Tag: romance

Devil’s Own (The Devil’s Keepers: Book 3) by Megan Crane

Devil's Own (The Devil's Keepers #3)

Title: Devil’s Own

Author: Megan Crane

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: May 16th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 202

POV: 3rd person

Series: The Devil’s Keeper

Devil’s Honor – Book 1 (review here)

Devil’s Mark – Book 2

Devil’s Own – Book 3

Where you can find Devil’s Own: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

From the bestselling author of Devil’s Honor and Devil’s Mark, this seductive novel of the Louisiana bayou kicks into high gear as a dangerously sexy biker takes a no-nonsense teacher on the ultimate thrill ride.

Lara Ashburn hates bikers. She watched a motorcycle club destroy her hometown, bringing her brother down with it. That’s a life she put far in her rearview. So the last person she wants to see walking into her classroom is the top enforcer of the Devil’s Keepers. Big, mean, and gorgeous, all tattoos and leather, Chaser is everything Lara should avoid. Yet the insane chemistry sparking between them tempts her to break all the rules.

Ryan “Chaser” Frey has his hands full with a teen daughter in need of tough love, and he doesn’t have time for prissy teachers who want to tell him how to raise his kid. But Chaser never could resist a chick who gives as good as she gets. Lara is sexy as hell, and she’s not afraid of him. Plus, her links to a California club could provide the Devils with leverage against their enemies. But that would mean mixing business with pleasure—and risking the one woman Chaser can’t afford to lose.

My review:

I am going to come across as a prude here but sometimes there are sex scenes that really make me uncomfortable. I have read and been reviewing romance novels for a long time (since 2011 on another blog and 2014 on this one), so I like to think that I have a good feel for these types of book. Plus, I really like MC romances. Something about a guy, a girl and the danger of the club gets me. Unfortunately for Devil’s Own, I couldn’t get it. To be honest, the book makes me feel slightly dirty, and not in a good way, while reading it.

Let’s start with what I liked about the book:

The plotline and the subplot line: I actually was really intrigued by all 3 plotlines and I do wish that more info was given about Lara’s uncle and his club (but I have a feeling that they will be factored more in other books).  Kaylee’s storyline broke my heart. That poor girl had been through the wringer and back with her mom. Plus add in that her dad was an enforcer for the club and she was basically on her own because her aunt Liz could care less, I felt awful for her. She was screaming for attention and fortunately, for her, Lara cared enough to try to help. The last storyline, which started in Devil’s Mark, looks like it is going to come to a head in another couple of books.

Chaser: I love a man that exudes dangerousness and Chaser definitely did that. I thought Lara was brave for speaking to him the way she did during their parent/teacher meeting but then again, remembering how that meeting ended…I’m not too sure about that. Put it this way, I wouldn’t want to meet him in a dark alley.

Kaylee: She didn’t show up much in the book but I loved the scenes she were in. She was definitely trying her father with her choice of clothing, her decisions to drink before going to school and just being a pain in the butt. But there was a reason behind her acting out and when it was revealed, it was devastating. I felt so bad for her when she revealed it to Lara and I wanted to give her a huge hug.

Now, onto what I didn’t like about this book:

Sex within the first chapter of the book: Ok, I am not a prude, far from it. But to have the two main characters have sex within the first couple of chapters of the book just doesn’t do it for me. Especially when they don’t know each other and the sex is in Lara’s classroom. Also what didn’t do it for me was the fact that, with the exception of one night, Lara and Chaser only had sex in public places. Let’s see: the clubhouse, on the stairs to her apartment and one memorable scene where they had sex at the clubhouse while watching an orgy. Made me feel kind of dirty reading it.

Lara: She couldn’t make up her mind if she wanted to be a biker babe or an uptight teacher and there was literally no middle ground with her. She drove me nuts seesawing back and forth between the two stereotypes. Heck, even I knew, pretty early in the book, which was she was going to go. Honestly, it shouldn’t have been dragged out the way it was but I can appreciate why it was done.

The end of the book was pretty predictable and I was able to call certain events pretty early in the book.

How many stars will I give Devil’s Own: 2.5 (rounded up to 3 for Amazon and Goodreads)

Why: Like I said above, this book made me feel dirty. As much as I liked Chaser, I really couldn’t see him and Lara being a couple. Lara drove me nuts with her seesawing back and forth (like I said above).

Will I reread: Maybe

Will I recommend to family and friends: Maybe

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, language, and violence

I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it

Royal Affair (Royals in Exile: Book 2) by Marquita Valentine

Royal Affair (Royals in Exile, #2)

Title: Royal Affair

Author: Marquita Valentine

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: April 18th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 230

POV: Alternating 1st person

Series: Royals in Exile

Royal Scandal – Book 1 (review here)

Royal Affair – Book 2

Royal Chase – Book 3

Royal Duty – Book 4 (expected publication date: September 26th, 2017)

Where you can find Royal Affair: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

A sheltered princess goes wild—and makes the best mistake of her life—when she falls for a roguish reporter in this fun, sexy romance from the bestselling author of Royal Scandal.

Online muckraker Brooks Walker has a reputation for exposing the political élite. Now he’s set his sights on the Sinclair siblings, who’ve been embroiled in their fair share of drama ever since their exile to North Carolina. But Brooks has never been afraid to get his hands dirty—until he meets a royal wallflower at a charity ball who makes him reconsider everything. Is Brooks feeling guilty because he knows all the sordid details of her family’s history? Or because he’s putting their relationship first, before his journalistic integrity?

As the “spare” twin, Princess Charlotte has always been the responsible one. So when her sister finally agrees to fulfill her duty as queen, Charlotte gives herself permission to break a few rules by flirting with the very off-limits CEO of Walker Media. Brooks is the worst sort of man to start an affair with, but Charlotte just can’t help it. The trouble is since she’s no good at playing games, soon she’s tiara over heels in love. And when Brooks comes clean, Charlotte must decide whether his confession is worth a royal pardon.

My review:

Have you ever wanted to read a book where the villain got his happily ever after and he got it with one of the fairytale characters? Well, read Royal Affair because that is exactly what happens here. Starting off hot and steamy and ending with a very surprising happily ever after, Royal Affair made me run the gauntlet of emotions while reading it. I went from being insanely happy to almost depressed within the same chapter. Now, normally that would throw me off a book, but in this case, it made me like it more.

Royal Affair is also one of those books that eclipse the first book in the series. Now, don’t get me wrong, I loved it when I read Della and Colin’s romance. It was just that it was missing something and I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then I read Royal Affair and went, “Ahhhh, that’s what’s missing.” What was missing was genuine feelings that developed between Brooks and Charlotte. Della and Colin didn’t have that (read my review on Royal Scandal….it is linked above).

I really liked Charlotte. She was so sweet and had an innocence that just made you want to shelter her even more than she had been. She has been through a lot. From the deaths of her parents to finding out who her biological father was (read the book if you want to find out) to being outed by Brooks. she has been through the wringer. It left her with anxiety issues and honestly, as a person who suffers from anxiety, I really liked that the author chose not to make her issues go away. Instead, they were right out in the open and she was dealing with them as a regular, real-life person would do.  There are a couple of huge secrets that aren’t revealed until halfway through the book. Both I didn’t see coming….at all and both made me go “No way” when they were revealed. So, slow clap to the author for doing that!!

Brooks, who was made out to be a jerk in the first place, really wasn’t that bad of a guy once you got to know him. He had a razor-sharp wit and he knew how to negotiate a bargin….which is what he did when he first made that deal with Charlotte. He was a business person up until David contacted him with an envelope and some damning information about Charlotte and Imogen. He just couldn’t open that envelope. It was then that I knew he had serious feelings for her.

Besides that two plot twists that I named above, there is one that I saw coming from a mile away. It is my only complaint about the book is that. I really wish that it didn’t go there.

The sex between Charlotte and Brooks were very, very hot and they did the nasty in some pretty interesting areas. Just read the book to find out where 🙂

The end of the book was pretty bittersweet. It was sweet because Charlotte did get her heart’s desire but bitter because Brooks had to take such a personal hit. I loved the epilogue and can’t wait to read Theo’s story!!

I did have a couple of questions:

Was Briggs accident truly an accident? Because with everything that was going on I wouldn’t have been surprised if it wasn’t.

Who sent that text to Brooks? If it wasn’t Charlotte and if it wasn’t Imogene….then who was it?

Why is Davis so darn slippery? He is seriously starting to annoy me

How many stars will I give Royal Affair: 4

Why: Great characters, an engaging plot and hot sex equal a fantastic read

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, violence, and language

I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it

Sex in the Sticks (Love Hurts: Book 1) by Sawyer Bennett

Sex in the Sticks (Love Hurts, #1)

Title: Sex in the Sticks

Author: Sawyer Bennett

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: May 2nd, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 225

POV: Alternating 1st person

Series: Love Hurts

Sex in the Sticks – Book 1

Jilted – Book 2 (expected publication date: July 11th, 2017)

Where you can find Sex in the Sticks: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Wake up and feel the wood! In the first of a series of irresistible standalone romances from New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett, a city girl rediscovers love and lust in the Alaskan wilderness.

Valentine French may be the sassiest dating columnist in New York City, but the abundance of metrosexuals in her adopted metropolis is seriously cramping her style. Where are the beefy all-American boys? Hoping to find some inspiration, Val heads to Alaska, where the men outnumber the women fifteen to one and wrestle grizzly bears for sport. Or so she can only imagine. Suddenly the most eligible bachelorette in a town full of horny lumberjacks, Val is writing her best columns ever. But if she doesn’t get her nose out of her laptop, she just might miss out on Mr. Right.
 
Logan Burke is the sheriff of the little podunk town that Val finds so charmingly backward. He’s not that different from the guys she’s using for her little experiment; it’s just that one date would never be enough for Logan. As he listens to Val complain about love over beers in the local tavern, he realizes that she can’t see the forest for the trees. Because if she would ever give up her Prada bags and fourteen-dollar martinis, Logan would give her the only luxury that matters: his heart.

My review:

This is the first book that I have read from Sawyer Bennett and I am going to say this now, it will not be my last. I will admit that I was a little put off by the blurb when I read it on NetGalley but decided that I should give this book a try. I am glad I did because this book was a great read. It had humor, drama and let’s not forget lots and lots of hot sex.

I really didn’t care for Val at the beginning of Sex in the Sticks. She came across as a poor little rich girl who was bored of her life in New York City. And when I mean bored with her life, she was bored with the metrosexual men that she was dating. She was a well-known blogger who wrote about her escapades and her dates, lately, were boring her. Actually, if it wasn’t for her hair color and that she was über rich, she reminded me of Carrie Bradshaw from Sex in the City:

Carrie Bradshaw opening credits.jpg

Photo credit

Val needed a change of scenery and when her cousin suggested Alaska, where the men to woman ratio are 15 to 1, she jumped on it and planned on blogging about it. All I could do is shake my head and laugh because I knew that she would be out of her element. Which she was. From the minute she landed in Alaska, I was giggling when she got herself into predicaments. Except for the one with Sassy, her dog. I didn’t giggle at that because it was dangerous. But, by the end of the book, I liked her. She totally shed her poor little rich girl skin. I will go as far as to say that she found herself in Alaska.

Logan exuded hotness from the minute he appeared in the story and he seemed to be immune to Val’s charm. Actually, he was kind of put off by her deciding to date her way through town. His immunity to Val was worn down after he was called to the local bar because according to a jealous woman, she was drunk, naked, and dancing on tables. When he arrived to arrest her, he discovered that she was two out of the three. That’s when, in my eyes, he gave in…haha. But it was when she was lost in the woods, that the magic happened and you could see him falling in love with Val.

Let’s talk about the sex. I loved that Val was sexually confident. She knows what she liked when she liked it and how she liked it. Having a sexually confident woman in these types of books is pretty awesome. I also think it was pretty awesome that Logan was willing to go along with what Val liked. What also cracked me up was how shocked she was over Logan’s size. I thought to myself “Val, you are a sexually active woman and it is hard for me to believe you have never seen one as big as his”.  Every, single time. Made me giggle during scenes that I shouldn’t because I just had a mental image of her doing something like this when she saw it.

WOW bubble pop art surprised woman face with open mouth
Photo credit

I loved the end of the book. Everything was done on Val’s terms and Logan, well, let’s just say that it took him a while to go along with her plans. The epilogue had to have been my favorite part of the book. I love happy endings!!!

How many stars will I give Sex in the Sticks: 4

Why: Relatable characters, a plotline that was pretty funny and page burning sex scenes.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

Walk of Shame by Lauren Layne

Walk of Shame

Title: Walk of Shame

Author: Lauren Layne

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: April 18th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 218

POV: Alternating 1st person and 3rd person

Where you can find Walk of Shame: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Sparks fly between a misunderstood New York socialite and a cynical divorce lawyer in this lively standalone rom-com from the USA Today bestselling author of Blurred Lines and Love Story.

Pampered heiress Georgianna Watkins has a party-girl image to maintain, but all the shopping and clubbing is starting to feel a little bit hollow—and a whole lot lonely. Though Georgie would never admit it, the highlights of her week are the mornings when she comes home at the same time as her uptight, workaholic neighbor is leaving to hit the gym and put in a long day at the office. Teasing him is the most fun Georgie’s had in years—and the fuel for all her naughtiest daydreams.

Celebrity divorce attorney Andrew Mulroney doesn’t have much time for women, especially spoiled tabloid princesses who spend more time on Page Six than at an actual job. Although Georgie’s drop-dead gorgeous, she’s also everything Andrew resents: the type of girl who inherited her penthouse instead of earning it. But after Andrew caps one of their predawn sparring sessions with a surprise kiss—a kiss that’s caught on camera—all of Manhattan is gossiping about whether they’re a real couple. And nobody’s more surprised than Andrew to find that the answer just might be yes.

My review:

I had to giggle at the title of this book. Everyone knows what a “Walk of Shame” is but I will refresh those who don’t know. The definition is taken from Urban Dictionary:

“Walk of Shame

The walk from another person(s) house, apartment, condo, dorm, van, bar, park bench or other; to your place of residence wearing the same clothes you had on the night before.

Typically used when someone leaves the home of a sexual escapade (quite possibly with someone you met the night before) in the morning; hair sticking out in all directions, lines on your face, and missing at least one article of clothing.

In the event that your “Walk of Shame” did include sex, you may be wearing your partner’s clothes. If you did not have sex you probably did get into a fight, damaged property was escorted off someone’s premises, or in some way embarrassed yourself. In any case, you will need to check yourself for injuries.

Still half-drunk, I began the walk of shame to my room and made a futile attempt to recall all that I had done on Friturday.”
Now there are other more to the point on the Urban Dictionary website but I chose the more reader-friendly. If you want to read the slightly raunchy, totally not PC definition, just click on the link above.
So, based on the definition I put up and my own personal experiences with walks of shame, I really was expecting a book that started and ended with sex and didn’t really have a plot. But what I read, instead, really surprised me.
Georgi was a sweetheart….once you got past her party girl exterior. I was actually kind of put off by that at first because she was rolling in as most people were getting up and going to work. But her sweetness and her positive outlook on life won me over. Plus, she knew how to dish it and take it, like a pro. Her interactions with Andrew had me laughing my butt off and I loved the Wizard of Oz references.
I couldn’t get a handle on Andrew at first. Because the story is mainly told from Georgi’s perspective, I really didn’t know what he felt about her. Actually, I felt the vibe I got from him is that he thought she was annoying. So, I was pretty surprised when the author turned to 3rd person to tell his part of the story and when I learned that he had feelings for Georgi and had feelings for her since he met her. I did a “Whaaa” when I read that because it did kind of blindside me (and yes, I knew they were getting together….I can still be blindsided).
I loved the romance between Georgi and Andrew because it was more real life (forgetting that she was an heiress and he made money hand over fist). They were frenemies first, then true friends and then the romance kicked in. I loved it!!
What I liked, even more, was that the sex was put off on in the book. The author allowed for her characters to develop feelings for each other before they bumped uglies. It was refreshing to read that because the sex didn’t take over the book.
I did figure out the plot twist that added drama to the book. I actually figured it out as it was happening but still, it was sad to read and I felt bad for all involved.
The end of the book was great and I loved the happy endings for everyone involved!!
How many stars will I give Walk of Shame: 3.5 (rounded up to 4 for Goodreads and Amazon)
Why: Written wonderfully with a good plot line and great characters
Will I reread: Yes
Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes
Age range: Adult
Why: Sex and language
**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

Tales from Ara: Into The Unknown by Irena de Wardin and Isabella de Wardin

Tales From Ara: Into the Unknown

Title: Tales from Ara: Into The Unknown

Author: Isabella and Irena De Wardin

Publisher: AFNIL- ISBN (International Standard Book Number)

Date of publication: March 9th, 2017

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Number of pages: 451

Where you can find Tales from Ara: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Single and hopelessly romantic, Harlette is your everyday girl who dreams only of two things: falling in love and finding her place in the world.
Her relatively uneventful life takes an unexpected turn when she is transported into another world, Ara, without so much as an explanation or even a decent pair of trousers.
Wearing nothing but underwear and stilettos, she finds herself in Nimrod’s forest, just to be captured by the elven king Karayan and his guard. Nimrod is Ara’s strongest kingdom, and Karayan is the most powerful of elves.
Despite developing a keen interest in her, humans are a rare sighting in Ara and usually a bad omen; this makes Karayan suspicious of Harlette and even, disagreeable…
Thrown into the middle of a rising interdimensional war, marked as a trespasser and with no way of returning home, Harlette is dragged into a series of adventures and soon finds out that this fairy tale – no matter how cruel or beautiful – is no longer the fruit of her imagination. Love is not as easy as it is in romance novels and she will need to harden her heart and mind if she wishes to survive the upcoming whirlwind of events that will befall her.
Will Harlette discover the purpose behind her sudden arrival in Ara, and will she be strong enough to face the challenges thrown at her?

My Review

I enjoyed reading Tales from Ara. The overall plot, which reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, was great at first. Young, innocent girl falls through a mirror into a strange land and ends up having the adventure of a lifetime while trying to figure out why she ended up in Ara. I loved it and couldn’t read those chapters fast enough. Then Karayan found her and the plot started to get a little less great. By the end of the book, I was a confused mess because the plotline did so many switches that my head was spinning.

While Harlette was one of my favorite characters in the book, she also kind of annoyed me. She came across, in some scenes, as amazingly immature and she kept getting herself into situations that made me go “Seriously why didn’t you listen!!”. She was also very naïve and didn’t heed the advice of Karayan or Bernard, her cat. But, like I said, I did enjoy her character. She was kind and she believed the best in people. She also brought out the best in her companions….mainly Karayan.

Oh, let’s talk about Karayan. Honestly, I thought he was a controlling jerk who kept jerking Harlette around by her emotions. But there were some glimmers of a decent elf underneath all of that. He cared about his people/kingdom and would do anything to keep them safe and I also think that he did care for Harlette, even though she was a human. Again, glimmers and if the author could extract those out, I think the next book would be 100% better.

The whole storyline with Christine was well weird and I couldn’t get into it. I wish that more was given into Christine’s background, other than being Harlette’s foster-sister. I mean, it is revealed that she is a witch, that has almost no powers, and she is the one who sent Harlette into Ara. When I say that the storyline is weird, it is almost like it was put in there to fill in space because, to be very blunt, other than revealing the identity or Harlette’s mother and father, it added nothing to the storyline. Also, she and Harlette’s parents kept referring to Harlette as “The Daughter” but no explanation was given, which drove me absolutely nuts.

The main storyline with Harlette and Karayan really threw me for a loop. I loved it up until they stumbled upon the beanstalk. Harlette and Karayan were actually getting along until she decided to take the giant queens challenge to defeat the spirit and had to get Karayan out of the chains. Which they did by sharing an amazing kiss. It was after that when Karayan decided to teach Harlette what she was missing, that the book kind of went sideways and backward. Not going to get into it but I didn’t like the total idiot Karayan became to Harlette. It bothered me on so many levels.

The ending of the book was a cliffhanger and you all know how I feel about that.

I do have some questions and a repeat of one already asked above that I hope will be answered in book 2:

*Why are the mantises so bad? I know that it was touched upon in the book but I am beginning to think that there is a more personal reason that Karayan doesn’t like them

*Why did Harlette’s parents leave her on Earth? Just saying, because now, my opinion of them isn’t that great.

*Who is Christine, really?

and the burning question that I really wanted to be answered:

*Why is Harlette called The Daughter!!

How many stars will I give Tales from Ara: 3

Why: While I did say that I liked the story (I did), what brought my rating down from the 4 that would have given it to a 3 is this: I couldn’t relate to Harlette or Karayan. Also, I was left very confused by the end of the book. Not because of the cliffhanger but because of the 180 Karayan did with Harlette. It confused the heck out of me.

Will I reread: Maybe

Will I recommend to family and friends: Maybe

Age range: Adult

Why: Violence and one very explicit sexual scene

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

Hot Shot (Last Shot: Book 2) by Kelly Jamieson

Hot Shot (Last Shot, #2)

Title: Hot Shot

Author: Kelly Jamieson

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: May 16th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 235

POV: 3rd person

Series: Last Shot

Body Shot – Book 1

Hot Shot – Book 2

Where you can find Hot Shot: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

A former Navy SEAL and current bad boy bar owner learns to trust a free spirit in this steamy novel of unexpected romance from the bestselling author of Body Shot and the Heller Brothers series.

Marco Solis knows that if he gets too close to people they disappear. His parents were deported back to Mexico when he was fourteen, his fiancée married someone else while he was in the military, and now his business partner’s spending more time with his girl than with Marco. For better or worse, that’s how Marco meets Carrie Garner. She’s legitimately model-hot. She’s also a nut—a wild, artsy, unapproachable nut. So why is Marco so interested in cracking her shell?

Although Carrie Garner is a natural in front of the camera, her dream is to make it as a photographer. Soon she’ll be heading to Spain for design school, and she’ll miss her best friend, Hayden, like crazy. She’ll even miss Hayden’s boyfriend, Beck—but she won’t miss Beck’s partner, Marco. Bossy, brooding, and annoyingly sexy, Marco really pushes her buttons, though he obviously wouldn’t mind pushing her buttons in an up-against-the-wall, hard-and-fast kind of way. The craziest part is if Carrie lets him do that, well . . . she may never want to leave.

My review:

Hot Shot is the dreaded 2nd book in the Last Shot series. If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you know my feelings about starting off reading 2nd books in a series and how I keep punishing myself by not looking the title up on Goodreads or Amazon before I ask for it from NetGalley. It is not often that I get the 2nd book in a series that actually could be read as a stand-alone. Fortunately for Hot Shot, it can be read separately. Which I wasn’t expecting how heavily the main characters from Body Shot are involved in Hot Shot. 

Marco was such a complex character and yes, I used the word complex in a romance novel. He had some deep-seated issues that I didn’t expect a former SEAL to have. The biggest one is his fear of abandonment, which stemmed from his parents being deported back to Mexico when he was 14, him losing track of his younger sister while being bounced from foster home to foster home and then his fiancé deciding to cheat on him while he was on deployment. So, it was understandable that he was uptight and didn’t trust people outside of his SEAL brothers.

He was also probably the single sexiest character that I have read to date. I seriously wish that I could make him jump off the book pages into my life, that’s how much I loved this character. He was funny (the one-liners were hilarious and “Occupying Vagistan” stands out the most even though he didn’t say it), brutally honest about what he wants from Carrie and omg, he talked dirty during sex. Like legit dirty talk, use your imagination…trying to keep this review Amazon PC….lol. Besides that, he was also kind and very fair…..read the book to find out what I mean. So, the perfect man.

In a way, Carrie was just as complex as Marco. Her issues, though, were more than she didn’t feel that she fit into her family. Her brothers and sister were all businesspeople/lawyers, as were her parents. I actually didn’t like Carrie’s mother or sister, at all. The way they talked to Carrie’s grandmother, a free-spirited ex-burlesque dancer, made me fume while reading those scenes. No wonder Carrie felt the way she did about her modeling career and her budding photography career. Ugh, made me so mad.

Out of all the characters in all the books I have read, I think I related to Carrie the most. I loved that the author wrote her as this slightly raunchy girl who wasn’t afraid to go after her dreams…even if it meant leaving loved ones behind. I think, if she was real, I could be BFF’s with her (move out-of-the-way, Hayden…..lol).

Let’s talk about the sex scenes. Oh. My. God. They were beyond hot and I loved that Marco was a dirty talker. But even more, I loved that Carrie wasn’t the type of girl who just laid there and let the guy do all the work. Which made those part of the books burn.

The storyline with Carrie’s niece was pretty sad, not that I think about it and again, my dislike for her sister grew. But, I loved what came out of it and how it was resolved.

I will say that the end of the book had me in tears. I think I ugly cried from Hayden and Beck’s wedding to the epilogue. Oh and by the way, I thought the epilogue was probably the best part of the book. I am looking forward to seeing what Cade’s book is going to be like. Seeing that he is a manwhore, I can’t wait to read his story (the girls showing up at the bar was hilarious…btw).

How many stars will I give Hot Shot: 4

Why: Oh where do I start. This book was funny, sad and sensual….all rolled up into a wonderfully written story. What I wrote in my review doesn’t even begin to explain the book so it would be better if you all just read it instead. The only reason why I didn’t give it five stars is because of Carrie’s family. I couldn’t stand them.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Explicit sex, explicit language. No violence

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

Roses (Golden: Book 2) by Melinda Michaels

Roses (Golden #2)

Title: Roses

Author: Melinda Michaels

Publisher: REUTS Publications

Date of publication: May 16th, 2017

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Number of pages: Unknown

POV: 3rd person

Series: Golden

Golden – Book 1

Roses – Book 2

Where you can find Roses: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

When Poppy Pruette comes home for the summer after her first year at college, she expects it to be just like every summer before it: filled with cookouts, nosy neighbors, town hall meetings and long, hot days.

She never expects a murder. Not in Miner’s Way, Virginia.

But the sanctity of her small town is shattered when Poppy’s widely beloved grandmother, Rose, is brutally killed the night of a neighborhood barbecue. No one knows what to make of it or who might be responsible, least of all Poppy—until Detective Owen Peirce arrives from out-of-town with strange questions and a family history far more sinister than Poppy ever imagined.

Owen believes Poppy was the intended target, not Rose. Now, to save herself, Poppy must go into hiding and learn the truth about her family legacy. What she uncovers will change her life forever.

A grim and delightfully plausible fairy tale retelling, Roses is the story of a young woman contending with the question: what do we owe to our ancestors?

My review:

I enjoyed reading Roses but I had issues with following some of the content. See, Roses is book 2 in the Golden series by the same author and the characters and storylines from the first book are heavily involved in the latter part of the book. Which made it very hard to follow at times because the characters (mainly Owen) would talk about events from the last book. If I had read Golden first and then read Roses, then I would have a better grip on the storyline.

Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the book. The original retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with shades of Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and 1001 Nights thrown in really kept my attention. I also liked the distinctions between the Good,  the Others and the Storytellers(basically the fairy tale characters descendants, the villain descendants and the fairy tale writers descendants). I never gave thought to what happens after the fairy tale ends and there are children on both sides. Also, that both the fairy tale descendants and the villain’s descendants are destined to relive the fairy tale is pretty interesting too.

I felt bad for Poppy but that girl got on my one last nerve. She came across as a childish, spoiled brat who defied Owen at every turn. I mean, someone is out to kill her and she just takes off for New York City to go see her best friend. Doesn’t answer her phone and then acts like a brat when Owen tracks her down. Made me want to tear my hair out or reach through the book and give her a shake. She did grow on me after New York City and I actually liked her at the end of the book.

Owen, I liked and I felt bad for him. He had such a tragic backstory and what happened to him when he was younger did shape him into the person he became as an adult. I also liked, really liked, that he didn’t want to follow his story. He wanted to make his own story and in a way, he did. He did go to California to rescue his princess but came back for Poppy. If I had any doubt about his feelings for her, they were definitely cleared up when they reunited.

The end of the book really had me on my toes. The author did a great job keeping the killer’s identity hidden up until the end of the book. I was a little surprised by who the killer was but it fit perfectly with the book.

How many stars will I give Roses: 3.5 (rounded up to 4 on Goodreads and Amazon)

Why: Roses definitely kept my attention while reading. From the complex characters to a great plot, Roses is on my keeper list. Now, why I gave it a 3.5 rating: It is not a stand-alone book.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Older Teen

Why: This is a very clean book. Some mild violence and language and one kissing scene.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Trying It All (Naked Men: Book 4) by Christi Barth

Trying It All (Naked Men, #4)

Title: Trying It All

Author: Christi Barth

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: May 16th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: Unknown

POV: 3rd person

Series: Naked Men

Risking It All – Book 1

Wanting It All – Book 2

Giving It All – Book 3

Trying It All – Book 4

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Order. Attention to detail. Never leaving anything to chance. These are the qualities that make Riley Ness such a terrific federal agent . . . and a pain in the ass to everyone else. The only time Riley lets loose is when he’s hanging out with his closest pals. So when he’s thrown together with gorgeous, flighty Summer Sheridan, Riley’s brain tells him she’s a ticking time bomb—but his body doesn’t want to play by the rules.

Riley has to be the most irritating man Summer has ever met. The brooding hunk thinks he needs to teach her a few lessons about real life, while she’d rather show him how to enjoy it. But her BFF’s all but engaged to Riley’s best friend, and besides, their intense physical chemistry is all too real. Summer just needs Riley to try to meet her halfway and take a chance with the one thing that matters: his heart

My review:

As I have stated in my other posts, I really hate picking a book up and realizing it is the 2nd to the last book in a series.  There is so much backstory that I feel that I am missing out of and the other characters, who usually are in the book and I am left thinking to myself “What happened to them” and “What is their story”. Drives me nuts and yes, I know that it is all on me. I could just as easily skipped over these books when I was selecting them from NetGalley. But, no, I like to drive myself nuts and continue to request them.

I thought that Trying It All was a pretty interesting book. I loved Riley and Summer’s backstory. When Riley was a teenager, he was involved in a near tragic accident in the mountains of Italy that left him and his friends stranded for 3 days. Summer was the survivor of a mass shooting at her college. What made it interesting to me is that the author explored how to similar traumatic experiences could affect people differently.

With Riley, it made him hypervigilant to scenarios where something could go wrong. He was an expert with what to do in every sort of situation. He even took a job that used his talents (for lack of a better word). He was very detail orientated and never, ever did he take a leap without seeing where the leap would take him and if it was safe. He was so uptight that it hurt reading about it in the book. Which is why Summer didn’t like him. Her nickname for him was FunSucking DeathStar. I started dying laughing when I read that because it was so true.

Summer, however, decided that she had to live life like there would be no tomorrow after she left the hospital. So she did everything to the extreme and refused to let herself have a lasting, loving relationship with anyone. She even mentioned that the word long-term gave her a twitch. All because she might die the next day. I would say that she went the extreme opposite direction that Riley did.

Now, I don’t know how they interacted in the first 3 books, which peeved me because there was a lot of dislike of each other, but I will say that their mutual dislike was very short-lived in this book. Like a couple of chapters short-lived. Then they kissed and everything got turned upside down.

I liked how Summer was able to bring Riley out of his comfort zone on certain things….like paragliding. I do have to say that the kiss they shared while doing that was very, very hot but very unsafe. Good thing that Summer was able to see that and stop it before something happened. But Riley couldn’t make Summer see that sometimes playing it safe was a good thing until a very bad thing happened to her.

The sex scenes were off the pages hot and I liked that the author had them do the dirty in unconventional areas. They had sex on a beach (of course, while I was reading it all I could think of was…ouch sand….lol), in a car parked on the street and in a store on a rug in front of a sofa after hours. Normally reading about people having sex in public places don’t do it for me but this time it did.

I will say that I did agree with Riley when he did what he did and I agreed with Chloe when she called Summer out. Honestly, I think it should have been done earlier but hey, the rest of the book would have been boring. I also agreed with the intervention that Riley’s friends did. I think he needed it and again, something that probably should have been done earlier in the book.

The end of the book was typical with a HEA. I am waiting to see if Josh gets his own book. Not that should be interesting to read :).

How many stars will I give Trying It All: 4

Why: I thought that this was a good book with some hot sex scenes. I also liked that not so opposites attract angle of the book. It made for a very interesting read.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Satan’s Son by Simone Elise

Satan's Son

Title: Satan’s Son

Author: Simone Elise

Publisher: Inkitt

Date of publication: May 10th, 2017

Genre: Romance, fantasy, Young Adult

Number of pages: 134

Where you can find Satan’s Son: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

You never expect to meet your soulmate after you die. And you definitely never expect your soulmate not to have a soul at all.

But that’s what happened to Addison. One minute she’s walking along in her average life, worrying about curfew, and the next minute she’s in hell.

Addison was living a typical teenager’s life before being dragged down to hell to atone for her sins on Earth. She must now make up for her bad behavior but is not expecting to meet her match in Ethan. Devilish good looks, charming smirk, an attitude to match, oh, and he’s Satan’s Son. Addison must now navigate the channels of hell with the reluctant guidance of Ethan as he atones for his own error. But could his mistake be closer linked to Addison’s death than she knows? Neither Addison or Ethan were planning to find love but now that they’re here, which will it be: Heaven or Hell?

My review:

I think that books about Hell/Heaven? Purgatory is a dime a dozen. But I was intrigued by the cover, the title, and the blurb. The first couple of chapters were really good. Like insanely good and I thought to myself “This book is going to be awesome”. Then the book fell flat and it became a chore to even finish it. Saying that I was disappointed is an understatement.

I mean, I loved the idea behind the book. Where Addison went after she died wasn’t Purgatory but it was kind of like a pre-Hell where people who straddled the line between good and evil were sent to atone for their crimes and then possibly gain access into Heaven or Hell. I do think that if more time was spent in developing that part of the book, then the book would have gotten a higher rating from me.

I couldn’t stand Addison. Listen, I get that there is a market for young adult women who don’t take anything from anyone and I like that. But there is a fine line between headstrong/sassy and being reckless/a witch with a b. Unfortunately, Addison crossed the line early in the book. She just came across as an immature spoiled brat who didn’t care who she ticked off and was used to people catering to her. I mean, even her explanation of her crimes, when she was alive (arson, defacing public property), was horrible. Nothing was her fault and that attitude, unfortunately, stayed the entire book.

Ethan, however, seemed to be an OK guy. Well OK for being the son of Satan. He has a thing for Addison, which I really couldn’t even begin to understand why he liked her. I understood where he felt responsible for her and I understood the reasons why Satan put him in charge of training Addison. But everything else, nope, couldn’t even come close to even understanding it. I wish more was put into his relationship with his parents and sister. Again, which blew my mind because who would think that Satan would be a family man. Not this chick.

The romance between Ethan and Addison seemed forced. Addison didn’t even like him for half the book and then, bam, Instalove on her part. I kinda went “Eh” when I read that part. As much as I thought Ethan was an OK guy, he did come across as stalkerish. Actually, the song Every Breath You Take by The Police is a perfect song for him when he was watching her when she was alive.

Even when they had sex, it seemed off. I am thankful that the author chose to not detail that because it really wasn’t something that I want to think about.

I do wish that the author went through with Satan’s plan to restore Addison to being alive sooner in the book. I think that it would have been a great twist in the plot to have her alive and gradually remember her time in Hell (well, pre-Hell) and then realize her feelings for Ethan than to drag it out for chapters.

There were a couple of loose ends that never got picked back up. Did Addison meet back up with Alex? And more importantly…..why was Satan never given a scene? He was mentioned a ton of times and Ethan actually met with him when he brought Addison to his house for dinner. But no Satan. I was a little disappointed.

The end of the book was technically a HEA with everything turning out alright.

How many stars will I give Satan’s Son: 3

Why: Now, I know most of you are like why a 3 if you didn’t like the main characters. Here’s my explanation: I think that this book could be something if the author took the time to do more world building, character building, fix up some of the dialogue and do an overhaul of Addison’s character. I see the potential in this book and what I see, I like.

Will I reread: Maybe

Will I recommend to family and friends: Maybe

Age range: Older Teen

Why: Language and some mild violence

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Catch Me (The Donovan Family: Book 9) by Margaret Watson

Catch Me (The Donovan Family Book 9)

Title: Catch Me

Author: Margaret Watson

Publisher: Dragonfly Press

Date of publication: March 31st, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 342

POV: 3rd person

Series: The Donovan Family

Love Me – Book 1

Watch Me – Book 2

Find Me – Book 3

Trust Me – Book 4

Cover Me – Book 5 (review here)

Protect Me – Book 6 (review here)

Save Me – Book 7

See Me – Book 8

Catch Me – Book 9

Where you can find Catch Me – Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

When Chicago Bearcats baseball player Sam Marini witnesses a brutal confrontation outside a bar, he can’t help the victim. So he does the next best thing – shoots a video of the attack.

He assumes he’ll hand it over and be done with the case. But when the investigating detective is Julia Carleton, a woman he’d met at his sister’s wedding, he can’t walk away. Julia, however, hides dark secrets, and can’t get involved with Sam.

As they work together to ensure justice, their simmering attraction heats to combustion. But the father of the attacker is a wealthy, powerful man who doesn’t like to lose. When Dean Kirby grows more and more desperate to protect his son, the threats against Sam and Julia escalate.

Julia vows to protect Sam, but can she keep her heart safe? Choosing him means risking the job that means everything to her.

My review:

Catch Me is Sam and Julia’s story. Sam, if you remember from the past novels in The Donovan Series, is Priscilla younger brother and Julia is a cop on the force with the Donovan siblings/Priscilla. Both Sam and Julia have made appearances in the past books, so I was waiting for them to have their own story. I was a bit surprised that it was with each other.

I loved the storyline. Sam, a professional ballplayer with the Bearcats, was walking home from the game when he witnesses a crime. Having caught the crime on his phone, he is the star witness in the case….which was just assault and battery. Julia is the first detective on the scene and takes the scene over from an overbearing, woman-hating cop who was trying to intimidate Sam into giving his phone to him. When Sam’s name is released in a police blog, he becomes a number one target for the bad guys. When that doesn’t work, they move onto his mother. Which was a mistake.

The chemistry between Same and Julia sizzled. That is one thing that I look for in a romance novel when I read it. Chemistry that comes off the pages in waves and oh boy, did they have it. Poor Julia tried to keep it under control, tried to stifle it and well, let’s just say that it made for a pretty memorable first sex scene. Talk about needing a fan.

I thought the bad guys were pretty stupid in this book and not very bright. One was a roid head and the other one thought he could use his wealth to bully people around. Not going to go much into them but they got what they deserved in the end….all of them did.

The ending was very fitting for this book and I loved that everyone was at the hospital waiting for Priscilla to have the baby. I also liked that they were taking bets. I kinda laughed at that one because I had something similar happen with my youngest. Except no one won because she was in a hurry to be born (I had her 10 mins after being admitted to L&D).

How many stars will I give Catch Me: 4

Why: A well-written romance with a great plotline and characters that had some sizzling chemistry.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, language, and violence

I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it