Bound by Him by Red Garnier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“There’s a little string” – he pointed at his chest and then at hers – “from here to here. I don’t need to tie you. We’re bound to each other, wherever we are, whether we like it or not.”



He’d been her one and only love. He’d been her safe haven. He’d freed her from hell and taken her to heaven, and then he’d left her for three years.

Andrew Fairchild fell for Whitney Donahue hard and fast. He knew right away that she is the only woman for him. Their love was strong and he knew he would do anything to protect the fragile woman that he lost his heart to.

But three years ago when a tragedy strikes Andrew was forced to make a difficult decision that took him away from her. But now he’s back and all he wants is the woman that is bound to his soul.

Andrew was Whitney’s first and only love, and she knows that she will never love any other man the same way. But Andrew broke her heart and her trust when he left her, and she is no longer the broken and fragile girl that she once was. But no matter how much her mind might fight it, her body and heart know that she still belongs to him. She may try to deny it the connection between still exists after these years, but the passion between them never burned out.

When a madman threaten’s Whitney’s safety, there is only one man that she trusts to keep her safe, and Andrew will stop at nothing to protect the woman he loves.

This novella was packed with action and suspense, and enough steam to set your e-reader on fire. I loved that Andrew didn’t hide his feelings or was the typical male slut hero. He loved Whitney with a passion and he wasted no time or words in proving it to her.

The story never felt rushed and it flowed very nicely. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. I am not typically one for serial novellas, but I love that these books are all pretty much stand-alones. You don’t have to wait 5 books to get a HEA. It hits the spot for whenever I need a quick and steamy read. I also liked that it had a story line beyond just Andrew and Whitney’s relationship. There was the added mystery behind the madman that blackmails Whitney. It was great that it wasn’t another one of those fluffy and quick novellas. I’m really looking forward to the next book. If you’re looking for a quick, steamy read with a great story, a sexy as hell hero then definitely give this one a try.

A solid 4 stars from me.

View all my reviews

Taken by Him by Red Garnier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sex appeal oozed from his pores so powerfully Peyton almost felt assaulted. He was all Greek god, do-me-now-or-kill-me-now sexy.

I went into this novella with very little expectations. I mean what can you really expect from 112 pages? When it’s written by Red Garnier, quite a bit actually.

I wanted a quick and steamy little read and I got that. What I also got was great characterization, an interesting story, HOT AS HELL sex scenes, and even a few laughs.

I don’t usually enjoy novellas too much simply because they are too quick for me to get any sort of feel or liking for the characters. I was so happy to see that when it came to sexy as hell Luke and the serious yet craving some spice Peyton, that was not the case. I really enjoyed this one.

Anyone that follows my reviews knows that I have a thing for the arrogant, slightly assholish, sexy manwhores. I can’t help myself. They just do it for me. And Luke was the manwhore to beat all manwhores. The man managed to get shot because he got caught having sex with a woman he shouldn’t have been having sex with. He’s not exactly discerning when it comes to women.

Everyone knew he was a cad – clearly, the heart in his chest was just for pumping blood to his cock. Not for feelings and shit.
Hell, he could probably live without one.

Luke has it all; good looks, success, money, and women seem to just flock to him. His ego also knows no bounds.

He was a sexy man. Everybody wanted him. His famed and acclaimed advertisements for one of his own male underwear companies were fit for a Playgirl cover; he was every woman’s wet dream and they went wild for his big, thick cock perfectly delineated under those damned white briefs.

Something about this egotistical bastard just worked for me

I’m like the fucking holy pope of sex. A night with me is like the pinnacle Of a lot of these women’s sexual lives.”.

While the man that shot him still hasn’t been caught, and his friends practically force him to get out of Chicago for the time being, Luke decides that Cancun will be the perfect place for him to regroup.

Peyton Lane is a successful business woman, a partner in a big invesment firm. She is always the responsible one, the serious one. So when she spends a week in an exotic resort in Cancun she plans to get lose. And what better way to do that then to have a steamy affair with a man she will never see again. When she first lays eyes on the sinfully sexy Luke, she knows she found just the man.

If there had been a god of pure lust and sex in Greek mythology- without the love aspect attached to it, like with Eros- the she had no doubt that his name would be Luke Fucking Preston.

Peyton Lane has always been serious and responsible and she’s determined to have some fun for once in her life. And that means a deliciously, sexy affair with a stranger while she’s on vacation. So when a blond Adonis named Luke crosses her path at the Cancun resort, she’s determined that he will be the one. What takes place is a 3 night scorching hot affair.

Peyton discovers that she doesn’t quite get what she bargained for with Luke, she gets more. She gets passion the likes of which she has never experienced.

For a quickie novella, this one packed quite a punch. I am not usually a fan of a quick relationship development, particularly with a renowned manwhore like Luke was. I am not sure if it was the writing, or the fact that I really enjoyed both the characters, but in this story it really worked. It wasn’t instantaneous, but it was believable.

And when Luke does fall, he falls hard.

This was a short, steamy, and extremely satisfying read. I read it in one sitting, and will definitely be reading the rest of the books in the series.

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

Fatal Strike by Shannon McKenna
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

That radiant smile scared him to death. All that “mine” bullshit. No longer an issue. Probably never had been. He was hers. After all his arrogant posturing. All hers.

Finally, 10 books into the series, we get a book for Miles. I’ve been intrigued by his character ever since he was introduced back in book 2. Taking into consideration how much I’ve absolutely hated Cindy, his then love interest, I’m so glad that he got a heroine totally worthy of him with Lara.

I love a good romantic suspsense, and Shannon McKenna can definitely deliver one hell of an action filled punch. But if you’ve been keeping up with the series, you have probably come to realize then when you read this series, you really must prepare yourself to leave the realm of believable. The villains in her book have been getting progressively more crazy…or actually

While enough background information is given to be able to read this as a standalone, many of the previous characters make an appearance. It’s hard for me to say whether it would get confusing, as I had read all the books. But Shannon McKenna does do a very good job with characterization and background without it being boring or repetitive.

Miles Davenport has always been a bit of a nerd in the earlier books. For those that have that image of him in their mind while reading, will have a hard time seeing him as the super sexy commando that he is in this one. I had no such problems. I thought that his journey from basement computer nerd to kickass hero is a very smooth and believable one.

Fatal Strike finds Miles still trying to recuperate after his ordeal in the previous book. After undergoing a horrendous torture, he wakes up from his coma as Miles 2.0.

But this is not happy news for him. He struggles with how to deal with his new psychic abilities, thinking that he must be going crazy. Especially when he begins getting very carnal visits in his mind’s fortress from a woman he can’t stop thinking about, or her failed rescue attempt.

Lara Kirk is being held captive by a psychopath for the past 6 months, undergoing experiments on her mind with a new drug that is supposed to increase her psychic ability. The experiments are slowly causing her to lose track of what’s fantasy or what’s reality; combining both into one shadowy world.

But when her mind leaves her body, it only knows of one safe place to hide; with a man whose virile presence is able to offer a calming and sensual escape from her reality.

When Miles realizes that his phantom visitor is in fact real, and Lara is still alive, he knows that he will stop at nothing to rescue her this time around.

I enjoyed how Miles wasn’t the typical arrogant and jaded Alpha male. Don’t get me wrong, he was still sexy as sin, but still somewhat unsure of himself. It was incredibly endearing.

Lara, although she went through hell for the past 6 months was a great heroine as well. She was strong, and tough, and I loved the connection between her and Miles.

If you’re expecting a realistic relationship progression, you’re definitely reading the wrong book. Expect to have sex scenes right after an ordeal or struggles with bad guys. I had no problem with this, since I knew in advance what I was getting into. And to be honest, I’ve grown to enjoy that in this series.

Why only 4 stars? Well I found myself getting a little bored at some parts. Fatal Strike is action packed, filled with suspense and super steamy erotic scenes. But certain parts were a bit too lengthy for me, and I had to skim pages.

We got a few peeks into Sveti and Sam’s budding “relationship”. And I’m really looking forward to their book. I’ve really liked Sveti’s character, ever since she was first introduced as a young child in Extreme Danger.

I do hope that the next book finally takes a step back from this psychic plot line that seems to be recurring ever since book 7. It is starting to feel slightly played out.

Overall, this was a great addition to the series, and I am definitely looking forward to the next book. Really hoping that it will be Sveti and Sam’s book.

ARC courtesy of Publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

View all my reviews

Savage Rhythm by Chloe Cox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You’ll burn baby. You’ll burn. For me.

So it’s really no secret that I love a good BDSM romance. Know why?

While the dynamic between Declan and Molly is that of a D/s, I’d call this book BDSM lite :). It was a sexy romance, but there wasn’t heavy BDSM elements like you’d find in say, Cherise Sinclair or Kallypso Masters. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the hell out of it. Because I have definitely found me a new author to read. This was my first book in the series, and I’ll definitely be going back to read the rest of them now. I’m hooked!

Declan is the lead singer of Savage Heart. A few months ago, after an incident in Philadelphia that’s shrouded in mystery, caused Declan to throw out his best friend and lead guitarist, Sorren, out of the band. It also resulted with a trip to rehab for himself. But things are not ultimately the way that they seem, and only a handful of people know what really happened.

Molly goes on tour with Savage Heart in order to get to the bottom of what happened the night the band broke up and then write a book that will bring them back from the dead.

She is prepared for a lot; groupies, havoc, dealing with being on a tour bus with a bunch of rock stars. What she is not prepared for is the utter magnetism that is Declan and the effect he has on her. Hiding a troubled childhood and a pain from her past, Molly doesn’t remember the last time she reacted this way to a man. But in order to build the career she needs to help support herself and her sister, she knows that she cannot give in no matter how sexy Declan’s voice or body might be.

Declan knows what he wants when he sees it, he is a Dom after all, and he can see the sexy submissive beneath the bluster. He makes no qualms in making it clear to Molly what will happen, no matter how much she may fight it.

You don’t get to have me, Declan Donovan. That’s not what’s going to happen. What’s going to happen is that I’m going to get to the bottom of what happened between you and Soren Andersson in Philadelphia, and you’re going to respect me. And then I’m going to write the best goddamn book you’ve ever read. And at the end of it-“ 

“You’re going to let me fuck you senseless.”

Now who can deny THAT for too long? Certainly not Molly. Even though an even from her past makes her unsure as to where all this will go, and she’s terrified of having her heart broken, she can’t stay away from Declan.

The chemistry between the two of them is combustible. But both of them are scared of getting their feelings involved, although for different reasons of their own

He’d made rules for himself, rules he’d meant to keep. But this wasn’t love; this wasn’t emotion. This was pure, raw, physical connection.

Both Declan and Molly hide a troubling and dark pasts. While Molly’s story is revealed in bits and pieces, Declan’s continues to be shrouded in mystery.

Can Molly get to the heart of the man, without getting her own broken in the process?

I really enjoyed this book. Though there were moments where I wanted to smack Molly, given her history I can understand some of the thoughts and decisions she made. I did feel the ending was a tad bit rushed, especially since there was a lot of buildup toward the big revelation of what truly happened between Soren and Declan. But it looks like we will get a continuation on their story in Soren’s book.

If you like steamy BDSM-y romances with a hot tatted up, rock star Dom, definitely give this one a try.

I am thrilled to hear that Soren’s story is next. He’s mysterious, he’s BLONDE, and his name is SOREN. I’m still on a Mistress hangover, so this is definitely music to my ears 🙂

Purchase Savage Rhythm on Amazon

View all my reviews

Maverick by Anna Cruise
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The ocean was an extension of myself, the only place where I could find solace and peace. And even though I’d lost my best friend to it, I couldn’t let it go, couldn’t turn my back to it. I couldn’t exist without it.

There was something in his voice, in his eyes, something that hinted there really was more to him than the public persona I’d read about. He was damaged.

If I’m being honest here, what initially drew me in to read this was the hot cover. What? Like you’ve never done that! Please!

I was so happy to find that this book was filled with more depth than I had when I was choosing it. 🙂

Kellan Handler is a professional surfer. It is all he’s ever dreamed of doing, and the ocean is the only thing that is able to give him peace.

He hits the water hard, and parties even harder. His reputation and good looks never leave him without a female body in his bed. But he’s not interested in anything more than a casual hook up. So he goes through women like he goes through waves; he find one, takes it on, and then moves on to the next one.

But beneath the shallow exterior, still waters run deep. He is still dealing with the pain of losing his best friend in a tragic accident; his hidden grief causing him to walk a fine life that can ultimately cost him everything.

When tour officials essentially tell him that he either clean up his image or be suspended from the tour, Kellen reluctantly agrees to work with the PR rep assigned to him, Gina Bellori.

Gina is dealing with demons of her own. But unlike Kellan, hers are buried even deeper, and she refuse to let them break the surface.

When Kellen and Gina begin to work together on righting his image, things began to blur. The damaged guy is forcing Gina to fight even harder to keep her demons hidden. All of a sudden her past begins to collide with her present, with Kellen right in the center of everything and her feelings are becoming more difficult to control.

Kellen begins to find that for the first time in his life, he wants something more from a woman other than a few moments spent between the sheets.

She knew everything about me and pretty much the only thing I knew about her was her name. And that she was starting to get under my skin. In more ways than one.

Can the two damaged souls heal each other? Or will the secrets that they keep ultimately cost them everything?

I really enjoyed this one, and read it pretty much in one sitting. I really loved Kellan, but had a few issues with Gina and her behavior. While Kellan’s past and secrets come to the surface fairly early in the book, Gina’s tragic past takes a little longer to learn about.

These two characters were both damaged in their own right. I really liked that there was no case of insta-love, or even insta-lust. There was definitely a connection between the two of them, but it grew over time.

So why only 4 stars? I felt that the character POV’s didn’t have a clear transition. It caused me to get slightly confused, since I didn’t know when they switched, and didn’t know who’s POV I was reading right away.

The book had a very realistic HEA, and I was glad that the author went the route that she did with the ending. I felt it was very fitting to the story and the characters.

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

Purchase Maverick by Anna Cruise

View all my reviews

Getting Rowdy by Lori Foster
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

She was like a drug, the very best kind. She’d turned him world upside down, but for the first time in forever, things were starting to feel righ.

She couldn’t play with him without getting burned. She couldn’t indulge with him without risking a broken heart.

I’ve been anticipating Rowdy and Avery’s story since first meeting them in Worth The Riske. Nothing better than a womanizing bad boy…well maybe if you added a motorcycle and some tattoos to the mix. But I can deal with 2 out of 4 🙂

Rowdy Yates is man that is constantly battling the demons from his past. His childhood was a nightmare, and his priority has always been to take care of his sister. He is not above lying, stealing, or breaking the law to get what he wants, and it’s certainly landed him in plenty of hot water in the past. The only thing that takes his mind off his troubled thoughts are women. He doesn’t really have a type, but all they are are nameless faces in a never ending list. But ever since he met Avery, something about him just calls to him.

He’d fucked his way through a miserable upbringing, using sex to counter the ravages of poverty and abuse. He used it still to rid his mind of plaguing memories. But now, with Avery, the need that consumed him had nothing to do with any of that- and everything to do with her.

Avery is attracted to Rowdy, who in their right mind wouldn’t be. The man is pure sex on a stick. But she knows better than to give into his shameless flirting. She has no interest in being another notch on his bedpost, no matter how tempting he may be.

Being sexy as sin, charismatic, and a shameless flirt never leaves Rowdy without a willing woman. But no matter which woman is currently warming his bed, it’s Avery’s face that seems to come to mind each time.

This was probably my favorite book in the series. I loved that Avery, while having a few hangups, was still a very endearing heroine. She wasn’t unwittingly getting herself in dangerous situations and knew to ask for help when she needed it. She wasn’t excessively naive and virginal. She knew what she wanted, but she also had the backbone to go after it.

Rowdy, my darling manwhore Rowdy. I have to admit, when Avery walked in on a certain “situation” in the beginning of the book, I wanted to throttle him. But the more I learned about his past, the more I fell in love with him. He was just so imperfectly lovable.

I liked that Avery saw him for the man that he was, and accepted all of him, faults and all.

I also liked that she didn’t run from her feelings for him.

The story itself was fairly interesting as well. Thankfully, in the 3rd installment of the Love Undercover series, we finally take a step away from the Human Trafficking plot line. The mystery of the who’s after Avery only heightened the interest. I was fairly sure I had things figured out from the beginning on who the bad guy is, and the ending completely flabbergasted me.

Lori Foster didn’t disappoint with the steam in this one. There was enough sexual tension to drive me crazy for the first half, and when Rowdy and Avery finally got together…

I can’t say that I LOVED this book, but it was still an enjoyable read. There were hints to who the next book will be, and I’m pretty sure I will be skipping it. While Dash is all kinds of sexy, I just can’t get myself to like Lieutenant Peterson. I’m not big on ball-busting, super prim and proper heroines. But who knows, maybe I’ll cave in and read it.

The ending…well…it was a bit on the cheesy end, but the rest of the book more or less made up for that.[Having Avery and Rowdy just survive a crazed lunatic with a gun, it was highly unrealistic for Rowdy to chose exactly THAT moment after to propose. I mean, c’mon! (hide spoiler)]

On a different note, I am absolutely DYING to get a book for Cannon. He was one of my favorite parts of this book. Please please please give us a book for him. Did I happen to mention that he’s a fighter? I would squeal like a teenage girl spotting Justin Bieber if Lori Foster gives us another series like her SBC Fighters with Cannon. Seriously, I’m not even embarrassed to admit that.

Getting Rowdy, while being part of a series, can be easily read as a stand alone.

3.75 stars

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

View all my reviews

Vampire Mine by Aline Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m going to keep this short and sweet for this one.

Trey:

You my delicious, dirty-talking vampire, were everything I had hoped you would be and so much more! Seriously, I want your

*************************

Sadie:

Nothing is better than a kick-ass heroine, and Sadie was definitely that. I loved how tough she was, yet still had that hidden vulnerability when it came to Trey.

************************

Trey and Sadie together:

“I want to be inside you so bad, baby. I want to feel that hot, wet pussy of yours all around me.”
“A dirty talker, are you?”
“For the most part, but I can be romantic when the mood calls for it.” “I’m not in the mood for romantic. Are you?”
“Hell no.” He went at her clothing, tearing the shirt from her back.
“I want to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk straight. I’m going to make sure you’re so sore you won’t be able to stop thinking about me and what I’ve done to you.”

********************

Leigh:

You have a sweet, sexy as sin mate that wants to take care of you, and all you can do is whine the entire book about the life that you had before you were turned?

Pretty sure I’ll be skipping right over her book when she gets one. Whatever her story is…

I loved Nathan, but Leigh drove me nuts, and she was only a secondary character. Not sure I can tolerate a whole book with her whiny ass. Unless she undergoes a complete personality change, doubt I’d be reading that book.

*****************

Kinsley:

I cannot freaking wait for his book! The set up sounds absolutely delicious.

*****************

Aldon:

That epilogue threw me for a loop. I don’t even know how I feel about that. I do know that I’m very excited for his book, because there’s one thing that I like more than a dirty talker, a baddie that’s also a dirty talker *swoon*

Overall, I enjoyed it, though it won’t be my favorite in the series. I’ve been anticipating this book since Omega Mine. Maybe it was partly setting my hopes too high. Maybe it was that it was overrun by too many other POV’s and that took away from Trey and Sadie. I just wanted…more from this one.

4 Dirty-Talkin’ Stars

View all my reviews