Review: ★Blackmailed by the Hero★ by Julie Patrick

August 12, 2015 by · Leave a Comment

Review BbtH Blackmailed By The Hero
Series: Gone Hollywood #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Julie Particka
Release Date: August 11, 2015add-to-goodreads-button31

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The wrong bed. The wrong guy. 

Party planner Vicky Stone is on a post-divorce mission. Not only does she intend to land her dream promotion, she’s going to indulge in a night of hot hook-up sex. Preferably with the hunky actor she just met at a work function, no-fraternization rules be damned. Fortunately, his drunken directions included a right that should have been a left, landing her in bed with her brother’s extra-hot, extra-off-limits best friend instead of the unemployment line.

And, oh, he feels good. Too good.

Bad boy Dante Palladino’s forbidden fantasies are about to come true…until Vicky realizes who she’s feeling up. And to find out she risked her job for sex with some loser? Not on his watch. Dante throws down the ultimate, albeit self-serving, blackmail. Vicky will date him-and only him-and her secret will be safe. But Vicky swore never to fall for another guy who could break her heart…and Dante’s on course to do just that.

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Review

3 stars

BbtH-DirtyGirlRomance

I want you, Vicky Stone. I’ve wanted you for five years, and I sure as hell want you to know I thought you were worth the wait.”

First let me preface my review by saying that my lower rating had nothing to do with the book not being wonderful; it was a sweet and sexy romance. It has everything to do with my own personal preference. So please don’t let my rating deter. Three stars, after all, means that I did enjoy it overall, just a few things kept it from being a 4 or 5 star.

Vicky Stone is Evan Stone’s sister from Tempting Her Fake Fiancé. But if you haven’t read that book, don’t worry, because you can easily read this one as a standalone. If you’re looking for a sweet brother’s best friend romance sort of thing, this will definitely fit the bill. But don’t let the title or the synopsis deceive you, because to be quite frank, I didn’t really find Dante to be a bad boy in any sense of the word. Perhaps that’s what kept this at a solid three stars for me; different expectations.

Dante Palladino has had feelings for Vicky as long as he’s known her. Starting his career as a wrestling superstar and moving towards movies now hasn’t exactly meant he’s been a saint when it comes to women. But this is not the bad boy you might be expecting. Sure he’s pierced in all the right places (and I mean THE RIGHT places) but for me that was as “bad” as he got. What he was, was a nice guy that made that evident from the very beginning. His motivation is honorable, even if his means aren’t the best.

I enjoyed this book for the most part, but it was also missing a certain something for me too. An oompf of sorts. It just didn’t have that Brazen feeling. I felt like I was reading a Lovestruck or maybe even an indulgence. Oh fine! It was just too “nice” for me. God! I feel dirty just writing that, but it’s the truth. I needed a little more from this. The conflict at the end felt forced and contrived just to keep pushing the plot, though the resolution of it was sweet. But again, this was a definite case of it’s me and not the book. It was simply just too sweet for my tastes. There. I said it.

If you enjoyed the first book in this series, you’re sure to enjoy this one. My favorite part of the story was Vicky’s best friend, Jade. So I’m really hoping her book will be next. I’m still a fan of this series, it was just that this book simply didn’t wow me. It just was. Not great, not bad, and not anything I’d go back to, but still a fun read.


DON’T MISS BOOK ONE IN THE GONE HOLLYWOOD SERIES

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Review: ★Over The Top★ by Rebecca Zanetti

July 22, 2015 by · Leave a Comment

Review OtTOver The Top
Series: Maverick Montana #4
Author: Rebecca Zanetti
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 21, 2015add-to-goodreads-button-2

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Dawn Freeze had a huge crush on Hawk Rain for years, and the entire town knows it. It’s understandable―the man is total hotness. That tall, lean body. Intense dark eyes. And always one foot out the door. Now he’s on leave for exactly one week. And this time, he’s made it crystal clear that he only wants one thing. Her.

Hawk’s been fighting his attraction to Dawn for as long as he can remember. She’s his best friend’s little sister, and that means hands-off. Except now she’s all grown up, and her sweet sexiness is exactly what he craves. But just as Hawk allows himself one mindblowingly intense night with Dawn, he learns that everyone he loves is in danger. Especially her.

And the only way to protect Dawn is to push her away…

 

Buy LinksAmazon / iBooks

Review3 starsOtT-DGR

He was tired of fighting, and he was tired of wishing. Most of all, he was tired of wondering.
So he held her in place and delved deep.

Allow me to preface my review by saying had I read this book immediately after Rising Assets, I have a feeling I would have enjoyed it a lot more. As it was, with over a year wait between the last book and this one, I forgot everything. Going back to my review of Rising Assets I was very excited about Hawk’s book and I do recall there being some backstory of him and Dawn being covered, but I couldn’t for the life of me remember what it was.

He’d known. he’d known if he ever touched her, she’d burn him. Dawn Freeze was all in- no matter what she did. Now, she was all into him.
And it fucking felt great.

I think my biggest issue was that I felt like I was missing a certain backstory of the MCs the entire time reading this book. The author does give a little bit here and there but it just wasn’t enough for me to truly form a connection to either one of the characters. It was like the story started from the middle of their relationship and there was always this disconnect for me.

Nothing I love more than a broken hero, and Hawk certainly had his demons that he struggles with. The biggest being a military mission over seas that went wrong and still haunts him. He’s determined to neutralize the threat once and for all, but he knows that the chances of him surviving it are not great. So as much as he yearns for Dawn, he can’t give her that part of himself knowing that she may lose him in the end.

I made a promise, and in keeping it, I probably won’t make it home. But we have this week, and I want it. For the future, to always remember.”

As much as I loved the small town set up in my books, I found the secondary characters of it to be overpowering here. They were distracting from the main couple, or at least they were for me. While the meddling old women trying to get Hawk and Dawn together throughout the entire book worked in some chapters, I found myself wanting more of the MCs and their story.

Dawn was an awesome heroine. Strong witted, funny, take charge attitude always does it for me, and she certainly gave as good as she got.

If you were mine, you’d be over my knee right now.” Which, hell, he’d love to see anyway.
She rolled her eyes. “Good thing I’m not yours. And if you ever tried it, I guarantee you’d lose a testicle.”

She was the perfect match to Hawk’s broodiness. As far as the chemistry between them, well they had that in spades between the sheets. The sex scenes were verra hot. I guess I still just needed a little something…more.

It was great catching up with all the couples from the previous 3 books and there were even some laugh out loud moments.

What the holy fuck of a holy fuckup of a fuck were you two fucking fuck-ups fucking doing?”

There was also Reese, Hawk’s military buddy who was very intriguing. I’m hoping the set up in the story is one for his book?

As much as I enjoyed parts of this story, mostly I felt a little underwhelmed. Perhaps because there was just too long a wait between books? Or maybe because I set my hopes too high since I’m a HUGE Rebecca Zanetti fan? For the most part Over The Top was an OK read; steamy and even a little suspenseful but just not enough to really keep me glued to the pages. I do love this series and look forward to the next release.

READ THE SERIES IN ORDER

Book 1: Purchase

Book 2: Purchase

Book 3: Purchase

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Review: ★Chance Encounter★ by Christy Reece

July 15, 2015 by · Leave a Comment

Review CE

Chance Encounter
Series: LCR Elite #2
Author: Christy Reece
Release Date: June 29, 2015
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Chance_Encounter

She’s the face of innocence whose secrets, if uncovered, could destroy her carefully crafted life.

On the cusp of achieving every goal she’s set for herself, Kacie Dane is one step away from superstardom. The hell she endured five years ago is a nightmare of the past. With a new name and a new life, no one would ever recognize her as the ravaged victim she’d once been. Her secret is safe…or so she thinks.

He’s a disgraced former sports star looking for redemption, determined to stay in the shadows.

Once the golden boy of the NFL, Brennan Sinclair’s fall from grace was witnessed by the entire world. Determined to stay out of the limelight and make his life count for something, he joins the Elite branch of Last Chance Rescue. Brennan never expected his first assignment would draw him back into the life that almost destroyed him.

Some secrets should never be kept. Some sins can never be forgiven.

Someone knows exactly who Kacie Dane is and will stop at nothing to destroy her. Brennan is sure that he, along with his LCR Elite partners, can keep Kacie safe and unmask the evil trying to destroy her, but he never expected to lose his heart to the one woman he couldn’t have.
A killer bent on revenge. A woman who refuses to be broken. A man in need of redemption.

No one is safe.

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Review3 starsCE-DGR

This man who both fascinated and frightened her made her more aware of herself than she’d ever been.

I have been a huge fan of Christy Reece since first discovering her LCR series years ago. I binged on those books and never wanted to end. This is my first book by her in the new LCR spin-off series, LCR Elite, and I can’t say that I ever felt lost or confused not having read the previous book in this series. I did, however, read every single one of her LCR ones. I got a little nostalgic seeing some of my favorite characters making an appearance here, like Gabe Maddox and Skylar from No Chance and of course the head of LCR, Noah McCall. If you haven’t read that series yet, I highly recommend you do.

While I enjoyed Chance Encounter, it also failed to grab me like the other books by this author had. For a romantic suspense, it was pretty slow-paced and mostly uneventful. While there was the mystery behind who was after the heroine, not much was really happening on that front until practically the very end. A good chunk of the book is focused on the developing of feelings between Kacie and Brennan.

Brennan Sinclair was a character I really loved. But then again, I always do seem to love the broken ones, and Brenna’s history is an absolutely heart-breaking one. I appreciated that there was no insta-love here even though both characters had an undeniable chemistry from the very beginning. I also really appreciate the way that the author handled Kacie’s character. This was a woman that went through hell at the hands of a monster five years ago, and the lingering effects of her experience haunt her to this day. There was no instant healing with the hero’s penis (oh you know exactly what I mean). It was written in a very realistic matter that allowed you to truly connect to the heroine and what she’s feeling. It may have been a slow burn towards Kacie and Brennan finally being together, but once they did, the fireworks definitely flew.

Kacie?”
“Yes?”
“Who’s inside you?”
She smiled dreamily. “Brennan Sinclair.”
“Who’s going to make you come again so hard that your eyes will cross?”

This was a solid four star read for me up until that last twist at the end. It was just so OTT that I found myself losing interest in the story. It served as the catalyst for Brennan finally getting his head out of his ass, but it was still mostly eye-roll inducing.

If you’re looking for an action packed romantic suspense, this is not it. It’s a slow burn and a bit on the fluffy side. In all fairness it was probably my least favorite book by this author. But considering her previous books were mostly 5 stars for me, that’s not exactly an insult. I’m just saying it was a little too fluffy and slow for me. That being said, I’m still looking forward to the next installment and will gladly continue with this series.

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Review: ★Priest★ by Sierra Simone

July 2, 2015 by ·
Priest
Author: Sierra Simone
Genre: Erotic Romance
Release Date: June 29, 2015

There are many rules a priest can’t break. 
A priest cannot marry. A priest cannot abandon his flock. A priest cannot forsake his God.

I’ve always been good at following rules. 
Until she came. 
My name is Tyler Anselm Bell. I’m twenty-nine years old. Six months ago, I broke my vow of celibacy on the altar of my own church, and God help me, I would do it again. 
I am a priest and this is my confession.

*Priest is a standalone, full-length novel with an HEA. For mature audiences only.*

AMAZON

I stopped seeing a penitent.
I stopped seeing a child of God.
I stopped seeing a lost lamb in need of a shepherd.
I saw only a woman in need- ripe, delicious need.

Look, it’s no secret that I happen to have a soft spot for dirty kinky priests. I have been forever ruined by the Original Sinners series and haven’t looked back since. So when I saw the synopsis for this book, I didn’t even give it a second thought; I knew I had to read it and meet this Tyler Anselm Bell. I read this book in one sitting, and if there’s one thing I can tell you with utmost certainty it’s that Sierra Simone is an incredibly talented author. I absolutely LOVED her writing style. I also know that I would without a doubt read all of her future books. Did Priest live up to my expectations? Yes and no. It did in the sense that I got what I thought I would be getting; a dirty kinky priest. Lord, but he was dirty. Pun most definitely intended. (Amen) If I were to rate on the smut factor alone, this would be a 5 point punch straight to the ovaries. But I’ve evolved quite a bit from the reader that can enjoy mere smut. I know, I know, I’m shocked at this growth myself. And while Priest was a book that I enjoyed for the steam, the rest of the book wasn’t strong enough to bring it up from a “like” 3 star to a 4 or 5 star read.

Tyler is 29 years old and hasn’t exactly lived the life of a saint, especially in his carnal relations. He’s a man of peculiar tastes, and his tastes are certainly….intense. But three years ago, a tragic event changed his life irrevocably. And so he took a vow of celibacy to become a priest. You don’t know wha this “event” is right away, and the author reveals the details of it throughout the course of the book. However, this was the first thing that worked against it for me. When it was finally revealed, it still didn’t make me connect to Tyler’s reasons to do this. How something like this would make him turn toward the church is tough to explain, especially since it had the exact opposite effect on the rest of his family. And the mere fact how it hurt his mother played against it too. I just couldn’t justify it or make sense of it in my head to truly connect to it.

I was sorry that I hadn’t controlled my desire long enough to step into a cold shower or go for a run or any of the other tricks I’d learned over the past three years to stifle my urges.
Mostly…
Mostly, I’m sorry that I’m not sorry.
Dammit, I wasn’t sorry at all.

Then along came Poppy to tempt him down the path of sin…
What first began as a confession soon began to turn into an obsession. Tyler is inexplicably draw to Poppy. Something about her seems to tempt his inner sinner and makes him want to do bad, bad things.

Poppy was a heroine that I never connected with from the very beginning. She was such a two dimensional character. I found no depth to her whatsoever. Here you have this woman that had a wonderful childhood but with parents who wanted a lot from her. They didn’t encourage her dreams of going to Julliard, but instead pushed her to go down the same path that every female of the upper crust follows; get an education, marry an equally rich man, and do charity work. Wanting more from her life, Poppy leaves it all behind to become a stripper. (But a high end one) Yep, that made total sense…. Not really.

Throughout the book, I never could grow to like her. Perhaps it was because it was because the story is told only in Tyler’s POV. But really, she just struck me as a somewhat vapid character. There was nothing more to her besides the lust that she induces in Tyler. Or if there was, I never really found it.

….our eyes locked and we surged past every barrier- stranger and stranger, priest and penitent, Tyler and Poppy. We were simply male and female, as God had made us, Adam and Eve, in the most elemental and fundamental form. We were biology, we were creation incarnate…

The sex between them was absolutely scorchingly hot. And so dirty. Lord but when these two sin, they go all out. To be honest, it almost felt like the book was trying to be taboo too hard at certain scenes.

Sacred and profane were blending and blurring together, fusing and welding themselves into something new and whole and singular, and if this was what love was, then I didn’t know how anyone could bear the weight of it.

I found the connection between Tyler and Poppy to be a little hard to believe. Even though everything happens over a span of weeks, it read like hours. It was just way too fast. How a mere sight of a woman can lead someone like Tyler that made the choice to be what he is so quickly, I just don’t know. There was nothing more to it besides him being attracted to her and being turned on by her confessions. Tyler wasn’t exactly a saint before he became a priest. He was a man that liked his sex and more on the kinky side. It made sense I suppose, that it wouldn’t take much to tempt him back to the dark side, but I still needed a little more. Also, considering they have the fear of discovery, these two were completely thoughtless to that when it came down to business. They went at it everywhere without a second thought as to who may see them. I’ll even admit that certain scenes even made this seasoned pervert cringe (view spoiler). So…yeah.

 Now all that aside, I still read this book in one sitting. I enjoyed the writing stile immensely and the book was highly entertaining. While it lacked a few things to make it a 4 or 5 star read for me, it was still a very solid 3 stars. I did like it, all quibbles aside. But would I read it again? Probably not.

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: ,

Review: ★Their Virgin Mistress★ by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake

June 7, 2015 by ·
Their Virgin Mistress 
Authors: Shayla Black, Lexi Blake
Genre: Erotic Romance. BDSM
Release Date: April 14, 2015

One wild night leads to heartache…

Tori Glen loves her new job as an image consultant for Thurston-Hughes Inc. The trouble is, she’s also in love with the three brothers who own it, Oliver, Rory, and Callum. They’re handsome, successful, aristocratic, and way out of this small-town Texas girl’s league. So she remains a loyal professional—until the night she finds a heartbroken Oliver desperate for someone to love. Tori knows she should resist…but it’s so tempting to give in.

And a desperate plan…

Callum and Rory have denied their desire for Tori, hoping she’ll heal their older brother, who was so brutalized by his late wife’s betrayal. But when Oliver cruelly turns Tori away in the harsh light of day, she tenders her resignation. Rory and Callum realize that to save their brother, they must embrace the unconventional sort of family they’ve always wanted—with Tori at its center. And it all starts with seducing her…

That could lead to happily ever after—or murder.

Isolated with the brothers at an elegant English country manor, they begin awakening Tori to the most sensual of pleasure. But consumed with regret, Oliver won’t be denied the chance to embrace the only woman worth the risk of loving again. What begins as a rivalry veers toward the future they’ve only dared to dream of. But a stranger is watching and waiting for a chance at revenge. Can the brothers come together to embrace the woman they love and defeat a killer?

 

This series is pure guilty indulgence for me. Whenever I’m looking for a light read that’s heavy on the smut but still has enough story to keep me from skimming the sex scenes; these books are my go-to.

 Now admittedly they all follow the same formula. Sweet naive virgin meets 3 men that want her for themselves. One will always fight the attraction, one will already be in love with her, and the 3rd will be the voice of reason. Formulaic? Absolutely. But yet seven books into the series and I’m still not bored of it and look forward to the next book.

 If you’ve read Their Virgin Princess then you’ll remember Oliver Thurston-Hughes as the poor unknowing sap that gets double crossed and almost killed by his conniving wife. While I wasn’t sure about him during most of that book, I have to say that by the end I was fully rooting for him to get his HEA. Now it’s Oliver’s turn and his two younger brothers, Callum and Rory. Callum the infamous footballer who suffered a career ending injury and the play boy, Rory, then there’s the jaded Oliver and all 3 of them are practically in love with their image consultant; Tori Glen.

 Tori is the younger sister of Piper Glen from Their Virgin Concubine. While her sister may have found her HEA with her 3 gorgeous husbands, Tori knows that can’t be her fate. First, the Thurston-Hughes brothers can barely get along enough to even consider sharing a woman, and second they’re in England where relationships like that aren’t exactly accepted as the status quo as they are in Bezakistan. So she does her job all while pretending to be engaged until Callum finds out the truth and the brothers come together in a united effort to seduce her, body and soul.

 I enjoyed the first 60% of this book but I found the last 40% to be a little dragging. The ending and the “bad guy” was of course extremely predictable and served no other purpose then to simply be the final bang that brings everything together. A nice and smutty read that offered nothing new but an enjoyable book to spend a lazy Sunday evening with.

 Although characters do build off of one another and get introduced earlier in the series before their own book, these are still all easily read as standalones.

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Review: ★Destroyed★ by Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliot

May 24, 2015 by ·
Destroyed 
Authors:  Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliott 
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 12, 2015

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

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

Until Margo.

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

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

And Margo always does what she’s supposed to.

Until Simon.

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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


READ THE SERIES IN ORDER

-this is the series introduction I highly recommend you check out before starting the series. You get a background on each of the characters and really get what sets their stories in motion.
Goodreads / Amazon
Deacon and Harper’s book (Currently FREE on Amazon!)
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review
Deacon and Harper’s novella
Goodreads / Amazon
Gray and Jazz (part 1)
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review
Gray and Jazz (part 2)
Goodreads / Amazon

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Review: ★Filthy Dirty Secrets★ by Grace Morgan

May 24, 2015 by ·
Filthy Dirty Secrets 
Author: Grace Morgan
Genre: Erotic Romance (trilogy)
Release Date: May 18, 2015

My unique brand of kink has most women dropping their panties.
But not Lola.

Which makes her all the more interesting. You know the old cliché that men love the chase? Hell yeah we do. I want her to fight me. Resist me.

Because when I finally take her, I’ll have conquered not only her body, but her mind. And to a Dom like me, there is no better victory.

This is book 2 in the Filthy Dirty Alpha series, continuing the erotic journey of Lola and Burke, and the dark, and troubling secrets he’s been hiding.

Book 1 – Filthy Dirty Alpha
Book 2 – Filthy Dirty Secrets
Book 3 – Filthy Dirty Fate

Amazon

You know the old cliche that men love the chase? Hell yeah we do. I want her to fight me. Resist me. Because when I finally take her, I’ll have conquered not only her body, but her mind.

The story of Lola, Burke and the mystery of Hope’s disappearance continues in Filthy Dirty Secrets. And the book is very appropriately titled since there seems to be a whammy of a secret at work here which finally hits you over the head like a two by four with that cliffhanger.

 There was quite a few revelations packed into the short 65 pages here. You get the reason behind Lola’s ferocious need to find out what happened to Hope. I was afraid that the author may never address that and I always felt that the story really needed that reason. And I must say, I was very satisfied with what it was. It explains her thirst for answers and truly makes you connect with her character here.

 Burke continues to be the mystery that he was in book 1. Even though the story is told in dual POVs, you don’t get much about Burke here other than his struggle with what he wants from Lola. Does he secretly crave more or will it stop with the end of their thirty day arrangement? Guess we’ll have to wait for the third and final book for that answer. I’m really hoping for some insight about his character next. Besides being a Dom with commitment issues and the owner of Second Circle, we truly don’t know much about him. Though we do get to find out his connection with Hope, it still leaves quite a few questions to be answered.

 There is a hell of a cliffy that the author hits you with at the end, and I have to say that it was one I never saw coming. I love a story that can continue surprise me and this series continues to keep doing that. Grace Morgan manages to pack in a mix of scorching hot sex with a bit of story, answering a few questions while leaving you with many more here. My only complaint is the length. I would have loved for a little bit more here. I’m hoping that the final installment will give us just a little bit more. I can’t wait to see how this all ends. Quite the addicting little story the author has penned here. Definitely looking forward for more from her.

DON’T MISS BOOK 1 IN THE SERIES

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Review: Hostile Takeover by Joey W. Hill

January 19, 2014 by · Leave a Comment

Book V of the Knights of the Board Room series (can be read as standalone)

Ben is the last unattached member of the five-man executive team of K&A Associates. The other four, all Masters, have found the submissive of their dreams. That’s fine. The sharp-edged lawyer knows he’s the most hardcore of all of them, with extreme tastes as a Master he satisfies physically through experienced club submissives. He doesn’t really need anything more than that.

Marcie has loved Ben since she was sixteen. He’s never behaved as anything more than a protective big brother, a family friend. But now she’s twenty three and starting her career as a corporate investigator. She may be a blood-and-bone deep submissive, but she won’t hesitate to use her aggressive talents to prove she’s meant to be his. With a Master as tough as Ben, she’ll have to take whatever measures are needed—even if her deepest desire isn’t a hostile takeover of his heart, but an unconditional surrender to it.

Reader Advisory: Marcie’s sexual journey contains a group scene of female/female sexual exploration. The Masters also share her in a brief group scene.


She’d heard rumors about his size, but if that was a partial erection, there were monsters in Japan who would run screaming.

INTENSE

That’s the best word I can come up with here to describe the experience that was this book. As much as I love this author’s writing and as hot as most of the scenes in this book were…this was not my favorite book by her. The series has been a little hit or miss for me, with Peter’s book still continuing to be my favorite.

If you’ve never read BDSM books, this is not the one you pop your BDSM cherry with. Seriously. And before you meet Ben and his monster cock, might I suggest working on your stamina a bit


Because the man’s cock has the recovery time of 1.5 seconds. It’s like the BDSM energizer bunny…it just keeps fucking, and fucking, and fucking…

If you’ve read this series, then you’re familiar that every man in the group has his own particular kink. Now personally, if I had to pick, I’d stick with Lucas and his kink. Why? I’ll give you a hint.


Ben is the most intense of the ‘knights’. So you may be curious what his particular kink is.


Now I gotta admit, as delicious as Ben is, his penchant for anal in combination with his monster cock…I’d be a bit intimidated. Oh who am I kidding. I’d be a whole lot of

But Marcie handled it like a champ.

I’m not typically a fan of extremely forward heroines in my books, but Marcie was just awesome. She had the lady balls of steel. To be able to handle Ben and his very dark past, she’d have to be.

But somewhere along the line, this book lost some of its fizzle for me. I knew what I was walking into reading it after seeing some reviews, so I wasn’t too surprised. But there were a few scenes that left me a bit

1. highlight to view spoiler: There is a FF scene in the book. Doesn’t really bother me, though I mainly prefer cock on cock action. My problem with this particular scene is that I didn’t quite get the necessity of it. Marcy is coming down from a very intense fight with Ben so the women comfort her. Somehow this goes from having drinks, to getting a message, to oral sex from Dana. Huh? It wasn’t meant to be sexual, more of a comforting thing. I think that’s why I really didn’t connect with this. Dunno.(end spoiler)

2. There is a CNC scene in the book. Consensual non-consent. Didn’t bother me, but I thought I’d put the warning out there.

3. highlight to view spoiler: I understand the bond that these men share, and the need to share their women with each other during scenes. I don’t have a problem with this. But the fact that Marcie is Lucas’s sister in law kinda killed my lady boner. (end spoiler)

There was not much romance in this book, so don’t really expect that here. Ben is not a hero filled with sweet words, endearments and butterflies.

I won’t be your Master, but I will be your mentor. If you show me you can behave. Those are my terms. No revisions, no loopholes, no games. If you can’t handle that, collect your stuff, take your fuck-me-now slut attitude, and get out of this office.

There were parts where Ben was a total asshole. Now while I’m typically all into that sort of thing, what I mainly felt here was

Luckily he gets his shit together by the very end, and we do get a little bit of his softer side.

I also wanted to delve a little deeper into his past. After the many hints throughout the series of what he’s been through, I was expecting this to be a focus somewhere in his book. But I felt that ultimately it was a bit glossed over. There were hints and a few revelations, but no more so than we already knew about him.

This book is certainly not for everyone. I did enjoy it, but it is not anything I see myself ever going back to.

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ARC review: Running From Forever by Ashley Wilcox

October 18, 2013 by · 2 Comments

Running From Forever (The Forever Series, #5)Running From Forever by Ashley Wilcox

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book Synopsis:

*This book is a spin-off of Waiting on Forever with no prior books needed to be read before it*
Recent college graduate, Kayla Reynolds was ready to leave the university, sorority life behind. Leaving her boyfriend of over three years, she packed her bags and moved four hours south to the big city…New York City. Bright lights, streets that never sleep, and a business lifestyle that she yearned to have were all at her fingertips. 
Kayla Reynolds was chasing her dream.
Determined and eager to make it in the corporate world, Kayla changed everything- her image, lifestyle, and outlook on life, putting her career first and her personal life second. That was until her first day, the first time she got a glimpse of Miles Blackwell. Corporate CEO and part owner of ETV, and not to mention, incredibly handsome, Miles Blackwell took Kayla by surprise, stealing her heart as he did.
But nothing had ever come that easy for Kayla. Life had always seemed to have a personal vendetta against her, stepping in when everything seemed too good to be true, reminding herself of whom she really was. It wasn’t until she met Merrick Drake that she realized when to stop; when running was no longer an option. For the first time in her life she had someone she could relate to; someone who wouldn’t judge- who saw the person she was inside. She and Merrick connected…on more levels than one. 
When life was too much to handle, they ran. 
But there was only one person that could make Kayla stop for good. Only one man that made her want to stay. 
Would Kayla finally stop running or would it all be too much to handle?

My Review

I’m just not a fairytale ending kind of girl…



Well damn damn damn and double damn. I think books need to come with a warning for people like me. Warning: This book has insta-love. Before I go into more detail, let me preface by saying that my 3 star rating here is not a bad thing. This was neither a hit or a miss for me, it fell into that weird limbo of an “OK” read. I feel like these are the type of reviews that are the hardest for me to write since I didn’t feel strongly about a book one way or another, neither loved nor hated it.



What worked for me


The writing. I truly enjoyed the author’s “voice” and writing style. This was my first book by Ashley Wilcox, and I will gladly read her future ones.

Merrick Tattooed bartender that happens to be a dirt bike racer? Hell to the yes, sign me up for that. I’m really looking forward to his book.

The twist in the middle of the book
Holy drama batman! I did NOT see that coming.

What didn’t work for me

Kayla. It started off so good. When Kayla admits to a history of being a slut and a party girl, I thought, “FINALLY! A book that doesn’t have an almost 30yr old virgin. Thank you Jebus!”
But then…she took a turn for the worse. Kayla moves to NY and leaves behind her boyfriend of 3.5 years to pursue a career and in search of something more for her life. She starts a new job…but then turns into a blushing slobbering fool over a man she JUST met in an elevator. All of a sudden, her new-found independence and job come second. And she becomes all about the sexy and mysterious Miles, who she pretty much knows barely anything about.

The insta-love
Let me summarize this.
Day 1: She meets Miles in an elevator. Looks and breathy hello’s are exchanged. Lust is in the air…
Day 2: Some more conversation and drinks at a bar. Miles pretty much puts her on the spot in front of her boss to let her know that they’re dating. Ummm…
Day 3: A date? I think it was a date?
Day 4: Sexy times ensue after their gala date
Day 5: Love is in the air

The multiple POVs
The book had 3 POVs, Kayla, Merrick, and Miles. Typically, this would really work for me. Unfortunately, in this case, I developed more of a liking for Merrick. For me, this was because we get zero background on Miles until the very end. At least, I think that was why.

Kayla and Miles
I never really felt a connection with them. For me, this was probably the speed at which everything happened. I found the relationship development really lacking. This is the biggest reason I struggle with insta-love in books.
I felt more of a connection between Merrick and Kayla.

This book was a quick and mostly enjoyable read. I read it in one sitting. While it was not a 5 star book for me, that’s not really a reflection of the writing. It truly had potential. But unfortunately, I always struggle with insta-love and it barely turns out to be a good experience for me. I think many would still enjoy this book, so don’t let my personal bias turn you off from reading it.

I am really looking forward to Merrick’s book next. The sneak peek we get of his story at the end of this one definitely has be intrigued.

**ARC was received in exchange for an honest review**

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Review: Perfect Regret by A. Meridith Walters

September 26, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

Perfect Regret (Bad Rep, #2)Perfect Regret by A. Meredith Walters

3 STARS

Blessed are the hearts that bend; they shall never be broken.

That awkward, confused looking person in that gif? That’s me right now. Minus the penis and plus some more hair. Why you ask? Well because I’m in a bit of a loss as to how to rate a book like this.

I loved, absolutely loved the first book, and I really enjoy the author’s writing. I loved everything about this book. Well everything aside from one tiny weenie little thing: the heroine, Riley. She drove me out of my ever loving mind! Now, it will be fair to say that I seem to have a short fuse for annoying and weak heroines. But here’s the thing…Riley was not weak. If anything she was the polar opposite of that times infinity on steroids.

Riley Walker has just been dumped. To say that she’s not handling it well is an understatement. She’s supposed to be the girl that doesn’t make mistakes, that leads the perfect life, that has her goals and priorities in order, and knows what she wants from her life. She had all of that, plus the perfect on paper boyfriend…until her perfect boyfriend tells her that their relationship has become boring and dumps her. So of course she’s going to wallow in some self pity for a while.

And to commemorate my recent descent into early spinsterhood, I had compiled a list of the most obnoxious and annoying songs ever written. Nothing says heartache and the overwhelming urge to disembowel yourself with a butter knife quite like an hour of Celine Dion ballads.

But then, to add insult to injury, she finds out that her ex just asked her very annoying coworker out. So what’s a girl to do? Well get drunk and have a very hot one night stand with the person she least expected to pay any attention to; Garrett Bellows.

Time to take a ride on the Garrett Express all the way to Fuck Me town

Riley never thought to give him the time of day. After all he’s a townie, a pot head, and no goals in mind aside from being the guitarist of Generation Rejects…but is that really all that was to him?

Garrett

We’ve found something in each other that we want. Hell if I understand why. Out of all the fish in the sea, I had to hook you. One giant, snarly toothed piranha ready to bite my fingers off.”

Garrett had me swooning after him for the entire book. There were some moments in the beginning that I questioned it, but he was just amazing. He wanted Riley, and once he let her know what he wanted, he didn’t play around. He’s already been through so much, and all he asked of Riley is for her to not break his heart when he gives it to her.
So what did Riley do with that? Well she ran it over with a friggin mack truck, of course. Then for good measure, she backed up, and ran it over again!!!
To say that I hated Riley for the majority of the book would be a gross understatement. She was a bitch. Plain and simple. She was HORRIBLE to Garrett. Everything thing she said, everything she did, I found myself getting more and more angry
It actually got to a point where I found myself rooting against her. I kid you not, I wished that Garrett would end up with someone that was deserving of him, and that was not Riley. I have never wished more that I could reach through my kindle and actually choke a fictional character. GAH!
She finally did manage to get her shit together in the last 15ish% of the book. For me this was just a case of too little too late. I didn’t think she deserved someone as wonderful as Garrett. He was always so understanding and tolerant of her, and she never ONCE returned the favor. She was judgmental, and rude, and at times purposefully hurtful.
I understand that she was going through a lot, but I didn’t find that to be a good excuse for her behavior. I just couldn’t find myself to look past my hate for Riley in this book to rate this anything above 3.5 stars.
The writing was fantastic, Garrett was wonderful, and it would have been a 5 star book for me if not for Riley.
So that is all the raging ramblings you’ll be getting from this girl. I’m off to read a book with a heroine that I will not be having homicidal thoughts towards. And I thank you

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