Rock Solid

 

This story was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review.

Hannah Morgan has been content in her job in finance until she is passed by for a promotion because she is to calm, not adventurous enough, afraid to take risks. On the spur of the moment she quits this job and sets out to see the world, be adventurous and take some risks. She has started her own blog and she is going to get some action stories. When she sees a news story about her old friend race car driver Brody Palmer she decides he is just the person to help her.

However, Brody has gotten himself into one bad publicity stunt too many and his promoters are really upset with him. The suggestion is that he go into fake retirement for one year until everything calms down and then try to re-enter the racing world. This is not sitting well for Brody, he hates sitting around the ranch doing nothing.

Out of the blue Hannah shows up, now he has someone to talk to. So they come to an agreement, she sticks around for awhile and he helps her with her blog. But alas, the nosey reporter comes calling one day and Hannah lets it slip that they are really engaged. Ooops, that is a little closer than the plan originally intended for.

Things start to get kinda cute right about here. Hannah and Brody quickly renew their physical relationship and then some. Things have always been hot between the sheets for them and time and distance has certainly not dampened those feelings. The sex scenes are hot and frequent, just how I like them.

I thought the author did a great job on this story. It is a perfect read for an evening spent snuggling on the couch or lounging in a lawn chair. The story moved quickly and kept me entertained from the first page. I love Hannah and Brody as well as the characters of their friends and family. I would rate this story a 5/5.

Two Wrongs Make A Right

This story was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review by The Book Enthusiast.

Thirty five years old and dumped. Quinn Dorsey is running out of time. Her biological clock is ticking, quite loudly. If she is going to have a baby, she needs to take some drastic measures and quickly. She weighs all her options carefully and decides to have a one night stand and hope for the best. She hijacks her stash of condoms to help things out a little bit. In true Quinn fashion things do not always go completely as planned.

Dak Savage is gorgeous and scared of commitment. He only goes out with woman that know the score. No commitments needed or wanted, sex only. He specifically stays away from bar pick ups tending only to stick with women whose history is known to him. On the night that he runs into Quinn at the local bar his rules are all broken and they spend the weekend together having hot monkey sex.

This is a hilarious story. They are both bitten by the love bug and refuse to admit it or refuse to see it. I loved to see how they both danced around the truth.

I thought the author did a great job on the whole story line. Quinn has had a lack luster sex life in the past and is blown away by all techniques that Dak uses on her. These scenes were hot hot hot. I believe it was love at first sight for these two. I enjoyed the way that the secondary characters played such a large roll in the story both his family and her friends. I would rate this story a 5/5 and would definitely read more by this author.

Surviving Shane:

 

by: Raurie Saxon

This story was given to me in exchange for an honest review. I saw the previews and thought, sounds interesting, I was hoping that the author could deliver and give me something that I could sink my teeth into. It is a first in the series book and as such its job was to introduce the characters and story line. I think that this story went way beyond what my expectations were. It was almost a complete story in itself.

Mia is the daughter of a well known mafia man whom she purposely keeps her distance from as she does not want to be apart of that world. And then fellow mafia kingpin Shane O’Mara sees her one night and work and is instantly infatuated with her and decides that he needs to have her. His solution is to kidnap her and make her his.

 

“I have to own you completely to know that you’re mine.”

Now Mia does not bend easily to his will and there are some scenes that are definitely non consensual and contains some scenes with violence. There is rough sex and Mia finds that something inside her is brought to life with his rough treatment; she is made to face her inner most secret darkest desires. She hates him, she hates where she is, and now she hates herself even more.

When you accept the way the storyline is going, and think that you have things figured out then…. Watch out, there will be an ending that you just do not see coming, I was completely shocked and left wanting more, more, more.

This was a new author for me. I am really impressed. I would recommend her story to all dark romance lovers. It does push a few buttons but does not cross the line. I loved it. I can’t wait until the next segment.

EXCITING NEWS!!           PAPERBACK RELEASES!!!

KENSINGTON PUBLISHING PARTNERS WITH BOOKS-A-MILLION
FOR LYRICAL HIGH NOTES, A NEW LINE OF

EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL-TO-PRINT TRADE PAPERBACKS

August 19, 2014:: Kensington Publishing Corp. has announced an exclusive partnership with retailer Books-A-Million to launch Lyrical High Notes, a new program through which select titles from the publisher’s digital imprint will be brought to print for the first time. These special editions will be made available for a limited period exclusively at Books-A-Million as trade paperbacks with a consumer-friendly price point of $12.95.



Steven Zacharius, President and CEO of Kensington Publishing Corp, said, "We’re thrilled to be partnering with Books-A-Million to extend the readership of these fresh and edgy books. Each of the titles chosen for the Lyrical High Notes program was highly successful in its e-only format, and these special printed editions will give our digital-first authors the retail presence that they deserve."

The program will launch in November 2014 with the release of three USA Today bestselling romances previously available only as eBooks: Consumed by Rebecca Zanetti, Shadowed by Rebecca Zanetti and Playing the Game by M. Q. Barber. Following the release of two more trade paperbacks in January 2015, Crossing the Line by M.Q. Barber and Better than Perfect by Kristina Mathews, the program will continue with one new release per month for the remainder of the year. Books-A-Million will be the exclusive retailer for the Lyrical High Notes trade paperback editions for each title’s initial three months in print.



Margaret Terwey, Senior Buyer, Books-A-Million, commented, "I'm so excited to partner with Kensington for the opportunity to offer bestselling eBooks in print format exclusively for Books-A-Million customers."

Kensington and Books-A-Million also have teamed up on a multi-channel campaign to promote the launch of the new program through online, social media, event and print marketing. In addition, a "Lyrical High Notes Welcome Committee" of bloggers will be tapped to support the arrival of the new books in print with online giveaways and virtual events.

These online initiatives will be coupled with an equally robust offline push that includes prominent in-store placement and a launch party on November 8, 2014 with Rebecca Zanetti and M.Q. Barber at the Books-A-Million store in York, PA. In advance of the release, each of the 260 Books-a-Million stores in the US will also receive a "Lyrical Launch Pack" containing promo items including branded notepads that will be given as
free gifts to the first customers who purchase one of the line’s debut releases in November, personal thank you notes from the debut authors, and special gifts for the store employees.

Alexandra Nicolajsen, Associate Director of Social Media & Digital Sales at Kensington Publishing, said, "Kensington is a house where we pride ourselves on getting behind authors to help grow their careers—from their debuts to becoming bestsellers. This new Lyrical/Books-A-Million partnership will continue to build on that idea. Creating an in-store presence for Lyrical books along with additional marketing and promotion across all channels—in-person, in print, social media—will bring even more exposure to these successful titles."
Rebecca Zanetti, Kensington’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling Lyrical Press author, commented on her upcoming print release saying, "As a reader, I love wandering the aisles in a traditional book store, and thus I’m thrilled that Books-A-Million will be featuring Consumed and Shadowed on their shelves!"


Currently, Lyrical is looking to acquire innovative new fiction in all romance genres (especially suspense and historicals with unique settings), compelling psychological fiction and thrillers, women’s fiction, YA, new adult, and cozy mysteries.
ABOUT KENSINGTON PUBLISHING, CORP.:


Founded in 1974 by the late Walter Zacharius, Kensington Publishing Corp. is located in New York City and is known as "America’s Independent Publisher." As the foremost independent commercial publishing house in the United States providing hardcover, trade paperback, mass market, and digital releases, Kensington publishes the books that America wants to read.
The house of New York Times bestselling authors, including Fern Michaels, Lisa Jackson, Joanne Fluke, William W. Johnstone, and many others, Kensington publishes over 500 fiction and non-fiction titles each year. Its diverse imprints include Zebra Books, Brava, Citadel Press, Dafina, Pinnacle Books, Aphrodisia, KTeen, and Lyrical Press are well known for providing readers with a range of popular genres such as romance, women’s fiction, African American, young adult and nonfiction, as well as true-crime, western, and mystery titles.

With 2014 marking its 40th anniversary, Kensington remains family owned and operated since its founding by the late Walter Zacharius and it has been the only major U.S. publisher to have had three generations serve the company. Currently Steven and Adam Zacharius, the second and third generation of the family, lead a talented staff, many of whom have been with the company for over 20 years. Visit kensingtonbooks.com.




ABOUT BOOKS-A-MILLION, INC.:


Books-A-Million, Inc. is one of the nation’s leading book retailers and sells on the Internet at

www.booksamillion.com. The Company presently operates 256 stores in 33 states and the District of Columbia. The Company operates large superstores under the names Books-A-Million (BAM!), Books & Co. and 2nd & Charles and traditional bookstores operating under the names Bookland and Books-A-Million. Also included in the Company’s retail operations is the operation of Yogurt Mountain Holding, LLC, a retailer and franchisor of self-serve frozen yogurt stores with 44 locations. The Company also develops and manages commercial real estate investments through its subsidiary, Preferred Growth Properties. The common stock of Books-A-Million, Inc. is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol BAMM. For more information, visit the Company’s corporate website at www.booksamillioninc.com.

Before We Fall Courtney Cole I was a little apprehensive reading this story. The preview stated that Dominic was a wounded sole and I thought that this was going to be a very hackneyed story line, poor poor hurt man. Blah, blah, blah. Well, let me tell you, this one certainly caught me off guard. It was a fresh story line. Sure Dominic was a little tortured but for a man to avoid actual intercourse for the last six years because of his broken heart. That was new. That was very real and sti BEFORE WE FALL- LAUNCH DAY BLITZ Synopsis: Sometimes before we fall . . . we fly. One dark moment was all it took to turn twenty-four-year-old Dominic Kinkaide's world black. On the night of his high school graduation, a single incident changed him forever, and he became a hardened man-famous in the eyes of the world, but tortured inside. Now all he cares about is losing himself in the roles that he plays. At twenty-three years old, Jacey Vincent doesn't realize how much her father's indifference has affected her. She is proof that sometimes it isn't one specific moment that wrecks a person, but an absence of moments. She tries to find acceptance in the arms of men to fill the void-a plan that has worked just fine for her, until she meets Dominic. When jaded Dominic and strong-willed Jacey are thrown together, the combination of his secrets and her issues turns their attraction into the perfect storm. It could change their lives for good-if it doesn't tear them both apart . . .   Review: I was a little apprehensive reading this story. The preview stated that Dominic was a wounded sole and I thought that this was going to be a very hackneyed story line, poor poor hurt man. Blah, blah, blah. Well, let me tell you, this one certainly caught me off guard. It was a fresh story line. Sure Dominic was a little tortured but for a man to avoid actual intercourse for the last six years because of his broken heart. That was new. That was very real and still very raw. Dominic was such a powerful character for me to read. He touched me very deeply.He was such a playboy the way he went through woman after woman, satisfying them sexually in all sorts of yummy deviant ways without actually having straight sex. It was riveting, it was amazing. He was such a playboy. I loved him. He was so mean to some of these girls, only using them for one thing, never letting anyone close to him. I hated him. Emma, herself had a twisted background and she was trying to get her life back on the right track. She should probably stay away from the bad playboy types.She needs a mature realiable guy, kind of like her bestest friend Brand, but of course all the girls are so attracted to the deep dark characters. A chance encounter finds these two sharing some community service hours helping out underprivelaged teenagers and it was really neat to see them set off sparks on one another. Emma is such a toughy, knows karate, sleeps with a gun under her pillow and yet she is so kind to these boys. Dominic's soft side comes out as he takes Emma for a picnic in the grand canyon, takes her on a boat ride site seeing, his funky side comes out as he makes her wear a vibrator on the plane and sneaks her into the closet for a little one on one time. It was great to see these two try to have a relationship together. I was routing for them the whole way, obstacle after obstacle kept getting in the way. There was twist after twist, issue after issue, surprise after surprise. I was anxiously turning page after page to find out if anything get resolved. I needed to know what Dominic was hiding, what was it that got him so wounded. Did Emma ever have a chance of tearing down his walls, or would it prove too much for her and would she hang in there. This made me a huge fan of this author and I am definately going to read more by her. I recommend this story to all romance lovers. It was quite refreshing. I loved it!! 5/5 for

Cursed -Brides of The Kindred

 

by:Evangeline Anderson

 

This story was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review. I have personally read every single one of this series. I think it is one of the best sci-fi romantic series in books. I eagerly await the next installments.

Commander Stavros Rii has found himself almost stuck on Earth after they declared war, he was been hiding in shadows as not to get caught by EPB, The Earth Protection Bureau. One night as he is trying to get to the HKR Building he comes across an assault in progress and is unable to resist stepping in to help the girl in need.  Charlie Sayer is an EPB and she witnesses his helping the girl escape and then she captures him.   Unfortunately her boss is a bit of a dink and she ends up taking him back to her home.

Now Stavros is a Sin Eater, he feels the pain of others and when Charlie is experiencing some severe menstrual cramps he is feeling them with her and manages to get out off his bonds and get them both on the mother ship so that he can heal her. LOL, it was a really cute scene. I was definitely chuckling quite a bit.

Once on the ship things get a little bit more dramatic as they two of them need to band together in order to find the Heart of Love and try to save earth. They have to pretend to be a couple newly bonded and this proves to be quite difficult for them. There are some tender scenes in true Evangeline style as they get to know one another a little bit better. The tasks that are set out for them to complete are written with great imagination. The sexual scenes were also well done. I loved the cold room. The transparent clothing was also quite entertaining and the character with two heads was freaking me out too.

I have been a fan of Evangeline Anderson for quite some time now. This is an author that never lets her fans down and manages to write winner after winner of a story. I would rate this story a 5/5 and am anxiously awaiting my next visit with the Brides of the Kindred.

Rocky Mountain Romance

by:Vivian Arend

 

Synopsis:

Second chances are the sweetest—and the hottest.

It took a spectacularly embarrassing break-up to knock Steve Moonshine Coleman off his lazy butt. In the ten months since that night, he’s changed his ways, and now that Melody’s back in town, it’s time for this sweet-talking cowboy to convince her to get back in the saddle with him.

A return to her veterinary position in Rocky Mountain House was always in the cards for Melody Langley. Getting back together with Steve? Never part of the plan. He had lots of potential but zero ambition, and there’s no way she’ll accept anything less than a man who can keep up with her, in and out of bed.

But the new-and-improved cowboy is impossible to resist, so Melody issues a challenge. Three months to prove he’s reformed. Three months of Steve orchestrating one sexual indulgence after another—wicked distractions from the old boys’ club Melody faces at work and Steve’s growing responsibilities.

He’s got one shot to prove with more than words what’s in his heart and soul.

My Review:

A broken down truck with smoke coming from the hood is not what Veterinarian Melody Langley was imaging her first encounter with ex-boyfriend Steve Coleman when she heads back into town. But alas, he is the one that arrives to help her out. They had broken up before she left town because Melody did not feel she was important enough to him. Times have changed now and Steve is all about convincing her that she was wrong, to prove that he is a changed man now, a man that knows how to treat a woman good.

Melody is not convinced but promises to give him three months grace, but with these words of warning “ You’re too vanilla for me.” This prompts Steve into doing some research so that he can be the man she is looking for. It seems to work and soon they are hot and bothered between the sheets, in the car and out in the barn. He realizes that he needs to step up his game and goes about it perfectly. He tries to take her wants and needs into consideration and spends more time with her going out with friends and hanging with family. This was something that they never did before, before it was strictly just one on one.

The author did a great job on this story. It has great personality. Melody is a tuff cookie who is constantly needing to prove herself as a vet to the old-timers in town. Steve is right there to hold her hand and encourage her. They sex scenes were hot and steamy and frequent. I though the author did a great job here, this story had a nice length to it and had the perfect amount of loving. I also enjoyed that there were so many extra characters in family and friends. It was easy to get involved in everyone’s lives.

Time will tell if Steve has changed enough to prove to Melody he is worth keeping around. I hope that you enjoy the journey as much as I did. I would rate this story a 4/5.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU

 by: Jessica Scott

Summary:

All Major Patrick MacLean wanted was Christmas with the woman and child who were his family in everything but name. But Captain Samantha Egan has come back from the war a different woman than the one who left - and she doesn't know if she can love him anymore.

But neither of them counted on the determination of a little girl they both call daughter and if Natalie has her wish, her parents may have no idea what's coming for them. It's going to take Christmas miracle to bring these two wounded warriors back from the edge of a broken heart. 

Excerpt:

It was not a gentle kiss. It was not tame or timid or questioning.

It burned her down to the root of Sam's soul. It touched something deep and dark and hidden.

Something she'd thought was long since dead and buried and gone.

Patrick’s tongue slid against hers, stroking to life the very sensations she thought she'd never feel again.

It was electric, the feel of his mouth against hers. The scrape of stubble against her chin, the taste of him. The smell of his skin.

He nipped her. Pinched her bottom lip between his teeth and sucked it. And she sighed at the pleasure, at the raw ache his taste and touch aroused in her, pushing aside the darkness that haunted her.

Sam felt him. Felt everything. The heat of his skin. The warmth that drew her closer. That made her want to crawl into his lap and unzip his pants and push up that damned flannel shirt until they were skin to skin and there was nothing between them but sweat and heat.

One hand slid down her side. Tugged at her fleece and...

"Dear lord how many layers of clothing do you have on under this thing," he muttered against her lips.

She smiled. "You weren't wondering why I wasn't cold?"

"Well you'd be a champ at strip poker right about now," he murmured.

Then his fingers found her skin and she was no longer thinking.

 

 REVIEW

Natalie is just an eight year old, but she knows what she is doing when she phones up her father and lets him know that she is missing him and mommy Captain Samantha Egan is sad. Samantha has recently come home from war and she is having a hard time coping and thus she has left her husband and gone back to Maine to live with her parents.

Patrick immediately rushes into action and arrives in Maine to surprise Samantha and try to convince her that they belong together. This is hard for Samantha as she feels her heart is dead inside. Not only did she serve her country in time of war and have those battle wounds to bear but she also watched her best friend die over there. She is having a very hard time dealing with any sort of emotion and has just totally shut down.

The author did an amazing job of describing the heartache that this young soldier is going through. I found myself crying a various parts throughout the story. Patrick is also a soldier so he knows exactly what feelings she is experiencing and is trying desperately to get through to her. But he also knows that she needs to get some professional counseling.

I thought the scene at the mall with Santa was just breathtaking. This author certainly has an insight into the anquish that Samantha was experiencing yet managed to keep this book light enough so that we could read it and enjoy the love story.

Patrick is on a mission to awaken feelings in Samantha that she believes she is incapable of feeling again. My heart goes out for these two. Their pain was evident in every page, in every interaction, in every kiss.

I thought this story was a perfect quick Christmas read. It has all the elements of a lovely romantic read. I would give it a 5/5.

A Starlet In Venice

 

 

by:Tara Crescent

This story was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review.

Tara Crescent continues to write one winning story after another and this one does not disappoint. This is the third story in this series and I think it is my favorite.

Tatiana Cordova works as a well know actress and her best friend is Liam Callahan who is the Manager at Casanova BDSM Club. They spend a lot of their spare time together hanging out, eating dinners and watching movies. They are both are harboring secret love feelings but are scared to act out on them in case their friendship suffers.

One night she goads him into punishing her, and causes him to spank her. This is above all of her expectations and she finds herself wanting more.

Tatiana has never been able to enjoy sex, she has never had an orgasm and her girlfriends all suggest that Liam should be the one to change that status for her. After the punishment when her emotions and adrenalin is running high she says

“ Liam, will you make love to me?”              

Thus begins that love story that is Tia and Liam. Now Tia has been through a lot of crap as she was growing up and she does not feel she is loveable because of the three secrets she is holding on to. She needs to be able to open up and share these in order to move forward with her life. Hopefully Liam is man enough to be there for her both physically and emotionally.

“When it is the woman that you love, it isn’t just sex that matters. It’s intimacy.”

With those thoughts and feelings he is bound to be there for her, but he needs to tread carefully least she spook.

I thought this story was the best! It dragged me in from the beginning. The characters have tremendous depth to them. Tia’s history is heartbreaking but it makes her the strong person that she is. I thought the sex scenes were perfect, just a little bit of kink, the right amount of sex and yet still very believable and easy to read. I liked that there was an in-depth story as well, I dislike reading a book that totally focuses only on bedroom scenes. There is just something I tend to love about best friends becoming lovers. I was rooting for them from the beginning. I would rate this story a 5/5 and would eagerly read another story by Tara Crescent.

Try Me On For Size

Stephanie Haefner

This story was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review by the author.

I was in the mood for a light humorous read and so I thought I would give it a go. I needed something to distract me and make me laugh. I made a good choice. This story is full of fresh story lines and get me captivated from the first page. The characters were likable and well thought out.

Classy ‘n’ Sassy Lingerie is the name of her business and it is experiencing a distinct slump in sales. A very bad, we might be loosing our shirts slump. There is a need to do something drastic to bring in customers. They decide to launch a new line of special order female toys, but they need a male model to base it on. Here comes the humorous part, Mia Montanari is going to personally audition the men to see if they meet the appropriate criteria. This includes size and shape. Eeks, this promises to be entertaining. After a mix-up at the bar while waiting for subject number 1, she inadvertently goes home with a stranger and has the best sex ever.  The only problem with secrets is that they tend to come out and soon Mia finds out that her candidate number one is really an imposter. It, however is too late and he becomes one of her male models.

The secrets that Oliver has been hiding from Mia are unfortunately not quite all revealed yet and they tend to include a fiancé. Oh oh, this does not look good, especially because Mia is having amorous feelings towards him. There is also the matter of Mia’s family, she has a father that is harassing her to work for him and a pregnant sister that is trying to guilt her into the same end result.

Mia just wants to live her life the way that she wants. She is pouring herself heart and soul into this new product line and opening her heart up to Oliver. This has the potential to be a very tricky situation as the supposed fiancée is not happy about Oliver’s new job.

The author does a great job with this story line. The amount of secondary characters is large but I never lost my place, it was easy to keep up with who was who and they all had integral parts in the story. Her family was horrible, I loved them, the fiancée with her pretend pregnancy was evil, I loved her too, the business partner Brynn added a dose of friendship to the story and the other chosen model Ryan was just likeable from the get go.

This was not just a simple story of trying to save a business with an insanely funny promotional idea, it had a lot of depth and an amazing amount of twists and turns. When I thought the story was heading in one direction the author surprised me and turned the story another way.

I would rate this story a 5/5 and would definitely be interested in reading more by this author.

Enchanted and Desired

 

by: Eva Simone

This story was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second story in the series and if you enjoyed the first one, this one is even hotter. This is the continuation of the story of Jessica and Simon. They had explosive sex in Intrigued and Enchanted and they continue to dance around one another. They both admit that the attraction between the two of them was instant, unsettling and way too strong. It makes Simon anxious to explore things but makes Jess wary and causes her to keep her distance. Jess has some serious trust issues from her past and does not like the way that Simon is able to get under her skin, she never, ever spends the night with a guy, she usually sneaks out after sex. Not only is Simon giving her the best sex ever he is getting in deeper then anyone ever has.

Over and over again Jess and Simon play the chase game. They get together for a hot night of sex, spend some time together and then Jess bolts because she is scared. Then things get a little bit more complicated as events come to light that no body is expecting. Jess believes things to be true and this time she makes a more drastic exit and leaves town.

These two lovers were hard to keep hold of. The sex was explosive and often. They connect deeply on a level that we can only hope to ever achieve, but they also wound deeply and frequently. As often as they were together they were fighting and thus apart. I loved it, I was rooting for a happy ending. I was hoping that Jess would let go of her past and be able to totally trust in Simon. I was hoping that Simon would just be a little bit calmer and not get so upset whenever Jess had a meltdown. These two are meant to be together and if they can get through some pretty big misunderstandings than they might have a chance.

I would rate this story a 5/5 and would love to read more by this author.

Finder Fees

 

 

A Trouble Maker Novel

Book Four

Kelly Gendron

J.T. Renton has a interesting job, one that he does solely because of the joy it brings people. He finds things and returns them to happy owners. This time is quest is to find a person, a girlfriend that is missing. He has been given explicit instructions to keep his hands off of her as she belongs to another. He believes this to be a warning given in vain until he finds her and spends time with her. She is like no one that he has met before and the attraction is instant and intense. He fights it, as he morally should.

Once he finds out that he has “found” the wrong sister and that she does not belong to anyone, well, all bets are off. However, Sloan is running from something in her past and she is not looking for a relationship right now. He will need to break down her walls to discover what she is hiding and who she is hiding from. Things are bound to get a little bit interesting as well as dangerous.

There is also the matter of what J.T. is hiding, the reason that he offer to search for Sloan’s sister in the beginning, his payment of that job was a bracelet which he believes is in Sloan’s possession. When she finds out that he has not told her this she is bound to doubt the feelings that he professes to have for her.

I loved this story. I have read the first three and will definitely continue to read more by this author. She does a great job with character description as they are very easy to identify with. They story line sucks you right in and you are crying along with Sloan and cursing beside J.T. when things get dicey. I loved how there is a great story line as well as some awesome sex scenes. The characters do not just jump into bed at the beginning and the sexual tension between them mounts and mounts. I loved it. I would certainly recommend this story to all romance readers. I would rate it a 5/5.

An Heiress in Venice

By Tara Crescent

I have been following Tara Crescent for a little bit now. I love how her books are full of imagination, great characters and plenty of funky sex. She tells the tales of a perfect BDSM romance with the right amount of domination. Her sex scenes are frequent, well written and encompass plenty of different scenarios. There is nothing that I, as a reader hate more than reading the same sex scene scenario over and over again. I digress.

Alice Blackwell is a widow that has been left a lot of money, unfortunately she also has a stalker and for that reason she flees to Venice. The stalker follows her there and leaves nasty notes that prove that he is still watching her. She is not a strong believer in police protection as they tend to think she is only seeking attention and thus does not really believe Chief Inspector Enzo Peron when he comes to investigate. This is echoed by Enzo as he comes with the mind set that she is making things up.

These two meet outside of the case by chance one night, at the local BDSM club where she feels she is safe from prying eyes and experience an amazing connection. She is willing and eager to repeat this night and they begin a relationship, sort of. It relieves a lot of stress for her and makes her feel like an attractive woman again. They see each other frequently at the club and engage in plenty of mind blowing sex. Unfortunately she believes that this relationship is one that can not ever be known outside the doors of the club. One that can not ever know the evil that is trying to control her.

This might work for Alice but Enzo is not happy about going along with it and his police senses are trying to figure out what is going on. He is interested in a more permanent relationship and is actively pursuing her. I wonder if her stalker will come to light? Will she be able to finally live her life without fear? Will Enzo be a part of the bigger picture? I hope so. I would rate this story a 5/5 , recommend it to all romance lovers who enjoy some domination, and I will be anxiously awaiting the next segment in this series.

Synopsis:

Gracelynn is drowning in an existence that fails to fulfill her. A ballerina by trade, she’s devoted her life to the stage, sacrificing adventure for discipline. When her boyfriend gives her permission to want what she’s not supposed to want, can she walk away? Or will she leap?

Jasper isn’t a man with many boundaries, and “sharing” a woman with his best friend is hardly a new endeavor. But the moment he meets Gracelynn he realizes she’s different. She leaves him feeling alive in a way he’s not used to, and for the first time in his life, he understands what it means to be wanted… Cherished… And he needs more…

But there are rules—rules that forbid Jasper from truly having her. As forbidden desire spirals out of control, Jasper has to decide if he’s willing to fight for something that doesn’t truly belong to him. His best friend doesn’t deserve her, but is Jasper strong enough to believe he does?

Excerpt:

She followed the maître d’ to the back of the restaurant, and when he opened a door into a small private dining room, she took a deep breath and followed him. But that deep breath didn’t help her a bit when her eyes met Jasper’s as he looked up to her. She gasped, and his eyes popped open wide in shock. Ian’s back was to her, but as Ian clearly caught the shocked expression on Jasper’s face, he turned toward her, smiling broadly.

“I was starting to think you were standing me up,” Ian commented casually.

“What…?” She shook her head.

Jas stood at that moment, glaring angrily down at Ian. “You just don’t know when to leave well enough alone do you?” And then he looked to her, his face softening visibly. “I didn’t know you were going to be here.”

“Wait!” Ian cried, but there was a smirk on his lips. He stood then, holding his hands up to both of them. “It isn’t about that. I know you’re both pissed at me for that suggestion. Apparently the topic of sharing my girlfriend with my best friend isn’t one I can just throw out there off the cuff. I just wanted to make amends. You’re my best friend, Jasper, and Gray, you’re my girlfriend. I need things to be okay—”

“You need to get your head examined,” Jasper muttered as he stalked out of the room, breezing by her on the way.

She glared at Ian for a moment as he watched her, and then she shook her head. She followed Jasper’s lead, walking quickly from the room. She had no idea if she was trying to catch up to him or if she was just plain fleeing, and she was leaving it entirely up to whether he was still in the parking lot when she reached it. Her heels clicked on the pavement as she started quickly down the aisle, and then she stopped walking altogether.

He was there. Not even attempting to leave—just leaning up against the hood of his car, watching her as though he’d been waiting for her to find him. She slowed her gait as she closed the space between them, and he studied every step she took.

“I didn’t know you were going to be here either.” She wasn’t really sure what else to say.

“That was quite clear given the expression on your face. I’m sorry.” His ankles were crossed as he leaned casually against the hood of his car, but however casual his posture might be, his intense eyes were boring holes into her skull and sending an invisible shudder through her body.

“Jas … I’m really sorry about what I said to you last week after you left my place.” She swallowed painfully as he watched her.

He shook his head. “Don’t be. I respect your need to put some space between us. You were right to do that—especially after my behavior when I was at your loft. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He was studying her eyes closely. “In fact, I owe you an apology for that little outburst of mine.” He smirked.

She nodded slowly for a moment. “Well regardless, I’ve regretted those words from the moment they came out of my mouth. They felt wrong.”

When she managed to glance back at him, his jaw was tight and rigid, and his nostrils were flaring as he inhaled slowly.

“You know…” He glanced away for a moment. “…beyond the completely inappropriate things I admitted to you the other night, I actually do just like hanging out with you. I think I was more upset that I couldn’t do that anymore than anything else. But I do understand. And I don’t want you to feel guilty about putting barriers in place between us.”

She nodded. “I like hanging out with you too.” She looked down at the ground between them. “And I don’t need barriers.”

He watched her for a moment. “Okay,” he said quietly. “You hungry?”

She smiled. “Yeah, actually.”

He pushed off the car then, offering her his arm. “Shall we go deal with your ridiculous boyfriend?”

She laughed and took his arm. “He’s your best friend.”

“Yes.” He looked down at her as they walked slowly back toward the restaurant. “You look nice. I like this dress, and I like your hair down.”

She thanked him as warmth settled into her cheeks, and she avoided looking at him lest it intensify into a full on blush. When they reached the front door of the restaurant, his hand met her lower back—not low enough to be inappropriate, but not high enough to be completely platonic, and he didn’t remove it until they were walking back into the private dining room.

Ian was sitting at the table patiently with his fingers steepled against his chin. He’d moved to the side of the table, so he was facing the door now, and as they entered, he smirked. “Glad I won’t be eating alone,” he commented.

She took the spot Ian had abandoned, and Jasper scooted her chair in before he rounded the table and took the place across from her.

Jasper’s focus settled on Ian. “You owe us both an apology.”

Ian glanced between the two of them for a moment, and then he rolled his eyes. “Okay.” He studied them some more, and then he cleared his throat. “You are both beyond fortunate to have me in your lives.” He paused smirking at them.

Jas looked at her, shaking his head in amusement. “Is this supposed to be an apology?”

She laughed shaking her own head too.

“Yes. Now shut up. As I was saying, however fortunate you both are, I do realize that, on occasion, I get…” He shrugged his shoulders. “…well, what I would consider a pretty damn good idea.”

Jas rolled his eyes, studying her some more.

“But!” Ian stuck his finger up in the air, standing from his chair. “The world apparently doesn’t revolve around me and my notions. Can’t imagine why not,” he muttered. “What I’m trying to say—”

“Yes. Get on with it already!” Jas cried as she laughed.

“I’m sorry.” Ian looked between the two of them. His expression was sincere without the slightest hint of his normal sarcasm or smirk. “My suggestion… Well it put you both in an awkward position, and that was wrong. And I’m sorry.” He sat down then as the waiter entered with a couple bottles of red wine. Ian glanced at her. “I know it’s red, but I couldn’t remember what—”

“Malbec you dick,” Jasper commented, but his eyes were on her, and she smiled.

“Well, fuck both of you. You’re both going to have to live with a Cab and a Pinot.”

Dinner was great, the conversation was even better. They laughed and joked around, and she listened intently as they rehashed their youth for her. Ian was clearly a latchkey kid with little supervision, and that didn’t surprise her in the least. Jas was the outsider who most kids were more fearful of than genuinely interested in knowing, and even though that came with a number of amusing stories related to school pranks and fights, it was still sad to hear in a way. But she soaked it up.

“You remember that day your dad showed up at school and pulled you out in the middle of football practice?” Ian glanced at Jas, but Jas remained silent, nodding subtly. “He rolls up in this old Ford Mustang. It was rough, but it was so cool.” Ian chuckled. “He was a big man, your dad. Comes strolling up with that cool-cat swagger of his, and you just took off with him.”

Jasper’s eyes met hers, but he looked away quickly. She wasn’t sure what to make of his disposition at the moment.

“We took bets whether we’d ever see you again.” Ian was silent then.

She looked between them, feeling more tension than anything else. Jasper was staring at the table, but it wasn’t irritation. He just seemed to be somewhere else.

“Well, clearly he came back,” she tried for no other reason than to cut through the thick air that hung around them.

Ian glanced at her. “Yeah, he did. A week later, black eye, scuffs all over his face and limping. He looked cool as hell actually.”

Her eyes snapped to Jas as he looked up to her. His brow flinched, and all she could seem to manage was to stare wide eyed back at him.

“We didn’t get along so well that week,” Jasper commented with little inflection.

Ian chimed in quickly though. “You were a big kid. I bet you left him looking just as bad.” In Ian’s own way, he was trying to support his friend.

Jasper shook his head subtly. “No.” He said nothing else, and he stared at the table for a moment before blowing out a deep breath of air. When he looked back up to Ian, he smirked. “Way to suck the life out of the party, Ian.” He clapped his hand on Ian’s shoulder, smiling and laughing, and then his focus shifted to Gray, and he studied her for a moment as she took a drink of wine.

“How about you, Gray?” Jasper lifted his own glass to his lips.

She shrugged. “I danced. Not much more to say.” She knew she sounded lame.

“There’s always more to say,” he responded.

“No, in her case there really isn’t,” Ian tossed out. “If you can believe it, I’m only the second man she’s ever slept with. Still can’t believe all the shit she’s let me do to her,” he commented as an aside.

Jasper’s eyes remained on her, but she glanced down at the table, feeling the hot tendrils of embarrassment coursing through her.

“To take a note from Gray’s book, I’m sure she would have told me that herself if she’d wanted me to know.” Jasper’s voice was warm, and when she glanced up, he was looking directly at her rather than Ian. “That doesn’t mean I don’t think there’s more to say. So spill it, Gray.” He demanded with a gentle smile.

She smiled. “Okay. I came from a great family with loving parents who supported me perfectly. I started dance when I was young, and … I was good at it.” She thought about what she wanted to say then. “It was all I did. I knew early on that I wanted to make a career of it, and you don’t do that without giving yourself over to it completely. It was my life. I didn’t go out, have fun, do all those normal kid things. I was in a studio practicing.” She shrugged. Yeah, it was more than lame.

“Nothing wrong with being disciplined,” Jas offered.

“No…” She thought about that for a moment. “But I missed out on life. While other people were out having adventures—”

“And fucking,” Ian threw out.

She rolled her eyes. “I was keeping a strict rehearsal schedule.” Her lips pursed, and her brow flinched as she stared at the table.

But Jaspers warm voice pulled her back to him. “You’re young. You have plenty of time for adventures.”

She glanced at him. “Do I?”

Ian was looking between the two of them but not interrupting.

“I don’t know,” she mused. “Even at my age I feel like I’ve lost part of my life to my career. It’s funny how life feels like it slips away from you without you even knowing it sometimes.” She watched Jasper’s eyes as she spoke.

“Yeah.” He nodded focusing on her intently.

The waiter suddenly appeared in the doorway with their check in his hand. Ian took it, and as the waiter left, it was silent. No one said a word, and her brain swam with a sea of possibilities that were so much bigger than her small little boring world. It was a heady feeling, and she took a deep breath, soaking in the intoxication of it. And then she said it. It wasn’t her desire nor her intention when she walked in, but… She said it.

“I’ve changed my mind.”

---

 

The Rules Regarding Gray

Elizabeth Finn
 

The synopsis of this story had me intrigued, it made promises of all the yummy things that I like to read about, a possible ménage, rules regarding sex and the promise of lots of sex. What more could I ask for. I thought this was going to be a quick read revolving around mostly bedroom scenes and I could not have been more wrong. This story had an unbelievable amount of depth to both the characters and the love scenes.

 

Gracelynn Gray has been in a relationship for awhile with Ian. She is a professional ballerina and it has been a while since she has allowed herself the security of a long term relationship. When her playboy boyfriend offers to allow his friend Jasper to participate in the bedroom she is shocked and then intrigued. Jaspar sees Gracelynn for the beautiful person that she is and at first he too is shocked and he refuses.

Soon curiosity and desire gets the better of both of them and the three of them spend the night together. There are rules laid down by Ian. There will be no touching on the part of Jaspar. This is so very hard for him. It was one of the most erotic scenes that I had read in awhile. The emotions were overwhelming and the desire that Jaspar was feeling jumped off the page.

Without giving away anymore details, it is safe to let on that Jaspar and Gracelynn become very good friends. They talk and talk and talk. When Gracelynn needs a friend to take care of her during a crises, Jaspar is there while Ian is no where to be found. But remember the rules- no touching. The sexual tension is off the chart. This is becoming a beautiful love story.

This is the first time that I have read anything by this author and I think it will not be the last, I am looking forward to reading more of what she has to offer. I thought the story line was fresh and beautiful. I fell in love with Gray and Jaspar at the beginning and hated Ian for about that long too. Gray is such a strong and vibrant character and Jaspar, I believe is perfect for her. I would rate this story a 5/5.