Archives: Reviews

  • Looking For Alaska by John Green

    Every once in a great while, you read a book that not only engages and entertains you, but burrows deep into your guts and changes you. Looking For Alaska is one of those rare gems. Pure and profound, this book is a simple honest truth. The questions of life, love, existence, suffering, surviving it all, and seeking the “Great Perhaps”. An expertly written cast of incredibly lovable characters- I laughed with them, I hurt with them, I loved with them, and I was changed with them. Please please take a chance. Trust me. Looking For Alaska is a forever favorite that I encourage everyone to read.

    BONUS: While not super smutty, this is a book that you can talk about and recommend to anyone. TRUST ME. Don’t miss out. [September 2014]

  • Burying Water: A Novel by K.A. Tucker

    Oh, my heart. K.A. Tucker rips your guts out and makes you eat them. Off of the floor. And then she smiles and pats your cheek, and allows you to comfort yourself by leaning your head against her thigh.

    *nuzzles the thigh*
    Burying Water is a mysterious, and heartbreakingly beautiful story of love, brutality, salvation, and finding your way back home.
    ~ Kyleigh Jane [October 2014]

  • Tied by Emma Chase

    Emma Chase plays to her strengths with the male Point of View. She brings Drew Evans unique voice to life. Drew, Kate and company have a debauched joint bachelor/bachelorette party in Vegas, and they don’t call it Sin City for nothing! You can count on Emma to add the appropriate amount of humor to Drew and Kate’s happily ever after. ~ Nelle [October 2014]

  • Reaper’s Stand by Joanna Wylde

    Holy fucking shitballs. Do not start reading this book at 10pm. Trust me when I say that it will wreak havoc on your good night’s sleep. As in, there won’t be any sleep, good or not. Upon being accused of lack of attentiveness to the husband, excessive crankiness, and overall exhaustion as a result of reading nonstop, I decided that Joanna Wylde is to blame. (No reason to take responsibility for my lack of self control around Reaper’s MC books when there’s a perfectly good scapegoat: the author. Duh.)

    Seriously though, this book was amazing. I couldn’t put it down. Like hardcore loved it. It wasn’t a comfortable read at times. The story definitely took me outside of my comfort zone and gave me all kinds of feels. Not all warm fuzzies. Far from it. But that’s what made it so extra-ordinary. It’s a romance, super erotic, and the plot is solid with unpredictable ups and downs. It was more exciting than riding a roller coaster. And I love roller coasters.

    I don’t care if you like MC books, if you’ve got a reading list longer than an over-achieving book blogger’s. Drop everything. 1-click this book. Start reading it immediately. Don’t repeat my amateur mistake (I’m not really an amateur, just a glutton for punishment). This is a MUST READ. Having said that, I loved the whole series. So if you haven’t read the whole series yet, you MUST read it! Must!

  • Deacon by Kristen Ashley

    Classic Kristen Ashley, just when I needed some good, relaxin’, warm-in-my-pants, dependable alpha romance. She gave me that and that was sweet. It was beautiful. Seein’ as I was needin’ it given to me in a way that shows me, after it’s given, I didn’t even know I needed. And I know it’s been given sweet. And that’s beautiful. You got that? Give me your eyes and show me you got that. Good. Because all the fuckin’ been thrown my way readin’ this book — the best she ever gave me — it was given to me hard and it was beautiful.

    I love that KA has upped her game with this series AND this book. I think she stepped outside her sexual comfort zone on this story, and it paid off. Not only do we get our usual talkative heroine and 1-word muttering hero, but we get the hottest scenes between the sheets in any previous KA book. If you’re looking for a ton of suspense, you won’t find it in this story, but it works for this plot. This centers more on matters of the heart, what makes a man so distant, and also what finally pushes him over the edge to claim his woman. Plus, we see all the players from this series, especially Raid, who gives advice to a man so cold it takes over a decade before he finds the right woman to thaw his heart. [October 2014]

  • Shame by Rachel Van Dyken

    Lisa’s story is heart-breaking. She was used and abused by a boyfriend and has been carrying around shame and regret for years. Even her closest friends don’t know everything. New hope comes in the form of a sexy, gorgeous stranger…but the hope dies when she realizes she can’t have him. I love this series and every book takes you on a wild ride of emotions. This one does not disappoint. [October 2014]

  • Finding Eden by Mia Sheridan

    Mia wraps up Eden and Calder’s story in the most perfect way. Their journey was never easy, but they show that their love can conquer even the highest mountain. ~ Nelle

    What a perfect ending to Calder and Eden’s story! It’s all about them learning to live in their new world and realizing that if you have love, you can conquer anything. So, so perfectly beautiful! I absolutely loved it! [October 2014]

  • Becoming Calder by Mia Sheridan

    The world Mia Sheridan builds is one I could picture in my mind as if it were right out my back door. She’s a mistress of description, and that comes in very handy when writing the *ahem* romance scenes between Calder and Eden. OH, MAMA, the emotion and love and connection and everything. Taking place over the span of two books — Finding Eden comes immediately after Calder — this story is not complete without a journey through both. I can’t recommend Becoming Calder highly enough, especially for those of us in love with New Adult books!

    Becoming Calder is a New Adult triumph. Their young relationship is handled beautifully and sensitively by Mia Sheridan. In Acadia, Calder and Eden are very young but have to fight adult battles. As we say goodbye to Acadia, Eden and Calder’s future is up in the air. I can’t wait to start Finding Eden to finish their story.

    I love New Adult Books. They’re my thing. So you can believe me when I say that this book blows all other NA books out of the water. It’s so different from anything you’ve read…and it’s one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read. Go directly to Amazon and 1-Click Finding Eden. You won’t be sorry!

  • Racing For The Sun by Amy Lane, Nick J. Russo

    I don’t know what I loved most about this, but Nick J. Russo’s gorgeous reading voice definitely made the top three. I had a couple of really long drives that flew by thanks to this book. I could’ve sat in traffic for hours and I wouldn’t have noticed. You want to completely lose yourself in auditory satisfaction for a while? This is the book for you. ~ Solange [September 2014]

  • Echoes of Scotland Street by Samantha Young

    Wow. I didn’t know how I would feel about seeing Cole working on an adult relationship; but Samantha Young is so talented she pulled it off without a hitch. Shannon MacLeod is a perfect counter to the good-guy-in-a-bad-guy-package Cole Walker. Samantha makes Shannon’s past struggles with the bad boys very sympathetic and relatable. Samantha Young consistently delivers high quality stories that show intelligent, thoughtful relationships. ~ Nelle [September 2014]

  • Locke by Harper Sloan

    Strong, silent, broken Maddox Locke has been my favorite of the Corps Security men. I’ve been dying to get his full story forever and I was not disappointed!! Maddox is the definition of a broken man, brought up thinking he was tainted and not worth anything. What we didn’t know was Emmy is also very broken, but also very strong. This is the story of how they save each other. Their story is crazy-intense, sad and amazingly sexy. Maddox Locke has a filthy mouth and I loved every word that came out of it. I’m so sad that this is the end of the Corps Security Series, but I’m looking forward to the next generation. ~ Adrian [5 stars]

    I’ve been waiting for the entire Corps Security series to get to Maddox’s story and it did not disappoint! We always knew that Maddox was dark and broody and Emmy was secretive, but now we get to understand why. Harper brings the Corps Security series to a satisfying conclusion and I cannot wait for the generation! ~ Nelle [4½ stars] [September 2014]

  • Bone Deep by Brooklyn Skye

    Lots of feels in this one. Grief and guilt cause Krister to seek out the families of the people killed in an accident caused by his Father. Grief and guilt draw him to the sad but beautiful girl he keeps running into at the train station. Together, they help each other heal, but their connection may not be strong enough when Cam finds out who Krister really is. It’s a great, original story with very likable characters, a few twists and just enough angst. [September 2014]

  • Rock Courtship by Nalini Singh

    Nalini has crafted another great story with characters you can’t help falling in love with, and don’t worry, plenty of sexy instances throughout. I loved the originality of how the story begins, with David courting Thea via memo, and how they go back and forth in the same format with their replies. David explaining how good they’ll be together and trying to allay some of Thea’s fears from a past relationship. Then Thea will reply why they can’t be together, yet as she’s crafting her replies, she’s being won over by David’s persistence and thoughtfulness (and sexy words). [September 2014]

  • Jagged by Kristen Ashley

    Kristen Ashley has wooed me with her characters again. Zara and Ham together were sweet and hot, and I loved how Ham was so supportive of Zara. Even though he’d been gone from her life for a few years, things picked up almost like times hadn’t changed, Ham working to show Zara he was the man of her dreams. We get a lot of focus on Ham and Zara’s relationship, their ups and downs and histories that shaped how they see love. There wasn’t as much drama or suspense as the previous books in the series, and for me, it was a nice change up. Another must-read from this Elite author. [September 2014]

  • The Dating Game by Jay Northcote

    Just when I needed a lighthearted, fun read after all the angst I’ve been consuming, I came across The Dating Game, and it was exactly the sweet story I craved. If you’re in the mood to be swept along in an enjoyable, cheerful read, this is the book for you. It’s set in Britain too, which earns extra brownie points in my book. Loved the characters and the writing! [September 2014]

  • Owned by Fate by Tessa Bailey

    You know I love a good Tessa Bailey alpha male, and she does NOT disappoint with Jonah. He knows what he wants and damn everything that gets in his way. I realized something while reading this book compared to reading other super sexy books: Tessa Bailey does not do graphic; Tessa Bailey does intensely sensuous. And holy hell, were my loins happy about reading Jonah and Caroline’s sexy times.

    Whoa. Hello there Jonah! Tessa Bailey ALWAYS brings the sexy talk, but raises the domination stakes with Jonah, the BDSM club owner. Caroline is sucked into a crazy tug-of-war between her family’s business interests and her magnetic attraction to Jonah. You can count on Tessa to bring a heartfelt story along with panty-melting sex scenes.

    Tessa just keeps upping her game. Both characters had believable flaws and issues they had to work on separately and together, and their chemistry was off the charts HOT. I wanted to yell at Caroline to give Jonah a chance, that he wasn’t just some seedy BDSM club owner. Then I’d turn around and want to make Jonah slow down and not overwhelm poor Caroline. Jonah is like jumping on an enthralling bullet train after you’ve been on a slow, boring freight train. The writing and dialogue is awesome, I started highlighting great lines at the 6% mark. [September 2014]

    Tessa does it again! I’ll never get enough of her sexy, filthy-mouthed heroes. This is her first trip into the BDSM world and I think she knocked it out of the park! Jonah was intimidating, dominating and sexy and he fell instantly in love with Caroline. She’s strong and independent and really did not want to like this man and all he stood for. I loved watching her give in to, then retreat from his advances. This story is HAWT with a capital H, the perfect book for someone new to the BDSM genre. [September 2014]

  • Temper for You by Genna Rulon

    Meg’s story is twisty and traumatic, but with lots of support from the 2 couples from the previous books. They have sort of adopted her into their “family” and want her to find love like they have. Luckily, the new neighbor fits into their plan, and is slowly brought into the “family” as well. Genna steps up her sexy times in this story, but everything is still well written in her unique style. We get more of my favorite Sam and Everleigh interactions, causing me to smile and laugh at their antics. Genna also throws in a doozy of a plot twist that I did not see coming, and I almost thought that was the end of Meg and Wes. It was a nail-biter ending, but we get our HEA and the bad guys taken down. [September 2014]

  • Entice by Ella Frank

    Ella Frank’s characters pop off the page in Entice. Sultry, sexy Shelly is brought right down to earth by normal guy, Josh Daniels. The story takes unexpected turns and the chemistry is blazing hot! ~ Nelle [September 2014]

  • No Limits by Lori Foster

    A much-loved MMA fighter is reunited with the one that got away. Yvette and Cannon are pushed together after three years not knowing that they’ve each been pining after the other. This book is filled with sexual tension. He wants her, she wants him but they’re both holding back. Cannon is protective and respected by everyone that knows him. Yvette has been through the ringer, but she’s tougher than everyone thinks. There’s some mystery and suspense that kept me guessing at what the heck was going on. I’m excited to get the stories of the other fighters, so I’m looking forward to more from Lori Foster. [September 2014]

  • Rock Addiction by Nalini Singh

    Oh Nalini, you sure made the transition to contemporary so easily, I almost forgot it was your book.
    I loved this story; all of the characters were so wonderfully written, I wasn’t annoyed by any of them. Plus, even though there was drama several times, there was no “run off and ignore your hurt” type scenes written just to cause heartbreak or more drama. I loved that Molly and Fox both spoke to each other, with honesty, even though both had horrible things happen in their pasts that made them “love-shy.” And Nalini had me on the edge waiting for the other shoe to drop and Molly leave Fox, and I think it made me love this story even more when you realize it’s all going to work out without that added drama. Oh, and of course, sex between a rock star and his lady love? Off-the-charts hot. [September 2014]

  • Bliss by Lisa Henry and Heidi Belleau

    I know when I get into a Lisa Henry book I have to steel myself. I have trouble with non-con at the best of times, and she doesn’t pull any punches. It’s true in this Henry-Belleau collaboration, and while I had to remind myself there would be a happy ending eventually more than once, I couldn’t stop reading. The story is as compelling as it’s frightening, it dives into the dark end of the human soul, and I had to ask myself more than once, how will they get through this? If you are looking for a dark read, this is the book for you. ~ Solange [September 2014]

  • Raced by K. Bromberg

    Driven lovers rejoice! While Raced is not an entirely new story per say, it is a new perspective into previously written and unpublished scenes. Sexy, thoughtful and engaging, Raced lets you step inside the mind of Colton Donavan for a hot little snack that is sure to satisfy.

    I’m sure we all thought, “What the Hell is he thinking?!?!?!” at least a few times in the Driven Trilogy. Well now we get to know exactly what Colton was thinking! Even though this is a collection of chapters and not its own story, we still get all of the intense emotions, sadness, anger and happiness we got in the original trilogy. My favorites are the Colton and Becks “bromance” moments. Colton and Rylee fans will NOT be disappointed. [September 2014]

  • Gabriel’s Redemption by Sylvain Reynard

    Sylvain Reynard’s Gabriel books are some of my favorites of all time. While not technically smut, they are some of the most beautifully written, well developed stories in the genre. As usual, Sylvain’s prose does not disappoint. The words flow like poetry. This final book in the trilogy takes Julia and Gabriel’s relationship to the next level. It also follows all of the secondary characters’ futures. A re-read of the first two books is recommended if you’d like to get everything out of this emotional story. ~ Nelle [December 2013]

  • Double Up by Vanessa North

    Oh now this was a treat. Literally not a single thing in this book I didn’t love — from Ben Warren’s sandpaper gruff voice to his 40-year-old body being hot for the guy with the sob story — everything was literally perfect. I loved the setting, the narration, the sparks that flew off my kindle when Ben and Davis collide. Surfer dudes, guys, what more do you want? It’s a fairly short read, but it’s so dense it doesn’t feel that way. Highly recommended! [September 2014]

  • Assumption: Underground Kings by Aurora Rose Reynolds

    Those Mayson boys sure know how to piss off a woman, yet still get her to fall in love with them in record time. I’m sure their bedroom skills have a little to do with it. Kenton tends to work outside the law, he’s a little bit more rougher around the edges, even his own family call him an ass. But, once he gives in to the pull with Autumn, he does everything he can to keep her safe and in his home. Autumn had a rough childhood, so it takes Kenton more energy to break down her walls. I like how we see Kenton and his family showing Autumn how a real family should be, even with a few crazy people thrown in for good measure. I can’t wait for the next 2 books, about Kenton’s friends, and you’ll fall in love with the Mayson family all over again, if you’ve read the Until Series. ~Marissa

    Enjoyable, easy read with a kick-ass heroine and a just-scary-enough-to-be-sexy hero. I love the banter and the sexual tension between Autumn and Kenton. I love that he went after her until she would admit she wanted him too. I love it all. It has some action and mystery and the sex is hawt!! ~Adrian

  • Melt For Him by Lauren Blakely

    Lauren’s Melt For Him is blazing hot (see what I did there? It’s a book about a firefighter, and it’s blazing?). Lauren has a true talent for weaving a believable strong relationship with panty-soaking sex scenes. This book is #LikeCandy goodness at its best. ~ Nelle [September 2014]

  • One More Chance by Abbi Glines

    This is by far my favorite of the series since Rush’s story, and boy does Abbi put you through the wringer. Since this is the second part of Grant and Harlow’s story, you are already aware of the fight he has on his hands to get Harlow back. Reading his voicemails to her are almost too much to bear, but they are nothing compared to the letters she writes to him. Grant still is a dirty-talking pretty boy and Harlow remains the sweet, shy girl he fell in love with, but she can be naughty when Grant starts talking. You may need tissues during parts of this story, and that is all I’ll say about this wonderful book because I don’t want to spoil it. Don’t worry, we get our HEA and lead ups to the next two books.

    The continuation of Grant and Harlow’s story started out a little slow for me, but once it got going, it didn’t stop!! What I loved most was that it wasn’t overly dramatic. It was all about Grant and Harlow and how they made their relationship work. It was sexy — who knew Grant was such a dirty boy?!?! It was heart breaking — my tears fell more than once. It was sweet and beautiful and emotional. I loved catching up with Rush and Blaire, Woods and Della and the others. We met a new sexy guy and Nan was her usual bitchy self. As usual, I can’t wait for the next one! [September 2014]

  • Castle Hill by Samantha Young

    Fans of Samantha Young’s On Dublin Street (a Shameless Book Club Certified Favorite) will love this glimpse into Braden and Joss’s life. Their growth as a couple is evident, but they still struggle with the past. This novella shows humor and heart and everything we love from Samantha’s emotionally charged series.~ Nelle [November 2013]

  • Captured by Jasinda and Jack Wilder

    I admit I was hesitant to start this book because it is partly set in a war zone and war tragedy is oftentimes hard to read. Though there is a heavy hand in telling it from a soldier’s perspective on the battlefield, it’s necessary to the love story to go through the emotions of understanding the motives for the characters. And then we get to the sex scenes. Or I should say, the HOLY JEEZ ON A CRACKER, the SEX SCENE! Friends, this entire book is worth reading just for the sex and the sex and the more sex. I’ve said for a long time that Jasinda Wilder is a Mistress of Sex Scenes, and with Captured, she proves her title’s worth. Lock your doors, charge your batteries, and get started on this book. [September 2014]

  • A Forbidden Rumspringa by Keira Andrews

    First off, I want to say this is NOT an inspirational romance. The religion is there, yes, to create the background, but the story in no way dwells on it. I went into this intrigued by the blurb and with no idea what to expect. What I got was a heartfelt, sometimes heartbreaking, often hot tale of two men who literally have everything going against them. It’s a beautiful start to a series I will definitely be reading more of. Highly recommended. [September 2014]