Review: ☆The Hook Up☆ by @Kris10Callihan

The rules: no kissing on the mouth, no staying the night, no telling anyone, and above all… No falling in love

Anna Jones just wants to finish college and figure out her life. Falling for star quarterback Drew Baylor is certainly not on her to do list. Confident and charming, he lives in the limelight and is way too gorgeous for his own good. If only she could ignore his heated stares and stop thinking about doing hot and dirty things with him. Easy right?

Too bad he’s committed to making her break every rule…

Football has been good to Drew. It’s given him recognition, two National Championships, and the Heisman. But what he really craves is sexy yet prickly Anna Jones. Her cutting humor and blatant disregard for his fame turns him on like nothing else. But there’s one problem: she’s shut him down. Completely.

That is until a chance encounter leads to the hottest sex of their lives, along with the possibility of something great. Unfortunately, Anna wants it to remain a hook up. Now it’s up to Drew to tempt her with more: more sex, more satisfaction, more time with him. Until she’s truly hooked. It’s a good thing Drew knows all about winning.

All’s fair in love and football…Game on
4.5 Stars


Love, when it came for me, did not creep. No, it walked up to me, bold as you please, you know, just in case I wasn’t paying attention. It did, however, slap me upside my head.

If you’re looking for your next NA Romance that’s guaranteed to make you swoon, make you sweat, and make you smile, then you have definitely found your next read. Kristen Callihan is a new to me author, but will now be gracing my auto-buy shelf because she weaved a story that technically should have been ‘been there, read that’, yet managed to suck me in so thoroughly that I couldn’t bring myself to put it down.

Now if you’re a half-assed blurb reader and occasionally make assumptions like me, you probably read this:

The rules: no kissing on the mouth, no staying the night, no telling anyone, and above all… No falling in love.

and just assumed that this was referring to another man-whoring hero as opposed to the heroine. No? That was just me then? Well…this is awkward. But I digress…

Meet Anna Jones

Anna just wants to finish college and figure out what she wants to do with her life. She’s not looking for a relationship, and she tends to have a type…of the poetic and emo variety. So when the school’s football golden child and resident playboy starts sending her the lusty eyes, she wants none of it…or so she tells herself.

Meet Drew Baylor

Star quarterback, and the hot commodity on campus that can have any girl he wants without even trying…except Anna. Inexplicably drawn to the prickly redhead, Drew finds himself tongue tied and blushing whenever their cross path, and it certainly doesn’t help that Anna never spares any feelings to cut him down at the knees. He’s not her type, he gets it, he just can’t seem to stay away from her.

But chemistry like the one they have, can only be denied for so long, and when something burns that hot it’s bound to explode eventually, right?

What first begins as a scorching hot hookup, soon begins to develop into something so much more, something that Anna is not ready to face.


He’s slowly carving his name into my heart. And it hurts.

The author did an amazing job building a sexual and emotional tension and chemistry that is so palpable you can almost taste it. It’s not often when I’ll pick up a book where the MCs are going at it pretty much straight away, but that sexual tension continues to not only remain but build between them. The writing was that good.

Drew was such an endearing character, I fell for him straight off the bat. He wasn’t perfect, and he wasn’t at all what he seemed. He was not the asshole playboy that Anna assumes he was, he’s sweet and charming and at times his emotional struggles never failed to pull at every heart string I had.

Anna was a different story. This is a girl that due to her dysfunctional family dynamic avoids relationships as a rule…especially with guys like Drew. Throughout much of the book she attempts to keep him at arm’s length and with a very clear ‘hook up only’ label. But before she knows it, she begins to see the man beneath her initial assumptions, and she can’t help but start to fall for him.


Dizziness swamps me. There is no up or down, just Drew. I want to sink into him, drown in his touch.

I was not expecting this book to be as hot as it was, but the sex was never too much. The chemistry between Drew and Anna was absolutely sizzling, and the best part? It was like that every time they get together.


His mouth crashes into mine on the next breath. And my body goes supernova. His tongues slides deep, his lips bruise, and it feels so good that I moan behind it all. It’s always like this. I can’t get enough of him.

Their path to a real relationship was not easy and not without struggle, and I just gobbled it up. Luckily all of the emotion and angst was fitting and there was no manufactured drama that ever took away from the story. By the second half I was so invested in their relationship, I couldn’t bring myself to put the book down.

This is definitely a book I would recommend to any fans of the NA genre, and a series I can’t wait to continue with. Really looking forward to Gray’s book next. But don’t just take my word for it, read this book and find out for yourself what all the fuss is about. You won’t regret it, I promise.

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

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

Review: ☆Chasing Trouble☆ by @JoyaRyanAuthor


Bad boys are the best kind of trouble… Kindergarten teacher Jenna Justice has lived her life by the book—right school, right career, right image. Too bad the townsfolk of Diamond, Kansas, have a hard time forgetting that she wasn’t born on the right side of the tracks. The only way J.J. can land her dream job is to keep her wild side buried and her reputation clean. But when she finds herself in another town, one without prying eyes, she allows herself one fantasy-filled night with her best friend’s bad boy brother.

Professional bull rider Colt McCade is grounded for the summer with an injury. After their sizzling night together, he finds himself wanting to pick up where he and the prim and not-so-proper Ms. Justice left off. Problem is, she isn’t interested in his idea of “healing,” which involves ice cubes and a whole lot of heavy breathing. But the closer he gets, the more he sees that his fast-and-loose reputation could cost her the job of her dreams. He wants to do the right thing, but walking away from her could cost him everything…

Buy Links

Review

4.5 stars

Take me, Colt.”
“Anything you want, sugar. But you’re gonna have to hold on tight, because this rodeo is just getting started.”

OK Joya Ryan, fess up woman! Inquiring minds want to know; where have you been all my life and why am I only finding the awesome that is your writing now? Hmm? Fine, fine, likely that’s my fault but definitely one I am rectifying after this book by auto-buying every future book in this series. It’s that good. Seriously.

 Sign me up for some scandal please, every night, a few times a night. Because, ladies, let me tell you, Colt is one deliciously sexy bad boy bull rider. Lawd but the man did it for me. I’m talking down to the point of how he wore his ball cap and then flipped the bill backwards right before taking the heroine against the tree. I ask you, how HOT is that? Rhetorical question really, so moving on.

Jenna Justice or JJ has grown up with the weight of her mother’s reputation on her shoulders. Living in a small town has a way of putting a girl’s every move under a microscope, and being a kindergarten teacher puts her under even more scrutiny. So she lives her life on the straight and narrow, a proper, no scandal wanting girl. Too bad her best friend’s brother is a constant temptation, especially now that he’s back in town while healing from a rodeo injury.

He was her knight in a shiny pickup, and the feelings he stirrer went far beyond platonic.

Colt is not known as the Rodeo Romeo for nothing. He’s not exactly a relationship type, more of a one night of sweaty bodies between the sheets type. So color him surprised when the one woman that tempts him is also the one woman that is the exact opposite of what he usually wants. JJ is the forever type, and he just doesn’t have forever in him. But he can certainly give them what they both want while he’s still in town…

He plunged into her over and over. The look in his eyes, the praise in his kiss- Jenna felt him all the way to her bones. She was in over her head, but it was too late now. And God help her, she didn’t want to go back.

Everything about this book worked for me, the story, all the secondary characters, and especially Colt and JJ. You feel the chemistry between them right away, and it only burns hotter as the story progressed. I love a romance that can grab me and keep me invested in the characters beyond the hot sex. And let me tell you, the sex? Was damn hot.

Colt wants JJ but doesn’t think he’s made for relationships. JJ wants Colt but is afraid she’s not good enough being the girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Plus, let’s not forget the scandal that it may cause her if someone finds out about her affair. Her job just may be on the line. I truly felt for both of them and was rooting for them from beginning to end. The progression of Colt’s feeling from lust into something more was believable and oh so satisfying

Joya Ryan wrote a scorching hot romance that’s sexy, a little sweet, and a whole lot addicting. I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next. I already stalked her down to confirm that Penny and Bass’s story is next and I for one am itching for that book in all my pervy anticipation. ESPECIALLY after the little previews we get into their personalities in this book.

If you’re looking for a new author to add to your auto-buy list, you’ve found her. This was book was a the perfect beginning to what looks to be a fun and sexy series.

Review: ☆One Night of Scandal☆ by @ElleKennedy


The wrong man never felt so right…


Ex-fighter Reed Miller has been secretly lusting over his best friend’s girl for months, but he refuses to jeopardize a friendship over a woman—especially one who doesn’t like him all that much. Now that Darcy’s on the market again, it’s even more imperative to stick to his strict hands-off policy. But the sizzling attraction between them is too powerful to ignore, and once he’s had a taste of her…all bets are off.

Darcy Grant is tired of walking the straight and narrow path. She’s on the hunt for passion, and there’s no denying Reed is just the man to give it to her. Although she has no interest in dating a bad boy, and certainly not her ex’s best friend, it’s impossible not to melt beneath Reed’s skillful touch. Now it’s just a matter of setting a few ground rules—and hoping her rule-breaking, sweet-talking bad boy agrees to follow them. But if she lets Reed into her bed, does she stand a chance of keeping him out of her heart?

See my review for book 1 in the series, One Night of Sin



4.25 Smokin’ HOT Stars


Reed Miller was a bad boy to the core. Apparently the guy possessed an anything-goes attitude when it came to sex. He also smoked cigarettes cursed like a sailor, and drove way too fast in that black Camaro of his.

I’d like to say that in my next life, I’d like to come back as a heroine in one of Elle Kennedy’s stories because sweet mother of sin do these bitches luck out. What? Don’t you judge me dammit! You go and meet Reed and tell me you wouldn’t want to jump his fictional bones. I’m serious when I tell you, move over, Darcy, because

I’m calling dibs all over this one. Lawd. Sorry, this is what happens when my ovaries decide to jump start my reviews. Now let’s get serious (ha! I’ll attempt it anyway) and move on to the review.

We first meet Reed as the broody and sexy part owner of the club Sin that he owns with his two buddies, AJ and Gage. Reed is a past MMA fighter and current manwhore. But don’t judge him too hard for his manwhoring ways, since that was his attempt at trying to work past his lust for his best friend’s girlfriend. I have to say that I was definitely skeptical before starting this book at how exactly Elle Kennedy would pull something like this off. In book 1 of the series, Darcy was dating (quite happily it seemed) Reed’s best friend and business partner, A.J.

So when Reed goes to a competitor’s club while on the search of the inside man that is pushing ecstasy at his club, he’s more than a little shocked to also see Darcy there…flirting with a man that’s NOT A.J.

I felt the chemistry between Darcy and Reed from the very beginning, so I couldn’t wait to see the sparks fly between them when they finally give into the lust that only seems to boil over when they’re around each other. Darcy is no longer dating AJ. Even though they made great friends, there was always something integral lacking between them. They were boring together and she wants an all consuming passion. A passion, it seems, that she only feels in the presence of a man that shows every evidence of disliking her. So when she finds out that Reed’s avoidance of her is only because he wants her just as much as she wants him, all bets are off.

But as much as she may want Reed, she knows that he’s not the relationship type, so she proposes they get whatever this is out of their system so they’re both able to move on. Too bad Reed isn’t just interested in a few nights between the sheets. That’s not to say he’s not going to make those nights count…


…and what if I don’t want to listen?”
“Then that would make you a bad girl, wouldn’t it? And do you want to know what I do to bad girls?” Reed dragged his own zipper down, the tick-tick-tick of metallic teeth being released echoing in the car. “I fuck them. I fuck them hard.”

But Reed wasn’t just a sweet talker. Nope. He certainly had the assets to…uhem…measure up with his mouth.


I think I’m in love with your dick,” she announced.
He croaked out a laugh. “That’s incredibly forward of you. At least buy him dinner first. I’m curious, though. What did it for you? The length? The girth?”

I think what she’s liking the entire package there, Reed

I gobbled this book right up. The chemistry between Reed and Darcy was absolutely scorching, the sex was even more so, and there was a great story to boot. Did I also mention Reed’s dirty mouth?


Ride me hard,” he ground out. “Take me straight to heaven, baby.”
“I love having sex with you, Reedford.”
“I’d be worried if you didn’t, considering my cock is buried inside of you right now.”

Oh I did? Sorry, I get easily distracted.

There was the side plot with the search for the drug dealer that added a small (and really, it was pretty small) element of suspense. I can’t say that it really peaked my interest and it did seem to wrap up fairly quick, but I was more focused on the romance so that barely even bothered me.

Elle Kennedy is definitely on my auto buy list since the first book in the series, and she only gets better with a full length novel. Lawd but this woman can write a steamy romance. I’ve been looking for another Brazen series along the lines of Tessa Bailey’s dirty talkin hot cops, and I have finally found that with dirty talking club owners and past MMA fighters. Does it get any better? I think not. I’m totally hooked on this series, and if you enjoy a steamy romance with great banter and some super HAWT sex, looks like you’ve found your next read.

Release Week Blitz, Review & #Giveaway: ☆Vanquish☆ by Pam Godwin

Warning: Graphic sex and violence. Age 18+ only

It is recommended to read after Deliver, but it can be read as a stand-alone.

Her life is like a prison cell.
A self-made, to-hell-with-the-free-world existence that locks from the inside.
Stop judging. Her agoraphobia doesn’t define her. It simply keeps her safe.

He belongs in a prison cell.
The 6×8, make-me-your-bitch variety that locks from the outside.
But he’s free. To hunt. To take. To break.
And he just found a sexy new toy.

Capturing her is the easy part. Her fucked-up mind, however, makes him question everything he does next.

But he’s a determined bastard. If all goes his way, this will hurt like hell.

Buy LinksAmazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA  | B&N  | Kobo | Smashwords | iTunes 

ExcerptHe stalked toward her, mirroring the tilt of her head, knees and shoulders loose, and his gaze holding her prisoner. A breath away, he paused, soaking in the subtleties of her tipped-up chin, parting lips, and glossy but resolute eyes. 

With the next breath, he launched, hands on her jaw, fingers spread around the back of her head.
 
His elbows dropped, shoulders raised, and he yanked her to him, lifting her on tiptoes, guiding her mouth, taking it. His grip twisted through her hair as he drew in her upper lip and shoved her against the fridge, following her with the weight of his body.
 
The kiss went fucking wild, their lips mashing in a frantic battle. His tongue plunged her mouth, attacking, thrusting in and out, possessing her movements, owning her. Breath for breath, lick after lick, he ate at her mouth, tasting, devouring.
 
He dropped his hands to her breasts, squeezing ruthlessly as he rolled his cock against her cunt.
 
His tongue tingled, his skin burned, and his head swam. God, she was a drug, and he was so fucking high.
 
She gripped his biceps, bit at his lips, and threw her arms over his shoulders, her fingers scratching the fuck out his back. He shuddered, loving it, but he was in control.
 
Reaching back, he grabbed her wrists and slammed them above her head. Their bodies ground together, his forearms pressing hers to the fridge, their tongues dancing and clashing. Chest-to-chest, hips fused together, he flexed his ass, dry humping her like a horny teenager.
 
Jesus, fuck, he didn’t care. He wanted her.
 
He leaned back to study her face and found strong smoldering eyes, sharp breaths, and swollen wet lips. Whatever she saw in his expression made her mouth chase his and her fingers curl around his hands. They kissed endlessly, fueling the fire and pushing his control long past the point of discomfort before pulling back and starting all over again.
 
When he broke the kiss with a hand on her jaw, they panted as one, mouths open and so close their bottom lips brushed. She peered at him through lowered lashes, and he stared back in awe. What trembled between them wasn’t an if? Or even a how hard? Those were foregone. The question they shared was simple.
Ready?
Review-DGR4.5 stars

He was a cold-hearted fuck with an appetite for blood, come, and tears. And he had the perfect girl to feed it.

Can you take a cold, sadistic, and practically nonredeemable hero and not only feel for him but completely fall for him by the end of the book?
YES

Can you take a heroine that’s so fucked up and insecure but make her come across as fierce and give her an inner core of strength that manages to shine through even during her darkest hours?
YES

Can you take a relationship that by all intents and purposes begins as something that should be a horror story but make you understand it, feel it, and completely turn it around into something brighter by the end of the story?
FUCK.YES.

For those of you that are curious if you can read this book if you haven’t read Deliver
YES

That’s exactly what I did. As much as I adore Pam Godwin’s writing, I knew based on some details I’d gleaned from the first book that it just wasn’t my cuppa, so I decided to pass on it. But when I saw the cover read the blurb for this book? I knew this was not a book I’d be passing up in a million years. See I have this thing for the anti-heroes and the assholes. As in, the more fucked up they are, the more I love them. Messed up? Maybe. But fuck me if Van didn’t fit my requirement to the T.

He was a kidnapper, a rapist, and she ached to be repulsed by him, just to prove she was sane, but she could’t. And she wasn’t. His scarred beauty radiated seduction and danger, a deadly combination.

Now most people would probably spend the first half of this book conflicted. You’ll want to hate Van for what he does, or maybe you WILL hate Van for everything he does. Me? I gobbled it up like the starved little pervert that I am.

From the very beginning the author gives you little tidbits of insight of who Van really is; his childhood, his past, his scars…both internal and external. As a matter of fact she gives you just enough to make you almost feel for him in the first half. I was afraid that his almost obsession with Liv would make it so that Amber would feel more like his consolation prize. But luckily that’s not at all how it was. As a matter of fact, I though the author pulled this off flawlessly.

Vanquish begins immediately where Deliver took off; Van being shot by Liv but surviving. But just because Liv has a new life now, doesn’t mean that Van has let her go. Stalking is what he does best, so that’s what he does. He lurks in the shadows, watching her house and her new life with her new boyfriend all while plotting on how to get close to her to get what he wants; information. In his stalking under the shadows of what he thinks is an abandoned house, he inadvertently stumbles onto the owner and who he decides will be his new victim, Amber.

Now Amber was a character I was afraid I would hate at first. How would I sum her up? Fucked the fuck up. That probably does it. Yep.

She’s agoraphobic, OCD, with an eating disorder and self esteem issues to boot. Bitch got issues is what I’m trying to tell you here. But beneath all her problems, she had this understated strength and an almost fierceness to her. Sounds strange doesn’t it? But it’s very true. And as the story progresses, more and more of her personality shines through and you simply can’t help but like her. Van was definitely not immune either

My mother named me Van Quiso. You’ll refer to me as Master.

The first half of this book is no light read. Van is one sadistic and cruel fuck, and that certainly doesn’t go away the second he lays eyes on Amber. While you may get small peeks into the damaged soul of a boy that lurks beneath the scary and cold exterior, he doesn’t exactly endear you with his actions toward Amber.

But that’s also the thing that I liked. Pam Godwin managed to take one fucked up hero and make his transition into someone more endearing and softer in a believable way. It didn’t happen in the blink of an eye, and I appreciated that because that would have completely killed the book for me. His road to redemption was a slow and painful one. Considering his background, history and parentage, I couldn’t envision this any other way.

His journey to redemption was slow, but believable and oh so satisfying when it came. The author truly makes you understand the damaged child beneath the cruel man. As much as you want to hate him for his actions, you can’t help but also feel for him at the same time. At least I know I did.

Fuck him, but he wanted to be her security, her anchor, her fucking everything. Not as her captor but as her lover.

I absolutely loved the epilogue. What a perfect way to end the book. If you’re a fan of dark romance, this is not to be missed.

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Pam Godwin, lives in the Midwest with her husband, their two children, and a foulmouthed parrot. When she ran away, she traveled fourteen countries across five continents, attended three universities, and married the vocalist of her favorite rock band.

Java, tobacco, and dark romance novels are her favorite indulgences, and might be considered more unhealthy than her aversion to sleeping, eating meat, and dolls with blinking eyes.

 

Other Books by Pam Godwin
Amazon

Giveawaya Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Blitz & Review: Reasonable Doubt 3 by @WhitGracia

Reasonable Doubt: Volume Three
Publication Date: August 26, 2014
Genres:Contemporary, Erotica, Novella, Romance
RD3
I hate him…

I hate that I fell in love with him, hate that he didn’t love me back, and I hate the fact that I just made a life-altering decision just so I could get the hell away from him.

He’d always said that he was unchangeable, heartless, and cold…

I really should’ve believed him…

Final book in the Reasonable Doubt series…






Also in the series:
RD    Cover

4.5 Perfect Conclusion Stars

Everything we had was built on lies…

I was a little worried about jumping into this book immediately after finishing the second since I just didn’t get the excitement from the second book that I did for the first. I was scared that this would follow an unfortunate formula that some serials have had for me lately and fizzle out at the end. But after finishing it? It blew the first 2 books out of the water. OH MY GOD. I devoured this in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down. What an amazing conclusion to a great serial. Whitney, I will never doubt you again. Seriously. I bow down. Wow.

What this book had:
1. An asshole Andrew that fucked up with Aubrey in epic proportions.
2. An Aubrey that finally grows into her own, grows a pair of lady balls and makes Andrew WORK for it. And I mean WORK for it.
3. A grovel of epic proportions. And I ate it up like the starved little pervert that I am and loved every second of it. Perfection.
4. An even better epilogue that was the icing on an already perfect cake.

Now then, on to the review. But if you haven’t read the first 2 books
STOP reading my review. It will not contain spoilers for this book, but it will definitely have some from the previous 2.

It all started with an email.

You and I will still be friends a few months from now, and you’ll be completely okay with not seeing my face.
Watch.
-Alyssa

You and I will be fucking a few months from now, and the only reason I’ll be okay with not seeing your face is because you’ll be riding my cock as I bend your ass over a table.
Watch.
-Thoreau

Andrew has kicked Aubrey not only out of his apartment, but also out of his life. After his past quite literary comes back to dig up long buried secrets and wounds, he feels like he has no choice. He tries to move on with his life and tries to continue with his one dinner, one night, no repeats motto. But every time he tries to replace the image of Aubrey with another woman, there’s always something that holds him back. It really doesn’t help that Aubrey is now completely freezing him out and wants nothing to do with him inside the office or out of it. So he does what he does best; push. Until one night he pushes too far and she’s done.

What do you want me to say, Aubrey? Your pussy was so magical that it opened my eyes and made me want to change all my ways for you? That I can’t live or breathe without knowing you’re by my side? Is that what you’re expecting me to say?
“No. A simple apology for-“
“Kicking your inquisitive ass out of my apartment? For trying to prevent you from feeling like do you right now? Fine. I’m sorry I didn’t do it sooner.”

Aubrey is tired of the scraps she’s been getting from Andrew. She doesn’t just want his cock, she wants his heart, but he has no interest in ever handing that over.

But when Andrew finally starts to understand the depth of his feelings for Aubrey, it’s too late. She’s moved on, moved to a different city, and wants nothing to do with Andrew ever again. What follows in the second half is a grovel that will make you smile and pant at the same time. It was, in a word, perfect.

As for the secret that Andrew’s been keeping and the mystery behind his past? Well it all gets revealed little by little and chapter by chapter. And when you finally get the whole story, your heart will absolutely break for him. All I can tell you is that Whitney manages to bring the story a full circle and not the slightest detail from the previous 2 books goes unanswered.

The thing I loved the most is that the author stayed true to Andrew’s character. He never loses that edge of his asshole ways, even when he finally gives into his feelings for Aubrey. And of course there’s always his filthy mouth and the scorching hot sex. But while the sex was hot, it wasn’t at the center of the story like I felt the last 2 books had. This had a rounded story, more character development, and just more of everything. I loved it and I can’t wait to see what this talented author will have in store for us next.

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

A self diagnosed candy addict, travel junkie, and hypochondriac, Whitney Gracia Williams LOVES to write about characters that make you laugh, cry, and want to (in the case of Selena Ross) reach through your Kindle and slap them. She is the “imaginary bestselling” author of the Jilted Bride Series, Mid Life Love, Wasted Love, and Captain of My Soul. When she’s not locked inside her room, feverishly typing away on her laptop, she can be found here: http://www.whitneygracia.com She also loves getting emails from her readers, so if you want to tell her how much you loved (or hated) her stories, email her at whitgbooks@gmail.com

Blog Tour, Review & #Giveaway: ☆The Viper☆ by @Kele_Moon

Title: The Viper (Untamed Hearts, #1)
Author: Kele Moon
Genre: Erotic / Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 19, 2014
Publisher: Loose Id
Tour Organized by: As the Pages Turn

Marcos Rivera is a fighter. A gang member. Someone who has seen the dark side of humankind and survived. He has lost family and gained enemies. He has stolen cars and destroyed hearts, stripping one for money and the other for pleasure. His past is haunted and his future is bleak.

Until her.

Katie Foster is a high school history teacher. Smart, strong, and sexy. She is a woman Marcos shouldn’t want. Shouldn’t touch. Shouldn’t love. He met her in Garnet, a backwards, hick town that’s the last place in the world he wants to be, but he finds himself going back for a taste of the forbidden.

Katie represents all that is good in the world, and Marcos knows he’s nothing but trouble for her perfect life. He fights and he screws. He commits crimes and he breaks the rules. He will never change and he will never escape his gang lifestyle.

Or can he?

What happens when two different people from two very different walks of life risk it all by giving into the passion that threatens to consume both of them? Can a woman who only knows how to play it safe give her heart to a man who lives hard and loves harder?Will she survive The Viper?
Buy Links
Amazon / B&N / ARe / LooseId
Review4.5 stars
I can’t stop thinking that maybe two negatives might equal a positive.

I have loved all books by Kele Moon, but her Battered Hearts series was a favorite of mine. So when I saw she was releasing a spin-off series with her Untamed Hearts series, I was just a little excited. And by that I mean I e-stalked the fuck out of the poor author for any and all tidbits about the book and jumped at the chance to read the ARC.

If you’ve read and enjoyed the Battered Hearts series, you will absolutely love this one. And if you haven’t yet discovered the amazing talent that is Kele Moon and her delicious MMA heroes? I’m not sure why you’re still reading my review and not one-clicking these badboys.

One fateful night brings two strangers crashing together irrevocably changing both of their lives.

Katie Foster is a good girl. A high school teacher. A divorcee. And someone that’s played it safe all her life. So when a mysterious stranger with haunting light gray eyes rescues her from a car crash, she can’t seem to get him out of his mind. That night changes her, causes her to take more risks and truly experience life for the first time in her life. And that includes the tempting stranger that continues to be the recurring fantasy in all her dreams and waking minutes.

Marcos Rivera is a fighter, an ex-convict, a gangbanger, and a thief. He’s also someone that lived a hard life and knows that there’s no sunshine or a sweet woman in his near future; just dirt or prison bars. Even knowing all this, Katie Foster continues to be a temptation that he just can’t resist. If only for a little bit, he wants to know what it would be like to be a woman like her. Someone pure, someone sweet, and oh so tempting.
[image error]
They may be from 2 different worlds and they may be as different as night and day, but that doesn’t stop the scorching hot chemistry that brews between them.

While the romance between Katie and Marcos takes center stage in this book there are a lot of other things going on as well. I thought Kele Moon did a flawless job weaving everything together in one amazing book. She also managed to write two incredibly endearing characters with Katie and Marcos. I simply adored Marcos. I can’t say enough about him. He absolutely stole my heart and at the same time had my heart breaking for him. The connection between Marcos and Katie may have been more on the instant side, but you can truly understands what draws them together. And the sex scenes? Off the charts hot.

What I loved the most is that it wasn’t just a romance, it was also so much more. While I loved Marcos, what was even better was that extra peak into Chuito. Oh. My. GAWD. Chuito. I cannot wait for his book.

I don’t want to tell you much more since it would simply spoil the book and experience for you. Read it for yourself and find out. But be prepared for some swooning and panting, because Marcos REALLY doesn’t play around. The man is deliciously devious between the sheets.

Watching a hot girl come was his drug of choice. When other guys his age were sinking into drugs or alcohol, he was sneaking into girls’ bedrooms and going down on them.

Any questions? Right then. Didn’t think so 😉

I couldn’t get enough. While all the characters from the previous books make an appearance here, I was especially happy to get more of Tino and Nova. Italian mafia bad boys? Sign me up for that! (Especially Nova)

And if you’re wondering if you can read this book without previously reading the other series, absolutely. The author gives you plenty of detail about previous characters to allow you to not miss a beat, without making it sound redundant for those that have read it.

And if you’re wondering if the book lives up to this amazingly HAWT cover?

 

About the Author
A freckle faced, redhead born and raised in Hawaii, Kele Moon has always been a bit of a sore thumb and has come to enjoy the novelty of it. She thrives off pushing the envelope and finding ways to make the impossible work in her story telling. With a mad passion for romance, she adores the art of falling in love. The only rules she believes in is that, in love there are no rules and true love knows no bounds.
So obsessed is she with the beauty of romance and the novelty of creating it she’s lost in her own wonder world most of the time. Thankfully she married her own dark, handsome, brooding hero who had infinite patience for her airy ways and attempts to keep her grounded. When she leaves her keys in the refrigerator or her cell phone in the oven he’s usually there to save her from herself. The two of them now reside in Florida with their three beautiful children who make their lives both fun and challenging in equal parts–They wouldn’t have it any other way.
Giveaway
1 x $25 Amazon or B&N gift card (winners choice)
5 x eBook copy from any of Kele’s backlist including The Viper

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC Review: ☆Broken☆ by @_LaurenLayne

Lauren Layne’s New Adult novel tells the story of a girl with secrets, a guy with scars, and a love that could save them both… or destroy them.

When Olivia Middleton abandons the glamour of Park Avenue for a remote, coastal town in Maine, everyone assumes she’s being the kind do-gooder she’s always been. But Olivia has a secret: helping an injured war veteran reenter society isn’t about charity—it’s about penance. Only, Olivia’s client isn’t the grateful elderly man she’s expecting. Instead, he’s a brooding twenty-four-year-old who has no intention of being Olivia’s path to redemption . . . and whose smoldering gaze and forbidden touch might be her undoing.

Paul Langdon doesn’t need a mirror to show him he’s no longer the hotshot quarterback he was before the war. He knows he’s ugly—inside and out. He’ll do anything to stay in self-imposed exile, even accept his father’s ultimatum that Paul tolerate the newest caretaker for three months or lose his inheritance. But Paul doesn’t count on the beautiful twenty-two-year-old who makes him long for things that he can never have. And the more she slips past his defenses, the more keeping his distance is impossible.

Now Paul and Olivia have to decide: Will they help each other heal? Or are they forever broken?

 Releasing: September 2, 2014
Pre-order:

4.5 Beauty and the Beast Stars


I almost want to laugh at how messed up we are.
Two completely shattered souls doing a weird approach-and-recoil dance around each other.

Remember Olivia from Isn’t She Lovely? She was Ethan’s ex girlfriend who broke his heart. Ring a bell? What started out with a lighthearted take on Pygmalion, now continues with an angsty and emotional take of Beauty and the Beast with Broken. This is the story of 2 damaged souls, Olivia and Paul. One is seeking penance while the other seeks oblivion. Can they heal each other without shattering their already broken pieces?

I wasn’t sure how I would like Olivia in her own book since saying that I liked her in Isn’t She Lovely would be an understatement. Lauren Layne certainly managed to redeem her in my eyes. With a deeper look into who she really is and the things that drive, you can tell that beneath the rich society girl is a also a girl that made a mistake and is looking for any way to redeem herself. She’s also running. Running from her daily life and her daily reminders of what she did and can no longer fix. So she takes a job in Maine caring for a war veteran. She just didn’t see Paul coming…

Paul is scarred and angry. He’s angry at the world, he’s angry at his life, and he’s angry at anyone that breaks his reclusive routine. So when his father announce that the new caretaker after the many before that he’s already run off is his last chance, he’s less than thrilled about it.

Ladies, let me just tell you, if you like your heroes to be colossal (and I mean COLOSSAL assholes) prepare to fall for Paul. Paul is the epitome of broken. He’s scarred inside and out, and his road to redemption is not a fast one. This is not someone that lays their eyes on Olivia and insto presto he’s smitten. Oh no. He was downright callous, but you still can’t help but fall for him. Your heart will hurt for him at the same time you will want to throttle the living daylights out of him and his treatment of Olivia.

The author gives the reader just the right amount of small tidbits and tiny morsels of the man that he can be, that will leave you almost torn between loving and hating him at the same time.

But don’t be fooled, because those few morsels are rare and few in between.


You want me?” he asks against my mouth. “You want my hands on you?”
Little alarm bells are going off in the back of my head. There’s no warmth in his words. No kindness, or even desire. He’s playing some sort of cruel game in which my body is definitely the playing board. And I’m a willing participant.

At times my head would be spinning between his rage and the small glimpses at the broken soul he hides beneath the cold and broken exterior.

Little by little Olivia begins to do what no other caretaker before her has accomplished; she begins to chip away at his walls. But will he let them down enough to let her into his heart?


Somewhere inside of me, a demon is telling me that I’m going to disappoint her. That I’m going to destroy her.

This book had a much more serious, emotional, and angsty undercurrent. And when I say angsty, I mean ANGSTY. But there’s also a small dose of steam to break it up

Soon followed by more angst.

What can I possibly tell you about this book other than it’s a must read? What else do you need? Read it and see for yourself. I know I for one cannot wait to see what this incredibly talented author has in store for the next book in the series. Dare I hope for Michael’s book next?

**ARC courtesy of publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

All quotes taken from the Advanced Reader Copy of book and may differ from the finished published version

ARC Review: ☆Crave The Night (Midnight Breed, 12)☆ by @lara_adrian

Born and raised to be an emotionless killing machine, Nathan is one of the most lethal Breed vampires in existence. A key member of the Order—an elite group of warriors charged with protecting both mortals and vampires—Nathan executes each mission with flawless precision and a total lack of mercy. Now he must pursue a powerful, hidden enemy. But Nathan’s hard discipline and training are no match for the fierce pull he feels toward a young woman he has no right to desire—a woman of wealth and high social standing who has long been promised to another Breed male, and who may also prove to be the key to rooting out Nathan’s elusive quarry.

Jordana lives a life of glittering privilege as a member of a prominent Breed family in Boston. Surrounded by fine things and fawning admirers, Jordana wants for nothing—until she crosses paths with a dark, intense warrior from the Order and finds herself swept into an impulsive, sizzling kiss that neither of them will forget. As much as she tries to deny her deep feelings for Nathan, Jordana cannot resist the craving to be near him, to break through his forbidding walls and see the man he truly is. But getting close to Nathan will thrust Jordana into a treacherous new world, forcing her to risk all she has and all she knows about herself and her past. And loving this seductive man could be the most dangerous temptation of all.

Buy Links
Review
4 stars

She was stepping off that ledge tonight, falling too fast.
Falling too hard for a lethal, untouchable Breed male who’d promised her nothing.
She knew this, the same way she understood that if reality waited for her at the bottom of this mad leap, it was certain to break her.

12 books into a series, and Lara Adrian is still going strong. This was another fantastic addition in the Midnight Breed series and seems to just get better for me. If you’ve been following the series, than just like me you have been itching to finally get the story for Nathan who we first meet as the long lost son of Corinne who was raised as a Hunter until his rescue at 13 in Deeper Than Midnight.

He was the fighting dog, rescued from the squalor and violence of the betting puts and brought into a kind, loving home to live a better life.

Knowing what his childhood was like and seeing his seemingly cold and hard exterior, you just knew that the man’s book will be good. And the best part? It wasn’t just good. It was better.

He chased.
He conquered.
He destroyed.

This is man that’s been honed to be a killer. He was bred to be unfeeling and cold, feeling never even coming into the mix for him…until a beautiful blonde changed everything with a simple kiss…

He fed and fucked because he had to, but he did it on his terms. Always under his strict control, in order to retain the edge of the honed, unfeeling weapon he’d been born and raised, mercilessly trained to be.
Jordana Gates had broken all of his rules.

Even though Jordana first comes off like a very demure heroine, she’s not at all what she seems to be. I love that every heroine in this series is fierce in their own right, and this definitely comes out in the story in one hell of a twist.

Among the action and twists and turns that are on constant in this book, in the center is the love story between a man that’s been bred not to feel and a woman that’s determined to bring out his lost humanity.

Jordana Gates was off limits for many reasons, but most of all this: Because she was pure. She was innocent.
He wouldn’t be the one to take that from her.
He couldn’t take that from anyone, not the way his hungers ran.

There was never a dull moment throughout the entire story and I couldn’t bring myself to put it down. While all the old characters are back, we also get a little bit more on the new ones. While I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the series being taken into the future and the previous characters’ kids coming into the mix, I’m certainly sold on it now. It was a super smooth transition and I’m just as interested in the new characters as I was in the old….especially Rune and Carys who I’m hoping will get a book next.

But of course, my favorite part of this book was the building romance between Nathan and Jordana.

When I’m near him, it’s as though I’m standing naked in the middle of a raging storm. He makes me feel as if I’m on the steepest cliff, about to lose my footing. That if I step too close to him, I might never get back on solid ground.

And then there was the scorching hot sex…

This book had everything. I love the twist and the new additions of The Atlanteans into the mix. This was and continues to be one of my favorite PNR series, and I cannot wait to see what Lara Adrian has in store for us next.

She’d captivated him with a kiss. She’d challenged him, gentled him. Now she owned him.

Blog Tour, Review, Guest Post & #Giveaway: ☆Ruthless People☆ by @JJMcAvoy

Ruthless People
A Novel by J. J. McAvoy
Release Date: July 17, 2014
Ruthless_People_Hi-Res-Cover
To the outside world, they look like American Royalty, giving to charities, feeding the homeless, rebuilding the city. But behind closed doors is a constant battle for dominance between two Bosses, cultures, and hearts.

Ruthless People is a romantic crime fiction set in modern day Chicago, and follows the life and marriage of Melody Giovanni and Liam Callahan—rivals by blood and leaders through fear. Their marriage, arranged by their fathers in hopes to end years of bloodshed between the Irish and the Italians. 
Liam believes he’s getting a simple-minded wife, one he can control, one who bends to his every need . . . the complete opposite of Melody. She knows exactly what type of man he is, and would rather die than give up the power she has spent her life building. 
The Mafia of the past has evolved, and with rival bosses gunning for them, Melody and Liam will have to learn to work as one to take down those who stand in their way.

4.5 Ruthlessly Delicious Stars

She would never convert to what I needed her to be. She was a ruthless savage, and if you cannot break a ruthless savage, you need to figure out how to tame them.

When the first line in the book blurb is this:
“Mr. & Mrs. Smith meets the Sopranos…”
A bitch can get wary. I mean, it can’t possibly be THAT delicious of a combination, right? No way will it live up to my expectations of gritty, erotic, amazing banter, with mafia savages that you can’t help but love to hate…and just simply love. Right? RIGHT?! WRONG. Because it really was that perfect combination and so much more.
Rule One: You kill for family. You die for family. Because you can’t trust anyone else
If you’re looking for a book with a heroine that’s almost more ruthless and bloodthirsty than the Irish mob hero, and an all around bad bitch, look no further. Meet Melody Giovanni
The daughter of the biggest Italian mafia boss in Chicago, and soon to be wife of Liam Callahan. Their marriage, arranged by their fathers in hopes to end years of bloodshed between the Irish and the Italians, is also bound to combine two of the biggest mafia families. Too bad Mel is not exactly the docile little mafia princess that Liam has been expecting
…do not ever put your fucking lips on me without my permission.”
“My mother told me never to hit a woman, but you are pushing my limits.”

“Funny, my father told me the same thing. Would you like me to apologize?”

“Third, if you ever interrupt me again, Liam Alec Callahan, may God have mercy on your soul when I send you to meet him.”
The banter between these two was one of my favorite parts of this book. Mel is one cold and ruthless bitch. This is definitely not a book for everybody. But I gobbled it up like a starving junky.
Say you’re sorry and I will free you now, love, and then we can start anew”

He was trying to break me, the fucker.
“Fuck you and the Audi you drove up in.”
This is no ordinary power couple. The things that both of them do is certainly not for the faint of heart. But hey, you’re reading about the 2 heads of powerful mafia families. You didn’t expect kittens and rainbows, did you?
Rule Two: Take no prisoners and have no regrets about it.
I was sucked into the story from the first chapter. The action, the banter, the characters. Everything about this book worked for me. Did I also mention the banter?
Declan leaned into me. “When she wakes up in the morning, the devil curses.”
“We both do,” I muttered.
 
Rule Three: Just because you sell drugs for a living isn’t an excuse not to dress well.
A couple that tortures together, stays together. And the fact that they’re both gorgeous and burn up the sheets with some of the best angry sex you’ll ever read? Icing on the murder cake.
Rule Four: No bloody divorce.
But with a ruthless powerhouse couple like these two, why would you even think that?
Fucking Jesus, Liam.”

“Not even he can save you from this now.”
Quick paced, action packed, erotic, gritty, and addicting as fuck. There is a cliffhanger, but it wasn’t as bad as most you’ll find in books now. It ended in a satisfying enough way that even my cliffhanger avoiding ass didn’t end up in a tizzy.
Writing Style First person POV (Dual, with a few instances of other POV’s thrown in). I actually really enjoyed the additional POVs. Typically I’d find something like that confusing, but I really felt it added to the story in this case.

Guest Post

Guest Post by JJ. McAvoy
So tell us how you got the idea for the book? Also inquiring minds want to know; any news on the release dates for the next 2 books? If Ruthless People were to be made into a movie, who’d be your dream cast?

I’ve been asked this so many times I wish I had a more polished answer. The truth is Ruthless People had been bubbling up in the back of my head for months if not years. I was inspired by a mixture of television shows and books I had either watched or read. However I grew annoyed with never seeing a woman be strong and not in the emotional/family strength type of way. I wanted a kickass heroine. The ones I did find in stories were either never central to the plot or explained in detail. So I listed out all the things I wanted my heroine to be…somehow I got Melody. Ruthless People is sort of centered around her effect on the “family”. 
After what happened at the end of Ruthless People…you can only imagine how Melody is going to have to change and adapt. Book 2 and 3 will be just pure chaos. I hope that they will both be out soon, however I have no idea when that will be. Right now in doing some major edits to the second book. But I’m so happy you and everyone is excited for The Untouchables.
My not sure who my dream cast is yet and don’t hold it to me but, I know I like Jaimie Alexander for Melody 
and
For Liam either Garret Hedlund or Ian Somerhalder
Wait for Liam– 

Daniel DiTomasso

judy 2

J. J. McAvoy first started working on Ruthless People during a Morality and Ethics lecture her freshman year of college. X number of years later, she is an insomniac who has changed her major three times, and is a master in the art of procrastination. If you ask her why she began writing, she will simply tell you “They wanted to get their story out.” She is currently working on her next novel . . . so please bug her on Twitter @JJMcAvoy

Enter for HUGE giveaway! Sizzlin’ Summer Fun!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House Presents…

Hot Summer Romance Blog Tour Featuring N.K. Smith, M.A. Stacie,

J.J. McAvoy and Lorenz Font!

And revisiting several other 
great TWCS romantic titles and authors…

Other Featured Authors

Pieces-of-Broken-Time-Large-Blog-Tour-BannerHollywood-Sins-Large-Blog-Tour-Banner
Behind-the-Scandal-Large-Blog-Tour
978db-2twcs-blog-tour-banner

ARC Review: ✩Fiance For Hire✩ by @tawnafenske

A satisfying category romance from Entangled’s brand new Lovestruck imprint…

Former Marine MacArthur Patton has made a small fortune on top-secret government contracts and black-ops missions, but his new assignment involves something more dangerous—marriage.

Well, fake marriage anyway.

To keep weapons out of the hands of terrorists, Mac has to secure a fiancée. A sweet, demure, compliant fiancée to serve as his arm candy for a few weeks while he completes the covert arms deal in Mexico. His sister claims to know just the woman, and sends her best friend to play the role.

“Sweet” and “demure” aren’t in Kelli Landers’s repertoire. A badass veterinarian who neuters big dogs and bigger men on a regular basis, she can’t wait to bring Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Detached to his knees. Her longtime crush on the commitment-phobe makes her plan to seduce him even sweeter.

Love wasn’t part of the plan, but the deeper Mac and Kelli fall into their ruse, the more danger they attract, until more than just their hearts are on the line…

4.5 Laugh Out Loud Stars


You’ll be well compensated for your time if you’re willing to play the fiancee role for a few weeks. You just need to be compliant, soft-spoken, beautiful, sweet, demure, and drama-free.”
Kelli raised an eyebrow. “You’re aware you just gave a complete list of antonyms for my personality.”

If you’re looking for a sexy and fun read that will put a smile on your face from page one and have you laughing throughout the entire book, YOU. NEED. TO. READ. THIS.

Ever since I first met Mac and Kelli in Marine for Hire, I have been curious to get my hands on their story. All I knew is I hoped that it would be Kelli that got matched up with Mac because she was the perfectly OPPOSITE everything to Mac’s serious personality. I was also a little worried, since Kelli is extremely outspoken and very blunt that she would come across as brash in her own book. It is a very fine line between confident and outspoken and just brash. I shouldn’t have been worried in the least. Tawna Fenske not only wrote an awesome heroine, she blew it out of the water for me.

(Considering the whole thing read like the very best romantic comedy, I couldn’t get the mental picture of Kate out of my mind as I read this, so that’s what you get LOL)
When Mac needs a fiance for a cover for an operation he’s currently on, his loving sister is quick to volunteer her best friend. Payback is a bitch, huh Mac? Veterinarian Kelli has had a crush on Mac since she was just little, but she’s certainly not looking for a relationship. Her childhood has pretty much guaranteed that. Too bad Mac doesn’t even know she exists…yet.


I think Mac is vaguely aware you exists, but only as the pigtailed friend of his baby sister. He kinda hasn’t been around much since we were kids.
“Absence makes the crotch grow fonder.”

Some hot sex, though? Sign her right up. She has no qualms about seducing Mr. Hottie McFrowny.

I love that Ms. Fenske took a step away from the typical ‘hero falls for the younger sibling’s best friend’ trope. You know the one I’m talking about; the hero pines for the heroine but her being the younger sister’s best friend, she’s off limits. You definitely won’t find that here. Mac doesn’t remember Kelli enough from the past to even give it a second thought. And Kelli? Well Kelli makes her intentions for Mac very clear to her best friend.


Will Mac throw in a ride on a white stallion before we trot into the sunset to make beautiful babies and live happily ever after?”
“You’re allergic to horses, afraid of babies, and horrified by commitment.”
“Will I at least get to bang your brother?”

Oh Kelli, THAT you are certainly NOT. But I love you for it.

Super serious, eyes only for the mission Mac definitely didn’t see her coming


How much adoration are we talking about?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Adoration.” Kelli looked up at him and smiled. “Am I looking at you like I appreciate the fact that you pulled my chair out at dinner, or like you pulled my hair while doing me against the wall.”

But don’t worry, he’s very well equipped to handle all that is Kelli.

You’ll have to suspend your disbelief with some parts of the suspense and action in the story. I would have loved a little more from that end, but I loved the rest of the book so much that I barely batted an eyelash at it. Plus Tawna managed to throw a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming and that made it THAT much better.

Mac and Kelli’s budding romance is what truly stole the show for me

I was curious to know exactly what happened to him to make him so focused on protecting everyone around him, and it was truly heartbreaking when it was revealed. I really just couldn’t get enough of these two. And when they finally do get together? Whew. Hot hot hot.

So what happens when a woman terrified of abandonment falls for a man that’s hell bent on never staying with anyone? Guess you’ll have to read to find out. One thing I can promise you is that you’re going to love every minute of it 😉

***ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review***

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

%d bloggers like this: