coming off a break up. She’s always been the good girl, the good daughter, popular girl and all around perfect. She has a great job as a nurse, she has great friends (or so she thinks), but she’s yearning for more. So she makes herself a bucket travel lists and sets off for sights unseen. But when she gets lost in Dublin, a run in with a guy with piercing green eyes leaves her rattled in more ways than one.

River Delaney has been on the wrong side of the law before, mostly thanks to his criminal older brother and his ties to the IRA. He’s not looking to be caught there again. When he follows his recently out of prison brother and catches him laying a pipe bomb in the middle of St. Stephen’s Green, he’s not exactly shocked. But when he sees a lost American tourist about to run right into the bomb’s path, he knows he has to do something. So he saves her and takes off before he can be tied to anything.

Amber can’t seem to get the man that saved her life out of her mind and when she’s able to track him down to his family’s pub, she knows that she needs to get to know him. He affects her like no other man has in her life. He’s also the exact opposite of any man she’s ever dated, and yet she’s inexplicably drawn to him.

Although I wasn’t sure what to expect from Amber with her good girl thought process, she really pleasantly surprised me. I really enjoyed her character and the way she chased River even though it wasn’t in her comfort zone. River was a hero that I liked straight away. He’s sweet and caring but with a little edge to him. I loved the relationship he had with his brother Rowen. Though I was shocked at the development between Ivy and Rowen. (Wonder if this book is the last we’ve seen of him?)

So why not more stars? I felt that for the type of reader I am there was a little too much concentration on history and suspense than the romance. While that may work very well for other readers, I found it added a certain disconnect for me. Don’t get me wrong, it was interesting to read about but not something I would typically turn to, if that even makes sense. This series isn’t too heavy on the romance and it’s not the HEA endings I usually like. It’s suspenseful and gives the reader a very satisfying HFN. I just found the previous two books to be a little more enjoyable. The Burying Water series isn’t heavy on romance or steam. If I had to rate the steam on a scale of 1-10, I’d say it’s a 3. That’s not why I read this series, though. It offers something different from the usual mainstream romance you’d find. It has suspense and mystery with the added element of romance. I just felt a slight disconnect with this one for reason I can’t quite put my finger one. That being said, I’d definitely recommend this book for fans of the series.

I like that while the characters are interconnected, the books can easily be read as standalones. So if you haven’t read the previous two books, you wouldn’t be even a little lost jumping right into this one. I would recommend the other two books simply because they were fantastic and it does give the reader a better understanding of some of the secondary characters that make an appearance.

ARC courtesy of publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
And don’t forget BURYING WATER and BECOMING RAIN, the first two books in this thrilling series…

BURYING WATER

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BECOMING RAIN

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Born in small-town Ontario, K.A. Tucker published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

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· Filed Under: All Reviews, All Reviews, Blog Tours, Contemporary Romance, Giveaways, New Adult, Romantic Suspense · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3.5 stars

Review: ★Remind Me★ by Ann Marie Walker & Amy K. Rogers

June 25, 2015 by Lana ·

Remind Me

Series: Chasing Fire #1

Authors: Ann Marie Walker, Amy K. Rogers

Genre: Erotic, Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 21, 2015

First in a tantalizing new trilogy about reigniting a forbidden desire from long ago…

As heiress to a media empire Alessandra Sinclair was raised to put family obligations first. But everything changes the night her first love walks back into her life and turns her whole world upside down. Haunted by the memories of a secret romance with a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, she can’t seem to get Hudson Chase out of her mind. Once again torn between two worlds, Allie must decide how much she’s willing to risk to have the love she’s always longed for.

Ten years is a long time to wait, but billionaire Hudson Chase didn’t become CEO of one of the country’s fastest growing companies by giving up on what he wants. Now that he’s got Allie in his sights again, he’s determined to make her regret breaking his heart. And this time, he’s going to make damn sure he’s not so easy to forget.

Includes a preview of Release Me, book two of the Chasing Fire trilogy.

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The road is paved in hard truths, Alessandra, not denials.”
“And you think I’m the on in denial?”
His gaze was rock steady. “I know you are. But fuck if I’ll let you push me away again.”

My my my, what a dirty little gem this book turned out to be. I was not expecting something quite so hot when I picked this one up. I’ll admit I’ve been eyeing this series for a few months now but knowing my book ADD tendencies, I knew I had to wait to read it until closer to the release of book 3 because I’d forget everything by the time it came out. Also, I’m ashamed to admit that since the cover reminded me too much of a certain other book, I was judgy and figured I’d be getting another jaded billionaire book . This was so much better than I expected and I’m seriously kicking my own ass for not reading it sooner.

I’m a sucker for a second chance love story, and Remind Me certainly hit the spot in all the right places.

Ten years ago, Hudson Chase was the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks, and Alessandra Sinclair was the heiress to a media empire. They were the unlikeliest of couples and yet for a few stolen days that one summer, they burned hot and bright together. Now ten years later, their paths cross once more and this time Hudson has the pull, the money, and the social standing and he knows that he won’t let Alessandra walk away quite so easily.

Hudson has spent the past years building up his company and becoming a self-made millionaire. Successful beyond his wildest dreams, he’s never hurting for company of the female variety. But when he sees the striking blonde from his past at a gala, all those feelings from before come firing right back; anger, lust, possession. He may not have been on the same path as her before, but he certainly is now, and he won’t let the fact that she’s engaged to a different man stand in his way.

Hot damn, she was wild and untamed. And he loved it. Loved watching her let go of her inhibitions and shamelessly give in to her own pleasure. She was wet and on fire around him. For him. He was beyond fucking her; she was under his skin, the very breath in his lungs.

As much as I fell hard and fast for Hudson (how can you not?), Alessandra was a heroine I never quite warmed up to. This may have been because most of the intriguing character development was focused on Hudson and we’ll get hers in the second book. Whatever the reason may be, I had a tough time connecting with her. I didn’t understand why she was such pushover with her parents and allowed them to basically structure her life to however they saw fit. I also tend to get judgy with a cheating heroine (it’s a terrible double standard of mine and one I’m never going to be cured of). Considering how obvious it was to the reader everything that her relationship was missing with her fiancé, it was almost unbelievable that it took what it did to finally wake her up and make her see reason. I would have preferred she cut things off with him before continuing her affair with Hudson, but she was engaged for pretty much the entirety of the book.

Luckily for me, Hudson was such a great character that between his erotic pull and captivating mysterious past, I found myself not caring much about the issues I had with Alessandra.

Hudson was just that enigmatic.

That being said, as sizzling as the chemistry between him and Alessandra was, I felt there was (brace for it) too much sex. I’m still reeling over my shock that I’m saying this. Ultimately, I just felt that it began to take away and overshadow the story. These two turned to sex at every opportunity, even when what I felt they needed to do more of is talk. Sex was the solution to every problem. Don’t get me wrong, it was hot as hell, but it was just a bit too much…even for this self-proclaimed smut slut.

All minor quibbles aside, the story of Hudson and Alessandra absolutely captivated me. The writing was engrossing and the romance was practically sizzling. I am definitely hooked on this trilogy and can’t wait to see what the next book brings. Ann Marie Walker and Amy K. Rogers are new to me authors that I will read any future books from without a second thought. There were just enough hints dropped about Hudson’s past that peeked my interest enough to guarantee I’ll be reading the next book. If you love dirty talking and possessive alphas, Hudson Chase is on hero that you NEED to meet.

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Dirty Talkers · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4 stars, millionaires, trilogy

Review: ★Edge of Forever★ by Taryn Elliot

June 23, 2015 by Lana ·

Edge of Forever

Series: When You’re Gone #3

Author: Taryn Elliott

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: March 24, 2015

One night gave her everything. One night almost took it all away.

Isabella Grace never had a place she could call home until she moved to Winchester Falls. When a romantic moment ends in pain and horror, Isabella must deal with the aftermath of one woman’s vengeance.

After tragedy rocks the small town, the people rally around its newest member, and Logan King, Bella’s rockstar boyfriend, is doing his best to help her pick up the pieces of her shattered life. In spite of the secrets and suspicion that have dogged their every step since the beginning, he helps her find her way back to herself in the midst of her heartbreak over all she has lost. But his unrelenting need for revenge is shaking the bedrock of the foundation of the love they’d only begun to build—and Bella isn’t at all sure they’ll get through it unscathed.

Or alive.

Amazon / iBooks / B&N

He was going to destroy her. And God forgive him, it was his fault. How could he ever make up for that?

I have no idea why it took me so long to read this fantastic conclusion to the trilogy. Maybe I was still recovering after Taryn Elliot completely shattered my damn feels at the end of the last book with a character death[ death (hide spoiler)] I never saw coming. Maybe it’s because I’m a mood reader and I knew I had to be in the right mood to read this book because I knew Taryn would go straight for the feels again? For whatever reason, I finally read it and wanted to kick my own ass for waiting this long. This was the prefect conclusion to Izzy and Logan’s story.

He’d been there every single day without fail since the accident. Even when she’d hated him and wanted to drown in the pain that threatened to submerge her every day, he’d been there.

Edge of Forever starts off immediately after the events of where Bulletproof weeks left off. You get the devastating aftereffects of the explosion of Izzy’s store and the shock and mourning that follows it. While Izzy is terribly hurt from the fire and recovering, Logan’s guilt is slowly eating away at him. He knows that loving him is what caused this and he’s determined to make it right and make the person behind it pay. He’s tired of hiding in the shadows. He knows that his deranged stalker is responsible for this and he’s willing to do everything to make her finally stop.

Izzy’s physical injuries are excessive and put her in the hospital for a while, but that’s nothing compared to the emotional scars she discovers when she finally comes to. She’s forced to come to terms that she’s responsible for the devastation around them. She’s convinced her choices and her and Logan’s arrogance about their untouchable relationship is what led to the explosive event that cost the life of a person she loved dearly. She doesn’t know how to forgive herself, she doesn’t know how to move on, and she doesn’t know how to move forward with Logan.

A large part of the book is Izzy and Logan dealing with their relationship and Logan trying to get Izzy out of her emotional shell. It’s fairly slow paced but packed full with the feels. I loved these two together from the beginning and this book just goes to prove how perfect they really are together.

This book had a little bit of everything; it was emotional, a little suspenseful with some action in the end, and of course it wouldn’t be a Taryn Elliot book if it also wasn’t super steamy.

One of my favorite things about the trilogy is all the incredible secondary characters that have been introduced that I’m hoping Taryn will have books for next. Luckily I’ve already confirmed that Adam and Zeke will be getting one and I’m practically salivating for it already.

Admittedly, trilogies aren’t always my thing since I find it’s tough for me to maintain interest for the same couple for more than 2 books, but I really enjoyed Logan and Izzy’s story and journey to their HEA. If you’re looking for a sexy and angsty story with a hot rockstar and the woman that brings him to his knees, then this is definitely a trilogy you’ll want to look into.

We may have made mistakes in getting here, and God knows I’m no prize. But I’m yours. And you’re mine.

READ THE TRILOGY IN ORDER

Anything But Mine (When You’re Gone #1)

My Review / Buy It

Bulletproof Weeks (When You’re Gone #2)

My Review / Buy It

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Rockstars · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4 stars, trilogy

#NewRelease & Review: ★Rock My Heart★ by @JeanHaus

June 6, 2015 by Lana ·

Rock My Heart

Series: Luminescent Juliet #4

Author: Jean Haus

Genre: New Adult Romance

Release Date: June 6, 2015

Raised in poverty and violence, Gabe Reed wears a could-care-less attitude like a shield. He expects life to suck. It always has, and he is usually the one to screw it up even more. Drumming for the college band Luminescent Juliet started as a way to release the built up rage inside of him. But when the band signs with a label, Gabe begins to envision a different life. He just needs to stay out of trouble and follow the court orders of his probation.

April Tanner knows most people view her as perfect. From her icy looks to her college four point, she cultivates the persona since it helps keep people at a distance. Because behind her perfection, April constantly struggles with a past that she is trying to atone for but can’t face.

Though Gabe and April seem worlds apart, fate throws them together and forces them to see beyond the fronts they each present. But even an emerging friendship mixed with a growing lust might not be able to overcome the walls built of guilt and insecurity and abuse that stand between them.

This story can be read as a standalone.

*New Adult for language and sexual situations.*

Amazon / B&N / Smashwords

This intensity, this desperation, this is what I want from him. His fierceness send music in my veins, the notes a fast, rhythmic crescendo that exposes his need for me, and drives my need to equal the wildness of his. Together, we’re a flying, building tempo, our sensual energy changing to prestissimo- the fastest tempo- in an instant.

Ever since I was first introduced to this fantastic series a couple years ago, I’ve been waiting for Gabe’s book. Something about the silently brooding and manwhorish drummer has always called to me. And after finishing his book, I gotta say that Jean Haus has definitely saved the best for last. I absolutely loved it!

While you may technically read this book as a standalone, I highly recommend you read the series in order to truly get the appreciation for all the side characters. The author does a fantastic job of giving all the background without making it be redundant for those that have been following the series; but it’s definitely best read as a series. Jean Haus is one of those authors that I wish more readers knew about. Her ability to weave music into her writing always gives an additional layer to her books. It’s actually one of the things I’ve grown to love most about her writing. She doesn’t just write a rockstar romance, she gives you the music element to go along with it.

Gabe Reed is the drummer for Luminescent Juliet. He’s a man of little words and barely contained violence. His less than favorable childhood pretty much assures this…

His band is on the route to true fame, but his position in it isn’t quite as guaranteed. His anger issues and short fuse to violence has given him a record. And although he’s not quite as threatened by Romeo’s girlfriend for the position of a drummer that he had originally lost to her now that she has her own band, he’s still filled with doubt. The last thing he needs is the presence of the ice princess at his court mandated group meetings…

April Tanner isn’t what she appears. Keeping a tight reign on her facade is the only thing that keeps her from coming apart at the seams.

I have issues. Tons of them. Most people do. I’m just far, far better than most at hiding them. The root of my issues, the real reason, the burden I live with every day, will never come out…Not in the future. Just not ever.

While she may understand that the perception of what she seems to be is what causes the look of contempt on Gabe’s face every time he sees her, it doesn’t help her fight her attraction to him any more. When Gabe walks into her group therapy meetings, she’s forced to deal with the tension between them head-on and it’s not long before the spark between them fly.

As different as Gabe and April are, somehow together they make perfect sense. Their road to a relationship is rocky at best and filled with dark secrets and tragic pasts. But it’s also beautiful and emotional. As cold as April comes off on the outside, inside is she’s shattered.

Her friendship with Romeo and ties to the band hurt her as much as they help her for reason that are trickle fed to the reader. She keeps such a tight control on her life and her emotions, and yet at the same time she’s punishing herself for a tragic past and attempting to atone for it.

Gabe has issues of his own. He definitely doesn’t make it easy on April with his assumptions of good girls like her being too good for the likes of him. As much as he fights it, he also can’t help the bond he soon begins to feel for her. When he offers to complete a bucket list from April’s cousin that passed away tragically young is the catalyst for their unlikely relationship.

I have to say that I absolutely loved these two together. As much as neither of them are perfect, together they made perfect sense. Rock My Heart was the perfect combination of emotional and sexy. It’s everything I’ve come to love about NA and wish more books in the genre had. It’s not the typical cliche ridden romance. The characters and their stories have so much depth; and that goes even more so for this book. I absolutely loved it and would recommend for any lovers of NA or rockstar romances.

· Filed Under: All Reviews, New Adult, Rockstars · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4.5 stars

Review: ★Destroyed★ by Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliot

May 24, 2015 by Lana ·

Destroyed

Series: Lost in Oblivion #3

Authors: Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliott

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: May 12, 2015

Only one woman has ever refused him…and she’s the only one he wants.

Now that he’s successful beyond his wildest dreams with his band Oblivion, Simon Kagan is happy to enjoy his all-access pass to the groupie train. After getting more fists in the ribs than hugs growing up, he discovers having a warm female in his bed is an easy way to escape the loneliness.

Until Margo.

From the moment the classy, buttoned up violinist entered his sphere, he knew she was different. After one amazing night in the studio, he feels like he’s finally connected with someone on a deeper level—only to have her walk away without a backward glance.

As a member of the Boston Symphony orchestra, Margo Reece’s life revolves around the regimented structure of a second chair violinist. But Simon’s uncanny ability to crawl into a song and create a smoky, sin-filled experience translated into the hottest night of her life. She walked away afterward because that’s what she was supposed to do.

And Margo always does what she’s supposed to.

Until Simon.

When she’s called on again to blend her sound with Oblivion’s, she has to make the decision to play it safe or let her wild side free. Especially when her first meeting with Simon shows that sometimes rigidly contained passions create the most dangerous sparks…

Amazon / B&N / iBooks

Playing with fire,” he said into her ear.
She turned her face so her lips brushed his ear. “Which one of us is the flame?”

I have been looking forward to Simon’s book since first meeting him in Seduced. It’s no secret that I love me the manwhores, and when you make said manwhore the cocky lead singer of a rock band? Well, I’m putty in your hands is what I am. Speaking of Seduced, I HIGHLY recommend that you read that before this book. It will give you an extra insight into Simon and Margo’s relationship (how they met and how it all began). Though the authors give you the backstory here, I feel that it will really help connect you with the couple a lot better (especially the way this story is written, and I’ll get to that in a bit). Also, I’ll highly recommend reading this series in order. Each character gets their own book, but the story arc continues to roll out throughout the series and you’ll definitely enjoy it much more reading it in order.

Simon and Margo are as opposite as they get. Simon is the lead singer of Oblivion and man slut extraordinaire. his vices are alcohol and women and the band’s groupies never leave him hurting for what he wants. But the one woman that he only share one scorching stolen moment with is the one that continues to haunt his every thought.

Margo has recently lost her spot in the Symphony orchestra, the classy and buttoned up violinist gets the chance of a lifetime to play on Oblivion’s new record. Unfortunately that also brings her back face to face with the one man that tempts her good girl ways to go very very bad.

I hate to admit that I struggled through a few parts of this book. Margo and Simon together had me wanting to rip my hair out with their constant back and forth with each other. They both want each other beyond the sex, but they’re each too stubborn to admit to it. Simon’s treatment of her is almost callous at times. And Margo’s ability to just move right past it and continue the sexual relationship between them without calling Simon on all his bullshit frustrated me even more.

It wasn’t a relationship. It was more like frenetic sex in any and all available places.

I’d say that this quote describes the majority of this book perfectly. There really wasn’t much in the form of romance between these two. There was rough sex, public sex, dirty sex…but that was essentially all that it was; sex. I wanted that connection. I needed it to truly get invested in this couple. The previous books in this series definitely gave that to me and I loved the angst of it all. But for some reason, I struggled here. I wanted to love them, but there was always something missing for me. Thought admittedly, the sex was really REALLY hot!

I would have loved more about Simon’s backstory. You get a few bits and peaces about his rough childhood, but I was also left wanting. I needed something…more. Same thing with Margo. The primary focus of the book leaned toward their sexual connection and the unfolding story of the band, while the romance was more on the back burner.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love this series, but I suppose I wasn’t prepared for how this story will unfold. The last 10%, however, managed to accomplish what the rest of the story didn’t. It finally gave me that connection with Simon and Margo. But then Cari and Taryn hit me with that cliffhanger! Sweet mother of torture! Why oh why must you make it hurt like that? Even though the previous book in this series was told in 2 parts, I wasn’t expecting the same thing here (since book 1 was a standalone). On the one hand I’m frustrated and left wanting more. On the other hand I’m happy because I know that the second part of their story will bring me everything that was missing here. The set up is definitely delicious enough. I was really hoping to be getting Nick’s book next, but I’m not complaining at all about getting more of Simon.

If you’re a fan of this series, this is different than the previous 2 books (at least it was for me). Deacon and Harper’s story was a bit simpler, so I can see how they fit into one book. Gray and Simon are definitely more complex characters and I can understand why the authors want to tell their stories in 2 parts. I just wish that Simon and Margo had a little more of an emotional connection here. But I’m definitely looking forward to see what the next book brings for them.

READ THE SERIES IN ORDER

-this is the series introduction I highly recommend you check out before starting the series. You get a background on each of the characters and really get what sets their stories in motion.

Goodreads / Amazon

Deacon and Harper’s book (Currently FREE on Amazon!)

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Gray and Jazz (part 1)

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Gray and Jazz (part 2)

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· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Rockstars · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3 stars

Review Blitz & #Giveaway: ★Revelry★ by @CarmenJAuthor

May 23, 2015 by Lana ·

Title: Revelry

Series: Taint #1

Author: Carmen Jenner

Genre: Erotic Romance

Release Date: May 25, 2015

Cooper Ryan is living the dream. Between the parties with rock royalty, booze, groupies and performing to crowds of thousands with his band Taint, life seems pretty sweet. There’s just one thing missing: the feisty little red-head that took his baby and ran off with his heart. Throwing himself into music is the only thing keeping him sane.

Until a run-in with a nonplussed, package-wielding PA throws everything off balance.

Ali Jones is having a craptastic life. Her grandmother died, leaving her homeless, penniless, and alone, and her boyfriend left her for a tramp who takes her clothes off for money. That’s why when she lands her dream job at a record company it seems like it’s too good to be true.

Because it is.

Slapped with an ultimatum, Ali must decide if facing the horror of the unemployment line is a fate worse than going on the road with four rowdy rockers hell-bent on making her life misery.

He’s adored by millions.

She’s not even loved by her cat.

Can they ignore their hatred long enough to survive the tour from hell? Or will their chemistry force everything to come crashing down around them?

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My vision is partly obstructed by Ali, but the sight of her head bobbing as she takes him in her mouth is all I need to know what’s going on. Levi meets my gaze across the limo. There’s gloating there—that much is obvious—but there’s also understanding. When you spend as much time together as we do, you come to know your bandmates pretty well. For all his talk, he’s not as big of a douche as he claims to be. He may not ever sleep with the same woman more than once—with the exception of Ali, I guess—but I know he’s not immune to the loneliness our lifestyle creates. It’s strange how you can be adored by millions and yet completely alone all at the same time.

He slides his hand into her hair and closes his eyes, throwing his head back against the seat.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,” he whispers, and then he gathers her hair to the side and shifts her body so that my view is completely unobstructed. I watch as she works her hands up his shaft in time with her mouth. He doesn’t attempt to fuck the back of her throat and make her choke on it, the way we both had that first night we fucked her. Instead, his touch is gentle. Reverent.

It makes me crazy, and hot as fucking hell. I shift uncomfortably, adjusting my cock within my jeans. I don’t make a move towards them, though I want to. I want to bury myself inside her and mark her as mine, but at this point the lines are so fucking blurred it doesn’t matter whom she belongs to. Him. Me. The both of us, or neither one.

I lean forward, taking a glass from the shelf and a crystal decanter filled with amber liquor, and I pour myself a drink, and then I slide back into the leather to watch.

“Play with yourself, Red,” he whispers.

“No.”

“Do it,” I say, and she turns around to glare at me. I can’t tell if she’s disappointed I’m not joining in, or if she forgot I was even here.

“I don’t want—”

“Why are you suddenly so embarrassed?” I say sharply, swigging back more of the scotch than I should.

“I’m not embarrassed. I’d actually rather that you joined in.”

“I’m watching,” I say, eyeing her coolly over my glass. She scowls at me a moment and then she kneels up, steadying herself with one hand on Levi’s thigh. She wriggles her skirt up over her hips and bends over. Everything is on display as she takes him in her mouth again. I close my eyes, not wanting to watch her on her knees in front of him, her head bent low, her full fuck-me lips wrapped around Levi’s cock. I feel as if I’m on a ride that’s spinning out of control and I can’t find a way off. I can’t make it stop. And I so badly want it to stop.

I’m losing my mind. I’m sinking, drowning, and on fire all at once. I’m split down the middle, torn in half by two different men, two different bodies pushing and pulling me in all directions, breaking me down and then lifting me up again, shoving me into the fire and soothing my scorching flesh with their kisses that act as a balm.

I hope you’re sitting down as you’re reading this because what I’m about to tell you will shock the hell out of you. You ready? IjustreadalovetriangleandIactuallylikedit. Did you get that? Because after all my blustering about never reading it, I think I just died a little inside admitting it. But holy shit, leave it to Carmen Jenner to make me love it. Somewhere right now, my friends, hell is surely freezing over.

I wish I could tell you I was shocked by the fact that it was this author that made it happen, but considering just how much I love her writing, it really isn’t all that shocking. Carmen’s characters are anything but conventional. Her heroines are sassy, sharp-witted, potty mouthed little hellions. And her heroes are to die for alphas with just that right touch of vulnerability. She’s not afraid to go outside the conventional lines with her stories. She thinks outside the box and that’s what makes me love her books as much as I do. She’ll go there. Where most authors will shy away from certain scenarios, she charges into these things like a bull and knocks it out of the fucking park. I love it! But enough about my fangirling and lets get onto the review, shall we?

This feisty little ranga is going to own my balls and store them in her handbag, and I’m going to let her, because I was a fucking goner the second I saw her glaring up at me from the floor of that conference room. I just have to hope like hell she doesn’t realize it.

If you’ve read Enjoy Your Stay, then you’ll remember Cooper Ryan; the sexy rockstar that lost his girl and his child to man from his woman’s past. (And if you haven’t read it, no worries because this book and series stands on its own). Left broken hearted and jaded, Cooper never wants to feel that way again. He’ll never let himself get that vulnerable again. But when a sexy redhead literary comes stumbling into their meeting he seizes the opportunity to make her one of his contract demands. He wants her as the band’s PA, even if she’s glaring daggers at him at the mere mention of it.

Ali Jones hasn’t exactly had the best year. Her boyfriend cheated on her with their stripper roommate. She’s lost her grams and is now living out of her car with her grandmother’s cat that clearly hates her guts. As much as she loves the industry and dreams of managing big names one day, the last thing she wants is to get on a tour bus with the too cocky for his own good rockstar. Even if he makes her nether regions go all aflutter.

You’re one of those Alpha-holes, aren’t you?”
“What the fuck is an Alpha-hole?”
“You know, one of those bossy dicks. Everything has to be my way and I’ll blindside you with how fucking sexy I am so you won’t see it coming when I slap you upside the head with my big cock, and my bullshit about how I own your pussy, and you belong to me and blah, blah, blah.”

The banter in this book alone is worth 5 stars. I was laughing like a loon the entire time reading this and couldn’t stop. Carmen Jenner really brought her A game with this series. Holy shit! It was hysterical. There was a certain circle jerk incident, then there was a certain waxing incident, and through it all I was laughing so hard I had honest to gawd tears in my eyes.

Because Cooper is inebriated, and I’m not. I need to back away…right after he gropes my boob. I mean, his hand is already under my shirt, it would be rude not to let him.

In case you haven’t caught on yet, yes this book is a love triangle. For a reader that avoids the mere mention of LT like a bad case of the clap, believe me when I tell you that it was handled well. Well enough that even this picky bitch loved it. There was no leading the reader around by the nose about who she might pick. There was no leading on of both men and wishy washy twatty heroines. Hell no! If more authors wrote love triangles this way, I’d probably read them a whole lot more.

As much as I loved Cooper, Levi, the rockstar with the ~~giant cock~~ heart of gold stole my heart just the same. I simply couldn’t get enough of him and his BOD. What’s BOD you ask? Allow me to clarify

All clear now? Great!

Fuck, Red. I been wanting to bend over the sweet arse and fuck you for weeks now.”
“I think your giant cock might break me.”
“It’s not gonna break you.”
“Well that’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one who might spend the rest of your life in a wheel chair because all your lady parts fall out when you stand up after having that monster of a thing inside you.”
“You’re really hurting his feelings now.”

The story is told in alternating POVs from Cooper and Ali and it really allows to fall for these characters, no matter what their faults or quirks may be.

There’s plenty of other things that happen aside from the romance between them, but the romance was definitely the focus. It never deviated from it and even though another man was involved, it never took away from the main couple. What it did do, was add an absolutely sizzling touch to an already hot as fuck romance. Did I mention there’s some hawt MFM scenes? Oh yes, my pervy friends, this book had it all. The only reason I’m not giving it a full 5 stars was because I wanted just a little bit more from that ending. It’s definitely satisfying enough, but I still wanted more. I guess I’m just greedy like that. I’m not sure if their story will continue in the next book or Ali and Coop will just be featured in it, but whatever it is, I’ll take it!

If you’re looking for your next rockstar romance that’s anything but conventional and will keep you laughing hysterically one minute and panting in lust the next, you just found your next read. I’m seriously in love with this series and cannot wait for more on the boys of Taint.

Carmen Jenner is a thirty-something, USA TODAY and international bestselling author of the Sugartown, Savage Saints, and Taint series.

Her dark romance, KICK (Savage Saints MC #1), won Best Dark Romance Read in the Reader’s Choice Awards at RWDU 2015.

A tattoo enthusiast, hardcore MAC addict and zombie fangirl, Carmen lives on the sunny north coast of New South Wales, Australia, where she spends her time indoors wrangling her two wildling children, a dog named Pikelet, and her very own man-child.

A romantic at heart, Carmen strives to give her characters the HEA they deserve, but not before ruining their lives completely first … because what’s a happily ever after without a little torture?

Website / Facebook / Tsu / Twitter / Goodreads

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· Filed Under: All Reviews, Rockstars · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4.5 stars

New Release & Review: ★The Mistake★ by @ElleKennedy

April 29, 2015 by Lana · Leave a Comment

The Mistake (Off-Campus #2)

Author: Elle Kennedy

Genre: New Adult Romance

Release: April 28, 2015

He’s a player in more ways than one…
College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants. For this hockey star, life is a parade of parties and hook-ups, but behind his killer grins and easygoing charm, he hides growing despair about the dead-end road he’ll be forced to walk after graduation. A sexy encounter with freshman Grace Ivers is just the distraction he needs, but when a thoughtless mistake pushes her away, Logan plans to spend his final year proving to her that he’s worth a second chance.

Now he’s going to need to up his game…
After a less than stellar freshman year, Grace is back at Briar University, older, wiser, and so over the arrogant hockey player she nearly handed her V-card to. She’s not a charity case, and she’s not the quiet butterfly she was when they first hooked up. If Logan expects her to roll over and beg like all his other puck bunnies, he can think again. He wants her back? He’ll have to work for it. This time around, she’ll be the one in the driver’s seat…and she plans on driving him wild.

Amazon / iBooks

He absolutely makes me nervous. He’s John fucking Logan, one of the most popular guys at this college. And I’m Grace fucking Ivers, one of thousand of girls who are crushing on him.

You know what I love? A sexy bad boy. Know what I love even more? A good grovel. What else? A sassy and sharp witted heroine that makes the sexy bad boy work for it. So this book? My golden trifecta.

If you’ve read The Deal, then you remember Logan, Garrett’s best friend and roommate and also the poor bastard that manages to get a crush on Garrett’s girlfriend. Seemingly Logan has it all; his choice of girls, a promising hockey future and infamy on campus. But deep down everything is not quite so perfect. His promising hockey future? A mirage that he perpetuates to his friends because of a secret he hides. His pick of girls? Irrelevant because he can’t have the one he wants. But then knocking on the wrong door changes the course of his life when he meets Grace Ivers.

Grace Ivers is an introverted freshman with a mild case of OCD that’s as endearing as she is quirky. Prone to babbling when she gets nervous, I knew just after a few short lines that I’d love her. Her internal dialogue never failed to bring a goofy smile to my face.

I’ve given handjobs before, plus a few blowjobs that I know were a huge success because…well, semen and all that. but I don’t have enough experience to consider myself an expert penis-wrangler or anything.

What starts out as an unlikely friendship quickly turns into something more. Unfortunately before Logan realizes just how perfect Grace is for him he manages to fuck things up so perfectly there may be no fixing it.

I’d say this book is split in two halves; 1. Pre-monumental fuck up and 2. Post-monumental fuck up. And in between those two there’s one deliciously perfect grovel. As much as I liked Grace in the first half of the book, I absolutely loved her in the second half. She’s a lot more assertive and self-assured in the second half. She really grows into her own and becomes that much more endearing.

To be honest seeing how Logan was crushing on Hannah in the last book and beginning of this one, I was afraid that he’d be “settling” for Grace. But that was never the case, not at all. As a matter of fact, I loved how the author handled that situation. I seriously loved every page of this book. The humor and banter between the guys (and my beloved manwhore Dean) was pure gold.

Just out of curiosity, what constitutes a ‘nice cock shot’? I mean, is it the lighting? The pose?”
“Well, the trick is, you’ve gotta keep the balls out of it.”
“Seriously,” Dean insists. “Balls aren’t photogenic. Women don’t want to see them.”

As for Logan, let’s just say my ~~lust~~ love for Logan never wavered. Well it may have shaken slightly at one point but boy did he make up for it.

Trust me, baby, you’re the only woman I want. The only one who gets me going.”

Everything the man said and did had me feeling all warm and lusty inside.

There was the one “friend” of Grace’s, Ramona, that I wanted to punch in both ovaries and then not-so-gently push her off a bridge because hello twat alert! I was glad to see that Grace wasn’t such a pushover with her later in the book as she was in the beginning, but hopefully Ramona never gets a book. I swear every time I read her name all I could think of was crazy Ramona from Real Housewives and I wanted to reach through my kindle and throttle her.

True story 😉

Aside from that, I really loved this. Logan was absolutely swoon worthy. I loved him and Grace together. I loved him in general. Sure you get another hero with “daddy issues” but I couldn’t find it in me to care.

Belonging. It’s the only way to describe the exquisite rush of sensation that washes over me. His lips BELONG on mine.

If you loved The Deal, I’m almost positive that you’ll love The Mistake. I know that I sure as hell did and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book. I’m hoping it will be my manwhoring Dean. If the set-up in this book is what I think it is then his book is sure to be one verra interesting read.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: New Adult, Reviews, Sports · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4.5 stars, DGR Fave, hockey players

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