Review: Lies & Lullabies by Sarina Bowen

LIES & LULLABIES
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Hush Note #1
Author: Sarina Bowen
Release Date: September 22, 2020

Summer nights and star-crossed lovers! From USA Today bestselling author Sarina Bowen.

Once upon a time, he gave me a summer of friendship, followed by one perfect night. We shared a lot during our short time together. But he skipped a few crucial details.

I didn’t know he was a rock star.

I didn’t know his real name.

Neither of us knew I’d get pregnant.

And I sure never expected to see him again.

Five years later, his tour bus pulls up in Nest Lake, Maine.

My little world is about to be shattered by loud music and the pounding of my own foolish heart.

 AMAZON 

He’d been a charming diversion with enormous consequences.

I am a sucker for a second chance romance. I live for it. The angst. The emotion. All of the feels. Now it’s been a hot minute since I’ve read a Sarina Bowen book and I was so excited to get my hands on this one. This trope is my book crack so I was so here for it.

Kira and Jonas spent one unforgettable summer together. They were both in a place where they were looking for a connection and were a little lost. They gave each other something that changed them both irrevocably. Kira had no idea at the time they met that Jonas was a famous rockstar. Jonas fell hard for Kira but knew he couldn’t give her what she needed, so he left.

Five years later, their paths cross again. This time Jonas knows exactly what he wants, and he needs a second chance with the woman he never got over. What he doesn’t expect, is the secret that Kira has kept from him all these years in the form of an adorably rambunctious daughter.

Now I do love me some surprise baby trope as well. But it also has to have one thing for me to connect; a good reason for the baby to be a secret. And sadly, I didn’t feel that Kira had one. This ultimately began to grate on me, because I couldn’t help but judge her for it.

Jonas was everything. The man was swoon personified. I loved the way he manned up and was there for his girls. I loved the way he handled the reveal. And really, I just loved him.

The pacing was a bit off, and I did find myself growing bored. The flashbacks to their summer five years ago also felt lacking. I wanted a little more meat here. I really wish it was fleshed out further. Don’t get me wrong. While I didn’t love this story, I still enjoyed it. It may have been a little slow for my tastes, but it still hit the spot. The other band members really hooked me, but my favorite part of the book was Kira’s brother. The man was just GAH. I hope he gets a book of his own because I loved being in his head for the few short pages.

#DGRFave Review & Excerpt: Fall by @Kris10Callihan

FALL
Series: VIP #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kristen Callihan
Release Date: October 23, 2018

The first time I met Jax Blackwood things went a little sideways.

In my defense, I didn’t know he was Jax Blackwood—who expects a legendary rock star to be shopping for groceries? More importantly, a blizzard was coming and he was about to grab the last carton of mint-chocolate chip.

Still, I might have walked away, but then he smugly dared me to try and take the coveted ice cream. So I kissed him. And distracted that mint-chip right out of his hands.

Okay, it was a dirty move, but desperate times and all that. Besides, I never expected he’d be my new neighbor.

An annoying neighbor who takes great pleasure in reminding me that I owe him ice cream but would happily accept more kisses as payment. An irresistible neighbor who keeps me up while playing guitar naked–spectacularly naked–in his living room.

Clearly, avoidance is key. Except nothing about Jax is easy to ignore—not the way he makes me laugh, or that his particular brand of darkness matches mine, or how one look from him melts me faster than butter under a hot sun.

Neither of us believes in love or forever. Yet we’re quickly becoming each other’s addiction. But we could be more. We could be everything.

All we have to do is trust enough to fall.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N 

Stella Button, the moment you ripped that ice cream out of my hand, you knocked me off-balance. All I could do was fall.”

This book.
THIS. BOOK.
*flails happily*

This is, hands down, my favorite Kristen Callihan book to date. A poignantly written, slow burn, friends to lovers romance that was brimming with emotion; Fall owned my heart from beginning to finish. It sucked me in from the beginning and kept me glued to the pages with two incredibly multi-layered, raw, and endearing characters. Jax and Stella were everything. Simply everything!

Oh how I loved this book. Let me count the ways!!!

1. One broken yet devastatingly swoony rockstar.

I want her under me, over me, beside me. I want to dedicate hours memorizing the pattern of her freckles, each curve and dip of her body. I want her body against mine until her scent is in my skin. I want to taste her, to fuck her, to laugh with her. I want everything.

Jax is a man that has been to the dark bottom of emotion, and almost didn’t make his way up.
I really have to applaud the author in just how well she handled such a sensitive matter as depression and suicide. There was just something so real and raw about Jax that you couldn’t help but love. He captivates the reader from the very first page, and you only fall harder and harder under his magnetism and charisma the more you read. As one of the front man of a famous band, Jax is no stranger to all the women that his fame brings. But one quirky redhead that’s set to kiss him out of his ice cream at a grocery store manages to tilt his world on his axis.

2. Stella
She was just so perfectly imperfect. She was completely extraordinary in her ordinariness. Without giving much away, this is a heroine that just wins you over with her quirky, selfless, and loving personality. And then she makes you fall in love with her strength, perseverance, heart, and hints of vulnerability.

Stella works some of the oddest jobs, yet they make her happy. And when her job as a pet sitter land her one rockstar neighbor that she stole ice cream from with a kiss and never expected to see again? Well, let’s just say, things get interesting. Which brings me to the next thing…

3. The banter. OMG! THE BANTER!!

Oh my cock—god. My cock—godcockgod…” She flails her hands. “God. I meant God. God-cock. Argh!”
Her flustered blather ends in a gurgle and a new tide of rapid hand flapping. Even though her sudden appearance scared the shit out of me—until I realized it was Stella and not some stalker who’d gotten in—a laugh escapes me.
“My cock is godlike, so I can see the confusion.”
Her face flames bright red. “Dick.”
“It goes by that name too.” I wink at her.

4. The delicious, and I mean DELICIOUS slow burn romance. It hurt SO GOOD.

I meet her blue eyes and call out—God knows what. Sound tears from my throat, but I don’t hear it past my pounding ears. I look at Stella and fall into the abyss. I. Am. Wrecked.

5. The secondary characters. I love the brotherly camaraderie the band shares. I love the friendship between Jax and Killian. I NEED a book for Whip and Rye.

This book was sheer perfection. It captivated and ruined me. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me swoon. I absolutely loved it. I loved everything about it. Everyone needs to read this book. I just can’t recommend it enough.

The air between us shifts. I’m filled with a strange giddiness, wanting to laugh for the fun of it, but I’m also too warm, my limbs oddly heavy as if simple movements might be too much for me.His tone turns soft and cajoling, teasing the truth out of me. “Are you going to tell me what you do?” When I say nothing, the corners of his eyes crinkle. “I see. You’re going to torture me a bit.”The warm, fuzzy feeling grows as I shrug. “Torture feels apropos in this scenario.”

He hums again, taking another step toward me. “What makes you think I won’t like being tortured by you?”

The heat of his body and the scent of his skin makes my head light and my pulse pound. How did it get to this point where the highlight of my day is flirting with Jax Blackwood? Despite the thrill, I know I’m in over my head. I haven’t gone out on a date in months because I form attachments, I get emotional, and then I hurt when they inevitably leave. And this man will leave. He is as bright and fleeting as a camera flash. I’ll be left with the image of him seared into my memory and nothing more.

I tell myself all of this, the voice in my head as stern as possible. But it doesn’t make me back away. It doesn’t stop my body from somehow straining toward his without even moving. Because it might be stupid of me, but I want to feel something that isn’t planned. Something, for however briefly, that’s real.

He’s too attuned to me not to notice. John’s lids lower as his attention slides down my body before easing back up to my face. Slowly, he rests his forearm on the wall beside my head. “Tell me, Stella,” he murmurs.

“No,” I whisper back, flirting, even though I shouldn’t.

His biceps bunch as he leans in, a smile dancing on his lips. “Tell.”

My breasts graze his chest, and I feel it in my toes.

“You’re crowding me.” I hate how breathy I sound.

“Can’t help it.” His voice is a rumble, the heat of his breath playing over my skin. He ducks his head, drawing close until our lips nearly brush, and when he speaks again, his tone is almost conversational, except for the husky quality that touches deep within my core. “You smell like strawberries. Fucking delicious.”

My lids flutter, and I swallow hard. “Ordinarily, I’d call you out on that cliché but since I’ve been eating strawberries, you aren’t exactly wrong.”

His chuckle is slow and easy, as he eases back and his gaze slowly travels over my face. “Were they sweet, Stella Button?”

He’s looking at my mouth like he might try to find out. My lips tremble in response, and John tracks the movement, his breathing getting deeper, faster. “You have two freckles on your lips. One on the top lip and one on the bottom corner.”

Those damn freckles. They were the bane of my adolescence. I hid them with lipstick and silently cursed whenever someone mentioned them.

Freckles don’t have any feelings, but I swear it’s as if he’s touching them.

“You’re just noticing this?” I try to make it sound like a joke, but it comes out weak and thready.

His own lips quirk. “Oh, I noticed. It’s distracting as hell. They’re like two little dots of butter toffee. Makes me want to lick them, get a taste.”

Oh, God. Lick them, please. I can almost feel it. I want to feel it.

No. Bad Stella. Behave.

John’s lips part a fraction like he just might take that taste.

“Back off,” I whisper. And yet somehow my traitorous hands find their way to his sides, running over the waistband of his jeans, holding him there.

John makes a sound deep in his throat and tilts his hips, pressing them against mine. A distinctly thick bulge nudges my belly. Both of us lose a breath, and then he’s closer, his cheek touching my temple. “You’ll have to let me go first.”

My thumbs slide under the edge of his shirt and find smooth, taut skin. A tremor goes through his body. I try to think, search for what the hell we’ve been talking about.

His lips brush the crest of my cheek as he murmurs against my skin. “Tell me what you do, Stella. You know you want to.”

My smile feels illicit. Somehow the action is directly tied to all my happy parts, making them draw hot and tight. “I don’t think I do.”

Another hum. “Liar. You’re dying to.”

 

Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she’d rather be. She is a three-time RITA nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer’s Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Review: Down To You by Jayne Frost

DOWN TO YOU
Series: Sixth Street Bands #5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Jayne Frost
Release Date: September 4, 2018

She started from perfect. A star who shone brighter than the rest.
But then fate took it all away.
Now she’s broken.
A beautiful song with a fractured beat.

But I’m still on the rise.
Chasing a dream that she’s already left behind.
If I’m lucky, I can find my redemption in the spotlight.

Destiny brought us together.
Put her in my path.

It started with a road trip. But somewhere along the line, it became a journey from here to there.

Maybe she can help me.
Maybe we can help each other.
Maybe music is enough.
Maybe.

Every story deserves a soundtrack.
And ours is epic.

Down To You is a standalone, rockstar romance within the Sixth Street Bands Series. 18+ for adult situations.

AMAZON

There was no safe zone. It was all heat and fire between us. And even my fear of burning us both to the ground wouldn’t keep me from dancing in the flames with Tori.

After a rec from a trusted book buddy, I walked into this book with two very distinct disadvantages:

1. I haven’t read any other books in this series
2. I’ve never read this author.

And you know what? I fell in love with the story, the author’s voice, and the slow burn and emotional romance.

I’m what?” Her voice was soft. Hesitant.
She was so many things. But as I took her in, only one word pushed its way past all the sludge in my head. “Beautiful.”

Every now and then you try a new to you author and find yourself wondering why on earth it took you so long to try a book of theirs. That was most definitely the case here. Because this book? It was beautiful! It was a dazzling and heart wrenching romance full of emotion and swoon! It was a breath of fresh air in a sea full of rock star romances that all sort of blend into each other. This one stood out in the best of ways and I couldn’t get enough of it!

Prowling the stage, he roared into the microphone, completely at home amidst the chaos and confusion.

Stories with dead spouses always make me hesitant because the deceased is either villainized or the new love interest comes across as a consolation prize. This romance was nothing of the sort. Victoria “Tori” loved Rhenn and loved him immeasurably…until a tragic accident ripped him from her life. A shadow of the woman and beloved rockstar that she once was, Tori has been sort of floating through the years since the accident in a haze of pain and waking nightmares. The last thing she expects is to fall in love with the rising rockstar that she’s essentially put on babysitting duty with after one too many fights puts him at risk of real jail time. But traveling on tour together, these two opposites attract in a slow burn of all slow burns, and I fell hard!

He’s going to wreck you. It should’ve scared me, that voice in my head. But I didn’t pay attention. Because I was already wrecked. Love had wrecked me a long time ago. And this wasn’t that.

Logan is the bad boy rocker that will steal your heart. This is not your stereotypical rockstar. Beneath the anger and uncaring attitude, is a wounded soul and a caring heart. He was such a multilayered character.

Tori was the perfect balance to Logan’s intensity. Talk about your wounded characters. Tori was beyond broken. But beneath the scars lay the heart of an incredibly strong woman that soon came to realize that it is possible to love again.

The rain eased, leaving only tiny tears staining the fallen leaves and other casualties of the storm. Us … we were the casualties. Logan and me. But in that moment, I saw nothing but a shiny new world illuminated by the moon peeking from behind heavy clouds. Hope and warmth and promise spread from the place we were joined. And for the second time in my life, I fell in love.

Down To You was a rollercoaster of heart wrenching pain and swoon worthy melt-your-heart moments. It was the perfect storm of emotion and romance.

You’re my redemption, Victoria. You’re everything.

And while it was clear that there’s a dynamic between all these characters that has carried over and built up throughout the series, it never took away from my enjoyment. I do think I would have loved it even more had I read the series in order, but that’s entirely my fault and my habit of starting series back asswards. What can I say? I’m a rebel like that. But if you’re looking for a rockstar romance that’s full of depth and a story you won’t be forgetting any time soon, this is a book that you need to read!

Review: Perfect Pitch by Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliott

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

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

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

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

In her band. On her stage. Together.

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

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

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

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

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

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

AMAZON

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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


THE SERIES

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

Review: ★Idol★ by Kristen Callihan

review-IdolIDOL
Series: VIP #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kristen Callihan
Release Day: June 7, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Idol VIP

Libby

I found Killian drunk and sprawled out on my lawn like some lost prince. With the face of a god and the arrogance to match, the pest won’t leave. Sexy, charming, and just a little bit dirty, he’s slowly wearing me down, making me crave more.

He could be mine if I dare to claim him. Problem is, the world thinks he’s theirs. How do you keep an idol when everyone is intent on taking him away?

Killian

As lead singer for the biggest rock band in the world, I lived a life of dreams. It all fell apart with one fateful decision. Now everything is in shambles.

Until Liberty. She’s grouchy, a recluse —and kind of cute. Scratch that. When I get my hands on her, she is scorching hot and more addictive than all the fans who’ve screamed my name.

The world is clamoring for me to get back on stage, but I’m not willing to leave her. I’ve got to find a way to coax the hermit from her shell and keep her with me. Because, with Libby, everything has changed. Everything.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview4 starsIdol-DGR

I’m a twenty-seven-year-old, multimillionaire singer-guitarist in the biggest rock band in the world, and I have no earthly clue how to have a relationship with a woman. I could laugh. But I don’t find it funny. Because I want Liberty Bell.

*pause for dirty thoughts about Killian*


And I’m back!
Seriously though, even the man’s name is hot. Killian. *rarr*
But I digress…

Idol marks book one in Callihan’s sexy new VIP series and if this book is anything to go by, this is the start of something addictingly good. This book had a little bit of everything that I love; hot rockstars, angst, tortured rockstars, angst, sexy times, sassy heroines, amazing secondary characters that I’m already itching for a book for, sexy times, fantastic writing, sexy times, humor, and lots and lots of sexy times. You getting the drift here?

I don’t spend time with anyone. It’s writing-composing, practicing, recording, touring, fucking, sleeping. Same old record spinning round and round.

Kristen is a masters of weaving some grade A sexual chemistry and boy do you get that here. When Liberty “Libby” finds a drunken bum passed out on her well manicured lawn, she’s not exactly thrilled. When she finds out that the same ‘bum’ will also be her next door neighbor for the summer, she’s not jumping for joy either. But a few snarky barbs soon turn into an unwilling friendship that soon begins to turn into something much more. But what happens when Liberty finds out that her new neighbor is also the lead singer of the world’s hottest rock band?

Tell me you want this too, baby doll.”
“Want what?”
“Everything.”

The chemistry between these two is so hot, it practically sizzles. What a refreshing change of pace to get a rockstar that doesn’t want to manwhore his way around town. Killian realizes what he wants early on and he’s not shy about going about it. I loved the way he was with Libby. He’s patient and sweet and yet there’s always an edge to him to with his dirty talking ways

There’s no one else like her. There never will be.

Libby is endearingly sassy. Girl can definitely hold her own and she’s not shy about telling it like it is. I loved her spunk and backbone. Sure, she has her issues, but she never lets it own her.

The characters are perfectly developed, and their romance is a natural progression. I love when the author can make that sexual tension burn and Kristen makes it hurt so good here.

I also fell hard for all the secondary characters, especially the tortured Jax. I can’t wait for his story along with the rest of the guys from Kill John. But I’m especially excited for the next book ESPECIALLY after the preview at the end. YUM.

Clearly I loved this book, so why not 5 stars? Well, while I loved the tension and build up of the first and last 30%, the in-between of it didn’t have me as riveted. It was still a fun read, but I had no problems setting it down for a bit and picking it back up later. So while it wasn’t quite the perfect five stars, it was a super solid 4 that I enjoyed thoroughly. If you’re a fan of this author, this is an absolute must read. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it!

Love breaks your heart, fucks you up- perfect, all-consuming chaos.


About the Author

KCauthorKristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she’d rather be. She is a three-time RITA nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer’s Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page

New Release & Review: ★Fade Into You★ by @TracyWolff

Review-Fade Into YouFade into You
Series: Shaken Dirty #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tracy Wolff
Release Date: February 15, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

81KjgdMt8pL

A sexy category romance from Entangled’s Brazen imprint…

She’s one addiction he can’t resist.

Wyatt Jennings has been called a lot of things by the media. Bad-boy rocker. Intense drummer. Addict.

Finally out of rehab and desperate for a fresh start, Wyatt rejoins his mega-platinum rock band Shaken Dirty as they prepare for their world tour. But Wyatt’s demons are never far behind, always nipping at his heels for one. More. Fix.

Enter Poppy Germaine, the band’s new social media consultant. A beautiful bombshell who somehow manages to get underneath Wyatt’s skin, Poppy’s an addiction Wyatt can get behind. And even though she’s with the label—and therefore off-limits—he craves her. Needs her.

Except Poppy isn’t actually a social media consultant. She’s the daughter of the label’s CEO, sent undercover to babysit Wyatt and keep him from falling off the wagon again. Proving herself to her father is Poppy’s only goal—until she finds herself in Wyatt’s bed. But if Wyatt discovers the truth, it could send him spiraling all over again…

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N

[Read more…]

Blog Tour, Review & #Giveaway: ★Manaconda★ by @cariquinn @tarynelliottfic

manaconda-bannerManaconda
Series: Hammered #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Authors: Taryn Elliott & Cari Quinn
Release Date: January 19, 2016
Rainbow Rage Publishingadd-to-goodreads-button-2

Manaconda_LG

My name is Hunter Jordan, lead singer of Hammered and no, I didn’t name my cock Manaconda.

Rolling Stone did.

On the front cover of their damn magazine.

I still haven’t lived it down. And now our record label wants to maximize the frenzy.

So, I have a brand new PR person–Kennedy McManus.

And she’s making me insane.

I don’t know whether to ignore her, yell at her, or push her up against the wall and kiss her smart mouth shut.

BEYOND OBLIVION – A Rockstar Romance full of sexy fun set within the world of our Lost in Oblivion series! You never know who you’ll see show up in the books.

**** Warning: book does end on a cliffhanger ****

Buy LinksAmazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

Excerpt

“Maybe we should go back.”I shook my head. “Maybe we can sneak around. Seems like there wouldn’t be any fans back here.”

“Famous last words,” she muttered.

I strode out, gravel crunching under my boots.

“You know, I’m not a huge fan of this dragging me around like a child.”

I turned back to her, dragging her into my body. “Nothing child-like about you, Kenny.” I bent down to her, our noses touching. “I just want a little alone time with you.”

A loud engine started up.

“There’s an elevator back there.” She pointed with her thumb. “I bet we could do a lot of things in your room, my room—whatever.” She rose on her toes until our lips were a breath apart. “You can give that whole seven thing a go.” She dragged her nail over my bottom lip. “I don’t believe you’ll make it to seven, but I’m willing to let you try.”

“I—”

“Oh, my God, that’s Hunter!”

The hiss of hydraulics and stomp of many feet did not bode well.

I closed my eyes. “Shit.”

“What?”

“Please don’t be what I think it is.”

“What?”

A trio of people in black shirts with our new album on the front were standing in front of a huge bus. “Can you run in those things?”

She looked affronted. “I can do anything in heels.”

“I hope so.”

A woman in her twenties pointed our way. “Is that him?” she shrieked.

“Fan club.”

“What?”

“This is where the fan club bus is parked.”

“They should be at dinner. Why aren’t they at dinner?” Kenny asked with rising panic.

“Guess it’s over.” I sprinted to the door we’d just come out of. “Son of a bitch.” I twisted the handle but nothing. “It must have locked after us.”

She slapped the keypad. “Ya think?”

“Not helping.” I darted a look past the bus, along with the line of at least seventy people lined up to board. Definitely couldn’t go that way.

“They’ll eat you alive.”

“No kidding.”

Three women broke off from the crowd and headed our way. As soon as they did, twenty more followed. I dragged Kenny with me to the front of the bus and around the side. The bus driver looked down at us and shook his head.

No help there.

The people that had boarded the bus were pointing at us as we ran to the other end. I shot by another line of cars and zig-zagged around another bus and saw a familiar logo. “Thank God.”

“Where did he go?” Came shouts that were way too close.

“Where are we going?” she hissed.

“My bus.”

“Your bus?”

I dragged her behind me as I ducked behind a black truck we used for our equipment. It has been a stripped down stage, but we still had a lot of instruments between Keys’s pianos, the entire percussion set up that Wyatt used, all the guitars, amps, and digital network we used—we needed a truck no matter what.

“New plan.” I unlatched the back of the rig and lifted the rolling door. “Get in.”

“Are you freaking kidding me?”

I stared down at her. “Does it look like I’m kidding?”

She groaned. “I can’t get up there.”

I lifted her until her knee was on the base of the truck ledge. She scrambled in as the scraping of heels and running feet got closer.

“Move it, Kenny.”

Her skirt rode up as she dragged herself inside. I threw her a soft whistle. She turned back to me with murder in her eyes. I squashed down a laugh, rolling in after her, tugging the door down behind me with a bang.

“I hate you.”

I just smiled into the dark.

Review4 starsManaconda-DGR

Yeah, I had a pretty big cock, but that wasn’t all I was, goddamit.
I cleared my throat. “Could I get my sunglasses?”
The woman behind the counter flushed. “Sorry. What number did you leave it under?”
“Eleven.” Inches. For my cock.

Manaconda was exactly the kind of sexy, fluffy and humorous interlude that I needed in my reading. Admittedly, I was looking forward to a full standalone, but considering that the conclusion will be released on January 26 for free, it lessens the sting considerably. As for the book? Well I read it in one sitting, so what does that tell you?

Mana-fucking-conda. Minus the fucking in the middle, plus a few extra millimeters at the tip. Hey, gotta finish strong, right? Or start, depending where you believed the male member actually began.

Thanks to a Rolling Stone cover that every rockstar dreams about gracing the cover of, Hunter Jordan is famous for a whole lot than being the lead singer of Hammered. His…uhem…quite large appendage…seems to be all anyone can talk about thanks to the unfortunate bunching of his jeans and revealing his male ‘gift’ to the entire world. But Hunter isn’t exactly happy about it. He’s more than his cock, dammit. Even if it is a VERY impressive one.

Kennedy McManus is the band’s new PR that’s set to work specifically with him after the cover imploded on magazine stands everywhere. Sparks fly between them immediately and it doesn’t take long at all for things to really get rolling…

After. I want you after. In my room.” His voice lowered until it was only a grumbling bass of sound. “All of this off. All of you- mine.”

Now usually an insta-lust like this doesn’t work for me. But something about the one here just did it for me. I bought it; hook, line and sinker. It was just too delicious not to. It’s fluffy in a guilty pleasure read sort of way and it just worked.

And when these two get together? Holy ovary CUMbustion!

Then his mouth moved to mine and swallowed the screams I didn’t know were rolling out of me. His, mine, ours- didn’t matter. There was a supernova trapped inside of me with no way out.
Something had to break.

My only quibble is that I wished it would have been a longer standalone, but that’s because I’m a self professed cliffy avoider. True story. These authors are the only ones that can even pull that off with me and only because I love every single thing they write. Even with the cliffy, I gobbled this up like the starved smut addict that I am and loved every sinfully sexy page of it. Now I’m looking forward to the conclusion and luckily I don’t have to wait long at all.

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Review: ★Crashed Out★ by Tessa Bailey

Review-CO

Title: Crashed Out
Series: Made in Jersey #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: August 7, 2015add-to-goodreads-button-2

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Jasmine Taveras is the reason Sarge Purcell grabbed his six-string and bailed the hell out of New Jersey four years ago. She’s the fuel for every song he’s ever written—each one laced with bitter, hard-edged, hungry lust. Now, with his hugely successful band on temporary hiatus, Sarge is determined to prove to Jasmine that this “kid” turned into every inch the man she’s always needed…

Men are slim pickings for a single factory girl in Hook, New Jersey…until tall, broad-shouldered hotness walks—or rather storms—into Jasmine’s life. Sarge’s return shouldn’t affect her this way. He’s her best friend’s much younger kid brother, and the kind of rough, gritty, sexiness Jasmine has no right to taste for herself. Even if he lets her.

But lust is a blinding, insatiable force. And when it crashes, it will take both Sarge and Jasmine down with it…

Buy LinksAmazon / B&N / iTunes / Kobo

 

Review3 starsCrashed Out-DGR

 

Ride me, use me, come on me. God knows I’ve used the thought of you to come for a fucking decade.”

When I heard that Tessa Bailey will be starting a new Brazen series, to say I was thrilled would be a mild understatement. Her dirty talkers are my crack of choice and I’ll never get enough. Seriously. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Tessa Bailey books make my ovaries happy. I absolutely loved the setup for this series, and I already know the next books in it will be on my auto buy list. Now about Crashed out…

I’m not typically of the younger man, older woman scenario…but if Tessa writes it, I’ll try it. And if said younger guy happens to be a super sexy rock god with a penchant for dirty talk, who am I to say no? Sarge Purcell has had a thing for Jasmine since he was just a teenager. As the best friend of his older sister and seven years his senior, he’s certainly had his share of dirty fantasies about her. Too bad that she never viewed him that way. Now he’s back on a hiatus from his band’s touring and when opportunity knocks…he’ll take it to tear down all her walls and convince her that she needs to take a chance on him.

So you’re probably wondering why I only rated this three stars, aren’t you? Well, see now here’s the thing; as a reader for me there’s a fine line between sexy dirty talk and plain crudeness and this book crossed it several times. Tessa Bailey has the midas touch when it comes to her heroes, the dirty talk just flows effortlessly in her previous books. But in the case of this one it felt forced and just way OTT.

That’s it, you tight little thing. Working my dick like a goddamn stripper pole…”

Tell me your fucking legs are up in the air because you want my come. Pout for it. Let me see that little pout.”

“I want to fuck you like a beast in heat…”

I’m all for dirty talk as much as the next pervert, but the above just did nothing for me. It didn’t feel natural, it was just too much and it took me out of the story quite a bit. I wanted to love it and there were parts and scenes that I certainly enjoyed the heck out of, but it just lacked that natural ease that Tessa’s writing usually has.

Having have said that, I’m still definitely hooked on the series. I loved the set up for Sarge’s sister, that just sounds all sorts of delicious. And of course there’s his band’s drummer and the manager that I’m itching to get my hands on. As much as I love Tessa’s books, you can’t love them all, so I’m writing this off as a fluke and I’m eagerly anticipating what else she has in store for the next books in this series.

DGR’S Ultimate List of Rockstars

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A little over two months ago, I did my first feature with my Ultimate List of Dirty Talkers and I was beyond thrilled to see how much you guys loved it! Since then, I’ve made this into a monthly feature that you’ll find me post on the 3rd Saturday of every month. Each month I’ll be bringing you a new Ultimate List in your most voted categories; bikers, anti-heroes, cops, cowboys, etc. You name it, I’ll do it.

But this month it’s all about ROCKSTARS!

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Now you’ll find I don’t discriminate on my list; I’ll have country stars, male rockstars, and some female ones as well. You know I like to keep things well-rounded 😉 So without further ado, let’s get into it! As always my list will contain all the books I’ve read and enjoyed, and at the bottom I’ll include the ones that were recommended to me but I haven’t had a chance to read just yet. And of course, I’d love to hear from you all in comments if there’s a favorite of yours that didn’t make my list. You know I love me my book recs!

The one that started it all...

“He said I was his heart, and you don’t leave your heart behind. You can’t live without your heart.”

Truth be told I have a total love hate relationship with this book. This was the very first Rockstar that I read and it really doesn’t get much better than Kellan freaking Kyle. Unfortunately, I also spent a large chunk (read: all) of this book fantasizing about the heroine being killed off. I couldn’t help myself. I hated that woman with the fire of the worst type of venereal disease. True Story. And yet like a car wreck that you can’t look away from, I couldn’t stop reading. It was just one of those books. It was also the book that effectively turned me off love triangles for years to come…but we won’t talk about that now LOL.

I still haven’t brought myself to read the rest of the series, but I’m working on it. Especially since all my friends absolutely LOVED Griffin’s book, Untamed.

Books 1-3 are all Kellan and Keira. Thoughtful was basically Thoughtless but in Kellan’s POV. Untamed is Griffin’s book.

Thoughtless #1

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The one with Jake Wethers...

“Jake once said on stage that Jonny was the mighty in their storm, and now I see that Jake is my mighty storm. He’s broken and complex, and no one knows him like I do, or ever will. He needs me. He’s my storm to calm. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life doing just that.”

You’re probably thinking right now, another book where the heroine has a boyfriend when she meets the hero? And you liked it?! And the answer is yes indeed, dirty birds. I liked it very much. First, it’s this

It’s been twelve years since Tru Bennett last saw Jake Wethers, her former best friend and boy she once loved.

I love the mere set up of this particular trope. Jake Wethers, if you’re not acquainted, is the tattooed bad boy lead singer of The Mighty Storm and the man to get ovaries tingling the world over. This was yet another one of my earliest rockstar reads and I loved it! Would I rate it the same if I read it today, I’m not sure. But hundreds of books later and I still remember everything about this one, so that truly goes to show you something, right?

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Books 1 and 2 are Jake and Tru’s story. Though if you’d like to read The Mighty Storm, you easily can since it gives a very satisfying HEA. Book 3 in this series are new characters; Tom Carter and Lyla Summers. Tom is the manwhore bassist for The Mighty Storm, and Lyla  is the lead singer of the band Vintage which just signed with TMS records.

The one with the kinky rockstars...

He put his fingertips against her forehead.
“You must be at least this tall to ride The Beast…
Secure your belongings and keepy your arms and legs around the ride at all times.”

Holy mother of melting ovaries, this series! I don’t think any ovaries can survive these kinky rockers. There’s something for everyone; MMF, voyeurism, public sex, BDSM, and did I mention MMF threesomes? It’s fair to mention that one twice. I read these hot little numbers as they were being released, and for some strange reason they were released out of order. I still don’t know why, so don’t ask me. But the entire series is now released so you can read it in the order it’s meant to be read it. I loved each book in this series, though I’d say Sed Lionheart’s story in Rock Hard (I do love me a good second chance romance) and Trey Mills’s story in Double Time (Holy MMF threesome, batman) were my top favorites!

Sinners on Tour #1

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Each book in this series is a standalone with a different couple and their HEA. All except for Sinners at the Altar, which are  four complete wedding stories, each about a different member of the rock band Sinners and need to be read after all the other books.

The Sinners On Tour spinoff...

“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?”

Exodus End is the rock band that we were first introduced to in Sinners On Tour and it’s also about that time that Olivia Cunning teased us with Dare. But sadly it looks like Dare’s book will probably be last in the series so we start things off with the bassist, Logan Schmidt. At almost 500 pages, this book is long, but I never wanted it to end. It’s laugh out loud funny and set your ovaries on fire hot.

No one writes a sexy Rockstar romance quite like Olivia Cunning.

Oh and in case you’re wondering, you can easily read this book without having read SoT first. I’d say the sexual escapades in this one are a touch tamer than in that series, but it’s just as hot!

The novella series...

“My goal is to make you scream my name. Give me what I want, but make me work for it.”

Now I call this a spinoff but it really isn’t. This is yet another rockstar series from the awesome Olivia Cunning, but these are novellas of around 100 pages as opposed to the full length novels that the previous two series are.

Per Olivia Cunning’s own words about this series:

The Sole Regret series is an ongoing serial series. Each novella spans the course of one night and is about a different band member. All the band member’s stories weave together, so characters reappear in all of the stories. If you have a favorite band member or a favorite couple they will be revisited several times in the rotation of the books. I do hope you love them all!
The order of band member rotation is Gabe, Adam, Jacob, Owen, and Kellen. 

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The one with Leo Nash...

“What are you doing later?”
“I won’t be doing you.”
“Uh, I wasn’t offering, honey.” I turn around to see Leo smiling smugly. “I was wondering if you’d like me to take you to have that stick pulled out of your ass.”

Admittedly,  The With Me In Seattle has been an on and off for me. Some of the books in it were entirely too sweet for my particular tastes, and some of the books really worked for me. Kristen Proby tends to write sweet, but steamy, contemporary romance and that sometimes works for me and sometimes doesn’t.

In the case of Rock With Me it totally worked for me. I mean, how can you possibly not love Leo Nash. The man was absolutely drool worthy. From his tats to that filthy mouth of his, I loved everything about this. I won’t list the other books in this series as none of the others were rockstars. But if you’re looking for some steamy and sweet contemporary, give it a whirl. It just may work for you.

The one by Kristen Ashley...

“I had to soften him up because, for whatever reason, all the Rock Chicks had an alternate Hot Bunch guy, Indy’s was Eddie. Roxie’s was Vance. Jules was Luke. Ava’s was Lee. Mine was Mace.”

It’s no secret that I’m a HUGE fan of all things Kristen Ashley. And when I say huge fan, I mean borderline stalkerish. I adore everything the woman writes. Something about her alphas just does it for me. I don’t even care that they all speak in one word sentences that mostly consist of “Babe”. Nope. I will never have enough of them.

Now don’t let the Rock Chick title fool you, this series is not about Rock Stars. It’s about women that call themselves “Rock Chicks” but not in that band-y version, you hear? Rock Chick Reckoning was the one exception to this rule, because Stella is the lead singer and lead guitarist of The Blue Moon Gypsie. She was also madly in love with Mace…until he dumps her unexpectedly and breaks her heart. Now that her life is in danger, Mace needs to protect her and of course that ultimate leads him to know that he wants her back, only Stella is having none of that.

This book was everything I love about KA and one of my top favorites in this series (after Luke and Ava in Rock Chick Revenge, and Sadie and Hector “Oh My God” Chavez in Rock Chick Regret)

The one with the second chance romance...

“I thought for sure we’d spend forever together. I thought our love was one of a kind. I would almost be okay if he had met someone else and fallen in love, but he didn’t. He just left. He said he was suffocating.”

Forever My Girl is book 1 in Heidi’s New Adult Romance, Beaumont Series. I haven’t had a chance to catch up with the rest of the books and have only read Forever My Girl but boy did I love this book. I’m a sucker for a good second chance romance and this one surely delivered. It was angsty, swoony, a touch of sexy, and I loved every page of it!

While each book in the series focuses on a different 4225 West band member, I highly recommend reading them in order. The final book in this series, My Kind of Forever, is the continuation of Liam and and Jojo’s story from book 1.

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The one with the angst...

“I love you because I can be honest with you. I trust you. I love you because you’ve made me see I’m more than I thought.” 

If you’ve read any book by Barbara Elsborg, then you already know she has this fabulous style of writing that combines some delicious angst with quirky humor and sizzling hot romance. Strangers is a standalone romance about two lost souls that meat each other during their absolute rock bottom. What happens when an attempted suicide brings two strangers crashing into each other and gives them a reason to live?

Why is this on my rockstars, you ask? Well because the hero just happens to be a very famous British pop-star and now movie star.

The one with the PNR twist...

“His lips touched mine again, breathing me in like I was his air, then he tore his mouth from mine; panting. “Please Grace, whatever it is you’re going after, please try to find it here in me. I will try my best to be the man that you need me to be.”

A soulmates story unlike any you’ve ever read. Even if you’re not into PNR, you need to check this out. While a PNR element does exist here in the form of angels and such, but it’s very minimal and sure to please even those that don’t particularly like the genre.

Grace has been looking for her soulmate for years. Now home after the death of her brother, she finds home is very different. Her best friend has a new boyfriend, and that boyfriend has a friend; Shane Maxton: bad boy, tattooed rock god, eye candy extraordinaire. And he’s also New York’s city most arrogant asshole. So why is she drawn to him.

This is a series of three books that absolutely must be read in order.

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The one that caught me by surprise...

“Love doesn’t always make sense. To the person in it or to the people around them. The falling can be an emotional, chaotic whirlwind. The landing jarring and eye opening. But if two people are really in love, there’s nothing in this world that can overcome it. Even if they can’t be together, love doesn’t cease.”

You know when you start a book by a new to you author and you have no idea what to expect, and it manages to completely blow you away? That’s been the entire Luminescent Juliet series for me.

Don’t let the covers fool you, some may look a little unappealing but the books are absolutely amazing! I’ve been a huge fan of this New Adult romance since book 1. Each book is a different member of the Luminescent Juliet band and their HEA, and while you can easily read them as standalones, I highly recommend you read them in order simply because you’ll get to know each member before their own book. It has just enough steam to appease this pervy reader, wonderful writing, a touch of angst, and a rock band! What else can you ask for?

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The one with the boys of Oblivion...

“We’re going to burn out,” she said against his mouth an couldn’t stop herself from tasting him again. “Nothing good will come of this.”
“Harper, nothing but good is going to come from this.”

I read this series by pure chance a couple years ago and I have been a rather rabid fan since. It’s everything I love in a romance. So much so that I swear it feels like it was custom written just for me. It’s angsty, with just that touch of gritty that I so love, super sexy, and freaking addicting!

Rocked, book 1 in the series is a complete HEA for the couple with a later follow-up novella in Rock, Rattle & Roll. But be warned, each book after is a full length novel that will end with a cliffy and a novella soon after that completes the couple’s HEA. Each book follows a different member of the boys of Oblivion and I do not recommend reading these books out of order. They are much more enjoyable read in order.

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The one with the swoons...

“You’ve got all this…this love – no, it’s louder than love. It’s passion and beauty built up inside you that deserves to burst out.”

Now I am not typically a reader that goes for sweet, but something about this amazingly written contemporary romance just worked for me. It’s swoony, it’s sweet, it’s a little emotional, and it’s incredibly realistic.  Adrian “Digger” Graves is a down on his luck rocker who got his claim to fame in the 80s. Now he finds solace at the bottom of a bottle and still searches for his long lost muse.

Enter Katrina Lewis, a single mother and widower, that’s just trying to raise her little girl while still dealing with the tragic death of her beloved husband. The unlikeliest of couples made for the most unforgettable of romances. I simply adored this book. The novella, Deeper Than Dreams concludes the story of Kat and Adrian with the perfect bonus epilogue and not to be missed. Softer Than Steele, is a different couple. That book features Adrian’s former bandmate, Rick Rottenberg.

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The one with the BDSM...

He would show the lovely Ms. Easton exactly why she wouldn’t be able to walk away from him after one night.
Because that was definitely not an option.
One taste was supposed to satisfy the craving. But Oakley was wasn’t cake, she was heroin. And he was fucking hooked.

I’ve been a huge fan of Roni Loren’s Loving on the Edge series since first discovering it years ago. It’s a super sexy BDSM centered romance. But it’s not overwhelmingly so either. Meaning that while the characters do belong to a BDSM club called The Ranch, it’s not too heavy on the BDSM elements. But they certainly are there and Roni’s Doms are nothing short of swoon worthy.

This is book 8 in the series, but you can easily enjoy this as a standalone. I would recommend you read Not Until You (Loving on the Edge #4), because that’s the book where Pike was first introduced.

What happens when the bad boy drummer of a rock band sets his sights on a woman that wants nothing to do with the music industry? A whole lot of sparks and fireworks!

The one with the Stage Dive boys...

Love isn’t always smooth or straightforward. It can be messy and painful. Doesn’t mean it isn’t still the most incredible thing that can ever happen to you.

Does this series even need an introduction or a reason for being on my list? If you haven’t heard of it, I’m pretty sure you’ve been living under a rock. But trust me when I tell you it’s an absolute must read. I’ve loved every book in the series, but of course the bad boy lead singer Jimmy in Lead was my very favorite.

This series is completed. Each book is a complete standalone about each member of the band and their HEA. I highly recommend reading in order, you’d enjoy it that much more 😉

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The one that was dark and gritty...

Love is like a series of improbable, lonely notes landing together in meaningful chaos. Where every channel carries a rhythm that conveys an expression of emotion. It doesn’t feel flat or fake or hollow. It’s not exaggerated with overtones. The complexity might feel organized, but the creation is never controlled.

Beneath the Burn is the book that I first discovered the amazing talent that is Pam Godwin. Categorized as a standalone romantic thriller, it’s certainly a book that has quite an edge. It’s a little dark and a whole lot gritty, but tying it all together is this incredible romance I’ll not soon forget.

Jay Mayard is a rock god and tortured soul. His demons and mysterious past is what kept me glued to the pages. If you haven’t read this sexy and gritty book, you need to check it out!

The one that was a Brazen...

She’d built her whole world around him once, when he was the only person she could feel anything for. The only person she could trust. When he had left, it had shattered her.

It’s no secret that I’m a Brazen junky. I love these steamy little numbers and when all else fails, they always hit the spot. But like any category romance, sometimes they can all blend into one another. Not the case with Drive Me Crazy. This was a super entertain hate-to-lust trope about a classic pianist and the bad boy keyboardist for Shaken Dirty, the hottest rock band on the scene. And yes, it is as good as it sounds 😉

While it is book two in the Shaken Dirty series, you can easily read this as a standalone.

The one with the boys of Lush...

I know almost instantly- this is it- I’m done. This woman will either be my salvation or the death of me. There is no question. I’ve lost control now that I’ve touched her. There’s no going back, and she’s the most spectacular thing I’ve ever experienced.

Holy angst, batman! This caught me completely off guard. I did not expect this to be as good as it was. To say that the guys of Lush are very much f-ed up would be a mild understatement. Each of these men have their own issues, but none quite as bad as Joss Jamison, the lead singer of the hottest rock bad, Lush. He’s made his share of mistakes through the years, but nothing as bad as the one that cost him everything; his band, his best friend, and his sanity. Drowning in a sea of regret, the last thing he expects is to meet the woman that will change everything for him.

Each book in this fantastic series focuses on a different band member of Lush and while you may enjoy them as standalones, I recommend reading in order. There is a story arc that builds from the first book and continues through the last, and you’d appreciate the books that much more.

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The one that made me cringe and LOL at the same time...

“In this nasty-ass strip club bathroom full of pissing dudes and possible rogue ejaculators, Shades is no longer some guy I love fucking. He’s some guy I fucking love.”

This fucking book was fucked the fuck up. Fucked. Up. I tells ya! I think I cringed, laughed, and threw up in my mouth a little…all at the same time as reading this. Romance? I don’t fucking think so. Well I guess it fucking is, since there is a couple and their HEA. But really, this is a satyrical romp about one very fucked up rockstar heroine with an overactive sex drive and the hero that plows through her meat curtains. Oh and if terms like cum spritzer, meat curtains, his pink soldier, and her pudding trench bother you, this book is sure as fuck not for you.

The one with the country star...

With a synopsis like this, how could it not intrigue?

After Kylie’s dad dies in a freak accident, he leaves her with nothing other than her crazy step-mother, Darla, and the ability to play guitar. When Darla kicks Kylie out and she loses her job all in the same day, she hops a bus to Nashville determined to make her late father’s dreams come true. Waitressing and saving her pennies to record a demo, her big break comes when she’s asked to join a tour going down the tubes with once platinum album-selling country music superstar Trace Corbin. But touring with Trace is hardly a dream come true since he’s pretty much drinking his career down the drain. If Kylie can’t pull Trace out of his rut, he’ll pull her and her dreams down with him. 

This New Adult romance completely enraptured me. I loved everything about it. It doesn’t have this overwhelming angst that most NA books these days. The characters are endearing and the romance is swoony. This is a series that follows the same two characters, so it’s not meant to be read out of order.

Kylie Ryans #1

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The one that was a trilogy...

Whisky beats and a hard rain save me tonight.
If you only knew what it cost me to fight.
The taste of your memory reminds me.
That you’re anything but mine.

You may know Taryn Elliot as half of the writing duo for the Lost In Oblivion series I mentioned above. When she’s not giving us deliciously angsty rockstars with her writing partner in crime, Cari Quinn, she also writes books on her own. Her When You’re Gone trilogy was one of those books.

If you’re looking for angst, sexy as sin rockstars, and some twists and turns that will leave you reeling, this is a trilogy you need to check out! Since this is a continuing story for the same two characters, it is not meant to be read out of order.

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The one the love triangle I actually liked..

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.

Yes, you actually read that right. Me, the self professed love triangle avoider actually liked this one. I couldn’t believe it either. Maybe because this was written by the evil mastermind that is Carmen Jenner? Maybe because I didn’t have homicidal tendencies toward the heroine? But probably it had to do with the sexy as hell rockstars, the clever writing, the scorching sex scenes….and did I mention the scorching sex scenes?

The one that started an addiction...

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“I’m scared.”
Logan stared at me with eyes that were cold, dark, and without a spark of…anything.
“You should be.”

This was so much more than a rockstar. Truth be told, while the men of this series are part of a famous rock band, Tear Asunder, that’s not the predominant part of the story. Oh no. It’s so SO much more. It’s gritty, and twisted, and dark, and deliciously sexy. It’s exactly the kind of dark romance I like and I gobbled this up like addict that I was. This was the book and series that made me discover the pure awesome that is Nashoda Rose and I haven’t looked back since. The woman is the queen of grit, and she writes some unforgettable alphas. If you haven’t met the boys of Tear Asunder yet, I highly recommend you get acquainted.

Each book is a different character with their HEA, but best read in order as each character is introduced in the previous books

Tear Asunder #1

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Tear Asunder #2

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Tear Asunder #3

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The one with the bad boys of Generation Rejects...

“I wanted to tell you that I couldn’t stop thinking about your face. That you had burrowed your way so deep into my veins that I would fucking bleed you. That if I died tomorrow, I could go a happy man for having felt your lips on my skin.”

Swoon. Just that line and I want to read this book all over again. I loved this sexy new adult romance. I accidentally stumbled onto Bad Rep back when it just released and devoured it in one sitting. I love me some angst and if you’re a fan of the NA angst, this certainly had the delicious kind.

Bad Rep #1

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Bad Rep #2

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Bad Rep #3

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Bad Rep #4

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The one that was the BDSM-y novella...

It felt good to give in, to surrender. He rewarded her with more pleasure. Sex with him felt like embracing a thunderstorm, riding a wild bronc.

This is a novella that was a part of Shayla Black’s Wicked Lovers series, which is a super sexy BDSM romance series. This novella is part of the 1001 Dark Nights series and features a character that was first introduced in Decadent (Wicked Lovers #2), but you don’t have to have read any of the previous books to enjoy this one. It’s easily read as a standalone. It’s a sexy little quickie you can spend a great evening with!

Did I mention that the hero is an international pop star with a penchant for some kink? Oh. Yes.

The one with the boys of Reckless Beat...

“He squeezed her neck and rested his forehead against hers, “What is it with you, Allie? Why can’t I take my mind off you? I can’t take a single breath without wishing I was touching you” 

I discovered this series when I grabbed this book as a freebie a few years back. I did not expect it to be as good as it was. So of course I then had to go and buy the rest of the series and binge on them.

Reckless Beat #1

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Reckless Beat #2

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Reckless Beat #2.5

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Reckless Beat #3

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Reckless Beat #4

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Reckless Beat #4.5

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The ones I've been recommended but haven't read yet...

Listed by the first in each series, except for Ripped by Katy Evans  (This was a part of her Real series, and the only rock star in the series)

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That’s it for my list, dirty birds. See any favorites make it? Tell me about it! Have some favorites that I may have missed? Tell me about it! I love to hear from you all, so don’t be shy and drop me a comment below 😉

Review Tour: ★Pure Wicked★ by Shayla Black

Pure Wicked - Review & Excerpt banner - finalPURE WICKED is a Wicked Lovers Series Novella brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights. 

PURE WICKED - cover

During his decade as an international pop star, Jesse McCall has lived every day in the fast lane. A committed hedonist reveling in amazing highs, globetrotting, and nameless encounters, he refuses to think about his loneliness or empty future. Then tragedy strikes.

Shocked and grieving, he sheds his identity and walks away, searching for peace. Instead, he finds Bristol Reese, a no-nonsense beauty scraping to keep her family’s business afloat while struggling with her own demons. He’s intent on seducing her, but other than a pleasure-filled night, she’s not interested in a player, especially after her boyfriend recently proposed to her sister. In order to claim Bristol, Jesse has to prove he’s not the kind of man he’s always been. But when she learns his identity and his past comes back to haunt him, how will he convince her that he’s a changed man who wants nothing more than to make her his forever?

Buy-Links10Amazon eBook / Amazon Paperback

Review3.5 starsPure Wicked- DirtyGirlRomance

It felt good to give in, to surrender. He rewarded her with more pleasure. Sex with him felt like embracing a thunderstorm, riding a wild bronc.

It’s been a hot second since I first met Jesse as Kimber’s famous pop star boyfriend in Decadent so suffice it to say I’ve forgotten pretty much everything about it. But I had no problems picking this book up and enjoying it from the very beginning, so it very much can be read as a standalone. Pure Wicked is a shortie novella in Shayla’s super sexy Wicked Lovers series, which I’ve been a huge fan of for years. While it may not be very long, it was satisfying for what it was.

It was a short and steamy novella about a pop star falling for a small town girl while hiding out from the press. No BDSM in this one, but it was still wickedly hot. Bristol Reese is attending her sister’s engagement party….to her ex boyfriend while trying to ward off her mother’s meddling ways when a handsome stranger comes to her rescue to pretend to be her boyfriend. It doesn’t take long before acting turns into real life passion and things really heat up between them. Too bad Bristol has no idea that the man in her bed is the very famous pop star she’s had a crush on for all these years and all shit could hit the fan when she catches on to his lie by omission.

The story is quick paced and steamy, though I felt the ending was a little TOO quick to resolve so it was highly unrealistic for me. It just wrapped up too nicely and quickly for the amount of time passed. I did, however, still enjoy the romance thoroughly, so I can’t complain too much. A perfect steamy read to spend a weekday evening with and a definite must read for any fans of the series.


About the Author

Shayla Black - Author Photo

Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels. For over fifteen years, she’s written contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances via traditional, independent, foreign, and audio publishers. Her books have sold well over a million copies and been published in a dozen languages.

Raised an only child, Shayla occupied herself with lots of daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and realized that she could have a career publishing the stories spinning in her imagination. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America to pay the bills, her heart has always been with her characters. She’s thrilled that she’s been living her dream as a full-time author for the past seven years.

Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her teenage daughter, and a very spoiled cat. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads 

PURE WICKED - Available Now

 

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