Grace Risata – Nights in the Fast Lane

July 29, 2016July 29, 2016 lizellyn Books Strong Sexy Supermale

REVIEW

The connection between Dane and Izzy has a primal feel. The protectiveness and concern that they show for each other is hot. Dane’s compass seems to be set to due North and his character doesn’t falter. Izzy’s character is a bit manic. Her caring side is very attractive, but her irrational side is over the top.

Overall, I felt like the love interest grew organically, but some personalities were a bit too extreme and detracted from the story.

Dane’s friends, Spider and Ant, add a lot to the story. Each deserve their own story.

Nice little tie-in to her previous novel, My Dirty Detour.

I don’t think I’ll be able to walk down the chip aisle at the grocery every again without thinking about sex.

BLURB

Dane and Izzy.

Complete opposites.

As the New Year begins, they find themselves facing very different circumstances.
Dane is a street racer stuck with a blown engine, no money, and no options after he gets fired for saving a damsel in distress.
Izzy can’t believe she was just rescued by the same handsome stranger she walks past, and lusts after, on a daily basis. With a massive blizzard about to bury the town, she ends up taking him in for the night.
Sparks fly when she brings out his playful side, and he shows her a passion she’s never known before.
As they slowly begin to trust each other, walls come down and tragic pasts emerge. Dane is haunted by the family he never had, while Izzy will stop at nothing to deny her birthright.
When Dane receives an offer he can’t refuse, will one bad decision cost him everything? Or will fate intervene and send these two down the path they were destined for?

This is a full length, stand-alone novel with no cliffhangers. Please be advised that you will find strong language, attractive men with tattoos, a dog with a cat name, steamy bedroom scenes including one involving Doritos, plenty of character backstory, and a very healthy dose of humor.

Grace Risata – My Dirty Detour

to Grace Risata!

J.L. Leslie – Finding Dawn

July 28, 2016July 28, 2016 lizellyn Books Spicy Stories to Savor, Suspense

Review

I have an extreme love/hate relationship with this book. As a stand-alone book, it is a great dark romance with plenty of twists. However, the dark aspects of this book are not even remotely alluded to in the book blurb, which initially made me react quite negatively to the story. I truly enjoyed the book that preceded this novel (giving it 5 stars) and described it as a “feel good” book. Finding Dawn takes on a drastically different tone. This book is very gritty, including some graphic violence.

If I work hard at trying to parse out my initial negative reactions, I think this is a compelling story. I liked how a lot of the unexpected twists contrast the overly predictable beginning. I find that this pacing strategy enhanced the drama.

Blurb

Moving to California is the best decision I’ve ever made. I no longer work for my ex-fiancé’s father. I’m hundreds of miles away from my ex-fiancé. And I met a woman who completely intrigues me. Dawn. No last name.

Yeah…moving to California was a great idea.

Only I can’t seem to get Dawn out of my head. The way we met. The way she acts. The night we had together. Now she’s just gone.

She bailed on me. But I don’t give up so easily. I’ll find her.

I just wasn’t expecting what I’d find…or who…

**Due to mature language, adult content, drug abuse, and strong sexual content this book is intended for mature audiences only.**

(Finding Dawn is Drew’s story from Let The Waves Come In, but is a stand-alone full length novel. It is not necessary to read Let The Waves Come In prior to reading Finding Dawn.)

See Related Posts:

J.L. Leslie – Let the Waves Come In

Misleading Book Blurbs Lead to Bad Reviews

to J.L. Leslie!

Celebrating Authors/Books that I didn’t blog about but haven’t forgotten (Week 1 – Paranormal Romance)

July 28, 2016August 2, 2016 lizellyn Bookish Pure Paranormal Passion

Week 1 – Pure Paranormal Passion Books

Patricia Briggs – Mercy Thompson Series

Tough female coyote shapeshifter, married to a hot strong werewolf, seems to find herself in a lot of crazy supernatural predicaments. The books contain action packed stories with some romance.

Laurell Hamilton – Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Series

Bold female vampire hunter that enjoys her MANY vampires and shifters. Brings the concept of polyamorous relationships to whole new level! Can’t wait to find out who she is going to marry. I unfortunately missed out on a short release of a short story – Shutdown. Hopefully it will be available again.

Charlaine Harris – Sookie Stackhouse Series

Who will be the hottest vampire or other supernatural to win the heart of a heart of a southern girl with superhuman talents? I loved the southern drawl and connections between the characters. The True Blood series was based on these books. The books are much better than the show.

Shelly Laurenston – The Mane Event

Great combination of shifter and real world. In the story, the scent of a woman’s neck makes a male lion purr. Reading the carnal description, made me yearn. I just realized that these stories are just the first in a 9-book series: Pride Series. Yay! More to read.

Stephenie Meyer – Twilight Saga

A series that even teens can read and the series that got me hooked on reading again!

J.R. Ward – Black Daggar Brotherhood

These are the sexiest vampires that come to life on paper. The character names are absolutely spectacular: Wrath, Rhage, Zsadist, Dhestroyer, Vishous, Phury, and Rehvenge . They are forceful and definitively masculine. Each book in the series gets better. My favorite was “Lover at Last,” which I find difficult to discuss without spoiling the ending. Instead, I’ll try and control myself and bite my tongue for now.

See ALL Suggested Pure Paranormal Passion Books

Abbi Glines – Up in Flames

July 25, 2016July 25, 2016 lizellyn Books Rich Racy & Romantic Romeos, Suspense

Good book, but deviates greatly from the standard tone of the series.

I could have enjoyed the book more if this book was part of a spin-off series and not included in the original Rosemary Beach series. Let me explain. As stated in other posts, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Rosemary Beach series. It’s fun and romantic. But this book takes on a completely different feel. There’s more suspense. It’s equally as enjoyable, but in an intriguing way more than a carefree fun way. Some of the other “mini-series” within the Rosemary Beach Series were given a distinguishing name. That was fine and great because each mini-series concentrated on a couple of characters. But in Up in Flames, while the book centers around the character Nan, who showed up in the entire series, the tone of the book was considerably different.

In general, I love to read series. I get emotionally attached to the characters and feel of the author’s words. When I open to page one of each individual book, I go in with a particular mindset and expectations. When the book deviates or fails to meet those expectations, I’m left with a taste of dissatisfaction. Unfortunately, that’s where I was left after reading Up in Flames. However, if I had known prior to starting the book that it was going to go in a much darker direction, I would have felt differently. In fact, I would most definitely have rated the book higher.

See Related

Misleading Book Blurbs Lead to Bad Reviews

The book that got me hooked on reading (again)

July 21, 2016July 20, 2016 lizellyn Bookish book blogging

I remember being a pre-teen and loved reading. John Irving was one of my favorite writers at the time. Then, life got in the way and I couldn’t find the time to read things of my own choosing – you know the things that you want to read as opposed those that you are forced to read. I absolutely loathed every book that I read for school during high school. Then during undergrad and law school, my academic schedule precluded any time for enjoyable reading. As soon as I had kids, my time was filled with lots of reading with them. Of course the books progressed from baby books to things that interested them (not necessarily my tastes).

About 8 years ago, I finally picked up a book of my own choosing. Everyone was talking about this Twilight movie. So, I picked up a copy and read it. I liked it and choose to read New Moon. As soon as I got through that one, I literally raced to the book store to get Eclipse. I was suddenly hooked. Reading was a new found source of pleasure, release, and relaxation.

Perhaps, it is a bit embarrassing to admit that a young adult book and teen sensation was what got me hooked on reading. But since, I’ve read over 600 books. Most I’ve liked, some I’ve loved, and a few I really disliked. I also, decided to start this blog to share my enthusiasm for books.

So, thank you to Stephenie Meyer for helping me find my new passion.

It doesn’t matter what type of books you like – JUST READ.

Do you have a book or author that got you hooked on reading?

Helena Hunting – Pucked Over

July 20, 2016July 20, 2016 lizellyn Books Athlete, Strong Sexy Supermale

REVIEW

This book is part sweet, part salty, and a whole lot sexy.

It’s not always easy to keep a long distance relationship going. Sometimes it makes it hotter. Sometimes it adds strain.

I find it funny, how the author can describe three men with beards: Benji, his brother, and Randy, but make it abundantly clear how it only works on Randy.

On a very odd note: the mention of Canadian Ketchup Chips made me very curious. I have to agree with the character, Randy, it sounds disgusting. Just so you know, they are a real thing and can be purchased on Amazon.

BLURB

Lily LeBlanc isn’t versed in the art of casual sex, but after seven years in an on-again, off-again relationship, she’s definitely willing to give it a shot. And who better to try it with than her best friend’s boyfriend’s best friend? What could possibly go wrong?

NHL player, Randy Ballistic, lives up to his last name on the ice and in the bedroom. His best friend and teammate has recently given up the puck bunnies and traded them in for a real girlfriend. And she just happens to have a seriously feisty, extra-hot best friend on the rebound. Randy’s more than happy to be Lily’s spring board back into the dating scene.

But casual sex is only casual until those pesky things called emotions get involved. Once that happens, someone’s bound to get pucked over.

See Related Posts:

Helena Hunting – Pucked

Helena Hunting – Pucked Up

to Helena Hunting!

Teaser Tuesday – Featuring Helena Hunting’s Pucked Over

July 19, 2016July 18, 2016 lizellyn Bookish Book Teaser

This Week’s Book Feature: Helena Hunting’s Pucked Over

Image from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/336573772132296141/

MORE BOOK TEASERS

L.A. Witt – Hiatus

July 19, 2016July 19, 2016 lizellyn Books Hot Rock Star Hero, LGBT, M/M/M, Spicy Stories to Savor

REVIEW

Holy HOT sex scenes. The scenes make this book worthy of reading multiple times. (If you’re into things that come in multiples.)

On a secondary note, I truly liked how the book addressed the mental illness issues. The way in which the illness affected the relationships seemed very realistic.

Each character was distinct and interesting. Despite Nate being a rock star, he seemed to have a sincere level of love, respect, and chemistry with Cam and Theo that seemed deeper than typical artificial rock star heroes. Theo seemed to be genuine in his feelings and the way he acted. Cam was an curious contradiction. His career seem very contrary to his uses. I would never have expected a masseuse to be plagued with such issues.

While I felt like the middle was a bit slow, the resolution was very well done.

LOVE the EPILOGUE!

BLURB

Three’s a disaster when things come unraveled.

Rock star Nate Keller is on top of the world, but his headlining tour has one drawback. It keeps him away from his boyfriends, Theo and Cameron, for weeks at a time. Yet after four-and-a-half years—and a lot of hard work—the trio is still going strong.

But then Cam comes to visit with devastating news. After seventeen years together, he and Theo have agreed to a trial separation. Nate tries desperately to fix his lovers’ broken relationship, but there’s only so much he can do from the road.

At home, Cam tries to carry on, but feels like his whole life is spiraling out of control. Theo struggles to cope with the split as his depression worsens. They’re both spinning their wheels, quickly losing hope they can keep it together—and keep the man they both still love.

Desperate, Nate drops everything in a last-ditch attempt to pull their trio back together before they hit rock bottom. Except their love could already be shattered beyond repair.

Warning: Contains two men who must face how broken they are before they can fix their failing marriage, and the man who loves them both—but doesn’t know how to save them.

PURCHASE LINK

https://www.amazon.com/Hiatus-L-Witt-ebook/dp/B01BH48BSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468926072&sr=8-1&keywords=hiatus

GOODREADS

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29058996-hiatus?from_search=true

to L.A. Witt!

Aubrey Bondurant – Bet Me Something

July 18, 2016July 18, 2016 lizellyn Books Rich Racy & Romantic Romeos

REVIEW

Authors like Aubrey Bondurant are the reason I love reading books by indie authors. This is the third book I’ve read by her and love her writing. While I gave her first book 4 stars, she’s definitely improved upon her craft and this book is absolutely worthy of 5 STARS!

Bet Me Something was incredibly enjoyable and I breezed through it remarkably quickly. I was a bit concerned that it was a bit longer than the typical romance book. However, the story didn’t seem long winded or stretched unnecessarily. I was entertained the entire time while reading it.

Kenzie is a bit different from the previous female leads in the series. She’s young, only 22, and she acts her age. She’s not sure what she wants to pursue in life, which isn’t uncommon for someone her age. I liked how she grew as a character in the book.

Colby is the tamed bad boy. He might not have tattoos, but has the sex filled background to earn him the title. Despite his history, he is a great boyfriend. Colby oozed sex appeal.

I loved how the characters in the previous books were incorporated into this one.

If you like a little dirty talk in your sex scenes, I highly recommend this book.

BLURB

Being able to stand on your own two feet, sometimes requires getting knocked off them completely…

McKenzie “Kenzie” Lane is newly graduated from college and looking forward to a dream internship she has lined up for the summer in LA. Unfortunately, her controlling mother has other plans.

Colby Singer, with his hot-as-sin looks and wicked charm, is never without attention from the ladies. Despite suspecting how Kenzie feels about him, he’s always kept her comfortably off-limits since she’s the baby sister of one of his best friends. But when he’s determined to distract her temporarily from the stress of her mother’s ultimatum, deciding to show her some fun, he quickly finds that keeping her in the friend zone is not as easy as he’d hoped.

Once Kenzie realizes this may be her last opportunity to gauge her long-time crush’s true feelings, she puts it all out there in the form of a bet. It’s the perfect idea for her perfect man.

Until he isn’t.

Will a dose of reality lead to true love? Or will it crash and burn before it can even get started?

Full Length Standalone book with no cliffhanger. Third book of the “Something Series”
Recommended for mature readers due to situations of language, and sexual content.

See Related

Aubry Bondurant – Ask Me Something (The Something Series #2)

Aubrey Bondurant – Tell Me Something

to Aubry Bondurant!

RELEASE DAY: Rebecca Moon – Stripped and Bound

July 6, 2016July 3, 2016 lizellyn Books BDSM, Spicy Stories to Savor

Review

This is a great story with a remarkable blend of romance, heat, regret, jealousy, inner turmoil, and a touch of love of animals.

There are plenty of overlapping story lines to keep the pace moving. The unexpected twists kept it interesting, too.

The steamy scenes were hot enough to ignite a barn fire.

If you like spicy romance, this is a must read book.

Blurb

Nick Escrow is the most eligible bachelor in the Warnum-Bailiff district. The handsome vet is suave, sexy and intelligent, and considered the ultimate gentleman. But Nick has a dark, sexual side to him that he discovers after his brother is incarcerated for supposed sex crimes. In an attempt to understand his brother and the girls Jamie had been found with, Nick discovers a depravity of his own.
Guilt over Jamie’s conviction and subsequent jail term plagues Nick and creates an inner beast that demands attention. The type that can be found at the hands of a dominatrix. Very aware that his two worlds need to be kept separate, Nick plays the role of the complete gentleman in public, maintaining a flawless persona, whilst his activity behind closed doors gives him the outlet he requires to hold all the pieces together.
Creating and ideal that he tries to live by, Nick starts dating Kiera, a quiet admin assistant, who’s breeding and upbringing make her the perfect partner to raise him higher in aristocratic circles. Kiera is sweet and pretty but when Nick meets Sue, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her. Nick is driven to distraction with his own feelings for Sue and finds that he needs to rethink his whole life plan. Does he want the “perfect” life, or does he want to be truly happy?

Warning: Adults Only (18+) This book contains descriptive sex scenes and may offend some readers.

Excerpt:

“Her mind still in its post climatic fog, Sue was unable to control her responses. She screamed a primal shout as Nick thrust his tongue and fingers into her. Nick grinned. This was exactly where he’d wanted her, with primal need and desire. Standing up, Nick’s eyes glittered as he looked over her body. Sue sighed. She needed to feel his cock inside her and finally he looked like he was going to oblige. But he looked down at her as he continued to stroke his length, running his finger over the bead at the head of his penis, all the while still maintaining the contact of his fingertips to her folds.

“You want this?” he asked, emphasising “this” by pushing his hips forward and holding his erection out towards her.

Sue nodded, biting her lip in anticipation.

“I want you to beg me for it,” he told her as he pulled his cock back closer to himself.

“Please Nick,” Sue asked, but even she could hear that there wasn’t enough plea in her voice.

Shaking his head, Nick sank to his knees again and devoured her sex. This time there was no licking and flicking. When Nick went down on her again there was nothing delicate about it. Shoving his face into her mound, he thrust his tongue in and out as he nuzzled her, his nose rubbing against her clit as he mercilessly drove her to the point of climax again, pulling away before she came again.”