Jennifer’s Review: Do You Want To Start a Scandal by @TessaDare

do-you-want-to-start-a-scandal-reviewDO YOU WANT TO START A SCANDAL
Series: Spindle Cove #5
Genre: Historical Romance
Author: Tessa Dare
Release Date: September 27, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

do-you-want-to-start-a-scandal

On the night of the Parkhurst ball, someone had a scandalous tryst in the library. Was it Lord Canby, with the maid, on the divan? Or Miss Fairchild, with a rake, against the wall? Perhaps the butler did it.

All Charlotte Highwood knows is this: it wasn’t her. But rumors to the contrary are buzzing. Unless she can discover the lovers’ true identity, she’ll be forced to marry Piers Brandon, Lord Granville—the coldest, most arrogantly handsome gentleman she’s ever had the misfortune to embrace. When it comes to emotion, the man hasn’t got a clue.

But as they set about finding the mystery lovers, Piers reveals a few secrets of his own. The oh-so-proper marquess can pick locks, land punches, tease with sly wit . . . and melt a woman’s knees with a single kiss. The only thing he guards more fiercely than Charlotte’s safety is the truth about his dark past.

Their passion is intense. The danger is real. Soon Charlotte’s feeling torn. Will she risk all to prove her innocence? Or surrender it to a man who’s sworn to never love?

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKS | B&NReview-DGR5 stars

5 “Oliveview” Stars!!!!
This book is a combination of James Bond and the game of Clue, and I enjoyed every second of it. It’s witty. It’s sexy. It’s everything “Tessa Dare.” When I think of Tessa Dare, this is the perfect amount of all that she is, wrapped up in one book. Can you tell that I love her?

à la Mode St. » fashion

She unsettled him; he anchored her. Together, they could be more than they were apart.

à la Mode St. » fashionThis book is…..ONE…..GIANT……SWOON. And if you don’t like this book, then you can suck my aubergine (see below for definition of “aubergine” or you can just read this book!).

Ps. Just kidding. If you don’t like this book, that’s fine. Everyone can have their own opinion….please don’t hate me for saying suck my aubergine.

The Aubergine…aka Eggplant!!! Tessa, you put an eggplant in this book! Hilarious!!!!!!

Ok, let’s actually talk about the book.

Granville. Piers Granville…. is a spy for the Crown. He is on a mission as a guest of the house, but when Charlotte corners him to “save him” from herself, and they are caught in a misunderstood compromising situation, they have no other choice but to pursue marriage. Piers pursues Charlotte relentlessly, but I love that Charlotte doesn’t give in at first. She is determined to prove that they are too different, and she is also determined to keep her independence. I love that Charlotte knows exactly who she is and what she wants.
à la Mode St. » fashion

“Those walls, as you called them…They’re part of me now, and they are iron strong.” He lifted a hand to her face, skimming his thumb over her lower lip. “Even if I wished to, I wouldn’t know how to dismantle them.”

“I know,” she said quietly. “I know.” She wreathed her arms around his neck. “That’s why you need me. I’m going to burn them to the ground.”

à la Mode St. » fashionMy Piers:

”There is nothing untoward in Lord Granville’s mind. He has the most toward mind I’ve ever encountered.”

Men's Fashion Post on Instagram: “You can't ever go wrong with a classic style suit. Happy Friday ya'll Follow @MensFashion for more inspo!”:
My Charlotte:

No matter how she tried, Charlotte Highwood was unable to be anyone other than herself.

 :
Charlotte is…….absolutely hilarious. And so endearing. She is described as “innocent, not ignorant,” and that is perfect because she isn’t worldly like Piers, but she has a natural inclination of reading people and solving mysteries. She pursues this mystery and finds hints here and there throughout the book. I’m usually not a big fan of mystery novels, but there was less mystery and more romance, so it was perfect for me.
à la Mode St. » fashion

”If I let myself come anywhere near you” – he caught her wrists and lifted them, pinning her arms to the wall – “I’d have your skirts tossed up to your ears and my cock buried inside you before the rest of them looked up from their tea.”

à la Mode St. » fashionTessa Dare is easily in my top 5 favorite historical romance authors. Whenever I read Tessa Dare, I just know there will be swooning, and giggling and sexy times. She has the whole package when it comes to historical romance. Her books and stories are always so much fun! I have loved every Tessa Dare book that I have read so far (I’ve read 4 of her books). I got an ARC of this book…..but I’m going to be buying the paperback to have on my shelf FOREVER!!!

This is the 5th book in the series. It is a standalone, so you don’t have to read the first 4 to read this one. I only read one other book in this series before I read this one.


THE SPINDLE COVE SERIES

A NIGHT TO SURRENDER (bk 1)
ONCE UPON A WINTER’S DARE (bk 1.5)
A WEEK TO BE WICKED (bk 2) ~ Jennifer’s Review
A LADY BY MIDNIGHT (bk 3)
BEAUTY AND THE BLACKSMITH (bk 3.5)
ANY DUCHESS WILL DO (bk 4)
LORD DASHWOOD MISSED OUT  (bk 4.5)
DO YOU WANT TO START A SCANDAL (bk 5)

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Well Hung by Lauren Blakely

adwhcoupleavailablemnWELL HUNG
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Author: Lauren Blakely
Release Date: September 10, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

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From the NYT Bestselling author of MISTER O, comes a hot and hilarious new standalone…
Here’s what you need to know about me — I’m well-off, well-hung and quick with a joke. Women like a guy who makes them laugh—and I don’t mean at the size of his d*ck. No, they want their funny with a side of huge… not to mention loyal. I’ve got all that plus a big bank account, thanks to my booming construction business. Yup. I know how to use all my tools.

Enter Natalie. Hot, sexy, smart, and my new assistant. Which makes her totally off limits… 

Hey, I’m a good guy. Really. I do my best to stay far away from the kind of temptation she brings to work.

Until one night in Vegas… 

Yeah, you’ve heard this one before. Bad news on the business front, drowning our sorrows in a few too many Harvey Wallbangers, and then I’m banging her. In my hotel room. In her hotel room. Behind the Titanic slot machine at the Flamingo (don’t ask). And before I can make her say “Oh God right there YES!” one more time, we’re both saying yes—the big yes—at a roadside chapel in front of a guy in press-on sideburns and a shiny gold leisure suit.

But it turns out what happened in Vegas didn’t stay in Vegas. And now, my dick doesn’t stay in my pants when she’s around. I try to resist. Honest. But the more we try to keep our hands to ourselves, the more we end up naked again, and the more time I want to spend with her fully clothed, too.

The question now is…do I take this woman to be my ex-wife?

Buy Links

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

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Excerpt

She twirls the pen in her hand. “So who caused the contamination today? Was it Floyd or Kevin the oily electrician you tried to put a chokehold on?”“Oily Kevin needed the chokehold. Agree or disagree?”

She nods. “Completely agree. There’s so much agreement in me, I can’t imagine how much more I could possibly agree.”

“The chokehold was one hundred percent certifiably necessary,” I add, since Kevin had hit on her when he stopped by a few weeks ago. Here’s the thing—Natalie could dropkick him in the blink of an eye. She could slam him to the ground herself. But that shit he pulled with the leering and lewd comments does not fly with me. I would have done the same if a dude tried to get fresh with my little sister, Josie, at the bakery where she works. So I’d dropped a hand on Kevin’s shoulder, Vulcan style, and promptly escorted him the fuck out of my office. No one, and I mean no one, gets to put the moves on my employees.

“It was Floyd today,” I tell her, then give her the safe-for-work version of the story—the one about Floyd’s client conquests, not his comments about banging assistants. There’s no need to have that hanging out there in the air between us. Can’t plant that forbidden idea in her head.

That risky, dangerous, dirty, filthy, completely fucking alluring idea. My eyes roam the office briefly, and I catalogue all the places that are calling out to be christened. Her desk, her chair, the floor…

Just like that, my head is a wild rumpus of inappropriate ideas. Exactly what it shouldn’t be. It’s like horny aliens have invaded my mind.

But I’m not Floyd. I can do better, so I picture a vise, jam the images into it, and crush them out of my mind. The dirty images and the horny aliens, too.

“And then I escorted him out of Lila’s home and said see ya later,” I tell her, finishing the story, as I drag a hand through my dark brown hair. “Like, in another lifetime later.”

“Hmmm…” she says.

“Hmm, that’s great, or hmm, why did I give one of our suppliers the heave-ho?”

“Hmm, as in your story gives me a good idea. Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.”

“What’s that?”

Her eyes sparkle. Hers are a lighter shade than my dark blue. “Want me to find a new hinge supplier?”

The idea is beyond perfect. I smack my palm against the edge of her desk enthusiastically. “Yes. And for the record, you’re brilliant and beauty—“ I cut the last word off so it sounds like a low bass note. Note to self: Don’t call her beautiful when you’re berating other men for hitting on her at work.

She’s watching me, waiting for me to finish my sentence, and somehow I twist the words into a new compliment, as I say, “Brilliant, and…bountiful.”

Bountiful? Seriously? What the hell was that? Maybe she won’t notice.

No such luck.

“Bountiful?” she asks, skepticism thick in her tone. As it fucking should be. “I’m bountiful?”

I nod, going with it, owning it. “Your brain. It’s like a cornucopia of ideas. It’s a Thanksgiving bounty. It’s bountiful,” I say, because I’ve got to sell this cover-up.

She squares her shoulders. “If you say so, Hammer.” And this bountiful brain was two steps ahead today. I already found a new supplier. I called around, talked to some of our colleagues, and got some great recommendations. I already have a new hinge guy lined up.”

My smile spreads quickly. “Damn. You are three steps ahead of me.”

“A good assistant should be.”

whteaserfixasinkmsmall

Review-DGR5 stars5 Horny Aliens Stars!!!!!

(Don’t google “horny aliens.” Very bad idea. Just read this book instead.)

BAD, BAD, JENNIFER!!! I am putting myself in the corner because this is the first Lauren Blakely book I’ve ever read, and I am kicking myself for it!

Lauren Blakely deserves all of my happiness because that is exactly what I’m giving her right now.

20515589-_sx540_Wyatt Hammer…..yep, that’s his name….owns a construction company. He has a fantastic assistant who helps him with scheduling, and is pretty much his dream woman, but because she works for him, he is trying to be the good guy and keep it professional. They get a contract in Vegas and fly out together to make it happen, and after it falls through, agree to have one night of Vegas together. You can see where this is going.

My Wyatt:
Chris Pratt Eye Candy : theBERRY:
à la Mode St. » fashion

Natalie: Become ugly. Act like an asshole. Stop being so damn caring.

Wyatt: Likewise, could you start acting like a cold-hearted bitch who’ll stab me in the back? It’d make it so much easier to keep my hands off you.

Natalie: If you could get a reversal on your sense of humor so I wouldn’t laugh so much around you, that’d also help.

Wyatt: While you’re at it, please stop having so damn much in common with me.

à la Mode St. » fashionMy Natalie:

Amber Heard:
Natalie is just trying to do her job of being an organized assistant for Wyatt’s construction company, but his hot body keeps distracting her. She is a badass ninja but also a girly, flirty girl looking for her unicorn. We don’t hear much of Natalie’s pov, but I still had a clear picture of who she was and what she might be thinking. The texting between her and her friends and sister was definitely entertaining and a nice addition to the story.

20515590-_sy540_
The beginning of this book is everything. Even though Wyatt is trying to stay away, I love that he just went for what he wanted. I loved that Natalie was touchy and flirty without being inappropriate or annoying. I loved that the happiness of the beginning of this book lasted for almost half of the book. So many Vegas books start off with the dread of the morning after, but with this one, we get to live all of the wonderful goodness of the Vegas moments and I loved that.
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She’s slipping through my fingers, this woman tangled up with me in the mess we made one crazy night. Now, I want all those entanglements. I crave them. Judging from this emptiness in my chest, I fucking need them, because this moment with her – her sweetness, her zaniness, her upside-down sense of humor that matches mine – is the only balm to that ache.

à la Mode St. » fashion
I LOVED that this whole book was in Wyatt’s point of view. Few authors can write a whole book from a guy’s pov, but this author CAN! And she did an awesome job of it. I literally laughed out loud, more than once. The cheesy jokes between these two….it just worked! This book felt like a combination of Tessa Bailey and Emma Chase and I ate up every word. The hotness level in this book just sends it over the edge of awesome.

About the Author

daisywhitneylaurenblakelyheadshot_smallSince self-publishing her debut romance novel CAUGHT UP IN US three years ago, Lauren Blakely has sold more than 1 million books. She is known for her sexy contemporary romance style that’s full of heat, heart and humor. A devout fan of cake and canines, Lauren has plotted entire novels while walking her four-legged friends. She lives in California with her family. With ten New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than fifty times. Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire as well as standalone romantic comedies like BIG ROCK and MISTER O, which were both instant New York Times Bestsellers. In the fall she’ll release WELL HUNG, another romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter, laurenblakely.com/newsletter!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter | Goodreads

Giveaway✮✮✮ Enter to win three signed copies of WELL HUNG! ✮✮✮

 

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DGR Fave & Review: Loving You Easy by @RoniLoren

review-loving-you-easyLOVING YOU EASY
Series: Loving On The Edge #9
Genre: BDSM, Erotic Romance, Menage
Author: Roni Loren
Release Date: September 6, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

lovingyoueasycover

Three lovers really click in the latest from the New York Times bestselling author of Call on Me—
  
Cora has an amazing sex life. She’s beautiful, daring, and the most popular submissive in Hayven. Too bad none of it’s real… 
 
IT specialist Cora Benning has figured out the key to her formerly disastrous love life—make it virtual. In the online world of Hayven, she’s free of her geek girl image and can indulge her most private fantasies with a sexy, mysterious master without anyone in her life discovering her secrets. Until her information is hacked and she finds herself working to fix the breach under two very powerful men—one who seems all too familiar…

Best friends and business partners Ren Muroya and Hayes Fox were once revered dominants. Then Hayes was wrongfully sent to prison and everything changed. Ren wants to get back to who they were. Hayes can’t risk it. But when they discover the new IT specialist is their online fascination, and that she’s never felt a dominant’s touch, the temptation to turn virtual into reality becomes all too great…

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKS Review-DGR5 stars

You have no idea the things I want to do to you. Don’t tempt me.”

Well hot diggity damn that was freaking AWESOME! No seriously, y’all! That was quite possibly my favorite book in this series. And let me just tell you, I’ve been a huge fan of this series from book 1, so that’s really saying something. I must have read this entire thing in one pervy glee filled sitting. I couldn’t put it down for even a second. This book was everything I love as a romance reader. Yes, like all of Roni’s books in the series it was smoking hot, but it was also so much more than that! It was a little angsty with some suspense and mystery thrown in. The characters were incredibly endearing that you simply can’t help but fall for them right away. And then there was Hayes. *dreamy sigh*
I swear, that man tugged at every heart string I had…until he got in his Dom mode. Then he just made my ovaries sing.

I love a spicy little MMF romance, but the great ones are harder and harder to come by lately for me. What I loved most about Loving You Easy is that the men already have such an amazing relationship as friends and it naturally develops into something more. Their bond is so strong and watching them give into the inevitable was equally satisfying and shiver inducing. I loved that the woman wasn’t used as a buffer for them to get together and it happens before the menage element gets introduced. Actually, that was one of the things I loved most about the story.

They’d just found something none of them had ever had. And no one had any idea what to do with it.

Cora Benning is a heroine that’s impossible to not like. Growing up as the daughter of a female police captain, she knows how to spot dangerous men a mile away…but what happens when she wants the danger that they exude? Cora is a tomboy and a tech geek. She’s used to hiding behind the computer screen and not being the object of male fantasies. But everything changes for her when a virtual game turns into something much more than she ever anticipates.

He was so tired. Tired of hiding. Tired of keeping so many emotions tucked away. Tired of being scared. Tired of fighting his instincts.

Hayes Fox isn’t the man he once was three years ago. Once one of the most sought after Doms at the ranch, he used to thrive on his control. Sharing women with his best friend was nothing out of the ordinary. But getting sent to prison for a wrongful conviction can change a man. Now, no matter how much Ren may try, his trust in women is shattered, and ultimately his trust in himself is gone. But then one woman changes everything.

Ren’s hands slid down Cora’s arms and drew her hands behind her back. He locked her wrists together in his grip. “Look at our pretty captive. Take her, Hayes. It’s time.”

I loved everything about this book. EVERYTHING. I loved how different each of these three characters were. I loved the relationship between Ren and Hayes and how they feed each other’s strength. I loved the bond they share going back to their teenage years. I also loved how quirky and endearing Cora was. She wasn’t a bombshell and she knew it. Yes, she certainly had her insecurities, but they didn’t define her. She was such a strong character and I loved how that played into the later part of the story. This is no damsel in distress and I adored that about her. Ren was enigmatic from his very first appearance, and you didn’t even know his name then. I couldn’t get enough of him.

I loved the pacing of the story and the romance and I really loved the additional element of the suspense.

As for the romance? Holy mother of sizzle! It. Was. Hot. As. Hell.

Shattered. Done. Never to be put back together the same way again. She was all sensation and body parts and feeling. And she loved every fucking second of it.

Some of my favorite characters from previous books had a cameo, which I always appreciate. And I loved a few of the new faces we got to meet here. I was captivated by the budding romance and I was so invested in the lives of these characters that I couldn’t bear to put the book down for even a second.

My heart ached for Hayes and everything that he went through. My heart melted reading about his bond with Ren and the way their friendship developed and only got stronger through the years. And my heart beat a rapid tap right out of my chest when the chemistry between Ren, Hayes and Cora finally boiled over the surface and they gave into the inevitable.

This was what bliss felt like. This is what it felt like to be alive again. And these two people had brought him there.

Even if you haven’t read any other book in this series, and you love an incredible well written MMF romance, this book is a must read. You can easily enjoy it as a standalone but I highly recommend the rest of the series because it’s just as good. I can’t believe this is already book 9, but I never want it to end.


LOVING ON THE EDGE SERIES

CRASH INTO YOU | STILL INTO YOU | MELT INTO YOU | FALL INTO YOU | NOT UNTIL YOU | CAUGHT UP IN YOU | NEED YOU TONIGHT | FOREVER STARTS TONIGHT | NOTHING BETWEEN US | YOURS ALL ALONG | CALL ON ME | BREAK ME DOWN

Jennifer’s Review: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

The Rosie Project-ReviewTHE ROSIE PROJECT
Series:
Don Tillman #1
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
Author: Graeme Simsion
Release Date: June 3, 2014add-to-goodreads-button-2

rosie-project-9781476729091_hr-2

An international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love.Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical–most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.

Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent–and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don’s Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie–and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.

“The Rosie Project” is a moving and hilarious novel for anyone who has ever tenaciously gone after life or love in the face of overwhelming challenges.

Buy-Links10AMAZON | iBOOKSReview-DGR5 stars

All the Stars in the Universe!!!! This book will be on my shelves forever and I will read it over and over and over again.

(This review will take 2 minutes and 32 seconds to read.)

Love is a powerful feeling for another person, often defying logic.

For the Love of Books!
This book is like eating all of the ice cream flavors at once.
This book was MADE…FOR…ME. I’m a huge nerd, and this book was the epitome of nerd. This book IS MY BRAIN….sometimes. It’s science AND psychology….in one book! What else could I ask for?! Oh yeah, ROMANCE! Done. I loved every word. Every moment. I literally read this book twice in a month before doing this review. Beat THAT, every other book in the world!

My Don: (I can ONLY picture Zachary Quinto!)

The hero of this story…..Take all of the swoons, wrap them up, and throw them at my face….and you have the hero of this book.

You are the world’s most perfect woman. All other women are irrelevant. Permanently. No Botox or implants will be required.

Zachary Quinto: à la Mode St. » fashion

“It would be unreasonable to give you credit for being incredibly beautiful.”

à la Mode St. » fashionDon has Asperger’s, but he doesn’t really know it or acknowledge that he has it in the whole book. There are a couple of hints, but he never actually comes out and says it. He knows that he wants a wife, so he creates The Wife Project, a survey….a large survey with lots of questions in order to weed out the women with which he would not want to spend the rest of his life. He basically creates his own match.com, except he’s a genius scientist with Asperger’s so some the questions on this survey are completely absurd….and hilarious.

My Rosie:

I have heard the word stunning used to describe women, but this was the first time I had actually been stunned by one.

woman with short hair in large and thin black glasses, plaid button up shirt, sipping a coke with a straw -- #glasses #eyewear #style: Rosie is sent to him by his only friend as a joke. Rosie is the complete opposite of him. This is an opposites-attract book. He sees the logical benefit of keeping her around as an experiment, and after a discussion about Rosie’s biological father, Don creates The Father Project to help locate her biological father. Thus begins the adventures of Rosie and Don as they work together in the mysterious pursuit for The Father Project.
à la Mode St. » fashion

“Where do you hide the corkscrew?” she asked.

“Wine is not scheduled for Tuesdays.”

“Fuck that,” said Rosie.

There was a certain logic underlying Rosie’s response. I would only be eating a single serving of dinner. It was the final step in the abandonment of the evening’s schedule.

I announced the change. “Time has been redefined. Previous rules no longer apply. Alcohol is hereby declared mandatory in the Rosie Time Zone.”

à la Mode St. » fashionRosie comes into his life and turns his entire world upside down, and for a while, he doesn’t like the change very much. In Don’s mind, everything is logical and emotions just get in the way, but I loved the journey of how Don falls for Rosie. He doesn’t even know what love is, but I loved learning the definition of love along with him.
à la Mode St. » fashion

“I want to spend my life with you even though it’s totally irrational. And you have short earlobes. Socially and genetically there’s no reason for me to be attracted to you. The only logical conclusion is that I must be in love with you.”

à la Mode St. » fashionDon doesn’t understand social cues and doesn’t catch onto sarcasm. I found myself laughing so much in this book….not at him, definitely not that. Don is just so endearingly adorable. Sexy without being sexy. Charming without knowing he is charming. The author of this book probably had no intention of this book being sexy. But I am just utterly attracted to this man. He has the best confidence, and confidence is so sexy. I found him fascinating, and I just wanted to know more about him. I am so glad there is a sequel waiting for me so I can dive into more of Don and Rosie to see where they go from here.

Review by Jennifer, age 32, BMI 22.

DGR Fave & Review: Disclaim by @pamgodwinbooks

Disclaim-ReviewDISCLAIM
Series: Deliver #3
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Pam Godwin
Release Date: August 31, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Disclaim

Camila was seventeen when Van Quiso kidnapped her. Ten years after her escape, the shackles refuse to release her. Not while there are still slave traders preying on her city.
She will stop at nothing to end them.
Even if that means becoming a slave again.

Returning to chains is her worst fear—and only option. They won’t know who she is or what she intends to do. She’s prepared for every complication.
Except him.
The one who decimated her sixteen-year-old heart.

Matias is charming, gorgeous, and dangerously seductive. He’s also untrustworthy and enshrouded in secrets. After years of no contact, he finds her—on her knees, wrists bound, in the clutches of her enemy.
Will he sabotage her mission by needlessly saving her?
Or will he keep her in chains and never let her go?

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

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview-DGR5 starsDisclaim-DGR Teaser

Over the years, his need for her hadn’t faded. It had become a living, starving thing inside him, ruling his fucking world.

No one can make you fall head over ovaries for an anti hero quite like Pam Godwin. And no one can write a dark, gritty and addicting romance quite like her either. Every time I read a book of hers they just get better and better. The woman is an evil genius and I can’t get enough of how her twisted mind works.

Twelve months after her disappearance, she’d become a mirage in his wasteland, distorting at the edges and flickering out of reach.

First of all, while you can read this as a standalone, I highly recommend reading at least Vanquish first. Van has a very heavy presence in this book, and it would help to connect to the story and the characters having read his book first. Besides, the book was amazing, so do you even need a better reason than that? But I digress…

When Camilla was just 17 years old she was stolen from her home and the boy of her youthful love. She survived being Van Quiso’s slave and escaped her captivity over ten years ago. Now her goal is single minded; find every sick and twisted trafficker and make them pay while climbing her way to the top of the organization to cut off the head of the viper.

She could fight her desire, but she couldn’t disclaim their unbreakable bond, one that had taken root so long ago in the haven of their citrus grove.

Matias is not the young innocent boy she left behind those years ago. He’s a broken man, a man haunted by the demons of his past and his present. He’s a man that’s shed blood and didn’t bat an eye lash or lose a minute of sleep over it. He’s also a man with deep and dark secrets…and he also holds the answers that Camilla seeks. But is she brave enough to let down the walls she’s so carefully constructed though the years in order to seek them out?

He needed vindication and intended to take it from her pleading screams, from the give of her body beneath his thrusts. Pain and pleasure. Twisted justice.

Disclaim, much like its predecessors in the series, was one fucked up ride…and I couldn’t get enough of it. Camilla was such a strong heroine. But beneath that hard shell of hers lay the soul of a woman that yearns to submit. Watching her inner struggle and turmoil though the story was almost mesmerizing. When you add in the brooding intensity of Matias and it was the perfect recipe for an unputdownable read. Matias was an alpha to beat alphas. His dominance practically crackles though the pages.

He was going to fuck her until they were both annihilated. Until their broken pieces scattered in an unholy tangled mess. And when they put themselves back together, there would no longer be hers and his. Only them.

The story was a perfect blend of erotic and gritty, suspenseful and dark. It was everything I’ve come to love in a dark romance without any of the predictable plot twists. As a matter of fact, the only thing predictable about it was the fact that I loved it.

I loved getting more pieces of Liv and Van. I loved the progression of the story and all of the twists and turns. I had no idea where any of it would lead and when the secrets were finally revealed? Mind. Blown.

Pam Godwin is a queen of dark romance and she crafted the perfect couple with Camilla and Matias. They were a ying and yang of dominance and submission. They were dark and darker. They were pain and pleasure. They were devastatingly perfect.

He couldn’t stop. He was so fucking lost in her he didn’t want to find his way back.

If you’re looking for a page turning read with a twist of dark and a whole lot of sexy, then this book is a no brainer purchase. Trust me on this. And if you haven’t read anything by this incredible author yet, you my friend, are seriously missing out.


THE DELIVER SERIES

DELIVER (DELIVER #1)

VANQUISH (DELIVER #2)- My Review

Jennifer’s Review: Worked Up by @mstessabailey

Review- Worked UpWORKED UP
Series: Made In Jersey #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: August 1, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Worked Up

Factory mechanic Duke Crawford just wants to watch SportsCenter in peace. Unfortunately, living with four divorcee sisters doesn’t provide much silence, nor does it change his stance on relationships. But when a fellow commitment-phobe stumbles into his life, getting him good and worked up, he can’t deny his protective instincts.

Samantha Waverly’s brother just put her in an impossible situation. The only way out? Marry huge, gruff, gladiator look-alike Duke—for show, of course. She doesn’t make promises—she knows too well how easily they can be broken—and this is no exception.

As the blistering attraction between them grows, the lines around the no-strings relationship blur. But Duke and Samantha’s marriage is only for show…or is it?

 

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview-DGR5 stars

5 Pouty-Man-Bear-Forever Stars!!!

I have one question for you, reader…..Have you ever read Tessa Bailey? If your answer is no, then stop reading this review and go read her books……right now…..Seriously, stop. (There are no spoilers in this review, I just wanted to emphasize the awesome-sauce that is Tessa Bailey!).
à la Mode St. » fashion

”I was thinking I could switch to light beer for you.”

“Romance, thy name is Duke.”

à la Mode St. » fashionThis book is a modern-day fairy tale…..BAHAHAHA! Not really. The hero is a ginormous mountain of a man who is hairy and large in every way that counts. He is burly and blue collar and a POUTY MAN BEAR. I am a HUGE fan of the #PMB….I have my own #pmb t-shirt signed by Tessa herself, y’all. I have read all of her pouty man bear short stories that she wrote on Facebook in her private reader’s group, Bailey’s Babes. #PMBforever
Ok, onto the book……Holy hotness! I can’t even handle Tessa’s dirty words. She writes the best words of all the words. I don’t even know from where she gets these words. Her words give me the tingles in my jingle.
20043503à la Mode St. » fashion

”That’s Duke’s clit between your thighs, Samantha. No one touches that clit but Duke. You need it polished, teased, banged, or just plain slapped, who’s the one you call?” Leaning all his weight to one elbow, he gripped her jaw once again. “Be a good girl when you answer and I’ll kiss it again later.”

à la Mode St. » fashionDuke is a mechanic who likes to get his hands dirty. He is the responsible brother who takes care of his four divorced sisters when he isn’t working at the factory. He had no idea what was about to hit him when Samantha walked into the bar. It’s one of those instant-attraction moments. Duke is rough and gruff and tries to hold back and be gentle with Sam, but of course he can’t, but she can take all that he dishes out!

My Duke:

 :

My Sam:

Emma's girl, but with brown eyes:
Sam is a children’s book illustrator at heart. She loves to draw and is never without her sketchpad. In fact, she whips out her sketchpad to draw Duke when she first sees him in the bar. I loved all of the characters of Duke in this book – the sea captain, Goliath, the superhero, etc. Sam has an over-protective brother who has agreed to fund her art business for children if she agrees to marry. You can see where this is going, and I loved every second of it.

Oh God, the puns in this book! So adorkable! Sam is such a dork, and I love her.
à la Mode St. » fashion

”Stealing someone’s coffee is called mugging,” she whined.

“Ah, if you can pun, sweetheart, you’re wide awake.”

“I can pun in my sleep.”

à la Mode St. » fashionRenner and Milo….Tessa’s first M/M…..GIVE THEM TO ME!!!

I could gush about Tessa’s books all day, but I’ll let you read them instead. Go! Go! Go!


MADE IN JERSEY SERIES

CRASHED OUT | ROUGH RHYTHM | THROWN DOWN

Lana’s Review for Worked Up HERE

Review: Burn Down The Night by @MollyOKwrites

Burn Down The Night- ReviewBURN DOWN THE NIGHT
Series: Everything I Left Unsaid #3
Genre: Erotic Romance
Author: Molly O’Keefe
Release Date: August 9, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Burn Down The Night

A battle for control turns explosive as a beautiful con woman takes a bad-boy biker hostage in this edgy, seductive novel set in the world of Everything I Left Unsaid (“Toe-curlingly sensual.”—Katy Evans) and The Truth About Him (“Absolutely one-click worthy”—J. Kenner).

The only thing that matters to me is rescuing my sister from the drug-cooking cult that once enslaved us both. I’ve run cons my whole life, and I’ll use my body to get whatever I need. Max Daniels is the last connection I have to that world, the one person reckless enough to get involved. Besides, now that his brothers have turned on him, he needs me too.

The deal was supposed to be simple: a place to hide in exchange for rescuing my sister. Now he’s my prisoner. Totally at my mercy. But I’m the one captivated. Enthralled. Doing everything he asks of me until I’m not sure who’s in control.

We both crave the heat. The more it hurts, the better. But what if Max wants a different life now, to leave the game . . . to love me? I thought I knew better than to get burned. Now I’m in too deep to pull away. And the crazy thing is . . . I don’t want to.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview-DGR5 starsBurn Down The Night-DGR teaser

You want to fuck, let’s do it. Let’s burn down the fucking place. We got that in us…between us. But when it’s over…all I’ll leave you are bruises.”

If I had a dollar for every time I read about an anti-hero that falls head over balls for the heroine and all of a sudden his switch is flipped form bad to good faster than you can say “golden vag”, I could happily retire in my land of many books. So when I first met Max as the baddie MC prez brother of Dylan in The Truth About Him suffice it to say I was intrigued. Then when Joan carted him off wounded and passed out in her car in the end of that book, suffice it to say I was ready to sell an ovary to get my hands on his book. But I was also fearful that it would be another one of those books that I mentioned above. Joan was an interesting character to say the least in the first two books and I was beyond curious how these two very broken people would fit together. I wasn’t sure what I expected when I started Burn Down The Night, but I can tell you that I certainly didn’t expect it to absolutely blow me away. (Pun definitely intended).

My entire life I’ve been at the epicenter of crazy. I am the hurricane’s eye.

THIS. This is what grit feels and tastes like. This is what angst is. This is what true tension feels like. This is what a slow burn feels like when it builds and builds to a flame so hot, it will explode everything in sight. I could actually taste the tension, it was so thick. And man, it was delicious.

If you haven’t read the first two books, I highly recommend you do that before this one. While this is a standalone with a new couple and there’s plenty of background given to make sure that a reader new to this series wouldn’t be lost, I also feel like you lose a bit of the background going into this without the previous two books.

Burn Down The Night begins around where The Truth About Him ended. You get all the details that led to the events at the end of the book and a few puzzle pieces will definitely click together.

She had a chip on her shoulder so big and so hard it was like armor, hiding something so hot, so fucking needy, I could barely stand to look at her not bend her over something.

Joan is on a mission to rescue her sister from a mad men. Everything she has done up until this point has been for her sister. Her job as a stripper, her hiding in plain sight, the lies, the lies…and the lies. Now she’s one step closer to the man that has her sister, and the wounded MC president, Max Daniels, is her answer to everything.

Max knew that coming back for his bother would mean certain death, and he was not wrong. Shot and left for dead by his brothers, he’s kidnapped by a crazy woman that’s apparently a lot more than she seems to be. Biding his time to exact his revenge on the men that should have been his loyal brothers, Max doesn’t plan on the connection that slowly begins to build between him and Joan.

Save your act for other people. The lies and the show- I don’t want it. I want you. Fucked up and crazy. I want you.”

This book was the definition of a slow burn. Oh man but I loved it. The build up between Max and Joan is filled with tension and enough sexual sizzle to burn your fingers flipping the pages. It was so well developed, it was so amazingly written, that you can’t but root for them from the very beginning. I loved how believable the author made their relationship. These two people have lived their entire lives on survival and lies, and anything quick would not fit. Molly O’Keefe wrote it in such a way that you truly understand what ties them together and bonds them.

With Joan- I wanted her to peel back her armor. Her skin. I wanted to see her beating heart. Her ragged should.

The writing was pure poetry. It some of the best I’ve seen from this author, and quite honestly some of the best I’ve read in a long damn while. It was lyrical, gritty, violent and erotic. And it all flowed together so well, and blended into a something that was purely addicting to read.

We were like magnets that had been flipped and as hard as we’d repelled each other-that’s how hard we came together.

It’s not a traditional romance, and if you’re looking for that, you should look elsewhere. If you recall Joan’s bisexual nature, you should also know that there are a few f/f scenes in this book. This was just another layer into the depth that is her character, however, and it only served to add to the story. Nothing was gratuitous about this story or these characters. Every scene, every word, every development served a purpose. There wasn’t one wasted word.

I loved every single page of this book. I loved the characters, I loved the slow build romance, I loved the grit, I loved the realistic development and timeline, and I absolutely loved the end. For those that read The Truth About Him, the ending here will only serve to whet your appetite for the book that I”m hoping and praying will be next.

If you’re looking for an action packed, gritty read filled with plenty of suspense, this book is an absolute must read!


EVERYTHING I LEFT UNSAID Series

EVERYTHING I LEFT UNSAID (book 1)
AMAZON | MY REVIEW

THE TRUTH ABOUT HIM (book 2)
AMAZON | MY REVIEW

Jennifer’s Review: Just What I Needed by Lorelei James

Review-Just What I needed
JUST WHAT I NEEDED
Series: Need You #2
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Lorelei James
Release Date: August 2, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Just What I needed

The second sexy novel in the Need You series, from the New York Times bestselling author of the Mastered Series and the Blacktop Cowboys® Series.
 
Trinity Carlson might be having the worst day ever. And that was before she started drinking in a dive bar, right across from her ex and his new girlfriend. So when she finally decides enough is enough, she grabs hold of a hot, blond stranger and gives him the kiss of his life.

Walker Lund never expected that a chance at love would hit him right on the mouth. Since the moment his brother decided to settle down, Walker has been dodging his family’s hopes that he’ll do the same.  He’s never been interested in following in anyone’s footsteps. But when he discovers his sexy assailant has given him a fake name and number he suddenly finds himself in the mood for a little hot pursuit…

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview-DGR5 stars

5 Walker-Is-Mine Stars

19953182I have a problem, and his name is Walker. It’s a problem because HE’S NOT IN MY PANTS RIGHT NOW! I’ve been indifferent of the long hair/man bun. I can usually take it or leave it, but in this case, I’ll take it!

My Walker:

Norway based Naval Officer and @betsafe ambassador Lasse L. Matberg (@lasselom) spent his 2015 being voted the official "Beard of Norway". #beards #beardlife:

More Walker…He’s just….UNF!:

Lasse L. Matberg. This beautiful man is an officer in the Norwegian Army. Oh, did I mention that he's also 6'6

I cannot get enough of Walker:

Lasse showed his butch side with a snap of him wood chopping, with the caption: 'Hit the #...:

My Trinity:

Trendy Medium Hairstyles for Women (3):
Walker works in construction. Yeah, can he get any hotter or more perfect?! I think not. He is actually from a wealthy family, but he is the rugged man in his family and the glue that keeps everyone together. He is the good guy in the family. I usually lean more toward the bad boy/asshole characters, but I DARE YOU TO RESIST WALKER. It’s not possible.

I loved all of Walker’s brothers and sisters and cousins, constantly ragging on each other. They were so much fun. I love books with close-knit families. It just makes the book that much more cozy.
19953183Trinity is adorable and spunky. She is an artist, but she isn’t up in the clouds. She knows who she is, and she knows what she wants. She is a little flighty but in a charming way. She tries to warn Walker that she is a lot of work, but he is the perfect man up for the challenge of all that is Trinity, and he takes pleasure in every single moment.
à la Mode St. » fashion

”I like that you’re warning me up front that you’re going to be a lot of work.”

“You are?”

“Yep. It’ll give me a chance to prove my awesome work ethic.”

à la Mode St. » fashionI LOVED the meet-cute in this book. I don’t want to give it away, but I was sold on this book from the beginning and it kept my attention through the whole book. Some books start to drag for me around the 50-60% mark, but not this one. This is such a FEEL-GOOD book with all the smiles and giggles and swoons. There is not much drama, which I love.
à la Mode St. » fashion

”You have any idea how hard I’m digging on you right now?”

“Digging on me,” I repeated. “Is that a construction worker’s come-on?”

à la Mode St. » fashion
Walker, Trinity, and this whole book is endearing with the perfect slow burn. I love Lorelei’s writing style. It’s no-nonsense, straight to the heart of the story. Her dialogue makes me smile throughout the whole book. I have read a few of her cowboy series, and enjoyed the heat in her erotic books. I wouldn’t put this book in the erotic category, but it is just as hot!

Then I pursed my lips around the straw and sucked. “Want a taste?” His eyes went molten. He leaned in, resting his forearm on the brick wall above my head.

“No. I’m thinking I’ll get a little lust drunk just watching you.”

“Watching me what?”

“Lick. Suck. And swallow.”

19953184


THE NEED YOU SERIES

WHAT YOU NEED (book 1)

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Perfect Rage by @NASHODAROSE

perfectragebannerPERFECT RAGE
Series: Unyielding #3
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Nashoda Rose
Release Date: July 26, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

PERFECT-RAGE-NASHODA-ROSE-AMAZON-KINDLE-EBOOK-COVER

This is Connor’s story.

Unstable.
Unpredictable.
Consumed by perfect rage.
I was fighting who I’d become and what I’d done.

There was nothing I cared about except her.
She was mine.
But I’d forgotten her—my shutterbug.
And I lost her.

Until now.

I’d do anything to possess her again.
Anything to keep her safe.
Protect her against my biggest opponent.

The monster.

Me.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO

Excerpt

Copyright © 2016 by Nashoda Rose2005

“They don’t like civilians around, especially journalists. Don’t take it personally,” Jaz whispered as we followed the lieutenant who had said no more than three words to us since we arrived on base. Two of which were ‘no photographs’.

He’d taken us directly to base commander, General Maunder, who reiterated the no photos rule, and that we, under no circumstance, were allowed to walk around base unsupervised. He also told us we’d leave for the orphanage at 0600. Then he ordered the lieutenant to take us to meet Corporal O’Neill.

The strict formality did nothing to help my nerves that had caused a perpetual churning of my stomach. I was in a war-torn country on a military base where I was obviously not welcome and would be traveling across perilous roads to an orphanage where I’d spend the next month.

Yeah, I was nervous as hell.

Jaz nudged my elbow and slowed. “It’ll be fine.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I know.” But I didn’t know. Jaz did because he’d been doing this for twenty or more years. I’d never been out of Colombia.

We passed row after row of enormous canvas tents when finally the lieutenant stopped abruptly at a clearing where six shirtless, muscled military guys jostled one another for a ball.

“O’Neill will be free in a minute. Wait here, please,” the lieutenant ordered, then spun on his heel and walked to a guy who stood watching the game. He said something to him, nodded in our direction, and then disappeared into a nearby tent.

“Get your camera, but discreetly,” Jaz said. “I can do a sideline story.”

“The commander told us no photos.”

“You want to be good at this, you need to take risks and get the shots no one else does.”

Jaz had reported all over the world in dangerous environments, whether it was from natural disaster or war. I was like a shiny new car who had never been driven off the lot and gotten her tires dirty. But the lot hadn’t exactly been safe and I’d been exposed to the elements. Those elements being a Colombian drug lord named Carlos Moreno.

I was here to escape the unwanted attention of Carlos and the only reason I obtained this position was because my brother worked for the magazine, and the photographer broke his leg the week before they were supposed to leave.

“I’m here at an army base in Afghanistan. That’s enough risk and I really don’t want one of these guys angry at me.” Besides, I wasn’t here to take photographs of hot military guys playing football or as they’d call it soccer. Still, I couldn’t help but look at the guy who currently had control of the ball.

He grinned as he volleyed it back and forth between his feet while making his way toward the makeshift goal. The grin was a little mischievous, a little cute and a lot cocky. His deep blue eyes were filled with amusement and I heard his raspy chuckle when one guy slid into the dirt attempting to kick the ball away from him, but Blue Eyes saw him coming and heeled the ball backward at the last second.

My eyes trailed over his hard chest to the tattoo down his left side, then to his flexed abdomen. Definitely an eight-pack and even though I couldn’t see his thighs because he wore cargo pants, it was obvious they were muscled, too.

But he wasn’t the only one. All the guys playing were in incredible shape.

“Deck, you bastard,” Blue Eyes barked, as a guy who I assumed was Deck elbowed him in the ribs and stole the ball. He then dodged a seriously built guy who attempted to block him. “Gate. Fuck. Take him out.”

I smiled when Blue Eyes’ grin was replaced by a fierce scowl as he ran after Deck who was close to the goal with no one on him.

Obviously, this guy was competitive and didn’t like to lose because any playfulness had turned to resolve as he darted left to avoid a guy trying to block him from reaching Deck.

“Riot!” a guy yelled. His back was covered in a tattoo of a bird, like a hawk or something.

Riot. The call sign suited Blue Eyes as he undeniably appeared like he’d be fun, but also dangerous with that aggressive determination.

Deck hitched his leg back to kick the ball into goal at the same time as Riot reached him. He body checked Deck to the left, then kicked the ball hard out of the path of the goal.

Out of the path meant toward the sidelines—where we were standing.

It happened in slow motion and my reaction time was non-existent as the ball flew through the air right at me.

“Ah, fuck,” Riot shouted just before the ball hit me in the forehead.

I staggered back from the impact and Jaz grabbed my arm at the same time as I put my hand to my head.

“Holy shit, you okay, Alina?” Jaz asked.

The loud smack vibrated in my head and there was a burning throb in the middle of my forehead. Hard, air-filled plastic hitting the skull hurt, but it was more shocking than anything. “Ah, yeah. Fine.”

“Shit. Sorry. Didn’t see you there, ma’am.” It was Riot and he stood in front of me, sweat dripping down his chest and his eyes no longer twinkling, but genuinely concerned. “You okay? Do you need to sit down?”

I stared at him, a little dazed, but I was uncertain if it was from the ball hitting me in the head or from the hot guy standing inches away from me. I went with a combo.

I breathed in and his scent wafted into me. It was all man, no cologne, just a natural earthy smell with a hint of mint, as if he’d just used one of those breath strips.

And he was tall. Like really tall and I was five foot five so I wasn’t tiny, but he still towered over me. With his broad shoulders and bulging arms, I felt like a pixie standing next to him.

“Ah, yeah… umm, no, I mean, I don’t need to sit. I’m good,” I finally sputtered. I didn’t normally sputter, but my nerves had already been sparking and now they were out-of-control fireworks.

I froze, eyes widening when Riot’s fingers gently caressed the spot where the ball hit me. It was so soft I barely felt it. Except I did and goose bumps rose and my belly flipped.

“It’s red, but I don’t think it will bruise,” Riot said, his gaze drifting from my forehead to land on my lips then slowly back to meet my eyes. “Corporal O’Neill.” He held out his hand and I took it, noticing how it completely engulfed mine. His palms were rough and his handshake firm. Not painful, but with purpose.

“Yo, O’Neill!”

He turned and I looked past him to see the guy Deck across the yard with his gear in hand and his shirt back on. “Bird landed. See you back in the world,” Deck called. “One month.”

Riot, or rather Corporal O’Neill, did a fist pump in the air.

Deck jogged off with the seriously scary built guy they called Gate.

O’Neill’s attention shifted to Jaz who had yet to say anything and I knew why when I looked at him. He was grinning ear to ear as his gaze moved from O’Neill to me and back again.

“Jaz Klein.” He offered his hand and they shook. “Journalist for the Miami Messenger Magazine. The girl you smacked with your ball is Alina, my brilliant photographer. I’m writing a story—”

“On the orphanage,” O’Neill finished and his eyes shot back to me, but there was a scowl now and it was a little scary because his square jaw clenched and his lips pursed.

“Yeah,” Jaz said. “Are you one of the guys giving us a ride?”

He didn’t answer him; instead, his intense eyes were on me and I shifted uncomfortably. “The magazine sends you to an unstable country to take photos? Not fuckin’ smart. And I don’t have time to babysit civilians.”

Jaz cleared his throat. “I understand your concern, Corporal O’Neill, but the public wants to read more than just about the war over here. And I plan to give it to them.” I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath until O’Neill’s eyes moved from me to Jaz. “I’ve been to hundreds of unstable places and am very aware of the risk.”

O’Neill paused while looking him up and down. Jaz was in his forties, appropriately dressed, wearing black cargo pants with a snug, long-sleeved shirt, black combat boots and his head was buzz cut like the military guys, so he fit in.

O’Neill had about an inch of dirty-blond hair and two days scruff that gave him a rugged look.

“Yeah. Maybe.” O’Neill’s attention shifted back to me again and I stiffened. “But I wasn’t referring to you.”

Whoa. What? I looked down at myself. I had on dark green fitted pants with laced boots and a white blouse that I thought was appropriate considering the unbearably dry heat.

“I’ll speak to my staff sergeant and advise him that you’re both to be airlifted out of here at the first opportunity. The story on the orphanage needs to be told, but not now. PR was crazy allowing this. Come back in a few years when shit settles. Or when you find another brilliant photographer.” Then he added, “One that’s out of high school.”

Oh, my God. Did he just say that? He could only be a couple of years older than me.

I was too shocked to say anything and Jaz was having a coughing fit with his hand over his mouth, so I knew damn well the guy was laughing. Laughing.

“Jaz.” I kicked his ankle and he cleared his throat and said, “Umm… yeah, listen, don’t worry about her. She can handle herself.”

“It’s my call and I say she can’t.” Corporal O’Neill’s eyes lingered on mine for a second then he nodded. “Ma’am. Sir.” Then he walked away.

What the hell just happened? He was going to tell his sergeant to send us home? Could he do that? This story was not only my escape from Carlos Moreno, but my catapult into my dream job as a photographer.

And there was no way this guy was ruining my chances. I wasn’t being sent home with my tail between my legs.

I ran after him.

“Alina!” Jaz called out to me, but I ignored him.

I caught up to O’Neill who had managed to cover a large amount of ground with his long, lean legs and snagged his arm. “Wait,” I said, my fingers curling around his forearm. But they didn’t even come close to encompassing the span.

He stopped, his gaze landing on my hand and I saw a flash of heat flare in the depths before they darkened and there was that fierce scowl again that sent my heart racing. I suddenly wondered if I should’ve just let Jaz deal with this. But it was me he had an issue with.

I released his arm. “I need this job. It’s really important.”

He replied, “You won’t need it if you’re dead.”

“We’re going to an orphanage.”

“That we have to drive to. You know about roadside bombs, right? Suicide bombers? You do know what’s going on in this country?” God, he was being an ass. “You hear about the stories of reporters being held for ransom or even worse, terrorists torturing them for months before videoing their head being blown off? They’re all true. This isn’t a place for a young girl who probably hasn’t witnessed death, let alone heard a gun go off. Go home. Finish school and take photos of families with their dog.” He turned and started walking away again.

Jesus. What right did he have telling me how to live my life? I was good at what I did and I wanted to take photographs that told a story. “I know how to handle a gun and I’ve seen men die,” I blurted.

He stopped, broad back stiffening and then swung around and headed for me. Shit. I backed up a couple steps because he was really intimidating with that severe scowl and overly confident swagger.

I swallowed. “My father taught me to shoot when I was ten.”

He snorted. “A squirt gun doesn’t count.”

“Funny.” What a dick.

He leaned in closer. So close that his warm breath swept across my face. “Do I make you nervous? Because you sure as hell look it. Pulse throbbing in the curve of your neck, quick inhales, fingers curled in the sides of your pants and your teeth chewing on that plush bottom lip. How nervous do you think you’ll be if the Taliban gets a hold of you?”

I hastily released my lip and his eyes flicked to my mouth.

Bastard. But he read me perfectly. I was nervous. He made me nervous and I’d grown up around dangerous, powerful men, my father being one of them. He flew cocaine from Colombia to Miami for Carlos Moreno ever since I could remember.

I’d never personally met Carlos until three years ago, when I was sixteen. I’d been with my mother and father in the market when a Jeep slowed beside us. It was Carlos and his right-hand man, Diego. My father told me to go home, but Carlos already had his eyes on me and asked for an introduction.

The man was old enough to be my father and yet he stared at me with the corners of his lips curved up and his gaze lingering on my breasts. There was a gleam in his eyes that made my stomach lurch and my pulse race with fear.

My father was so nervous he stumbled over his words and kept looking from me to Carlos, his face pale. It was my mother who moved in front of me to block Carlos’s view of me, but it was too late. I had his unwanted attention.

But he never did anything about it for three years, then one night Carlos’s man, Diego, showed up unannounced at the house and he and my father had a huge argument. It was then my father contacted my brother, Juan, who lived in the States.

Last time I’d seen my brother, I was ten years old. He’d bought me my first camera, his goodbye present. He’d told me once he was settled and had enough money I would live with him in the United States. I soon realized why he left when he did—to escape Carlos Moreno’s grasp.

I straightened my shoulders as I faced off with Corporal O’Neill. “Then make sure the Taliban doesn’t get ahold of me,” I retorted. “And you can’t disobey orders.” I really wasn’t sure about all the rules, but I was pretty sure he couldn’t just refuse for the simple fact that he thought I was too young and obviously disliked me.

He grunted, shaking his head. Crossing his arms, a hint of a smile emerged. “I wasn’t ordered. I volunteered. Now I’m unvolunteering.”

“That’s not even a word.”

He produced a full-on smirk. “Sure it is. We’re in my world now and I’m sure I have lots of words you’re not old enough to understand.”

Review-DGR5 starsPerfect Rage-DGR teaser
Demons. Shadows. I fought them all until I couldn’t anymore.

Even before Perfect Chaos, but especially after, I’ve been anticipating Connor’s book. The damaged, tortured man that finally made an appearance in Perfect Ruin is barely recognizable from the memory that everyone has of him. Seven years of living in capture and daily torture will break any man, but The Vault also stole his memories. Now he’s out, his tormentor dead at his hands, and his memories a fragmented puzzle of painful reminders of what will never be whole.

I was treading water and with each ragged breath, I sank further and further into the darkness and despair.

This is not a book you can read out of order. You need to read the entire Unyielding series in order to understand the complexity of the story and especially the events that led to finding Connor. While the author does a fantastic job with a recap, you’d still lose a lot of info not having read the first two books.

After the scene at the end of Perfect Ruin, I’ve been practically salivating for this book. I had no idea what the tie between Catalina “Alina” Diaz and Connor was, but this book finally gave me that. Oh boy did it give me that. I think I must have been reading with a lump in my throat the entire time. Connor and Alina’s story is devastating and heart-wrenching.

I wanted uncontrolled and raw- unrestrained and powerful. That was what we were. A desire that conquered.

I haven’t read a Nashoda Rose heroine I haven’t loved yet, and Alina was certainly no exception. I loved her quiet strength. But most of all I loved her loyalty and adoration for Connor. The way she loved him is so pure and the sacrifices she made for him broke my heart.

Our teeth hit as he claimed my lips with a sweet desperation. And I surrendered. There was no other way. We’d never had a choice in us.

Perfect Rage-DGR Teaser 2Their love was the rose within a perfect storm. It was devastatingly beautiful. All the odds are stacked against them, Connor may never be the man he once was. He’s damaged, broken, a mass of rage and violence. But Alina is his reason and the one thing he can’t escape or stay away from.

I’m lost, baby. I’m so fuckin’ lost and you’re the only one to keep me from disintegrating.”

God. GOD! This book broke my heart into a million jagged pieces. Connor may have been one of my favorite tortured heroes I’ve read in a long while. I just wanted to reach through my kindle and hug him. This is a man that’s beyond broken; haunted by the demons of his past that he had no control over. A man that’s struggling to reach the surface but keeps drowning in memories. A man that’s so in love with a woman yet knows that he can never have her.

I’m dead,” I shouted as my control broke and the rage pumped through my veins. “I’m fuckin’ dead, damn it. There’s nothing left of me except raw, jagged pieces of a man I hate.”

Many years ago I read one of my favorite books, Wild Card, and since then I’ve always looked for something similar, but never able to find it…until this book.

Perfect Rage was everything. It was darkness and light. It was violence and pain. It was loss and forgiveness. But beyond everything it was an epic romance. I loved it beyond words!


UNYIELDING SERIES


PERFECT CHAOS (Unyielding #1)
GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

PERFECT RUIN (Unyielding #2)
GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW


About the Author

Nashoda Rose is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Toronto with her assortment of pets. She writes contemporary romance with a splash of darkness, or maybe it’s a tidal wave.

When she isn’t writing, she can be found sitting in a field reading with her dogs at her side while her horses graze nearby. She loves interacting with her readers and chatting about her addiction—books.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Newsletter | Instagram | Google+ | Pinterest

Giveaway

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Jennifer’s Review: A Week To Be Wicked by Tessa Dare

Review-A Week To Be WickedA Week to Be Wicked
Series: Spindle Cove #2
Genre: Historical Romance
Author: Tessa Dare
Release Date: March 27, 2012add-to-goodreads-button-2

AWeekToBeWicked

When a devilish lord and a bluestocking set off on the road to ruin…Time is not on their side.

Minerva Highwood, one of Spindle Cove’s confirmed spinsters, needs to be in Scotland. Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, a rake of the first order, needs to be…anywhere but Spindle Cove.

These unlikely partners have one week to

• fake an elopement
• convince family and friends they’re in “love”
• outrun armed robbers
• survive their worst nightmares
• travel four hundred miles without killing each other

All while sharing a very small carriage by day and an even smaller bed by night.

What they don’t have time for is their growing attraction. Much less wild passion. And heaven forbid they spend precious hours baring their hearts and souls.

Suddenly one week seems like exactly enough time to find a world of trouble. And maybe . . . just maybe . . . love.

Buy LinksAMAZON | B&N | iBOOKS 

Review-DGR5 stars

“FOR-THE-LOVE-OF-TITS” 

I’m in love with this book!!!
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I’m giggling like…a nerd!!!
Nerd Words Are Sexy!!!

And the way you pronounce all those polysyllabic words? Makes me rock hard, every time.


This book was MADE…FOR…ME. I’m a huge nerd, ladies. I’m obsessed with books (duh). I love math. I loved school and still love learning.
This book starts on page 1 and doesn’t stop until the last word. This story is full of adventure and imagination. It’s sexy, hilarious, and fast-paced. There isn’t a dull moment!!!

Colin and Minerva strike a deal. If he helps her journey to her geology symposium, she will marry him (temporarily) so he can receive the money for his birthright. Most of the story is their journey to Edinburgh. They are constantly pretending to be other people, and it is hilarious! Their relationship in the beginning is beyond entertaining. They are constantly bantering back and forth (Colin is always calling her by the wrong name, and I laughed every time!).

I didn’t recognize your face without the book in front of it.

Colin is a “jack of all trades.” He is funny, dry, sexy, witty…perfection. He is a spoiled rich guy on the outside, but very intelligent because he can maneuver through many different adventures.

My Colin:

“You are the most deceitful, horrid, shameless, contemptible man I have ever had the displeasure to know. How do you sleep at night?” His reply came just as she banged the door closed. “I don’t.”

Josh klossMinerva is a BADASS NERD….and one of my favorite historical heroines!!! She is a female geologist (studies rocks) who is determined to become recognized. She has discovered a rare fossil and because she is passionate about what she does, she wants the world to know about it.

My Minerva:

“I’m a woman who knows a great deal about rocks. I suggest you find the stones to deal with it.”

want: good square-ish glassesMin and Colin are perfect for each other! There is so much laughing in this book, and yet there is also so much tenderness. When Min and Colin fall in love, it is so beautiful!!!!! I didn’t expect my heart to stutter so much.

Certainty becomes you.

.

The story doesn’t end with defeat. It ends in triumph.

 This is my first Tessa Dare book, and I am sold for life. She does a fabulous teaser for the next book, and I am super excited to read it!
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THE SPINDLE COVE SERIES

A NIGHT TO SURRENDER (bk 1)
ONCE UPON A WINTER’S DARE (bk 1.5)
A WEEK TO BE WICKED (bk 2)
A LADY BY MIDNIGHT (bk 3)
BEAUTY AND THE BLACKSMITH (bk 3.5)
ANY DUCHESS WILL DO (bk 4)
LORD DASHWOOD MISSED OUT  (bk 4.5)
DO YOU WANT TO START A SCANDAL (bk 5)

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