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Archives: Reviews

  • Rock the Heart by Michelle A. Valentine

    I feel like I’ve read this story before, but I’m definitely not going as far as to say this is a copy or straight inspiration. There was a twist to the typical girl-reconnects-with-rock-star plot line which had my heart aching for Lanie. Rock the Heart is a sexy, easy read with touches of heart-warming realizations. I’ll want to read the 2nd in the series when it’s released just to see how things turn out. [December 2012]

  • Rock With Me by Kristen Proby

    The hotness of this book is off the charts. Rock With Me, the fourth in the With Me In Seattle series by Kristen Proby, is by far my favorite. Both Leo and Sam are amazingly strong characters, coming together with their own baggage. Together, they make one of my all-time favorite couples. Their sex scenes are h-o-t and plentiful, making me wonder how Sam can even walk and Leo stand up straight. I’d also like to send a lovely, humpy thank you note to Kristen for sharing her muse, Sulan Von Zoomlander, with all of us smut lovers. He’s a delicious addition to my Spank Bank arsenal. Rock With Me is a big, fat must-read. [April 2013]

  • Rules of Entanglement by Gina L. Maxwell

    Though Rules of Entanglement is a sequel to Seducing Cinderella, it’s not necessary to read its predecessor. I wasn’t a huge fan of the first book, but Rules of Entanglement more than makes up for whatever Cinderella was lacking. The sex scenes between Jackson and Vanessa are so hot, my fingers got twitchy, mostly from the heat coming off my Kindle. Nessie is a hardass when it comes to her life rules, and Jax is a hardass with everything else. The sweet-talking fighter and Hawaiian resident could melt the panties off any steadfastly independent woman. [April 2013]

  • Deep Desires by Charlotte Stein

    I liked this book way more than I expected to for not knowing much about it other than the vague title. The great character development and VERY long, VERY intimate sex scenes made me want so many good things for these two. Highly suggested if you like a quick, heart-warming, bits-warming read. [October 2012]

  • Wanderlust by Skye Warren

    I just wanted Evie to catch a break. She’s had a crap life and makes the decision to change her path. Only…she runs into Hunter, and her bad luck continues. Wanderlust is dark erotica, meaning there is dubious consent in sexual situations that may be uncomfortable to read for many people. The writing is excellent and the story is unpredictable, which makes this a must-read for anyone who is comfortable reading morally questionable activities.

  • Because of You by Tara Sivec

    For some reason, I wasn’t expecting a mystery when I started reading Because of You. But as the story progressed, my genius caught up and realized there was mystery on top of intrigue on top of suspense. Mixed in to all of that are some very steamy sex scenes that left me wanting nothing more than a happily ever after for Brady and Layla. Though this is the second book in a series, it’s not necessary to read them in order. There are some spoilers from the first book, A Beautiful Lie, included in this one, but if you want to jump in, you won’t be lost. I liked the first book, but I LOVED Because of You. It was more succinct and pulled together in a way that made me want to keep reading to find out how the story worked itself out. A definite must read! [April 2013]

  • Short Rides by Lorelei James

    Though this mini-anthology includes three separate shorts catching us up with couples from the Rough Rider series, Short Rides is worth buying and reading for the Chassie, Trev, and Ed story alone. Out of all of the McKay/West books, the fifth (Rough, Raw, and Ready) has remained my favorite. The triad is scintillating, romantic, and holy Jesus hot. Grab some extra batteries and lock the door when you settle in to their story because it’s page after page of M/F/M sex. The other two stories in the book are great to read to find out what’s happening with Cam and Domini as well as Keely and Jack. I’m a huge Keely fan, so getting to read more about her is a bonus. This is a must-read for all Rough Riders fans. [April 2013]

  • The Girl In 6E by Alessandra Torre

    If you’re looking for something that’s completely different from every other romance book, The Girl in 6E, is for you. While there were definite hot n’ heavy sex scenes, they were not even close to being the central point of the book. What starts out as something you think you know the direction it will take, there are twists and turns and changes and adventure. As a quick read, there wasn’t time for a lot of details, so much of what happens is glossed over and taken for granted. This could have easily been made into a 3-book trilogy or even a pair of books to be able to get in more detail and emotion.

  • REAL by Katy Evans

    INTENSE. There’s one word that can summarize this book in its entirety: intense. From the characters’ histories to their workout regime to their sexual relationship, Brooke and Remy are intense. Though REAL is classified as “New Adult” (I am not listing it as such here) with retailers, there is nothing innocent about the sex scenes in this book. In fact, they’re some of the best I’ve ever read. There’s tension packed onto tension with a side of tension all throughout the story, so when it all pays off with such intensity, REAL makes for a must-read book. [April 2013]

  • Ultimatum, Enslaved, Retribution: The Devil’s Kiss by Gemma James

    NOTE: I’m reviewing all three of The Devil’s Kiss books together as they are considered to be one complete story, similar to a TV mini-series.
    When presented with the unquestionable, Kayla has to make a dark and twisted decision that leads her into even darker realizations. These novellas are not for the sensitive-hearted. While they were jam-packed with story and mystery, there was a lot to be assumed with little foreshadowing. Being that they are novellas, not much can be fit into the books, but by the end of the series, so much is fit in that some of the connections with the characters is lost. Overall, I was left liking what I read, even though I hated Gage. [April 2013]

  • Temptation by Nicole Edwards

    I really want to know how three people can have that much sex and still walk the next day. Day after day after day, Luke, Sierra, and Cole get it on like rabbits, and they’re still hot and bothered for more. Maybe there’s something wrong with me, but having sex with two gigantor hot men for hours on end would put me out of service for at least a week. Not Sierra. Nope. She’s up and ready to go for more, no matter how little sex she’s had before meeting the two guys. I guess that’s why this is fiction and not a biography. Great ménage love story with some intense emotional struggles. [April 2013]

  • Connected by Kim Karr

    The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of what to say about this book is that it is so descriptive that I had no problems picturing any of the characters or scenes. I could immediately put a face (and body) to a character as soon as they were introduced, and that never wavered throughout the book. This is probably why I fell head-over-heels in love with Dahlia, Ben, and River. My damn tear ducts were working overtime while the story progressed, and then I was left at the end standing on a cliff when I actually said out loud, “WHAT?” I expected a cliffhanger, but DAMN. I highly recommend Connected, but unless you’re an impatient masochist like me, wait until the 2nd book is released to read it. [April 2013]

  • Share Me: One Night With Sole Regret by Olivia Cunning

    Holy. Hotness. There’s no doubt that Olivia Cunning is one of my favorite love scene writers, so having nearly half of this novella wrapped around one big sex romp after another is like gorging on chocolate. This book and the following series is perfect as a palate cleanser after a heavily emotional book because there’s nothing but hardcore heat to read here. From shibari ropes to sex with strangers to girl-on-girl and guy-on-guy action, this quick and dirty book is just that: quick and very dirty. [April 2013]

  • Light in the Shadows by A. Meredith Walters

    You know how when you’re in the midst of someone—a book, a movie, a real-life event—and you hate how things are making you feel? That’s how Light in the Shadows affected me throughout most of the book. But not in a bad way. Quite the opposite, in fact. By the time I finished reading the book, I realized that everything that happened in both this and its predecessor, Find You in the Dark, everything that happened…happened for a reason, just as it should have. That doesn’t make up for the fact that I cried my damn eyeballs out for the duration of both books. Light in the Shadows is lovely, heart-warming, memory-enducing, nethers-warming, and just about perfect. [April 2013]

  • Find You In The Dark by A. Meredith Walters

    Over and over, Maggie reminds us that bad things will happen. Yet even though I know they’re coming, I couldn’t stop moving forward, just like Maggie did. I was pretty much destroyed over memories from my own young-in-love experiences of wanting to be the savior. Being caught up in a destructive relationship is hard as an adult, but as a teenager, it’s multiplied in its struggles. Through major emotional ups and downs, Maggie and Clayton have their own bubble of co-dependency that ended with me hanging on what was to happen in the next book. A GREAT read. [April 2013]

  • Claim Me by J Kenner

    I was crazy-excited to get started reading Claim Me as I wanted to know more about Nikki and Damien’s story. As much as I loved Release Me, I was ready for more enigmatic Matt Bomer-lookalike in my life. Unfortunately, it took about 2/3 of the book to get to really good stuff. I even put Claim Me down twice to read other books, coming back because I knew something was bound to happen. Thankfully, it came around to being interesting and more fulfilling, revealing mysteries and showing more emotionally connections. Overall, this is a good read, especially if you’ve read Release Me. I just hope Complete Me really does complete the trilogy with compelling drama and a keeps my attention better than Claim Me did. [April 2013]

  • Own The Wind: A Chaos Novel by Kristen Ashley

    I am so excited to write this recommendation because it means that I got to read this book. Motorcycle Man by KA is one of my all-time favorite smut books and Tack is one of my all-time favorite alpha males. Having a whole series of Tack and his Chaos brothers is like finding out there’s a mashed potato bar at the party: super delicious and exciting. Own The Wind did NOT disappoint. Catching up with Tack and Tyra as well as getting to know Tabby and Shy is my Christmas. I dove into this book and didn’t come up for air until after I read the first chapter of the next Chaos novel, Fire Inside. And if the first chapter is any indication of the hotness to come, I’m counting down the minutes until its release. [April 2013]

  • Music of the Heart by Katie Ashley

    I loved Abby in this book. Though I, myself, *SHOCKER* am not a virgin, I could relate to her struggles for finding a true love and knowing it when she found him. Jake pissed me off a few times, but what would a male lead be if he didn’t piss me off at some point. Granted, he was going through some majorly tough issues throughout the book, but the way he hurt Abby made me want to punch him in the nuts. Overall, the book is a quick and fun read with self-discovery. I’m looking forward to reading AJ’s story because he seems like the silly, lover boy of the band. [April 2013]

  • Lover At Last: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward

    FINALLY. I don’t think there could be a BDB reader and not think the same thing. After years and YEARS of building up, Blay and Qhuinn’s story is told. Though I have to admit, I would have loved this book even more if it was JUST their story, but that’s not the way of the BDB books. SO many other things happen to set up for the next book that even as I was reading this one, I felt as anxious for the inevitable as I have through the whole series. I’m hoping Ms. JR ends up with a spinoff of just B&Q novellas. I mean, HOW HOT would a bunch of gay vampire books be? Epic. [March 2013]

  • Avoiding Commitment by K.A. Linde

    I SO did not want to cry for these two emotionally draining characters, but by the end, I was shedding a tear or 10. There’s so much wrongness in what they do, but I couldn’t help but feel heart-broken for all of the wasted emotion and time they spent revolving around one another. This book reminds me of The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher, but with a little less WTFness and a lot more love scenes. I’m rolling into the second book with trepidation because my heart is still tender. [March 2013]

  • Beauty From Pain by Georgia Cates

    I simply loved this book. But a warning to anyone who has a twisted mind like mine: This book is not about BDSM. (I know, right?) I just figured from the title that there’d be some whipping and handcuffs, but the “pain” in the title is more emotional than physical. The sexy scenes were hot, the alternating 1st person narrative was fun to read, and the story progressed as naturally as I could believe a person disconnected from the internet could be. I can’t wait for the 2nd book to come out. [March 2013]

  • Wreck Me by J.L. Mac

    While reading through Wreck Me, I had 3 things running through my head: I know how they know one another, I want to take my editor’s red pen to the grammar errors, and holy hell, I need Damon to get into pants. Now that I’m finished, I still want to take my red pen to the pages and fix the errors, I was right about their familiarity, I still want Damon in my pants, and HOLY CRAP, WHAT THE EFF JUST HAPPENED? Not cool to leave me hanging, JL, but at least the second book comes out soon or I’d be on you like white on rice to get Restore Me onto my Kindle. [March 2013]

  • Play With Me by Kristen Proby

    I’m giving this a big thumbs up for Will, his talents, and how Kristen Proby knows how to turn on a lady. That sounds much better in my head than it’s apparently reading. Either way, Play With Me is fun and is a definite must-read for anyone following the With Me in Seattle series. [March 2013]

  • Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox

    I liked this book, and I LOVED Caleb. This man could do no wrong in my mind. From fixing lightbulbs to speeding to the hospital to know the “come hither” finger motion, Caleb is everything and more. While Ellen is a headstrong, stuck-in-her ways girl, she confused me at times during the book, but then Ruthie Knox would iron it all out for me over the next few pages. I liked the different characters, but I’m hoping to read more about them in other Camelot books to come. A great read that could have used a few more love scenes because Ruthie Knox is a master sex scene writer. [March 2013]

  • Falling Into You by Jasinda Wilder

    Run, don’t walk, your little fingers over to the buy button to get this book. Falling Into You destroyed my emotions on every possible level. It’s no secret that there is death and love in this book, but the depths Jasinda takes us into the lives of the characters is overwhelming. Over and over, her words of struggle and of love and of friendship and of loss wrapped around my heart, forcing me to fall into the story. Books like The Sea of Tranquility, Hopeless, and The Edge of Never have taken me over the edge of emotion like Falling Into You, and like those Falling Into You will stick with me for a very long time. HIGHLY recommended. [March 2013]

  • Beautifully Damaged by L.A. Fiore

    Here’s where I admit that I want my own personal Trace bodyguard. Jeeesus, he’s a powerhouse of a smart, sexy man. The story is long and intricate with twists and unexpected turns that left me crying my eyeballs out during the middle third of the book. I did have some issue with the manner in which Ember and Trace spoke to one another; the conversations seemed less comfortable and more formal than real-life people talk. Aside, the love story was great and the tension was even better. [January 2013]

  • Lana by R.K. Lilley

    This should have been a full-length novel. I could have read 100 more pages about Akira and Lana’s love story and more about life in Hawaii. Though “Lana” is a novella in the Up In The Air series, it can be read as a standalone book. Highly recommend, especially for those of us who love how R.K. Lilley can weave a sordid love scene. [March 2013]

  • Kiss Me by C.C. Wood

    There should be a “There’s No Crying in CC Wood’s Books” disclaimer. As with her other novellas I’ve read, Kiss Me is a perfect distraction from the heavy, emotional, heart-wrenching books that populate romance bookshelves. Kiss Me could have easily been a longer book, made into a drawn-out Will they? Won’t they? story, but as it is as a short novella, it’s a great quickie read. [March 2013]

  • Selling Out by Amber Lin

    Selling Out is the darkest book I’ve ever read that uses humor to ease the pain felt as the revelations continue to delve into deeper darkness. Shelly is one of the strongest female characters I’ve ever read. Despite, or because of, her insanely abusive history, she is a master of sarcasm and innuendo. Throughout the story, she fights for what she feels is right and makes no excuses for her actions. Selling Out is a follow-up book to Giving It Up, but it could be read as a standalone. This is not a book for the weak-hearted. I should also mention that there are so many situations that could and will trigger negative emotions and flashbacks that if you are a survivor of any kind of abuse, you should know this before starting to read it. HIGHLY recommend. [March 2013]

  • Easy by Tammara Webber

    The term “New Adult” is one I’m understanding to mean “totally hot yet not graphic,” and Easy fits this description perfectly. I love how the book mingles a message with a story of discovery. A must-read for all romance readers, especially “new adults.” [October 2012]