Guest Post: Fighting Connolly’s by Roxie Rivera
I like to write super sexy romances and naughty erotica that make your pulse pound. I also write erotic romances as Lolita Lopez including the red-hot GRABBED series for Ellora’s Cave and the upcoming Dragon Heat series from Forever Yours/Grand Central.
Review: Thrill Ride by Julie Ann Walker
Thrill Ride
(Black Knights Inc., #4)
By: Julie Ann Walker
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Published: April 2, 2013
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating:
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…
“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.
“Zut! Just give me some bubble bath and a tampon. I think I’m officially part of the estrogen party.” -Rock
Excerpt: Trust Me by Natasha Blackthorne
Trust Me
(Regency Risks, #2)
By: Natasha Blackthorne
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Erotic Historical Romance
Anne and Jon’s story continues.
Is she insane?
All of Mayfair is whispering the question.
Anne Lloyd, the new Countess of Ruel, thought she’d finally begun to heal from having witnessed the terrible death of her first husband. But, from her new husband’s grandmother to his ex-mistresses, it is all that is on everyone’s lips. What scares her more than the potential social ruin is that even she isn’t sure they aren’t right.
Jonathon Lloyd, the Earl of Ruel, has commanded men on the battlefield and women in the ballrooms and bedchambers with his dominant personality. It tears him apart that he can’t command his wife’s terrors to go away. To top it off, he has to battle his grandmother, for Anne’s acceptance as the new Countess. There are times when it seems to him that the bloody battlefields of Europe were easier to navigate than the so-called civilized graces of Society.
There are those who will stop at nothing to tear apart the fragile bond between thenewlyweds. Can Lady and Lord Ruel learn to trust each enough to keep their love, andher sanity, intact?
Reader Advisory: Trust Me is an erotic historical romance. It features frequent, graphic descriptions of sexual acts and frank sexual slang from the time period. As a work of historical fiction, it is not meant to be an accurate portrayal of modern BDSM lifestyles or practices. It is also not meant to be an accurate portrayal of modern treatment or recovery from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Jon released his tension in quiet whistle, and then tapped his fingers upon the desktop again.
There was no help for it. They must face this. No one could be allowed to believe that either of them was hiding in shame.
The bed creaked and drew his attention.
Anne had sat up, her black-as-midnight hair tumbled over her shoulders and her dark blue eyes were huge in a face that seemed a bit strained. A catch in his chest caused him to hold his breath.
He glanced back at the letter.
You stupid boy, did you forget yourself and stash your brains in your breeches?
Lady S. tells me that this Lady C. threw herself at your head and made such a spectacle of herself that you will be forced to marry her. Lady W. B. and the Countess of C. both say they believe you are already gone away on your wedding trip. Is that it then? I demand to know! Have you married Lady C.? Please tell me you haven’t wed this hoyden!!!
“It is unfair to be judged solely on such a moment.” Anne’s voice was very soft.
“I don’t like it, either. But it is the way our world is arranged. You are a lady and now you are my lady.”
Her shoulders rose and fell with her deep inhalation and then they slumped. “She makes me seem so dreadful.”
He ran a caressing hand over her upper back. “Anne, don’t be distressed. You must trust me to think on what to do. And you mustn’t worry.” He squeezed her hand. “We’ll give lie to the rumours.” He put all the confidence he possessed into his tone. However, he knew Cherry and Maria could be very vindictive. As could his grandmother.
A slight pounding began at Jon’s temples. Was Anne strong enough to face the fire?
I am married to my own hero and we share our life with a very quirky calico cat. I have a BA in History and I love to read, both romance and scholarly history and I listen to a variety of music from classical to reggae. But mostly I am hard at work researching and writing my next story.
Review: Uganda Be Kidding Me by Chelsea Handler
Uganda Be Kidding Me
By: Chelsea Handler
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: March 4, 2014
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating:
Wherever Chelsea Handler travels, one thing is certain: she always ends up in the land of the ridiculous. Now, in this uproarious collection, she sneaks her sharp wit through airport security and delivers her most absurd and hilarious stories ever.
On safari in Africa, it’s anyone’s guess as to what’s more dangerous: the wildlife or Chelsea. But whether she’s fumbling the seduction of a guide by not knowing where tigers live (Asia, duh) or wearing a bathrobe into the bush because her clothes stopped fitting seven margaritas ago, she’s always game for the next misadventure.
The situation gets down and dirty as she defiles a kayak in the Bahamas, and outright sweaty as she escapes from a German hospital on crutches. When things get truly scary, like finding herself stuck next to a passenger with bad breath, she knows she can rely on her family to make matters even worse. Thank goodness she has the devoted Chunk by her side-except for the time she loses him in Telluride.
Complete with answers to the most frequently asked traveler’s questions, hot travel trips, and travel etiquette, none of which should be believed, UGANDA BE KIDDING ME has Chelsea taking on the world, one laugh-out-loud incident at a time.
This is a quick and easy read about Chelsea’s travels. She takes us through the various places she’s traveled, the friends who accompanied her and the insanity that ensued.
I think the most interesting part of the book was her story about Africa. It was entertaining to read about their safari adventures as well as the difference between the different “camps” they stayed at. Not to mention the interesting characters that they came across while in Africa. For some reason I just gravitated towards this story more than the others. Not saying that the others weren’t entertaining to read but the Africa trip really took the cake with this one which left the other trips falling a bit flat for me.
This is the second book that I’ve read of Handler’s and I have to say that they all have the same feel to them. The writing style is the same and Chelsea always comes off sounding a little out of control. Instead of relaying information, it always sounds like she’s fabricating things to make it more interesting and funny. Or maybe she really is as obnoxiously out of control as the book says. I will be honest that if that’s the case, I feel bad for some of the people that she comes across in this book.
Those who enjoyed her previous books would probably like traveling the world through Chelsea’s eyes. However, if you are looking for a halfway civilized documentary about traveling with some humor mixed in then this is not for you. After all, we are talking about someone who likes talking with a stereotypical Asian accent, drinks heavily, and doesn’t take life seriously at all. In the end, this was a quick light read that was entertaining while it lasted.
“Why are babies allowed to cry when they wake up, but adults crying when they wake is frowned upon? Babies are permitted to act like assholes whenever they feel like it and no one blinks, but if an adult throws a temper tantrum, all of a sudden it’s on YouTube.”
Review: Hope Ignites by Jaci Burton
Hope Ignites
(Hope, #2)
By: Jaci Burton
Publisher: Jove
Release date: March 25, 2014
Genre: Contemp. Romance
Rating:
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?
This 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.
“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?”
Review: Taste Me Deadly by Nikki Duncan
Taste Me Deadly
(Scensory Ops, #5)
By: Nikki Duncan
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Published: March 18, 2014
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating:
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.
