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: ★With Every Heartbeat★ by Linda Kage

March 7, 2015 by · Leave a Comment
With Every Heartbeat (Forbidden Men #4)
Author: Linda Kage
Genre: New Adult Romance
Length: 408 pages
Release Date: March 2, 2015

I used to think everything was black and white, truth or lie, easy or hard, that if I could just escape my strict, overbearing, abusive father, my life would be perfect. But since I’ve found a reason to risk his wrath and leave, to help a friend in need, I’ve come to realize everything I thought I knew is wrong.Friends have their own agenda, honesty comes with a dosage of lie, easy doesn’t even exist, keeping secrets sucks, and love…love is the most painful thing of all.Maybe if Quinn Hamilton hadn’t asked me to skip classes for the day and help him pick out an engagement ring for my best friend, I wouldn’t have fallen for him so completely on that sunny Tuesday afternoon and I wouldn’t feel so conflicted. But I did, and I can’t take it back, no matter how hard I try. So I have to deal with the fact that even I’m not as good, or honest, or caring as I’d always thought I was, and no matter what I do next, someone’s going to get hurt. Probably me.

-Zoey Blakeland

*Don’t worry! The hero and heroine are not cheaters.*

Buy Links
Amazon / B&N

Review
3 stars

We came together, and it was the biggest biology lesson of my life.


Have you ever read a book where you absolutely adored the hero, found the heroine incredibly endearing, loved the story, and yet…you hated a side character so much that it completely overshadowed most of the enjoyment you got from the book? That is exactly what happened to me here. I’ve been impatiently waiting for shy Quinn to get his book especially after his heroic actions in Be My Hero. I’ve adored him for 2 books straight as a side character and couldn’t wait for him to get his HEA and just hoped that the heroine would be deserving of everything that he is. Was Zoey that? Oh absolutely!

Usually sheltered, super shy, and introverted heroines are not my thing. But in the case of Zoey, you couldn’t help but not like her. Scratch that, I absolutely loved her character. This is a young girl that didn’t have an easy life. She had a domineering, extremely abusive and controlling father that she was finally able to escape when she started college. While she may have been shy and naive, she was so sweet and the way she cared for others around her endeared you to her so completely. You also couldn’t help but draw the parallels between her and Quinn and think how perfect they would be together. Unfortunately here my friends, is where the book took a very rapid decline for me; Cora.

To say that I hated her would be a gross understatement. I have never in my life wanted a side character to be killed off more than this vapid and sociopathic person. She drove me up the wall crazy. And just as I’d think she couldn’t be any worse, she’d go and do or say something that would leave me ripping my hair out and screaming at the ceiling.

I was curious to see how Linda Kage would make the relationship between Zoey and Quinn play out considering that Quinn is dating Cora for a large part of the book. Luckily, I was very satisfied with how this was handled. Well…aside from one particular part where Quinn decided that (Highlight to view spoiler)[it would be a good idea to ask Zoey to go ring shopping considering the feelings that he knows are brewing between them](end spoiler) . But I suppose he played ignorant or was just too naive to know better? I’m not sure.

My heart went out for Quinn in this book and everything that he’s been through. I never questioned what he would see in someone like Cora because given his inexperience and age you can see how he would get attached and turn a blind eye to all her faults. And oh dear gawd were there faults! SO MANY FAULTS!!!

But I digress.

My one big saving grace and comedic relief in all of this was Ten. Thank goodness for Ten and everything that he is. If I loved him in all the previous books, I absolutely fell head over heels for him in this one. There was one shower scene in particular that had me in tears from laughing so hard. Sigh. I just loved him so much.

But unfortunately, I found the parts with Cora to just last too long. Sadly, that also made the book feel dragged out for me and caused me to get frustrated even more. But really Cora,

There was also just a little too much drama packed into the end for me too. Between Cora, and then a continuation of Noel’s drama, and Zoey’s revelation I found myself finding it way too much. While I can’t say it was OTT, I think that the extremity of Cora would have been more than enough.
The love story was wonderful, and I loved the additional bits of Coraline and Ten’s story. I cannot freaking wait to read their book. Sadly, when something begins to bother me as much as Cora did, I tend to zero in on that and it will take away from everything else. However, if you’re a reader that can overlook something like that, perhaps you wouldn’t feel quite as extreme as I did.

I still adore Linda Kage’s writing, and I love this series, so I’m really looking forward to reading Ten’s book next and getting a little bit more of Quinn and Zoey hopefully.


With every beat of my heart, I am yours, Zoey Alaina Blakeland.

Don’t miss the rest of the FORBIDDEN MEN

Price of a Kiss (Forbidden Men #1)
Goodreads / Amazon
To Professor, with Love (Forbidden Men #2)
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review
Goodreads / Amazon / My Review
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Review: ★Game Play★ by Lynda Aicher

March 6, 2015 by · Leave a Comment
Game Play (Power Play #1)
Author: Lynda Aicher
Genre: Contemporary, Sports Romance
Length: 248 Pages
Release Date: February 16, 2015

 One night, one time, nothing more.That’s all it was supposed to be. They’d agreed their first night together would be their only night together—and Minnesota Glaciers defenseman Dylan Rylie was fine with that. Giant hickeys and claw marks on his ass had never been his style, even if the very memory of Samantha Yates’s merciless sexual energy gets him hard within seconds. He needs to focus on getting a better contract, not mind-blowing orgasms.

One night, one time, nothing more.

Fresh off representing the US at the Games and with nowhere else to play, Samantha gave in to one night of frantic passion with the Glaciers’ brawny hotshot. She couldn’t get hurt—not if she controlled the outcome. And she planned to leave Minnesota soon, anyway. She didn’t expect to be recruited to coach Dylan after they’d gotten down and dirty.

When brutal on-ice workouts lead to kinky locker room sessions and “one night” falls by the wayside, Samantha insists on keeping things casual, despite Dylan’s quiet hope for more. But when Dylan goes down—hard—and his career is in jeopardy, Samantha is the first one by his side. What will it take to keep her there after he’s healed?

There was nothing like battling a strong opponent. Nothing she’d found at least. And nothing had tested her like Dylan Rylie since she’d left the game- off the ice or on.

This was my first book by Lynda Aicher, and I can definitely tell you that it won’t be my last. I really clicked with her style of story telling and of course the fact that I’m a huge hockey fan didn’t hurt either. It’s clear from Lynda’s writing that she’s either a fan of the sport herself or she’s definitely done her share of research, so even if you’re not a fan of the sport, you will have no problems understanding it after you read this book.

What first intrigued me about this synopsis was the fact that Samantha, the heroine, is a hockey player herself and a damn good one. Unfortunately the female professional team just isn’t as lucrative or promising as the male one. So no matter how much love Samantha has for the sport and her career in it, she knows that she has no future with it. Forced to give up on her dream, especially after as much success as she’s had in it has certainly left her with her share of bitterness.

So when she sees Dylan Rylie, a Glacier’s defenseman, practicing on the same rink as her one night, she issues a challenge and proceeds to wipe the floor with him, much to the shock of everyone around them…including Dylan. There is a good amount of pent up sexual tension surrounding them, and when a drink at the bar after turns into one fiery encounter on a desk, sparks definitely fly. But while they decide on this being one night only, especially since Samantha plans on leaving in 6 months, Dylan isn’t as convinced to let it go at that. Convincing his coach to hire Sam as his trainer after she more than proved her skills on the ice, Dylan and Samantha’s relationship turns into one giant complication.

So why only 3 stars? Two reasons really. The biggest one being Samantha. She drove me a little crazy with her constant back and forth and bitter mentality. Her treatment of Dylan was almost callous at times and Dylan was an absolute sweetheart, which made it all the worse. I couldn’t connect to her “hangups”. Her belief that her father always wanted a boy and her constantly trying to live up to it just didn’t really seem solid enough reasoning. Especially since there wasn’t enough backstory on that end to really support her thoughts, or at least not to the extent that it was made to be. I understood her drive to succeed and be independent in her own right, but it also didn’t excuse her lack of support (or at least I found it to be) towards Dylan. At times I found myself thinking that Dylan was just too good for her.

The second reason was Dylan. Now here’s the thing, he was a total sweetheart and that would probably really work for many reasons. I like my heroes to be total alphas, and he just didn’t give off that vibe to me. Maybe a gamma at best? I found Samantha to be the more intense and in control of the two as far as their interactions went. I suppose I just wanted a little more ‘presence’ from Dylan, if that even makes sense. Sure he was sexy and funny, but he just lacked a certain intensity that I’ve come to like in my heroes. I didn’t really connect with his party boy “image” either. Yes, we’re given reasons for this particular facade, but it just never made sense to me. Could be I missed something? For whatever reason, those two things combined did wane my enjoyment of this book quite a bit. While the story is original, sexy, and entertaining, I often found the characters to me lacking for me. I will happily read the next installment in the series and definitely look forward to getting to know more of the Glaciers players.

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Review: ★TIGHT★ by Alessandra Torre

February 9, 2015 by · Leave a Comment
Title: TIGHT
Author: Alessandra Torre
Genre: Erotic Romance (Standalone)
Cover Design: Judi Perkins
Photography Credit: Maksim Gorbunov
Release Date: Feb. 7th 2015
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TIGHT Final CoverI was happy in my small town. In my life as a single thirty-two year old woman. I had a good job, wonderful friends, my independence.I also hadn’t got laid in three years. Hadn’t been on a date in two. Had stopped counting calories and putting on makeup… a while ago.

Then Brett Jacobs waltzed in. Caressed my thigh, dug rough fingers into my hair, lowered his soft mouth to my skin, took sexual control of my mind and stirred it all around with what he packed in his pants. He dumped my quiet life upside down and crawled into a place in my heart I thought was dead.

The issue is his secret. The issue is her. The issue is that I don’t even know she exists, and he thinks she’s dead. The issue is that everything is about to hit the fan and I can’t hold on to him tight enough.

Buy Links
Amazon / iTunes
Review
3 stars

 

The word ‘tight’ has twenty-two definitions, but my favorite is Webster’s fifth- “A bond which cannot be broken.”

It breaks my heart a little to write this review, considering that I haven’t rated any of Alessandra’s books anything below a solid 4 stars. She’s an auto-buy author for me, and will continue to be. While this book didn’t quite work for me, I do still enjoy her writing style and story telling ability immensely. She’s a true talent and I really love her work. Unfortunately this book didn’t fully live up to my expectations. Perhaps I set them too high? Perhaps I’m overly picky? Maybe I’m just too analytical when I read and tend to pick apart details to try to make sense of it all in my head? It started off so strong, and then somewhere around the 30% mark it just began to lose me.

 

I don’t do one night stands.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning,” he growled, “that if I have you, you will not return to life as you know it. You will not flirt with men around the water cooler at work. You will bend for me, spread for me, allow me to have every inch of your surface, all while screaming my name and shuddering into my heart. That is what I mean.”

Riley Johnson is a 32 year old woman from a small Florida town on a weekend trip in the Bahamas for her friend’s bachelorette party. While walking back to her room, she meets a mysterious stranger that she’s immediately drawn to. He’s handsome, he’s polite, and he has a barely leashed sexuality that just calls to her starved libido.
But what initially starts out as one night of unimaginable passion, soon begins to develop into something much more when Brett relentlessly pursues Riley.

When I first met her, I should’ve let her go. Let my heart turn back to black, crush the weakness that had threatened. But I didn’t. I allowed the weakness to fester, to rot at the bones of my ribcage, until my chest was cracked wide open and she had crawled inside and feasted on my heart. Inhaled it until there was no longer her and I but only us.
Brett Jacobs is mostly an enigma through the book. The reader is privy to his POVs every now and then, although I never found it to be quite enough to truly form a connection to. I suppose the part where it began to turn for me was their courtship. We went from a case of insta-lust to relationship in almost a blink of an eye. While it does take place over several months, it still felt very quick. Maybe because of the time jumps? For whatever reason I just couldn’t connect either of the characters and their motivation. Brett has lost someone years ago that has forever changed his life and purpose. He’s not looking for a one night stand, but he wasn’t exactly looking to give his heart again either.

I didn’t know how to go back. Didn’t know how to break off this piece of my soul and give her back. Didn’t know how to sift through the lies and tell her the truth. Didn’t know how to be the man she deserved without losing sight of my goal.
So I couldn’t really connect that with his almost instant draw to Riley and the quick turnaround towards a relationship.
On a side note, there’s one thing you can never take away from Alessandra Torre, and it’s the woman’s ability to write one insanely erotic love scene. The chemistry between Riley and Brett is hot enough to burn the pages.
This would have been a very solid 4 stars for me if not for 2 major things (or at least I found them to be major)
I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll be as vague as possible and put any details in spoilers (though I won’t give any major spoilers away). This book is meant to be experienced blind, and just because it didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean most readers won’t absolutely love it. I am definitely in the minority with my opinion, so please don’t let it sway yours 😉
The plot twist
Here’s the thing; I had figured it out almost from the beginning (considering the dates given and the time frames between chapters). I had written it completely off because I thought it was too obvious. Maybe it was my own fault for building up different scenarios in my head that I was left underwhelmed when everything was revealed? It could very well be. But I felt like you have this answer right in front you and it’s shrouded in smoke in mirrors, which would usually work for me…yet it didn’t here. I was hoping for something mind-blowing, something completely unexpected, and that’s not at all what it was (at least not for me)
Riley’s actions
The one thing I have adored about Alessandra’s writing in the past are her heroines. She writes these amazingly unapologetic strong women that own their sexuality. They may be a little naive, they may be a little vulnerable, but they’re different from the mainstream and I loved them for it. Riley was certainly a change of pace from that. At first I found her to be incredibly endearing, but then her actions began to borderline enrage me.
Brett is obviously hiding something from Riley about who he is. This becomes quite obvious from the beginning. My problem was the way that she handled her suspicions. There was a part towards the very end where I wanted to throttle her; her actions were just TSTL.
This had all the elements of a 5 star read for me, unfortunately between Riley’s decision, the underwhelming plot twist, and the additional plot twist at the end that just completely came out of left field for me, this book fell short for me. I found large parts of the story to be a little dragging and I just kept waiting for something to happen. Unfortunately I never managed to click with the story or the characters.
I really wanted to love this book, and I’m more than positive that most readers will, so please don’t let my rating sway you. Give it a try and see for yourself. It may just blow you away 😉
This certainly will not sway my opinion of the author or skill at all, and she’ll continue being an auto-buy author for me. Unfortunately even some of my favorite authors have had a book that didn’t work me. So I’ll be writing this one off as a case of “it’s probably just me”.
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