Archives for December 2016

** Review ** THE BILLIONAIRE’S VIRGIN Jackie Ashenden

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

** Review **  THE BILLIONAIRE’S VIRGIN  Jackie AshendenThe Billionaire's Virgin by Jackie Ashenden
Series: The Billionaire Fairy Tales
Published by Swerve on January 10, 2017
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three-stars

Book #1 in the intensely sexy Billionaire Fairytales by Jackie Ashenden where sometimes dark and tortured, sometimes bad boy and charming, but always dominant and sexy billionaires steal their heroines' breath away.

Xavier De Santis: Charming. Disgraced. Playboy.

The headlines are always shouting about the excesses of the so-called Prince Charming of the De Santis family. Problem is, Xavier is everything they say he is.

But now he’s gone too far, and he has has been ordered to clean up his image. Volunteering at a homeless shelter, Xavier sees a bright light amidst all the bleakness. An angel whose luminous face and tragic beauty call to him in ways he can’t explain.

Mia: Homeless. Vulnerable. Virgin.

When the shelter Mia calls home closes, she is left with nowhere to go. Nowhere except the luxurious, glorious palace of a home where Xavier De Santis has invited her to stay. This too-handsome billionaire is dark, dangerous…and also too good to be true.

Surely Mia can indulge in her fantasies and escape the hardness of her daily life for just one night?

As one night turns into two, Mia knows that eventually, the magic will end. She can't keep the beautiful clothes. She can't keep the soft bed. And most of all, she can't keep the hard, handsome man who makes her crave his touch with every breath she takes.

Mia doesn't belong in his world. But as Xavier tempts his rags-to-riches heroine with exquisite pleasure and heady desire, Mia may have no choice but to surrender to him completely.

Jackie Ashenden’s novels have been described as “Dark, explosive, and gritty, with a splash of dominance.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review on In Bed with the Billionaire) and The Billionaire’s Virgin delivers even more of that delicious combination.

Don’t miss the next book in the series: The Billionaire Beast.


A different take  on a billionaire story!  I enjoyed reading this book, but was left feeling like there was some depth missing.  I could relate to the characters, and liked them getting together, but I felt like we could have gotten more in touch with them had their stories been told in a different way.  Like instead of having them talk to themselves in their head all the time about their scars from their past, actually dig into it a bit more.  Instead of his money handing her the papers she wants about her past, actually have had them embark on the search for answers, etc.

Xavier De Santis is a fun-loving billionaire playboy who has just gotten away with this last exploit in his father’s eyes!  Ordered to clean up his act or else, he steps up to volunteer at the homeless shelter his dad sends him to.  He hates the mundane repetitiveness of serving the hopeless and downtrodden, but one night someone catches his eye.  She will barely look at him and has no reaction what-so-ever to his smile … but she intrigues him!

Mia has been on the streets long enough to know that no one is ever what they seem, so she keeps her head down and minds her own business.  She doesn’t want the attention that Xavier seems to want to give her, but one night when they run into each other outside the shelter to find it’s closed, she has to fight back her fear and pride to accept his offer of a place to stay for the night.  When one night turns into two, and two into three, neither one can ignore the attraction and draw they feel for each other.  Will he be able to get her to let her guard down enough to let him into her life?

 

three-stars

** Review ** SURRENDER Lisa Renee Jones

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

** Review **  SURRENDER  Lisa Renee JonesSurrender by Lisa Renee Jones
Series: Careless Whispers
Published by Pocket Star on January 9, 2017
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four-half-stars

Passion burns fiercely hot between Ella Ferguson and Kayden Wilkens, the man who held secrets and lies in his hands, and then allowed them to fall into hers. But even though he has become her anchor--helping her recover from amnesia after finding her unconscious in an alley, and allowing her into his secret world--all is not what it seems. Kayden still has secrets, and pieces of Ella's past are still shrouded in the darkness of her mind, while the powerful man who hunts her will not stop until she is his. In this final, explosive novel in the Careless Whispers series, Ella discovers that while her life with Kayden didn't begin in that dark alley...it could easily end there.

With the stunning conclusion of the attention grabbing Careless Whisper series, Lisa Renee Jones brings us Book 3, SURRENDER.  You do need to have read book 1 and book 2 to fully comprehend this story.  It’s been a riveting read, and the conclusion was intense!

We’ve been on a roller coaster ride of discovery with Ella Ferguson in this entire series.  She was found unconscious in an alley by Kayden Wilkens with a horrible case of amnesia back in Book 1 and has fought tooth and nail to remember who she was and what danger she was blocking out of her memory.  She and Kayden have developed an intense love for one another, and as she goes deeper into his secret world, she finds pieces of herself that she thought were gone forever.

This book brings answers to some of our questions, as well as a peek into Ella’s friendship with Sara as Sara and Chris from Inside Out make an appearance.

four-half-stars

** Review ** PUSHING THE LIMITS Katherine Garbera

** Review **  PUSHING THE LIMITS  Katherine GarberaPushing the Limits by Katherine Garbera
Series: Space Cowboys
Published by Harlequin Blaze on January 1, 2017
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four-stars

"Houston, we have a hot-astronaut problem…"

Survival expert and control freak Jessie Odell has faced the most hazardous environments on earth. Training astronauts should be a cakewalk. Nope. Enter candidate Hemi "Thor" Barrett and his hot, ripped bod, and suddenly Jessie is breathless with raw excitement—something she hasn't felt for a long, long time—and it scares her to death.

Hemi isn't just some sexy distraction. Jessie actually likes the guy—and that makes him more treacherous than an Everest ascent. It also means Hemi's that much harder to resist. With every hungry, heat-fueled encounter, Jessie skirts closer to that dangerous edge. Falling for this space cowboy is definitely high stakes…but could the payoff be worth the risk?


Book two in Katherine Garbera’s Space Cowboys series is another fun one!  We delve a little further into the training they have to do for the upcoming space mission and get to see some of the characters from Book one again!

Survival expert Jessie Odell is a take-charge thrill seeker, but she decides to use the time after a personal tragedy to reflect on her life and what more she wants to do with it while throwing herself into a different experience of teaching a course at NASA.  She’s excited for the opportunity … and just when things are getting started, she meets one of her students who takes her breath away!

Astronaut Hemi “Thor” Barrett is all man.  He’s gorgeous, fit and adorably sure of himself and what a distraction he is!  Hemi is training for the mission of a lifetime, but that doesn’t stop him from falling for his gorgeous new teacher.  The differences they find attractive in each other, just might be their downfall when they try to make a relationship work.

four-stars

** Review ** DEVIL’S MARK Megan Crane

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

** Review **  DEVIL’S MARK  Megan CraneDevil's Mark by Megan Crane
Series: The Devil's Keepers
Published by Loveswept on January 3, 2017
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four-stars

The bestselling author of Devil’s Honor returns with a deliciously sinful novel about a good girl who goes bad—and the notorious Louisiana biker who can’t resist the lure of forbidden fruit.

Holly Chambless is tired of being the squeaky clean daughter of Lagrange’s holier-than-thou mayor. When her father is charged with corruption, she realizes that her whole life’s been a lie. Now’s her chance to do all the things she never dared, like scoring a job at a bar where reputations go to die, or reconnecting with the biker who sparked a secret hunger in her all those years ago. Holly isn’t a wide-eyed girl anymore—and this time she wants a taste of what has always been denied.

Killian “Uptown” Chenier has no time for stuck-up princesses. He likes fast bikes and wild sex. Sure, he remembers Holly. He sent her running with a wicked smile and a lesson about prying eyes. And sure, she’s grown up smoking-hot, with a body he’d like to personally desecrate. But Devil’s Keepers business is real and intense. Her daddy stole from the club, leaving his pretty blonde daughter a walking target. And when Uptown takes aim at what he wants, he never misses.


If you’re looking for a new  motorcycle club bad boy, this is a fun series to try out!  This one didn’t quite measure up to the first in the series, because Greeley & Merritt were a really hard act to follow. I did enjoy Killian and Holly, I just didn’t fall quite as in love as the first time.  Still loved reading the story and can’t wait for the next in the series!

Mayor’s daughter, Holly Chambless is back home from college and tired of being Daddy’s good girl … especially since he’s just been arrested for corruption after all these years of preaching what’s right and wrong to her!  She’s going to go after what she wants and what better place to start than at the bar hangout of the local bad boys??

Killian “Uptown” Chenier loves his life as a member of the Devil’s Keepers Motorcyle Club!  What more could he want out of life than a family of brother’s, fast bikes and endless hot sex for the taking?  When he runs across the reigning princess of Lagrange in his hangout, he steps forward to teach her a lesson of where good girls don’t want to hang out in town.  They have a past connection, and he would like nothing more than to get his revenge on her disgusting father than by defiling his baby girl!

four-stars

** Review ** THE BLACKEST CRIMSON Debra Webb

** Review **  THE BLACKEST CRIMSON  Debra WebbThe Blackest Crimson by Debra Webb
Series: Shades of Death
Published by MIRA on December 1, 2016
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five-stars

Detective Bobbie Gentry was psyched when she was offered the opportunity to work with the FBI on a special task force in the search for a heinous serial killer known as the Storyteller. What she didn't expect was for the serial killer to follow her home on Christmas Eve...

The Storyteller couldn't resist Bobbie no matter the risk. He murdered her husband and would have murdered her child but the little boy got away. Now Bobbie's fight for survival might just be more than he bargained for...

One of them must die.


A short novella prequel to Debra Webb’s newest series, Shades of Death.  We’re hooked from page one!

Detective Bobbie Gentry was thrilled to be working on a task force with the FBI to catch a crazed serial killer … until the Storyteller set his sites on her!  When he shows up at her house on Christmas Eve, killing her husband and kidnapping her, will she be his next victim, or will she be the first to live to tell about him?

 

five-stars

** Review ** DEADLY FALL Elle James

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

** Review **  DEADLY FALL  Elle JamesDeadly Fall by Elle James
Published by Harlequin Romantic Suspense on January 1, 2017
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four-half-stars

In a Gothic mansion on a windy coast, former soldier Dixie Reeves and her client, billionaire Andrew Stratford, are in grave danger. The single dad has hired her to help him protect his daughter from a mysterious threat. As their enemy closes in, even tough-as-nails Dixie has to hold her nerve…and keep her guard up to stop herself from falling for Andrew and his adorable little girl. The long nights pass, and Dixie and her handsome boss can't deny they're barreling toward the kind of love that changes lives. That is, if they can somehow keep their instant family safe from the danger at the door!


An attention getting mystery from start to finish!  Quick to read, intriguing with a side of sweetness!

Former soldier Dixie Reeves is happy to take on a new job just when she needs the distraction most.  She’s set to be a bodyguard to a billionaire’s daughter.  When she arrives and meets the family, she’s immediately drawn in and is determined to keep them safe!

Andrew Stratford doesn’t understand what’s going on in his house, but he’s determined to keep his daughter safe.  When Dix arrives and is not what he was expecting, he doesn’t think he can trust her to get the job done, but when she puts him in his place and proves her worthiness, they agree to a truce.  When attraction flares, will they be able to work together to figure out who is out to get him?

four-half-stars

** Review ** DOMINATE ME Stacey Lynn

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

** Review **  DOMINATE ME  Stacey LynnDominate Me by Stacey Lynn
Published by Carina Press on January 16, 2017
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four-stars

Haley

The first time I felt Master Jensen's presence beside me, I knew he would be the one to show me all the kinky pleasures of Luminous.

That I would give my body to him. Begin my journey to sexual freedom at his feet.

But when I dared raise my eyes to his, I saw he would get a part of me no man had had before: my trust.

Jensen

From the instant I saw her blush, I was captivated.

There was power in her innocence—a power I quickly controlled.

Every moan, every cry, every new awakening was mine. I pushed her boundaries and watched her sexual confidence grow…knowing that in the end, I would have to let her go.

I know the price of love and I'm not willing to pay it.

I dominated her body and she enthralled my heart. But I have to walk away before I ruin the one I love.

Again.


A sensual learning of a the lifestyle she’s always dreamed about!  Obviously you have to be comfortable with BDSM and hot sex to read it!

Haley Portsmouth is exploring things in life that will make her happy now that she’s on her own and living only for herself again.  She’s always been interested in being dominated, so she sets out to learn about the life!

Jensen Rhodes was scarred by a bad experience and withdrew from the life that made him the happiest.  When he sees Haley for the first time, he knows he’s got to have her succumb to him, even if only for a short time.  He can never allow himself to keep her.

four-stars

** Review ** AND THEN MINE ENEMY Alison Stuart

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

** Review **  AND THEN MINE ENEMY  Alison StuartAnd Then Mine Enemy Series: Feathers in the Wind
Published by Oportet Publishing on December 25, 2016
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four-half-stars

A family ripped apart in a country divided by war . . .

England 1642: Hardened mercenary, Adam Coulter returns to England sickened by violence, seeking only peace, but he finds England on the brink of civil war. He has seen first hand what that will mean for every man, woman and child and wants no part of it.

King or Parliament? Neutrality is not an option and Adam can only be true to his conscience, not the dictates of his family.
Having escaped a violent marriage, Perdita Gray has found much needed sanctuary and the love of a good man, but her fragile world begins to crumble as Adam Coulter bursts into her life. This stranger brings not only the reality of war to her doorstep but reignites an old family feud, threatening everything and everyone she holds dear.

As the war and the family tensions collide around them, Adam and Perdita are torn between old loyalties and a growing attraction that must be resisted.


A historical saga centered around the start of the English Civil War and the turmoil and unrest that become of the country throughout.  You are drawn in to the lives of the characters very quickly, and continue to be enthralled as each new thing happens.  Not a huge amount of romance, but it’s a great read anyway!

Adam Coulter has lived the ravaged life of war before, so when he returns home to England just to discover the King is ready to start a civil war, he isn’t happy.  He can’t just sit back and abstain, so he joins the side of the Parliament, even though it means being on opposite sides of what family he has left.

Perdita Gray has had her own heartache in life and is happy to be free from a loveless marriage and about to embark on a new one with a man who will spend his life catering to her needs and desires.  She doesn’t expect to be drawn to yet another man when she meets Adam Coulter.

As the war progresses and family tension is at an all-time high, will Adam and Perdita keep their distance from each other, or will temptation be too strong?

four-half-stars

** Review ** NIGHT MANEUVERS Tawny Weber

** Review **  NIGHT MANEUVERS  Tawny WeberNight Maneuvers by Tawny Weber
Series: A SEAL Brotherhood Novel
Published by HQN Books on December 1, 2016
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four-stars

In a sizzling prequel novella to her new trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Tawny Weber introduces the sexy, powerful Navy SEALs in the Poseidon team as they take on the ultimate mission: love.

Within the elite brotherhood of Navy SEALs, the Poseidon team are the very best—and the most secretive. Convincing a naive journalist not to write a tell-all PR feature should be a piece of cake for Chief Petty Officer Aaron Ward. Especially once he glimpses Bryanna Radisson's soft, lush curves. His tactic: seduce and destroy…

Bryanna is no pushover. Aaron's hard-muscled body makes her crave much more than a story, and she'll get what she came for. Desire is her weapon of choice, but when this one wild night is over, will Aaron sabotage her plans…or lose his heart in collateral damage?


With this prequel novella, Tawny Weber introduces us to the Poseidon Team of Navy SEALS that will star in her upcoming SEAL Brotherhood trilogy!  If you’re familiar with Tawny’s work at all, you’ll know that she writes a sexy military guy quite well!  This was a short and easy to read story.  We met a lot of characters in a short span, some of which were Poseidon and some who weren’t, so that was a little confusing, but the main two characters had a cute connection and were fun to read about.

Chief Petty Officer Aaron Ward drew the short end of the straw and was tasked with the duty of giving an interview about his SEAL team to a PR rep.  He thinks he’ll go in and woo her with his smile and even let her enjoy a night with him to achieve keeping their group shadowed and unknown.  He doesn’t anticipate her being seasoned with using her feminine wiles to get her story, nor is he informed of her connections in the Navy!

four-stars

** Review ** DR. DO-OR-DIE Lara Lacome

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

** Review **  DR. DO-OR-DIE  Lara LacomeDr. Do-or-Die by Lara Lacombe
Series: Doctors in Danger
Published by Harlequin Romantic Suspense on January 1, 2017
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four-stars

Two doctors are on thin ice as they race to save the world from a deadly disease.

Epidemic researcher Dr. Avery Thatcher has studied countless illnesses…but nothing prepares her for what she finds at a remote Antarctic base: the man she never wanted to see again and a mysterious ailment ravaging inhabitants. Avery will do whatever it takes to discover the illness's cause, and she vows to keep her heartbreaking history with Dr. Grant Jones in the past—even if reignited passion brings them dangerously close.

For Grant, ending this outbreak and regaining Avery's trust are vital. As their hunt to contain a lethal pathogen escalates, he'll put everything on the line to avert disaster. But will another insidious threat stop them both cold?


An exciting ride of terror filled moments as they rush to stop an unknown disease before it catches up with them all!  It keeps you guessing trying to figure out who all is behind the bad doings, and wondering if they are going to find them before more people are lost.  I wanted a little bit more of a connection between the main characters.  I felt their past was show-cased well, but the reunion and current relationship could have had a little more oomph to it.

Dr. Grant Jones isn’t expecting an epidemic to break out on the base that he’s in charge of in Antarctica, and when it does, the last person he thinks will walk through the door as the head CDC investigator is his former college sweetheart the he has never gotten over.  He expected to spend the rest of his life with her, but circumstances and youthful mistakes split them up.

Center for Disease Control investigator, Dr. Avery Thatcher has no clue she’s walking into Grant’s base hospital when she is sent to investigate a suspicious outbreak.  She isn’t happy to see him and have the memories of how badly he let her down all those years ago flashing through her mind again.

The time together lets them have the time they need to discuss each of their feelings over the past, and make peace with each other, but will they be able to put a stop to the release of this disease before they are all taken down by it?

four-stars