Obsessed With Myshelf

Romance Books

Month: December 2014 (page 1 of 2)

OWMS’ top 10 Favorite Reads of 2014

Top 10 Fav Reads 2014 with words

What’s the end of the year without revisiting some of my favorite reads?

My criteria for making it on this list is:
1) I read it this year; and
2) I fucking loved it.

Side Note: I am aware that there are more than 10 books on this list. That’s why it says top ten favorites READS not BOOKS. 🙂 But seriously, can you really just pick one book out of a series that you love? No. The answer is No. 

Let’s get down to business:

1. The Crossfire Series (1-4) by Sylvia Day

Ohgoodfuckingchrist. This series slays me. I cannot wait for book 5. I NEED TO KNOW what happens like I need air to breathe. I almost wish I were kidding. Gideon Cross is perfection and I’m dying for the HEA that I know is coming. Please Sylvia, don’t let us wait too long…

2. The Driven Trilogy by K. Bromberg

Not only is K. Bromberg the nicest, most genuine person on the planet, but she can also write. For me, Colton didn’t enter my heart inch by inch, he surrounded it from all sides and then infiltrated. It was almost so sudden that I wasn’t even aware how attached I was to Colton at first. You can check out my full review here. I’m also dying for her 2015 releases, but that’s for another post…

3. Dirty Rowdy Thing by Christina Lauren

Can we get a little innuendo up in here?! I am a sucker for wit, charm, steamy sex, and stubbornness. This book has ALL OF THAT and more. I did a review of DRT which you can find here that tells you in more detail why I’m so goddammned obsessed.

4. Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren

I fucking love Will Sumner. I actually just did a re-read of this book the other day because I needed a good pick-me-up and there’s nothing this book does more than that. It literally warms my soul. Not kidding. I can feel the warmth spread through my body as Will falls in love with Hannah. I LOVE THEM IMMENSELY.

5. The Stark Trilogy by J. Kenner

How have I not done a review of this series yet? Total fail on my part which I shall rectify as soon as possible. I love love love Damien Stark. He’s an alpha billionaire with secrets but there’s just so much more to him than that. His love for Nikki is so pure and perfect I could re-read these books weekly and be happy.

6. Songs of Submission Series by CD Reiss

This series caught me totally off guard in the best way possible. I’m not even sure how I found it, but I am SO happy I did. Jonathan is hot and sexy and CD Reiss really delivers with this series. I felt like I ran a marathon after reading these, but they were so worth every single step. You can read my full review here.

7. Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan

OH.My.God. This book is utterly fantastic. It really is. It’s a great standalone novel that you can whip through quickly and that leaves you thoroughly satisfied. I think it lived up to its hype. I Floved it. You can find my full review here.

8. Seductive Nights Series by Lauren Blakely

Julia and Clay are awesome. They interact so perfectly together and talk so dirty, which is one of my favorite combinations in main characters. It doesn’t hurt that there’s some spanking, cuffing, and other fantastic debauchery involved. Haven’t read it? Put that shit on your list. And read my full review here.

9. One Night Trilogy by Jodi Ellen Malpas

These are the books that took me out of a book dry spell. After I thought something was wrong with me, that maybe I could never love another book again, these snuck up on me and made me FEEL. I really loved them. And here’s another that I need the rest of the story for….[FebruaryFebruaryFebruary…]. Full review found here!

10. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Holy mother of god. Colleen Hoover is the only author who makes me sob horrible, nasty, unattractive tears. This is one of my very favorite books this year and gave me the hugest book hangover. I spent most of the time reading this attempting to hide my ugly crying while sitting on the couch with my husband. I was unsuccessful. It’s a beautiful story. Gorgeous. I really can’t say enough about it other than you need to read it. And ideally not in a public place, unless you’re totally ok with tears streaming down your face in public. If so, go forth. HAVE TISSUES NEARBY. And read my review here.

2014 was really a great year for me. Things keep getting better and better and so do the books! I hope you all have a great NYE & let’s get ready for 2015!

Review: Archer’s Voice

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Author:   Mia Sheridan

Book:  Archer’s Voice

tl;dr recommendation: Believe the hype. It’s THAT GOOD.

Longer Review:

Are you looking for a standalone novel that will give you the erotica you crave with the romantic substance you need? Then this is a necessary read. I finally got around to reading this book and I so should have done it sooner. I was a little hesitant starting out, because, well HYPE. This book has hype in spades. It’s been acclaimed as one of the best erotica novels of 2014 and because I’m a cynical person I wasn’t sure I’d be a believer, BUT I AM. ohhhh I am.

Bree finds herself in a small little town after escaping the terror she suffered with in the big city. She’s searching for peace, solace, comfort….and closure. She has nothing to lose but herself at this point and she’s holding on to those pieces for dear life. Archer is a loner and a bit of a town mystery. He’s a local who suffered incredible loss and trauma as a child that he’s never really recovered from. Can Bree and Archer save each other?

I loved this book.This was practically a spiritual experience for me. I could feel my heart expand and contract with every beat. I actually held my breath towards the end – not even realizing I was doing it. Their love story is unconventional and unpredictable and it held me until the very last page. They hold each other up in ways that neither of them are prepared for but then realize that they can no longer live without. It’s hard to really review this book and say why I loved it so much without revealing all of its secrets, but let’s just say that there is such a deeper connection between these characters that makes you long to find out every detail about them. You want them to break free from the past and watch them mold their future. Sigh. I’m smiling just thinking about them. This steamy and heartwarming book was one that I could. not. put. down. and I know that I will pick up again.

Review: Seductive Nights – Julia & Clay

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Author:   Lauren Blakely

Books:
First Night
Night After Night
After This Night
One More Night

BUY ALL FOUR HERE!

Series:    Seductive Nights Series

tl;dr recommendation: sexy with a side of danger. it was pretty perfect.

Longer Review:

I’m basically in love with this series. there’s delicious dialogue, hot & steamy sex, a bit of mystery and an original plotline. what’s not to love?!?! From the minute that Clay walks into Julia’s bar, I was in deep. Lauren Blakely writes these characters so perfectly you can’t help but smile and root for them from the beginning. I was a little shocked how easily I fell in love with Clay AND how easily he fell in love with Julia. There is nothing I love more than seeing the vulnerability from a strong man when it comes to the woman he loves. GOD I DIE EVERY TIME. This series totally delivers.

You will hungrily read these books – they are completely addicting, making you feel like you’ll burst if you don’t find out what happens. The storyline contains some mystery and a bit of edge, just like Julia. Will she trust Clay enough to provide the information needed to protect them both? Or will she still keep trying to navigate this world on her own? This series was sexy with a side of danger. it was pretty perfect.

Ok, let’s talk about Clay’s dirty mouth for a minute. He makes you swoon and sweat in the same breath. He’s sweet, he’s dominant, he’s submissive, GOOD GOD he’s up there with my beloved Gideon – and that’s saying something. I so loved this series. there is nothing better than a fiery, independent woman matched with a strong, fiercely loyal and adoring man. It was everything I wanted and more! #MustRead

Review: One Night: Promised & One Night: Denied

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Author:   Jodi Ellen Malpas

Books:
One Night: Promised
One Night: Denied
One Night: Unveiled (release date February 10, 2015)

Series:    One Night Trilogy

tl;dr recommendation: This sexy, willing-to-do-anything-for-one-another romance sucked me in completely.

Longer Review:

Did you get some gift cards that are burning a hole in your pocket? GET READY TO USE THEM. This series is hot, delicious, and will give you all the excuse you need to hide away in post-holiday seclusion.

The One Night Trilogy is a series about Olivia (Livy) Taylor and Miller Hart. Livy is a twenty-four year old waitress / Maker of Coffee who has declared herself unavailable since she was 17. She’s escaping some demons and believes her actions will protect her heart and her body. She’s smart, she’s sensible, she’s going through the motions of life fairly unconcerned with romance. Miller Hart likes things how he likes them. Neat. Orderly. Controlled. He needs things to be perfect in order to function and he’s absolutely emotionally unavailable. But when Miller Hart walks through the doors of Livy’s coffee shop and looks into Livy’s sapphire eyes both of their worlds shift. He offers her one night of pleasure in hopes of sating the desire and need that he feels when he looks at her. But is one night ever enough?

You know, I was beginning to think that it was me. The last couple of books I’ve read haven’t grabbed me, shook me to the core and left my mind obsessing. I began to doubt myself. Are those books really good and I’ve just lost the ability to tell? AND THEN I WAS GIFTED ONE NIGHT: PROMISED [thanks Secret Elf!] and oh no, I’ve lost nothing.

My body knows a good book even before my head does. Reading is like a drug to me and I think I get a little bit high when I encounter a good book. [It probably has to do with all the dopamine being released as the words seep in and hit the pleasure enhancers in my brain or some other scientific reason but let’s not ruin this, shall we?]. I began reading Promised and I started to feel a familiar warmth enter my veins and travel through my body. I felt my heart start to beat a little faster at the anxiety inducing scenes. my eyes were darting across each page, my breath was hitching. It happened again. I was hooked.

Miller Hart is fantasy inducing. I was glued to the pages of Promised, sneaking in a chapter at time when I could, devouring Miller and Livy’s love story. I was not at all expecting Miller’s secret at the end of Promised – hindsight’s 20/20 – I suppose I should have called it, but I didn’t. And i LOVED that I didn’t.

Miller is all about savoring with Lily. He wants to worship her, take things slow, and snuggle. OH GOD I swooned every single time he asked her to give him his Thing. When they’re alone, they’re fine. But it’s when they head out into reality that their separate worlds try to keep them apart – whether it be friends, coworkers, or *ahem* business associates. While Promised introduces us to the love of Miller & Livy, Denied explores what happens when that love is challenged.

If I’m being honest, Denied didn’t capture me in the same way that Promised did, but I’ve come to the conclusion it’s because there’s a lot of discord in the book. A lot of back and forth makes me feel uncomfortable – are they together? Why are they doing this? Are they going to make this work? I, like Miller, enjoy control and order. JEM was messing with the perfect love I was becoming very attached to and messing with my emotions. To that end, Livy spends a lot of Denied running. I don’t think I’m giving anything away because JEM is notorious for doing this with her leading ladies [See, This Man Trilogy]. So I wasn’t surprised, but I really wanted Livy to find her balls sass a lot sooner than she did.

I’m sure that JEM has been criticized for Miller’s temper tantrums [I haven’t read any other reviews yet so as to not taint my own] but I won’t be one of them. OF COURSE Miller needs to get his shit together. OF COURSE he has issues he needs to deal with. His temper is just one of those issues. That’s part of the fucking story. He would obviously never do anything to physically hurt Livy, so let’s all calm down now. How could someone ever think that when he’s clearly fascinated by Ms. Livy Taylor?!

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I was captured by Livy & Miller’s story. I loved watching Livy try to pull Miller out of his carefully crafted world at the same time she melds herself into it. This sexy, willing-to-do-anything-for-one-another romance sucked me in completely.If you’re looking for an obsessive, alpha, dominant male who worships his woman – this is a must read.  My eyes bugged out at the end of Denied….there is so much more to be revealed and I’m dying to unearth every single little secret. FEBRUARY 10th – I’M TOTALLY IN.

Have a Kinky Christmas!

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Hoping your day is filled with family, friends, and book boyfriends!

Warning, sentiment ahead:

I’m just a baby blogger so I wasn’t expecting much when I started this blog. However, I am so thankful for the support and kindness I’ve found in this community. The authors, book bloggers and readers I’ve interacted with have been nothing but awesome. I really started this blog because I needed an outlet away from my crazy, overly serious real life job, but I’ve already gotten way more out of this than I ever expected. You all are my sanity! SO THANK YOU!

Here’s to a strong finish to 2014! (and let the countdown to 2015 releases really begin!)

Review: Lusted by Pia Sparks

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Author:   Pia Sparks

Book:      Lusted   

Series:    Lusted #1

tl;dr recommendation: It made me stop. and not in a good way.

Longer Review/Reaction:

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Here’s the synposis from the Author:

The job of her dirty dreams …
SHELTERED and anxious violist, Kylie Morris, longs for excitement, happiness, or even just a clue as to what she should be doing with her life. After losing her job with the symphony, Kylie finds herself on an interview at Lust Media-an adult publishing company. Her curiosity is captured not only by the job, but her hot, dominant boss, Benjamin Price.
But after 14 years of hard work, can she really quit playing viola to work in porn? And if she stays, even for a little while, can she handle all the kinky demands of her new boss, or will being with Benjamin shatter what little self-esteem she has left?

MILLIONS aren’t enough for Benjamin Price. He wants to be a billionaire, and he’s all set for expansion, but he has one major problem. It’s hard to attract the top talent when you’re still growing as a company, and you make pornography.
When his shy, new hire shows promise, Benjamin wonders what it will take to make her stay. He knows how to get women to do what he wants, but will he get snagged in his own trap to ensnare Kylie?

—————————

I began this book with high hopes. I love a good alpha male / office romance / inner female struggle; however, the 159 pages of this book felt like a lifetime. I couldn’t get invested in the characters even though they certainly have issues that I should have been rooting for them to work through. For me, Kylie has some serious issues that she never really addressed. I was screaming at her to take her goddamned medication. I wanted her to take charge of her life – to get her shit together – to pull herself through her issues, but she never really did. Perhaps she does in the next book? I sure hope so.

Benjamin was aloof and impassive – two characteristics I love – but there wasn’t enough chemistry between the characters for me. Obviously there is sex, so I don’t mean that. There was just something missing. Some deeper connection that makes them so passionate about each other that they will fight to make it work no matter what.

Although what really killed it for me was *spoiler alert* when he made the safe word ‘Uncle’. I LITERALLY CAN’T EVEN. Grumpy Cat No. Out of all of the words in the English language, the word ‘uncle’ should never be a safeword in sex. or screamed in sex. or spoken in sex. I UNDERSTAND that it was a reference to the phrase ‘crying uncle’ but that doesn’t mean it didn’t make me cringe every time I read it. While we’re on the topic of things that bothered me, can we not refer to her asshole as the Virgin Star? I didn’t like it. ughhhh, I speechless even now while I write this. It made me stop. and not in a good way.

Also, for a girl who is practically a genius, I was confused why Kyle was so naive and uninformed about life in general. She fantasizes about strong, dominant men, throws herself at her conductor and then takes a job at a porn magazine but isn’t familiar with any sex concepts? That just didn’t seem genuine. Kylie didn’t have any friends to talk to about what was going on in her life and missing that dialogue and analysis left a huge gaping hole in this storyline that I think was necessary to fill.

The last sex scene actually redeemed this book for me a bit. It was well written and one of the only scenes where I felt a real connection between Kylie and Benjamin. I began to feel her become a little bit more in control and Benjamin’s honesty was incredibly refreshing. I just wish the whole book shared the same intensity and desire that transpired in those few pages.

25 Days of Book Boyfriends – Day 21: GIDEON CROSS + a Giveaway!

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What better way to celebrate the holiday season than to gush a bit over my favorite book boyfriend?! Some have come very close – others have been a mere millimeter away from meeting the Gideon Threshold – but NO ONE has surpassed Gideon Cross as my ultimate book boyfriend. As my best friend says, he is a Perfect Fucking Filet Mignon.

If you’re not familiar [you’ve been living under an erotica rock] Gideon Cross is the main man in the Crossfire series by Sylvia Day. He’s sweet, he’s enigmatic, he’s arrogant, he’s impassive, he’s troubled, he’s loyal, HE IS THE ULTIMATE.

I’ve decided that David Gandy is Gideon Cross. I mean, COME ON. He’s tall, dark, handsome and his impassive face screams sex and power. Thus, Gideon. Why am I obsessed with Gideon? For, at the very least, the following reasons:

1.      His complete and utter reverence for Eva. Gideon worships Eva. Every move he makes, he thinks of her needs first. He would move heaven and earth for her – and while he doesn’t always do it the way it should, his intentions are always to protect and love that woman.

“I think of nothing but you. All day, every day. Everything I do, I do with you in mind.” 

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2.       His need to be with Eva. He may run a multi-million dollar corporation, but Eva brings him to his knees.

“I wish I needed you a little less. Just enough to make it bearable.”

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3.      His dominant ways. Do you need a strong, take charge man? Oh yes, yes you do. and Gideon knows it.

“I’m an animal with you, I want to mark you, I want to possess you so completely there’s no separation between us.” 

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4.      His negotiation skills. He argues to get what he wants in the boardroom and the bedroom. And he always gets what he wants.

“It’s time to discuss what it’s going to take to get you beneath me”

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5.      His dirty, sexy, filthy mouth. OH good god. Gideon’s mouth alone sparks fantasies, but what comes out of his mouth is even hotter…#swoon.

“When I come, I come for you. Because of you and your mouth, hands, and insatiable little cunt. And it’ll be that way for you in reverse. My tongue, my fingers, my cum inside you. Just you and me, Eva. Intimate and raw.”

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are you in yet? You sure as fuck should be. Delicious, sweet, powerful, all consuming, dominant, and heart stopping.
This man is the pinnacle of all book boyfriends.
He’s deserves far more than one day to celebrate, but ahhhh, I’ll take what I can get. Since I can’t have Gideon, let’s do a giveaway, shall we?

WANT TO WIN A $15 AMAZON GIFTCARD?! Of course you do.

All you have to do is COMMENT on this post, FOLLOW me on Twitter (@OWMyshelf) and/or RETWEET my tweet of this post. Each one will gain you an entry (If you already follow me on twitter, and you do one of the other things, you get the follow point too!). ENTRIES CLOSE AT 8PM EST ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014. I’ll pick a winner then!

Review: Misconception by Morgan Black

Author:   Morgan Black

Books:    Misconception

Series:    Finnegan Brothers, #1

tl;dr recommendation: I really wanted to love this.

Longer Review/Reaction:

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This short story is about Lena, an almost college graduate, and two brothers: Blake and Slade Finnegan. The story starts out with a hot little sex scene that happened back in 2011 that I really enjoyed. Lena is dating Blake and she stops at home to visit him prior to spending time with her family for Thanksgiving. She jumps in to take a shower and practically collides with a naked Slade. Nothing happens then, but you’re left wondering….

However, I was a little put off that in 50 pages we’re already starting out three years behind, but I figured that the storyline would let it catch up. I don’t think it ever did. The author jumped back and forth a lot between present and past and that jumbled me around and made the story lose some footing.

The story has some potential. Minus the fact that I seriously hate love triangles, I can see how a pull between two brothers could be alluring. I liked the best friend. I thought the guys were hot. I also liked the set up with the family issues/pull from the hometown/reason for returning, but overall I didn’t feel the draw to these characters like I wanted to. It felt too disjointed for me to be able to actually get invested. So, sigh. Not for lack of trying, because I really wanted to love it, but I couldn’t feel a spark.

Review: Command Me & Conquer Me by Geneva Lee

  

Author:   Geneva Lee

Books:

Command Me
Conquer Me

Other book in series:
Crown Me

Series:    Royal Saga

tl;dr recommendation: I liked it. But I didn’t love it.

Book Summaries:

Command Me:

When he kissed me, I was shocked. He was a stranger and still so familiar. It wasn’t until I woke up to my picture splashed on the cover of tabloids that I realized I knew who he was.

Prince Alexander of Cambridge.

Royal bad boy.

Exiled heir to the throne.

He isn’t Prince Charming. He’s controlling. He’s demanding. He’s dangerous. And I can’t say no to him.

We both have secrets—secrets that could tear us apart or drive us closer together—and as the paparazzi exposes each one, I have to decide just how far I’m willing to go for King and Country.

Conquer Me:

Alexander had the world at his feet and me on my knees until secrets tore us apart.
I should stay away from him. I should run. But I’m addicted to him…to the pleasure and the pain.
He warned me about his dark side…about his past. But I have a dark side, too. Together we’ll conquer our demons…if we don’t destroy each other first.
Love doesn’t always conquer all, but it can Conquer Me.

Longer Review/Reaction:

This is a review of books 1 & 2 in this series.

Ok kids. I liked these books. I did. They’re fine, they’re a decent read. I call these a good layover read, meaning books you read while you’re in between ones you’re dying to read. Clearly, I didn’t love them. Will I read Crown Me when it’s released in 2015? Yes. of course i will. Am I counting down the minutes until the release date? No. Nope. All the nope.

Now your question – Why? It’s really simple: I feel like I’ve read these books before.  In all seriousness the amount of similarities between these books and FSOG was getting a little ridiculous. It was a combination of Fifty Shades & the tragedy surrounding the real Royals in England. The below may have spoilers. Read ahead at your own risk.

The basic storyline is that Clara Bishop unexpectedly meets the Prince of England, Alexander, who is heir to the throne. She totally doesn’t recognize him, makes out with him, and then goes about her life. However, a picture of the make-out session leaks and all of a sudden she’s news. Alexander hunts Clara down and proposes a sex only relationship. He’s a bit of a dominant but she doesn’t think she’s a submissive. Ultimately he agrees to take her however he can have her. [we’ve heard this line before, yes?] Alexander is troubled – he was in an accident when he was younger in which his younger sister, Sarah, died. His mother has also passed. The only two women he has ever loved have died and therefore he is incapable of loving anyone. [If you’re having flashbacks, you aren’t the only one].

I may have rolled my eyes when he didn’t want her to touch his chest and when he kept his shirt on during sex. I may have rolled my eyes even harder when he had nightmares. I totally, 100%, called it when she left him at the end of book 1. Really, all I had to think of was what happened in FSOG and I started predicting from there. I remember thinking, well, at least she didn’t leave because he punished her with a belt. BUT THEN, BUT THEN! There is a belt scene in book 2. I nearly threw the book down. But i didn’t. Because I was reading it on my kindle, and fuck – that thing is precious to me.

There is an unbelievable amount of sex in these books, which I definitely enjoyed. However, I was concerned for her hygiene multiple times and I really wanted the author to mention that she was at least taking her pill. There’s one scene where, let’s just say, she’s in dire need of some attention – he mentions that he’s going to go clean up in the bathroom, but instead SHE ROLLS OVER AND GOES TO SLEEP. No. no no no no. I know this may sound stupid and unreasonable, but the details matter to me. Another example – They fuck in a car before a massive charity event. She’s not wearing any underwear. He doesn’t wear a condom. Afterwards, she just pulls down her dress & they go inside. Oh please, please tell me how that works out for her. She must have kegels for days. Ironically, I had the same hygiene concerns for Ana in FSOG.

It may not sound like it, but I did enjoy the story. It was fun, Alexander is hot and if you liked Fifty Shades, I can guarantee you that you’ll like these books (for the reasons mentioned above).

If you want a dominant, billionaire, alpha male, Alexander will certainly deliver. But for me – he just didn’t do it enough for me to put on my re-read list.

#DrunkReading, The Hangover – Songs of Submission Series

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Book:   Songs of Submission Series by CD Reiss

There are seven parts to this series (technically 8 w/ the extras in Dominance) I’m reviewing it as a whole because I cannot separate the gloriousness of the entire story.

Beg, Tease & Submit come in a bundle. I recommend buying the bundles because not only will you save money, but you will want/need immediate access to the next part of the story.

Control. Burn & Resist shall be your next necessary purchase.

THEN comes Sing.

Dominance is an extra 70 pages of juicy bits you’ll likely crave after you’re done.

Have I read it before?:  Nope. but I will again.

What did I drink?:  Chardonnay. I have a love affair with dry white wine. I drank it out of my new mug that says ‘I like my drinks strong & my books smutty’ 😉

How do I feel:  Good! happy I didn’t drink more since I was ready to pass out at 10pm anyway.

General Thoughts:

This is one series where the covers of the books actually drew me in. They’re beautiful and sexy and simple. They actually made me want to buy the books. If the covers of these books don’t do it for you, I’m not sure any covers will. Besides the perfect artwork (which is totally frameworthy), this story is amazing. I have no idea how many pages the entire series equals but at the end of last night I felt like I had just finished a marathon. I was exhausted but totally satisfied.

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Monica is a struggling waitress/singer in LA. She lives with her best friend and roommate Gabby in a run down house in Echo Park and pays minimal rent to her mother. She dated Darren, Gabby’s brother, for like twelve thousand years, but they’re just friends now. After Darren, Monica dated Kevin Wainwright – a very good looking artist who is now up and coming himself; however, Monica walked out on him a year and a half ago and since then she’s suffering from self-imposed celibacy, focusing instead on her music.

And then we meet Jonathan Drazen. Sweet mother of Christ he is fucking delicious. From the very beginning he kept me on my toes. He was mostly honest but still hid behind a mask. He would do or say exactly what I thought he would, but then in the next second, I’d be thrown for a loop. It was refreshing to read and scorchingly hot to imagine.

Full disclosure, I started this series on Friday while I was at work. I was super busy, but I kept taking five minute breaks here and there to read a chapter. It was my motivation.

By Friday night I had finished Tease. and the way it ends will throw you into a little rage.

I really did workout on Friday night (I’m basically the coolest person on earth) and it really did help fuel my workout. I WAS SO ANGSTY.

Saturday I was sneak-reading all day in between doing other things until finally I decided: DRUNK READING TIME:

I started drinking at the same time that I started the scene after the art show in the bathroom. For those that haven’t read it yet, holy shit. I needed a drink after that, so it was a good thing I had one. The memory of that scene is making me a little hot….[FANS SELF]. The sex scenes in these books are assuredly NOT VANILLA. and i loved every second of it. They are off the charts hot. You want kinky fuckery? C.D. Reiss shows you some kinky fuckery.

A good portion of the storyline is about Jonathan hiding issues from his past and him keeping Monica from meeting with Jessica (his ex wife) to find out what exactly he’s hiding. Monica thinks she’s protecting Jonathan – Jonathan has his own plan. Too bad Monica is only submissive in the bedroom. This causes a little….shall we say, friction?

This series is an emotional rollercoaster. The anticipation of what is going to happen and then what actually happens causes you to gasp and scream but ultimately throw up your hands and go along for the ride.

OH.AND THE TEA SCENE. HOLY FUCK. HOLY FUCK. HOLY FUCK.

Being as how I started #drunkreading at 5:30, I started to fade around 9pm…

BUT I MANAGED TO FINISH.

This series has everything you could ever want in a good erotica novel: depth of characters, really really hot tie-me-up/spank me/bruise me sex, a bit of mystery, a strong independent woman and a complicated, conflicted yet undeniably loving man. AND it’s a mixed POV book. I really enjoyed reading from both Monica and Jonathan’s perspective. My only critique is that by the end of Sing, I really wanted a bit more right before the two year gap. I understand that there was a cliffhanger for a reason, but I felt that the ending was a little bit rushed. Which is probably hilarious to say since the series is lengthy. Maybe I wasn’t ready for it to end? That’s a possibility too, but I don’t know, I just wanted a little something more there. The 8th companion read – Dominance – gives you a bit more, so for that I’m thankful.

If you’re not into a Dom/Sub theme with spanking or a little pain in your sex scenes, you’re not going to like these books. But if you’ve been craving it and haven’t found THAT combined with a good storyline then look no further. THIS SERIES HAS EVERYTHING. ALL THE STUFF. My heart dropped out of my chest, exploded with excitement, and filled with love.This series is one you’ll want to keep for yourself but you know it needs to be shared So, Get it. Read it. Tell your friends. Jump on that emotional rollercoaster.

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