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Review: The Heart of It by Molly O’Keefe

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Blurb:
On the outside rich and successful Gabe Paterson has everything.
No one would guess the ghosts from his past are tearing him apart.
Desperate, he reaches out to Elena – a resilient call girl, with her own childhood scars – for help.
In their moments of honesty, the two forge the most surprising relationship of their lives.
But will they be brave enough to make it into something more?
Review:
The Heart Of It is heartbreakingly breathtaking. I wasn’t expecting such a deep story from a novella, but then again, I should have known better because this is Molly O’Keefe who has a habit of taking me off guard with a story full of characters I probably shouldn’t love but who take my heart anyway.
Gabe is living a lie – well, he’s only lying to Elena, his escort…his prostitute. The woman that he pays to spend time with; who he pays to pretend that every lie is the truth. She plays the part well, she sucks in his falsities like a cold drink on a hot summer day. She lets him be someone else so that he can try to shed the person that he really is.
What Gabe doesn’t realize is that while he thinks that Elena is saving him, he’s really saving her too. He’s not the only one who needs to be enlightened and needs to figure out what to do with…well, LIFE.
There are so many complexities to this story that are fully developed despite the page count. O’Keefe takes your hardened heart and splits it right open. The Heart of It made me smile and cheer when it ended sweetly and exactly how I wanted.  4.5 stars!
[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]
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Excerpt:
“She slipped her hand into his, curled the back of it against his palm like some warm trusting thing, and his body exploded into physical life. He felt his blood vessels, the blood thudding through them, the twitch of his hamstrings. The ache of his lungs. He felt all of it. All of himself. In the presence of her.
“Mike?”
He lifted his eyes to hers, a starving man, helpless under her brown gaze. No doubt he was revealing all of his desire. No doubt he was practically drooling.
Mike. Right. That’s me.
Before he could say anything she leaned forward and short-circuited his brain with the warmth of her cheek inches from his. “Would you like to go downstairs?” she whispered in his ear. “To my room?”
Excerpt From: Molly O’Keefe. “The Heart Of It.” iBooks.

Book Tour & Review: 9 Letters by Blake Austin

9 LETTERS BOOK TOUR

Meet Luke Crawley in Blake Austin’s debut novel of loss, redemption, and ever-enduring love!

9 letters cover

NOW AVAILABLE!

9 LETTERS LIVE

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1VCbvci

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/20TgV3N

9 letters teaser for excerpt reveal

Blurb

Luke Cawley is a broken man. After his wife’s tragic death, he lost everything that mattered in the world. Now, his life is filled with hard days, harder nights, and a steady stream of alcohol and the wrong kind of women. Nothing helps.

Until the letters arrive on Luke’s doorstep.

Nine envelopes. Nine messages. Nine chances to find his way back.

Rae Goode is looking for the real thing. After fighting her way out of a string of bad relationships, she’s ready for something different–something true.

She meets Luke while piecing her life together, and right away she can tell that he’s different. Drawn together by fate and the desire to heal, Rae and Luke discover new ways to mend their broken hearts–one letter at a time.

Discover Blake Austin’s debut novel of loss, redemption, and ever-enduring love.

9 LETTERS TEASER

REVIEW

The emotional connection between Luke and his wife Emily is undying. It extends through time, heartbreak, sickness and death. It’s the kind of love that you only find once in a life time – or is it? To say that Luke is devastated by his wife’s death is an understatement. He’s barely functioning. He blames himself. He’s working at job that is beneath him because he feels that he deserves it. He’s trying to escape his pain in the arm of a woman or the bottom of a bottle.

Nothing is working. And his wife knew it. While I have to wonder why the hell his wife had the letters delivered A YEAR after her death if she knew what kind of state he was likely going to be in (why not six months?!) I loved the sentiment. Her letters are full of passion, promise, forgiveness, and every other emotion that Luke needs to start to rebuild. Both literally and figuratively.

9 Letters pulls at your heartstrings and touches an emotional chord that had silent tears slowly tracking down my face. Dying spouses are my kryptonite when it comes to crying. I can’t help it. I’m done for. While that was certainly enough to keep me engaged, I did wish that there was more of a connection between Luke and Rae. I wanted something else to tie them together, something deeper. But that’s just me.

Overall this is a gorgeous story that will no doubt fill you up until tears spill over. Great debut, Blake! 4 stars!

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

9 LETTERS TEASER BT

Excerpt

I was about twenty minutes early for my shift, but I got up to the bar, grabbed a rag, started wiping it down, bussing some dishes.

“Damn, Luke,” Jake said, watching me work. “You win the lotto or something? Royals win the pennant last night and I forgot to watch?”

“I’m just in a good mood, that’s all,” I said.

I thought about it a moment longer, decided I should tell him more. Impart some wisdom learned from my not-particularly-advanced years.

“When everything’s dark for so damn long and your eyes get used to it,” I said, “just a little glimmer of sunshine lights up the whole world.”

He nodded, then grabbed a bus bin and headed back into the kitchen.

Warren though, Warren wasn’t impressed. He was sitting by one of the daytime barflies, but he’d stopped talking and was just watching me. I was on thin ice, and I knew it. I couldn’t afford to lose my job. A heartbroken, drunk, angry widower is probably as unemployable as the average ex-con.

I came on at the end of the day shift. Warren liked tending bar during the day, because it meant just shooting the shit with the regulars. That day I had a smile for every customer, sparse words of wisdom like day drunks want to hear. Tending bar wasn’t my dream. But to hell with letting that make me lazy. I kept the place clean, I poured drinks like I cared.

I was getting into the swing of it when happy hour kicked in and a few more people filtered through the door. Couple of middle-aged bikers, a retired couple that parked their RV out front.

The door swung open again, letting in a little bit of that early-evening cold, and I glanced up to see a crowd of three women, with two men. One of the women was a reddish blonde, radiant. Sort of stole the light out of the room. It was Rae. Our eyes met and her smile gave the room back its light.

She’d been in jeans at the shelter, but she was in a blue dress now and she looked damn fine in either. Took my mind right off Maggie, faster than I thought it would be possible. I met her eyes, and she gave out a little gasp and giggle. I was probably smiling in surprise myself.

The crowd came over to the bar. I’d thought the other four were two couples, but I realized pretty quick that the black girl with the afro was dating the quiet white guy in a beard and glasses and tattoos, and that the other guy was trying to impress Rae. He had a John Deere hat, but his clothes were way too clean for me to buy it that he worked on a farm. I hated him, right off. I probably would have hated him if he was the best guy in the world, though. The other girl, she was tall, latina, and for some indiscernible reason was interested in the poser farmer.

Most of the time, I’m awful at reading people. But for some reason, at work I can tell you everything about everyone who walks in the door. About who’s into who, about who had a bad day at work. Who wants to get drunk and miserable, who wants to get drunk and happy, who wants to get drunk and start trouble. Maybe it’s some magic of the job, maybe it’s just how people carry themselves at a bar. Helps with tips, that’s for certain. You wingman right, and the money flows in.

Warren, he likes to upsell them drinks when he’s doing that. Get them excited about the top shelf. Not me.

“Hey, Rae,” I said.

“Luke,” she said.

John Deere looked at me like I was the scum of the earth. And maybe I was, but if I was the scum then he was… I don’t know, something worse than scum. Wannabe scum.

She introduced me to her friends. Nicole had the afro, her boyfriend was Eric. The girl with bad taste was Irina, and John Deere had some name but honestly it went in one ear and out the other. He was John Deere to me. Yeah, maybe I’m an asshole.

“So, how do you know this guy?” Deere asked, tossing me a look that said I clearly wasn’t good enough to be friend with someone like Rae.

“Oh, he came in just the other day. Adopted the sweetest dog, a bloodhound.” She turned to me, flashing that dimple high on her cheek. “How is he? You guys call a truce yet?”

“King’s great,” I said. “I mean, he’s probably at home right now, eating everything I’ve ever owned, but I figure I was due for a purge anyway, right?”

It was a lame attempt at humor, but Rae laughed.

“What can I get you all? Friend of Rae’s is a friend of mine.”

 

About the Author

Blake Austin is a guitar playing father of one, who lives in Los Angeles. He’s written music for as long as he can remember and was inspired to add book writing to his repertoire. 9 Letters is his debut novel.

For updates: Follow Blake Austin on Facebook here:  http://on.fb.me/1ZUj6sR

GIVEAWAY

$20 Winner’s Choice Book Retailer Gift Card & Signed Paperback (1 Winner)

Review: Dark Wild Night by Christina Lauren

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Author: Christina Lauren

Book: Dark Wild Night

tl;dr recommendation: holy contemporary romance!

Book Summary:

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
But what didn’t happen in Vegas seems to follow them everywhere.

Lola and Oliver like to congratulate themselves on having the good sense to not consummate their drunken Las Vegas wedding. If they’d doubled-down on that mistake, their Just Friends situation might not be half as great as it is now.

… Or so goes the official line.

In reality, Lola’s wanted Oliver since day one—and over time has only fallen harder for his sexy Aussie accent and easygoing ability to take her as she comes. More at home in her studio than in baring herself to people, Lola’s instinctive comfort around Oliver nearly seems too good to be true. So why ruin a good thing?

Even as geek girls fawn over him, Oliver can’t get his mind off what he didn’t do with Lola when he had the chance. He knows what he wants with her now … and it’s far outside the friend zone. When Lola’s graphic novel starts getting national acclaim—and is then fast-tracked for a major motion picture—Oliver steps up to be there for her whenever she needs him. After all, she’s not the kind of girl who likes all that attention, but maybe she’s the kind who’ll eventually like him.

Sometimes seeing what’s right in front of us takes a great leap of faith. And sometimes a dark wild night in Vegas isn’t just the end of a day, but the beginning of a bright new life…

Longer Review:

Loliver are quirky and odd and sweetly romantic together. This story is written well and explosively hot – when they finally give in to their intentions. I mean, holy contemporary romance!

Oliver is my favorite. Really. He’s so upfront and honest and adorably geeky in this relationship. His openness and willingness to give their relationship a real try is just….everything. Lola, on the other hand, is going to be the one that makes you want to scream. She’s odd in a really ODD way. I mean, there were parts of her that I liked: the creative side, her fear of screwing up her relationship with Oliver, her overwhelming need to work.

But then there were parts of her that just didn’t connect for me. She is clearly an intelligent human being. She gets Oliver. She loves him. But her social awkwardness is heightened to a level past introvert and that really threw me for a loop. I didn’t see how she could possibly make some of the decisions that she did when her actions told an entirely different story.

Lola confused me, but Oliver drew me in – he was full of bright colors and bams! and pops! and all of those comic book thangs that I should probably be punning. They easily made sense together when they were together and their friends to lovers relationship really IS a sweet and different kind of story that made me smile.

As an aside, I don’t understand this title in relation to the actual book itself. Am I missing a comic reference? Or is this in reference to Vegas? IDK. I’m usually really good at this but that title doesn’t fit with the book for me.

Regardless, while Dark Wild Night isn’t my all time favorite Christina Lauren book, it’s certainly not a bad one. Loliver are nerdily sweet and pretty damn hot. 4 stars!

Blog Tour & Review: Hard Ever After by Laura Kaye

Hard Ever After - Review & Excerpt Tour Banner

Laura Kaye’s HARD EVER AFTER, a novella in Laura’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling Hard Ink Series is releasing February 2, 2016! Grab your copy of the amazing final book in the Hard Ink Series today!

 

Hard Ever After - cover

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HEA Teaser 3

 

About Hard Ever After:

Justice served. Honor restored. Team reunited.

After a long battle to discover the truth, the men and women of Hard Ink have a lot to celebrate, especially the wedding of two of their own—Nick Rixey and Becca Merritt, whose hard-fought love deserves a happy ending.

As Nick and the team shift from crisis mode to building their new security consulting firm, Becca heads back to work at the ER. But amid the everyday chaos of demanding jobs and their upcoming nuptials, an old menace they thought long gone reemerges, threatening the peace they’ve only just found.

Now, for one last time, Nick and Becca must fight for their always and forever, because they know that when true love overcomes all the odds it lasts hard ever after.

 

HEA Teaser 1

 

Review:

There are plenty of hard times to be had in this novella – both the good kind of hard and the stressful kind…but Nick and Becca aren’t about to let the past get in the way of their future, especially after everything they’ve been through.

This book is most definitely not for anyone who hasn’t connected with the characters in the prior novels. You need to have read at least one to understand the crowd you’re walking in on or you’re going to be totally confused – thankfully I have read them and LOVED them.

This novella is the perfect little addition to the series that gives us romance, sweetness and of course the quintessential expected danger that the Hard Ink series is known for. Becca and Nick have to fight for their ever after, but I was pleasantly pleased to join them.

Sexy, sweet and just a little extra to make you smile. 4 stars!

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

Excerpt:

Holy hell, had Nick ever been this nervous in his life? He’d faced down warlords, captured terrorists, survived IED explosions, and been shot on multiple occasions. Yet he’d never felt the kind of queasy, can’t-quite-manage-a-deep-breath nerves he felt just then.

He retrieved the little black box from the drawer where he’d hidden it, fisted it in his palm, and came to stand in front of Becca. He gave her a hand to stand up, then slowly sank to one knee.

“What are you—” Becca gasped. “Nick?”

“Becca.” Looking up at her beautiful face, he grasped her left hand. “When you walked through my door, you changed my whole life. You gave me purpose when I had none. You brought my family back together when I was so alone. You believed in me when no one else did, including myself. You fought for me and loved me and made me a better man.” Glassy, bright blue eyes stared down at him with so much love. “You shined light on places inside me I thought would never emerge from the dark, and you helped me reclaim my integrity, my honor, and my life.” A knot lodged in Nick’s throat. “You saved me from becoming someone I didn’t recognize, and because of you I have a life worth living. But only if you’ll walk it with me.”

“Nick,” she rasped, her voice thick with unshed tears.

He flipped open the box and pulled out the diamond and platinum round-cut ring. A halo of smaller stones surrounded the center stone, creating what to him looked like a sun. More accent stones lined the band, giving it a classic, vintage look. He’d known it was the right ring as soon as he’d seen it.

Slowly, he slid the diamond onto Becca’s ring finger. “I love you with everything that I am, and everything I want to be. Please do me the greatest honor of my life and say you’ll be my wife, my partner, my best friend, my companion. Becca Merritt, will you marry me?”

Author PhotoAbout Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense, including the Hard Ink and upcoming Raven Riders series. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

 

 

Website | Facebook |Twitter | Newsletter Sign Up | HARD EVER AFTER on Goodreads

 

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Blog Tour & Review: Play Me by Katie McCoy

 

 

Title: Play Me
Author: Katie McCoy
Genre: Contemporary Romance
 Release Date: January 27, 2016
Blurb

Recipe For:A Roll In The Hay Hot Crossed Buns Love

Ingredients:

1 Chef (equal parts sexy and carefree)

1 Pianist (equal parts uptight and endearing)

1/8 inch of drywall between their apartments

2 opinions on everythingCombine all ingredients, mix vigorously, and be prepared for an explosion of heat.

Pianist Ella Thomas is training for the competition of her life. Finally in an apartment of her own, she can practice from dawn till dusk.

But she didn’t bet on the sexy and frustrating neighbor keeping her up all night – even if he does cook like a maestro and kiss like it’s his job.

Jake Matson is living his dream as Head Chef at one of the most popular restaurants in San Francisco. He’s easy going, flirtatious and not looking for love. He didn’t expect to be completely distracted by the girl next door, whose buttoned-up appearance hides the seductive firecracker underneath.

What happens when opposites attract? As their tension fires up, can they create a new kind of music together or will everything boil over?

Purchase Links

REVIEW:

Sweet and playful, McCoy plays your heart against your stomach in her second novel. What happens when the head chef of the top restaurant who is struggling to be better than his predecessor meets a driven pianist who is trying desperately to come into herself and win a huge competition – I’ll tell you: lots of heat, lots of noise, and little bit of miscommunication.

Jake’s just taken over as the head chef – he’s under a shit ton of pressure, causing him to work long – late – hours and ignore any desire he has to pursue a relationship. Ella’s just left a relationship with her piano teacher. That due is a self-absorbed asshole who doesn’t deserve to get laid, but hey, my opinion and all that. Thankfully, she realizes that too. I connected with both characters and really liked their interaction.

This isn’t a heavy book by any stretch of the imagination. This is pure fun entertainment and the characters will easily whisk you away into their world. This book is fun but heavy on the puns and a bit full of cheese at the end – sort of like a mozzarella stick – but it was equally delicious.

The desire, banter and easy writing are all present, leaving you incredibly satisfied. 4 stars!

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

Author Bio

 

Katie McCoy is a self proclaimed sushi addict, Cardinals baseball fanatic, and lover of all things theatrical. A St. Louis native transplanted to Brooklyn, she acts, sings, and shakes her booty when she isn’t writing books about hot men and the girls who love them.
Author Links
Giveaway

 

Blog Tour & Review: Buy Me 3 by Alexa Riley

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Author: Alexa Riley

Book: Buy Me 3

tl;dr recommendation: It’s just like shifter novels without the shifting…and I sort of loved it.

Book Summary:

Antonio “Don” Cortez has been running Vegas for most of his life. After taking over the city, he’s left with a lonely life, living through his family and thinking there’s nothing more.

Peaches is looking to take Vegas for as much as she can before she skips town. She’s counting cards and raking in the money until she catches the eye of the owner of the Golden Peacock casino.

What happens when something ignites inside Don that he’s never felt before? What happens when this sassy southern belle finally meets her match?

A virginity auction…obviously!

Warning: Don is immediately lost to Peaches, and insta-love is ablaze. This story includes their over-the-top HEA and a bonus story at the end…the Madame of the Auction finally gets her turn. It’s a ridiculous ride, so grip those Kindles tight!

Longer Review:

If you know Alexa Riley then you know what to expect and this novella is everything you want it to be: Insta INSTA love and a massive desire for impregnation and somewhat stalkery behavior. It’s just like shifter novels without the shifting…and I sort of loved it.

Alexa Riley’s books are the smuttiest of smut that don’t worry about pretenses and believability. Bravo, ladies! This novella excels at making you smile and entertaining the fuck out of you. There isn’t any deep emotional angst or waiting for the other shoe to drop – there IS lots of cumming, claiming, and crotch licking. I’d say it’s a success.

Don and Peaches are dirty, sweet (i swear I’m not punning) and actually likeable. He’s one silver fox I’d like to catch. Peaches (thank fuck that’s not her real name) is the kind of woman every man wants to tame – but only one man has the skill to do so.

Buy Me is exactly what you should do for this novella – especially if you’re in the mood for lots of sex (one virgin scene included!), all the smut and a fun goddamn story.

[I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review]

Review: Beneath this Ink by Meghan March

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Author: Meghan March

Book: Beneath This Ink

Other books in series:

Beneath this Mask
Beneath these Chains
Beneath these Scars

tl;dr recommendation: Are you ready to get Conned?! This book has plenty to buzz about: it’s easily relatable, contains a growly and sexy alpha man with a heart of gold and a backboned woman with a penchant for saying what’s on her mind. 4.5 stars!

Book Summary:

I’ve always known she was too good for me, but that never stopped me from wanting her.

And then I finally had her for one night.

A night I don’t remember.

I figured I’d blown my shot.

But now she’s walked back into my life, and this time, I have the upper hand. I want my second chance.

Will she be able to see the man beneath this ink?

Longer Review:

Are you ready to get Conned?! This book has plenty to buzz about: it’s easily relatable, contains a growly and sexy alpha man with a heart of gold and a backboned woman with a penchant for saying what’s on her mind. I love that Meghan makes me think one thing will happen and then flips it entirely on its head. Predictably is not her specialty and I couldn’t love her more for it.

Con and Vanessa share a crazy history and an even more complicated present. The reasons they can’t be together are a mile long, while the reasons they want to be together can be explained only with feelings. It’s a star crossed lovers story at its finest.

While I obviously loved this book, I didn’t connect to Vanessa as much as I wanted – even though we had a shit ton in common – and I felt that I was missing certain details of their “one night” together as well as their history from high school. Those little details were important to me as a reader and I wanteddd them. There was also just so so much going on. This one is action packed which was both great and sometimes hard to follow.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the book wasn’t fucking fantastic – because it was. Sex, muscles and ink never looked so delicious. Con is a man who will make you jump without thought and who will melt your core with his dirty words while Vanessa will knee you in the balls if you speak to her the wrong way (that’s my girl!)

While Con and Vanessa attempt to navigate their social circles, my heart had no problem finsing direcrions to open for them. Beneath this Ink will take you on a wild ride – it’s best if you just put you head against Con’s back, wrap your arms around his waist and hold the fuck on.

4.5 stars!

Review: The Raven by Sylvain Reynard

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Author: Sylvain Reynard

Book: The Raven (Florentine Series)

Other books in series:

The Prince (A Gabriel’s Inferno/Florentine Series Novella)
The Shadow (Florentine Series)

tl;dr recommendation: The Raven soars with passion and promise. 4.25 stars!

Book Summary:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Gabriel Series comes a dark, sensual tale of romance in a city shrouded in mystery…

Raven Wood spends her days at Florence’s Uffizi Gallery restoring fine works of Renaissance art. But an innocent walk home after an evening with friends changes her life forever. When she intervenes in the senseless beating of a homeless man, his attackers turn on her, dragging her into an alley. Raven is only semi-conscious when their assault is interrupted by a cacophony of growls followed by her attacker’s screams. Mercifully, she blacks out, but not before catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure who whispers to her…

Cassita vulneratus.

When Raven awakes, she is inexplicably changed. She returns to the Uffizi, but no one recognizes her and more disturbingly, she discovers that she’s been absent an entire week. With no recollection of the events leading up to her disappearance, Raven also learns that her absence coincides with one of the largest robberies in Uffizi history – the theft of a set of priceless Botticelli illustrations. When the baffled police force identifies her as its prime suspect, Raven is desperate to clear her name. She seeks out one of Florence’s wealthiest and elusive men in an attempt to uncover the truth about her disappearance. Their encounter leads Raven to a dark underworld whose inhabitants kill to keep their secrets…

Longer Review:

This book is beautifully written. In true Reynard style this book edges on the realm of literary romance just as it pushes you into the realm of paranormal romance. The prose swept me off my feet and captivated me.

If you’re seeking something light and airy and lots of crotch pounding, then you’re going to be disappointed. This book is heavy on plot and the banging doesn’t commence until the end. Basically, it’s a similar set up as Gabriel’s Inferno: a gorgeous love story built on a foundation of trust and hope.

William is a complex character who struggles with the emotions he isn’t sure he’s supposed to be feeling while Raven’s own stubbornness often can’t save her from herself. They each frustrated me in their own way, but I completely loved them together.

For some reason William is pulled to Raven – he can’t understand it and while he tries to deny it, he has never felt for another the way that he does toward Raven (at least not in his vampyric existence). Raven has her own personal hang ups about her physical appearance and she suffered a traumatic event as a child that has internally scarred her as well. My favorites parts of this story were when each of them accepted the other – not as broken people, but as perfectly formed just for the other.

I may have pictured William as Carlisle from Twilight. I KNOW. I KNOW. This isn’t that – just because there’s blood sucking. I get that. I do. But his physical description just had me picturing Carlisle. I wasn’t complaining – he was hot.

Of course, Raven’s being with William is dangerous for a variety of reasons, the least of which being that William is a vampyre. There are power games at play and human hunters to escape. The push – the pull – the danger and the delight all had me grasping for every morsel of detail I could.

And this book is complex and robust with detail. I was floored with each page and internally fist pumped as the book ended. There’s definitely more to the story, but we’re not left on a cliffhanger – thank fuck for that.

The Raven soars with passion and promise. I’m ready to let The Shadow fall over me! 4.25 stars!

[I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review]

Review: Mastered by Maya Banks

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Author: Maya Banks

Book: Mastered

tl;dr recommendation: there were bits I absolutely adored and then parts I could not stop rolling my eyes. Thus, this baby gets 3 stars.

Book Summary:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Breathless Trilogy comes the first novel in the Enforcers series—a bold new direction in erotic romance that explores the games men and women play, and the price they’re willing to pay for pleasure.

What he wants, he takes with no remorse or guilt.

She stood out in his club like a gem, unspoiled and untouched. A lamb among wolves, she clearly didn’t belong. Drawn to her innocence he watched as she was surrounded by men who saw what he did—but no one but him could touch her. He summoned her to his private quarters. He sensed her fear. He also recognized the desire in her eyes. And he knew she wouldn’t leave before he possessed her. She had no need to know his secrets. Not until he had her under his complete and utter control.

What he wants, she isn’t sure she can give him.

The moment he told her want he wanted, she couldn’t resist. Instinct told her to run, but her heart said stay and walk the fine line between pleasure and pain. Though she wasn’t sure she could ever completely surrender, the primal part of her wanted to try, even knowing this man could break her in ways she never imagined. Because once he possessed her, he owned her and it would be too late to turn back. She can only pray that he doesn’t destroy her in the end.

Coming May 2016: The Enforcers Book II: Dominated

Longer Review:

Alright. Here goes. This book is a solid three for me – which means that it was fine but I didn’t love it. I wanted to love it. So fucking bad – but I didn’t start to actually really enjoy myself  until the last 15 pages, which is a little ridiculous being as how this book is over 350 pages.

The basic premise is this: Evangeline is dumped after hit-it-and-quit-it Eddie takes her virginity and calls her bad in bed. Her friends obtain a VIP pass to get her into Impulse, the hottest nightclub in town full of Beautiful People so that she can feel better about herself. She goes, feels immensely out of place because she declares that she is decidedly Not Beautiful and she has an altercation with Eddie. This incident makes Drake, the owner of Impulse (who has been watching her since her entry into the club), take action. He basically declares her his submissive at that moment and kidnaps her the next night after work.

I was infinitely more interested in all of Drake’s men, who were essentially on rotation so that we could meet all of them, than I was in Drake himself until the end of the book. He’s a contradiction and somewhat of a hypocrite. It drove me  mad. The man is overly possessive – borderline stalkery controlling – of Evangeline. I was able to forgive the kidnappy submissive thing, because Fiction.

But then his fantasy night threw me for a complete fucking loop. It was so out of the realm of things that I would have imagined he would allow and while I was reading I was actually doing one of those open mouth close mouth things where I was speechless and couldn’t decide why or how or what was happening.

Evangeline was a fine character. She gained a teensy bit of a spine at different places in the book and for that she earned some points. But she’s one of those heroines who does not think she’s pretty or beautiful or smart of any of those things. I was working on getting over that character flaw because she certainly has her pride and she’s basically the nicest and sweetest person on earth. She grew on me.

I think my biggest problem with the book was twofold: 1) the intense repetition of facts that we already knew – like, I know that Evangeline doesn’t think she’s pretty, I don’t need to be told every four seconds; and 2) the fact that nothing happened in the story until the last fifteen pages. I did not need forty pages (I’m guesstimating) on Evangeline’s skinned knee. I didn’t see how that pushed the story further. The Skinned Knee Incident could have happened and been over in like 5 pages. Seriously. This book needed major editing and I bet you books 1 and 2 could be condensed.

However, I did love when Drake and Evangeline had their sweet moments in bed and their intimate moments that built their relationship. I loved the connection they shared and the impending groveling that will occur in book 2. This was a hard read for me because there were bits I absolutely adored and then parts I could not stop rolling my eyes. The story had so much potential for me but I swear, this was not the Maya Banks read that I was expecting and hoping to love. Thus, this baby gets 3 stars, with intense hope that book 2 will give me more story.

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

Review: Big Rock by Lauren Blakely

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Author: Lauren Blakely

Book: Big Rock

tl;dr recommendation: Big Rock is big fun! 4.5 stars!

Book Summary:

It’s not just the motion of the ocean, ladies. It’s definitely the SIZE of the boat too.

And I’ve got both firing on all cylinders. In fact, I have ALL the right assets. Looks, brains, my own money, and a big cock.

You might think I’m an asshole. I sound like one, don’t I? I’m hot as sin, rich as heaven, smart as hell and hung like a horse.

Guess what? You haven’t heard my story before. Sure, I might be a playboy, like the NY gossip rags call me. But I’m the playboy who’s actually a great guy. Which makes me one of a kind.

The only trouble is, my dad needs me to cool it for a bit. With conservative investors in town wanting to buy his flagship Fifth Avenue jewelry store, he needs me not only to zip it up, but to look the part of the committed guy. Fine. I can do this for Dad. After all, I’ve got him to thank for the family jewels. So I ask my best friend and business partner to be my fiancée for the next week. Charlotte’s up for it. She has her own reasons for saying yes to wearing this big rock.

And pretty soon all this playing pretend in public leads to no pretending whatsoever in the bedroom, because she just can’t fake the kind of toe-curling, window-shattering orgasmic cries she makes as I take her to new heights between the sheets.

But I can’t seem to fake that I might be feeling something real for her.

What the fuck have I gotten myself into with this…big rock?

BIG ROCK is a standalone, dirty romance novel written from the guy’s POV by NYT Bestselling author Lauren Blakely.

Longer Review:

Holy Cock! Lauren Blakely does it again with humor, sweetness and scorching sex. The ease with which she writes is unbelievable. This book is at times hilarious but also endearing.

Spencer is an arrogant manwhore, who made a name for himself by creating a dating app that women actually want to use. However, that’s not his only claim to fame. He opened a series of sports bars with his college best friend, Charlotte. They’re partners, they’re best friends, and they’re off limits – to each other.

Spencer’s a complicated guy though. See, he’s actually NICE. He may be cocky (and let me tell you, he certainly has reason to be) he also really cares about his family and friends – and he treats the women he casually sees with respect. So when the opportunity arises for him to help his dad out by being a Family Man, he takes the bait.

What comes next is a hilarious week of a pretend relationship between two best friends who never crossed the line. I assure you they make that jump…and they make it hard. They’re so perfectly matched in every way. Charlotte’s no pushover, and there isn’t a whole lot of emotional angst, which I LOVED.  It does get a teeeeeensy bit on the cheesetastic side at the end for me but I shall forgive it because, Spencer.

Spencer’s tone is arrogant yet edged with kindness and I couldn’t help but love him as he suddenly began to see what was right in front of him. The back and forth banter, friendly movie watching and more-than-friendly kisses make this book a solid win. Big Rock is big fun! 4.5 stars!

[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]

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