Category Archives: Romance

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

Review: The Professional: Part III by Kresley Cole

8 February, 2014 8:42 am , 2 Comments ,

18223625The Professional
Part III
By: Kresley Cole
Publisher: Pocket Star
Published: Jan. 20, 2014
Genre: Erotica
Rating:
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Are you ready to play?
Yet all is not as it seems. To remove Natalie from an enemy’s reach, Sevastyan spirits her into hiding. From an opulent palace in Russia to the decadent playgrounds of the mega-wealthy in Paris, the two lovers will discover that even their darkest – and most forbidden – fantasies can come true…

 

1thoughtsWe start out right where Part 2 left off at… in a BDSM club. Yup, we start off right in the action. However, this isn’t really a lust filled part of the story. Sure it starts out as such but it becomes deeper the more you read.

Natalie isn’t happy that Sevastyan isn’t opening himself up to her. He expect her to marry him but every day she finds that he’s distancing himself from her. He shuts down the second he gets home from “meetings” and she’s had enough. Either he opens up to her or she leaves him. And boy does he have one doosey of a story to tell. I liked that even though there isn’t that suspense from the first book or the sex filled scenes of the second, this one dove deep into the psyche of Sevastyan. We learn of his past, how he ended up on the streets and understand why that’s changed him into the man he is.

This was a great end to an amazing story. I do feel that breaking it into separate parts kept me from truly diving into it because of the breaks between parts. It was like pausing a great movie mid scene and then going back a month later and pressing play. I was no longer fully in the moment. Which is why the part I enjoyed the most was the first one. However, I plan on going back and starting the story over and reading it from start to finish. I have a feeling that after doing so I will walk away with a deeper love for the story and the characters within.

 

1favequote“What would happen if you found out that most of my life had been everything unheroic? What if you discovered that I’m hated – and that I hate myself for every time I lost?” -Sevastyan

 

Previous reviews from The Professional
Part I
Part II

kRISTIN

Posted in: Erotica

Review: Staking His Claim by Tessa Bailey

5 February, 2014 2:02 am , 2 Comments ,

20517588Staking His Claim
(Line of Duty, #5)
By: Tessa Bailey
Publisher: Brazen
Published: Feb. 3, 2014
Genre: Contemp. Erotic Romance
Rating:

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He wants her. All of her.

NYPD sniper Matt Donovan is in Hell. Instead of driving his best friend’s little sister home from college, he’s stuck with her roommate—a fresh-faced ray-of-sunshine with a body that makes grown men weep. There’s no way he’ll allow himself to taint the little vixen, no matter how hard she tries to tempt him, so he resigns himself to the longest—and hardest—drive of his life.

Matt’s obvious attraction suits grad student Lucy Mason just fine. She had no idea her brother’s best friend was so deliciously hot. Knowing he’d never have his wicked way with his buddy’s sister, she lies about her identity and seduces him. But Matt’s no fumbling college boy. His desires run deep—and dark—and he wants to teach Lucy what wicked really means.

Matt’s demanding appetites only make Lucy want more. But when her cover’s blown, he’s furious—even as his hunger for her becomes insatiable. Matt can’t trust anyone, least of all himself. And he knows all too well that darkness always destroys the light…

 

1thoughtsThe story starts out with Lucy finding out her roommate is ditching her for the summer. However, Lucy is going to make the best of it. Especially when her brother’s “stuffy” friend walks into the coffee shop. He’s nothing like she expected and she quickly finds herself introducing herself as her roommate and saying how Lucy ditched them to go to some beach house with a guy. You’d think that the book would be about Lucy keeping the ruse while home with her brother around but the secret is out the second they get in town. What happens next is where the story really kicks off.

Let me just take a moment to start this review by saying that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that Lucy is from Syracuse University. Not only that just she wears SU gear in the book. Yup, that right there got me all excited, you know because I was born and raised in Syracuse.

Anyways, this was a great addition to the Line of Duty series. You have everything that makes this girl happy, an aggressive male who isn’t afraid to talk dirty, a strong heroin who isn’t too timid stick it to the man, a relationship that is believable, humor laced throughout and drama that isn’t too over dramatized (for lack of a better word). I mean the whole climatic part wasn’t anything eye-roll worthy. I honestly could see it happening in real life. Tessa knows how to write an amazing story that leaves you rooting for the characters.

A bonus to this amazing story is that the MC’s from the previous two books make an appearance. One of which is her brother, but the other is also a cop as well. So if you’ve read the previous books, it was nice to kind of touch base with them again. However, if you haven’t read them, don’t fear because it’s not required. This novel would read great as a stand alone.

I know I’ve said it about 4x now but I am a huge fan of this series. Tessa has easily become one of those authors who I don’t hesitate to click the “buy now” button with. I can’t see which officer she pulls into the story next.

 

1favequote“Matt stood very still, trying his best to find humor in the situation, because she was so clearly lying. Porn definitely got her motor running. But at the end of the day, he was a man. When a gorgeous girl in jean shorts is waving her ass at you, an ass that has been haunting you all day, against a backdrop of moaning and slapping flesh, any attempt at maintaining control is compromised.”

kRISTIN

Posted in: Erotic Romance

Review: Temporarily Yours by Diane Alberts

4 February, 2014 6:01 am , 1 Comment ,

20440672Temporarily Yours
By: Diane Alberts
Publisher: Brazen
Published: Feb. 3, 2014
Genre: Contemp. Romance
Rating:
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This soldier’s the perfect hoax…if she doesn’t fall for him first.

Stats whiz Kayla Moriarity knows her way around numbers and algorithms. Men, on the other hand, are unsolvable equations. Now Kayla’s en route to her sister’s wedding—alone and without the fictional boyfriend she invented for her family. Fortunately, her plane comes complete with complimentary cocktails and a ridiculously hot ex-marine in the seat beside her. And that’s all it takes for Kayla’s inhibitions to go sailing out the airlock…

Cooper Shillings has soft spot for people in trouble, but he certainly wasn’t expecting to land in it himself—and definitely not while getting naughty mid-air with a sexy southern belle. When he hears Kayla’s predicament, however, he offers his services as a stand-in boyfriend. After all, he’s heading overseas soon…and how could he refuse a little no-strings wickedness?

It’s the perfect plan. And all Kayla has to do is ensure her family falls for the ultimate bluff, without falling for it—and Cooper—in the process…

 

1thoughtsKayla has been lying to her family about having a boyfriend to keep them off her back. The know nothing about this made up man because she wants it to be a surprise when they meet him. Well, imagine her surprise when she meets a man on a plane who’s willing to play the role of her boyfriend. Only, the lines start to blur and the relationship becomes more real than the two of them ever planned.

We’ve all watched those movies with this type of theme. So it comes as no surprise that the two end up falling in love only to have drama in the last 20 minutes where one bails but in the end love prevails. This story is no different from those. However, McLauglin makes it a bit more steamier than those movies. Heck, the two get quite cozy and very personal on the plane ride, in the airport parking lot and then later at her hotel room. So, pulling off the whole, “Oh yeah, I’m totally hitting that.” vibe wasn’t hard for these two. They didn’t need to fake their chemistry because they already had it.

I did have some issues with this book though. The fact that they just meet each other and she allows him to put his hands in her nether region, while on a plane. Maybe I’m just an old stickler but for me that was just taboo. I could see maybe kissing someone at a club or something but on a plane ride? Let alone letting some stranger get his digits in my vajayjay, that’s just not happening. Although I could see taking up the opportunity to have a real life fake boyfriend and then possibly progressing after a while but right off the bat like that? Eh, not so much.

“We met in an airport, and before the plane landed, I already knew the little sounds you make when you come. Ever since, it’s been a whirlwind of craziness.”

Once I got past the initial hand shake – for lack of a better term – I was on board with the story. There were no pesky ex’s trying to reclaim Kayla’s heart. Although, Cooper’s military past makes him feel unworthy of Kayla. However, in the end all it takes is a grand gesture to get the girl of your dreams. It was a good romantic read with a bit of steam mixed in but it was just “eh” for me. It didn’t really give me anything new that I hadn’t already seen/read before. I wish the author had thrown in a twist to set it apart from all the others.

 

1favequote“You know, I saw so many childhood friends marry the first guy who came along just to have that ‘special day’. But every day is my special day. I’m happy on my own.” -Kayla

kRISTIN

Posted in: Romance

Review: Marine for Hire by Tawna Fenske

3 February, 2014 6:32 am , 1 Comment ,

20500908Marine for Hire
By: Tawna Fenske
Publisher: Brazen
Published: Feb. 3, 2014
Genre: Contemp. Romance
Rating:
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She thought she’d sworn off military men for good…

Sam Kercher is every inch a wickedly hot Marine. Tall. Sexy. Lethal. When his best friends call in a favor, Sam is forced to face an entirely new line of duty—playing nanny for their newly divorced sister and her squirming seven-month-old twin boys. If Sam can dissemble an M16 in his sleep, diaper duty should be a cakewalk…right?

Unfortunately, Operation Nanny isn’t quite that simple. Sheridan has sworn off overbearing military men, so Sam must protect her from her dirtbag ex without revealing just how much he has in common with her brothers. Or that he’s been ordered not to touch her. Ever. Problem is, Sheri’s one hell of a gorgeous woman, capable of making this hard-bodied marine even harder. And Sam wants her bad.

Protect the girl. Care for the babies. Hide his identity. And keep his hands off. But even the most disciplined Marine has weaknesses…and Sheridan is one Sam might not be able to resist.

 

1thoughtsI don’t normally read romances with children in it. Let’s be honest, it can be a little awkward and distracting when there’s thoughts of hard-ons one minute and children joyfully laughing in the next. So I went into this one with some reservation about there not only being one kid in the mix but two. However, the author did an amazing job incorporating the infants into the story that didn’t make it awkward at all.

There was quite a bit of humor in the story. Right in the beginning you have Sheriden and her friend Kelli hanging out in the kitchen unwinding. Kelli is exactly like me. I have four children, all of which are covered in fur and have four legs. I never received the “mommy gene”. The puking, crying, pooping just sounds like a nightmare. However, scooping crap out of a box and cleaning up regurgitated furballs doesn’t faze me. Yup, Kelli and I are two peas in a pod.

“I love you, Sher. And I’ll gladly hold you hair back if you need to puke in a bathroom toilet on girls’ night. But there’s no way I’m helping you wash diapers.”

The story is written in both Seriden and Sam’s POV. Even if there weren’t a break in between the two, you could clearly tell them apart. Sheriden is worried about not being a good mother while weighing the ramifications of jumping her “manny”. Meanwhile, Sam is reciting Marine jargon and rehashing what to do in combat situations when changing the boys’ diapers. The author did a great job in creating the characters personalities and letting them shine through the pages.

I’d have wished that the author had taken some chances with this story. Right from the synopsis you know how the story ends. Heck, I pretty much knew everything that was going to happen before finishing the first chapter. I won’t go into detail because maybe some of you may be surprised. However, I found this to be a light romantic read that doesn’t make you think to much. I think the only time I really thought about something was when I tried to picture Sheriden beating her ex-husband over the head with a peacock beanie baby.

Like I said, this is a nice light romantic read. Predictable, yes, but still enjoyable. Maybe I’d enjoy Kelli’s story more since I really seemed to gravitate to her personality a lot more. I mean seriously, the chick could be my twin.

 

1favequote“Please. I spent three years married to Captain Insensitive. At this point you could tell me to go fuck myself and I’d feel giddy someone’s talking dirty to me.”

kRISTIN

Posted in: Romance

Review: The Professional: Part II by Kresley Cole

16 January, 2014 9:12 am , 4 Comments ,

18223628The Professional
Part II
By: Kresley Cole
Publisher: Pocket Star
Published: Jan. 6, 2013
Genre: Erotica
Rating:
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He makes the rules…
Mafiya enforcer Aleksandr “The Siberian” Sevastyan’s loyalty to his boss is unwavering, until he meets the boss’s long-lost daughter, a curvy, tantalizing redhead who haunts his mind and heats his blood like no other. Ordered to protect her, Sevastyan will do anything to possess her as well—on his own wicked terms.

Rules are made to be broken…
PhD student Natalie Porter had barely recovered from her first sight of the breathtakingly gorgeous Sevastyan before the professional hit man whisks her away to Russia, thrusting her into a world of extreme wealth and wanton pleasures. With every day she spends under his protection, she falls deeper under his masterful spell.

Are you ready to play?
Yet all is not as it seems. To remove Natalie from an enemy’s reach, Sevastyan spirits her into hiding. From an opulent palace in Russia to the decadent playgrounds of the mega-wealthy in Paris, the two lovers will discover that even their darkest—and most forbidden—fantasies can come true…

 

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Posted in: Erotica

Review: M-Day by D.T. Dyllin

8 January, 2014 8:59 am , 2 Comments ,

MDAY_FRONTjpegM-Day
(M-Day, #1)
By: D.T. Dyllin
Publisher: Tik Tok Press
Published: Jan. 7, 2013
Genre: Dystopian Erotic Romance
Rating:
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Before the day… before M-day… people used to read books and watch movies about zombies. They used to dress up as zombies; pretend to kill zombies… Basically, zombies had become a part of popular culture in a very unexpected way.

The highly anticipated zombie apocalypse never came.

What did come was much worse than any city over run with shambling corpses after brains and flesh. A virus… a virus that only affected men. Nobody knew what caused it, or where it had come from, not that it really mattered. It’s here and there’s no going back.

Maxine was one of the lucky ones–she got out alive. She and her friends banded together to survive the new desolate conditions left behind by the virus. When a supply gathering mission goes awry, Max and company are left with no better choice than to trust a group of uninfected military men. No longer on the run from her infected husband, Max discovers there could be worse dangers for her on the horizon… Like losing her heart to her mysterious savior everyone calls Zee.

 

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Posted in: Erotic Romance, Sci-fi , Tagged: ,