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Review: The Young and the Submissive

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Review: The Young and the SubmissiveThe Young and the Submissive (The Doms of Her Life, #2) by Shayla Black, Jenna Jacob, Isabella LaPearl
Series: The Doms of Her Life #2
Published by Dream Words on October 29th 2013
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica
Pages: 300
Goodreads
four-half-stars

“It might take both of you to reach her.”

FINAL DECISION:  In this book, the two men competing for Raine’s heart must put aside their differences to help her.  I enjoyed how these three characters are changing and growing (unevenly and painfully).  This book is only a part of Raine, Macen and Liam’s journey and should be approached as such.

THE STORY: This book continues the story of Raine, Macen and Liam.  As the prior book ended, the two men were engaged in a competition to win the woman they both love.  In this book, Liam realizes that he is not making progress with Raine’s submission.  As he learns more about her past, he recognizes that he alone will not be able to heal Raine.  When he and Macen put aside their differences to help Raine, Liam can’t help but fear that he might help Raine, but lose her.

OPINION:  I really enjoyed this book because the menage that is developing is messy and filled with jealousy, anger, trust issues, lust and love.  These three people are constantly confronted with having to adjust their expectations and desires.  The relationship between Raine, Macen, and Liam is difficult and evolving.  For me, I understand why such a complex relationship cannot be resolved in one book.  I don’t mind that the story of these three was divided into four books because I can see how the authors are developing this complex relationship.

In this book, the three main characters have to adjust their expectations.  The relationship changes from one of competition between the two men to them joining forces to help Raine.  This process is not easy for either of these dominant men and yet the book details how each struggles with Raine’s desires.

These characters are beginning to reveal themselves to one another.  Secrets and pain are shared and thus the beginnings of what might be a strong stable relationship is being developed.

This serial series asks for a commitment from the reader to follow the journey through multiple books, but I am looking forward to seeing what comes next for these three.

WORTH MENTIONING:  This book has a menage m/m/f and also numerous and explicit sex and BDSM.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  THE YOUNG AND THE SUBMISSIVE is the second book in the Doms of Her Life series.  This is a serial and the books should be read together and in order.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4.5 stars.

four-half-stars

Review: One Dom to Love

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Review: One Dom to LoveOne Dom to Love (The Doms of Her Life, #1) by Shayla Black, Jenna Jacob, Isabella LaPearl
Series: The Doms of Her Life #1
Published by Dream Words on December 4th 2012
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica
Pages: 237
Goodreads
four-stars

FINAL DECISION:  This book is a battle.  Two men competing for one woman.  I usually don’t like these types of stories, but this one worked because the emotions felt genuine.  Certainly not for everyone, but without a doubt, deeply emotional.  Readers should be aware that this is continuing series and the issues are not resolved here.

THE STORY:  Raine Kendall has loved Alpha Dom Macen Hammerman for years, but Macen has never treated Raine as anything but a child.  Determined to make him change his mind, Raine shows him that she is all woman.  Macen knows that he can never claim the naturally submissive and yet feisty Raine because she will destroy her.  When Macen breaks Raine’s heart again, she turns to Macen’s best friend and fellow Dom Liam O’Neill.  Liam wants Raine and treats her well, but Raine still loves Macen.  Macen isn’t ready to surrender Raine even as he fights claiming her.

OPINION:  This book introduces the conflict between the main characters.  This book is the beginning of a serial about Raine, Macen and Liam.  I knew this going in so I wasn’t disappointed that things were not resolved in this book.  This book is only the opening act.

Raine has loved Macen for years.  A woman used to being abandoned, she desperately wants to be loved.  While she has submissive tendencies, she is also mouthy and has her own wants and desires that she will not give up.  Her character is central to this story because both men are sniffing around her and also because the reader has to believe that she can have a relationship with both these men.

Macen is a haunted man.  He doesn’t want to bring Raine into his world and yet he refuses to let her go. We learn that his wife died and Macen believes it is because of his lifestyle.  He wants to save Raine by keeping his distance.  In this book, he is tormented by the possibility of losing Raine. His desperation made me sympathetic to him even when I would otherwise think he is jerk for the way he treats Raine.

Liam seems like the sweeter guy, but he can also be a jerk.  We don’t learn much about his in this book and his demons although he does reveal that he does not take infidelity well because of his own past.

I really liked that these characters have a tangled relationship.  Love, hate, desperation, lust.  I have read books before where the woman is involved with two men, but those books are usually ones where the men desire a menage.  These two guys are competing against one another and Raine is caught between.  That brings more angst and uncertainty to the book, but I enjoyed the conflict (which is not resolved).

WORTH MENTIONING:  Content warning for those who want a one woman one man romance.  Raine is involved with two different men in this book.  There is also public sex, BDSM and lots of sexual activity.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  ONE DOM TO LOVE is the first book in the Doms of Her Life series.  This is a continuing story about the menage rather than four separate stories.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Mister O

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Review: Mister OMister O by Lauren Blakely
Series: Holiday/Hammer #2
Published by Lauren Blakely Books on May 2nd 2016
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 306
Goodreads
four-stars

“I’m like a superhero of pleasure, a good-deed doer, the once-upon-a-shy-guy-now-a-stud, and my mission is to dispense as many climaxes to my lovers as possible.”

FINAL DECISION:  A funny contemporary romance, this is a friends to lovers story where these two just seem inevitable.  I loved the tone and humor of the story along with the confusion and uncertainty the hero experiences as he falls in love.

THE STORY:  This is the story of Nick Hammer, former shy geeky guy who now is a stud who writes dirty cartoons.  His childhood friend Harper Holiday decides that she needs a little help in the love department and Nick offers to help.  The only problem is that he really has a thing for Harper and she is the sister of his best friend.

OPINION:  Things have been simmering between Nick and Harper for a while.  Nick has overcome all his shy geekiness and is a now a master with women.  When he recognizes that his friend Harper is having trouble with the men that she is interested in, he agrees to help her “practice” so that she can feel confident.  What starts out as talking and sexy texting become kissing and then much more.  Nick has been fighting his attraction to Harper because they are friends and also because her brother (who is also Nick’s best friend) has threatened to shave and dye his hair if Nick touches Harper.

This story is really about two people liking and caring for one another and yet being afraid of losing their friendship by wanting more.  The book is funny and sweet and really sexy.

The book is told from Nick’s point of view so Harper’s feelings remain a secret until she tells Nick.  At the same time, Nick’s fears and anxieties are on display.  This is a different view than most romance novels and the difference in tone might not be every reader’s type of book.  I enjoyed the change of pace.

The book is light and amusing and the situations that the two get into are not ones that demand deep emotional angst.  Those looking for a funny contemporary will enjoy this one.

WORTH MENTIONING:  This book is told from the male point of view.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  This book is connected by characters but can be read as standalone.  The hero and heroine are, respectively, the best friend and sister of the hero of BIG ROCK.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Big Rock

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Review: Big RockBig Rock by Lauren Blakely
Series: Holiday/Hammer #1
Published by EverAfter Platinum on January 6th 2016
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 250
Goodreads
four-stars

“I think it was one of those things where the one for you is just right under your nose, but we didn’t realize it for the longest time.”

FINAL DECISION:  Funny and sexy (in a seriously dirty way), I enjoyed the male POV. While the story seems like it is going to be raunchy and more sex than emotion, I actually found the story sweet.

THE STORY:  Spenser Holiday is a man who makes it his mission to please as many women as possible.  His womanizing ways, however, may be a liability when his father is attempting to sell his jewelry store business to a conservative family man.  Spenser decides to make himself more palatable by inventing an engagement to his longtime best friend and business partner, Charlotte.  As their pretend engagement progresses, the two find out that the sexual heat between them is explosive.  The only problem is how do friends stay friends once they become lovers.

OPINION:  This novella was the first thing I have read by Lauren Blakely and I will definitely be reading more.  Because the book is written from the point of view of Spenser, it has a different tone than a female POV.  At first, the hero is almost too cocky, too self-assured, but I found his progression through this story to be sweet.

I love a good friends to lovers story and this is a hot one. The two quickly move into a sexual relationship.  Sometimes a book with a lot of sex can become a clinical Tab A into Slot B exercise.  This book always emphasizes the emotional connection between these characters.  Spenser and Charlotte are funny and sexy and I liked them.  One thing I especially like about this story is that the male POV demonstrates how vulnerable and uncertain Spenser is because he doesn’t know Charlotte’s feeling.

This novella is definitely not for everyone.  I’ve been reading a number of male POV books recently along with erotica so the tone of this book was not unfamiliar to me.  Those who prefer knowing less about what men might actually be thinking might want to skip this one.

WORTH MENTIONING:  This novella is told completely from the male point of view.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  BIG ROCK is the first book in the loosely connected Holiday/Hammer series.

STAR RATING:  I give this novella 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Dirty Little Lies

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I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Review: Dirty Little LiesDirty Little Lies by Lora Leigh
Series: Men of Summer #3
Published by St. Martin's Paperbacks on August 30, 2016
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 320
Goodreads

“Once she put two and two together, the realizations of the scope of the betrayals from those she loved would destroy her.  And it would destroy any bonds she had with those who’d lied to her.  Zach included.”

FINAL DECISION:  Lacking emotional intensity between the characters, this book is more about secrets and deceptions. There are many twists and turns but I didn’t like the romance as much as the prior book in the series.

THE STORY: Zach Richards has been avoiding getting involved with Grace Maddox because he knows that the sweet innocent Grace would not be able to deal with his secret life.  When Grace is hurt because people believe she has information from her traitor mom, Zach has to come and protect her.  Thus, Grace and Zach learn that neither is the innocent that they thought the other was.  In order to protect Grace, Zach insists that the two act as lovers. Then the long simmering fire burst into a hot conflagration.

OPINION:  There are a lot of lies in DIRTY LITTLE LIES.  For me, the book was slow going for the first third and then got much better.  The first third had way too much exposition and explanation. The pace picked up when the serious action started.

This book had a lot of twists and turns, I only wish that I cared more about the characters here.  There was so much action, intrigue and drama that I often lost track of what should have been the emotional center of the book.

I liked the story, but I missed the drama and emotional of the second book of the series which I liked much better.

On thing I really enjoyed about this book is that Grace is a strong willed woman of her own.  While she pretends to be innocent, she is perfectly able to take care of herself.  After all the lies and deception she has been forced to endure, I am surprised that Grace is able to trust anyone again.  I liked how she gives Zach grief and doesn’t allow him to run over her with his alpha ways.

WORTH MENTIONING:  For readers of the series much of the continuing story is revealed and resolved here.

CONNECTED BOOKS: DIRTY LITTLE LIES is the third book in the Men of Summer series.  I think without reading the other books in the series, a reader might be lost in places because there are a lot of characters and situations continuing from the prior books.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 3 stars.

Review: Her Darkest Nightmare

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Review: Her Darkest NightmareHer Darkest Nightmare (The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles, #1) by Brenda Novak
Series: The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles #1
Published by St. Martin's Paperbacks on August 30th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Pages: 432
Goodreads
four-half-stars

FINAL DECISION:  I loved this book primarily because of Evelyn and her hottie state trooper Amarok, but I also enjoyed the mystery which was twisty and creepy and kept me guessing.

THE STORY:  Dr. Evelyn Talbot was only a teenager when her world was torn apart by her psychopath boyfriend killed her best friends then imprisoned and tortured Evelyn for three days before leaving her for dead.  Twenty years later, Evelyn studies psychopaths. She is in charge of a maximum security facility which is studying serial killers. Located in a small town in Alaska, Evelyn is not the most popular person for bringing these killers to town.  It has placed her on opposite sides of State Trooper Sergeant Amarok who also tempts Evelyn as no man ever has.  Now a mutilated body of a woman seems to confirm Amarok’s deepest fears about the facility while Evelyn fears that the monster who almost killed her before may have returned.

OPINION: I am a longtime mystery and suspense reader but I prefer my books with a strong dose of romance.  I enjoyed this book because I like Evelyn with all her hangups due to her encounter as a teenager with her psychopath boyfriend.  Evelyn is damaged and while she is accomplished professionally, she is stunted in her relationships.

I love the sweetness of her reaction to Amarok and, for me, their relationship centers and makes the rest of the book worth reading.  While I enjoy a good, creepy suspense, I like to have sweeter and lighter moments as well as a reason to care about the characters.  I like these two and look forward to reading more about them.

I always find it difficult to review suspense and mystery books because I don’t want to give too much away.  That being said, I think this one kept me guessing until the end.  I thought I had it figured out and then the story would twist and go in a new direction.  Plus, there is some really creepy and messed up stuff going on.  I always admire a story that I don’t solve immediately.  There are plenty of suspects here and I didn’t guess the right one, but was satisfied that the ultimate solution was supported in the story.

The mystery/suspense story intertwines so well with Evelyn’s own personal journey that I was fully engaged during the entire book.  This book can satisfy both romantic suspense readers and those who just like a good mystery.

WORTH MENTIONING:  There are still threads of the overarching story for the series that are left at the end of this book, but the main mystery of the book is completely resolved.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  HER DARKEST NIGHTMARE is the first book in the Evelyn Talbot Chronicles series.  There is a prequel but this book can be read without having read that.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4.5 stars.

four-half-stars

Review: With Every Breath

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Review: With Every BreathWith Every Breath (Slow Burn, #4) by Maya Banks
Series: Slow Burn #4
Published by HarperCollins Publishers on August 23rd 2016
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 352
Goodreads
three-stars

FINAL DECISION:  More personal journey than romance, I liked the suspense aspect of this book and for that give it 3 stars.  I wish there was more romance but it reads more like a suspense book with some romance than a straight romance.

THE STORY:  Eliza Cummings thought that she had left her past behind her when she discovers that the serial killer she knew when she was a teenager is getting out of prison.  Determined to make sure that he never hurts anyone again, she is willing to leave all her loved ones behind to protect them. Wade Sterling knows that there is something wrong with Eliza and intends to find out all her secrets.  Wade and Eliza are engaged in a dangerous game with a man who has psychic abilities and who can make people do, think and feel what he wants.

OPINION:  This story is really about Eliza’s dealing with her past and her plan for taking out a serial killer.  While there is a romance, there is no buildup or real conflict other than Wade finding out about Eliza’s past.  I happen to like my stories flipped with more romance than suspense.

The story was good, but not as creepy or engaging as others in the series and so I was a bit disappointed.  After the buildup, the confrontation with the “bad guy” was too quick.  Also, unlike other books in the series where the psychic element was a big part of the story, here it felt more like an afterthought that had little impact on the story.

Despite that, I liked Eliza and Wade together.  I just wish that more time had been spent on developing their relationship.

WORTH MENTIONING:  No idea where the series goes from here as far.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  WITH EVERY BREATH is the fourth book in the Slow Burn series.  This book can be read as a standalone although there are references to events in the other books of the series.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 3 stars.

three-stars

Review: First Star I See Tonight

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Review: First Star I See TonightFirst Star I See Tonight (Chicago Stars, #8) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Series: Chicago Stars #8
Published by William Morrow on August 23, 2016
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 384
Goodreads
four-stars

“All in all, it was still a good day to be Cooper Graham.  Except for one pesky woman.”

FINAL DECISION:  The emotional part of this book really snuck up on me.  I believed it was funny with bickering protagonists until the end which just ripped my heart open.  Phillips is a master at the quirky, funny, sarcastic characters that make me love them despite my intentions.

THE STORY: Cooper Graham has just retired as the star quarterback of the Chicago Stars.  Big man in the city of Chicago, Cooper is unhappy to find out his has a stalker, Piper Dove.  But Piper is not actually a stalker but rather a detective trying to make a name for herself. Her first job is to trail Cooper.  When she is spotted, she soon finds herself working as Cooper’s bodyguard — although he refuses to allow Piper to officially do that job.  Whatever her job title, Piper is determined to protect Cooper whether he wants it or not.

OPINION:  I am often surprised by my reaction to a Susan Elizabeth Phillips book.  She somehow manages to make me like heroines that I either hate or am iffy about when the book starts.  I wasn’t a fan of Piper when the book began.  Her pugnacious personality somewhat annoyed me as the book began.  So determined to do what she wanted, I didn’t see the compassion in her that I want from characters. Oh how wrong I was.  Under her shell, Piper is a woman who deeply cares.  And Phillips does an amazing job of showing that as her personality is slowly revealed to Cooper.  While Piper changes and grows, she remains true to her personality — and Cooper loves her for who she actually is.  By the end of the book, he understands and accepts her and puts himself on the line because he knows she needs it.

Piper and Cooper are the perfect pair.  Both are competitive and want to succeed.  They are somewhat single minded and don’t necessarily give up on bad ideas easily.  Stubborn to to the core — both of them.  I loved how their romance was not sweet and sentimental but rather combative and argumentative.  Just perfect for them.  In the end, their romance becomes deeply emotional and even sweet (for them).

This book is filled with so many engaging secondary characters.  The princess obsessed with shoes.  The widow convinced her Cheesehead wearing husband is still alive. The nerf gun toting teenager.   I love how so many intriguing characters inhabit his book and yet never overwhelm the main storyline.

I recommend this book if you like original, funny romances with unexpected heart.

WORTH MENTIONING:  I absolutely adore Heath Champion’s role in this book (MATCH ME IF YOU CAN).

CONNECTED BOOKS: FIRST STAR I SEE TONIGHT is the eighth book in the Chicago Stars series. While some characters from previous books make appearances, this book does not depend upon any knowledge of those books.  This book stands alone.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: The Player

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Review: The PlayerThe Player (The Game Maker, #3) by Kresley Cole
Series: The Game Maker #3
on April 12, 2016
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 334
Goodreads
five-stars

“When you’ve been in the dark as long as I have, moy angel, there is no mistaking the light.”

FINAL DECISION:  Oh, how I ended up loving this book. The book was good until the last portion of the book which made me rethink the entire book.  I then found the book to be amazing because I was surprised and completely satisfied.  Plus, the book is really hot and sweet!

THE STORY: Victoria “Vice” Valentine comes from a long line of con-artists.  Desperate to help her family satisfy a deadly debt, Vice approaches the reclusive billionaire Dimitri Sevastyan. She intends on bilking him out of the money her family needs.  But there is something about the sexy Russian that tempts the “cold as ice” Vice to burn in ways she never suspected. Soon she is pulled between her loyalty to her family and the sweet man who seems to want only her and claims love at first sight.

OPINION:  This book didn’t end up where i expected.  I really appreciate a book that can surprise me in a good way.  This book was a 4.25 or 4.5 until the ending.  That pushed the book to a definite 5 for me!

Dimitri was a hero that I really liked.  Damaged and secretive, sexy and domineering but completely dedicated to doing anything for Vice, I loved him more than the either of the other men of the series (and they weren’t slouches). I loved how his painful past slowly was revealed. Who wouldn’t fall in love with a man who will do anything for you?  Vice, despite her best intentions, just can’t help herself.

Vice is a heroine who is herself imperfect and in fact might be more shady than the hero.  She is a con artist from a family legacy of the same. Even more, she is not repentant about her actions or those of her family.  Surprisingly, as a reader, I was rooting for these “bad guys”.  Her conscience begins to bother he as she realizes that Dimitri is a damaged but kind and caring man.  Her feelings for him begin to threaten her loyalty to her family.  The tension and conflict there works very well in this story.

Indeed, this book has beautiful pacing.  The relationship between Vice and Dimitri plays out in a winding and revealing manner.  Vice believes that she has the secrets, but Dimitri has a past filled with secrets.  As the story goes on, Dimitri’s secrets are slowly revealed to Vice and to the readers (although readers of the series will know some of the story).  I especially liked how the structure of the book reveals Dimitri’s secrets while forcing Vice to feel that she cannot reveal her own without risking the joy she is finding with Dimitri.  When the end of the book arrives, I was shocked and thrilled with the entire book.

And, oh this book is hot, hot, hot!  Vice and Dimitri just sizzle off the pages.  There is plenty of sex, but even better, it is all intertwined with deep emotional intensity which makes the book even sexier in my estimation.

This book ended up being my favorite of the series and definitely made me want to read the entire series over again.

WORTH MENTIONING:  Don’t read the spoilers for this book!  The payoff is amazing when read in context.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  THE PLAYER is the third book in the Game Maker series.  It can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 5 stars.

five-stars

Review: Ladies Man

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Review: Ladies ManLadies Man (Manwhore, #3) by Katy Evans
Series: Manwhore #3
Published by KT Publishing LLC on April 26th 2016
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 298
Goodreads
two-half-stars

“He’s infuriating. He’s annoying. He’s cocky. Selfish. Self-centered. Really, I don’t even know why we’re friends.”

FINAL DECISION:  I prefer my romances to be between the hero and heroine.  Here, the heroine was in a sexual relationship with another man that begins during the book and continues almost two-thirds of the way through. Then the resolution between the hero and heroine was incredibly rushed.  Disappointed.

THE STORY: Gina has been attracted to Tahoe for years.  Tahoe is definitely a manwhore with different women (sometimes more than one) just about every night.  Gina approaches Tahoe with the possibility of a one night stand but he turns her down.  Instead she finds another man.  While everything seems to be going well with her new boyfriend, Gina and Tahoe are learning to be friends.  Yet the attraction between the two doesn’t go away as these two hurt people find was of caring for one another without sex.

OPINION: I was extremely disappointed with this novella because it had such promise.  The story was angsty and I loved the relationship between Gina and Tahoe.

What I didn’t like was that despite the fact that they both are pretty messed up about relationships, the resolution was immediate and only took a few pages.  The vast majority of the book was Gina finding another man to have a relationship with, her attempts to make it work and then her moving on from that relationship. There were more sexual scenes with the other guy than the hero of the book.

About half way through the book, I was sure that the book was going to end on a cliffhanger as the first Manwhore book did because there was no way the story could be resolved in so few pages.  I was wrong because the story is complete here, but I was right that the story couldn’t properly be resolved in the pages left.

Too much of Tahoe’s history came out quickly and then was pushed aside rather as “solved” rather than properly dealt with.  I just didn’t buy the resolution to the story and it left a bad taste for me, ruining what might have been a great story.

I was utterly disappointed.

WORTH MENTIONING: Fans of the Manwhore series will get a treat with an update on Rachel and Saint.

CONNECTED BOOKS: LADIES MAN is the third book in the Manwhore series.  The book can be read as a standalone as it deals with a different couple than the other books in the series.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 2.5 stars.

two-half-stars