Review: The Dom Who Came In From The Cold by Lexi Blake

THE DOM WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD
Series:
Masters and Mercenaries: Reloaded Book 5
Genre: Romantic Suspense, BDSM
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date:
February 21, 2023

Kyle Hawthorne once believed his future would be a job in the private sector—a simple, normal life. Fate had other plans and he wound up in the military. Some newly discovered talents caught the eye of the CIA, and in no time he was working with a covert team. He found himself in a relationship with fellow operative, Julia—until she turned out to be the enemy. When her betrayal was uncovered, things got bloody and Kyle returned home broken, searching for a chance to walk the road not taken.

MaeBe Vaughan has never been interested in normal. Her happy place is a dark corner of the Internet, where she disrupts all the bad guys. She has a great circle of friends and a full life. She doesn’t need a man. Until Kyle Hawthorne walked into her life. He’s all wrong for her. Surly. Damaged. His uncle is her boss. But she couldn’t help getting close to him. When his past threatened her safety, Kyle walked out without saying good-bye.

Kyle will do anything to keep MaeBe safe. He faked his death, hid in the middle of nowhere, and watched over her from afar. But when Julia resurfaces, he knows that to protect MaeBe, he’ll have to get close. So close that if they manage to survive, he will never let her go.

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

You are not an itch I want to scratch, MaeBe Vaughn,” Kyle said, his eyes solemn on her. “You’re a blanket I want to pull around me because I think you might be able to keep me warm for the rest of my life.”

I have spent years waiting for this book. YEARS. Kyle has been a predominant secondary character for far too long and I couldn’t wait to finally get my hands on his book. Particularly after the way No Time to Lie.

And while this book is technically a standalone with a new couple, I highly recommend you read the series in order because the story arc for this couple begins early in the series and you really need to understand all the nuances between them through the year to really appreciate this book. It does cover most of the basics, but glosses over some that have been covered in previous books (like the pining. GOD but I loved the pining)

People in love discuss their problems. Dumbasses fake their deaths.

Kyle has been in love with MaeBe from the moment he saw her. He may have fought their connection but his fall was inevitable, no matter what his inner demons said. But when Kyle’s psycho double agent ex comes back from the dead, he knows he’ll do anything to protect MaeBe, even fake his own death. Though his “death” is honestly like the worst kept secret and everyone pretty much knows he’s on a mission to catch Julia, including MaeBe.

When circumstances allow him to reveal himself to MaeBe, she’s no longer the woman he left behind. Her edges are sharper, and she’s also not afraid to drop him on his ass. And she does.

I really liked parts of this story, but admittedly, parts of it did drag a bit for me. The suspense plot sort of overrode the romance for me. I would have loved to read more about these falling for each other to appreciate their reunion even more. But on the flip side, I loved the progression of their relationship. I loved the way Kyle cares for Mae and the way he finally proves it with his unwavering trust. I loved watching Mae grow into a field agent in her own right. And while this wasn’t my favorite book in the series, it still hit the spot just right.

Review: No Time To Lie by Lexi Blake

NO TIME TO LIE
Series:
Masters and Mercenaries: Reloaded Book 4
Genre: Romantic Suspense, BDSM
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date:
September 13, 2022

A grandmaster of lies and deception

Drake Radcliffe has spent half his life in the shadows. Recruited by the CIA when he was barely out of high school, Drake doesn’t know how to have a normal life. While most people his age were playing sports or video games, he was playing spy games with the world’s most dangerous adversaries. It has been a life filled with thrills and adrenaline, but it’s also been lonely. All that might change when a mistake from Drake’s past rears its ugly head and he’s forced to face the only woman he ever loved—the one he pushed away.

A beacon of love and compassion

Taylor Cline committed the cardinal sin for an analyst—she fell for the operative she was working for. Drake was everything she wanted in a man, until he broke her heart. She had one unforgettable night with him and then he never looked back. Her career threatened, she shut down and moved on, hoping to never see him again. Just as she is beginning to put it all behind her, a critical assignment puts her under his authority and right back in his arms.

A deadly mission that brings them together

From the wilds of Wyoming to the glittering cities of Europe, Drake and Taylor must race against time to uncover the truth and expose an evil organization. The stakes couldn’t be higher. If they fail, the world could crumble. If they succeed, they could finally have everything their hearts desire.

AMAZON

 

I won’t bottom for you. I’ll probably walk into this dungeon when it opens tonight because I need a session given the amount of stress I’m dealing with and maybe I’ll pick out some hot cowboy top to help with my stress relief, but it won’t be you.”
“And what do I win if it is?”
“You’ll win my dead body because that’s what it would take.”
“I like a challenge, Taylor.”
“I’m not a challenge, Drake.”

I feel like I’ve been forever for Drake’s book. He’s been a vivid secondary character for so many books and a complete and utter mystery. I’ve been eagerly anticipating every morsel of detail about this enigmatic CIA operative and I just knew that his story would be a juicy one. And you know what? I was not wrong.

I love a good second chance romance, especially when that second chance romance has a good grovel. And when said grovel lasts for almost the entirety of the book? GAH. Delicious.

Taylor Cline is no stranger to the life of a spy. After all, her father is one of the most notorious agents there were, and he taught her everything there is to know since she was a kid. Sliding into the role of being her father’s handler was not a difficult one and she’s d*mn good at her job.

When a mission gone wrong lands Drake at the safe house he thinks should be empty, he has a hard time understanding how Taylor is there. Taylor takes care of the injured Drake and then quickly bond over their life and it doesn’t take long for the chemistry between them to burn too hot to ignore. They share one night together before it all goes catastrophically wrong and Taylor realizes that Drake is not the man she thought he was.

Years later, a critical mission lands these two together and while Drake is thrilled for the second chance he’s been craving, Taylor wants nothing to do with him. And when Drake learns just how epically he screwed up with Taylor based on some wrong intel? Well, the juicy parts start.

I loved how Taylor makes him work for it, and boy does he. This is no meek woman. She may not have as much experience, but she’s so fierce in her own right. She’s set on revenge and she has no intention of letting Drake break her heart again. But the mission can’t be done without both of them, because the target they’re hunting has a shared link with them both.

My favorite parts of this series is all of the cameos from my favorite characters and every bit of Big Tag’s inappropriate humor. I love this man and will never get enough of him and his ball busting and matchmaking ways.

This was a high octane, thrilling page turner with a sizzling second chance romance full of heart and a delicious grovel. And this girl? Devoured every page.


Review: The Dom Identity by Lexi Blake

THE DOM IDENTITY
Series:
Masters and Mercenaries: Reloaded Book 2
Genre: Romantic Suspense, BDSM
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date:
September 14,  2021

A man with everything

Michael Malone seems to have it all. A wealthy, loving family. A job that fulfills him. Friends he can count on. But something is missing. He’s spent years watching his brother and close friends get married and start families, but it hasn’t happened for him. When an assignment comes up to investigate fallen Hollywood star Vanessa Hale, he jumps at the chance. She’s gorgeous and potentially deadly. Playing the spy game with her might be just the thing to take his mind off his troubles.

A woman with nothing left to lose

Vanessa Hale had big dreams that ended in scandal. She returned home with nothing but heartache and the desire to find her mother’s killer. The trail points to someone at Lodge Corp, so taking a job with Julian Lodge’s mysterious company is her best option for finding the truth. While she hunts for a killer during the day, she hopes to find some solace at night in The Club. Meeting the gorgeous, sexy and seemingly kind Michael Malone, their chemistry sparks in a way she’s never felt before, and Vanessa thinks maybe her luck has finally changed.

A love that might save them both

When Michael’s true motives are revealed, she will have to find a way to forgive his betrayal. The killer has made Vanessa their next target. Working together and stopping this monster is the only chance for them to have the real love they both deserve.

AMAZON

He’d gone still, the tiniest bit predatory, and she hated the fact that it did something for her.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I will never get enough of this world. No matter how long the series, no matter the amount of spin-offs, this world and these characters will always be my favorite comfort.

This is book two in the new Masters and Mercenaries spinoff. If you haven’t read that series, you’re seriously missing out. But you can also dive into this one if you’re intimidated by the amount of books in the M&M series. Though I highly recommend you at least read Treasured before this one to get a bit more Malone. And if you want to be fully engrained in this world, I recommend you also read Siren Enslaved to meet Julian, Finn and and Dani.

Now let’s talk about this book. This was absolute trope candy for me and no one delivers on this quite like Lexi Blake.

Michael did what all my idiot employees do and fell for the client. Trust me. I’ve seen it a thousand times. Operative walks in, thinks he’s the big man and the bad girl will give up all her secrets because his dick is so special. But let me tell you, special dick always gives it up for a magical pussy…
Gay, straight, bi, it’s all the same. Suddenly big bad operative is all The bad girl isn’t so bad and if she did something wrong, my penis will fix it.”

I love when a story sets the scene to a major betrayal that everyone but the MCs see coming. You know it’s coming. You know it’s going to be good. You’re foaming at the mouth until it happens because you know there will be a grovel to beat all grovels and you’re so here for it. GOD. When I tell you this was utterly delicious. I mean it was FINGER LICKING GOOD.

Now I also love a good cross over, and this had the mother of all cross overs between M&M and Texas Sirens and Sanctum meets The Club. Vanessa Hale is a fallen Hollywood star with an infamous reputation. Painted by media as a difficult star and gold digger who married an old man for his money, she finds herself in the small town working for Julian’s wife. She’s also interested in finding out about the D/s lifestyle and wants to join The Club. But Julian doesn’t trust that her reasons for being there are genuine, and so he hires Ian to get to the bottom of it. And so Michael Malone is assigned to be her Dom in training with an agenda to get to the bottom of the real reason Vanessa is there.

I don’t have the words to describe to you how much I loved this story. Both Vanessa and Michael have their own demons from their past. Vanessa is used to no one seeing past what the gossip magazines and rumor have painted her image to be. The vain, gold digger. Michael is used to no one seeing past his family’s money. Michael definitely judges a book by it’s cover when it comes to Vanessa. But it doesn’t take long for him to question himself when he starts to see the woman beneath the infamous Hollywood image. Of course being the stupid man that he is, he doesn’t tell her anything and continues on with his mission while sleeping with her…because chemistry. And I couldn’t wait for that other shoe to drop.

When I tell you I loved this book, I mean I LOVED this book. I devoured it in one sitting. Between the cross over, we also get a little more insight into the mysterious and tortured Kyle and GAH, I cannot wait for his book. But I digress. This book had everything; the suspense, the romance, the chemistry, the feels. ALL OF THE FEELS. I loved Michael and Vanessa together and when inevitably Michael screws up, I loved the grovel and how Vanessa made him work for it. Then of course in usual Lexi fashion she drops a chapter at the end that leaves you salivating for the next book.

If you’re looking for a pulse pounding romantic suspense with a dash of sizzling BDSM and a story that’s going to suck you in from page one and keep you at the edge of your seat until the end, READ THIS BOOK!

Review: Treasured by Lexi Blake

TREASURED
Series:
Masters & Mercenaries #22.5 / Sanctum Nights #11
Genre: BDSM, Contemporary Romance
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: June 22, 2021

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake comes a new story in her Masters and Mercenaries series…

David Hawthorne has a great life. His job as a professor at a prestigious Dallas college is everything he hoped for. Now that his brother is back from the Navy, life seems to be settling down. All he needs to do is finish the book he’s working on and his tenure will be assured. When he gets invited to interview a reclusive expert, he knows he’s gotten lucky. But being the stepson of Sean Taggart comes with its drawbacks, including an overprotective mom who sends a security detail to keep him safe. He doesn’t need a bodyguard, but when Tessa Santiago shows up on his doorstep, the idea of her giving him close cover doesn’t seem so bad.

Tessa has always excelled at most anything she tried, except romance. The whole relationship thing just didn’t work out for her. She’s not looking for love, and she’s certainly not looking for it with an academic who happens to be connected to her boss’s family. The last thing she wants is to escort an overly pampered pretentious man-child around South America to ensure he doesn’t get into trouble. Still, there’s something about David that calls to her. In addition to watching his back, she will have to avoid falling into the trap of soulful eyes and a deep voice that gets her heart racing.

But when the seemingly simple mission turns into a treacherous race for a hidden artifact, David and Tess know this assignment could cost them far more than their jobs. If they can overcome the odds, the lost treasure might not be their most valuable reward.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

AMAZON 

You want me to call you ‘Sir’?”
“While that would be appropriate, what we have is special, so I think we’ll use a different, special, term.”
“David, I told you. This is just sex. Maybe we shouldn’t be so…”
“Professor,” he said, ignoring her outburst. “You will call me Professor when you’re submitting.”

This series can have a million books and I will never grow tired of it. Never.

Now while I love Lexi’s bad@ss mercenaries, there’s just something about a sexy nerd that just hits the spot. And David Hawthorne was everything I had hoped he’d be. Kyle is Sean’s stepson and the exact antithesis to his brother, Kyle. Kyle is the bad@ss protector with a tortured past, but David is the handsome professor with a secret kink for dominance. He’s the perfect gentleman with some hangups from his childhood that he still works through.

Tessa and he meet at a party and share an instant spark, but Tessa is gun shy after a failed engagement so she ghosts him when he tries to contact her after. Of course fate has other plans when Tessa is hired to be his bodyguard on a trip for a treasure hunt. Forced proximity at it’s best here.

Now admittedly, I wasn’t as interested in the treasure hunt and mystery around it. It was interesting but didn’t have me totally engrossed either. I loved the romance between David and Tessa. She never sees this quiet and charismatic man coming. He’s unassuming in a way but in such a way that he totally sneaks up on her. I loved watching their connection grow. I also love the addition of spending more time with Sean, and of course my favorite, Ian. Now I’m super looking forward to Kyle’s book next.

Review: No Love Lost by Lexi Blake

NO LOVE LOST
Series:
Masters & Mercenaries: The Forgotten #5)
Genre: Romantic Suspense, BDSM
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: September 29, 2020

When Ezra Fain joined the ranks of the CIA, the last thing on his mind was romance. After meeting Kim Soloman, it was difficult to think of anything else. A tragic mistake drove them apart, leaving him shattered and unable to forgive the woman he loved. But when his greatest enemy threatens her life, Ezra leaps into action, prepared to do anything to try to save her.

Solo accepted long ago that she won’t get over Ezra. She’s worked for years to get back into his life, looking for any way to reignite the love they once shared. Unfortunately, nothing seems to penetrate the wall he has built between them. When she’s arrested for a crime she didn’t commit, she believes she’s on her own.

Racing across the globe, Ezra and Solo find themselves together again, caught in the crosshairs of the agency they sacrificed so much to serve. Days on the run soon turn to steamy nights, but Levi Green isn’t about to let them find their happily ever after. And when the smoke clears, the men and women of McKay-Taggart will never be the same again.

 AMAZON 

He would win her back. He wouldn’t stop until she said yes to him again.

I have spent years, YEARS waiting for this book. YEARS. Y’all don’t even realize the amount of want I had for this. When you crave a book this bad, when you’re so desperate for a particular character’s story and HEA, let me tell you something, you set your expectations high. You can’t help it. Beck and Solo have spent years being some of the most memorable secondary characters in previous books. I’ve been dying for their HEA and my hopes were high. I was almost terrified going into this book for fear that I may have set them too high. And then Lexi Blake comes in and blows all of expectations right out of the water. Because this book didn’t just meet them, it far exceeded anything I could have ever hoped for.

Fuck you, Beck.”
“Yeah, I’d intended for this to end that way, but if you need to rage a little more, go on. I assure you I can take it.”

This is a love story years in the making. A romance that started out fiery hot between two agents and then burned out even hotter when lies and espionage came between them. It’s been years, and the rage that’s there still burns for Beck. He may not be over Solo, but he’s not ready to forgive her either. He blames her for the death of his brother and he doesn’t mince his words or spare her his hatred when they’re in each other’s vicinity.

Let me tell you I almost wanted to hate Beck. His treatment of Solo is almost callous at times. The amount of anger and resentment he carries towards her is almost painful to read. And the way she takes all his verbal punches on the chin and doesn’t flinch made me love her even more. Solo is one tough cookie. Lexi wrote some of the most kickass heroines I’ve read, but Solo is in a class of her own. She may have her hard and tough exterior, but she cares and she cares deeply for those she considers friends.

There’s so much that happened in this book. So many secrets and twists that sent my head spinning. It was a non-stop action packed ride full of depth and emotion. I spent so long waiting for Beck to finally see the error of his ways but I wasn’t prepared for just how hard he’d feel it. The second chance feels of this story were on a whole other level. I lived for these two.

After so many years with the Masters and Mercenaries series and this spinoff, I feel like I know these characters. I crave each little glimpse of them as the years pass. But no one is quite as potent as Ian Black and his kids. The hell raisers that his daughters have come to be is the most deliciously hilarious thing to read. I loved them!

To say I loved this book would be an understatement. I devoured it. I lived for it. I couldn’t get enough of this story. There’s so many revelations that by the time I picked my jaw off of the floor, another would come out of left field and whack me over the head. It was so good! I think the last time I was anticipating a book this bad, it was Ian’s. But this one far exceeded any expectations. Beck and Solo were everything. One of my favorites in the series. Bar none.

Review: Siren Reborn by Lexi Blake

SIREN REBORN
Series:
Texas Sirens #8
Genre: Erotic Romance, MMF menage, Suspense
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: January 7, 2020

Re-released in a second edition. Re-edited but no substantial changes.

Cole Roberts and Mason Scott loved each other since childhood, but they needed something more to make them whole. They searched for a woman who could complete them, but a terrible accident tore them apart. Their perfect life shattered, they were each left angry and alone.

Kitten Taylor’s past is filled with heartache. She yearns to be part of a family she can call her own. When Cole takes her in, she hopes to finally find the place she belongs, but quickly realizes something is wrong. There is a chasm between them and every day it seems to get worse. When they are alone together, she can sense the wonderful bond they could share, but they can’t seem to find a way to connect.

Everything changes when Kitten meets Mason for the first time. She instantly feels a connection and realizes how perfect their lives could be if Mason and Cole could look beyond the past.

When a killer puts the trio in their crosshairs, Cole and Mason will have to put aside the betrayal and hurt they allowed to consume them in order to forge a future with the woman they love.

AMAZON

Kitten was the picture of innocence and Mason of decadence. His. They were fucking his. His to command. His to protect. His to fuck and pleasure. His to love. His to lose.

This was easily my favorite book in the series. Seriously. A sizzling hot MMF menage, a second chance romance, and a sweet wounded soul finally finding love with two men. This story was EVERYTHING.

Now as much as I love everything Lexi Blake writes, I was a little worried jumping into this book. Kitten, while a sweetly endearing secondary character in the previous books, just didn’t sell me as a heroine. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about her. This is a woman that was almost broken beyond repair at the hands of an horrible man and she’s still dealing with it. Taken, beaten, raped, this man didn’t just steal Kitten’s innocence, but ultimately her identity. But this book was the story of her finding her voice and her identity and I loved that!

Mason and Cole, though. GAH. These two simply stole the show for me. I loved them so much. They were each other’s everything at one point. But then instead of a woman bringing them together, one ripped them apart. Cole walked away and he hasn’t been the same since. Mason is still dealing with Cole’s abandonment and everything that Cole doesn’t know or realized years after.

Kitten has been living with Cole as they test the boundaries of a potential contract and relationship. But Cole’s treatment of her with kid’s gloves is starting to widen the already big gap between them, no matter how much sexual chemistry they have together. When Kitten takes a call that turns out to be from the hospital because Mason still has Cole as his only emergency contact, she believes she’s doing right by her master to pick him up and take care of him. Suddenly Mason is back in Cole’s life and forcing him to deal with everything he caused those years ago with walking away. Mason is a wounded man seeking revenge, and what better one than to take his previous master’s girl.

But it doesn’t take long for them to realize that there’s something much deeper between them. Mason and Cole is everything that Kitten needs, and Cole begins to realize the depth of his mistakes and becomes desperate to right his wrongs with Mason. Mason is a switch to Cole’s Dom, and kitten is the ultimate submissive. Together, they’re absolutely incendiary. I loved this book from beginning to finish. A sizzling and emotional read, the way only Lexi Blake can write.

Review: Back In Bliss by Lexi Blake

BACK IN BLISS
Series: Nights In Bliss, Colorado #9
Genre: Erotic Romance, BDSM, Suspense
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: September 10, 2019

Re-released in a second edition with new content.

Logan Green is back in Bliss, but only for a few weeks to help out at the sheriff’s office. Everything changes when Seth Stark strolls into town with Georgia Dawson on his arm.

Seth’s arrival is anything but a happy accident. He always dreamed of a big house on the river and a wife he could share with his best friend, Logan. After building a software empire, his only goal has been to make that dream come true. He just needed the perfect woman.

Georgia is still haunted by the dark, troubled man who saved her life. She can’t get Logan out of her head. Her boss brought her to Bliss to help him decorate his new summer home, but when Logan Green walks through the door she discovers Seth has something different in mind.

Seth has a plan for their mutual happily ever after, but he never dreamed that coming home would put all their lives in danger.

AMAZON

Logan Green was the match and her body was lighter fluid waiting to explode.

This book was worth EVERY. SINGLE. SECOND. of the wait. GAH! I feel like I’ve been waiting for Logan’s book forever. The man went from the adorkable deputy to sinfully sexy Dom in seriously the blink of an eye and I’ve been waiting with bated breath for this man to finally get his HEA. And let me tell you friends, his HEA was EVERYTHING.

Like every menage relationship in this series, there’s always one man that’s beyond ready to settle down while the other one is the broody and broken one that doubts his place. So of course Logan and his beautifully broken self was the later. He went through a life altering experience and it turned everything he knew upside now. It’s been years and he still hasn’t recovered but his Dom training in Texas gave him the respite that he needed. But now he’s back in his hometown of Bliss and dealing with every emotion that he pushed down into the darkest parts of his soul.

Seth is Logan’s best friend since they were just kids. They grew up together but where Logan’s childhood was warm and loving, Seth’s was anything but. Now the man is a successful billionaire and he’s more than ready to settle down with the woman of his dreams. There’s just one problem. That woman is in love with his best friend and that best friend refuses to admit that he needs them as much as they both need him. Enter all of the angst and emotion!

Of course this wouldn’t be Bliss if there wasn’t some mystery and action thrown in. So if you’ve been waiting to see who is after John Bishop after reading Once Upon a Time in Bliss, you’ll get those answers here.

But so much of this book is Logan coming to terms with his experiences and opening himself up. This was probably my favorite part of the story. I absolutely adored the way that Lexi handled his healing process and my heart broke at the full details of his torture and what he went through.

Admittedly I was a little afraid I wouldn’t like Georgia after I first met her in Siren Unleashed. She came off as a spoiled and slightly fluffy character. But then by the end, you can see that there’s more to her. And that more definitely gets expanded on here. Georgia is a character with plenty of depth and I loved seeing her true personality come out. She’s fierce and loyal and impossible not to love.

This was probably my favorite in the series so far but I’m already rabid for more!

Review: Lost In You by @authorlexiblake

LOST IN YOU
Series: Masters & Mercenaries: The Forgotten #3
Genre: Romantic Suspense, BDSM
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: August 6, 2019

Robert McClellan was forced to serve as a soldier in a war he didn’t understand. Liberated by McKay-Taggart, he struggles every day to reclaim the life he lost and do right by the men he calls his brothers, The Lost Boys. Only one thing is more important – Ariel Adisa. The gorgeous psychologist has plagued his dreams since the day they met. Even as their mission pushes him to his limits, he can’t stop thinking about taking his shot at finding a life beyond all this with her.

Ariel Adisa is a force to be reckoned with. Her performance in Toronto proved she’s more than just a brilliant mind, but Robert still acts as if she is a wilting flower who needs his protection. Joining him on the mission to Munich should be the perfect opportunity to test their skills and cement their relationship. She and Robert are an excellent match. But when a stunning secret from Robert’s past is revealed, their world is turned upside down and nothing will ever be the same again.

While they chase dark secrets across Europe, Robert and Ariel realize that the only thing worse than not knowing who you are could be discovering who you used to be…

AMAZON

I don’t know about your other patients. I’m sure many fall in love with you because you’re an angel, but I want to bring out the devil in you. I want the dirty, nasty Ariel who will rock my world not with the power of her mind—but with every drop of the sexuality I intend to bring out in you

That shocked reader there, the one currently picking her jaw off of the floor? No, not that one. The OTHER one. Yes, the one that’s currently stalking Lexi Blake for any breadcrumbs from the next book. No, not that one! The other one! The one that’s currently rocking in the corner while slobbering something incoherent that sounds like ‘I need the next book’. Yes. Yes, that one. The pathetic looking one that’s clutching her kindle to her chest. Yep. That’s me! And don’t you judge me either! Because this book blew me away! AWAY I tells ya!

This was, hands down, bar none, my absolute favorite book in the series so far. And yes, I know I also said that about the last book. So that’s saying something, mkay? So. Freaking. Good.

Robert and Ari have been desperate for each other for years. Ever since Robert was first rescued from the clutches of the evil Dr. McDonald. But he knew his violent urges and inability to control the darkness in his mind made him dangerous to the beautiful psychologist. But Ari is so much more than she seems.

I’ll tell you guys, that I was afraid I was going to be bored considering there’s such a substantial connection that’s already established with this couple through the first two books. And the fact that they get together quite quickly made me nervous. I’m a reader that likes my angst and enjoys that delicious burn of anticipation for the couple to finally get together. But of course Lexi Blake made me eat my words. Because the romance was phenomenal!

There’s so much that’s happening as the team continues to try and unearth the secrets of their pasts and prevent Levi Green from getting his hands on the mind erasing drug that took their past lives away from them. Lost In You was non stop action with so many twists and turns, it will leave your head reeling.

In the midst of all that high octane action, you also get more details about Solo and Ezra, which left me damn near rabid for their book. Think Ian and Charlotte times ten! YES. It’s that good. Then there’s the development behind Tucker’s past and who really is Dr. Razor. And boy oh boy, let me just tell you, it’s delicious!!! I’m practically dying for that book.

Ari and Robert together were incendiary. Their connection is so strong, but with the secrets that Ari is keeping and the hidden truth of Robert’s past still standing between them, it’s not an easy road for them. I devoured this book, y’all! Like downright devoured. I couldn’t put it down for even a second. There’s so much that happens. Secrets unearthed. Truth revealed. Twists thrown in. It was totally and completely unputdownable. I’m utterly rabid for the next book!!!

Review: I Will Not Beg by Cherise Sinclair

I WILL NOT BEG
Series: Mountain Masters & Dark Haven #9
Genre: BDSM, Contemporary Romance
Author: Cherise Sinclair
Release Date: June 25, 2019

She signed away her freedom…

Starved for affection, young Piper Delaney surrenders her life to a Master. But there is no love—only abuse. She’s told she can’t leave; she signed the slave contract. Years later, beaten and starving, she hears an English Dom say the contract’s illegal. Unenforceable. And she runs.

She reclaims her life and rises above the nightmare that was her past.

But her enslavement left scars. She longs for love, but the only men who truly attract her also terrify her–Dominants. Hoping to conquer her fears, she visits Dark Haven, but the sounds of the club are too much.

When a submissive panics, Sir Ethan steps in.

The powerful English Dom recognizes the shivering submissive in his lap. Years before, he’d corrected her Master’s deceit about a contract. She’s come a long way since then. Cynical at being pursued for his wealth, he finds Piper’s honesty compelling. She’s intelligent, brave…and she needs him. What Dom could resist?

He’s the Dom she’d dreamed about—perceptive, firm, and utterly self-confident.

His voice pulls her from panic attacks. His arms enclose her in safety. He treats her like a person, not something to mistreat. As he helps Piper overcome her fears, she starts to fall in love.

Then her past finds her and destroys…everything.

AMAZON

As he straightened, she stared at him…and felt barriers dropping. Leaving her open. Defenseless. Oh, she was in so much trouble.

No one can write an emotional powerhouse of a BDSM romance quite like Cherise Sinclair. When it comes to her books, I don’t even bother reading the blurb. I HAVE to have them. Period. This woman has written some of my favorite Doms I’ve ever written. Though, deVries forever holds my heart in the number one spot. *Happy sigh*

I Will Not Beg finally brings us the story of Sir Ethan, and boy was it an emotional doozy. Sinclair sure knows how to write some damaged characters. But she also knows how to make them powerful in their own right. And that’s exactly what she did with Piper. This is a heroine that’s desperate for love, but is terrified of seeking it out in a place she needs most.

After being brutalized in what she thought was a D/s relationship, Piper is still recovering. She’s terrified of Doms because the only reference she has is the cruel sadist that broke her. She’s trying to move on as much as she can, but the emotional scars of her past are almost as painfully obvious as her physical ones.

Sir Ethan is everything that Piper needs and everything that she’s terrified of. He’s patient, understanding, sweet, and undeniably Dominant. At first their contract is strictly for her healing, but it doesn’t take Piper long to discover just how much she’s still capable of love in the hands of the right man. And just how right, Sir Ethan’s hands can be.

This was an emotionally charged, character driven story. You spend a lot of time in the heads of Ethan and Piper. Both of them are damaged in their own right, though one more than the other. The amount of healing that they bring to each other is almost beautiful to experience. You see how they pick each other piece by piece by giving the other what they need; Piper’s trust and submission and Ethan’s patience and sensuality.

You experience Piper’s emotional healing journey, and watch her go from a victim to a survivor with a spine of steel. I loved that she grew into a woman that really learned to save herself. And I especially loved how Ethan was with her. The man is undoubtably dominant, yet he’s so incredibly sweet. He has an intensity to him, but there’s also this kind heart and never ending patience. I loved this combination.

There’s plenty of cameos from my favorite characters (*cough* deVries *cough*). I especially loved getting more of Dixon and Stan and getting a peek into their heads even if it was only for a little bit.

As always, Sinclair delivered an emotionally charged and sizzling BDSM romance that was satisfying from beginning to end.

Review: Lost And Found by @authorlexiblake

LOST AND FOUND
Series: Masters & Mercenaries: The Forgotten #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: February 26, 2018

Owen Shaw and his “brothers” lost everything, their entire existence erased. Science had robbed he and all the Lost Boys of their memories and their past, but not their future. Hunted by every intelligence agency in the world, they are focused on two goals: find a cure for what was done to them and ensure that the technology that ruined their lives doesn’t get out into the world. Rebecca Walsh might be the key to achieving both. Owen has been studying her closely, living in her building, and he cannot resolve how such a beautiful, giving woman could have helped design the evil process that destroyed his past.

Dr. Rebecca Walsh has dedicated her life to researching the secrets of the mind. Her atmospheric rise in her field was fueled by the horror of watching her mother’s agonizing journey into madness at the hands of a disease with no cure. She vowed to never rest until she finds it. But obsession takes a heavy toll, and when Owen moves into her building she realizes how much of her life she has missed out on. Owen opens her eyes to a whole new world, filled with joy, laughter, and possibly love.

Owen and Rebecca grow closer, unraveling more about each other and the mysteries surrounding her connection to Hope McDonald. As the sinister forces working against the Lost Boys descend on Toronto, secrets long buried are uncovered that could shatter the bonds holding the Lost Boys together and cost Rebecca her life.

AMAZON

Somehow this woman had invaded his soul and taken up all the empty spaces. 

The mistress of sexy espionage strikes again! Lost and Found was one deliciously action-packed ride that was full of twists and turns and brimming with passion!

I’ve been looking forward to Owen’s book for a long time. Owen has been a character that I’ve been curious about ever since Submission is Not Enough. A man that was dealt with an impossible choice; save his mother and sister by betraying his team. Unfortunately not only does he betray his team, he loses his family anyway, right along with his memory. Now driven by the need to right the wrongs that he can’t remember, Owen is determined to do anything his team needs to get the job done. This is a hero that’s impossible not to fall for. There’s something so vulnerable and raw about him. How do you recover from making a choice that leads to the ultimate betrayal but not remember what led you there?

Rebecca is a brilliant doctor and researcher. She’s dedicated her life to finding the cure to degenerative neurological diseases and their effect on memory. With the possibility of a connection to the evil Dr. McDonald, she also may hold the key to many of the answers that Ezra and his team are desperately seeking.

I’ll admit, at first I was afraid I wouldn’t like Rebecca. I thought she may be the stereotypical brainiac that’s shy, introverted, and awkward. Yes, I know, apparently I can be judgy. But she was none of those things. Yes, she was adorably quirky, but not in the way you’d expect. This is a woman that’s trying to get herself out there after a bitter divorce. She’s eager to experience everything life has to offer and say yes to things one small experience at a time.

She’s supposed to be just a mission to Owen, but the minute that he comes face to face with the beautiful doctor, the chemistry between them is instant. He and his team have subtly inserted themselves in her life and her building. Owen refuses to believe the lively woman could have knowingly made the drug that cost them all their memories. But nothing is ever what it seems in the word of Lexi Blake.

I devoured this book, y’all! I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I was at the edge of my seat, waiting for the other shoe to drop. And as Owen and Rebecca grew closer, I was anxiously waiting for the time that she’d realize that Owen is not at all who he seems to be. I loved the two of them together and the way they seemed to bring out a certain strength in the other. They were both such multilayered characters that held so much depth. I couldn’t get enough of them together.

The plot certainly begins to thicken with more revelations of Tucker’s connection to Dr. McDonald, Green’s ultimate plan, and other tidbits of the lost boys. I loved getting more Ari and Robert, and can’t wait for their book next. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t foaming at the mouth for both Tucker and Ezra’s books. As more details unravel about “Dr. Razor”, my fascination with him is turning dang near rabid.

Lost and Found was everything I’ve come to love about Lexi’s books. The woman knows how to draw the reader in, hook them and keep them riveted to the pages. She effortlessly combines espionage with action, suspense, and just a touch of BDSM to make you addicted to the series. I never thought I’d say that I love a spin-off series more than my beloved Masters and Mercenaries series, but here we are!

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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