The man was sinful. It wasn’t just the looks that made him dangerous, it was the cocky confidence that dominated every move, every touch. And the frustrating yet ecstatic fact about the whole package was that he could back it all up… 

Julia Campbell never knows what to expect with win-at-all-costs Brad De Luca. And she’s starting to like it that way. She gave up safe, conventional relationships when she let the elite divorce attorney seduce her into his world. Now that he’s determined to strip her naked of every inhibition, she’s in danger of falling too deep and too fast. 

But their affair begins to feel even more dangerous when a murder leaves a trail of suspicion that points straight to the mob…and Brad. Trusting a man with a bad reputation and a past full of secrets seems like a mistake. But when she’s forced to make a choice, the consequences will take her further than she could ever have imagined.

I fell for the feisty, smart-ass Julia that calls me on my shit. But I’m owned by the vixen that you become behind closed doors.

If you haven’t yet read Blindfolded Innocence, do not read my review. There’s no spoilers for this book, but there will be spoilers of book 1. You’ve been warned 😉

Masked Innocence starts immediately where Blindfolded Innocence ends. Julia and Brad are together, but keeping the relationship a secret. Brad has taken Julia completely out of her comfort zone in her sexuality, but she’s reveling in it. She’s finding out that she’s not quite the good girl she thought herself to be.

I should have felt like a slut, a dirty whore. But instead I felt liberated, aroused. It was an interesting discovery, to know that I liked being dirty. I wanted to be stared at, pointed to, to have men lining up to fuck me. Inside, I felt a release of some tie, some leash undone, and I knew my descent into sexual awareness was just now starting.

Good thing, Julia, since Brad’s kink is to swing.

While this book had a good share of it’s steamy moments, it was a much different feel in comparison to book one. With the murder of one the law firm’s partner, we get a sense of intrigue and suspense. Julia has the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and asking too many questions, and now her life hangs in the balance. Who is threatening her life? And just who is Brad De Luca?

The man I had turned to was the one I should have run from. I didn’t know what bothered me more, the new danger facing my body or the risk I had brought to my heart.

Brad is determined to protect Julia at all cost, even his own life. But that certainly doesn’t stop him from having her anywhere he can. There was kitchen sex, masked party menage sex, office sex…

Well you get the idea here…

Julia and Brad’s relationship continues to evolve into something deeper. Brad finds himself doing something that he never imagined himself doing; falling for her. And you know what they say? The bigger they are…

I did’t want a relationship! Didn’t want to (view spoiler)[fall in love (hide spoiler)] or be committed, or be required to share the intimate details of my life! But I’m here- with you, a curse of a woman who has taken all my fucking walls and shredded them like fucking tissue paper in your tiny little hands!

As much as I love Brad, I really love Julia’s sassy personality. I found her to be his perfect match. She really gave as good as she got

To the most wonderful woman I have ever met. May we spend the rest of our lives together.
“That’s your toast?”
“You don’t approve?”
As I’m sure you have figured out by now, I have a very healthy self-esteem, bordering on egotism.”
“Bordering on?”
“Shut up. Regardless, you have been with a disgusting amount of women, and will be with a hundred more before you die. For me to be the ‘most wonderful’ woman you have ever met, and you toasting to ‘spending the rest of your life’ with me rings a little…”
“Fake?”
“Bullshitty.”

The book leaves off in a HFN-ish type ending, but there is still danger looming in the future. I’m looking forward to the conclusion of Julia and Brad’s story and seeing what the future has in store for them.

Jai Winter is trying to do the right thing, even though he knows it’s wrong. Forced to participate in kinky sex games, the renowned model spends his spare moments creating an impressive list of suicide options. Until a snowy day provides a bit of Summer…a pink-haired burst of sunshine with a ready smile. What begins as the hottest sex of his life turns into a ray of hope.

Summer Dey has baggage of her own—literally. Having spent eighteen months in South America trying to escape a shocking accident, Summer finds an illegal nightmare hidden in her suitcase. She doesn’t want to put Jai in danger, but his gorgeous face and killer bod prove hard to resist.
Boy meets girl, girl falls for boy, and everything would be perfect if it wasn’t for blackmail, drug dealers and tragic events in both their pasts. Staying together could be their salvation—or their ultimate undoing.

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I know that this is just one day. A day when winter and summer collide. I know I won’t see you again. We go our seperate ways. But we have this now, let’s not waste it.”

Whenever I’m in a book slump, picking up a Barbara Elsborg book is a no brainer for me. I have yet to find a book by her that I did’t love. It’s always this perfect combination of angst, scorching hot sex, broken yet endearingly quirky characters, scorching hot sex, and some more angst. It’s my favorite book recipe. Seriously. DELICIOUS

Jai Winter is famous model that is stuck in his own living hell. Blackmailed into being pretty much a sex slave, he doesn’t see any other way out but one.

He hates himself, he hates his situation, and more than that he hates the 2 people that are forcing him to do this for the last 10 years. Protecting a secret that he believes would destroy his family, Jai is forced to go along with whatever kinky and filthy thing may be demanded of him. The only thing that makes it bearable, is losing himself in a haze of drugs and alcohol.

But then one chance meeting in an airport changes everything…

Summer Dey is a meteorologist coming back from an 18 month researching trip to South America, where she ran to escape a tragic accident. When she arrives at the airport, she’s shocked to discovered that someone has placed illegal drugs in her suitcase. She’s terrified of the repercussions that are sure to follow. Does she get rid of them and chance whoever wants them coming after them? Or does she take them with and chance being arrested? And then she meets Jai…

I don’t want to give anything away, and saying much more would definitely be a spoiler. This is one of those books you simply have to read to find out on your own.

What I’ve come to love in Barbara Elsborg’s books, is this trademark quirky humor that all her characters seem to have.

I want to take care of you,” he whispered. “I don’t want anyone to ever hurt you.”
“I can fight my own battles.”
“I want to fight alongside you.”
“Will you show me your sword?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Later.”
“I hear it’s a big one.”
“Nothing you can’t handle.”

Both Jai and Summer are broken characters, but they’re each dealing with a different darkness. Jai from his present, and Summer from her past.

I adored Summer and at the same time my heart broke for her and what she’s been through. Her own family treats her like a social leper for something that wasn’t her fault. There were times I wanted to reach through my kindle and throttle her mother and sister.

Jai’s situation was absolutely gut wrenching. The things that he’s forced to do, and the way that he attempts to deal with it was incredibly difficult to read. He’s basically a puppet on the strings of 2 evil and immoral puppeteers. I have never wished for 2 characters to be killed off more that these two.

But the way that Jai and Summer help each other heal was lovely.

I’m not typically of insta-love, insta-lust, or insta anything. And while it may not have been insta-love here, it was pretty close. But in the case of this book, it just worked. You can completely understand how these 2 characters are drawn to one another and need each other. The connections between them was beautiful. I loved how each helped mend a painful emotional hole in the other.

At the end of everything, this was about a beautiful love story between two broken people in the midst of impossible circumstances.

I love you.”
“I am lovely,” she whispered.
“Yeah, you are. You’re my light, my warmth, the summer in my life, the sun in my world. You helped me see possibilities when everything seemed black and hopeless. You brought my heart back to life.”

If you’ve read Strangers, both Kate and Charlie make an appearance in this book. I loved catching up with them and seeing where they are a few years after. I liked how Miss Elsborg managed to fit them into the story.

“The most dangerous refuge could be his lover’s arms.”

Everyone has at least one deep-seated fear. For Tyler, it’s being in debt. He’s so desperate to get out and stay out of it, he’ll do almost anything-including selling his body at Saturday night sex parties.

But he refuses to open his mind to anyone, especially the men paying to use him however they want. The only time he’s truly happy is during the week at college, when he can escape into his music.

The moment Haris sees Tyler playing piano at a concert, he falls hard, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make the guy his. Even if it means-for the first time in his life-opening his wallet as wide and desperate as his heart.

20,000 to live with a good-looking guy for four months? How can Tyler resist the chance to ditch the sex party scene for good? But neither man realizes how much they’re risking. And when outside forces close in, ready to destroy them, the trickiest part about the next four months could be just surviving.

Warning: Contains a “for hire” bad boy with a filthy mouth, an awkward guy with a penchant for BDSM, a hypochondriac butler who won’t shut up, a dog called Alcide, and a lot of hot and dirty M/M sex.

So what can I tell you after finishing this book?

Is in my pants. Sweet mother of cock but this book was hot. Tyler, Haris, Tyler and Haris

Books like this sometimes make me wish I was a gay man. What? Too much?

But I digress…

Tyler is in debt and is desperate enough to do some extreme things to get out of them. So what if he sells his body to whoever pays to attend the very exclusive Saturday night sex parties if they will help him pay off his school loans? Everyone has a price. But his deep-rooted fear of being in debt dates back to one of his darkest childhood memories, and it keeps him going.

Tyler doesn’t let anyone get close. They may get his body for the night, but never anything else. His focus, emotion, and passion all go towards his one and only love, his music.

When Haris first spots Tyler playing the piano at a concert, he knows he has to have him. So when he follows him after the event and rescues him from a BDSM scene gone bad at one of the parties Tyler attend, he knows just how to hook him. 20,000 plus 10,000 for clothes for his time, his body, and his exclusivity.

Tyler sees a way to get out of his debt and to slake his lust for the gorgeous Haris, so he agrees and then it’s a whole lot of

I love Barbara Elsborg’s writing. I’ve been a fan since my first book by her An Ordinary Girl. Her books are always the perfect mix of suspense, mystery, quirky humor, broken yet endearing characters and lots and lots of super HOT SEX.

And this book was certainly no exception. Just add in a sarcastic and hilarious butler, and it was perfect. I was riveted from the very first chapter. The mystery and suspense sucked me in, and the connection and sexual chemistry between Tyler and Haris just sealed the deal. I didn’t want this book to end.

Of course what’s a Barbara Elsborg book without a little…or a lot of angst and drama. And this book really delivered on that end. I loved the angst for the majority of the book. It’s no secret that I have a soft spot for the assholes, and Haris had his moments. Truthfully, there were times where he would do something that left me feeling a little

You know what they say about assumptions right, Haris? Maybe you should take note. Then you wouldn’t continue doing it again, and again, and again, and AGAIN!

Then there was the last 10% of the book. Holy drama overload, batman. I think I may have reached my quota for drama tolerance at 85%. We had a man out for revenge, someone threatening Tyler’s life, someone coming after Haris, some drama between Haris and Tyler. I think I was at my limit when I hit the last few chapters.

And then Haris just goes and does something and I was PISSED. I mean really pissed. I’m talking

PISSED

But then alls well that ends well. He did make up for it in the end, and I was really satisfied with the way he did it. So if you’re a fan of super steamy, well written MM romance filled with action, mystery and suspense, I highly recommend this book.

Marie doesn’t need a complication like Horse. The massive, tattooed, badass biker who shows up at her brother’s house one afternoon doesn’t agree. He wants Marie on his bike and in his bed. Now.

But Marie just left her abusive jerk of an ex-husband and she’s not looking for a new man. Especially one like Horse—she doesn’t know his real name or where he lives, she’s ninety percent certain he’s a criminal and that the “business” he talks with her brother isn’t website design. She needs him out of her life, which would be a snap if he’d just stop giving her mind-blowing orgasms.

Horse is part of the Reapers Motorcycle Club, and when he wants something, he takes it. What he wants is Marie, but she’s not interested in becoming “property of”.

Then her brother steals from the club. Marie can save him by giving Horse what he wants—at home, in public, on his bike… If she’s a very, very good girl, she’ll get lots more of those orgasms only he can offer, and he’ll let her brother live.
Maybe.

A Romantica® contemporary erotic romance from Ellora’s CaveSynopsis

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Check out my review for the pure AWESOME that was Reaper’s Legacy HERE

And get ready to meet all that is Ruger on Jan 28!!

About the author

Joanna Wylde is a freelance writer and voracious reader. You can visit her website at www.joannawylde.net.

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Giveaway

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Sassy, smart, and sexy, former supermodel-turned-tech guru Rubi Russo has it all—looks, money, confidence and freedom. Her life is a whirlwind of fast cars and fleeting affairs—and she likes it that way. With a past like Rubi’s, forever isn’t part of her vocabulary. So when studly Renegade stuntman Wes Lawson wants to take their friendship to the next level, she’s all out.

Raised a simple country-boy, Wes knows the brazen Rubi isn’t his type. But after spending time with her, he discovers she’s everything he’s ever wanted in a woman. To win her wild rebel heart, he’ll have to prove he sees behind her smokescreen to all the goodness she tries to hide. Then it’s just a matter of crushing her fears, shattering her barriers, and convincing her that loving him is everything she’s been missing in her life, too.

Piece of cake.

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4.5 I’m craving chocolate ice cream stars

She was in deep, deep trouble. Because she wanted him more than she wanted to turn him away.

What can I tell you about this series aside from Skye Jordan is the queen of steam. Holy hell but the woman can write one hell of a sex scene. I thought book one was hot, but let me tell you; this book? SCORCHING


I wasn’t sure how I felt about Rubi and Wes after the last book. Wes is a Southern good ole boy that likes his girls sweet, and Rubi is the furthest thing from sweet or demure as you can get. Yet somehow, they worked. Not only that, but I fell in complete and utter lust with Wes. The man was just everything with sprinkles on top. I just want to lick him. Everywhere. Is that so wrong? But I digress.

Wes and Rubi have a scorching undercurrent of attraction running between them. Rubi is determined to keep them in the friendship zone since she knows she’s not capable of a relationship. With a childhood like hers, I can’t say I blame her. In short?

But Wes is determined to pour even more gasoline on their already flaming attraction. So knowing that it’s inevitable for them to finally give into to it, Rubi comes up with a plan; friends with benefits.

Now many of you may be wandering

Well if the health insurance he provides her with comes in the form of his perfect cock…then sure…let’s call it that.

This book had one of the HOTTEST scenes I have ever read in a book this year. I will never again be able to look at chocolate ice cream without getting a hot flash ever again.

Seriously Wes, my lady boner is in full salute to your utter sexy deliciousness.

You may be a nice southern boy but you’re a rebel deep down. Ha! See what I did there?

But I digress again.

Where was I?

Ah yes.

Wes

Did it work? No? Damn!

And back to business.

While Wes was utter perfection, Rubi had a moment…or 2…or 3…OK a few, where I wanted to punch her in the ovaries for being so stupid. Her back and forth of running away from her feelings for Wes did grate with me quite a bit. While I understand why she was the way she was, it was hard to accept it with how perfect Wes was.

Other than that, I really enjoyed the second installment of this series. It seems to just be getting hotter and hotter with each book. We get to catch up with Jax and Lexi and see where they are in their life, which was nice. And Rubi did redeem herself at the end, even if it was at the very end. But ultimately, Wes just made this book for me. I loved the hell out of him.

I can’t wait to see what Skye Jordan has up her sleeve next and which yummy Renegade we can look forward to. Hopefully the heroine will be Rachel. I really enjoyed her quirkiness in this book.

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