Review: Reaver by Larissa Ione

 

WARRIOR OF HEAVEN

Reaver is an angel with a past, a record, and a less-than-heavenly attitude. Powerful enough to fight alongside the fiercest battle angels-and crazy enough to risk his wings on a one-way mission to hell-he’s agreed to go where no angel has ever gone before…to steal the most seductive and dangerous prize of Satan himself.

ANGEL OF HELL

Harvester is one of the Fallen, a once-heroic angel who sacrificed her wings to work as an undercover agent in hell. But now her cover has been blown, and she’s been doomed to an eternity of agonizing torture. Even if Reaver can snatch her away from Satan’s lair, even if they can fight their way out of the underworld’s darkest depths, there is one thing Harvester can never escape-her newfound thirst for an angel’s blood…


Their relationship had been five thousand years in the making, and he wasn’t about to let it go, now or later.


Their relationship had been five thousand years in the making, and he wasn’t about to let it go, now or later.


He’d hated her for so long, desired her at the same time, and it was time to stop the game of Ping-Pong they were both playing with their emotions.

Oh.My.GOD!

Now that, my friends, is how you write a scorching hot PNR book.

I have been waiting for this book since we first met both Reaver and Harvester. Which each new LoD book I got more and more interested in their story. Then after the way the last book ended, I was pretty sure I would die if I didn’t get my greedy little hands on this book and soon. So let’s just say when this finally went live on Amazon
I was a tiny bit excited.

Although the LoD series wasn’t a favorite of mine by Ione, I still thoroughly enjoyed each book. I love getting more of the Sem brothers and the rest of the old and new amazing side characters that are always present in her books. But let me just say that this book blew the entire series out of the water. I LOVED IT.

The one thing that I truly love about Ione’s books is her side characters never take away from the main story, they merely make it that much better. And that is no small feat.

She is also the queen of building some of the most combustible sexual tension between the H/h.

I don’t think there was one thing about this book that I didn’t love. Non-stop action, incredible world building, scorching hot chemistry, so many twists and turns your head will spin, and a story that sucks you in from the first page are just a few of the things you can expect here.

I don’t want to give anything away, so that is all you’ll be getting from me. If you have not read the rest of the books in this series, I strongly recommend reading them before this one. While Larissa does a great job retelling their story through the series without being redundant, I think it will just not be the same without the other books.

My absolute favorite in the series.

Then there was the set up for the next book. Holeeee shit. Are you kidding me? Now to have to wait until late winter of 2014 for it? I think I just died inside. But damn! I can’t wait.

This is a book that is not to be missed. Fans of Larissa Ione will be reminded exactly why they are such big fans. And if you haven’t read this author yet, I suggest you get click happy.

Just awesome!

Review: Sweet Revenge by Rebecca Zanetti

The One Man She Can’t Have

Matt Dean was born to fight…and kill. A member of a secret black-ops military unit, he and his brothers were genetically engineered by the government to be the perfect soldiers with an expiration date. Now, with time running out, he’s gone rogue in a relentless quest for the one person who can save them. His mission leads him to Charmed, Idaho…and to a beautiful woman with eyes like emeralds and a body made for pleasure.

The One Woman He Can’t Resist

Laney Jacobs knows the mysterious, handsome stranger is trouble from the moment he walks into her bar, looking for a job. She’s spent years running from her own past—the last thing she needs is a romantic entanglement. But Matt’s strong arms offer her protection, and his gentle touch promises passion unlike anything she’s ever known. As lethal forces surround them, revealing explosive secrets about Matt’s past and putting everything—and everyone—he holds dear in danger, can he save them all before time runs out?

Review-DGR5 stars

The man was as wounded as a man could be and as temporary as a storm. He wasn’t a guy that stuck around.

Well hot damn! How am I only discovering the awesome that is this author now? What a thrill ride. I’m a huge fan of a good romantic suspense, and this book had it all; action, suspense, and enough steam to set your ovaries on fire. Not to mention a captivating and enthralling story. I may have done things a bit backwards and read this without reading book 1 first, but it did not diminish my enjoyment of it even a little bit. But I do now plan to go back and read the first book and I’m sitting on pins and needles in anticipation of the 3rd book.

Matt Dean is a man on the run, he’s also a man on a mission. After escaping the facility where he and his brothers were genetically engineered and raised to be the perfect soldiers and killers, his mission brings him to Charmed, Idaho. Knowing that his time is running out with a deadly chip that was surgically implanted in his spine, he’s determined to find the doctor responsible and save himself and his brothers.

Arriving in Charmed he lands a job at a local bar. But the one thing he doesn’t expect is his fiery attraction to the bar’s owner, Laney Jacobs. Laney is running from her own past demons and the last thing she needs is the distraction of her attraction to the sexy soldier. As secrets become unraveled, can Laney and Matt survive long enough to save each other?

If you like super sexy commando alpha men, you need to read this book. Lord but Matt made me swoon. From the very first I knew he would be a hero that I’d be lusting after, and boy but he did not disappoint.


You don’t want to hit me.”
“Why not?”
For the first time, he let his mask slip so she could see the predator the government created. “The second you make contact, I’ll have you on that bar, held tight, my cock pressed between your legs, my lips on yours until you beg for more. Even fully clothed, I may make you come- and I won’t care who’s watching.

I ask you, what woman in her right mind can resist sweet talk like that? Not this one, that’s for damn sure. And Laney was no exception.
I loved Laney’s character. She was strong, yet in a somewhat understated way. She fought for what she thought was right, and I really enjoyed the way she cared for Matt.

This book was such a thrill ride, filled with twists and turns that I never saw coming. Throw in a crazy serial killer into the mix, and you have the recipe for one amazing action filled ride.

The romance between Laney and Matt went from a slow burn to an inferno in no time flat.

The one thing I really enjoyed was the the romance never overshadowed the story, but yet it was the perfect icing on the cake. And let me tell you IT.WAS.HOT. Steaming. Scorching. Wowza! Rebecca Zanetti can write one hell of a love scene. This girl was certainly not left disappointed, but begging for more of the Dean brothers.

Matt was protective, sexy, broody, everything I love in a hero. Laney was a fantastic heroine as well. There was not one part I didn’t like. My only complaint is that it was over and I wanted more. And that teaser into Nathan’s book, I CANNOT WAIT! It looks to be the best one yet.

If you love action packed and super steamy romantic suspense, do not pass this book up. This is definitely going on my auto-buy series list.

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Otherwise Unharmed by Shay Savage

Title: Otherwise Unharmed (Evan Arden Trilogy #3)
Author: Shay Savage
Genre: Romance/ Crime
Expected Release Date: 12/5/13

Book Synopsis

After Evan Arden was imprisoned by the enemy for a year and a half, he returned from the desert as a military hero. He’d suffered some minor injuries during his captivity, was discharged from the Marines with a touch of shellshock, but was considered otherwise unharmed. Now he wonders how he ended up where he is—incarcerated in Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center for using his sharpshooting expertise to take out the neighborhood park with a high-powered sniper rifle and multiple rounds of ammunition.

Lia Antonio, the woman he rescued from the desert heat the previous year, is the only person who can bring him out of his sleep-deprived psychosis and mounting PTSD. When she does, Evan knows he can’t just let her go again. He’s never considered leaving the business before—who retires from the mafia?—but he’s determined to get both Lia and himself out of harm’s way.

Evan faces overwhelming forces from multiple directions as a deal to get him out of jail turns more dangerous than he imagined. With a mob war on the horizon and the feds holding evidence over his head, Evan has no choice but to throw himself into the middle of another warzone.

In his efforts to make things right, Evan crosses the wrong man and finds himself on the business end of the crosshairs. With his acute perception and intelligence, he tries to stay a step ahead of his former co-workers, but this time, it isn’t just his own life on the line—he’s got to protect Lia from the man who once called him son.

Otherwise Occupied Trailer

Review

5 Mind Blowing Stars
She would keep me sane, and I would keep her safe

One thing that’s running through my mind right now

After I finished this book. I’m ruined. Seriously ruined and feeling a hell of a book hangover coming on. Shay Savage is an incredible story teller, able to write a broken and damaged anti-hero that you can’t help but fall completely in love with. It’s not every day you find an author that is able to write a book entirely in the male POV and do such an amazing job of it. After the way book 2 ended, I couldn’t wait to dive into this one. I devoured it. After the 60% mark, I read it in one sitting.

Otherwise Unharmed was a suspenseful and erotic thriller that will keep you at the edge of your seat with a major case of blue ovary syndrome thrown into the mix. Wow. Just wow.

This book picks up right where Otherwise Occupied left off, with Evan in prison after a manic episode.

How did I get here? I wasn’t stupid. I also wasn’t so far gone to not remember the basics of what happened. After serving my tour of duty as a Marine sniper in the Middle East coupled with eighteen months as a prisoner of war, being exiled to Arizona for screwing up a hit for my mob-boss, spending too much time thinking about the girl I met there, and killing my favorite hooker for betraying me, I’d finally lost it and started shooting up the neighborhood.

Still suffering from nightmares and flashbacks to his time as a POW, his insomnia is at an all time worst. But this time he has something he didn’t before, Lia, the woman that he’s been unable to put out of his thoughts since his short time in Arizona.

Evan knows that he will not be able to walk away from her this time, and will do anything to keep her safe. But what happens when you put a shell-shocked hitman between a rock and a hard place, putting his loyalty to the test?

Miss Savage definitely saved the best for last with this book.
I fell in lust/love with Evan in book 1. This one just solidified exactly why he’s one of my favorite anti-heroes I’ve read to date.

Fucking you just makes me want more though. I’m trying to see if I can make it to round six before I pass out.”
“I’m going to be sore,” she said.
“Does that mean you’ll feel it all day tomorrow—feel it constantly, no matter what you’re doing, and think about my cock inside you every minute you’re awake?”
Lia’s breath quickened, and she stared up at me for a moment before she swallowed hard and nodded her head. “Probably.”
“Good.” I wrapped my hand around my shaft and drilled into her.

Evan had two sides with Lia. There was the erotic ass-man side. Then there was also the incredibly sweet side.

We also got to see the side that he hides beneath the deadly hit man.

There’s so much shit in my head—shit I can’t unsee or undo. Sometimes it feels like there’s something inside of me just…tearing me up inside and waiting to bust its way out. I think maybe…maybe if I could get that out, then maybe the person I was is still underneath.”


I went from having my heart break for him, to feeling like it was going to beat out of my chest with all the twists and turns that took place.

Lia was a great heroine as well. She was the perfect light to Evan’s dark. She had just the right amount of backbone to stand up to him, but also just enough vulnerability to endear you to her.

This book was one amazing and erotic thrill ride. Every time I thought I wrapped my mind around what was going, something else would happen that left me completely speechless. Well, speechless in between bousts of screaming “no no no” at my kindle and wanting to cry. Then there was an event at the end that left me devastated.

As for the ending? It was the perfect way to end the trilogy. It was so fitting, that it just made me love this book even more. I couldn’t see it being written any other way.

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

About the Author

Shay Savage lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, two children, and a variety of household pets. She is an accomplished public speaker, and holds the rank of Distinguished Toastmaster from Toastmasters International. When not writing, she enjoys science fiction movies, and loves soccer in any and all forms. During the fall, she coaches her daughter’s soccer team. Though she currently works in the technology field, her school background is in psychology, and she brings a lot of that knowledge into the characters within her stories.

Author’s Social Links
Website I Facebook I Goodreads I Twitter

Giveaway

Prize: 3 Ebook Sets of the Evan Arden series (4books) 
1 paperback of Otherwise Unharmed 
2 Ebook copies of Surviving Raine

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MaE Book Tours

Review: Isn’t She Lovely by Lauren Layne

The rules are clear—until they’re broken. Lauren Layne puts a New Adult spin on Pygmalion, also the inspiration for Pretty Woman, and gives the classic love story its edgiest twist yet.

“Who knew that pretending you’re not falling for someone would be so much more difficult than pretending that you are?”

Stephanie Kendrick gave up her whole summer to ace her NYU film school screenwriting course, so she’s pissed to be stuck with a preppy, spoiled frat boy as her writing partner. Then again, with her piercings, black-rimmed eyes, and Goth wardrobe, Stephanie isn’t exactly Ethan Price’s type, either. He’s probably got his eye on some leggy blonde with a trust fund… or does he?

As the summer scene kicks off in the Hamptons, Ethan is desperate to make his snobbish mother forget the pedigreed girl who broke his heart. While Stephanie’s a stretch as a decoy, the right makeover and a pastel cardigan just might do the trick. She may not love the idea of playing Ethan’s brainless Barbie girlfriend, but the free rent and luxurious digs make a tempting offer. So does the promise of a ready-made screenplay idea inspired by their charade.

But when Stephanie steps into Ethan’s privileged world, the “acting” begins to feel all too real. The kissing and touching that were intended to fool the Hamptons crowd wind up manipulating “them.” And Stephanie faces a question she’s too afraid to ask: Is Ethan falling for the real her or for the dolled-up princess he wants to see?

5 I found myself a new auto-buy author stars
Who knew that pretending you’re not falling for someone would be so much more difficult than pretending that you are?

That ridiculously happy person in the gif with the permanently goofy smile stuck on her face…that would be me the entire time I was reading this book. You’re probably sitting there thinking, it couldn’t have been that good, right? Well ye of little faith, it was.

Ok, well maybe not quite make me almost pee good. But it was adorable, funny, entertaining, and heart warming.
(See what I did with the gifs there? No?)

This was a fresh new take on Pygmalion, and I adored this book. I was hooked from the first few lines…


In real life? The meet-cute isn’t the least bit cute. It’s more like a meet-awkward. Sometimes even a meet-shoot-me-now.”

In this book you meet Stephanie; a withdrawn, snarky, goth clothes and dark makeup wearing twenty one year old college film student. Stephanie’s main goal right now is to ace her screenwriting class, and she doesn’t need any distractions. But then she literary bumps paths with the ridiculously good looking and preppy rich boy, Ethan. The sparks started flying right away. Nothing I love more than 2 characters that have hate at first sight with an underlying current of sexual tension.


“It’s just that I think you forgot to change out of your country club uniform.”
“Does the surly mood come with the goth outfit? Or do you have to buy it separately?”
“Could you please watch where you’re pointing your teeth? The glare from your caps is hurting my eyes.”


I was in snarky sarcasm heaven with these two.

Stuck working together for a class, can these two really tolerate each other long enough to survive their assignment?

When an opportunity presents itself that can help both Ethan and Stephanie, an ideal screenplay idea forms. Ethan is desperate to make his snobbish mother forget the pedigreed girl who broke his heart. Stephanie needs a place to stay. So why not pretend to be together for the sake of a mutually beneficial set up? And the icing on the cake? The fake relationship is the perfect idea for their screenplay.

But what happens when pretend slowly begins to develop into real feelings?

I loved the depth the author managed to give these characters considering the somewhat fluffy story they were in. Stephanie and Ethan both captured my heart and I couldn’t help myself but completely fall for both them.

This book was like all my favorite movies got together. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me swoon. It was, and forgive the cheesiness factor here, lovely.

If you enjoy the NA genre, you really cannot go wrong with this book. It will put a smile on your face and keep it there the entire time you’re reading it. You will fall in love with both of these characters and the story. I know I did.

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

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Review: Sex.Love.Repeat. By Allesandra Torre

Sex. Love. Repeat. by Alessandra Torre

I love two men. I screw two men. I am in a relationship with them both, and they are both aware there is another. That is all they need to know, that is all I let them know. They don’t need to know a name; they don’t need to know anything, but that they are not alone in my heart.

They have accepted the situation. Stewart, because his life is too busy for the sort of obligations that are required in a relationship. Paul, because he loves me too much to tell me no. And because my sexual appetite is such that one man has trouble keeping up.

So we exist, two parallel relationships, each running their own course, with no need for intersection or conflict. It works for us, for them, and for me. I don’t expect it to be a long-term situation. I know there is an expiration date on the easy perfection of our lives.

I should have paid more attention, should have looked around and noticed the woman who watched it all. She sat in the background and waited, tried to figure me out. Saw my two relationships, the love between us, and the moment that it all fell apart.

She hates me.
I don’t even know she exists.
She loves them. I love them.
And they love me.

My Review

5 Unputdownable Stars
The heart is stubborn. It holds onto love despite what sense and emotion tells it. And it is often, in the battle of those three, the most brilliant of all.
So…this book…

Yea, I don’t even know how to do that without giving anything away. But I can tell you this. Think you know what you’re in for after reading that blurb? Well you’re wrong! Because it may be that, but it was also that much more.

I do NOT read love triangles. Like ever. Usually a book with love triangles sends me toward the nearest bottle of wine, wanting to rip my hair out and getting cold sweat flashbacks to Thoughtless. But then I read the blurb for this book, and I thought

Because I just had to read it. Think you’re getting a love triangle here? Well, you are…but you’re not. Confused? You should be! This book needs to be read without any preconceived notions. Do not read reviews or spoilers, it will absolutely ruin the experience.

Madison


She was a heroine you can’t help but like. In a long list of books with shy, mousy and virginal heroines, she was a refreshing breath of air. She was real. She was not shy about what she wanted, and made no excuses for herself. I knew from the very first chapter that she would be a heroine that I would absolutely love, and I was not wrong.
Paul
The easy-going surferboy. He is a character that you just can’t help but fall in love with. He was the lighter part of the equation.

Paul loves me with unconditional warmth, his affection public and obvious, his arms pulling me into him, his mouth littering my body with frequent kisses. 

Stewart

The rich workaholic. He was the enigmatic, slightly darker and intense one.

Stewart loves me with a tiger’s intensity, his need taking my breath away, his confidence in our relationship strong enough to not be bothered by the presence of another man. He stares into my soul as if he owns it, and shows his love with money, sex, and rare moments of time.

So what’s the story all about? I’m not going to tell you. This is a book that has to be experienced. And what an experience it is. You will be sucked in, captivated, and absolutely riveted by it. The writing is brilliant. It was intense, emotional, and erotic.
But be prepared to read it in one sitting, because you will be unable to put it down. The one thing I kept thinking through the book
I didn’t know which end was up. Who was I rooting for? What did I want to happen? Did I like what did happen? I don’t fucking know! There was just one twist after another. And then came everything after the 60% mark, and all I could think of then was
The story was NOTHING you would expect and EVERYTHING you would want in a book. Unputdownable.

Was I happy with the way it ended? I think so. It ended the way it should have, yet not in a way I suspected it would. It wasn’t wrapped up in a pretty little bow for you, but it was perfect for this story. I couldn’t imagine a different ending for this brilliant story.
A must read.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go compulsively one-click every other book this author has written. And I thank you

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

Buy Links

Amazon I Smashwords I Kobo I Barnes & Noble (not yet live, will be up later today)

Review: ★Louder Than Love★ by Jessica Topper

In this powerful debut novel, a young librarian grieves the loss of her husband…and discovers a love that defies classification.

It’s been over three years since a train accident made a widow of Katrina Lewis, sending her and her young daughter Abbey back to the suburban town of her youth…the only place that still makes sense. Lauder Lake is the perfect place to hide and heal.

Recluse rocker Adrian “Digger” Graves survived the implosion of his music career, but his muse has long lain dormant. Until Kat hires him to play at her library—not on the basis of his hard rock credentials but rather, because of the obscure kids’ TV jingle he wrote years ago. In a case of mistaken identity, Adrian stumbles into the lives of Kat and her comically lovable daughter.

Using tattoos as a timeline, Adrian unfurls his life for Kat. But as the courtship intensifies, it’s unclear whose past looms larger: the widow’s or the rocker’s. Will their demons ever rest, or will they break these soul mates apart?

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Review

5 stars

“You’ve got all this…this love – no, it’s louder than love. It’s passion and beauty built up inside you that deserves to burst out.”

So if you’re anything like me, you probably took a look at that book cover and synopsis and thought you’d be getting an angst filled NA story with a somewhat shy and mousy heroine and a tatted and tortured hero, right? Well you, my friend, couldn’t be further from the truth because this book was not that at all. It was so much more. It was a beautiful, lovely, emotional, and captivating story of love lost and learning to move on again. It was in a word, wonderful.

I’ll be honest, this is not my typical read. But I am so glad that I misjudged that cover and read it, because I would have missed out on an amazing book and a fantastic new author. This is NOT a New Adult novel. I’m not really sure why that genre even appears by this book. This is a contemporary romance with grown and mature MCs.

3 years ago Katrina Lewis lost her husband in a devastating train accident, leaving her a widow and a single mother to her young daughter Abbey.
Seeking solace sends her to the one place that still makes sense to her, her childhood home in Lauder Lake.

When a character and song behind her daughter’s beloved cartoon leads Kat to the idea of inviting the singer of the jingle to perform at the library she works in, her life takes a surprising turn. Through a case of mistaken identity, she meets recluse rocker Adrian.
I can’t help it, this is the image that burned itself into my mind when I read about Adrian. Just give him lighter hair and blue eyes, and yup!

To say that I loved Jessica Topper’s writing would be a gross understatement. I adored the realism with which she portrayed both of these characters. Kat and Adrian were written in such an endearing and pragmatic way, it was hard not to fall in love with them. The way their relationship developed was lovely and realistic. There was no insta-lust, insta-love, insta-anything.

Do you believe in love at first sight?”
“Hmmm, no. I don’t. I believe love involves the commitment of many senses, as well as your head and your heart, so I wouldn’t just rely on my eyesight.”

Jessica managed to write a love story for Kat and Adrian without taking away any of Kat’s love for her husband that passed away. It wasn’t downplayed at all. Kat loved her husband and grieved his loss every day. Yet you can completely understand what makes her fall for Adrian.

When I first read the blurb and saw Kat was a librarian, I imagined yet another somewhat awkward, slightly geeky, introverted heroine. She was not that at all.

I wasn’t sheltered. I was orderly.

She was such an endearing heroine, you can’t help but immediately like her.

Adrian was just amazing. He has battled a multitude of demons in his life, drugs being one of the biggest. Yet the way he is with Kat is not at all what you might expect. He was tender and romantic, but it didn’t seem contrived or fake. It was just perfect.

That’s not to say that this book didn’t have it’s level of steam. It did. But it was written in this understated way that it never took away from the romance.
There was no unnecessary angst thrown into the mix. I honestly can’t think of anything I didn’t like in this book. It was so refreshing to read about 2 grown and mature MCs without any unnecessary drama thrown in to take away from their story.

Kat was an amazing heroine. Your heart broke for her and what she went through. Her pain wasn’t sugar coated or glossed over. I particularly loved the way that her relationship with her daughter was written. I know I’ve said it a multitude of times already in my review, but it was so real, you feel everything right along with her. She had her good moments and her bad moments and I found myself tearing up reading about her struggles.

Kat’s daughter Abbey was the perfect addition to the characters. She was the third character that rounded out the book. I particularly loved the way Adrian was with her. Their relationship was adorable; the way Adrian fell in love with her as much as he did with Kat.

I really cannot write enough praise for this book. It’s a must read. A wonderful, romantic story about a second chance at love. I can’t recommend it enough.

Review: The Dark Light of Day by T.M. Frazier

The Dark Light of DayThe Dark Light of Day by T.M. Frazier

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Book Synopsis

Warning: This is not your typical romance. The story of Abby & Jake contains disturbing situations, graphic violence, sex, rape, strong language, drug use, and all types of abuse.
Abby has been through hell and has survived one of the most brutal childhoods imaginable…barely.
To the outside world she’s just a loner with an attitude.
When her grandmother dies in a tragic explosion, Abby is left with questions-and nothing else.
Homeless, sleeping in a junkyard, and on the run from a system that has failed her over and over again, she meets Jake, a tattooed blue-eyed biker with secrets that will rival her own.
Two broken souls that can’t be healed. They can’t be saved.
Abby & Jake must reveal to one another their most guarded secrets and discover if they can embrace the darkness those secrets hold-and the darkness within themselves.
If they can accept one another for who they really are, they might be able to learn that love isn’t always found in the light.
*stand alone novel, HEA in a twisted kind of way, no cliffhangers, no sequel

My Review

5 Dark and Utterly Captivating Stars

Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.

Do you like sweet romances? Rainbows? Unicorns? Perfectly normal and non-damaged MC? Well too fucking bad! Because you’re not going to get that here. Not even close. So prepare yourself for a story that’s dark, gritty, brutal, devastating, gut-wrenching, keep-you-at-the-edge-of-your-seat-wanting-to-see-what-happens-next. Can’t say you weren’t warned.

Want me to describe my feelings through this books in one gif?
  If there was one phrase that was running through my mind the entire time I was reading it, it was ‘Holy shit!’ I couldn’t believe this was a debut novel. Brilliantly written, utterly captivating, the story of Abby and Jake stole my heart, broke me, gutted me, and kept me completely unable to put the book down until I finished. I was sucked in from the very first chapter.

Abby…

How a person can survive the horrors that this poor girl goes through and still come out with the strength that she does is beyond me. Life has not been kind to Abby. Not in the least. But with everything that she goes through, she maintains this persevering core. I fell in love with her character. You would think someone like her would be shy, awkward, but every time life knocked her down, she came up swinging. She didn’t take shit from anyone, but the vulnerable, damaged, and scared little girl that she hides behind her her carefully constructed walls broke my heart.

Jake…

He was just everything you love in a broken hero. Jake is a man that has some very dark demons. He’s not the white knight that rides into the night to save Abby, but he does in his own dark way. But what I truly loved, was that mostly Abby saves herself.

This is not a story of perfect love and romance. It’s a story about 2 damaged souls that learn to walk together in the shadows.

By the time I finished this book, I was a fucked up mess of emotions. This book does not let up for even a second. I spent the entire second half of this book a hysterical fucking mess. And when I was down, and thinking it can’t possibly get any worse, T.M. Frazier would take what I imagined is her 6in booted foot and kick me right in the damn feels.
It was

Followed by

Which mainly led to me feeling like

This book gutted me. Gutted.Me. But I loved every single fucked up second of me. My advice for you once you decide to read this incredible yet dark story? Lots of booze. No really.

You’re going to need it.

This is an author that is now on my auto-buy list. I’m surprised I haven’t seen this book more on my GR feeds. It deserves to be there. If you like dark and gritty romances, this book is a HUGE rec from this girl. And this is coming from one picky bitch.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to set my feels right. They’re completely FUBAR after I finished. And I thank you

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Try by Ella Frank

Try (Temptation, #1)Try by Ella Frank

Book Synopsis:

Try – verb: to make an attempt or effort to do something or in this case…someone.
Sex. Logan Mitchell loves it, and ever since he realized his raw sexual appeal at a young age, he has had no problem using it to his advantage. Men and women alike fall into his bed—after all, Logan is not one to discriminate. He lives by one motto—if something interests you, why not just take a chance and try?
And he wants to try Tate Morrison.
Just coming out of a four-year marriage with an ex-wife from hell, a relationship is the last thing on Tate’s mind. He’s starting fresh and trying to get back on his feet with a new job at an upscale bar in downtown Chicago.
The only problem is, Tate has caught the unwavering and unwelcome attention of Mr. Logan Mitchell – a regular at the bar and a man who always gets what he wants.
Night after night Tate fends off the persistent advances of the undeniably charismatic man, but after an explosive moment in the bar, all bets are off as he finds his body stirring with a different desire than his mind.
As arrogance, stubbornness and sexual tension sizzles between the two, it threatens to change the very course of their lives.
Logan doesn’t do relationships. Tate doesn’t do men. But what would happen if they both just gave in and…tried?

My Review

5 Sexy & Steamy Stars
“You know what you want to do. There’s no one here, and no one is going to come in. Just do it,” he whispered, “Try.”
Ella Frank’s books need to come with a damn warning.
Reader beware: Contents of book are extremely hot

Please read at your own risk…

Side effects may include:

  •  TOA: Total Ovary Annihilation
  •  The constant need to attack your significant other
  •  A constant and persistent Hot and Bothered sensation
  • The repercussions of having to take care of said Hot and Bothered sensation if significant other is unavailable

I had pretty high expectations for this book when I first found out about it. Especially since it was right around the time I read Edible, which I friggin LOVED! I couldn’t wait until Ella’s foray into the MM genre. But I was almost afraid to read this, thinking I may have set my hopes a little too high. Well disappointed, I was not. I loved the hell out of this book! Try was one hot fucking ride, (pun most definitely intended) that I didn’t want to end.

If you’re looking for a deep and emotional story, that’s not quite what you’ll get here. I think my BR pal Allison had it right with it being 90% sex and 10% story. But you know what? I was VERY OK with this. It wasn’t mindless smut, it had just enough story to keep the reader engaged and begging for more. Given that this is book 1 out of 3, I’m thinking we’ll get a whole lot more story in the next books.

I knew I would love Logan after the quick intro we get of him in Edible, and I was definitely right. The man was just delicious. The things that would come out of his mouth? He had me worked up with every dirty and outrageous word that would leave his mouth.


“Does every word that comes out of your mouth have to do with sex?”
“Usually, eighty/twenty, but with you, it seems more ninety-eight/two.”
“And the other two?”
“The other two I have spent trying to convince you.”
“And do you think I’m convinced?”
“I think you’re getting there.’
“And when I do? What happens to the two percent? More sex?”
“I think when you get there, you’ll never want to leave. One thing about guys—we like sex. How long has it been, Tate? I’ll give you the best sex you’ve ever had.” 

Tate was the perfect ying to Logan’s yang. I loved how hard he tried to resist Logan. But let’s be honest, how can anyone possibly resist Logan for long? The man is damn persistent when he knows what he wants. He’s not shy about voicing his desires, and he was definitely desiring Tate.


This? This changes things. If you think I’m going to walk out of here and you’ll conveniently forget about what happened, you should think again. This wasn’t a fluke, no matter how much you try to pretend. You wanted it as much as I did, and you should remember that tonight when you jerk off, thinking about my tongue in your mouth.”


And when these two get together?

I thought my Kindle just might spontaneously cumbust. Holy fucking hot cock, batman!

I think I might have highlited every single thing that came out of Logan’s mouth. I sat there for hours trying to pick and choose quotes for my review, and at the end, I pretty much gave up. Everything he said is pure gold, and I think I’d have a never ending review even if I gave you just a few of my favorites. So this is all she wrote…

For those that are afraid of a cliffy, this had a very satisfying HFN end. No major cliffys that will drive you batshit waiting for book 2 to come out.

Miss Frank,

You are the queen of steam. I cannot wait to see what book 2 will bring.

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Review: Striking Distance by Pamela Clare

Striking Distance (I-Team, #6)Striking Distance by Pamela Clare

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Synopsis

Her past is a secret—even to her.
Discovering it will be the most dangerous move of her life.
TV reporter Laura Nilsson, known as the “Baghdad Babe,” spent eighteen months in an Al Qaeda compound after being kidnapped live on the air. Two years later, she’s still wondering why.
No rescue mission in Javier Corbray’s fourteen years as a Navy SEAL affected him the way Laura’s rescue did. No woman has stirred his protective instincts the way she has. And he wants her more than he’s ever wanted anyone.
As Laura and Javier’s passion ignites, so does Laura’s need to discover the mystery of her past. Especially when she learns that her abduction was not random—and that she’s still a target for a killer with an impenetrable motive. Now Javier will have to rely on his skills to keep the woman he loves from being struck down before she dares uncover the truth.

My Review

5+++ Emotionally charged and Suspenseful Stars
“The woman he remembers still exists inside you. You just need to set her free.”

No one, and I mean no one does Romantic Suspense quite like Pamela Clare. I have loved this entire series, but this book blew them all out of the water. I cried, I sobbed, I swooned, I cried, I laughed, I didn’t want it to end. As much as I loved Hunt, I think after Javi he has now moved to number 2. Javier stole my heart. (And after the prequel novella…my ovaries too). If you have read Clare’s other books, then you know just how amazing of an author she is, and this book is the perfect example of why. And if you have not yet experienced the absolute AWESOME that is this series, drop everything you’re doing (I’m not even kidding, do it now. Don’t even bother reading my review) and READ.THIS.BOOK. While I would definitely recommend reading this in order, you can easily read this book as a standalone since neither Javier nor Laura appeared in previous books. But the characters from previous books do make an appearance in here.

Over 3 years ago, a chance meeting in a bar in Dubai leads to a unforgettably erotic weekend between Laura and Javier. Although they each promise the other no strings, that night stays with them and they both harbor a desire to see the other again. But those plans come to a screeching halt when in the middle of a live broadcast, Laura’s entire team gets slaughtered while she is kidnapped and held captive and presumed dead.

Surviving unimaginable horror at the hands of a brutal terrorist for 18 months, Laura tries to hold on to her memories. Months of torture forces to lose touch with a lot of reality that she struggles to even remember her own name.

Javier never got over Laura’s supposed death. Having believed that she was beheaded immediately after her kidnapping, his only thought is revenge against the man responsible for it. Months of planning and his special ops team is put in charge of the raid against the Al Qaeda compound that hides the terrorist. Nothing could shock him more than discovering that Laura has been alive all this time. So when a threat is made on Laura’s life, Javier knows no one is more determined or capable to keep her alive than he is.

This book broke my heart. And then it put it together piece by emotional piece. Reading about everything that Laura went through was simply devastating. She was such an incredible heroine. I can probably go so far as to say she was my favorite in the series. She was vulnerable and damaged, but had this incredible strong and persevering core. My heart broke for her with every new detail that came to light about her time in captivity.

And then there was Javi. My amazing, sexy as sin, broken in his own way, Javi. He was just perfect. His last mission has left him with scars, some on the surface, but the deepest being on his soul.

He struggles with what happens and learning to trust someone with his past.

Laura and Javier together was just beautiful. I love the way they both soothed the other.

This book was an intense and emotional read. The connection between Laura and Javier was written in such a beautiful way that it flowed off of the pages effortlessly. While I’ve come to expect and love a certain amount of steam in Clare’s books, I loved the way it was written here. It was’t just empty sex, it was a beautiful and emotional connection between two people learning to heal and move on.

It was, in a word, perfection.

The suspense part of the story was fantastic. It kept me at the edge of my seat from beginning to end guessing and grasping at shadows. And when the culprit was finally revealed, I was truly shocked.

I adored this book. I loved everything about it. And that is not something I can say often. If you are a fan of romantic suspense, and even if you aren’t, you will love this book. Packed with action, suspense, steam, and emotionally gripping this is a story I will not be forgetting any time soon.

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Review: Sing (Songs of Submission #7) by C.D. Reiss

Sing (Songs of Submission, #7)Sing by C.D. Reiss

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the last book in the series.

Take my hand, my love.
On sinews of air we tread
Aught but distance our guide
With no tempo to our gait
No endpoint drawn
Neither plot nor plan
By the thorns of a compass rose
We bound toward the horizon
5 Utterly Brilliant Stars

“You’re a manipulative bastard, a brazen liar, and a sadist. You’ve brought me to my knees. You’ve dominated me. You’ve told me who I am and then challenged me to be it. If you made me strong enough to stand up to the world, let me stand by you. If you completed the woman I am, let me be that woman in your honor. Every part in my body is dedicated to you. Every note I sing. Every breath in my lungs. My pleasure and pain. Take me. Let me serve you. Let me be yours.”

This book. Holy fucking shit! THIS book. I was a pathetic, blubbering, ugly crying mess when reading it.

         

And no, dammit, I’m not even slightly exaggerating. The angst just about did me in.

                                                               True Story                   

How do you even go reviewing a book that effected you so much, and not reveal any spoilers? You don’t. So I’m not even going to attempt it. Nothing that I write can possibly do it, or this incredible series, justice. I’m not even sure how to describe it. But if I had to use just a few words?

Beautiful
     Emotional
          Gut wrenching
                Keep you on the edge of your seat
                      Incredible
                            Brilliant
                                 Enchanting
                                      Poignant
                                           Unforgettable
                                                Beautifully erotic
                                                        Unputdownable
                                                                  Compelling
                                                                              Literary

Want me to take you on my emotional journey through this book? No? Well I’m going to anyway.
I went from

To

To

But mainly, it was a whole lot of

I loved this series, I devoured each new installment, but THIS book. This book deserves a standing ovation. The emotional journey that it took me on. I was ugly crying all over my e-reader. My poor husband thought I was having an emotional breakdown. And at one point, I’m pretty sure that I may have been.

C.D. Reiss,

I worship at the altar of your brilliance. No really. You’ve ruined me. This series will be giving me the mother of all book hangovers. And I’m sitting on pins and needles in anticipation of your next book. Fair warning though

Book 1: Beg (my review)
Book 2: Tease (my review)
Book 3: Submit (my review)
Book 4: Control (my review)
Book 5: Burn (my review)
Book 6: Resist(my review)

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