S.C. Stephens – Effortless

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This is the second in the Thoughtless series.  Okay, so Kellan and Kiera still have issues of trust, which is still a very key element of the book.  They realize that they both need to learn to trust each other, which is really difficult based on the fact their relationship started as an affair.  Will the tour test each of them?  Will they be able to stay faithful to each other?  I found myself worrying about the characters between the moments I actually had time to read the book.  At their most stressful moments, my chest physically ached.

This book is different from the first, as it is also about the development of love.  How it can grow and change.  One of my favorite lines is when Kiera tells Kellan,”I love you more.  I love you enough to let you go and live your dream.”  Also, this book has a lot more heat.  Kellan is a hot sexually charged rock star – NO DOUBT.  But what is surprisingly fabulous is Kellan’s adorable romantic side.

See my other post for the Thoughtless Series:

S.C. Stephens – Thoughtless

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S.C. Stephens – Thoughtless

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I just read this book for the second time, because I wanted the story fresh in my mind before Thoughtful releases on Feb. 22, 2015.

This is a painfully wonderful story about a love triangle.  The words come off the page and warm the heart with the intensity of love that the characters feel for each other.  At the same time, the words choke and crush the heart when the characters are devastated.  One of my favorite lines is when Denny tells Kiera, “I want to be someone’s everything.  I want fire and passion, and love that’s returned, equally.  I want to be someone’s heart. … Even if it means breaking my own[.]”

Why does this story stand out above other love triangles?  Well, beside some great writing, all three characters possess a well-crafted balance of positive and negative characteristics that make them both attractive and realistically flawed.  Needless to say, Kellan is extremely physically attractive (he is the definitive sexy as all get-out Rock Star), but it is the vulnerability of his heart that makes him incredibly alluring.  Kellan’s challenge is dealing with feelings of love that are entirely new to him.  In contrast, Denny is a good looking man with an irresistible Australian accent, but he is young and foolishly makes decisions on his own without consulting Kiera.  As a side note, I love that both Kellan and Denny’s voices are both similarly one of their most seductive qualities.  Lastly, Kiera – the point of the triangle – balances precariously between being considerate, heartless, loving, and selfish.  Her naivete and lack of confidence is her ultimate shortcoming.  She never comes across as being intentionally mean or malicious.

Finally, this story works so well because the theme is all about trust: trusting one’s own feelings and trusting in another’s person’s love.  This applies to relationships of all ages, not just couples in their early twenties.

See my other post for Thoughtless Series:

S.C. Stephens – Effortless

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Valentine’s Heart Pound Cake

Valentine's Day Pound Cake

This was my Valentine’s gift to my family – a pound cake in a pound cake.  The pink (vanilla) cake stayed remarkably moist after being baked inside the chocolate cake.  My kids really liked snacking on the extra leftover pink cake.  My daughter is a true chocolate lover and she doesn’t believe that chocolate cake actually is an acceptable form of chocolate.  She prefers ganache and fudge to chocolate cake.  However, she appreciated the fun look of the cake and enjoyed a few slices.  Less than 24 hours later, all the cake is gone (the pink scraps and the one with the heart inside).

Fiction Fan Friday 2/13/15

Pinterest Book Boyfriend Boards

Great romance authors make the reader fall in love with the characters. The descriptions of their build, the way in which they speak, and their prowess in bed electrify the characters and make them hot and desirable. I love to re-read the best of the best, but sometimes there isn’t enough time. Enjoy these pinterest boards that celebrate some of the most titillating characters and combine both provocative images and amazing quotes.

Drew Evans in Tangled Series by Emma Chase

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/mariskabell/emma-chase-%7E-tangledtwistedtied/

Remy by Katy Evans

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lilyslibrary/real-mine-remy-by-katie-evans/

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

13_pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/beckybookworm/travis-mad-dog-maddox-3/

Myla Jackson – Boots and Chaps

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This is the 1st book in the Ugly Stick Saloon Series.

Who says it is only a woman’s prerogative to change her mind?  Men should be able to change theirs as well.  Let’s hear it for a little equality in life.  Jackson may have originally claimed not to be into foursomes, but enticing circumstances brought him into the game.  His change of heart leads to some wicked fun reading.  The mischief scenes are hot and engaging with a realness that welcomely makes it a far cry from unbelievable fantasy erotica.

The women in this book are strong, independent, and aggressive.  Jackson may claim to be the master, but Audrey does a lot of topping from the bottom.  In addition, the women at the Ugly Stick Saloon on Ladies’ Night are fantastically unruly.

I plan to read more in the series.

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Emma Chase – Tied

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I love Drew and I love this book!  Drew Evans is the perfect blend of male characteristics, which makes him incredibly sexy.  He’s cocky but justifiably arrogant.  He’s intelligent and successful in the investment banking world.  He’s beautiful.  He’s an asshole, but he’s self-aware of it and is honest enough to admit to the shortcomings of his natural male tendencies.  He’s not immune to jealousy, which makes him a bit more appreciative.  He’s got a practically insatiable libido, but very generous in bed.  Drew isn’t afraid of speaking about what’s on his mind, sometimes crass  (and funny) and sometimes very romantic.  I melted when he told his mom, “If it wasn’t for you-I never would’ve been able to win over a woman like Kate.”  And, he’s a wonderful caring father.  Of course he believes that seeing a shirtless guy with a baby is a form of “female frigging Viagra.”  Overall, Drew is the yin and yang of perfection.

This book was very much worth losing sleep over – I couldn’t put it down.  Every page kept my attention.  The humor in the book is like frosting that holds a cake together.  It makes the whole even more delicious.  Emma Chase teases about the gratuitous oral scene.  Well hey, I like a little extra frosting on my cake.  There are so many funny lines that I would love to quote and share, but I don’t want to spoil the entire book experience.

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Jamie McGuire – Beautiful Redemption

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Love those Maddox Men!  Maddox Men understand true love – the kind that never ends.  Thomas explains the intensity of Travis’s love for Abby, his wife, “I don’t think that [love’s] an adequate word to describe the way he feels about her.  Threatening him with losing her is like threatening his life.”  For Thomas, Liis may not be his first love, but is undoubtable becomes his last. Liis, gratefully acknowledges, “I wasn’t the first, but I would be the last.  That didn’t make me the second prize.  It made me his forever.”

Thomas is hot!  Any man that can bring a woman to her knees with a kiss alone, is a keeper.  He cares immensely  about his family, too.  And, Liis is excellent for Thomas.  She is tough and doesn’t put up with his crap, both at work and elsewhere.

Love is a lot of things: fun, scary, hot, and eternal.  This book has got it all.  I adore humor in any romance.  Shepley’s best man speech at the wedding had me laughing out loud.  “[Travis & Abby’s] marriage has reinforced what I’ve always thought and lived by – that stalking, harassment, and inflicting general misery on a woman will eventually pay off.”

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The Deep

Coolest photo I’ve seen in years. My novel, Twin Rapture, that I’m currently editing takes place in San Francisco. The photo shall help inspire me to continue editing today.

Zhang Wenjie's avatarA Certain Slant of Light Photography

What looks like futuristic tunnels rising out from the deep is actually the facade of a skyscraper called One Front Street, located along Market Street in downtown San Francisco. The darkening evening sky and the reflective surface of the building gives it a somewhat ethereal look. As it was a late Friday evening, the area was pretty quiet, so it almost felt as if I had the whole city to myself.

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Abbi Glines – Kiro’s Emily

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This is the 10th Book in the Rosemary Beach Series.

As a fan of the Rosemary Beach Series, I greatly appreciate this gift of a book and addition to the story line.  The author/publisher were generous enough to make it free on Amazon.  It’s a cool novella that is a prequel to the series.  I really like how the author breaks away from standard formula rock star book.  Here, Kiro falls for the innocent girl, Emily.  Unlike most books, Emily doesn’t actually tame Kiro.  He remains true to himself.  He doesn’t limit his foul mouth, doesn’t curb his libido, and doesn’t act any less selfless.  But what makes him incredibly sexy is the way he focuses all his energy on Emily.

See my other post for the Rosemary Beach Series:

Abbi Glines – “You Were Mine”

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