Four and a half OMG I saw what you did there stars.
Yet another book that I saw reviewed and put on my Wish List - then lovely Kobo sent me THREE moneyFour and a half OMG I saw what you did there stars.
Yet another book that I saw reviewed and put on my Wish List - then lovely Kobo sent me THREE money off vouchers and this little baby was mine.
On the surface this is a pretty straightforward clash of opposites romance. Gwen Tennison is a British ex-Army medic, invalided out after being injured in an IED and ambush incident which killed her best friend. Her sister Sam is a hotshot in the US music industry and asks Gwen to act as tour manager for a 'difficult' customer. Lucas Wheeler has just come out off his third stint in rehab, this time it seems to be working but he needs babysitting and his agents have sacked/ reassigned any of his old team who had any drug associations.
Gwen reluctantly takes on the role and finds Lucas to be as precocious and petulant as you would expect of a bisexual bad boy musican who looks like a pirate when Gwen first sees him (in my mind I have a picture of Marc Bolan the 1970s rock star). And yet, Gwen also finds him verrrry sexy!
Then Lucas starts getting some creepy messages, he thinks the first one is from Gwen but as they escalate 'accidents' start happening on tour. It seems as though Lucas has a stalker who has a beef with some of the women in the crew. Now, I'l be honest, I knew who the stalker was, at least by the 51% point but that didn't matter because Gwen and Lucas didn't do that Scooby Doo thing of running around ignoring the obvious clues.
What set this aside from other books was that this was a complete gender-bender story. Lucas was the long-haired, "damsel in distress" and Gwen was the ex-Army, no-nonsense bodyguard. Even when they toy (very lightly) with D/s it's not Gwen who's the submissive.
Some of the story towards the end got a leetle far-fetched for me, (view spoiler)[for example when Lucas' twin brother Lee gets Gwen out of jail and gives her a car and a 'mission' to rescue Lucas without telling the police, because he KNOWS exactly where Lucas is being held but can't rescue him himself, (hide spoiler)] but the writing was good enough to pull it back for me. And hey, when has the female MC ever been the strong character the whole way through before? Even when they are special ops/ assassins etc they always need to rescued/ saved by some man - not this time.
I look forward to reading more books by Lisa Nicholas - Lucas' twin brother Lee seems intriguing, am I silly for thinking that he and Gwen's sister Sam might have a thing?
Merged review:
Four and a half OMG I saw what you did there stars.
Yet another book that I saw reviewed and put on my Wish List - then lovely Kobo sent me THREE money off vouchers and this little baby was mine.
On the surface this is a pretty straightforward clash of opposites romance. Gwen Tennison is a British ex-Army medic, invalided out after being injured in an IED and ambush incident which killed her best friend. Her sister Sam is a hotshot in the US music industry and asks Gwen to act as tour manager for a 'difficult' customer. Lucas Wheeler has just come out off his third stint in rehab, this time it seems to be working but he needs babysitting and his agents have sacked/ reassigned any of his old team who had any drug associations.
Gwen reluctantly takes on the role and finds Lucas to be as precocious and petulant as you would expect of a bisexual bad boy musican who looks like a pirate when Gwen first sees him (in my mind I have a picture of Marc Bolan the 1970s rock star). And yet, Gwen also finds him verrrry sexy!
Then Lucas starts getting some creepy messages, he thinks the first one is from Gwen but as they escalate 'accidents' start happening on tour. It seems as though Lucas has a stalker who has a beef with some of the women in the crew. Now, I'l be honest, I knew who the stalker was, at least by the 51% point but that didn't matter because Gwen and Lucas didn't do that Scooby Doo thing of running around ignoring the obvious clues.
What set this aside from other books was that this was a complete gender-bender story. Lucas was the long-haired, "damsel in distress" and Gwen was the ex-Army, no-nonsense bodyguard. Even when they toy (very lightly) with D/s it's not Gwen who's the submissive.
Some of the story towards the end got a leetle far-fetched for me, (view spoiler)[for example when Lucas' twin brother Lee gets Gwen out of jail and gives her a car and a 'mission' to rescue Lucas without telling the police, because he KNOWS exactly where Lucas is being held but can't rescue him himself, (hide spoiler)] but the writing was good enough to pull it back for me. And hey, when has the female MC ever been the strong character the whole way through before? Even when they are special ops/ assassins etc they always need to rescued/ saved by some man - not this time.
I look forward to reading more books by Lisa Nicholas - Lucas' twin brother Lee seems intriguing, am I silly for thinking that he and Gwen's sister Sam might have a thing?...more
Slightly disappointing end to this trilogy which is like FSoG but better and with an actual plot and likable characters (and 1000% better writing).
CasSlightly disappointing end to this trilogy which is like FSoG but better and with an actual plot and likable characters (and 1000% better writing).
Caspain's self-loathing is so strong that it's the only voice he can hear. He leaves Arden (for his own good) because he doesn't like the person (Dom) he is with Arden, instead he's gone back to his passive aggressive ex who is trying to change Caspian into a better man.
Meanwhile, Arden has moved into Caspian's sister's loft apartment (or do we mean derelict warehouse) and is starting to make headway as a journalist.
But the heart wants what the heart wants ...
I would have enjoyed this, but for the sinister cartoon villain figure who makes Jeffrey Epstein look like a choir boy....more
Arden St Ives has left Oxford and Caspian has set him up in a Penthouse apartment with an Amex Black card and hoThe FSoG but better trilogy continues.
Arden St Ives has left Oxford and Caspian has set him up in a Penthouse apartment with an Amex Black card and hot and cold running services (gym, swimming pool, spa, cleaners, food delivery etc). They could be happy but Caspian keeps his past a secret and seems ashamed of his Dom tendencies.
Arden is struggling with his identity as a kept man and what to do with his life, he's comfortable in his own sexuality and wishes that Caspian could be the same. But as he gets drawn into Caspian 's world he discovers that Caspian's ex may not be as ex as he thought.
I enjoyed this but I agree with other reviewers that the push-me, pull-me of the relationship got a bit wearing.
Arden St Ives is studying at Oxford University, having been full of dreams and ambition when he started, as hThink FSoG but less cringe and more plot.
Arden St Ives is studying at Oxford University, having been full of dreams and ambition when he started, as he ends his time there he is feeling adrift, a bit of a fraud, and as though he hasn't fulfilled his potential. Roped into taking part in a fund-raising cold-calling of alumni Arden manages to make a complete hash of a call to one of the University's most illustrious alumni, the billionaire Caspian Hart, and yet he seems to have a date with Caspian for the next Alumni drinks evening.
Suave, debonair, sophisticated, and well-dressed, Caspian is everything that Arden is not, yet the cold persona that Caspian presents to the rest of the world seems to be absent when he talks with Arden.
Arden may be a bit flaky,, but he knows what he wants and he isn't afraid to ask for it.
Loved it and went straight on to read books 2 and 3....more
Jennifer Cardello got pregnant at 15. Now, eighteen years later, she is the property manager for former NFL quarterback Blake Orbison's Wild Horse resJennifer Cardello got pregnant at 15. Now, eighteen years later, she is the property manager for former NFL quarterback Blake Orbison's Wild Horse resort, now that the resort is finished Blake doesn't need her anymore. Blake is a good guy, he's offered Jennifer jobs elsewhere or to set her up with some of his former teammates who need a personal organiser, to help her think through her options he offers her a holiday in Yellowstone Snow Lodge with her boyfriend, but Jennifer chooses to take her daughter Dyma instead.
Harlan Kristiansen is an NFL wide receiver. He's spending time with Owen, one of his younger teammates, rather than with his family or friends in the run-up to the Superbowl after flubbing a catch which means his team is sitting out this year's game.
Harlan and Owen, Jennifer and Dyma are all staying at the lodge when their paths cross, practically literally, whilst skiing. There's an instant attraction between Jennifer and Harlan and between Dyma and Owen, but motherhood and caution and all that good stuff could get in the way.
This was such a satisfying romance: plenty of angst and drama, lots of steamy scenes (phew were they steamy! As Alan Bennett would say, I had to go and make some scones), mother and daughter tension, real-life versus NFL fantasy, chasing your dreams, learning to listen to your heart all the good stuff. I honestly can say I would happily read a novel featuring any of the side characters from this book: Owen; Dyma; any of Harlan's sisters.
I can't articulate how this series differs from her New Zealand Ever After series other than to say it feels grittier. Both series feature some fundamental life-changing events and yet for some reason this series feels bleaker, as though their lives are somehow darker. Maybe it's because the townsfolk are less kind?
Anyway all I know is that I got a banner notification on my iPhone at just gone midnight on Friday that the book had been delivered to my Kindle and I just had to start reading immediately.
I've never really enjoyed reading BDSM books, they always feel too much about a power trip for the Dom, but clearly I have just been reading the wrongI've never really enjoyed reading BDSM books, they always feel too much about a power trip for the Dom, but clearly I have just been reading the wrong books.
Laurie Dalziel is a 37 year old emergency hospital consultant, the sort they send to major incidents. He's feeling very lost, tired of the BDSM scene and heart-sick at seeing his ex with his ex's new boyfriend at every turn. He's got a severe case of ennui, been there, done him, and everything feels fake. Then one night his long-suffering friends drag him to a club where he meets a young man, Toby Finch. Whilst Toby might be short, skinny and only 19 years old, he isn't a submissive, he wants to be a Dom, of course the sad thing is that everyone expects a Dom to be big and strong, possibly blindingly handsome, and a lot older.
At first Laurie is trying to help Toby, trying to stop him from being hurt in a club full of jaded middle-aged players, but soon he realises that Toby doesn't need saving.
This is a touching, heart-wrenching love story, about finding love in the strangest of places, about banishing pre-conceptions, about surrendering to love. It also taught me a lot about BDSM, I don't know how much is real, but it felt more truthful than all those m/f romances where the hero is 100% kink all the time, like there's never any spooning or snuggling or even plain old vanilla sex.
I just loved this, Alexis writes such different characters in each of his books, great to see a glimpse of Edwin, although I didn't recognise him at the time, and Marius was as much of an a-hole as I expected him to be.
On to the fourth book and I can't wait.
*edited for reread of ARC in 2024*
I echo all my previous thoughts about this book. The BDSM is very full-on, and yet is so much more real-life than FSoG and that ilk. There's laughter, and cuddling, and not being able to tie knots, and being taught how to use a flogger. There's tears, and an age-gap romance and best of all, no easy solutions.
BTW, Marius isn't as much of a a-hole as I recall, maybe because he has his own HEA now.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
Gavriel is a white haired, red-eyed Noxblade assassin, the most lethal of all. He has been in love wiAnd so we turn to book 4, Gavriel d’Alana's book.
Gavriel is a white haired, red-eyed Noxblade assassin, the most lethal of all. He has been in love with Princess Thalia but when she makes a strategic marriage to Raff Pineda, a wolf lord, he knows there is no chance for him. He decides to try to track down an insurgent stronghold of supporters of Thalia's father, Lord Talfayen.
Magda Versai is a tiger shifter and Raff's bodyguard. She is concerned that her pack-mate, jaguar shifter Slay has either turned traitor or been kidnapped by supporters of the old Lord Talfayen and is determined to track him down.
Magda and Gavriel reluctantly agree to work together as their goals seem similar, despite the fact that they loath and detest each other for atrocities which took place between the Eldritch and the Animari. But as they work together they come to respect each other and maybe something more.
Gavriel has some unusual sexual preferences, ones that Magda is more than happy to indulge. Although the book comes with a warning about rough sex, dominance and pain play which I don't usually enjoy reading in novels, I found the way in which Gavriel and Magda's relationship developed was written in a very sensitive way, in fact it was sensual and steamy.
What I love about this series is the way in which the romance is subservient to the plot. In this case Magda and Gavriel have lots of adventures as they track the renegades, none of which seem superfluous or contrived, the ending was suitably nail-biting and this may even be my favourite couple so far. ...more
Argh, lack of sleep and my carefully thought out review disappears in a click of a button - grrrr.
So what do you need to know? Sensible, staid, dare wArgh, lack of sleep and my carefully thought out review disappears in a click of a button - grrrr.
So what do you need to know? Sensible, staid, dare we say boring?, sister Nicole comes back to help save the family tattoo parlour. Her wild, tattooed crazy sisters mock her for being an accountant and loving to clean and being a type-A personality, not knowing the underlying cause.
However, there is one fly in the ointment. Bad boy, menacing, heavily tattooed employee Noah presses all of Nicole's buttons and is the polar opposite of her fiancé. When her fiancé gives her an ultimatum, him or her sisters, she chooses family and suddenly things heat up with Noah, but can this opposites attract romance go the distance?
Phewy this was steamy and not just because I was reading this in Atlanta in 97 degree heat. Noah's method of getting Nicole to relax and stop stressing may not be orthodox but it certainly hits the spot (phnar, phnar) and gave me one or two hot flushes. Be ready for liberal use of the f-bomb and some mild BDSM, some big secrets and discover Noah's gentler side.
This was a new author to me, I'm always a little wary when approached to review a book but I have to say I really enjoyed this book, devoured it in fact and look forward to reading more books in the series.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
After her almost-fiance sells out their start-up business and shafts her in the process Karen Sinclair falls into a depression: no flat, no fiance, noAfter her almost-fiance sells out their start-up business and shafts her in the process Karen Sinclair falls into a depression: no flat, no fiance, no job, new city. Only her big sister and brother-in-law manage to drag her out of the pit and persuade her to fly to New Zealand to inspect a high-end glamping business which her brother-in-law is thinking of buying.
Jackson 'Jax' MacGregor is a former model turned soldier, after a roadside bomb took his leg he has returned to New Zealand to recouperate. His heavily pregnant sister has asked him to act as tour guide for an American millionaire who may want to buy her high-end glamping business.
Jax and Karen first meet by accident on the beach Karen sees him emerging from the sea like some water god and then tries to rescue him from a group of teens who have stolen his crutches. Jax can't believe this aggressive American who seems intent on saving the poor cripple and turning an irritation into a full scale battle. Sparks fly in more ways than one until they realise they have been set up by their respective families.
As they tour some of New Zealand's most beautiful countryside and enjoy some of the athletic pursuits the country has to offer the intrepid explorer Karen and Jax gradually fall in love, but if he intends to return to his regiment and she intends to return to the US what future can they have? Is this just a holiday fling?
So, the rating is a mixture of two things. The characters and the plot which I really liked and get a solid four stars, and the BDSM stuff which I personally find off-putting and which spoilt the book for me. I don't object to BDSM per se but I don't understand why it seems to be an all or nothing kind of deal - kind of like they can't have sex any other way which isn't normal. I also felt that Jax was subconsciously compensating for the loss of his leg by being so dominant and ordering Karen around. I get that outside the bedroom Karen and Jax were equals but to me that's a bit like saying he only shouts at her in private - still not acceptable. Anyway, it is obviously an issue for me - others have said that it wasn't overdone and they didn't mind it - so I guess you assess your own views.
Otherwise, this book reads like a advert for holidays to New Zealand, full of amazing scenery, beautiful food, tons of sports, amazing local culture all wrapped around a romance between two strong characters who have been battered but not defeated by what life has thrown at them. Rosalind James is a great writer and her deep love of EnZed shows through every page, I loved Jax and Karen and their story.
This is a difficult book to rate, there were bits I quite liked, bits I really enjoyed and bits I found excruciating.
This is seThree and a half stars.
This is a difficult book to rate, there were bits I quite liked, bits I really enjoyed and bits I found excruciating.
This is set in a future when Earth has fallen under the dictatorship of the UN, then various rebels overthrew the UN but the power vacuum left everyone worse off. The rebels are branded traitors and anyone disfigured or disabled by the war is shunned. Chief Donovan Reese played a large part of the rebellion and holds himself responsible for the terrible injuries suffered by the men and women under his command but also for fighting on the wrong side for too long, for allowing the UN to take control of Earth.
Earth is part of the IgA, an interplanetary organisation which fosters cooperation and sharing between planets, provided they adhere to certain codes of behaviour (a bit like the real UN), Troon has failed to make the grade because of its aggressive behaviour and almost medieval conquest mentality, in fact it is under sanctions.
Now Donovan and his business partner/co-pilot Macie are bounty hunters and they have been captured and tortured by a violent and aggressive alien race called the Vladsets from the planet Troon. Then their captors drag Donovan before the Queen Vessa. The seven foot tall, blue-gray aliens with big black spines forces Donovan to marry her daughter, Celeka, and then sends the three of them off into space. Celeka is a mystery, some kind of pariah to the Vladsets she is covered from head to foot in cloths which hide every part of her.
Donovan and Macie support a large number of wounded vets by employing them as cargo carriers, in turn the profits they make are used to support what is left of the former US military while they try to find a leader.
While Donovan tries to find out about his new wife he is also trying to secure his next bounty and investigate what is going on with Troon and the IgA inspector.
This is old fashioned sci-fi, part Star Trek (complete with blue spiky aliens), part Firefly with lots of spaceships, docking bays, stasis sleep chambers etc. If it had stayed like that I would probably have given it the full four stars. Unfortunately, the pace and storyline were too often interrupted by alien erotica as Donovan teaches his new wife how to have sex. Pages and pages and pages of it. I nearly DNFd a couple of times because it was so tiresome, it wasn't even anything different (no tentacles) just regular old vanilla sex with a little mild BDSM.
Anyway, that's just my view, maybe I'm a sci-fi snob and like it unadulterated by sex, that may float your boat.
Ultimately, I definitely want to see what the story is with Macie and some of Donovan's other friends, I like the world that Cara Crescent has created and I would be interested in reading more in this series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
Where to start? I love, love, loved The Wingman, I thought it was clever and funny and cute. Unfortunately I just thought that this was a hot mess.
DafWhere to start? I love, love, loved The Wingman, I thought it was clever and funny and cute. Unfortunately I just thought that this was a hot mess.
Daff(odil) McGregor is the oldest of three girls (Daisy and (Dah)Lia being her younger siblings). Daisy is marrying Mason Carlisle (ex-Special Forces, ex-male model, millionaire etc) which forces Daff as her Maid of Honour to play nice with Mason's older brother Spencer who is also his best man.
Spencer had a crush on Daff all through school and used to send her notes and poems. She being a self-absorbed teenager mocked him mercilessly and was paranoid that her friends would think she liked him. Years later and Daff has a job she hates and is aimlessly drifting through life. Spencer and Mason had a difficult childhood with druggie/ alcoholic parents, Spencer practically brought Mason up single-handed and they were viewed as the town's ne'er-do-wells, bad boys and delinquents, when really all they were was hungry and cold. Now, Spencer parlayed a short career in professional rugby into a successful sports shop and is doing well.
Daisy and Mason got together as a result of Spencer asking Mason to be his wingman at Lia's abortive wedding, by drawing the frumpy Daisy away from Daff so that he could chat up Daff. When Daff found out she was furious and has held a massive grudge ever since.
Why didn't I like this book? First, I didn't like Daff and I couldn't understand what Spencer saw in her. She was unkind to him at school because he wore threadbare clothes and scuffed shoes and wrote her love notes. She holds a grudge for one small incident, an incident that led to her sister finding love, and she has some massive insecurities and low self-esteem. Spencer on the other hand is a paragon of virtue. He uses his wealth to help disadvantaged children, he brings Daff healthy lunches every day, he has a beautiful family home, he's a real homebody. There's just too much angst. Spencer's angst about his childhood, Daff's angst about her past relationships (don't even get me started on that!), the runaway girl that Spencer wants to help - it was all too much. Third, considering the girls had a loving family childhood with not traumas the three of them seem to have some massive issues. Also, the set up for the next book about Lia was too blatant and frankly the guy seemed like a douche.
It's a pity because I really liked the other books I have read by Natasha Anders but this one just didn't do it for me....more
I had my doubts when I requested this book but I thought I would give it a try.
Josephine "Joey" Reeves is a florist and a single mom, havinDNF at 31%.
I had my doubts when I requested this book but I thought I would give it a try.
Josephine "Joey" Reeves is a florist and a single mom, having got pregnant when still at school. She was abandoned by the baby's father and had to give up her dreams of being a doctor to raise her son who is now nine years old. Her parents have always disapproved of her and her 'lifestyle choices' and nothing she has done in the past nine years has proven otherwise. Although she is attracted to the big, tattooed mechanic who works nearby she knows she needs to stay away from the bad boys.
Lou Cortez is a big brash mechanic and also does custom car paint designs on the side. He has had a thing for Joey for months but she hasn't given him the time of day. Little does he know she has a nine year old son. When he looks at Joey he sees a petite, shy woman who blushes every time she looks at him, she's different to the more brash women he normally dates. His mother has had five children by three different men and as a consequence he has jaded views about love and commitment.
By means of manipulative, passive-aggressive, semi-stalking Lou gets Joey to go for coffee with him and then out for dinner.
I'm now going to sound like a complete prude, but having spent nearly seven chapters reading about how Lou was going to go slow and be gentle with Joey so as not to scare her to read their first sex scene was a bit of a shock. Lou appears to be a caricature: the gruff, tattooed alpha male who protects his mother, grandmother and numerous sisters yet insists on referring to men being pussy-whipped and being forced to do chick things. He talks dirty to Joey and bosses her around, because of course she likes it rough in bed. There seemed to be a cast of thousands of mechanics, which Marie Harte seemed to be setting up for their own books.
31% through the book and I don't think we've seen Joey with her son for more than a few seconds - this isn't really a book about a single mom.
I just had an overwhelming feeling of meh at yet another book with interchangeable characters, having sex at every opportunity at the expense of a plot, moist folds, his constantly tightening trousers, constant swearing and derogatory references to women (but it's okay because he's the only man in a family full of women!).
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to review the book.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Sophie Kincaid's dream PR career in Chicago goes up in flames when her boss embezzles money from the firm to feed his coke habiThree and a half stars.
Sophie Kincaid's dream PR career in Chicago goes up in flames when her boss embezzles money from the firm to feed his coke habit, as a Vice-President she is tarred with the same brush and overnight her name is mud. She retreats to small town Illinois, Revival to be precise where one of her best friends has got her a job in city government assisting the town revitalisation project. Her friend has also found her a house to rent for six months. And that's where the problems begin, because the guy living next door, Ryder Moore, has bad boy written all over him and there's one thing that Sophie has learned is that bad boys are catnip for her - and it always ends badly.
Ryder moved to Revival to get away from wild and crazy girls and his new neighbour, and tenant, has wild and crazy written all over her. He knows he should stay away but there is something so very tempting about arguing with her...
Sophie is less than pleased to find out that no only is Ryder her landlord as well as her neighbour but he is also the deputy sheriff AND technically her boss on the town square grand opening project! Can't a girl catch a break?
Inevitably lust trumps logic and Sophie and Ryder enter into a no-holds barred friends-with-benefits relationship, time limited by Sophie's often expressed intention to return to Chicago after six months. Ryder is small-town through and through, there's no way he would ever want to be a big city cop.
I've see-sawed to and fro on my rating for this book. I'm a sucker for big city girl moves to small town stories and I love enemies to lovers stories but I had two issues with this book:
1) the naughty bits - it took me a while to realise what felt off about the sex - there was more fade to black than actual sex. There's lots of mentions of all the depraved and possibly illegal things that Sophie and Ryder do but not an awful lot of seeing them do those things. The only thing they seem to do is have a lot of exhibitionist alfresco sex. (view spoiler)[Sex on your front lawn? And at a small BBQ at a friend's house? Really, that's not hot that's tacky. (hide spoiler)]
2) both Sophie and Ryder were too willfully blind, I appreciate that a romance novel doesn't really work unless one or both of the characters cant see what is right in front of them but purlease!
I also, just a little bit, wished that the ending had been less predictable, it was done well but part of me wanted either the end to be ambiguous or for it to work out differently.
This is, apparently, the fourth book in a series. I had no problems reading this as a stand-alone although it was clear from all the recently paired-up, disgustingly good-looking couples in the book that this was part of a series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.
Although this is a new release it has a retro feel.
Gabriella and Teague Steele shared a passionate time in Vegas which resulteThree and a half stars.
Although this is a new release it has a retro feel.
Gabriella and Teague Steele shared a passionate time in Vegas which resulted in them getting hitched, but after her poor childhood Gabriella isn't going to settle for some construction worker who can't give her the stability she craves. So she leaves Teague in Vegas. A year later she's engaged to a man in Boston who meets all her criteria, all she needs is for Teague to sign the damn divorce papers!
Teague Steele and his brothers own a construction business, nothing has made him come alive like his spitfire of a wife but when she turns up brandishing divorce papers he can't believe what she has done to herself; dressed like a middle-aged hausfrau, plastered in make-up and with her beautiful hair scraped back this woman is nothing like his beautiful, passionate Gabby.
Teague doesn't know about Gabby's past, or that she thinks he's a lowly construction worker, but he is determined to woo his wife....more
Kinsey Malloy is the daughter of a Las Vegas police captain, a widower, he calls her Princess and now all the cops call her that, especially the hardaKinsey Malloy is the daughter of a Las Vegas police captain, a widower, he calls her Princess and now all the cops call her that, especially the hardass traffic cop who has pulled her over for turning right on red twice in a week - at the same place! Her father keeps trying to set her up with a solid, dependable (boring) police detective when the last guy she would ever date is another stubborn cop.
Sergeant Trent Clark plays by the rules, his less than exemplary family and upbringing make him afraid to do anything else, and he won't bend the rules for anyone - not even the police captain's daughter who thinks that she is above the law. Trent's from so far beyond the wrong side of the tracks that you can't even hear the trains! His family history means that he will never get married and have kids, he certainly isn't fit to lick the boots of someone as all-American as apple pie Kinsey.
Kinsey works at an upscale lingerie shop on the strip, someone is stealing stock and she can't find out who because her security cameras don't work and the maintenance guy is her ex. In desperation she calls the cops to investigate on the down-low only for Sergeant Hardass to turn up.
This novella felt like a lot of great ideas and genres that were never quite achieved. At times I thought this was going to be a Tessa Bailey hot and steamy novella, there's certainly a lot of sex in public places, but there is also a series of murders and Kinsey's thief to investigate. There's lots of relationships and other people with backstories which are never really explored, it felt like a novel crammed into a novella with some of the important detail cut out to make it fit!
But this is the first novella in a new series, I'd definitely read more and it certainly hit the smexy steam alert!
I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
I promised myself after my latest NetGalley binge that I would revisit old books which I had not yet reviewed and make a concerDNF at 24%.
No, just NO.
I promised myself after my latest NetGalley binge that I would revisit old books which I had not yet reviewed and make a concerted effort to read at least another 20% before making a decision. I think that Suzanne Wright writes great storylines and others gave this good reviews so I tried again. Within two pages I KNEW why I stopped reading this.
Harley Vincent is a half margay half human shifter (I know, right, that's different) living in the human world. Her brother was horrifically murdered by Anti-shifter extremists and her father then systematically hunted down and terminated all those involved, for which he is in prison. Her father is widely believed to have founded The Movement, a shifter group that hunts down anti-shifter extremists, matching violence with violence.
Growing up Harley had spent time with her best friend Mia, a wolf shifter, and her brother Jesse. Harley has been in love with Jesse since they were children but his true mate, Mia's friend Torrie, drowned as a child. Jesse is now a member of the Mercury Pack. Jesse and Harley had a torrid one-night stand after Mia's memorial service three years ago but haven't met up since, although Jesse has been keeping tabs on Harley's whereabouts.
Jesse and Harley meet up again when a member of Jesse's pack has a premonition that someone is going to blow up Harley's car. Jesse offers Harley the protection of his pack.
So, intriguing right? There's a war between extremists on both sides, Harley's Dad may or may not be involved and there's bad blood between Harley, her former pride (who were party animals in the worst sense) and Jesse's former pack.
But then chapter 5. I made seven notes on my Kindle about chapter 5, all variations on "NO", "nasty" and "what a pig". Harley is a dominant female so 'of course' she needs to be dominated by Jesse. First off, he springs on her that he wants to mate her (even though she believes that she will always be a poor substitute for his true mate) and then says she can't have time to think about it, because she's had three years to think. Yeah, right, after a one-night stand fuelled by grief we all secretly believe that the one-night stand is our mate (well maybe Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction). He spends a lot of time gripping her throat, saying things like
"Tell me you don't want this." He flexed his grip on her throat. "Tell me I'm not what you want. Say it and mean it."
.
The sex is violent and frankly abusive, I don't care if she enjoys it, when he is
... hammering into her. Hard. Fast. Going deep enough to hurt.
, that is wrong.
Here is another one (on the same page)
"Who's in you, Harley? Who's fucking you, owning you, right now?" When she didn't answer, Jesse stopped midthrust and gave her ass a sharp slap. "Answer the fucking question.
I have to say, I am so far over the FSoG BDSM crap, its been done to death and I find it deeply unpleasant and offensive when written like this. I don't care if he's a shifter, you don't see animals playing these kinds of games.
It's a pity because I wanted to see where the plot would lead but I really could not face reading a single page more.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
So this is one of those series where each book is written by a different author. It is set at a resort hotel where lots of singles have gathered for aSo this is one of those series where each book is written by a different author. It is set at a resort hotel where lots of singles have gathered for a week of pre-wedding entertainment. Kady and Colton are getting married and the action centres on their bridesmaids and groomsmen who, coincidentally, all seem to be pairing off (although, so far, none of them with the ones they originally wanted). I actually want to read one of the last books in the series but being the OCD person that I am, I have to at least try to read all of the earlier ones.
I skipped the first book, I think I have tried to read it, or something very similar, before and gave up. I have to say I only managed most of this one through gritted teeth. Julie Piper is the daughter of the family which sells the highly successful One-Eyed Jack whiskey, from Atlanta, she is a sweet Southern Belle who has spent countless hours planning every aspect of the week's activities. Reed Lawson is also from Atlanta, A SWAT team commander he is Julie's antithesis in every way. A kid from an abusive home, his life has been tough. When they meet they rub each other up the wrong way and yet they have explosive chemistry.
Tessa Bailey likes to write strong alpha males. I think they are borderline abusive. Hair-pulling isn't sexy it's effing painful. Also, telling someone you have only slept with once or twice that they can't do this or that with any other man ever is controlling and a big turn-off. Hence the gritted teeth. However, Reed does redeem himself because he is the only one that looks after Julie, that notices that she hasn't eaten all day because she has spent the time being the hostess with the mostest. Also, his reaction to finding out Julie had no-one to dance with brought a tear to my eye.
Each of these novellas is about a separate couple at the same week's activities so I am intrigued as to how they all fit together, even if from an objective viewpoint it is an absurd idea....more
I've got to be honest I have absolutely NO idea why I liked this.
Katerina Winter appears to be allergic to the word "had", in almost every instance whI've got to be honest I have absolutely NO idea why I liked this.
Katerina Winter appears to be allergic to the word "had", in almost every instance where it should have been used she uses "has" which reads very badly. She also uses "reigns" when she means "reins" and on a couple of other occasions she uses what appears to be completely the wrong word.
Added to which the 'hero' is plain mean and towards the end practically rapes the heroine, it's certainly hate sex.
And then, the heroine is broke, she has no savings, she is having to share a house with her best friend's soon-to-be ex-husband and act as his glorified maid (well there is no glorified about it). She gets a job as a manager at Starbucks and within weeks she has enough money for breast reduction surgery. Not a car, to replace the one which broke down, not a deposit on a place of her own, but cosmetic surgery. Sheesh!
But I liked it, go figure!
This is kind of a riff on the old Pride and Prejudice trope. Salene Agnew is allegedly calm, gracious and collected, I say allegedly because I didn't really see that. Down on her luck after losing her job, she goes to see if she can stay with her best friend for a while only to discover that her best friend has left her husband after only a few months of marriage. Said husband, Gabriel Breslin, and Salene actively dislike each other. Gabriel thinks Salene is a snobby bitch, Salene thinks Gabriel is a trust fund rich boy who hasn't had to work for anything.
Although Gabriel is spiteful and laughs at Salene's misfortune he can't let a woman sleep in her car in a car park or stay in the local roach motel (although, thinking about it, if he lives in an up-market area of Dallas why would there be a roach motel nearby rather than a nice hotel?) so he lets her sleep in the guest room in return for her cooking him breakfast in the morning.
Gabriel's views on women appear to be stuck somewhere in the 1950s, although his so-called courtesy doesn't extend to speaking politely to them it seems. He offers to let Salene stay in the guest room if she cleans the house and cooks for him. Soon he is drawing favourable comparisons between Salene and his ex-wife who, it turns out, was a gold-digging narcissist.
So, I would have given it four stars but I knocked off one star for the awful grammar and the obnoxious behaviour of Gabriel....more
I really enjoy Kit Rocha's new world order and plots but I have to say I really did not like the story of Dallas and Lex. I like erotica, I like BDSM,I really enjoy Kit Rocha's new world order and plots but I have to say I really did not like the story of Dallas and Lex. I like erotica, I like BDSM, I like multiple partners (in my reading materials at least) but I found their relationship disturbing? Warped? Unhealthy? I think the line is that describes it best is that she wanted to be defiled and he wanted to defile her. I just didn't get it and the big fantasy sex scene? Did nothing for me.
Otherwise? We find out that Lex has a side business stealing and helping out others, she also runs a kind of Underground Railroad for those escaping other sectors....more
Wow! What is it with the dystopian novels and sex? This was a great story but definitely NSFW.
Noelle Cunningham lives within the gated Eden community.Wow! What is it with the dystopian novels and sex? This was a great story but definitely NSFW.
Noelle Cunningham lives within the gated Eden community. Her father Edwin is a big man and she lives a charmed, albeit cold and unloved, life. Eden has some strange ideas about purity and Noelle gets disowned by her parents for getting arrested for drinking bootleg liquor and getting caught trying to have sex with a boy. Let loose in Sector Four she is drugged by a street vendor and is on the verge of being raped when she is 'saved' by Jasper McCray, second in command to the head of Sector Four, Dallas O'Kane.
The O'Kane gang/ family produce liquor, all kinds and run Sector Four. Soon Noelle is thrust into a world very different from the bland, safe, sterile Eden. In Sector Four sex is everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. Dallas holds parties at which pretty everything goes. Dallas also has a LOT of toys: whips, straps; plugs; benches; pearls, you name it, he's got it.
I can't recall who recommended this series to me, but I thank them very much. Whilst the sex is frequent and lurid (and sometimes required me to draw a mental diagram just to work out who was where and facing whom) it is also a story about building a working society, it features any number of bright, sassy women doing their thing and controlling their own lives.
Loved it - and got the second book free too!...more
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