Category Archives: Romance

Review: Unfixable by Tessa Bailey

18 April, 2014 2:40 pm , 3 Comments ,

21527270Unfixable
By: Tessa Bailey
Publisher: Entangled
Published: April 14, 2014
Genre: New Adult Romance
Rating:

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He’s the last thing she wants…but the only thing she needs.

Willa Peet isn’t interested in love. She’s been there, done that, and has the shattered heart to prove it. Ready to shake the breakup, she heads to Dublin, Ireland. But there’s a problem. A dark-haired, blue-eyed problem with a bad attitude that rivals her own. And he’s not doling out friendly Irish welcomes.

Shane Claymore just wants to race. The death of his father forced him off the Formula One circuit, but he’s only staying in Dublin long enough to sell the Claymore Inn and get things in order for his mother and younger sister. He never expected the sarcastic American girl staying at the inn to make him question everything.

But even as Willa and Shane’s fiery natures draw them together, their pasts threaten to rip them apart. Can Shane give up racing to be with the woman he loves, or will Willa’s quest to resurrect the tough-talking, no-shit-taking girl she used to be destroy any hope of a future together?

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Posted in: New Adult, Romance , Tagged: ,

Review: Charade by Nyrae Dawn

7 April, 2014 6:16 pm , Leave a Comment ,

CharadeMockCharade
(Games, #1)
By: Nyrae Dawn
Publisher: Self-Published
Published: Oct. 22, 2012
Genre: New Adult Romance
Rating:
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Nineteen-year-old Cheyenne tries to portray the perfect life to mask the memories of her past. Walking in on her boyfriend with another woman her freshman year in college threatens that picture of perfection.

Twenty-one-year-old Colt never wanted college and never expected to amount to anything, but when his mom’s dying wish is for him to get his degree, he has no choice but to pretend it’s what he wants too.

Cheyenne needs a fake boyfriend to get back at her ex and Colt needs cash to take care of his mom, so they strike a deal that helps them both. But what if Cheyenne’s past isn’t what she thought? Soon they’re trading one charade for another—losing themselves in each other to forget about their pain. The more they play their game, the more it becomes the only thing they have that feels real.

Both Cheyenne and Colt know life is never easy, but neither of them expect the tragedy that threatens to end their charade and rip them apart forever.

 

1thoughtsI thought this was going to be a cute romance but there were some really heavy topics in this story. You see, Chey’s mother left her at her aunts house 10 years ago and never came back for her. So Chey’s lived her life never really needing anyone. So when her boyfriend cheats on her, she’s left to fend for herself in his world. Since after all, she came to this college to be with him. At the same time Colt is dealing with a mother who is losing the battle with cancer. He does everything he can to make sure she has everything she needs and that there’s enough money to pay for the medical bills. So when Chey comes to him with the opportunity to not only stick it to her ex-boyfriend (who he’s not fond of) as well as get paid for it, he takes her up on her offer. However, while they are playing this game, the game changes.

Like I said, I was surprised by some of the more heavier parts that take place in this story. However, it’s the heavier parts that make this story awesome. This could have easily been a bad boy meets good girl new adult romance but Colt isn’t really that bad, he’s just trying to cope with his mother’s condition. I will admit that there were a couple of parts where I got teary eyed. This is definitely not a light romance.

 

1favequote “It’s easier to hide in the dark…but easier to let go too.”

kRISTIN

Posted in: New Adult, Romance

Excerpt: Uncovering You by Scarlett Edwards

28 March, 2014 8:30 am , 1 Comment ,

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Posted in: Excerpt, Romance

Review: Thrill Ride by Julie Ann Walker

23 March, 2014 7:59 am , 1 Comment ,

15831824Thrill Ride
(Black Knights Inc., #4)
By: Julie Ann Walker
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Published: April 2, 2013
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating:
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He’s Gone Rogue

Ex-Navy SEAL Rock Babineaux’s job is to get information, and he’s one of the best in the business. Until something goes horribly wrong and he’s being hunted by his own government. Even his best friends at the covert special-ops organization Black Knights Inc. aren’t sure they can trust him. He thinks he can outrun them all, but his former partner—a curvy bombshell who knows just how to drive him wild—refuses to cut him loose.

She Won’t Back Down

Vanessa Cordova hasn’t been the team’s communication specialist
very long, but she knows how to read people—no way is Rock guilty of murder. And she’ll go to hell and back to help him prove it. Sure, the sexy Cajun has his secrets, but there’s no one in the world she’d rather have by her side in a tight spot. Which is good, because they’re about to get very tight…

 

1thoughts“The story of a woman who was scared of the dark and a man who was scared of love, who’d come together to overcome all their fears…”

I don’t know why but I didn’t gravitate to this story like I did the others. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy the story but I just didn’t get wrapped into it as much as the others and I’m not really sure why. The characters were likable and the sexual tension was there like the previous books. Heck, Vanessa and Rock are crawling through the Costa Rican rainforest and hiding in trees to get away from the enemy. So the suspense was there as well. I just don’t know why I didn’t fall into this story like the others.

“I just thought I should drag you down off that high horse you climbed up on. Wouldn’t want you to start suffering from altitude sickness or anything.”

I did like the humor in this novel. Vanessa doesn’t back down from Rock, and Rock tries his hardest to hide from Vanessa. You see, Rock lost his fiancee years ago and he never wants to feel that loss again and he knows that his life is currently forfeit and doesn’t want to cause Vanessa and pain either. So he hides behind behind being a sarcastic ass and Vanessa gives as good as she gets to hide her frustration over this man.

“She was in a hollowed-out log, in the middle of a Costa Rican rainforest, being hunted by the CIA with a man ho had no qualms telling her that, while he thought she was hot-to-trot and he wouldn’t mind letting her polish his rocket-so to speak-he has absolutely no plans to start anything permanent with her because…and get this… he would never-that would be with a capital N, his tone had made that very obvious-fall in love with her.”

Like I said, I enjoyed the story and all the puzzle pieces that fell into place but I just couldn’t dive fully into it for some reason. However, I still really enjoyed the storyline and look forward to the next Black Knights Inc novel.

 

1favequote“Zut! Just give me some bubble bath and a tampon. I think I’m officially part of the estrogen party.” -Rock

kRISTIN

Posted in: romantic suspense

Review: Hope Ignites by Jaci Burton

20 March, 2014 7:05 am , Leave a Comment ,

18276941Hope Ignites
(Hope, #2)
By: Jaci Burton
Publisher: Jove
Release date: March 25, 2014
Genre: Contemp. Romance
Rating:
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Logan McCormack likes his isolated life on the ranch, until a movie crew starts filming there. When actress Desiree Jenkins blows into his life, she wrecks it harder than the Oklahoma winds with her brutal honesty and soft touch. Des knows this is a temporary stay, but she loves the open freedom of the land, and for the first time in her life, Des feels like she might have found a place she can call home, with a man she might be falling in love with. But Logan’s heart is tougher than the soil beneath them—can she convince him that they belong together?

 

1thoughtsThis is a cute, yet spicy romance that revolves around a blue collared man and a movie star actress. You see Logan has a lot of acres to his farm. So when a production crew ask if they can rent a small portion of it for a film they are planning to shoot, he figures it’s a win-win situation. They will be at the other end of the property so he will have no clue they are even there, plus he gets to make some well needed cash. However, he starts to rethink the whole being oblivious thing when Des comes around. Not only is she gorgeous but she’s persistent in her pursuit in him.

Des is not one of those hoity toity actresses. In fact she’s extremely down to earth and doesn’t mind helping out and getting dirty on the ranch. She’s always upfront and honest and I think that quality is what really attracts and scares Logan. She doesn’t pussyfoot around, she goes in and makes her intentions known and I found that to be a breath of fresh air in a heroine.

Logan is a man’s man. He’s rugged, dirty and sweaty a lot in the book because of his work. Heck, there’s even a chapter where Des works with him for the day on his ranch. However, he isn’t an alpha man in what most would view as alpha. He takes care of what’s his and works hard to make a living but he isn’t demanding. He gives Des a lot of space and is comfortable letting her go off to do her thing. Both of these characters were such a pleasure to read.

Even though this is a second in a series, it’s great as a stand-alone. I don’t know how much page time Logan had in his brother’s story but I never felt like I was missing something. If you are into celebrity romances, this is a must read. There was no crazy drama or lag time in the story. It was just a beautifully written story about two people who are on two ends of the spectrum finding love.

 

1favepart“She was certain Logan wasn’t excited about being anywhere near her or taking her anywhere.

Which made her want to annoy him even more.

Who knew this location shoot was going to be so much fun?”

kRISTIN

Posted in: Romance

Review: Taste Me Deadly by Nikki Duncan

18 March, 2014 7:40 am , Leave a Comment ,

20482876Taste Me Deadly
(Scensory Ops, #5)
By: Nikki Duncan
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Published: March 18, 2014
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating:
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After five years in Witness Protection, Greycen Craig’s life of careful routine is upended when she learns her sister is the victim in a hit and run, hospitalized, unconscious, and needing a kidney only Grey can give.

Despite warnings that this “accident” is a ruse to draw her out into the open, Grey risks everything to race back to Miami—where she comes face to face with the one man she aches to trust.

FBI agent Liam Burgess thinks he’s prepared for the moment Grey walks into her sister’s hospital room. But the moment the woman who holds his heart appears, his tongue is almost too tied to remember to ask one burning question—why she disappeared in Las Vegas two years ago.

As Grey struggles with what to tell him—everything or nothing—the danger that drove her underground resurfaces, threatening everyone she loves. And the only safe place to run is the arms of the one man she can’t tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

 

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Posted in: romantic suspense , Tagged: ,

Review: Fighting For Irish by Gina L. Maxwell

17 March, 2014 7:06 am , 1 Comment ,

17619576Fighting For Irish
(Fighting For Love, #3)
By: Gina L. Maxwell
Publisher: Brazen
Published: Jan. 13, 2014
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating:
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Kat MacGregor has forty-eight hours to make good on the debt her ex-boyfriend owes a crime boss. Unfortunately, the measly tips she makes waitressing are barely enough for her to live on, much less cover the twenty-thousand needed to keep her breathing. With time running out, Kat ‘s forced to accept help from the only man who’s ever made her feel fire rather than fear.

When he learns a friend’s sister is in trouble, former Boston MMA fighter Aiden “Irish” O’Brien heads to Louisiana to offer himself up as collateral to keep her safe. But to satisfy the debt, he has to do the one thing he swore hed never do again: fight. With more than just money on the line, will Irish have what it takes to not only reclaim the man he once was, but become the man he needs to be for the woman he can’t live without?

 

1thoughtsI loved Rules of Engagement and was really excited to start Fighting for Irish. You have a retired MMA fighter who’s secretly keeping an eye on a friend’s sister-in-law who may or may not be in trouble. That is, until the mafia come knocking on her door. Which is when Irish steps up to take her debt as his own and ends up back in the MMA ring fighting for the Mafia.

I don’t know what happened but I just didn’t connect with the story. I’m not sure if it was the extreme naivety on Kat’s part because let’s be honest, at her age, even if she’s never experienced an orgasm, I’d hope she’d know what one was. Apparently not though because she sorta panicked when the moment came and thought the feeling was painful-pleasurable. Alas, Irish shows her what she’s missing out on… multiple times. Or maybe my problem was with Irish. The typical bad-ass who turns to complete mush when he meets his woman. Such a mush that he start talking gobbly goop that would make a Hallmark card cringe. You can’t be a big bad Bostonian MMA fighter and start getting mushy on me. I want that bad-ass demeanor to carry on throughout the story.

I liked the beginning of the story and had high hopes for this but it just didn’t work for me. I wasn’t connected to the story or the characters. I will still continue to read Gina’s work since I loved the last book and love the way she writes a story. However, the characters in this one just didn’t work for me.

 

1favequote“He must have heat stroke from the last few hours of his ride. Yeah, heat stroke sounded good. He’d go with that. The alternative-comparing a woman to something like lemonade-would mean the demise of his virility, and he could kiss his Man Card good-bye.”

 

Previous reviews from Fighting For Love
Rules of Entanglement

kRISTIN

Posted in: romantic suspense

Excerpt: Letting Go by Maya Banks

5 March, 2014 7:40 pm , Leave a Comment ,

18281993Letting Go
(Surrender Trilogy, #1)
By: Maya Banks
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Published: Feb. 4, 2013
Genre: Erotica

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Josslyn found perfection once, and she knows she’ll never find it again. Now widowed, she seeks the one thing her beloved husband couldn’t give her. Dominance. Lonely and searching for an outlet for her grief and wanting only a brief taste of the perfection she once enjoyed, she seeks what she’s looking for at an exclusive club that caters to people indulging in their most hedonistic fantasies. She never imagined that what she’d find is the one man who’s long been a source of comfort—and secret longing. Her husband’s best friend.

Dash has lived in an untenable position for years. In love with his best friend’s wife and unwilling to act on that attraction. He’d never betray his best friend. And so he’s waited in the wings, offering Joss unconditional support and comfort as she works past her grief, hoping for the day when he can offer her more.

When he finds her in a club devoted to the darker edges of desire, he’s furious because he thinks she has no idea what she’s getting herself into. Until she explains in detail what it is she wants. What she needs. As realization sets in, he is gripped by fierce, unwavering determination. If she wants dominance, he is the only man who will introduce her to that world. He is the only man who will touch her, cherish her…love her. And the only man she’ll ever submit to.

 
 
 
Excerpt

 

Dash’s brow furrowed, and he made no effort to hide his concern. He reached for her hand as they stopped at a light.

“What’s going on with you, honey?”

His tone was worried and his eyes were boring intently into hers.

She gave him a half smile. “I’m having lunch with Kylie and Chessy. It’s time I stop with the grieving widow act every year on the same day. It’s been three years, Dash. He’s gone and he’s not coming back.”

She halted a moment, the pain of her statement momentarily stealing her breath. But it had to be said. To be acknowledged. And perhaps saying it aloud made it that much more real.

She could swear she saw relief flash in his deep brown eyes, but it was gone so quickly she was sure she imagined it.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come over after you have lunch with the girls?”

She shook her head. “No. It’s not necessary, Dash. You’ve babysat me for long enough. It’s time for me to stand on my own two feet. I’m sure it has to come as a relief to you that you don’t have to hover over me for fear I’ll lose it. I’m just sorry I’ve been such a burden to you for so long.”

This time a glint of anger flashed in those dark eyes. “You’re not a burden, damn it. Carson was my best friend, Joss. He—and you—mean a hell of a lot to me.”

She squeezed his hand as he accelerated after a car behind them honked angrily when Dash didn’t immediately go when the light turned green.

“And I appreciate that. I appreciate all you’ve done for me. But it’s time, Dash. I have to do this. He’s gone. I have to accept that.”

Dash didn’t respond. He directed his gaze forward, tension thick in the interior of the car. Had she angered him? She’d only been honest, and she’d sincerely thought he would be glad that he no longer had to treat her like a fragile piece of glass. That he could resume his own life without making her a priority in his.

When they arrived back at her house, she got out, as did Dash. He walked her to the door and she went in, turning back to tell him thank you and goodbye.

“This isn’t goodbye,” he said tightly. “Just because you think you no longer need me doesn’t mean I’m going to just disappear. Prepare yourself for that, Joss.”

With that, he spun on his heel and strode back down the sidewalk, leaving her staring open-mouthed as he drove away.
 


 

author24978

My name is Maya Banks and I live in Texas with my husband and three children and our assortment of pets. I’m more of a cat person, but my daughter became convinced she NEEDED a dog. So convinced in fact that it became her mission to convince her father and me. She prepared a two page handwritten proposal that detailed WHY she needed a dog, and well, after I sent her to her father (I knew he wouldn’t tell her no) we embarked on the search for the perfect dog. The journey that was two hours away and that I got pulled over for speeding while I was on the phone with my agent who had an offer from a publisher for one of my books… The officer wasn’t impressed. He wrote me a ticket anyway. Thus, I now tell my daughter that her dog turned into one very expensive concession! But isn’t he cute?

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Posted in: Erotica, Excerpt

Review: Need You Tonight by Roni Loren

3 March, 2014 3:28 am , Leave a Comment ,

17798500Need You Tonight
(Loving on the Edge, #5)
By: Roni Loren
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Genre: Erotica
Rating:
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From foster kid to trophy wife, Tessa McAllen is about to reinvent herself all over again—and defy every insult her cheating ex-husband ever used against her: Selfish? She’s championing a charity. Stupid? She’s getting her degree.

Boring in bed?

Kade Vandergriff can help her with that one. When they encounter each other at a singles event held at one of his restaurants, Tessa blurts out that kink is for girls who try too hard, and Kade instantly wants to show this sassy stranger how thrilling a night under his command can be…but when he learns her name, the game changes for both of them.

In high school, Tessa was the popular girl who stuttering, awkward Kade fell for. But she chose another. Now, as she eagerly learns lesson after lesson, he’s going to make sure she never forgets him again.

 

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Posted in: Erotica , Tagged: ,

Review: Torn From You by Nashoda Rose

10 February, 2014 9:44 am , 4 Comments ,

18068029Torn From You
(Tear Asunder, #1)
By: Nashoda Rose
Publisher: Self-Published
Published: Dec. 7, 2013
Genre: Erotic Romance
Rating:
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Love is like an avalanche. It hits hard, fast and without mercy.

At least it did for me when Sculpt, the lead singer of the rock band Tear Asunder knocked me off my feet. Literally, because he’s also a fighter, illegally of course, and he taught me how to fight. He also taught me how to love and I fell hard for him. I mean the guy could do sweet, when he wasn’t doing bossy, and I like sweet.

Then it all shattered.

Kidnapped.
Starved.
Beaten.
I was alone and fighting to survive.
When I heard Sculpt’s voice, I thought he was there to save me.

I was wrong.

 

1thoughtsYou really need to read Without You before starting the series. It will help you understand the relationship between Emily and Sculpt prior to her abduction.  It also puts the reader in a state of confusion as to why Sculpt is part of the human sex slave business. It definitely sets the stage for the series.

This book was pretty much set into two part. The first 50% are of Emily’s time in captivity and all the horrible things that happen to her. The second half of the story is set 2 years in the future and focuses on how damaged she is from the whole ordeal. It doesn’t help when Sculpt comes back into the picture because everything comes rushing back.

I found myself really interested in the first half of the story and sort of lost interested during the second half. Maybe it had to do with Emily’s character. She was a little wishy-washy to me. She’s be strong and stubborn one moment and then the next she’d be panting over Sculpt. I also couldn’t stand the multiple times Sculpt would tell Emily to stop “lego building” in her head. The chick did a lot of internal thinking so there for he commentated on her “lego building” just about twice every chapter.  He told her to stop lego building just about as much as he “chin lifted” (nod) to someone. The guy was chin lifting all over the place.

Aside from the few issues I had, the story was interesting. I think a lot of the second half could have been cut out to keep the pace going. I’m not really sure if I’d read another book from this series. I just didn’t really connect with the characters like I’d hope to.

 

1favequote“Maybe love couldn’t be forgotten. But maybe, just maybe it could be smothered by hate.” -Emily

kRISTIN

Posted in: Erotic Romance