★DGR’s Ultimate List of Hate-To-Love Romance★

DGR-Ultimate list of hate-2-love Let’s talk about hate-to-love for a hot minute here, shall we? It just so happens that this is easily my favorite trope to read…EVAH. No joke. Something about the banter, that repressed sexual tension, the sparks that fly between the H & h when they argue yet you know they’re probably 2 seconds from jumping each other. *shivers* Delicious. So obviously what this means is that I’ve read a lot in this genre…like a lot. So much so, that when I started to put together my list, my brain began to hurt. There are so many books that I wanted to put on this list, but they’ve also been in my previous ones and so I decided not to mix genres. A lot of the hate-love I read in my dark romances, but since that’s not everyone’s cuppa and I already made my ultimate list of Anti-Heroes, I decided not to be redundant and skip this particular genre. If you’re curious about the Anti Hero list, you can read it HERE.

If you’re new to my blog, my Ultimate List is a monthly feature that I do on the last Saturday each month with my favorites in various categories, tropes, and whatever else. If you’ve missed any of my previous ones, you can read them all here:

★ULTIMATE LIST OF DIRTY TALKERS★

★ULTIMATE LIST OF ROCK STARS★

★ULTIMATE LIST OF FIGHTERS★

★ULTIMATE LIST OF ANTI-HEROES★

But let’s get back to hate-to-love. You’ll notice my list is random and features books that were recently published and some from quite a while ago. I’ve read all the books on the list and they’re my go-to recs for this trope. I loved them! Of course there’s probably plenty that I haven’t read yet, so I’d love to hear about any of your favorites that I may have missed in the comments below. Now without further ado, let’s get to the list!


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DGR Fave Review & Giveaway: ★Appealed★ by Emma Chase

Review spotlight-AppealedAppealed
Series: The Legal Briefs #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Emma Chase
Release Date: January 19, 2015add-to-goodreads-button-2

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When Brent Mason looks at Kennedy Randolph, he doesn’t see the awkward, sweet girl who grew up next door. He sees a self-assured, stunning woman…who wants to crush the most intimate – and prized – parts of his anatomy beneath the heels of her Christian Louboutins.

Brent has never let the loss of his leg in a childhood accident affect his ability to lead a fulfilling life. He sets high goals–and then he reaches them.

And now he has his sights set on Kennedy.
**
When Kennedy looks at Brent Mason, all she sees is the selfish, Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue-worthy teenager who humiliated her in high school to join the popular crowd. A crowd that made those years a living hell.

She’s not a lovesick social outcast anymore – she’s a DC prosecutor with a long winning streak behind her. Brent is the opposing attorney in her next case and she thinks it’s time to put him through a little hell of his own.

But things aren’t exactly working out that way.

Because every fiery exchange has her wondering if he’s as passionate in the bedroom as he is in the courtroom. Each argument and objection only makes him want her more. In the end, Brent and Kennedy may just find themselves in love…or in contempt of court.

APPEALED is a sexy, humorous romance about first crushes, second chances and the final verdict of the heart.

Buy LinksAMAZON | B&N | iBOOKS | KOBO

Review5 starsAppealed-DGR

Over the last fourteen years I’ve thought a lot about what it’d be like to see Kennedy Randolph again- but I never thought it’d be on the opposite side of a courtroom.

You know when you read an epilogue that’s so good, it not only manages to be the perfect conclusion to the book but it actually flawlessly ties the entire series up. Like you have this amazingly delicious three-tiered cake, and it’s already prefect without anything, but then you add that icing that takes it from delicious to amazing? That’s what the epilogue of Appealed was to me. It was simple perfection. It deserves 5 stars just for that. But let’s talk about the actual book for a hot second here, shall we?

Arguing is our foreplay. One time, she was so worked up she hauled off and took a swing at me- and my reaction was a boner that wouldn’t be denied.

So that quote up there? Yeah. That’s basically a literary orgasm for me. You see there is nothing, nothing I love better than a good hate-to-love trope. And when that particular trope is also based on a bit of a second chance romance? I am absolute putty in your hands. Brent and Kennedy were childhood. Their parents are friends and they always hoped they’d get together. And one perfect night they did, until something happened that made Kennedy disappear from Brent’s life and also hate him with the fire of the worst kind of venereal disease. Graphic? Sure. But sums it up nicely. Brent hasn’t seen her since high school, so when she not only comes back looking nothing like the Kennedy he knows but a stunner, he thinks he can take off where they left off. There’s only one problem, Kennedy wants nothing to do with him…
And if that’s not delicious enough, she also happens to be the prosecutor on a case that he’s the defending attorney for.

She looks me straight in the face. “I could never be with someone like you- you have the maturity of a twelve-year-old boy.”
I raise my glass. “And you have the chest of one.”

So at this point of the book, I’m as giddy as a Bilieber at a Justin Bieber concert. Their constant barbs in the courtroom and outside of it are laden with a heavy undercurrent of lust and you’re reading just waiting for them to give into the undeniable chemistry that’s brewing between them. And let’s be honest, what’s better than hate-to-lust? When it’s gloriously written entirely in the male POV and I fell hard for Brent from the very first chapter. He may be the happy-go-lucky friend of the group, but there was always something to him that just drew me. It may be because it’s not often you’ll read about a hero with a prosthetic leg that didn’t suffer his injury during a deployment. Or it may be because of his humor. But really it’s because when this man falls, he falls hard and he has no issue showing it and fighting for what he wants.
Appealed teaser-DGRKennedy was such a great heroine as well. She really makes Brent work for it. She’s not the awkward teenager he grew up with. She’s a tough prosecutor, and her looks are just as killer as her cross examination. I loved the tension between these two. It practically sizzled it was so good. But what I loved the most is really seeing Brent working for it. This is not a man that denies his attraction or his feelings, even though he’s never had a real meaningful relationship…nor did he want one. He knows that he’ll accept nothing less from Kennedy, though. And even if he has to prove it to her considering their past, he’ll do whatever it takes.

I’m in love with you. And if it takes awhile for you to wrap your head around that- to wrap your heart around it- then I’ll wait. Because you’re worth waiting for. You always were.”

Appealed teaser2-DGRThis book is perfection. It’s snark wrapped in humor, tied together by a swoony romance. I couldn’t put it down for even a second. It’s just one of those romances that will entertain you and make you fall hard all at the same time. Emma Chase just gets better and better. Appealed was easily my favorite book in the series. Then that epilogue happened and I was like a pile of giddy goo. It was just that good.


READ IT IN ORDER

OVERRULED | SUSTAINED | APPEALED
Giveaway

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DGR Fave & Review: ★The Score★ by @ElleKennedy

Review-The ScoreThe Score
Series: Off-Campus #3
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Elle Kennedy
Release Date: January 11, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

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He knows how to score, on and off the ice

Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she’s going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di-Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands.

It’ll take more than flashy moves to win her over

Dean always gets what he wants. Girls, grades, girls, recognition, girls…he’s a ladies man, all right, and he’s yet to meet a woman who’s immune to his charms. Until Allie. For one night, the feisty blonde rocked his entire world—and now she wants to be friends? Nope. It’s not over until he says it’s over. Dean is in full-on pursuit, but when life-rocking changes strike, he starts to wonder if maybe it’s time to stop focusing on scoring…and shoot for love.

Buy-Links10AMAZON | KOBO

Review5 starsThe Score-DGR

I kiss him back hungrily, helpless to resist him. Dean Di Laurentis is in my blood now. I didn’t expect this intense sexual chemistry between us, but it’s here, and it’s addictive, and I don’t know how I can ever give it up.

You know when you read the first book in a series and you love it so much that you don’t think anything can top it, but then you read the second and you love it just as much? So then you know that the chances of that continue to hold for the 3rd book are slim, right? In my experience, it’s tough to keep that sort of momentum going…unless, of course, you’re Elle Kennedy. Because not only was The Score absolutely fantastic, but it turned out to be my favorite in the series. And considering how much I loved the previous two books, that’s saying something.

Now let’s be real here; considering how much I love me my manwhores, it was already a good chance I’d love Dean Di Laurentis. Even the man’s name is hot, for goodness sake. Between his self assured ways, cocky attitude, humor, and manwhoring tendencies, I couldn’t get enough of him.

The guy has the attention span of a fruit fly, and the affection-giving habits of a puppy, offering his sexual devotion to whoever happens to be holding the treat. By which I mean the vagina.

What I love about Elle’s writing, is the depth that she gives her characters. And Dean certainly was no exception. He may be the hard partying manwhore with a crass sense of humor, but beneath that perfect exterior there’s so much more to him and you really get to see it blossom here.

Allie Hayes is Hanna’s best friend that just recently broke up with her long term boyfriend of 3 years. In fear of giving in when he comes calling again, Allie seeks an escape at Garrett’s place. She knows all about Dean and his one and done ways and he may be hot but he’s not for her. She’s a nester. She has relationships not one night stands. But then a broken heart and some tequila lead to one of the hottest hookups of her life with none other than the sexy manwhore. She’s determined to keep it in just friends zone after but Dean is determined to change her mind.

Have you considered seeing a psychiatrist about your delusions?” I ask politely. “Because, sweetie, there’s no chance in hell of us boning tonight.”
“Fine. How about we go down on each other instead?”
“How about you leave?”
“Counter offer- I stay and we dry hump.”

The Score is this amazing combination of witty humor and endearing characters. While I loved the slow building romance between Dean and Allie, what kept me turning the pages was the banter between them and the rest of the guys. The Twilight references alone had me laughing like a loon. It was witty and crass, and wildly entertaining. Dean and Allie together was the perfect examples of opposites attracting and I absolutely loved them together. Their banter and chemistry was utterly delicious.

…last I checked, genitals don’t decide who gets to listen to their music first.”
“Oh yes, they do…
See, if you take away my dick privileges, I’ll be fine for moths. Years, even. But if I take away your pussy privileges? You’ll be utterly lost. Like a drowning man at sea, desperately grabbing for the vagina preserver. Therefore, vagina trumps penis.”

I loved how Miss Kennedy pulled off an incredibly sexy romance while keeping it realistically slow paced. These two may burn up the sheets together, but the feelings came with time and I for one loved watching those develop for both of them.
The Score teaser @DGRThis isn’t just a story of the manwhore meeting his match and inevitably succumbing to his feelings for her; it’s so much more. The story had wit and humor and so much depth to it, too. There’s something that happens towards the end that caught me completely off guard. I never in a million years expected something like that to happen and yet as much as it broke my heart, I can’t help but to admit it did the job of driving the plot where it needed to go.

Without a doubt, Elle Kennedy is a force to be reckoned with. The woman can write the hell out of a book. Dean and Allie’s story was funny, sexy, swoony, emotional and wildly entertaining. It was everything I love about romance and exactly why I read New Adult. THIS is how it needs to be done. I can’t wait to see what the next book brings, because after that little peak we got? Oh yeah! It’s about to get real.


★DON’T MISS THE REST OF THE SERIES★

THE DEAL (on sale for $.99) | THE MISTAKE (on sale for $1.99)

DGR Fave & Review: ★First Touch★ by Laurelin Paige

Review- FTFirst Touch
Series: First and Last #1
Genre: Erotic Romance
Author: Laurelin Paige
Release Date: December 29, 2015add-to-goodreads-button-2

first-touch

When Emily Wayborn goes home to visit her mom while on hiatus from her hit TV show, she receives a voicemail from her former best friend, Amber. Though the two were once notorious party girls, they haven’t spoken in years. Although the message might sound benign to anyone else, Amber uses a safe word that Emily recognizes, a word they always used to get out of sticky situations during their wild days. And what’s more chilling than the voicemail: it turns out that Amber has gone missing.

Determined to track down her friend, Emily follows a chain of clues that lead her to the enigmatic billionaire Reeve Sallis, a hotelier known for his shady dealings and play boy reputation. Now, in order to find Amber, Emily must seduce Reeve to learn his secrets and discover the whereabouts of her friend. But as she finds herself more entangled with him, she finds she’s drawn to Reeve for more than just his connection to Amber, despite her growing fear that he may be the enemy. When she’s forced to choose where her loyalty lies, how will she decide between saving Amber and saving her heart?

Buy-Links10Amazon / iBooks / B&N / Kobo

Review5 starsFirst Touch DGR

…I can’t get you out of my mind. You contaminate my thoughts. I keep remembering your body under my hands as I touched you. The parts of you I didn’t touch. The sounds you made. The look in your eyes. You haunt me, Emily.

It’s been a long time that I read a book that effected me on such a visceral level. I had honest to god tingles while reading this. My heart was beating out of my chest, my head was spinning, and I was completely and utterly incapable of putting it down for even a second. It’s also been a long time that I read a hero that was so alpha he practically crackled with electric magnetism through the pages. This book hit every single one of my yes spots. It’s exactly the kind of thrill I love in my romance. It was unpredictable, erotic, a little taboo, undeniably captivating and absolutely spell-binding. It’s also almost impossible to review without giving anything away, so excuse my attempt at trying…

Reeve Sallis

He was infamous, famous, and if the rumors were to be believed, dangerous – a multibillionaire luxury resort owner and legendary bad boy.”

He’s a complete enigma. He’s a billionaire playboy with an air of danger. He doesn’t play cat and mouse, he simply hunts and chases…but only when he wants. Whether the woman walks away from it unaffected is never guaranteed. He’s also the man that may hold the answer to all the questions that Emily Wayborn has, if only she can get close enough to gain his trust…
First Touch-DGR teaserEmily left her life of a kept woman behind when she walked away from her best friend. She now has independence and her own career and hasn’t looked back, but a call from her friend that she hasn’t seen in years changes everything. She may be in danger and Emily is the only one that believes it. The man that holds the biggest piece of the puzzle is the one that was last seen with her; Reeve.

But his eyes caught me. There was something I recognized in them- a sorrow or a longing that was both gripping and haunting. I saw myself in those eyes.

First Touch is told in an almost chilling way. The writing is absolutely phenomenal. The words meant to catch the reader in their sensual allure. It’s mysterious and erotic and leaves you with more questions than answers but man oh man is it fantastic.

It was a kiss that took- took my desire, took my passion, took my will. It was selfish and singularly choreographed for Reeve and Reeve alone.

The sexual aspect of the romance may take many out of their comfort zones, so if you’re not a reader that’s comfortable with that, this book may not be for you. It has a touch of BDSM and yet…not quite. There’s no clear lines, and that may not work for some. Emily is a multi-faceted character and her desires are not quite…standard. But that’s what truly works because you can see exactly what draws these characters together.

Reeve is an enigma for the entirety of the book. I was desperate for the slightest detail and was left hanging with hints and shadows. It only served to whet my appetite more.

This was our first surrender. First embrace. First kiss. First touch.

Then Laurelin hits you with the mother of all cliffhangers but I swear it just made the book all that much better. Does that even make sense? Ugh. I don’t even care because it does to me. The wait for the second book just may kill me, but I don’t regret it for even a second. This book was nothing that I expected and yet everything that I love. If you’re looking for something spellbinding and different, this is a must read. First touch is part one in a duet.


PRE-ORDER LAST KISS

51dddTQYGaL._SX332_BO1,204,203,200_Release Date: June 14, 2016

Review Tour & Giveaway: ★Misconduct★ @PenDouglas @BerkleyRomance

Misconduct_Blog Tour BannerMisconduct
Author: Penelope Douglas
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 1, 2015 add-to-goodreads-button-2

Misconduct_Cover Image

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Fall Away series who never fails to deliver a “powerfully written contemporary love story…”*

Former tennis player Easton Bradbury is trying to be the best teacher she can be, trying to reach her bored students, trying to forget her past. What brought her to this stage in her life isn’t important. She can’t let it be. But now one parent-teacher meeting may be her undoing…

Meeting Tyler Marek for the first time makes it easy for Easton to see why his son is having trouble in school. The man knows how to manage businesses and wealth, not a living, breathing teenage boy. Or a young teacher, for that matter, though he tries to. And yet…there is something about him that draws Easton in—a hint of vulnerability, a flash of attraction, a spark that might burn.

Wanting him is taboo. Needing him is undeniable. And his long-awaited touch will weaken Easton’s resolve—and  reveal what should stay hidden…

Buy LinksAmazon / Amazon UK / B&N / Kobo / iTunes / BAMExcerpt

“Why you?” he questioned. “Why have I been thinking of you ever since that Mardi Gras ball?”He pressed his body to mine, and I shook my head slowly.

“Mr. Marek,” I pleaded, but it was useless. My eyes fell to his mouth, and then I glanced to my closed door, knowing that even though the students were gone for the day, there might still be staff around. “Please.”

“There was something that drew us together that night,” he maintained. “Something that got under my skin, something that’s still there.”

His mouth was an inch from mine, and I breathed hard, needing to push him away, but at the same time, that was the last thing I wanted.

“Easton,” he whispered, and reached down behind my thigh, lifting it to press himself closer against me.

I groaned, feeling the ridge of his cock nestle between my legs.

“We can’t do this,” I told him.

My clothes felt like sandpaper on my skin, and I wanted them off. I wanted his shirt open and to know what he felt like under my fingertips.

“I know,” he answered.

But while his left hand held my knee up, his right hand slid between my legs and rubbed my clit through my panties.

I sucked in a sharp breath and clutched his shoulders, letting my eyes fall closed as my head floated away from me.

“Mr. Marek,” I begged.

But his breath fell against my mouth, and he whispered, “I told you there would be no stopping me when we finally ran into each other again.”

And before I could open my eyes, he’d captured my bottom lip between his teeth and then kissed me, sending me reeling until I didn’t know which way was up.

I couldn’t fight it. His tongue dove into my mouth as he pressed me against the whiteboard and kissed me hard. I circled my arms around his neck, knowing I was getting myself into a shit ton of trouble, but I didn’t care at the moment.

My body needed him. That’s all it was.

I wouldn’t get involved emotionally—I never did.

He grabbed me underneath both thighs and swung me around, planting my ass on the desk.

I groaned, his mouth working strong and fast over mine, stealing my breath as pleasure swarmed in my chest. It spiraled downward like a cyclone low in my belly.

I tightened my legs around his waist as his fingers slid under my dress, raking down my thighs.

I grabbed the back of his neck, cocking my head and returning every inch of his kiss. He tasted like coffee with vanilla, and I felt a hint of stubble on his face under my fingertips.

Dropping my hands down his body, I started unbuttoning his black vest. It was too thick, and I couldn’t feel him.

I pulled my mouth back, then dove back in to flick his tongue with mine.

“Jesus Christ,” he groaned, eating me up with quick kisses and nibbles. “Why does it have to be you, huh?”

I fumbled with the last button and finally tore open the vest, running my hands up his stomach and chest, covered only by his fine white dress shirt.

But even through the shirt, I felt the dips of his abs and pecs and of his toned waist and back.

Something screeched to my right, and I twisted my head to see the flailing branches of the tree outside scraping against the windowpane. The leaves blew, and I knew the storm would be here soon.

But I turned back to him, both of us breathing heavily, and I loved the storm in Tyler Marek’s eyes even more.

He slid his hands inside my panties and leaned his forehead into mine. I whimpered and grasped the back of his neck with both hands, my pussy throbbing at the thick ridge of his cock pressing against my leg.

He leaned down, his teeth nipping at my jaw as my eyes fluttered closed.

“Tyler.” I let my head fall back, craning my neck for his lips. “Mr. Marek, please stop,” I begged.

His hot breath fell across my ear, and I shivered.

“I thought about you all weekend,” he whispered. “How do you make me do that?”

I snatched up his lips again. I liked what he was telling me too much.

He grabbed the hair at the back of my head and pulled, exposing my neck again as he dived down and whispered against my skin, “When you walked in, dressed in that short little skirt, my fucking hands wanted these thighs”—he raked his fingers down my legs again—“almost as much as my mouth did,” he admitted.

I squeezed my eyes shut, the need becoming agony. “Mr. Marek,” I quaked. “Oh, God.”

I didn’t want to stop him, but . . .

I bit my bottom lip, feeling his fingers slide up and down my pussy, dipping and bringing out the wetness, spreading it over my clit.

And then whimpered, feeling two long fingers plunge inside of me.

“Shit,” I moaned, squirming against his fingers. “Please stop,” I pleaded. “Tyler, please.”

But he just added another finger, staring down and watching the pleasure of what he was doing spread across my face.

“Say it again,” he ordered.

I blinked, opening my eyes, even though his thumb rubbing circles on my clit was driving me wild.

“Tyler,” I said gently. “Please stop.”

His mouth curled into a smile, and he stole a kiss, nipping at my bottom lip. “You don’t want me to, do you?” he breathed out.

He increased his speed, flicking my clit faster and harder and curling the fingers inside of me, making me suck in air quicker and quicker and making me so needy I damn near gave in and begged to ride his cock.

“Tyler, oh, my God,” I cried, squeezing my eyes shut again and feeling my insides swirl and tighten.

“On second thought, call me Mr. Marek,” he insisted, and I popped my eyes open, seeing the devil in his grin.

I bit my lips between my teeth, groaning as I leaned back on my hands and slid my ass back and forth, fucking his fingers.

“Yes, Mr. Marek,” I breathed out, dropping my head back as the whole fucking world started to spin.

One of my heels dropped to the floor, but I couldn’t care less.

He continued staring down at me, looking like he was completely captivated with my face.

“You going to be nice from now on?” he challenged in a hard voice, rubbing harder.

“Yes, Mr. Marek,” I rushed out.

“You going to keep your temper in check?” His long fingers filled me up again and again.

I nodded frantically, feeling the orgasm coming. “Yes, Mr. Marek.”

“And I’m not done with you yet,” he warned. “Just so you know.”

I breathed in and out quickly, my body tensing and shaking. “Yes,” I cried out.

And then the orgasm exploded, spreading down my thighs and through my belly. I dropped my head all the way back, plastering my hand to my mouth to stifle the cry as I squeezed my eyes shut and let him rub my clit, bringing the orgasm to an end.

My legs, suddenly as shaky as Jell-O, released their grip on his waist and dangled off the side of the desk.

He kissed me, holding my lips for a few moments, and for a just a few moments I felt like I did on Sunday mornings. When I woke up and realized I could stay in bed.

Content.

Review5 starsMisconduct-DGR

Dark spaces, quiet places,” he whispered over my mouth. “That’s all we need, Easton.”

You know what I love about Penelope Douglas’s writing? Well, aside from the obvious everything. It’s her consistency. She never fails to deliver an absolutely enrapturing read with a strong heroine and an absolutely to die for hero. Her writing is magnetic, her romances are scorching, and her characters unforgettable. Misconduct is proof that not only can she write amazing New Adult Like Bully, or scorching hot dark erotica like Corrupt, but she’ll bring her A game to contemporary romance. And bring her a game she did, because I loved absolutely everything about this book.

I knew that look in his eyes. I may not know much about him, but I knew that look. And we were in my classroom. His son’s classroom. I may have had little shame, but he had none.

The one thing I’ve come to truly love about Penelope’s writing, is her ability to write a devastatingly intense hero. Because let me just tell you, the first time Tyler Marek makes an appearance on a page, not an ovary within a 100 mile radius will be safe. He captures your attention immediately, and he keeps it completely. The man is absolute sex on a stick. Misconduct teaser 2-DGREaston Bradbury made a name for herself in professional tennis, only to leave everything behind to start fresh in New Orleans. Landing the coveted teaching position at one of the prestigious private schools is her first step. Letting go of the dark memories that caused her to run in the first place is an indefinite second, and she’s in no hurry. While only 23 years old, this is no immature and naive female. Hell no. Like most heroines Penelope writes, Easton isn’t without spark or backbone. This is a woman that isn’t ashamed to speak her mind. She’s educated, she’s ballsy, and yet behind the tough exterior is someone that is very much broken. But she won’t let that slow her down. With her charismatic teaching style, she captures her students’ attention immediately, only to come to a head with a parent that doesn’t quite enjoy her unorthodox methods… Tyler Marek is twelve years her senior, the father of her student, and seems to enjoy demeaning and laughing at her at every turn. But beneath their snarks and heated insults runs an undercurrent of lust so strong, it basically ignites the pages. Holy wow but do these two have chemistry from the very beginning and it only burns hotter and hotter! Misconduct teaser-DGRNow if you follow my reviews you already know just how much I love a good hate-to-love trope, and Misconduct delivered that in spades. It was absolutely delicious. You really get that burn here, until you think you’ll actually combust if these two don’t get together. I’m talking about the mother of sexual tension here, people! I’m not even kidding. I didn’t know whether to ice my ovaries or keep a fire extinguisher on hand for chance that my kindle may catch fire. Good god! As much as I loved Tyler, I loved Easton just as much. I love a strong heroine that can give as good as she gets, and boy does Easton give it good. This is a woman that doesn’t take anything lying down…well…ok…actually there’s one particular thing that she does take lying down, but that’s neither here nor there. My point here is that both Easton and Tyler were incredibly dynamic characters. And together? Holy smokes! It just didn’t get better than that. Penelope Douglas is the queen of hate lust and sexual tension. The woman truly knows how to make her readers squirm and I love her for it. Misconduct was deliciously taboo and utterly unputdownable. The whole ‘will they get caught’ thing just added to the mix to make an already captivating romance that much better. t. Everything about it worked for me. If you haven’t read a book by this author yet, I can’t recommend a better one to start with than Misconduct. Trust me on this. If you’re a fan of enigmatic heroines, sharp-witted and strong heroines, and a hate lust so scorching hot it may set your kindle on fire, this is one book you need to read. Period. About the Author Penelope Douglas is the author of the New York Times bestselling Fall Away series. She has her Masters of Science in Education from Loyola University in New Orleans and she currently lives in Las Vegas with her family.

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Review: ★Sweet Ruin★ by Kresley Cole

Review-SRSweet Ruin
Series: Immortals After Dark #16
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Kresley Cole
Release Date: December 1, 2015add-to-goodreads-button-2

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A foundling raised in a world of humans

Growing up, orphaned Josephine didn’t know who or what she was—just that she was “bad,” an outcast with strange powers. Her baby brother Thaddeus was as perfect as she was flawed; protecting him became her entire life. The day he was taken away began Jo’s transition from angry girl…to would-be superhero…to enchanting, ruthless villain.

A lethally sensual enforcer on a mission

A threat to the Møriør has brought archer Rune the Baneblood to the mortal realm to slay the oldest living Valkyrie. Whether by bow or in bed, he never fails to eliminate his target. Yet before he can strike, he encounters a vampiric creature whose beauty conceals a black heart. With one bite, she pierces him with aching pleasure, taking his forbidden blood—and jeopardizing the secrets of his brethren.

A boundless passion that will lead to sweet ruin…

Could this exquisite female be a spy sent by the very Valkyrie he hunts? Rune knows he must not trust Josephine, yet he’s unable to turn her away. Despite his millennia of sexual conquests, he can’t ignore the unfamiliar longing she arouses deep within him. When Jo betrays the identity of the one man she will die to protect, she and Rune become locked in a treacherous battle of wills that pits ultimate loyalty against unbridled lust.

Buy LinksAmazon / iBooks / B&N

Review5 starsSweet Ruin-DGR

She was a killer with blood on her hands, but she wanted to give her heart away.

You know what I love about this series? The fact that sixteen books into it, each book continues to be just as good if not even better than the last. Kresley Cole continuously delivers with badass, sassy and snarky heroines, and tortured and oh so sexy heroes. That’s not to mention the addicting story line that’s guaranteed to keep you reading well into the night. Truth be told I was hoping to see a certain lykae twin finally be getting his book and I was a little thrown when I saw the character names in the synopsis and had not the slightest idea who they were. As a die hard IAD fan, even my puny brain memory manages to hold on to every detail of this series. I was a little afraid that the book may be filler, in order to really stretch out the fans’ want of the previously introduced characters. I should have never doubted the genius that is this author, however. And once you read the book, you’ll see exactly why. Kresley stays true to her characters’ world and everything that’s going on around them, and the story of Josephine and Rune is yet another puzzle piece that builds up to a larger picture. But let’s move onto the actual book here, shall we?

You come by your trailing name honestly.”
Rune the Insatiable. He buffed his black claws. “Wringing orgasms and breaking hearts for eons.”

As an avid lover of the manwhores, I’ve read my fair share. And I can easily say that Rune the Baneblood is quite possibly the biggest manwhore I’ve read to date. Rune is a powerful warrior, half dark fey and half demon. His blood is as poisonous as his kiss, which is how he’s come to be the deadliest assassin for the Møriør. He’ll seduce the secrets out of his enemies, only to kill them in the blink of an eye soon after. He’s as skilled with his cock as he is with his bow and arrow. His past has ensured that his heart is as cold as the rest of him and not even a romp in the bed with a nymph so much as spikes his blood pressure…until a mysterious beauty turns his world on it’s axis…

Anything you think you might miss? I’d make up for it with size.”
She gave him a light squeeze, then withdrew her hand-
“Some cavemen carry big sticks. Doesn’t mean I want to get clubbed with it.”

At only 25 years old, Josephine knows how to look out for number one. There’s only one person she’ll ever put first, and that’s her beloved younger brother that she was forced to give up in order to give him a better future. If the name Thaddeus rings a bell, it should. Thaddeus is the young boy with he mysterious unknown powers we met earlier in the series. Josephine is an orphan of unknown decent and powers that she doesn’t understand. Growing up in the mortal world but with no interaction with the “other” beings that occupy it, she has no idea who she is or where she came from. All she knows is that she kicks ass. She also yearns for love. For another person to share her life with. To say that her first meeting with Rune is interesting would be an understatement, but even a naive girl like her knows a manwhore when she sees one. So why does his scent make her mouth water?

His grin, he well knew, was as crooked as his morals, and held a hint of snide; females creamed when they saw it.

Kresley Cole has a signature formula that she doesn’t waver from and I can’t get enough of. Her heroines are sassy and snarky as hell. I absolutely love it! Josephine may be young, but what she lacks for in years she more than makes up for in sass. And she definitely gives Rune the Insatiable a run for his money. Rune is as tortured as they come, and as more of his history comes to light, you begin to understand more and more about why he is the way he is. The chemistry between them is absolutely undeniable. If possible, I swear this series just gets hotter with each new book. And Sweet Ruin was practically scorching!
Sweet Ruin teaser-DGRI devoured this book and couldn’t put it down for even a second. It was action packed, sexy, and everything I’ve come to love about this series. I loved Rune even if I wanted to beat him over the head with a blunt object for his utter stupidity at times. I also loved that we got that additional puzzle piece behind the mystery of Thaddeus and what it could mean for the Accession. There was a number of secondary characters introduced that I’m already salivating for a story for. Especially Orion. This series continues to be an addiction for me and I never want it to end. Can’t wait to see what’s in store next.

Read the series in order

IAD #1

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IAD #2

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DGR’S Ultimate List of Rockstars

DGR-Rockstar Banner

A little over two months ago, I did my first feature with my Ultimate List of Dirty Talkers and I was beyond thrilled to see how much you guys loved it! Since then, I’ve made this into a monthly feature that you’ll find me post on the 3rd Saturday of every month. Each month I’ll be bringing you a new Ultimate List in your most voted categories; bikers, anti-heroes, cops, cowboys, etc. You name it, I’ll do it.

But this month it’s all about ROCKSTARS!

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Now you’ll find I don’t discriminate on my list; I’ll have country stars, male rockstars, and some female ones as well. You know I like to keep things well-rounded 😉 So without further ado, let’s get into it! As always my list will contain all the books I’ve read and enjoyed, and at the bottom I’ll include the ones that were recommended to me but I haven’t had a chance to read just yet. And of course, I’d love to hear from you all in comments if there’s a favorite of yours that didn’t make my list. You know I love me my book recs!

The one that started it all...

“He said I was his heart, and you don’t leave your heart behind. You can’t live without your heart.”

Truth be told I have a total love hate relationship with this book. This was the very first Rockstar that I read and it really doesn’t get much better than Kellan freaking Kyle. Unfortunately, I also spent a large chunk (read: all) of this book fantasizing about the heroine being killed off. I couldn’t help myself. I hated that woman with the fire of the worst type of venereal disease. True Story. And yet like a car wreck that you can’t look away from, I couldn’t stop reading. It was just one of those books. It was also the book that effectively turned me off love triangles for years to come…but we won’t talk about that now LOL.

I still haven’t brought myself to read the rest of the series, but I’m working on it. Especially since all my friends absolutely LOVED Griffin’s book, Untamed.

Books 1-3 are all Kellan and Keira. Thoughtful was basically Thoughtless but in Kellan’s POV. Untamed is Griffin’s book.

Thoughtless #1

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The one with Jake Wethers...

“Jake once said on stage that Jonny was the mighty in their storm, and now I see that Jake is my mighty storm. He’s broken and complex, and no one knows him like I do, or ever will. He needs me. He’s my storm to calm. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life doing just that.”

You’re probably thinking right now, another book where the heroine has a boyfriend when she meets the hero? And you liked it?! And the answer is yes indeed, dirty birds. I liked it very much. First, it’s this

It’s been twelve years since Tru Bennett last saw Jake Wethers, her former best friend and boy she once loved.

I love the mere set up of this particular trope. Jake Wethers, if you’re not acquainted, is the tattooed bad boy lead singer of The Mighty Storm and the man to get ovaries tingling the world over. This was yet another one of my earliest rockstar reads and I loved it! Would I rate it the same if I read it today, I’m not sure. But hundreds of books later and I still remember everything about this one, so that truly goes to show you something, right?

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Books 1 and 2 are Jake and Tru’s story. Though if you’d like to read The Mighty Storm, you easily can since it gives a very satisfying HEA. Book 3 in this series are new characters; Tom Carter and Lyla Summers. Tom is the manwhore bassist for The Mighty Storm, and Lyla  is the lead singer of the band Vintage which just signed with TMS records.

The one with the kinky rockstars...

He put his fingertips against her forehead.
“You must be at least this tall to ride The Beast…
Secure your belongings and keepy your arms and legs around the ride at all times.”

Holy mother of melting ovaries, this series! I don’t think any ovaries can survive these kinky rockers. There’s something for everyone; MMF, voyeurism, public sex, BDSM, and did I mention MMF threesomes? It’s fair to mention that one twice. I read these hot little numbers as they were being released, and for some strange reason they were released out of order. I still don’t know why, so don’t ask me. But the entire series is now released so you can read it in the order it’s meant to be read it. I loved each book in this series, though I’d say Sed Lionheart’s story in Rock Hard (I do love me a good second chance romance) and Trey Mills’s story in Double Time (Holy MMF threesome, batman) were my top favorites!

Sinners on Tour #1

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Each book in this series is a standalone with a different couple and their HEA. All except for Sinners at the Altar, which are  four complete wedding stories, each about a different member of the rock band Sinners and need to be read after all the other books.

The Sinners On Tour spinoff...

“What are you going to do to me?”
“Lamb, the question you should be asking is what aren’t you going to do to me?”

Exodus End is the rock band that we were first introduced to in Sinners On Tour and it’s also about that time that Olivia Cunning teased us with Dare. But sadly it looks like Dare’s book will probably be last in the series so we start things off with the bassist, Logan Schmidt. At almost 500 pages, this book is long, but I never wanted it to end. It’s laugh out loud funny and set your ovaries on fire hot.

No one writes a sexy Rockstar romance quite like Olivia Cunning.

Oh and in case you’re wondering, you can easily read this book without having read SoT first. I’d say the sexual escapades in this one are a touch tamer than in that series, but it’s just as hot!

The novella series...

“My goal is to make you scream my name. Give me what I want, but make me work for it.”

Now I call this a spinoff but it really isn’t. This is yet another rockstar series from the awesome Olivia Cunning, but these are novellas of around 100 pages as opposed to the full length novels that the previous two series are.

Per Olivia Cunning’s own words about this series:

The Sole Regret series is an ongoing serial series. Each novella spans the course of one night and is about a different band member. All the band member’s stories weave together, so characters reappear in all of the stories. If you have a favorite band member or a favorite couple they will be revisited several times in the rotation of the books. I do hope you love them all!
The order of band member rotation is Gabe, Adam, Jacob, Owen, and Kellen. 

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The one with Leo Nash...

“What are you doing later?”
“I won’t be doing you.”
“Uh, I wasn’t offering, honey.” I turn around to see Leo smiling smugly. “I was wondering if you’d like me to take you to have that stick pulled out of your ass.”

Admittedly,  The With Me In Seattle has been an on and off for me. Some of the books in it were entirely too sweet for my particular tastes, and some of the books really worked for me. Kristen Proby tends to write sweet, but steamy, contemporary romance and that sometimes works for me and sometimes doesn’t.

In the case of Rock With Me it totally worked for me. I mean, how can you possibly not love Leo Nash. The man was absolutely drool worthy. From his tats to that filthy mouth of his, I loved everything about this. I won’t list the other books in this series as none of the others were rockstars. But if you’re looking for some steamy and sweet contemporary, give it a whirl. It just may work for you.

The one by Kristen Ashley...

“I had to soften him up because, for whatever reason, all the Rock Chicks had an alternate Hot Bunch guy, Indy’s was Eddie. Roxie’s was Vance. Jules was Luke. Ava’s was Lee. Mine was Mace.”

It’s no secret that I’m a HUGE fan of all things Kristen Ashley. And when I say huge fan, I mean borderline stalkerish. I adore everything the woman writes. Something about her alphas just does it for me. I don’t even care that they all speak in one word sentences that mostly consist of “Babe”. Nope. I will never have enough of them.

Now don’t let the Rock Chick title fool you, this series is not about Rock Stars. It’s about women that call themselves “Rock Chicks” but not in that band-y version, you hear? Rock Chick Reckoning was the one exception to this rule, because Stella is the lead singer and lead guitarist of The Blue Moon Gypsie. She was also madly in love with Mace…until he dumps her unexpectedly and breaks her heart. Now that her life is in danger, Mace needs to protect her and of course that ultimate leads him to know that he wants her back, only Stella is having none of that.

This book was everything I love about KA and one of my top favorites in this series (after Luke and Ava in Rock Chick Revenge, and Sadie and Hector “Oh My God” Chavez in Rock Chick Regret)

The one with the second chance romance...

“I thought for sure we’d spend forever together. I thought our love was one of a kind. I would almost be okay if he had met someone else and fallen in love, but he didn’t. He just left. He said he was suffocating.”

Forever My Girl is book 1 in Heidi’s New Adult Romance, Beaumont Series. I haven’t had a chance to catch up with the rest of the books and have only read Forever My Girl but boy did I love this book. I’m a sucker for a good second chance romance and this one surely delivered. It was angsty, swoony, a touch of sexy, and I loved every page of it!

While each book in the series focuses on a different 4225 West band member, I highly recommend reading them in order. The final book in this series, My Kind of Forever, is the continuation of Liam and and Jojo’s story from book 1.

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The one with the angst...

“I love you because I can be honest with you. I trust you. I love you because you’ve made me see I’m more than I thought.” 

If you’ve read any book by Barbara Elsborg, then you already know she has this fabulous style of writing that combines some delicious angst with quirky humor and sizzling hot romance. Strangers is a standalone romance about two lost souls that meat each other during their absolute rock bottom. What happens when an attempted suicide brings two strangers crashing into each other and gives them a reason to live?

Why is this on my rockstars, you ask? Well because the hero just happens to be a very famous British pop-star and now movie star.

The one with the PNR twist...

“His lips touched mine again, breathing me in like I was his air, then he tore his mouth from mine; panting. “Please Grace, whatever it is you’re going after, please try to find it here in me. I will try my best to be the man that you need me to be.”

A soulmates story unlike any you’ve ever read. Even if you’re not into PNR, you need to check this out. While a PNR element does exist here in the form of angels and such, but it’s very minimal and sure to please even those that don’t particularly like the genre.

Grace has been looking for her soulmate for years. Now home after the death of her brother, she finds home is very different. Her best friend has a new boyfriend, and that boyfriend has a friend; Shane Maxton: bad boy, tattooed rock god, eye candy extraordinaire. And he’s also New York’s city most arrogant asshole. So why is she drawn to him.

This is a series of three books that absolutely must be read in order.

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The one that caught me by surprise...

“Love doesn’t always make sense. To the person in it or to the people around them. The falling can be an emotional, chaotic whirlwind. The landing jarring and eye opening. But if two people are really in love, there’s nothing in this world that can overcome it. Even if they can’t be together, love doesn’t cease.”

You know when you start a book by a new to you author and you have no idea what to expect, and it manages to completely blow you away? That’s been the entire Luminescent Juliet series for me.

Don’t let the covers fool you, some may look a little unappealing but the books are absolutely amazing! I’ve been a huge fan of this New Adult romance since book 1. Each book is a different member of the Luminescent Juliet band and their HEA, and while you can easily read them as standalones, I highly recommend you read them in order simply because you’ll get to know each member before their own book. It has just enough steam to appease this pervy reader, wonderful writing, a touch of angst, and a rock band! What else can you ask for?

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The one with the boys of Oblivion...

“We’re going to burn out,” she said against his mouth an couldn’t stop herself from tasting him again. “Nothing good will come of this.”
“Harper, nothing but good is going to come from this.”

I read this series by pure chance a couple years ago and I have been a rather rabid fan since. It’s everything I love in a romance. So much so that I swear it feels like it was custom written just for me. It’s angsty, with just that touch of gritty that I so love, super sexy, and freaking addicting!

Rocked, book 1 in the series is a complete HEA for the couple with a later follow-up novella in Rock, Rattle & Roll. But be warned, each book after is a full length novel that will end with a cliffy and a novella soon after that completes the couple’s HEA. Each book follows a different member of the boys of Oblivion and I do not recommend reading these books out of order. They are much more enjoyable read in order.

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The one with the swoons...

“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.”

Now I am not typically a reader that goes for sweet, but something about this amazingly written contemporary romance just worked for me. It’s swoony, it’s sweet, it’s a little emotional, and it’s incredibly realistic.  Adrian “Digger” Graves is a down on his luck rocker who got his claim to fame in the 80s. Now he finds solace at the bottom of a bottle and still searches for his long lost muse.

Enter Katrina Lewis, a single mother and widower, that’s just trying to raise her little girl while still dealing with the tragic death of her beloved husband. The unlikeliest of couples made for the most unforgettable of romances. I simply adored this book. The novella, Deeper Than Dreams concludes the story of Kat and Adrian with the perfect bonus epilogue and not to be missed. Softer Than Steele, is a different couple. That book features Adrian’s former bandmate, Rick Rottenberg.

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The one with the BDSM...

He would show the lovely Ms. Easton exactly why she wouldn’t be able to walk away from him after one night.
Because that was definitely not an option.
One taste was supposed to satisfy the craving. But Oakley was wasn’t cake, she was heroin. And he was fucking hooked.

I’ve been a huge fan of Roni Loren’s Loving on the Edge series since first discovering it years ago. It’s a super sexy BDSM centered romance. But it’s not overwhelmingly so either. Meaning that while the characters do belong to a BDSM club called The Ranch, it’s not too heavy on the BDSM elements. But they certainly are there and Roni’s Doms are nothing short of swoon worthy.

This is book 8 in the series, but you can easily enjoy this as a standalone. I would recommend you read Not Until You (Loving on the Edge #4), because that’s the book where Pike was first introduced.

What happens when the bad boy drummer of a rock band sets his sights on a woman that wants nothing to do with the music industry? A whole lot of sparks and fireworks!

The one with the Stage Dive boys...

Love isn’t always smooth or straightforward. It can be messy and painful. Doesn’t mean it isn’t still the most incredible thing that can ever happen to you.

Does this series even need an introduction or a reason for being on my list? If you haven’t heard of it, I’m pretty sure you’ve been living under a rock. But trust me when I tell you it’s an absolute must read. I’ve loved every book in the series, but of course the bad boy lead singer Jimmy in Lead was my very favorite.

This series is completed. Each book is a complete standalone about each member of the band and their HEA. I highly recommend reading in order, you’d enjoy it that much more 😉

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The one that was dark and gritty...

Love is like a series of improbable, lonely notes landing together in meaningful chaos. Where every channel carries a rhythm that conveys an expression of emotion. It doesn’t feel flat or fake or hollow. It’s not exaggerated with overtones. The complexity might feel organized, but the creation is never controlled.

Beneath the Burn is the book that I first discovered the amazing talent that is Pam Godwin. Categorized as a standalone romantic thriller, it’s certainly a book that has quite an edge. It’s a little dark and a whole lot gritty, but tying it all together is this incredible romance I’ll not soon forget.

Jay Mayard is a rock god and tortured soul. His demons and mysterious past is what kept me glued to the pages. If you haven’t read this sexy and gritty book, you need to check it out!

The one that was a Brazen...

She’d built her whole world around him once, when he was the only person she could feel anything for. The only person she could trust. When he had left, it had shattered her.

It’s no secret that I’m a Brazen junky. I love these steamy little numbers and when all else fails, they always hit the spot. But like any category romance, sometimes they can all blend into one another. Not the case with Drive Me Crazy. This was a super entertain hate-to-lust trope about a classic pianist and the bad boy keyboardist for Shaken Dirty, the hottest rock band on the scene. And yes, it is as good as it sounds 😉

While it is book two in the Shaken Dirty series, you can easily read this as a standalone.

The one with the boys of Lush...

I know almost instantly- this is it- I’m done. This woman will either be my salvation or the death of me. There is no question. I’ve lost control now that I’ve touched her. There’s no going back, and she’s the most spectacular thing I’ve ever experienced.

Holy angst, batman! This caught me completely off guard. I did not expect this to be as good as it was. To say that the guys of Lush are very much f-ed up would be a mild understatement. Each of these men have their own issues, but none quite as bad as Joss Jamison, the lead singer of the hottest rock bad, Lush. He’s made his share of mistakes through the years, but nothing as bad as the one that cost him everything; his band, his best friend, and his sanity. Drowning in a sea of regret, the last thing he expects is to meet the woman that will change everything for him.

Each book in this fantastic series focuses on a different band member of Lush and while you may enjoy them as standalones, I recommend reading in order. There is a story arc that builds from the first book and continues through the last, and you’d appreciate the books that much more.

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The one that made me cringe and LOL at the same time...

“In this nasty-ass strip club bathroom full of pissing dudes and possible rogue ejaculators, Shades is no longer some guy I love fucking. He’s some guy I fucking love.”

This fucking book was fucked the fuck up. Fucked. Up. I tells ya! I think I cringed, laughed, and threw up in my mouth a little…all at the same time as reading this. Romance? I don’t fucking think so. Well I guess it fucking is, since there is a couple and their HEA. But really, this is a satyrical romp about one very fucked up rockstar heroine with an overactive sex drive and the hero that plows through her meat curtains. Oh and if terms like cum spritzer, meat curtains, his pink soldier, and her pudding trench bother you, this book is sure as fuck not for you.

The one with the country star...

With a synopsis like this, how could it not intrigue?

After Kylie’s dad dies in a freak accident, he leaves her with nothing other than her crazy step-mother, Darla, and the ability to play guitar. When Darla kicks Kylie out and she loses her job all in the same day, she hops a bus to Nashville determined to make her late father’s dreams come true. Waitressing and saving her pennies to record a demo, her big break comes when she’s asked to join a tour going down the tubes with once platinum album-selling country music superstar Trace Corbin. But touring with Trace is hardly a dream come true since he’s pretty much drinking his career down the drain. If Kylie can’t pull Trace out of his rut, he’ll pull her and her dreams down with him. 

This New Adult romance completely enraptured me. I loved everything about it. It doesn’t have this overwhelming angst that most NA books these days. The characters are endearing and the romance is swoony. This is a series that follows the same two characters, so it’s not meant to be read out of order.

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The one that was a trilogy...

Whisky beats and a hard rain save me tonight.
If you only knew what it cost me to fight.
The taste of your memory reminds me.
That you’re anything but mine.

You may know Taryn Elliot as half of the writing duo for the Lost In Oblivion series I mentioned above. When she’s not giving us deliciously angsty rockstars with her writing partner in crime, Cari Quinn, she also writes books on her own. Her When You’re Gone trilogy was one of those books.

If you’re looking for angst, sexy as sin rockstars, and some twists and turns that will leave you reeling, this is a trilogy you need to check out! Since this is a continuing story for the same two characters, it is not meant to be read out of order.

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The one the love triangle I actually liked..

I’m losing my mind. I’m sinking, drowning, and on fire all at once. I’m split down the middle, torn in half by two different men, two different bodies pushing and pulling me in all directions, breaking me down and then lifting me up again, shoving me into the fire and soothing my scorching flesh with their kisses that act as a balm.

Yes, you actually read that right. Me, the self professed love triangle avoider actually liked this one. I couldn’t believe it either. Maybe because this was written by the evil mastermind that is Carmen Jenner? Maybe because I didn’t have homicidal tendencies toward the heroine? But probably it had to do with the sexy as hell rockstars, the clever writing, the scorching sex scenes….and did I mention the scorching sex scenes?

The one that started an addiction...

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“I’m scared.”
Logan stared at me with eyes that were cold, dark, and without a spark of…anything.
“You should be.”

This was so much more than a rockstar. Truth be told, while the men of this series are part of a famous rock band, Tear Asunder, that’s not the predominant part of the story. Oh no. It’s so SO much more. It’s gritty, and twisted, and dark, and deliciously sexy. It’s exactly the kind of dark romance I like and I gobbled this up like addict that I was. This was the book and series that made me discover the pure awesome that is Nashoda Rose and I haven’t looked back since. The woman is the queen of grit, and she writes some unforgettable alphas. If you haven’t met the boys of Tear Asunder yet, I highly recommend you get acquainted.

Each book is a different character with their HEA, but best read in order as each character is introduced in the previous books

Tear Asunder #1

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Tear Asunder #2

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Tear Asunder #3

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The one with the bad boys of Generation Rejects...

“I wanted to tell you that I couldn’t stop thinking about your face. That you had burrowed your way so deep into my veins that I would fucking bleed you. That if I died tomorrow, I could go a happy man for having felt your lips on my skin.”

Swoon. Just that line and I want to read this book all over again. I loved this sexy new adult romance. I accidentally stumbled onto Bad Rep back when it just released and devoured it in one sitting. I love me some angst and if you’re a fan of the NA angst, this certainly had the delicious kind.

Bad Rep #1

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Bad Rep #2

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Bad Rep #3

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Bad Rep #4

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The one that was the BDSM-y novella...

It felt good to give in, to surrender. He rewarded her with more pleasure. Sex with him felt like embracing a thunderstorm, riding a wild bronc.

This is a novella that was a part of Shayla Black’s Wicked Lovers series, which is a super sexy BDSM romance series. This novella is part of the 1001 Dark Nights series and features a character that was first introduced in Decadent (Wicked Lovers #2), but you don’t have to have read any of the previous books to enjoy this one. It’s easily read as a standalone. It’s a sexy little quickie you can spend a great evening with!

Did I mention that the hero is an international pop star with a penchant for some kink? Oh. Yes.

The one with the boys of Reckless Beat...

“He squeezed her neck and rested his forehead against hers, “What is it with you, Allie? Why can’t I take my mind off you? I can’t take a single breath without wishing I was touching you” 

I discovered this series when I grabbed this book as a freebie a few years back. I did not expect it to be as good as it was. So of course I then had to go and buy the rest of the series and binge on them.

Reckless Beat #1

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Reckless Beat #2

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Reckless Beat #2.5

Close-up image of a cocktail drink with splash isolated in a white background

Reckless Beat #3

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Reckless Beat #4

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Reckless Beat #4.5

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The ones I've been recommended but haven't read yet...

Listed by the first in each series, except for Ripped by Katy Evans  (This was a part of her Real series, and the only rock star in the series)

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young couple hugging
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That’s it for my list, dirty birds. See any favorites make it? Tell me about it! Have some favorites that I may have missed? Tell me about it! I love to hear from you all, so don’t be shy and drop me a comment below 😉

Review: ★Hard Beat★ by K. Bromberg

Review- Hard BeatHard Beat
Series: Driven #7
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: K. Bromberg
Release Date: November 3, 2015add-to-goodreads-button-2

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From the New York Times bestselling author of Sweet Ache comes a blistering new novel filled with danger, secrecy, and a desire that can’t be sated…

Foreign war correspondent Tanner Thomas is addicted to living on the edge. Needing the adrenaline rush of his job to help him cope with a personal loss, he throws himself back into the game, concentrating all his energy on getting the next big story.

But when he meets his new photojournalist, Beaux Croslyn, he can’t help but feel like he’s losing his focus—and maybe risking more…

With secrets she won’t address, Beaux is far from your ordinary woman. Determined to keep her distance, she’s willing to pull Tanner in closer and hide behind the sparks flying between them. But as Beaux’s past begins to put their relationship—and their lives—at risk, Tanner’s determination to find the truth puts them both in jeopardy.

He’s ready to chase her to the ends of the earth to find out if what they had was real, or if the danger surrounding them was just an exquisite heat fated to burn out…

Buy LinksAmazon / B&N / iBooks

Review5 starsHard Beat-DGR

 

She’s my little piece of Heaven in the land full of Hell.

It’s been quite a while since I read an all male POV that was this engrossing. Hard Beat was simply unputdownable from beginning to end. It was everything I love, and I really do mean everything. It managed to tick all my boxes.
A reedemable asshole hero.

Guilt is a goddamn vise squeezing out of me every ounce of emotion I never wanted to feel.

You may remember Tanner as Rylee Thomas’s older brother. Well now it’s his turn for a HEA and it’s going to be one bumpy road. Tanner is a famous foreign war correspondent. Now back to doing what he does best after a tragic loss that absolutely gutted him, he’s interested in one thing and one thing only; his career. No woman, especially not some newbie photographer that’s still green behind her ears will deter him from that. So when a dark haired beauty approaches him at a bar, he rejects her. But her appeal is just too much for him to fight, so when her flirtation turns into sarcastic insults after his treatment, a few heated words turn into something much hotter

You’re arrogant and-”
“You don’t have to like me to fuck me,” I say, cutting her off. “You just have to want me.”
“Fuck you!”

I chuckle against her lips before pulling back and looking straight into her desire-laden eyes. “That’s the plan.”
…. until he figures out that she’s his new photographer.

I think that had this been written in dual POV the effect would have been lost. I absolutely LOVED being in Tanner’s head. You get to experience every single emotion right along with him. So even when he’s being a downright asshole, your heart still breaks for him because you know what’s behind every word.

She wants to be a bitch? Well, I can be a grade A asshole. She has no idea who she’s messing with. We already started this relationship with a bang, so why not keep it going that way, right?

Utterly delicious hate to love trope
The relationship development here was phenomenal. The rocky start, the hate lust, all of which leads to inevitable feelings. But man oh man was it done well. I couldn’t get enough of Tanner and Beaux. These two seriously burn up the pages together. So much so that the tension between them sizzle and crackles so much it practically vibrates your finger with every turn of the page. Ugh. It was perfection.
A sassy and sharp witted heroine that gives as good as she gets
Beaux Croslyn is a mystery for a large portion of the book, but in that lies her appeal. You’re figuring out the puzzle that is her right along side Tanner. But what you do know, is this is a woman that doesn’t give in easily. For every asshole remark Tanner has, she gives it right back. She’s no pushover and she sure has a smart mouth on her.

Like I said, fuck off.”
“It seems to me your mouth needs to be washed out with soap. Not real classy for a lady to keep repeating words like that.”
“Oh, I’m a whole lot of classy. I just reserve all my fucks for assholes like you who deserve them.”

I simply couldn’t envision a better match for Tanner.
An unputdownable story filled with twists and turns
While the romance is emotional, erotic and oh so satisfying, what truly made this a 5 star read for me was the plot that tied it all together. It was fantastic! Then that last 30% happened and I was completely blown away. The twists and turns I never saw coming kept me riveted to the pages. I couldn’t put it down until I finished.

There’s not a single part about this book that I didn’t love. Quick paced, filled with action and even a little suspense, erotic, and emotionally charged made this the absolute perfect read. A must read!

Read the series in order

Driven (Driven, #1)

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Fueled (Driven, #2)

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Crashed (Driven, #3)

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Raced (Driven, #4)

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Slow Burn (Driven, #5)

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Sweet Ache (Driven, #6)

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Hard Beat (Driven, #7)

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Coming 1/11/16

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Aced (Driven, #8)

Review: ★Seduction Game★ by @Pamela_Clare

Review- Seduction GameSeduction Game
Series: I-Team #7
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Pamela Clare
Release Date: October 20, 2015add-to-goodreads-button3

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The acclaimed author of Striking Distance returns with more danger, intrigue, and I-Team action…

CIA officer Nick Andris wants revenge. His last mission failed after a Georgian arms smuggler killed his lover. He’s been tailing a woman for three weeks hoping she will lead him to his target. But there’s a problem with the intel. Holly Elise Bradshaw is nothing more than an entertainment writer with a love for sex and designer clothes. Clearly someone at Langley made a mistake . . .

When Holly finds herself in trouble, the only weapons at her disposal are her brains and her body. But they won’t be enough to handle the man who’s following her. He’s going to turn her world upside-down.

Buy LinksAmazon / B&N / iBooks


Review5 starsSeduction Game- DGR

He forgot he didn’t really want to kiss her, because, oh, hell yes, he did. He forgot his mission, the entire reason he was here. He forgot everything but the feel and taste and scent of her…

You know when you spend months (or years) waiting for a book for a certain character that you build up in your head and you start to think that no way will the actual book live up to the expectations you built up? But then you read it and not only does it meet each and every single one of your expectations but it blows it out of the water? That was what Seduction Game was for me. This book was everything I’ve come to love about this author’s writing and even more so about this series. I’ve been a huge fan of the I-Team since I first read Extreme Exposure years ago. Holly was a character that we first met in that book too and we’ve spent 6 books being teased with waiting for the sexy man-eater to meet her match. Holly was always the fun loving, though slightly even shallow and flirty one. She liked her men rich and her stilettos expensive. As the entertainment columnist for the paper along with the rest of the I-Team, she’s always come off almost…vapid. I had no idea what her book will bring but I knew I had to read it all the same.

Well let me just tell you, this was nothing I expected and everything I loved. Do yourself a favor and don’t read many reviews on this book before diving in. The blurb gives just the right amount of information to hook you and you don’t want more than that. As a matter of fact, go in absolutely blind, just like I did, and prepare yourself for one hell of a ride.

He wanted her- and she wanted him dead.

CIA officer Nick Andris has been in limbo ever since the tragic mission that he lost his lover in. The only thing that’s been driving him since is his need for revenge against the man that cost him everything. Now he’s so close he can almost taste it, and the woman that his superiors have told him may hold the answers is nothing more than a flighty blonde with a taste for rich men and fancy clothes.

Holly has always been the free spirit. A date with a rich man that wants to shower her with gifts is nothing new for her. But then one night changes everything and throws her in the kind of danger that she doesn’t know how to get out of. And the only man that can help her just may be the one responsible.

I believed every word you said. You were the best time I’d ever had- until you became the worst time I’ve ever had.

Oh. My. God. This book. It was absolutely fantastic! It kept me up all night reading, unable to put it down for even a second. Filled with espionage, nail-biting suspense and action, unpredictable twists and turns, and enough sensual heat to set your kindle on fire, Seduction Game was Pamela Clare at her very best and easily one of my favorite books in the series. My number one spot is still reserved for Hunt from Unlawful Contact, but damn if this didn’t come close.
Seduction Game teaser-DGRWhat’s most shocking is that Holly is quite possibly my favorite heroine in the series and who would have thought that would ever happen?

Simply put, I loved this book. It was emotional, sexy, action-packed perfection. Even brought a tear or two for me at the end. There was absolutely nothing about it that I didn’t love. Nothing. It was worth every single second of the wait. It was devastating for me to read the author’s note at the end and everything that she’s been through since first trying to start Seduction Game. And I’m filled with awe that she managed to pull off such an amazing book in the midst of all that. Bravo to you, Miss Clare.

If you haven’t read this series yet, you’re seriously missing out. This is one of my favorite romantic suspense and I’ve read my fair share. You’d appreciate Holly’s story much more reading the series in order. However, having said that, you can also easily read this as a standalone much like the rest of the books in this series. I love how the author manages to to please faithful readers without making any detail redundant while also allowing new readers to discover her work without ever being confused. I never want this series to end.

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


READ THE SERIES IN ORDER

Extreme Exposure
I-Team #1

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Heaven Can Wait
I-Team #1.5

Heaven Can Wait

Hard Evidence
I-Team #2

478652

Unlawful Contact
I-Team #3

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Naked Edge
I-Team #4

3711152

Breaking Point
I-Team #5

9314304

Skin Deep
I-Team #5.5

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Amazon 

First Strike (prequel)
I-Team #5.9

18301112

Amazon (FREE)

Striking Distance
I-Team #6

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Soul Deep
I-Team #6.5

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Seduction Game
I-Team #7

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#NewRelease & Review: ★Playing With Fire★ by Kate Meader

Review- PWFPlaying with Fire
Series: Hot in Chicago #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kate Meader
Release Date: September 29, 2015add-to-goodreads-button3

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From popular romance author Kate Meader comes the second novel in Hot in Chicago, a brand-new, sizzling series that follows a group of firefighting foster siblings and their blazing hot love interests!

As the only female firefighter at Engine Co. 6, Alexandra Dempsey gets it from all sides: the male coworkers who think she can’t do the job, the wives and girlfriends who see her as a threat to their firefighter men, and her overprotective foster brothers who want to shelter their baby sister at all costs. So when she single-handedly saves the life of Eli Cooper, Chicago’s devastatingly handsome mayor, she assumes the respect she’s longed for will finally come her way. But it seems Mr. Mayor has other ideas…

Eli Cooper’s mayoral ratings are plummeting, his chances at reelection dead in the water. When a sexy, curvaceous firefighter gives him the kiss of life, she does more than bring him back to the land of the living—she also breathes vitality into his campaign. Riding the wave of their feel-good story might prop up Eli’s flagging political fortunes, but the sizzling attraction between them can go nowhere; he’s her boss, and there are rules that must be obeyed. But you know what they say about rules: they’re made to be broken…

Buy-Links9Amazon / iBooks / B&N

Review5 starsPlaying With Fire-DGR

I despise you right now, Cooper.”
“Coming through loud and clear.”
“I may punch you, bite you, crush your nuts between my thighs. It’s going to be the best hate sex I’VE ever had. And YOUR survival is not my first concern.”

Kate Meader is an author that first hit my radar with her seriously delicious Even the Score. I fell in love with her witty writing and knew she’d be going straight to my auto buy list. When I saw that she has this series set in my hometown of Chicago with foster siblings that are all firefighters, well, suffice it to say reading it was a no brainer.

Smart, fun, sharp-witted and oh so sexy, Playing With Fire was addictingly good from beginning to end. As a matter of fact, I never wanted it to end. I was hooked from the first chapter and knew I had myself a winner and I was not even a little wrong. Kate Meader gives some of the best hate-lust I have ever read, and that’s saying a lot considering this is my all time favorite trope.

He’s so damn dominant. I don’t think I should be sleeping with a guy who dresses chauvinism up with chivalry.”

Alexandra Dempsey is used to always having to prove her worth. Her foster siblings and father are all fire fighter royalty that constantly try to shelter her, and if that’s not enough, getting criticism about her ability as a firefighter from the mayor of Chicago certainly doesn’t help. Eli Cooper is chauvinistic, domineering, and too sexy for his own good. So what if one look from him makes her nether regions pulse, she hates him…right?
PwF teaser-DGREli is no stranger to fighting for what he wants. A past marine, he’s no stranger to doing battle. But the battle of wits between him and the sassy fire fighter may be his biggest battle yet. With his mayoral ratings plummeting right around election, he makes Alexandra an offer she can’t refuse. And if they can finally have a reason to give into the fiery passion that’s burning between them, it’s a win win right? Even at the cost of a few deceitful lies…

I will fuck the ever-loving smart-assery out of you, Alexandra…
I’m going to fuck you so good, the only word on your lips will be my name. The only answer to every question will be my name. Now say it.”

I loved these two together. Who doesn’t love a sassy and sharp-witted heroine and a hero with a dominating streak in the bedroom? Rhetorical question, obviously, because I couldn’t get enough of them.
PwF teaser 2-DGRThere was not one dull moment in this book. It would send me from laughing out loud one moment to lusting after Eli the next.

Should I be jealous of my dog?”
“You might have Hollywood looks, dubious charm, great hair, and a giant penis, Eli Cooper, but that puppy of yours is the real selling point.”

The chemistry between these two characters was absolutely perfect. It was this fantastic mix of snarky and sexy. Alexandra “Sexy Lexi” was exactly the kind of heroine I love to read about. She’s strong but with just the right amount of that endearing vulnerability. Eli with his brooding intensity was the icing on the cake.

I’ve lied and cheated to make you mine, but I never promised to play fair. How I feel about you isn’t noble or pure, it just is. In this crazy, fucked-up life I lead, you are my one constant.

I’m hooked. Totally and completely hooked on Kate’s writing and this fantastic series. I’m already salivating for the next installment like a junky waiting for a fix. I recommend this book to any fans of contemporary romance. It’s not to be missed. If you haven’t yet discovered this fabulous author yet, you are really missing out.

READ THE SERIES IN ORDER

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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