Monthly Archives: June 2015

Michel / Striker (Bayou Heat #15 & #16) by Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright-a review

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Michel / Striker (Bayou Heat 15 & 16) by Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright-a review

Michel:Striker

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / KOBO /

About the book: Release Date June 9, 2015

MICHEL
Michel doesn’t trust Dr. Chelsea Young. Why should he? She willingly worked as a researcher for the humans who were using Pantera as lab animals. Unfortunately, his suspicions haven’t kept his cat from becoming obsessed with the need to possess the beautiful female.

Chelsea is determined to atone for her youthful mistakes. Even if that means working with the aggravating Michel who refuses to believe she now wants to help the Pantera. Together they must overcome their mutual animosity to track down her former boss, Stanton Locke, before he can commit the ultimate betrayal.

REVIEW: MICHEL

Michel is a Pantera; a panther shifter of the Wildlands of New Orleans, and a man who is both attracted to and repulsed by the beautiful but painfully scarred human Dr. Chelsea Young. Chelsea was a research analyst in Stanton Locke’s lab where countless numbers of experiments were performed on the panther shifters. Her rescue has led to some hostile encounters but none more so than those from Michel who believes the beautiful doctor cannot be trusted. When the leader of the Pantera orders Michel and Chelsea to investigate Locke’s latest test facilities, Michel is determined to uncover all of Chelsea’s secrets. What ensues is a developing relationship and eventual mating between Michel and Dr. Young but not before the rescue of a number of imprisoned Panteras and a human female found locked in the labs. Revenge will come from a different source when Stanton Locke protects the woman that he loves.

••••••••••••••

STRIKER
Dark, damaged and definitely gorgeous, Striker is all about the mission. And when the mission’s over? The Hunter is out of there. That is, until one of Locke’s lab rats is forced on him—a beautiful, pained female who needs sex to survive.

The lovely Twelve was abducted and taken to the labs several years ago. Used for breeding, she was given drugs that make her irresistible to males. It was a hellish, lonely life. But she’s free now, and determined to discover the truth about her past. If only the road to that truth didn’t involve the heartless male she can’t stop herself from wanting.

REVIEW: STRIKER

Striker is a Pantera Hunter-a shifter whose latest assignment finds him the male assigned to the Wildlands most recent rescue a female known only as Twelve. Twelve’s mind and body are no longer in her control. The experimental drugs injected at the labs find our heroine lost in a world of unknowns and the need to breed. Enter Striker-the man who will bring back her mind and her heart-if only she could remember who she is.

STRIKER finds our leading couple locked in a sexually aggressive relationship throughout most of the storyline. Striker is a Pantera who believes his one chance at happiness and a mate in the past but his attraction and over protective nature as it pertains to Twelve finds our hero looking to the future with the possibility of a happily ever after.

••••••••••••••

 

MICHEL/STRIKER , once again, looks at the destructive nature of scientific experimentation and specieism in a world controlled and run by the humans. Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright have developed a winning formula that combines the paranormal with the real world, and all of its twisted views on perfection and love.

Due to the nature of the novella (short stories) all of the relationships are quick to build; an insta lust/love premise wherein each of our leading males finds the mate of his heart.

You can’t go wrong with the Bayou Heat series by Ivy and Wright-quick reads; sexy heroes; and beautiful heroines.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Wild Blue Yonder/Forget Me Not by Megan Tayte – Reviews

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Wild Blue Yonder/Forget Me Not by Megan Tayte – Reviews

 

wiild blue YonderAmazon

Description:
IN A WARPED HEAVEN, SHE MUST CHOOSE HER FATE: OBEDIENCE OR REBELLION

The Ceruleans: mere mortals infused with power over life and death. Five books; one question: If the might of the heavens were in your hands, would you be sinner or saint?

When Scarlett Blake chose life-after-death as a Cerulean, she expected to grieve for all she left behind: her boyfriend, her best friend, her mother, her home. But at least Cerulea, her heaven, would be… well, heavenly. Right?

Wrong.

The world in which Scarlett awakens is very far from her idea of a utopia. Picturesque, sure, and serene. But there can be no paradise within the unforgiving walls of a prison, be they of cold, hard stone or beautifully blue water.

Now Scarlett faces her hardest decision yet: be a good, dutiful Cerulean, or be true to herself and fight for freedom.

And if she can find a way to escape, what then? Can she finally reunite with her lost sister? Can she save Sienna from the murderous Fallen? Can she evade her destiny with the Ceruleans?

Can Scarlett Blake ever reclaim her life-before-death… or must she let go of all she loves?

Review:

Wild Blue Yonder by Megan Tayte is book three in The Cerulean Series. Scarlett Blake has made it safely to Cerulea. But she is none to happy to be there. It is nothing what she expected – nor myself for that matter. Yes, it is beautiful but she arrives in winter and it just isn’t what she pictured. I found it all quite sterile and strict and in my personal opinion something is off.  Not at all what we were lead to believe. While she knows she can never return to the life she has known, she can’t stop thinking about those she has left behind. She has agreed with Jude to come to Cerulea to continue her life and do good for others. Starting over on Cerulea, with Jude, will be the hardest thing she has ever done. With Luke, her boyfriend now gone to her she only has memories to keep her going. But it seems like everything she has been told about Cerulea is masked in some kind of a lie.

She soon comes to realize what exactly she was brought there for and she is not happy about it. Nor would I be. Major revelation on exactly why she is there! Shocking even! With only one way to find out what has happened to her sister Sienna and where she is now – Scarlett decides to behave herself and go along with what is asked of her. Following the rules and committing herself to Jude. The hopes of doing all of this will please the Cerulean mother, Evangeline and with that comes the hope that she will be able to leave Cerulea, and search for her sister.

But that all comes crashing down with an overheard conversation. Scarlett soon realizes that nothing is what it seems and there isn’t a lot of room to trust anyone. But one way or another she will escape Cerulea and she will find out what has happened to her sister! Again, the writing is beautiful and defining. It draws you in and submerges you into the world of Scarlett Blake. I ran the gamut of emotions with this book. Happiness and smiling, anger and cursing, skepticism and shock, and sadness and loss. You want to believe that no matter what true love always wins out – but you just have to question if it will! It is all beautifully written into an epic story! Don’t let the pretense sway you, this series is amazing! And I couldn’t have been happier to find out there will be two more books! This series calls for a standing ovation! It’s that good! 

 

Forget me NotAmazon

Description:
The Ceruleans: mere mortals infused with power over life and death. Five books; one question: If the might of the heavens were in your hands, would you be sinner or saint?

Death is stalking Scarlett Blake. As if the encroaching darkness in her head wasn’t enough, she’s become disturbingly accident prone. Falling off a cliff isn’t ideal when all you want is as much time as possible to live, to love.

Her fate is horrifying. Unbearable. And inescapable. No one can save Scarlett from The End that’s looming. Not Jude, the Cerulean who is intent on Claiming her. Not Luke, the boy who is intent on loving her.

The clock is ticking, louder with every heartbeat. Now Scarlett must decide how best to protect the people she loves. Will she trust in Jude and the life-after-death he promises? Will she stand against the Fallen, who have her sister captive? Will she carry the burden of her death alone – every headache, every hallucination, every wrenching, aching emotion?

And when the clock falls silent, when the darkness eclipses the light, will Scarlett fight for life? Or will she have no choice but to surrender?

Review:

Forget Me Not by Megan Tayte is book two in The Cerulean Series. This book begins right where the first book leaves off. Scarlett Blake is still dealing with the fact that she is Cerulean and soon death will take her to a place where she is told she belongs – Cerulea. Cerulea – the place where her people come from – where she must go to help the workd and do good.  She is in the struggle of her life. Fighting to stay in the here and now and knowing that soon all that she holds dear will be taken from her.

This book concentrates on the fact that Scarlet does not have much time left. Even though that’s the one thing she craves more than anything else. And all she wants to do is spend it with her boyfriend Luke, his sister Cara (who is also her best friend) and those that she has come to love in her little coastal town of Twycombe. She knows that with death comes the chance of finding out what exactly has happened to her sister Sienna since her passing and what exactly she is doing with the Fallen. And can Scarlett save her? 

This book was superbly written and did not miss a beat in continuing the story. This book brings us closer to Jude, the Cerulean that has been sent from Cerulea to claim Scarlett when the time comes. He is there to keep her safe until the time of her passing and deliver her safely to Cerulea. While the first book brought us the romance and the new love that blossomed between Scarlett and Luke, this one shows us what happens once Scarlett realizes that she is going to die and there is nothing she can do to change it. We also struggle with the fact that she is trying to keep as much from Luke as possible. She doesn’t want to cause him or bring him anymore pain. So we follow her through the final months of her life and the relationships she holds so dear and close. And the love you feel between her and Luke is breathtaking. This book is a surreal look at the life of young girl with a destiny with death. The ending was heartbreaking – even though you knew it was coming – the surprise of how it happened and the gut-wrenching pain of two in love now separated by death was pure unfiltered sadness.

Reviews by Erin

Copy provided by Author

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Beyond the Cut (Sinner’s Tribe MC #2) by Sarah Castille-a review

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BEYOND THE CUT (Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club #2) by Sarah Castille-a review

Beyond the Cut

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 2, 2015

SHE’S HOLDING ON TIGHT.
As a teen, Dawn ran from a life on the streets straight into the arms of Jimmy “Mad Dog” Sanchez, a biker who promised to be her knight in shining armor. But his love was just another cage. Years later, Dawn’s former life still has its hooks in her and she’ll do whatever it takes to break free. When Cade “Ryder” O’Connor, a member of a rival club, makes her an offer, Dawn finds herself in a different, hotter kind of trouble with one irresistible Sinner…

WILL HE GIVE HER THE RIDE OF HER LIFE?
Cade is an outlaw biker with allegiance to one thing and one thing only: The Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club. But when it comes to the stunningly sexy, fiercely independent Dawn Delgado, Cade finds himself…hungrier for more. Trouble is on Dawn’s heels and he wants to be the answer to her prayers, whether she wants him to be or not. What can’t be denied is the red-hot attraction between them. However, as they fall deeper, the danger rises and Cade may have to sacrifice it all…

••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: BEYOND THE CUT is the second installment in Sarah Castille’s adult, contemporary Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club erotic, romance series focusing on the men and women of the Sinner’s Tribe MC. This is outlaw biker (and second in command) Cade O’Connor, and waitress Dawn Delgado’s storyline. BEYOND THE CUT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous storyline is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Cade and Dawn), BEYOND THE CUT follows the second chance romance between Cade and former ‘old lady’ to Jimmy ‘Mad Dog’ Sanchez- Dawn Delgado. Mad Dog is looking to take control of the Brethren-a rival MC club- and will do everything he can to make it happen, including destroying what’s left of Dawn’s heart and soul. As a young woman, Dawn was homeless and looking for someone to protect her from the world and all of its’ evil-enter sadistic outlaw biker Mad Dog Sanchez-the man who would take Dawn’s humanity and the children she so dearly loved. As the storyline develops we discover that one year earlier, Dawn and Cade spent two wild nights together but Dawn refused to get involved with another biker or MC club. What ensues is a rekindling of Dawn and Cade’s relationship, and the steps Mad Dog goes to steal back the woman he despises and hates.

The relationship between Cade and Dawn is one of second chances. Cade is an alpha male; an outlaw biker whose first allegiance is to the Sinner’s Tribe MC but discovering Dawn was still in town brought back the memories and questions about their short time together. As Cade continues to pursue Dawn, Dawn’s life and those of her children are threatened by Mad Dog and the people hoping to take down the Sinner’s Tribe MC Club. The numerous $ex scenes are erotic, passionate, provocative and intense. Cade is a bit of a man-whore, and in this he knows exactly what he wants and isn’t afraid to let Dawn know. The push and pull of the relationship heightens as local law enforcement (Doug Benson) tries to take Dawn into witness protection for her safety and that of her children. To help protect Dawn from the rival gangs, she must officially become Cade’s old lady.

The secondary and supporting characters included many of the Sinner’s Tribe MC members whom we met in ROUGH JUSTICE-book one of the STMC series; Zane, Dax, Gunner, T-Rex, Sinner’s Tribe President Jagger and his old lady Arianne, Banks –our mysterious bar owner whose past life is dangerous and dark, and the new prospect Hacker whose business is all about the computers. We are also introduced to Mad Dog and his group of sadistic bikers whose only care is power and control; and Mad Dog’s sister Shelly-Ann whose own life is tied to her brother’s MC. Viper and the smarmy Bunny return for some familiarity and cohesion. Where the Sinner’s Tribe is all about the Brotherhood and, protecting the women and children, the other MC clubs treat all others with disrespect and hatred.

BEYOND THE CUT is a storyline with graphic sex and violence. There are murders, torture, assaults, kidnappings and horrendous threats but the majority of the imagery is behind the scenes and left to the reader’s imagination. We get a third hand accounting of what went down; we are witness to the aftermath on many occasions but that is not to say we are unaware or closed off from the action. There is plenty of action, drama and intense suspense as the storyline unfolds and a war between the rival gangs is building on the horizon.

Sarah Castille pulls the reader into the dangerous world of outlaw bikers and the women they love. There is no romanticizing the lifestyle-it is what it is-rough, aggressive, gritty, distressing, abrasive, destructive and oft times fatal. Sarah’s heroes are human, fallible and tragic; her heroines desperate and in need of protection and love. The storyline is intense and dramatic; the characters engaging and charismatic; the romance encouraging and hot.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

Series Spotlight

us Rough JusticeROUGH JUSTICE
Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club #1
by Sarah Castille
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic romance, MC
Release Date: February 3, 2015

Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of ROUGH JUSTICE

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 3, 2015

IT TAKES A GOOD, STRONG WOMAN

Raised in a motorcycle gang, tough, beautiful Arianne Hunter has always dreamed of a normal life. But no sooner does she escape her father’s domineering grasp than she wakes up to find herself in a rival gang’s clubhouse—at the mercy of the dangerously sexy Jagger Knight.

TO TAME A MAN WHO’S HELL ON WHEELS.

The alpha leader of the notorious Sinner’s Tribe, Jagger Knight is all muscle, all biker, and all man. But somewhere inside this hard tattooed outlaw, Arianne senses a kindred spirit—and she can’t ignore their tempestuous attraction. Can she beat him at his own game in a revved-up blaze of glory? Or will their passion spark a war that’s the end of the road for them both?

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The Marriage Contract (The O’Malleys #1) by Katee Robert-a review

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THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT ( The O’Malleys #1) by Katee Robert-a review

The Marriage Contract

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 2, 2015

Teague O’Malley hates pretty much everything associated with his family’s name. And when his father orders him to marry Callista Sheridan to create a “business” alliance, Teague’s ready to tell his dad exactly where he can stuff his millions. But then Teague actually meets his new fiancée, sees the bruises on her neck and the fight still left in her big blue eyes, and vows he will do everything in his power to protect her.

Everyone knows the O’Malleys have a dangerous reputation. But Callie wasn’t aware just what that meant until she saw Teague, the embodiment of lethal grace and coiled power. His slightest touch sizzles through her. But the closer they get, the more trouble they’re in. Because Callie’s keeping a dark secret-and what Teague doesn’t know could get him killed.

••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT is the first installment in Katee Robert’s adult, contemporary The O’Malleys romance series focusing on three warring Underground families of the Irish Boston mafia. This is heirs apparent Teague O’Malley and Callista Sheridan’s storyline. Told from several third person perspectives, the storyline focuses on the arranged marriage(s) between the powerful families of the Boston syndicate and the ensuing war when one of their own is murdered. The storyline covers but a few days-one week at the most.

Following the murder of Callista’s less than honorable, yet to be introduced, fiancé Brendan Halloran, the search is on for the person believed to be the killer. Brendan was a ruthless, evil, SoB, and in this very few people were saddened at his demise. His on family was aware of his dangerous, sexual proclivities. Regardless of the loss of life, Callista is immediately brokered into another marriage with the competing family ensuring power remains within the top families. The joining of the O’Malley and Sheridan families strengthens the control and power.

Teague O’Malley isn’t impressed that he is being forced to marry a woman he does not know, but arranged marriages are the building block of all powerful Boston ‘families’. As the Halloran family enacts revenge on those they believe responsible for the murder of their eldest but dishonorable son, the O’Malleys and Sheridans are pulled into a war that will see a beloved son killed, and the lives of their women threatened-once again.

The relationship between Teague and Callista is very quick to develop-there is an insta lust/love format that finds our couple immediately drawn to one another. The sexual attraction is off the charts; their emotional dependence is immediate. For two people who were thrown together in the blink of an eye, there was never any angst or anxiety about their impending future.

THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT is a large ensemble storyline. The secondary and supporting characters include many members of all three Irish Boston mafia families. We are introduced to Teague’s former best friend James Halloran-a man who knows that family always comes first regardless of your friendship or connections; and Teague’s brothers and sisters whose own lives will be touched by death and threats. Carrigan O’Malley may find herself tied to her brother’s former friend. The different style in family dynamics finds some willing to go along; some participating to the fullest extent; while others work desperately in the background to end the feuds that have destroyed all three families. The families are all about territory and control.

Because THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT looks at the criminal element of the Boston mafia, there is some violence, injuries, threats and death but saying that, the majority of the imagery is implied or behind the scenes. The details and graphic nature of the killings and abuse is relayed second hand and not the ‘in your face’ kind of violence and gruesomeness that can be found in some mob/mafia-style storylines. The violence is ‘toned down’ to some extent yet still apparent.

THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT introduces the players, the families, the controversy and the loves of Boston’s Irish Underground mafia. There are moments of betrayal and revenge; hatred and murder; heartbreaking loss; and captivating love. The destructive nature of the fight for control finds tragedy and terrible loss for everyone involved. Katee Robert sets the foundation for a series focusing on the power, the control, the families and the war of the Boston Underground mob.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs – Review, Excerpt and Giveaway

 

PowerlessAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

 

powerless quote image

Description:
Kenna is tired of being “normal”. The only thing special about her is that she isn’t special at all. Which is frustrating in a world of absolutes. Villains, like the one who killed her father, are bad. Heroes, like her mother and best friend, are good. And Kenna, unlike everyone else around her, is completely ordinary— which she hates.

She’s secretly working on an experiment that will land her a place among the Heroes, but when a Villain saves her life during a break-in at her lab, Kenna discovers there’s a whole lot of gray area when it comes to good and evil and who she can trust.. After all…not all strength comes from superpowers

 

 

Review:

Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs is the 1st book in their new YA Hero Agenda series. When I read the description of the book, it appealed to me and I decided to read it. WOW I am glad I did. I really enjoyed Powerless, as it was exciting and a fun read. It is a YA story, in a world of Superheroes and Villains, and a perfectly fun book for adults

We meet Kenna Swift, our heroine, as she is working late in her mother’s lab. Kenna feels inferior, as she is powerless, which is rare, as she comes from a strong family. Her mother is a renowned scientist and her deceased father was a powerful super hero. Kenna has been taught to hate and fear powerful villains. While working late night at the lab, she hears a noise and before she can do anything 3 of those feared Villains are in the lab. They tell her that they mean no harm, they are trying to find one of the villains brother, who they claim is being tortured by the super-heroes. Kenna does not believe them, and stands up to the three Villians. She turns out to be a tough, sassy, fearless heroine, even if she is powerless. The three men escape when Kenna manages to sound off the alarms.

Kenna begins to suspect something is not what she believes, and accidently finds the young man who is missing being tortured. What will follow is an exciting adventure, where Kenna will meet up again with the three young men, as well as her best friend, Rebel and an ex boyfriend, who is a tech geek. Together they try to beat the odds in fighting the unknown superheroes who may just be the villains after all. Kenna will begin to see that not all the good guys are truly good, and not all Villains are bad.

The last 1/3 of the book was a hold on to the edge of your seat exciting climax, with many surprises and twists. There was also a budding romance that was developing between Kenna and Draven, one of the Villains. This did not go too far, but I expect more from this couple in the future books. Powerless was a fun and exciting story, which I feel all ages would enjoy. This is the start of a wonderful collaboration between Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs.  I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

excerpt

 

“You never answered my question. What are you doing down here so late?”

Those bright blue eyes sear into me as he takes a step back. “I have to go.”

His sudden evasiveness makes me suspicious, so when he starts to move past me, I
sidestep into his path. “Excuse me,” I say, “but this is a secure level. Are you
even authorized to be down here?”

“My dad,” he says, scowling at me. “He’s a security guard.”

A security guard? The facility might be so big that I can’t keep track of everyone
who works in every lab, but I know all the guards by name. Especially the night
guards, since I’m usually the last one here.

Travis and Luther are on duty tonight. Travis and his wife just had their first
baby, a girl named Tia. Luther is old enough to be my great-grandfather and he never
married.

I take half a step back as my suspicions turn to concern. “Who’s your dad?” I demand.

This guy definitely has the look of a villain.

What if he really is one?

He glances nervously over his shoulder. “He’s-”

I shake my head and start to walk away before he can finish the lie.

He reaches for me, but I shrug him off. My heart is beating way too fast. This could
go way bad, way quick.

“Please, just listen.” He waits until I’m looking him in the eye before he
continues. “You know me,” he says, his voice taking on this weird, hypnotic tone.
“We’ve met before.”

His eyes start to burn brighter and brighter. Oh crap. He must be a villain, and one
with a psy power. The vilest kind. Fear and anger collide inside me as I wonder what
to do about him trying to mess with my head. How to play this? I can’t exactly tell
him I’m-

Suddenly, the floor beneath my feet shudders violently, knocking me off balance. I
lurch forward into Dark-and-Scowly’s arms. He catches me, grabs my upper arms, just
as a concussion wave of air and sound hits us.

That sounded-and felt-like a bomb went off in the lab. If we weren’t a hundred feet
underground and shielded by every protection science and superheroes can create, I’d
think the supervillain Quake had struck. But that’s impossible.

Then again, impossible doesn’t always apply in the superhero world. After all,
impossible didn’t keep Dark-and-Scowly from being where he doesn’t belong.

Suddenly, every alarm in the facility blares. I freak. The lab! All that
research-Mom’s and mine-is priceless. The superhero blood samples alone are more
valuable than anything else in the building.

Panic overrides judgment and I push away, but his grip only tightens. The jerk. A
little super strength would be really useful right now.

“You can’t go in there.”

“Who are you?” I demand, struggling to get out of his grasp. If he really is a
villain, I don’t want him near me or this lab. Not with what villains are capable
of. “What have you done?”

He doesn’t answer. More pissed than ever, I fake left and pull right. He follows my
fake-out, and as his hair swings with the momentum, I see the mark I’d been looking
for earlier. Not under his right ear like the superheroes. Under his left.

Shit.

“You’re a villain.”

 

 

About the author

TeraLynnChildsTracy WolffOne fateful summer, Tera Lynn Childs and Tracy Deebs embarked on a nine hour (each way!) road trip to Santa Fe that ended with a flaming samurai, an enduring friendship, and the kernel of an idea that would eventually become Powerless. On their own, they have written YA tales about mermaids (Forgive My Fins, Tempest Rising), mythology (Doomed, Oh. My Gods., Sweet Venom), smooching (International Kissing Club), and fae princes (When Magic Sleeps). Between them, they have three boys (all Tracy), three dogs (mostly TLC), and almost fifty published books. Find TLC and the #TeamHillain headquarters at teralynnchilds.com. Check out Tracy and the #TeamVero lair at tracydeebs.com. Hang out with all the heroes, villains, ordinaries, and none-of-the-aboves at heroagenda.com. 

Hero Agenda Social Networking Links

Website:  / Facebook / Twitter

 

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Rules of Seduction (Serve #7) by Joya Ryan-a review

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RULES OF SEDUCTION (Serve #7) by Joya Ryan-a review

Rules of Seduction

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 9, 2015

He’ll be the dream and the dirty fantasy…

Through with both her controlling ex and relationships, Ava Webber is determined to explore the spicy and sometimes forbidden appetites of the exclusive BDSM nightclub, Serve. Here, she’ll get exactly what she needs…as long as it’s from a man she doesn’t know.

Nolan Hart ensures that Serve’s clients get what they want, how they want it. But with one look at the curvy brunette, Nolan knows he’s the man to fulfill her desires. As the anonymous lover, he’s Ava’s dirtiest fantasy. Outside of Serve, he’s her charming, smartass friend.

But Nolan wants more. More than Ava is willing to give. And as long as the blindfold stays on, she’ll never discover that the two men she’s falling for are one and the same..

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: RULES OF SEDUCTION by Joya Ryan is the seventh installment in the adult, contemporary SERVE erotic romance novella series focusing on the BDSM club Serve. This is SERVE nightclub employee Nolan Hart and marketing agent Ava Webber’s storyline. Each storyline in the Serve series is written by a different author focusing on a new couple. Although the storylines are connected to the BDSM club Serve, the individual stories are not interconnected. Each story is a stand alone.

Told from dual third person perspectives, RULES OF SEDUCTION follows Ava Webber as she endeavors to explore the forbidden. Ava’s marriage collapsed; she was trapped in a loveless relationship by a controlling man and in this Ava wants to experience it all, and Serve is willing to offer up anything and everything Ava wants. But Ava has one rule-anonymous sex only-she does not want to know anything about the man who will make all of her wishes come true. What Ava never expected was that the man to whom she bared her soul, is the same man with whom she will fall in love. Anonymous sex is only anonymous if you do not recognize the man of your dreams.

Nolan Hart arranges the scenes at the BDSM club Serve. His attraction to newcomer Ava Webber finds our hero wanting to protect Ava from what it is she thinks she wants. When Ava says she wants anonymous sex, Nolan knows he is the man to give Ava what it is she wants but Nolan never expected to lose his heart.

The character development is limited. There is no explanation about Ava’s past; what left her broken and why she is determined to experience it all. We learn very little about Nolan-the man, the Myth, the vibrating tongue ring !!! He is a bit of an enigma whose specialty is security but the how and why of his past is missing.

RULES OF SEDUCTION is a sweet and spicy read with engaging characters; a fun premise; and a happily ever after. Like all of the previous installments, the BDSM content is light; there are no hard core scenarios or demands. In fact, our heroine states she is open to anything and everything yet she is unaware of just what it is she is giving permission to do-in this, I felt there was some naivety as it pertained to the overall premise. In my opinion, expectations were not met; the sexual content as it pertained to the BDSM scenes was too tame for the demands of the heroine’s needs.

If you like a little kink with your romance storylines I recommend the SERVE series. The BDSM content is limited; some spanking, blindfolds and a little light bondage but the authors never cross into the dark and dangerous zones.

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

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Suddenly One Summer by Julie James – Review & Giveaway

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Suddenly One Summer by Julie James – Review & Giveaway

Suddenly One Summer

 

suddenly One SummerAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
Divorce lawyer Victoria Slade has seen enough unhappy endings to swear off marriage forever. That doesn’t mean she’s opposed to casual dating—just not with her cocky new neighbor, who is as gorgeous and tempting as he is off-limits. But once she agrees to take on his sister’s case, she’s as determined to win as ever—even if that means teaming up with Ford…

Investigative journalist Ford Dixon is bent on finding the man who got his sister pregnant and left her high and dry. He’s willing to partner with Victoria, despite the fact that the beautiful brunette gets under his skin like no other woman. He might not be looking to settle down, but there’s no denying the scorching attraction between them. Still, the more time he spends with Victoria, the more he realizes that the one woman as skeptical about love as he is might be the only woman he could really fall for…

 

Review:

Suddenly One Summer by Julie James is another one of her wonderful fun romances. James does such a great job writing charming stories with characters that are adults, with successful careers, and each seemingly satisfied with their life. Even though this is not part of James’s FBI/US Attorney series, some of the characters in that series play a big part in this story.

Ford Dixon is our hero, and he is an investigative journalist.   While out at a local bar with his friends, a beautiful lady catches his eye. Victoria Slade is our heroine, and she is a very successful divorce attorney. Victoria also notices Ford, but when she sees the girls hanging over him, she brushes him off and enjoys the camaraderie of her two best friends.

Victoria has just moved into a condo temporarily, after having a panic attack breakdown during a robbery at her home. Victoria is a very strong individual, smart, savvy and independent. But the robbery attempt opens up hidden issues from her childhood that now has brought out the anxiety attacks. She is secretly seeing a therapist, and throughout the story, while the therapist tries to bring out the hidden secrets deep in her mind, we learn more about her childhood fears.

The first few days she is living at the condo, she hears all kinds of noise at night or early morning that disrupts her sleep. Of course, her neighbor is none other than Ford and the battle between the two of them begin, with each being snarky to each other, not to mention the wrong assumptions they reach. It is when Ford’s sister, Nicole comes to visit him, that will force the two of them to work together to help her.

I loved Ford and Victoria together, even if they were both so different. Ford was fun loving, and Victoria was all business, not allowing herself to trust anyone. It was so much fun to watch the walls begin to crumble, and their sexual heat sizzled.

They work together to help Nicole find the man she had a one night stand over a year ago, as she now has a child, and needs financial support. It was enjoyable to watch them during their undercover investigation playing various parts; their witty and snarky banter, and them getting to know each other. Did I say their chemistry was off the wall. J

Despite things going good, it is Victoria’s issues that will cause problems, and we worry that this awesome couple will not make it together. Suddenly One Summer was a wonderful story, great couple, sexy, and a fun book to read. No surprise, as this is something I have come to expect from Julie James. I recommend that you read this book, and if you have not read Julie James yet, it is time for you to do so.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

theauthor

Julie james

After graduating from law school, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie James clerked for the United States Court of Appeals. She then practiced law with one of the nation’s largest firms for several years until she began writing screenplays. After Hollywood producers optioned two of her scripts, she decided to leave the practice of law to write full-time.

Julie’s books have been listed on the American Library Association’s Reading List for Top Genre Novels, Booklist‘s Top 10 Romances of the Year, and have been featured as one of Cosmopolitan magazine’s Red Hot Reads. Her books have been translated into seventeen languages and Julie’s seventh novel, It Happened One Wedding, is now available.

Julie James lives with her husband and two children in Chicago, where she is currently working on her next book.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads

giveaway

Julie’s publisher is offering a paper copy of SUDDENLY ONE SUMMER to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE us on FACEBOOK and click GET NOTIFICATIONS

4. Please FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

6. Please LIKE us on TSU for an additional entry.

7. Follow Julie James   on Facebook.

8. Giveaway is open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from June 5 – 9, 2015

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I’ll Stand by You by Sharon Sala – a Review

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I’ll Stand by You by Sharon Sala – a Review

 

Ill stand by you

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
No one is alone
Dori Grant is no stranger to hardship. As a young single mother in the gossip-fueled town of Blessings, Georgia, she’s weathered the storm of small-town disapproval most of her life. But when Dori loses everything within the span of an evening, she realizes she has no choice but to turn to her neighbors.

As long as there is love to give
Everyone says the Pine boys are no good, but Johnny Pine has been proving the gossips wrong ever since his mother died and he took over raising his brothers. His heart goes out to the young mother and child abandoned by the good people of Blessings. Maybe he can be the one to change all that…

 

 

 

Review:

I’ll Stand by You by Sharon Sala is a wonderful story that takes place in a small town in Georgia. This is a sweet romance, but it is really story driven about two young people having a hard time in their lives due to terrible circumstances.

Dori Grant is our heroine, and I thought she was great. Dori, who is only 18, is a single mother who lives with her grandfather and baby boy. She works as a dishwasher in the local restaurant to help pay the bills. Though Dori lives on the nice side of the town, she is looked at with disapproval from her uppity neighbors.

Johnny Pine is our hero, who takes care of his younger brothers, since their mother died. He has a steady job for a contractor, but ends are hard to meet, and he lives on the bad side of town. The story more or less begins when Johnny is called to rescue his youngest brother, Beep, who was beaten up by a small gang of children at school.

The town of Blessings stands by Johnny, as he puts in a complaint to the school, and the parents of the children. Beep suffered serious injuries, but will recover. Almost at the same time, Dori suffers a major setback, as her house is on fire. When it is over, the house is destroyed and her grandfather is dead.   Dori’s uppity neighbors offer her sympathy, but leave her and her boy standing alone, with nowhere to go. It is Johnny who drives by the fire with his brothers, who will come to the rescue to help Dori.

What follows is a story of a town split apart by prejudice and one person, in particular who thinks nothing of destroying lives.   But there were some really nice people that helped both Dori and Johnny fight the stigma, and the town joins hands to help them.

While that is going on, Dori, who is now staying in Johnny’s house, takes care of the boys, cleans, and cooks. But Dori’s life will change for the better, as the local lawyer who helps her pro-bono, will discover some surprises for her. As each day passes, Johnny and his two young brothers find themselves caring for Dori and her son.

Just when you think that things will get better for them, they get thrown another bombshell. The nasty neighbor, afraid of backlash will create more havoc with false lies, causing more trouble for both Johnny and Dori. There is another villain, who will get his just due, some with humor With the lawyer’s advice, Johnny and Dori will commit to each other to protect their family from social services in order to protect the children, and a sweet romance truly begins.

This was a different type of story that I thoroughly enjoyed. The two main characters, Johnny and Dori were great. It was nice to see some really nice secondary characters that brought the town together to help those in need. Very nice writing by Sharon Sala, and a wonderful uplifting story.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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