Review: More Of You by A.L. Jackson

September 16, 2018 by ·

MORE OF YOU
Series: Confessions of the Heart #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: A.L. Jackson
Release Date: September 8, 2015

My daddy warned me never to fall for a boy like Jace Jacobs…

The second I saw him walk through the door, I knew he was trouble.
A gorgeous rebel with a bad attitude and a huge chip on his shoulder.
My heart warned me. I didn’t listen. I saw something protective and good beneath the fierce, tough exterior.
I fell hard and fast.
He promised we’d be together forever, and then left me with a broken heart.
Now, ten years later, Jace Jacobs is standing at my door.
Sexier than he’s ever been.
Provocative and commanding.
Successful and powerful.
The man I always knew he would become.
But I promised myself I’d never lose my heart to him again.
Even time couldn’t dim our chemistry. One glance of his intense eyes, and I become weak. One brush of his hand, and he brings me to my knees.
Little do I know, Jace holds the key to everything I’ve lost and everything that threatens my future.
Now he will either save me, or he will break me all over again . . .

AMAZON

You took my heart when you left,” I whispered.
He took a slow step forward, his confession cracking in the air. “And I left mine with you.”

There’s just something about this author’s lyrical writing style that always manages to enrapture me in every book she writes. But when that book is a a gripping and emotional second chance romance with an dash of suspense? Stick a fork in me. I’m done.

I’d never loved anyone the way I’d loved him. He was a fire that consumed. A strike in the night. So wrong. So right.

Ten years ago, Jace was Faith’s entire world. She fell fast and hard for the troubled and angry boy with the soulful eyes as a sixteen year old girl. Their romance was pure and potent. Faith was the good girl. Jace was the boy from the wrong side of the tracks that spent his childhood sacrificing to protect the ones he loved. They were each other’s world….until Jace walked away and broke her heart. And while she never got over the boy that took her heart, she tried to move on with her life.

Now ten years later, Faith finds herself a single parent after her husband is brutally murdered. And when there’s a threat to her life, Jace is back and determined to stand between her and any threat. But his presence quickly brings back all of the buried pain and feelings, and it doesn’t take long for things to turn complicated.

I adored Jace. He’s such a caring and protective alpha. He’s a man that’s been through so much but he never got over the woman he was forced to leave behind. He’s paid for his mistakes and determined to right the wrongs of the past. He may have walked away from her once for reasons that he can’t share, but he refuses to do it again. He’ll protect Faith and her adorable daughter even if she’ll never let him into her heart again.

Faith was the quintessential good girl. And while I’m not a reader that typically enjoys that, there was just something so endearing about her and her sweet little girl. This was such a beautifully written and emotional story. I loved the added suspense element that had me eagerly turning the pages. I already can’t wait for more in this series, especially Jace’s enigmatic brother, Ian. I’m totally hooked!

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Down To You by Jayne Frost

September 3, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

DOWN TO YOU
Series: Sixth Street Bands #5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Jayne Frost
Release Date: September 4, 2018

She started from perfect. A star who shone brighter than the rest.
But then fate took it all away.
Now she’s broken.
A beautiful song with a fractured beat.

But I’m still on the rise.
Chasing a dream that she’s already left behind.
If I’m lucky, I can find my redemption in the spotlight.

Destiny brought us together.
Put her in my path.

It started with a road trip. But somewhere along the line, it became a journey from here to there.

Maybe she can help me.
Maybe we can help each other.
Maybe music is enough.
Maybe.

Every story deserves a soundtrack.
And ours is epic.

Down To You is a standalone, rockstar romance within the Sixth Street Bands Series. 18+ for adult situations.

AMAZON

There was no safe zone. It was all heat and fire between us. And even my fear of burning us both to the ground wouldn’t keep me from dancing in the flames with Tori.

After a rec from a trusted book buddy, I walked into this book with two very distinct disadvantages:

1. I haven’t read any other books in this series
2. I’ve never read this author.

And you know what? I fell in love with the story, the author’s voice, and the slow burn and emotional romance.

I’m what?” Her voice was soft. Hesitant.
She was so many things. But as I took her in, only one word pushed its way past all the sludge in my head. “Beautiful.”

Every now and then you try a new to you author and find yourself wondering why on earth it took you so long to try a book of theirs. That was most definitely the case here. Because this book? It was beautiful! It was a dazzling and heart wrenching romance full of emotion and swoon! It was a breath of fresh air in a sea full of rock star romances that all sort of blend into each other. This one stood out in the best of ways and I couldn’t get enough of it!

Prowling the stage, he roared into the microphone, completely at home amidst the chaos and confusion.

Stories with dead spouses always make me hesitant because the deceased is either villainized or the new love interest comes across as a consolation prize. This romance was nothing of the sort. Victoria “Tori” loved Rhenn and loved him immeasurably…until a tragic accident ripped him from her life. A shadow of the woman and beloved rockstar that she once was, Tori has been sort of floating through the years since the accident in a haze of pain and waking nightmares. The last thing she expects is to fall in love with the rising rockstar that she’s essentially put on babysitting duty with after one too many fights puts him at risk of real jail time. But traveling on tour together, these two opposites attract in a slow burn of all slow burns, and I fell hard!

He’s going to wreck you. It should’ve scared me, that voice in my head. But I didn’t pay attention. Because I was already wrecked. Love had wrecked me a long time ago. And this wasn’t that.

Logan is the bad boy rocker that will steal your heart. This is not your stereotypical rockstar. Beneath the anger and uncaring attitude, is a wounded soul and a caring heart. He was such a multilayered character.

Tori was the perfect balance to Logan’s intensity. Talk about your wounded characters. Tori was beyond broken. But beneath the scars lay the heart of an incredibly strong woman that soon came to realize that it is possible to love again.

The rain eased, leaving only tiny tears staining the fallen leaves and other casualties of the storm. Us … we were the casualties. Logan and me. But in that moment, I saw nothing but a shiny new world illuminated by the moon peeking from behind heavy clouds. Hope and warmth and promise spread from the place we were joined. And for the second time in my life, I fell in love.

Down To You was a rollercoaster of heart wrenching pain and swoon worthy melt-your-heart moments. It was the perfect storm of emotion and romance.

You’re my redemption, Victoria. You’re everything.

And while it was clear that there’s a dynamic between all these characters that has carried over and built up throughout the series, it never took away from my enjoyment. I do think I would have loved it even more had I read the series in order, but that’s entirely my fault and my habit of starting series back asswards. What can I say? I’m a rebel like that. But if you’re looking for a rockstar romance that’s full of depth and a story you won’t be forgetting any time soon, this is a book that you need to read!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Rockstars · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting

August 31, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

THE GOOD LUCK CHARM
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Helena Hunting
Release Date: August 7, 2018

Is it love, or is she just his good luck charm?

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Helena Hunting absolutely delights with this witty and fun standalone contemporary romance.

Lilah isn’t sure what hurt worse: the day Ethan left her to focus on his hockey career, or the day he came back eight years later. He might think they can pick up just where they left off, but she’s no longer that same girl and never wants to be again.

Ethan Kane wants his glory days back. And that includes having Lilah by his side. With her, he was magic. They were magic. All he has to do is make her see that.

Just when Lilah might finally be ready to let him in, though, she finds out their reunion has nothing to do with her and everything to do with his game. But Ethan’s already lost her once, and even if it costs him his career, he’ll do anything to keep from losing her again.

AMAZON

You’re in my soul, Lilah. That will never change.”

This book is comfy yoga pants with a glass of wine, chilling by the pool sort of easy. It has all the warm and fuzzies wrapped in a sweet and steamy second chance romance. It’s a light, feel-good sort of read that had a smile on my face from beginning to end.

But nothing could ever prepare me for being this close to the man who took my heart, crushed it, and gave it back to me in pieces.

Ethan and Lilah were childhood friends turned high school sweethearts. They had all the makings of forever, until Ethan left to pursue his professional hockey career and broke Lilah’s heart.

Eight years later, Ethan is back, after being traded to the team in his hometown. But he’s never forgotten or gotten over Lilah and he’s determined to be back in her life. But Lilah never got over the pain this man once caused her. Coming from a broken home with an absentee father, Lilah never lost touch with Ethan’s parents, even though their son shattered her fragile heart. I loved the relationship she had with his parents and the way they cared for her as well. But even though his parents adore her and Ethan is swearing he’s not the naive boy he was when he left her, Lilah isn’t so eager to open her heart to him again.

Nothing you say is going to change the past.” “It could change the future, though.”

I loved the way that Ethan is slow and patient with Lilah. He’ll take anything he can, even friendship, while he yearns for more from the girl he never stopped loving. He was such an easy hero to fall in love with. He’s sweet and patient, sexy and playful, with this incredibly endearing boyish quality to him that I couldn’t get enough of.

I adored their slow burn reconnection and the way that they slowly find back to each other.

He’s slow and careful, he’s sweet and gentle. He’s the boy I fell in love with as a girl, grown into a man I don’t think I ever fell out of love with, between the then and now.

This was such a sweet romance with just the right amount of tension thrown in to make it interesting. There’s no crazy drama. No painful angst. Just two people that never stopped loving each other, discovering what it means to love and sacrifice. It was a perfectly charming romance that I recommend to anyone looking for a perfect read to spend a warm summer evening with.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , , ,

Review: The Chase by Elle Kennedy

August 7, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

THE CHASE
Series: Briar U #1
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Author: Elle Kennedy
Release Date: August 6, 2018

Everyone says opposites attract. And they must be right, because there’s no logical reason why I’m so drawn to Colin Fitzgerald. I don’t usually go for tattoo-covered, video-gaming, hockey-playing nerd-jocks who think I’m flighty and superficial. His narrow view of me is the first strike against him. It doesn’t help that he’s buddy-buddy with my brother.

And that his best friend has a crush on me.

And that I just moved in with them.

Oh, did I not mention we’re roommates?

I suppose it doesn’t matter. Fitzy has made it clear he’s not interested in me, even though the sparks between us are liable to burn our house down. I’m not the kind of girl who chases after a man, though, and I’m not about to start. I’ve got my hands full dealing with a new school, a sleazy professor, and an uncertain future. So if my sexy brooding roomie wises up and realizes what he’s missing?

He knows where to find me.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO

She brings out a growly, primal side of me I hadn’t known existed until she showed up and started driving me batshit crazy.
And…I frickin’ love it. 

Opposites attract in this brand new spin-off series and I frickin’ loved it! See what I did there? Alright, that was entirely too cheesy but I simply couldn’t resist.

As much as I loved Dean in The Score, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I’d love his younger sister, Summer. She’s a heroine that instantly jumps from the pages at you and there’s something so incredibly endearing about her. She’s beautiful, popular, and a social butterfly. But she’s not a girl without insecurities either and those are the things that make her as endearing as they did.

A woman isn’t defined by her boyfriends. She’s defined by her achievements. And her shoes.”

Colin “Fitzy” Fitzgerald is the quiet, self professed nerd of his hockey buddies and roommates. Where Summer is the social butterfly, he’s the hermit. He knows that Summer has a crush on him, but no matter how strongly he may be attracted to her as well, she’s the opposite of the type of girl he needs.
Then Fitz goes and puts his foot in his mouth, and what was gearing up to be potentially something, soon turns into angry stares and snarky come backs…and he has no idea why.

When a turn of events leaves Summer without a place to live at Briar, the college she’s transferred to after her snafu at Brown, her brother is all too eager to help. Unfortunately it also lands her as the fourth roommate to Fitz; the man she’s determined to now stay away from.

What begins then, is the most sexually charged game of push and pull I’ve read in a while. Summer is determined to stay away from Colin. Colin doesn’t want to want Summer, but can’t help but be pulled into her orbit. Colin’s buddy and other roommate, Hunter, wants Summer. Summer doesn’t want to want Colin, but also has no reason to turn down Hunter. Oh the madness of it all!

While I can see some readers going crazy from Fitzy’s back and forth feelings and behavior, I gobbled it up. I got why he acted the way he did, even if I did want to throttle him for it half the time. HE struggles with his attraction to a girl that’s always in the spotlight when he does his damnedest to shy away from it.

I also absolutely ADORED Summer’s friendship with Brenna. Summer is a true girl’s girl, and I loved the genuine friendship these two forged. I’m also absolutely DYING for Brenna’s book now. The potential set up there sounds utterly delicious.

The Chase was an addicting opposites attract romance that had a smile on my face from beginning to end. The banter, the sexual chemistry, the secondary characters, and the romance were absolutely fantastic! And then there was the quirky humor that I couldn’t get enough of. In particular, the appearances with Dean and the sibling dynamics with him and Summer.

Life isn’t always about you!”
They stand there bickering as if I’m not bent in half on the marble floor, gasping for air.
“I’m not having kids with you,” I wheeze at Summer. “I don’t want to be part of your insane family.” “Oh hush, sweetie. It’s too late. I’ve become attached.”
You’d think it would be impossible to laugh while I’m writhing on the floor in agony. But Summer Heyward-Di Laurentis makes everything possible.

The Chase set the stage for an amazing new series from one of my favorite authors and I already can’t wait for more. If you’re a fan of sizzling New Adult romance, this is a book that’s not to be missed!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, New Adult · Tagged With: , , , ,

Review: HOT SEAL Target by Lynn Raye Harris

August 6, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

HOT SEAL Target
Series: HOT SEAL Team #6
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Lynn Raye Harris
Release Date: August 7, 2018

Navy SEAL Adam “Blade” Garrison’s assignment to infiltrate a tech billionaire’s criminal operations just got complicated. His cover: bodyguard for the man’s wife. His problem: Blade knows Quinn Halliday far too well. A sophisticated version of the chubby, shy girl Blade once knew, Quinn brings out all his protective instincts—as well as a few carnal ones that surprise him.

Quinn’s pride in having improved herself has turned bitter. She’s trapped in a relationship with a brutal man who views her as nothing more than a possession. Blade’s unexpected arrival makes her hope for more than a barren existence in a gilded prison. Until tragedy strikes, and Quinn realizes she’s next on the hit list.

Blade will do anything to shield Quinn from danger and keep her safe. But as they draw closer, an enemy works to flush them out. If he succeeds, he’ll put an end to Blade and Quinn’s budding happiness.

Unless Blade and his SEAL Team strike first…

**Stand Alone, No Cliffhangers, No Cheating, Happily Ever After Guaranteed!**

AMAZON

His mouth claimed, demanded, devoured. She clung to him, let him lead her, enthralled by the power and passion his kiss created. This was what it meant to want. To need. To desire.

I have yet to read a Lynn Raye Harris book and HOT SEAL Target was no exception. HOT SEAL Target was an action packed and sexy thrill ride and yet another fantastic installment in the HOT SEAL Team series that I’ve become obsessed with!

Back in high school Adam “Blade” Garrison once defended a girl from bullies. The girl was shy, overweight, and clearly infatuated with him, and she also became his best friend and confidant. Until he joined the SEALs and lost touch with her. Now, years later, Adam is on a mission to infiltrate a tech billionaire’s possible criminal operation and his ruse to get into the door is to play bodyguard to the man’s wife. The shocker is that the wife is Quinn Halliday, the girl from his past, and she looks nothing like the chubby teenager he once knew.

The connection between Quinn and Adam was instant and full of pent up sexual tension. I also loved the way that Harris wrote Quinn’s character in such a way that empowered her with the weight loss. This wasn’t just an aesthetic thing for her, and I truly appreciate that. I also appreciated that Adam’s interest in her isn’t written as a sudden thing now that she’s thin and beautiful. He recognizes that he also cared for the girl she once was, as well as his own selfishness and ignorance back then.

Quinn may be living with a tyrant that refuses to let her go, but she’s not a weakling by any means. There’s a quiet and unassuming strength to her that I really enjoyed. There’s also a vulnerability to her that I couldn’t help but connect with. Blade was like every single Harris hero I’ve ever read; intense, protective, and sinfully sexy. I loved his protectiveness towards Quinn and watching their connection blossom into something so much deeper than any of them ever anticipated.

Of course one of my favorite parts of the book was Ian’s cameos, because let’s be honest, I’m frothing at the mouth for more detail about the mysterious enigma that is Ian Black.

THE SERIES

HOT SEAL | HOT SEAL Lover | HOT SEAL Rescue | HOT SEAL Bride | HOT SEAL Redemption | HOT SEAL Target

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Romantic Suspense · Tagged With: ,

New Release & Review: Scoring The Player’s Baby by Naima Simone

July 9, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

SCORING THE PLAYER’S BABY
Series: WAGS #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Naima Simone
Release Date: July 9th 2018

 

After a divorce from her cheating football player ex, PR whiz Kim Matlock would rather drive a pine tree through her walled-off heart than work at the Seattle Wedding Expo.

And the last thing she expects is to be grabbed and kissed breathless by a hot giant of a man looking to fend off a stalker.

She doesn’t want emotional entanglements, but she can’t say no to one scorching night with the sexy stranger.

To her shock, she finds out afterward that a) he’s a pro football player, aka her kryptonite, and b) she’s pregnant.

But nothing could have prepared her for his response…

 

 

AMAZON

Jesus. The man should come with a warning label: Causes Severe Case of Anal Agoraphobia. Or in layman’s terms, causes severe case of not being able to get your head out of your ass.

Well, hello there, Naima Simone, and welcome to my auto-buy list.

Firstly, I am seriously kicking myself for waiting this long to try this author because I have been missing out! Her writing is sexy, fun, lighthearted, and I couldn’t get enough of it! If you’re a fan of the surprise pregnancy trope, this will be your catnip. It was full of humor, delicious dirty talk, a little bit of angst thanks to two stubborn main characters, and some swoon mixed in.

What I want,” he murmured, “is to hear that sexy moan again. The one you made while sucking on my tongue like you tasted something real good. “I want you to use that beautiful, tight control you got going on to dance and twist on my dick. Then I want to see you lose it, see that control crack right down the middle as you come so hard, I don’t have a choice but to go with you. And after that? I want to do it again and again all night until I limp home in the morning.”

Kim was not a character I’d usually enjoy. While this is one strong alpha female, she has quite a bit of baggage that gives her judgmental tendencies. Burned by her pro-football player, cheating ex-husband, Kim has sworn off professional athletes. So when she finds out that her sizzling one-night stand is actually the wide receiver for the Washington Warriors, she doesn’t hesitate before lumping him in with the rest. But Ronin is nothing like her ex. While he has some commitment issues for reasons of his own, he’s caring, sweet, and doesn’t hesitate to take responsibility when he learns that their one night together has resulted in a pregnancy neither of them expected.

Can I just tell you how much I adored Ronin. Let’s set aside the fact that the man is sinfully sexy and has a mouth on him that will set any ovary aflame. But he also has a hidden sweet side to him that I loved seeing come out more and more with the bristly Kim. I loved the way he soothed her rough edges. And though Kim did frustrate me at times with the way she pushed Ronin away, I understood why she did.

Admittedly, what really brought it together for me was the ridiculously sweet ending and I particularly loved the twist to the typical romance grovel. I can’t believe I just discovered this series and this author, but I’m also thrilled because now I have her entire backlist to binge one; starting with the first two books in the WAGs series.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: ,

Review: Devoted To Pleasure by Shayla Black

July 6, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

DEVOTED TO PLEASURE
Series: Devoted Lovers #1
Genre: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Author: Shayla Black
Release Date: July 3, 2018

The first in an all-new sexy contemporary romance series from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shayla Black.

BOUND BY DUTY…

Bodyguard and former military man Cutter Bryant has always done his duty–no matter the cost. Now he’s taking one last high-octane assignment before settling down in a new role that means sacrificing his chance at love. But he never expects to share an irresistible chemistry with his beautiful new client.

…TEMPTED BY PLEASURE

As the star of a steamy television drama, Shealyn West knows fame well, but it has come at the expense of her heart. With a blackmailer watching her every move and the threat of career-ending exposure looming, Shealyn hires Cutter to shore up her security and keep her safe, never imagining their attraction will be too powerful to contain.

As Shealyn and Cutter navigate the scintillating line between business and pleasure, they unravel a web of secrets that threaten their relationship and their lives. When danger strikes, Cutter must decide whether to follow his heart for the first time, or risk losing Shealyn forever.

AMAZON

Drowning in her would be a singular pleasure that would be worth whatever the price—even his heart.

A dangerous secret, a deadly blackmailer, a bodyguard that’s as dangerous to the heart as he is lethal, and a romance that’s packed full of feels and sizzle all wrap seamlessly together in this brand new series from Shayla Black. If you’ve read her Wicked Lovers series, you’ll definitely recognize quite a few characters in this one, and I’m thrilled to have this series carry them over. I’ve been curious about Cutter’s story ever since Holding on Tighter, and it didn’t disappoint.

When his best friend is in trouble, Cutter is about to give up his chance at true love by helping her. But before he settles into his new role, he takes on one more assignment; famous actress Shealyn. Shealyn stands to lose the career she’s put everything into at the hands of a blackmailer that knows a secret she’d do everything to keep out of the public eye. The plan is simple; hire a bodyguard to protect her, give the blackmailer the money they demand, and move on with her life. Unfortunately nothing ever goes as planned, and what should have been a simple money drop, turns into a deadly and dangerous game with her life on the line.

Cutter has given his word to his best friend and he’s settled into what’s to be his life. The last thing he expects when he’s given up any thoughts of true love is the instantaneous connection with his gorgeous new client.

The chemistry between Cutter and Shealyn was instant and scorching. Both of them fight the inevitable, but they can only ignore what’s burning between them for so long before letting the flames consume them.

I’m going to savor you,” he told her. “I’m going to learn your body. I’m going to spend all night wringing one orgasm after another from you until you’re limp and wearing the sort of smile tomorrow that makes everyone wonder what you’ve been doing.”

Cutter was a delicious mix of protective and demanding. He has a hidden soft side to him beneath all the hard edges. I adored his devotion to his best friend, and my heart pitter pattered with his treatment of Shealyn. They may be hiding secrets from each other, but their connection was still full of depth and emotion that I couldn’t get enough of.

He’d fallen in love with the one woman he couldn’t have beyond this assignment and didn’t deserve forever.

Shealyn was a great heroine. She was an endearing combination of strength and vulnerability and I loved the way that Cutter balanced it all.

There’s characters that carry over from Shayla’s Wicked series along with plenty of new faces that are introduced. Though non are as enigmatic and One-Mile, whose story I’m practically salivating for.

Devoted To Pleasure was an action packed and sizzling read that brought the swoons and the sizzle I’ve come to expect from Shayla Black. It was deliciously satisfying with twists and turns that kept me at the edge of my seat and eagerly turning the pages. I can’t wait for more in this series and already crossing my fingers that Black will put me out of my misery and have it be One-Mile’s.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense · Tagged With: ,

Geri & Lana’s Review: Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean

June 24, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

WICKED AND THE WALLFLOWER
Series: Bareknuckle Bastards #1
Genre: Historical Romance
Author: Sarah MacLean
Release Date: June 19th, 2018

When Wicked Comes Calling…

When a mysterious stranger finds his way into her bedchamber and offers his help in landing a duke, Lady Felicity Faircloth agrees—on one condition. She’s seen enough of the world to believe in passion, and won’t accept a marriage without it.

The Wallflower Makes a Dangerous Bargain…

Bastard son of a duke and king of London’s dark streets, Devil has spent a lifetime wielding power and seizing opportunity, and the spinster wallflower is everything he needs to exact a revenge years in the making. All he must do is turn the plain little mouse into an irresistible temptress, set his trap, and destroy his enemy.

For the Promise of Passion…

But there’s nothing plain about Felicity Faircloth, who quickly decides she’d rather have Devil than another. Soon, Devil’s carefully laid plans are in chaos, and he must choose between everything he’s ever wanted…and the only thing he’s ever desired.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N

GERI’S REVIEW

Sarah MacLean’s new Bareknucle Bastards series is off to a strong start with Wicked and the Wallflower. It’s a passionate and intriguing tale of three brothers who’re bound by the secrets of their pasts.

“You don’t need lessons in fire. You are an inferno.”

Wicked and the Wallflower is about the first brother, Devon, known as Devil to everyone—friends and enemies alike. Devil immediately captures the attention. At the start of the book, his only goal was to uphold a promise from his past but it’s how he goes about achieving those goals that put him immediately in the anti-hero category for me.

In spite of that, Sarah MacLean was convincing in her campaign to show her readers that Devil deserves the heroine and a HEA. One of the reasons for this is the heroine Felicity Faircloth.

Felicity Faircloth was perfection—the first taste of it Devil had ever had.

She was Devil’s equal and his perfect foil. She is innocent but she’s far from naïve. Felicity is similar to Devil is some ways. She was relegated to the fringes of polite society, just like Devil. But unlike Devil, she wanted to be a part of it. So when Devil offered her a chance to be a part of the ton, she took the chance, not knowing that it’s going to bring her ruination once again.

“If I were going to take advantage of you, I would approach from the front, Felicity Faircloth. In full view, so you would have the joy of expecting me.”

I loved how Devil and Felicity interacted with each other. Brilliantly written dialogue is one of MacLean’s skill, and it’s on full display here. You could feel the sexual tension and the chemistry in each of those encounters. Aside from that, there’s a lot of longing in this book! One of the things that make for a grand romance is to have two characters who desperately want each other but their circumstances and their own fears are keeping them apart. Hence, the longing. Devil and Felicity’s longing for each other will make you sigh and swoon at the same time.

I also enjoyed how Devil’s interactions with his siblings. You can sense their shared pain and history together. Their dysfunction is evident and Sarah MacLean is a master at giving us a taste of what’s coming. And just based on what she showed us about Whit and Ewan and Grace, I’m already mentally lining up for the next books in the series.

“I’m going to steal you,” he confessed again. “I’m going to steal you and make you mine.”

Wicked and the Wallflower is very character driven. Yes, there’s a plot but it’s not what drives the story forward; it’s the characters and their motivations. There’s also a lot of intrigue and secrets that I feel would come into play in later books. The seeds are there, and I’m excited to see where it leads.

Fans of Sarah MacLean and historical romances will find plenty of things to enjoy in this book. The characters, the romance and the intrigue will keep you entertained and make you swoon like a romance novel should. I highly recommend it.

LANA’S REVIEW

Felicity Faircloth was perfection—the first taste of it Devil had ever had. She tasted like a promise.

Wicked and the Wallflower is the first installment in a brand new series that’s sure to be a new addiction for me from one of my favorite historical romance authors. However, I’ve been sitting on my rating for this book for a couple weeks now, somewhat stumped in how to rate it. I was completely enamored with the story in the first 15%, then somewhere along the way it began to lose me, only to reel me back in in the second half.

This world is all sin, Felicity, and I am the worst of it.”

I love a broody and broken hero, and Devil certainly fits the bill. This is a man that went through hell as a child, only to come up swinging. Now he’s one of the notorious Bareknuckle Bastards, as rich as he is ruthless, and running a crime ring in the heart of Covent Garden. For years, Devil has yearned for revenge against those that wronged him and his family, and he’s so close he can taste it now. But a woman just may throw a wrench into his hard built plans.

You wish to do the consuming.” She wished to be wanted. Beyond reason. She wished to be ached for. “You wish for him to fly into your flame.”

Lady Felicity Faircloth is in desperate need to wed a Duke. A mistake has now put her on the outskirts of the Ton, and made her into a social pariah. Her only recourse to help herself and her family is to wed a Duke. But Felicity is no vain or mindless twit. This is a woman of passion that will not settle for anything other than true love; no matter how much her incredibly selfish family pushes her otherwise.

For surely, no man on earth should be as handsome as this one. He looked remarkably like his voice sounded. Like a low, liquid rumble. Like temptation. Like sin.

A bargain with the Devil just may be the answer she seeks, but it doesn’t go quite as planned.

I was instantly hooked from the first chapter of this book. I was intrigued by Devil and his story, as well as those of his brothers and sister. This was also the reason for my later struggle. Because while the author paints a beguiling picture with this character, she doesn’t quite give the character development that I yearned for. There’s a lot backstory to him that seems to happen off the pages, things that the reader is told, but you don’t quite feel it. I struggled with this for the better part of the first half of the book. I wanted more of a connection to Devil and his past.

Felicity was a heroine I loved straight away. She’s full of spark and sharp wit. I couldn’t get enough of her. In a world of propriety beyond all, she stood out like a flame. She knew what she wanted and she wasn’t afraid to voice it or to go after it. She was the perfect balance to Devil and I couldn’t get enough of their chemistry.

I’m going to steal you, instead,” he said then, knowing she’d hear the words as part of the story and not as she should—as the truth. “I’m going to steal you,” he confessed again. “I’m going to steal you and make you mine.” “It’s not theft if I allow it,” she whispered. Silly girl; of course it was. But it wouldn’t stop him.

The second half of the book is where it really hooked me. We get a lot more story on Devil (though never quite as much as I hoped for) and the romance truly begins to bloom.

Sarah MacLean has a way with words that I simply adore, and she has hooked me completely on The Bareknuckle Bastards. I’m captivated and already salivating to learn more about Beast, Cassie, and even more of the naughty Duke himself. The romance here was a slow burn but oh so satisfying. With plenty of chemistry to keep a reader yearning for Felicity and Duke’s HEA. So while it wasn’t quite what I had hoped, it still kept me glued to the pages and eager to see what happens in the end. I can’t wait for more in this series!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Historical Romance · Tagged With: , ,

Review: More Than Words by Mia Sheridan

June 20, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

MORE THAN WORDS
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Mia Sheridan
Release Date: June 12, 2018

No one lays open the heart and soul quite like New York Times bestselling author Mia Sheridan.
The moment she met Callen Hayes, eleven-year-old Jessica Creswell knew he was a broken prince. Her prince. They became each other’s refuge, a safe and magical place far from their troubled lives. Until the day Callen kissed her—Jessica’s first real, dreamy kiss—and then disappeared from her life without a word.
Years later, everyone knows who Callen Hayes is. Famous composer. Infamous bad boy. What no one knows is that Callen’s music is now locked deep inside, trapped behind his own inner demons. It’s only when he withdraws to France to drink his way through the darkness that Callen stumbles into the one person who makes the music return. Jessica. His Jessie. And she still tastes of fresh, sweet innocence . . . even as she sets his blood on fire.
But they don’t belong in each other’s worlds anymore. There are too many mistakes. Too many secrets. Too many lies. All they have is that instinctive longing, that need—and something that looks dangerously like love.

Sometimes the beginning of love is just a simple matter of proximity.

More Than Words was a wonderfully swoony and emotional story of fated meetings and second chances. I was enamored with the book from the prologue.

I’m here to save you.

As a little girl, Jessica Creswell finds Callen Hayes when he needs her the most. Inside an abandoned boxcar they forge a friendship and a bond of young innocence and painful childhoods. Both of them have their own family issues, but that’s what ultimately forms the bond between them. Only after a friendship of make believe games and fairy tales, Callen disappears from her life as suddenly as he entered it.

Years later, fate brings them together once more. But Callen is no longer that sweet boy that gave her her first kiss. He’s a famous composer, jaded by life, and a man that uses countless faceless women and alcohol to dull his hidden pain.

Callen was a character that my heart absolutely bled for. He’s so devastatingly broken and yearning for everything that Jessica means to him all these years later, but he knows that he doesn’t deserve her. Jessica was almost a little too pure for my particular taste, but she did balance Callen. Although admittedly, at times I found her a little too much of a naive dreamer for everything that she’s been through. She almost felt like a martyr for Callen at times for all the risks she takes for him and how quick to overlook some of his issues she is. But it also fit her character, so it didn’t bother me too much.

The story is very emotionally charged and character driven. Allen has a lot of issues that he has to face and work through, and I was glued to the pages to see how it all comes together. I really loved the way he was with Jessica. There’s just something so pure and innocent in their connection, even all those years later that I couldn’t get enough of.

There’s a bit of a historical mystery that unravels parallel to the story as Jessica works through the translations for the museum that she works for. While I can see how it connected to the story, I wasn’t as invested in that particular part and it was more of a distraction from the main story for me. The connection between Jessie and Callen stood on it’s own, and I personally didn’t feel that added storyline added anything to the dynamic. But that’s just my own personal bias.

All in all, this was a beautiful and emotional story that I connected with. Sure there were some parts that didn’t work for me, but the story was solid enough for me to overlook that and truly enjoy it.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: ,

Review: Captivated by Tessa Bailey & Eve Dangerfield

June 9, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

CAPTIVATED
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey & Eve Dangerfield
Release Date: June 11, 2018

Secret aspiring comedian Autumn Reynolds is a girl gone…not wild exactly. More like lazy. Since her boyfriend abandoned her in New York City for a bunch of improv groupies she’s had two priorities; sucking the nitrous out of whipped cream cans and making sex comics about her mysterious landlord.

Blake hates people—and sunlight—with good reason. Imagine his surprise when he finds himself lusting after his upstairs tenant, a sunny, Australian people pleaser down on her luck. Turns out his ability to terrify with a single scowl comes with an advantage. Autumn seems to like it. A lot. As evidenced by the prisoner-captive comic Blake was never meant to see.

As they embark on a three-date arrangement the rules are clear; filthy, ground breaking sex, no feelings or commitment required. When chemistry is this strong, though, attachment follows. As Blake and Autumn attempt to negotiate their New York romance, their prior histories and secret dreams come to the foreground. How long can these polar opposites remain Captivated, when all signs point to disaster?

AMAZON

What did he have? A cave on the first floor, heaps of books and an aversion to sunlight. No. He had one more thing. The ability to make her his captive.

Sweet mother of all ovaries. I can’t even right now. This book…it was FILTHY. SO deliciously filthy. It was also quirky and fun, with a dose of feels. But it was sooooooo filthy. Bailey and Dangerfield are a powerhouse duo that have created an addict in me. I demand more of their dual writing magic. DEMAND IT. Can’t live without it. It didn’t event take me long to see their individual styles in this book. Eve is the queen of quirky heroines. They’re always funny, unconventional, and female’s you’d love for your BFF. They’re a breath of fresh air. And Tessa Bailey? The woman is the QUEEN of PMBs, and she may have just created her poutiest man bear ever with Blake. GAH!

Autumn Reynolds is a vet, secretly aspiring comedian, and a woman that just found out her boyfriend of 7 years had cheated on her. Numerously. The man that she gave up everything for to come to America with is now gone and she’s left all on her lonesome. Harboring injured pigeons in her bathroom and trying to hide it from her broody and grumpy landlord.

Firstly, let me tell you that the Beauty and the Beast tones in this story was fantastic. It was just the right touch of emotion that this dirty story needed. And boy was it dirty. Because sweet little Autumn has a secret fantasy. One where she’s captured, bound, and taken by one bearded and mean landlord. And when said landlord finds out that the woman he’s secretly been attracted to all this time wants him back? All bets are off.

Who’s bigger, Autumn? In every goddamn way?”
“You.”
“My fucking name, Blondie.
Who will drop a grand on your dinner and still fuck you like a slut? Say the name.”
“Blake!”

Oh yeah. Eve and Tessa brought the big guns out for this story. No holds barred. And it was AWESOME.

But this book was so much more than just sweet filthy loving. I loved watching Autumn break Blake out of his grumpy shell. This is a man with some wounds from his past, and years later, he’s still nursing them. Autumn was the light to his dark and they were so dynamic together, I simply couldn’t get enough of them. I loved Blake break out of his broody shell and I loved watching Autumn come into her own. And the chemistry between them? Incendiary!!!

I’m all for the kinky taboo fantasies, and Captivated definitely had that. But it was also a story with fantastic banter, wonderful secondary characters, and plenty of emotional moments. It put a smile on my face even while it made my ovaries feel like they were about to combust. I hope that this will be the first of many books these two co-author together, because they’re a dirty duo of pure awesome.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: , ,
Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

%d bloggers like this: