M. Leighton – Brave Enough (Tall, Dark, and Dangerous #3)

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Perfect book for a book club that enjoys a glass a wine.  It pairs well with both a red and white.

Tag may work the land at the vineyard, but he isn’t a snobby sommelier.  He’s over 6 and half feet tall with broad shoulders and a narrow waste.  But more importantly, he knows the type of kiss that pairs and follows the type of wine.

Weatherly is looking for an opportunity to let go.  Lucky for her, she arrives at her family’s property, an amazingly romantic paradise, and finds the incredibly hot Tag whose more than happy to engage in some down and dirty sex.  After reading some of these scenes, I needed a cold shower more than the characters.

Best part of the book is that both main characters are multi-dimensional.  They are possessive, strong, shrewd, and articulate but can also show insecurities and regret.  They were anything but predictable, which made for a great read.

There were lots of twists that kept me turning the pages ’til the very end.

Available For Pre-Order

Amazon.com 

Other Series By M Leighton

See More Wicked Works – Spicy Stories to Savor

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Lily Cahill – Prince Hudson (Alpha Bear Princes #1)

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This is my favorite type of paranormal romance – heavy on the romance and just enough paranormal to make the story interesting.  I absolutely couldn’t put the book down once I started it.  Definitely a 5 star read.

I really like the element that there isn’t a significant disparity between the wealth of Kay and Hudson.  Kay comes from money and isn’t simply impressed by it.  Hudson has earned his money on his own, which Kay respects.

Both Kay and Hudson have their own insecurities.  Hudson worries,

“Maybe she was like all the rest – someone who wanted to say they’d fucked Hudson Royce, and nothing more.  The idea stung.  He’d been hurt by women before … But with Kay, it was different.  Her rejection felt so much worse – more raw and more personal.  She was his mate.  She was supposed to be his.  Hadn’t she said as much last night?  Leaving after they’d shared such an intimate moment was more than hurtful – it was insulting.””

Kay’s insecurities stem from her ex-boyfriend, Chase.  He is such a great character that I wanted to reach inside the book and throttle him.

Pull Quote:

“Really?” Kay asked with a grin. “What is the elusive Mr. Royce most curious about in the entire world?”
“I’ve been trying to figure it out all night, but I have no idea what color your panties are.”

Excerpt:

KAY

By the time the elevator finally dinged in the lobby, Kay’s heart was beating a wild rhythm in her chest. This was insane—fun, sexy insane—but still insane. She felt as jittery as a hummingbird.

They stepped onto the elevator and Hudson flashed his keycard against a sensor. As soon as the doors closed, Hudson pressed her against the wall, his hands firm on her waist, her hands landing on his chest. His voice rumbled low and sensual in her ear.

“I’m going to make you come now. And I’m going to do it before these doors open again.”

All Kay’s air left her as her core tightened in response to his words.

Was he serious? He wasn’t pressing any buttons to stop the elevator. Even if he’d rented the penthouse, they had maybe seventy-five floors. What was that in elevator time, thirty seconds? Maybe a minute?

She’d always been sort of a slow-burner where sex was concerned. It took her time. What if he expected something different? What if she couldn’t—?

A little cry escaped from Kay’s throat. He’d already started.

She felt his hand reach under her skirt and her eyes whipped to meet his.

“That’s right, baby. I want you to look at me when you come,” he said, pressing his forehead against hers.

His hand slid between her thighs as his foot nudged her legs further apart.

She gasped.

“I want you to remember this moment,” he said, curling the other hand into her hair.

Goosebumps spread across her flesh. His fingers felt so good on her scalp.

Then his other hand found her.

In one fluid motion, he’d slipped the crotch of her panties to the side and plunged two fingers deep inside her, his thumb circling her clit.

Kay cried out, so loud it normally would have embarrassed her. But she felt too good to care.

“Fuck yes, baby,” he said. “I love how wet you are for me. You feel so fucking good.”

Kay thought she might never breathe again. No one had ever talked to her like this—dirty and commanding and so wonderfully in control of her body. It was really turning her on. Her skin felt alive, on fire, responsive in a way she’d never felt before. She felt herself growing tighter around him with every plunge of his fingers into her sensitive center.

She was close. Holy shit. She was already close.

She moaned and closed her eyes, undone by the sensations already building in her body. She let herself sink into him, opened wider to let him delve deeper.

“No,” he said in a commanding tone. “Open your eyes. I want you to remember how easy it is for me to make you come, baby. And I want you to see how much I love it when you do.”

She obeyed.

The sight of his eyes only sent her higher. He was locked on her, absolutely focused, honed in to her pleasure. She’d never felt so exposed and so safe all at once.

“Good, baby. That’s perfect. Now come for me.”

With the words he plunged even deeper and reached a place inside her she hadn’t known existed before that moment.

Her body buckled around him, tightened and shuddered as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. She felt herself holding on to him, felt her fingers digging into his shoulders as he continued to probe her depths, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t. She felt too good, too overwhelmed, to summon any control.

His hand left her hair and held her close—kept her standing, really—as the final wave crested and fell away, his eyes never leaving hers.

Holy. Shit.

He was still looking at her with that probing stare, those intense eyes. A cocky, satisfied grin spread across his face.

The elevator slowed and stilled.

Ding.

Hudson pulled his fingers out of her just as the doors opened.

I can’t wait for the next in the series.

See Related Posts:

Lily Cahill – Sparked

Lily Cahill – Exposed (Independence Falls Superhero Romance Book 2)

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Author Bio:

We are Lily Cahill, a group of women who met in a writers group and bonded over our love of books, romance, and finding excuses to dress up and go on lady dates. And sexy guys. We definitely bonded over a love of (ogling, gossiping about, and writing) sexy guys. With our talents combined, we created a series blending sensuality, sci-fi, and a retro mountain setting. We all live in Denver, and between us we have six dogs, three cats, and one baby.

Abbi Glines – Until Friday Night

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This book caught me by total surprise.  I’m a huge fan of Abbi Glines.  I love her Sea Breeze Series, Rosemary Beach Series, and Vincent Boys.  Typically, they’re fun, quick, romantic reads centered around young adults.  I didn’t even bother reading the blurb about his book before I started it.

This book is very different from her others and it blew me away.  This was a new one in her new series The Field Party.  It’s filled with your basic teenage love story, but the story around the couple is rather dark.

Here’s a general re-cap of the story.  A high school age girl who witnessed her father shoot and kill her mother comes to lives with her cousin.  She develops a relationship with her cousin’s best friend whose father is terminally ill and on hospice.

This book struck a little too close to home this week.  I couldn’t have read a better book if someone hadn’t written one specifically for me.  I’ve faced 7 deaths in the past few months, including the very unexpected and unexplained death of a 22 year boy.  And, like the characters in the story, I know a middle-aged parent of a 15 boy and 13 girl that is facing the imminent tragic end to a battle with brain cancer.

The author captured the way in which teens deal with tragedy was remarkably real.  West admits,

“My dad’s dying.  Doctors can’t do anything for him anymore.  Sent him home to just … die.  Every day I watch him fall away a little more.  further from our grasp.  Further from us.  He’s in so much pain, and there isn’t anything I can do.  I’m afraid to go to school because, what if he dies while I’m gone and I never see him again?  But then, like right fucking now, I’m afraid to go home because he may have gotten worse and then I’d have to see that.  I have to see the man I adore wasting away.  Leaving this life.  Leaving us.”

West is only comforted by Maggie’s presence.  Her simple statements seem to resonate with West,

“The end hurts … hurts like hell.”

In the midst of devastation, Maggie and West’s hearts sing to each other.  It is beautifully optimistic that they can experience a bit of peace and not be completely overwhelmed by sadness.  Their relationship transcends simple teenage hormones.  But as in all romances, there’s also the element of romantic heart break.

“… there was the way West was looking at her.  The way he never looked at me.  Like he wanted to eat her up.”

What I found most meaningful in the book was the resilience and strength of the young adults when faced with extreme tragedy.

I generally don’t set my expectations high for romance books, which is to say I’m basically looking to be entertained and not looking for classically powerful literary works.  After reading hundreds of romance books, I do have defined standards by which I determine the quality of a romance book.  This book went way beyond the typical romance book.  It struck a chord in my heart and helped me cope with the overwhelming sadness of death in my life.

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Holly Mortimer – Worlds Apart (Sisters #3)

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Synopsis: 

Samantha Lane is one of the world’s highest paid actresses, but underneath all the fame and fortune, she’s living a lie. Her love life is non-existent. Her bio is completely made up and to top it all off, she’s reached the ultimate in celebrity status. She’s got herself a stalker. Now filming a career changing movie in Ireland, she’s fighting to take back control of her life before the world finds out just what a fake she really is. Brennan O’Brien has returned to his Irish roots to raise a daughter he never knew existed and to dig the family’s pub out from the brink of bankruptcy. He has no time for spoiled actresses, lunatic stalkers or meddling friends and family, and has vowed to never give his heart to another woman. Unfortunately, he now lives in the land of magic, folklore, and hopeless romantics and will have to decide if he can resist the pull of Samantha Lane or give in to her maddening allure. Follow Sam and Brennan’s twisted path to true love, where these jaded souls test the limits of fate to find a way to come together and overcome their pasts to discover the truth about who they really are and what they really need.

*NOTE* While Worlds Apart can be read as a standalone, it is book #3 in The Sisters series.

Review

This is one of those books that puts the Happily in the Happily Ever After.

It takes a leap of faith to fall in love.  Brennan captures this so well, “She was going to break my heart, I knew it the minute I met her, but it didn’t seem to matter to me.”  The heart wants what the heart wants.

I find names to be incredibly important to a story.  I love when Brennan insists on referring to Sam as Samantha.  “Everyone else gets Sam, but I get Samantha.  I get the woman behind the brand.  I get you, all of you, and that’s only mine to have.”

The primary setting of the story takes place in a small pub in Ireland is incredibly romantic.  The way it is described conjures up images of warm homeyness.  Admittedly, it also brought back a lot of great memories of college as I used to frequent a bar, also known as Murphy’s Pub, at the University of Illinois.

Buy Links for Worlds Apart 

 

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Holly Mortimer is a wife, mom and believer in the concept of happily ever after.  She attended Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, where she studied Music Industry Arts.  She wandered the world working in the entertainment and travel industry while filling journals with romantic short stories and heroes and heroines.  She’s finally taken the next step and published her first novel with Butterfly Publishing.

Holly lives in Stratford, Ontario with her husband and two daughters.  She enjoys reading, writing and finding the next inspiring moment to write about.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Pinterest • Goodreads

D.W. Marshall – Stolen Flame

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Synopsis

Stolen Flame:

Vivian is excited about this weekend. Why wouldn’t she be? She is finally turning twenty-one, and she knows for-a-fact that Liam, the man of her dreams is in love with her too. On the eve of her birthday, her world comes crashing down when she is taken from her home.
Now, instead of spending her birthday in Liam-heaven, she learns that she will be forced to take part in The Chamber, a lavish sex club for the world’s richest and most powerful men. She finds early on that she will not suffer her sentence alone. With the budding sisterhood of the six other women taken at the same time, along with an unexpected ally, Vivian will discover an inner strength and love that she never knew existed.

Review

Wow!!  This story stunned me by altering my perception as the scenes progressed.  The plot is intense and dark and pushes the limit of what I normally can handle in a story.  This wasn’t by any sense of the imagination a typical erotic tale.  The majority of the story takes place where the kidnapped girls are held captive in a sex club and are forced to satisfy 5 men, 5 days a week.  While this is a chilling to imagine, the strength of the characters, particularly Vivian, compelled me to continue reading and I couldn’t book down the book.  The author amazingly weaves a bit of romance into an extraordinary situation.  As a reader I was clinging to the romantic elements as much as Vivian was desperate to hold onto her love.

** Spoiler Alert ** (It’s a romance novel – an HEA is expected)

After the girls are released – the book gets intriguing.  Vivian champions the concept of embracing the bad things in life and continuing on.

Screen Shot 2014-10-22 at 8.55.28 AM D.W. Marshall!

Author Bio:

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D.W. Marshall an author of an elclectic array of romance novels writes direct and distinctive dialogue wrapped in sensual imagery. The first in her series, featuring Vivian Travis, is Stolen Flame. As a wife and mother residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ms. Marshall uses the sexuality on the streets of Sin City to fuel her stories. She is in her bliss with pen in hand creating her characters.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SevenChamberSeries

Blog: https://7chambers.wordpress.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19294181-stolen-flame

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dwmarshall7

Alice Clayton – Nuts

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Romance for a foodie.  This book is a savory combination of delicious delicacies, wholesome goodness, and spicy desire.

Seriously, there were times that the story talked so much about food that my stomach started to growl and other times when I felt a strong compulsion to go bake.  I loved that the emphasis in the baking was for old fashioned recipes.

Things don’t only heat up in the kitchen.  There’s fire on the porch, on the farm, in the lake, and occasionally in a bed.

Found one of my favorite quotes from the book on Pinterest

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see https://www.pinterest.com/pin/400890804310363598/

The humor is sensational.  Let’s just say that the double entendre for large vegetables never gets old.  I also enjoyed the hippie mom, that can get under her daughter’s skin.

Nuts - Use a condom

 

See Related Posts:

Alice Clayton – Wallbanger

Alice Clayton – Rusty Nailed (Cocktail #2)

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Nona Raines – His Kind of Woman

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Roy knocking on Venetia’s door was a great beginning to this novella.

The emotional honesty in this book is what makes this a book worth reading.  The characters are open about their fears, sadness, regret, and love.  None of the characters feelings are dismissed or ignored because they are difficult.  I really liked how Venetia was strong enough to anticipate Roy’s hesitancy and strip down her clothes and boundaries and bare herself to him.

There was a lot packed into this short novella.

See Related Post:

Nona Raines – Her Kind of Man

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JR Ward – Blood Kiss (Black Dagger Legacy)

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FABULOUS SPIN-OFF!! Very little about the lessors and a lot of hot Brothers

This story has two main story lines: Butch and Marissa, from the original series, and the new to the Brotherhood training program, Paradise and Craeg.  I love that this spin off doesn’t abandon the characters from the original series.  In fact, that relationship constitutes about half of the novel.

Butch and Marissa face a break in their relationship if Butch keeps his feelings to himself.  The fear of losing Marissa is Butch’s achilles heal.  The importance of a Shellan in a Brother’s life is irresistible.

Paradise and Craeg are both strong and attracted to each other but they come from extremely different backgrounds.  Paradise proves to be an incredible strong woman and Craeg proves to be a man of worth.  The comparison of what that means to each respective gender is captivating.

As soon as I finished this book, I was immediately craving more BDB.  The Brotherhood vampires are the sexiest paranormal characters every been published.  They have toned, perfectly developed bodies that are made go the distance.  They are fearless and eternally protective.  When they bond with a female, their love is infinitive, true, and unequivocally faithful.  Butch’s faithfulness is described by comparing the intrigue of walking through a roomful of beautiful naked women to watching a lawn mower.  Butch never suffers from a wandering eye.  He only sees Marissa.

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image from Dirty Girl Romance 

See Related Posts:

Favorite Spin-off Book Series (newly added series 5/21/15)

J.R. Ward – The Shadows (Black Dagger Brotherhood #13)

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Tess Bowery – She Whom I love

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Who knew that historical romance could be hot?  The book is like an incredible mash-up of Downtown Abbey, Erotica, and Thriller.  This book surpassed all my expectations.

Synopsis

Treading the Boards, Book 2

Marguerite Ceniza dies on the London stage each night, but her own life has barely begun. The ingénue is on the prowl for a lover, but while she burns with desire for Sophie, a confession could ruin their decade-long friendship. In the meantime there are always men vying to be her patron, and square-jawed, broad-shouldered James Glover can’t help but catch her eye.

Sophie Armand has been a lady’s maid for too long, and she’s sick of keeping secrets. Her hidden scripts and the story of her birth are only the beginning. Her nights are haunted by desperate thoughts of the beguiling Marguerite, and of James, the handsome tradesman who whispers promises of forever into her ear.

James has the kind of problem a lot of men would kill for—two women, both beautiful, both sensual, and both willing. Sophie wants marriage, while Marguerite’s only in it for fun, and choosing between them isn’t easy.

What’s the worst that could happen if he secretly courts them both?

Their romantic triangle is complicated in the most delicious way, until a shadowy figure from Marguerite’s past threatens to destroy the budding relationship—and their lives.

Warning: Contains a lady’s maid with secret desires, a corset-maker who knows his way around a woman’s body, and an actress who never has to fake it. Rated for adult audiences only.

Review

Unlike most historical romance that are prim and proper as society expected people to behave at the time, this book is about raw desire and behaving well outside the accepted rules.  Behaving outside the norm, makes their choices very risky because the repercussions of discovery could be tragic.  This certainly heightened the emotional intrigue.

Let’s talk fashion. The men and women of the time wore a lot of clothes.  While this could serve as an impediment, the author turns the cumbersome attire into an incredible excuse for extended foreplay.

Despite women having limited power at the time, the way that Meg and Sarah take control over James is phenomenal.  All men should be made to beg in such a manner.

I also appreciated the overall acknowledgement and struggle for female empowerment.  Women were not really afforded any opportunities but needed to finagle their way through life to claim some power for themselves.

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Stacey Brandon and Karen Bell – Crash

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Crash Synopsis:

Charli has a plan for her life. It does not include the hot guy at table four. This is the first time she’s seen him at The Crash, the bar where she works most evenings. From the moment he arrives with his power suit, condescending friends, and unnerving stare, he’s hijacked her thoughts. It doesn’t help that he keeps finding ways to insinuate himself into her life.

Logan has a plan for his life. It does not include the quirky little waitress at the new bar his friends discovered. He has a lot of obligations and very little time. If he needs a female distraction once in awhile, she isn’t the type of woman he normally looks to. Despite all of this, she has become what he wants most of all.

Working to overcome all the things threatening to separate them won’t be easy. Can they find a way to meet in the middle if it holds the promise of happily ever after?

Review:

Very fun book!  The things that come out of Liv and Charli’s mouths are fantastically hilarious.  Fortunately, for Charlie’s sake, it is just the perfect amount of insanity that makes Logan fall for her.

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The romance is also fun.  Logan and Charli’s work schedules make it difficult to do the traditional dating rituals, which lead to g0-cart racing and trips to the zoo.  Their inability to behave appropriately in a family-friendly environment is absolutely entertaining.

While I’m all about the HEA, I even liked the author’s heart break moments.

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The malicious characters act according to character and not in an over-the-top ridiculous fiction kind of way.  They both act with an appropriate amount of deceptiveness and bitchiness.

Finally, I liked the happily-ever-after because despite their major differences it was a shared belief in what is important that brings them together.  Couples don’t need to like all the same things – they don’t need to like to eat at the same types of restaurants.  Core beliefs are a must in a relationship.  The authors don’t brow beat the reader with this message, but rather subtly pose the importance of volunteering.

Buy Links:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/crash-56

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1063726095

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Stacey Brandon & Karen Bell Bio:

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Once upon a time, these two hookers became best friends…

Stacey Brandon and Karen Bell both live in the same small Texas town on the Gulf Coast, are happily married and the proud Moms of awesome kids.  Stacey owns and runs a photography studio and Karen designs and sews her own children’s clothing line.  They met over fifteen years ago when they decided to turn one large professional space into a single home for both businesses.

Well, that’s all the boring facts expected to be included in an “about the author” page, right?  The reality is so much more fun.  Stacey and Karen and their families spend holidays together, travel together… and generally turn every situation into something crazy and chaotic.  They are both fluent in English, Sarcasm and Profanity and have decided the irrefutable proof of their best friend status is how often people assume they are “together” when in public.  The poor husbands are good sports about it… and might even encourage this misconception at times for sheer entertainment value.  

When Karen battled cancer… and kicked its ass… in 2014, they learned to value every day and quit worrying about what others think.  Do what you love!  Karen is happy to take advantage of the situation though.  She loves to remind everyone she “had the CANCER, dammit!”   and now she can always and forever claim the last brownie 😉

Links:

Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Instagram