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The Art of Sin by Alexandrea Weis-Review, Book Tour and Giveaway

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THE ART OF SIN by Alexandrea Weis-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

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THE ART OF SIN
by Alexandrea Weis
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance
Release Date: May 3, 2015

The Art of Sin

ebook only 99¢: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / SMASHWORDS / iBOOKS

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 3, 2015

Grady Paulson spends his nights pleasing a lot of women.

The bump and grind of being a male stripper is getting old for Grady, and when his cross-country tour takes him to New Orleans everything changes. He meets Allison Wagner; a smart, successful woman who is all wrong for him, but Grady just loves a challenge.

Sparks fly, and soon Allison has Grady rethinking his future. He wants to get out of the stripping game and settle down, but Allison is hiding a devastating secret that could threaten his plans.

Will Grady finally break free from his seedy, sequined world or will her troubled past forever seal their fate?

On Bourbon Street, temptation is the name of the game for all those who practice the art of sin.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: THE ART OF SIN is the latest contemporary, adult, erotic romance storyline by Alexandrea Weis. The story focuses on thirty two year old former financial advisor and male stripper Grady Paulson, and nurse anesthetist Allison Wagner-a woman ten years Grady’s senior but the woman who calls to Grady’s soul. Grady travels the country wherever the work takes him and his latest contract finds our hero in New Orleans where his agent has set him up at Allison Wagner’s rooming house. What ensues is an intense seduction of Allison Wagner by the new tenant in apartment C.

Alexandrea Weis pulls the reader in a breathtaking, emotional and provocative storyline where the New Orlean’s nightlife takes center stage. From strip clubs to plastic surgery, crooked cops and dirty nightclub owners New Orleans offers up the seedy side of the French Quarter where gangs rule the nights and regret rules the day. We follow along as Grady Paulson seduces not only his landlord but the patrons at the Flesh Factory with his moves, his mind, and his heart.

THE ART OF SIN is a story of romance and love; intrigue and suspense; friendship and loss. There are moments of anguish and heartbreak followed by the realization that life is fleeting with no promise of tomorrow. Alexandrea Weis will pull you in and never let go.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

excerpt

 

The screaming hit him first. Like the backwash from a jet engine, the screams vibrated against his body. The women were packed against the edge of the stage, and as he moved out from beneath the white lights, he got a better look at the pit.
Matt had been right. The faces, the screams, the whistles, all looked and sounded the same as every other town he had been in. He had hoped this time it would be different. Why had he expected more?
Beginning his routine, he rolled his hips and occasionally made eye contact with a few of the women, searching for his orgasm girl. A small blonde, not far from the stage, caught his eye. She instantly reminded him of Al. She had the same petite figure and pink lips, but her eyes were not as sarcastic. Making a few spins, he checked out the other women, but kept coming back to the blonde.
When he pulled his silver-sequined shirt open, the motion made the pain from his broken right pinkie shoot up his arm. He kept his stage smile plastered on his face, but he could feel the sweat gathering on his upper lip. To stop thinking about the pain, he shifted his attention back to the small blonde. He pictured her being Al, watching him up on stage. Grady could almost see Al smirking at him from a table next to the stage. This was good. It was helping him get through his routine. He focused on the blonde, all the while thinking of Al, and soon he forgot about his discomfort.
Grady began to feel he was dancing only for the petite woman. He could hear the other women in the crowd shouting for him to “take it all off,” but he ignored them. He struggled getting his shirt off, and he saw the lithe blonde smile when she explored his chest with her big eyes.
Grabbing at his clothing and doing a few of the acrobatic moves he had in his dance routine almost made him see stars as the tormenting pain returned. With only his pants to go, he went to the edge of the stage, ready to bring up the blonde. When he pointed to her, as he seductively swung his hips, the blush on her cheeks almost made him laugh out loud. Al would never have blushed like that. No, Al would have scowled at him.
It took two of her friends to coax her to the stage, but when the little blonde climbed the side steps, Grady was disappointed. Up close, she was nothing like Al. Her features were plain and her mouth was bigger, her lips thicker, and her eyes were brown and not like Al’s angry grey orbs. Giving her some encouragement to have fun with him, he lifted her hands to his chest and rubbed his hips against her.
The blonde squealed, covered her face, and did all the predictable things he expected of his orgasm girl. After he had danced around her a few times, ripped off his pants—damn near cursing as the pain tore through his hand—he gave her a kiss on the cheek and showed her off the stage.
A few last struts, flashing his silver-sequined G-string, and he was done. Snapping up his clothes from the floor with his left hand, he could feel the sweat pouring off him. He quickly trotted off the stage and back behind the curtains.
Out of the view of the audience, he bent over and very gently held his sore pinkie.
“Son of a bitch,” he sighed. How was he going to survive a second show?


taos5

 

About the Author

alexandrea-weis1FOLLOW: Goodreads / Website/ Facebook/ Twitter

Alexandrea Weis is an advanced practice registered nurse who was born and raised in New Orleans. Having been brought up in the motion picture industry, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her award-winning novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story memorable. A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured wildlife. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans.

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Alexandrea Weis is graciously offering an ecopy of THE ART OF SIN to TWO (2) lucky commenters at The Reading Cafe.

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9. Giveaway runs from May 7-11 , 2015

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Exposed (Ethan Frost 3) by Tracy Wolff-Review and Book tour

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EXPOSED (Ethan Frost #3) by Tracy Wolff-Review and Book Tour

Exposed

EXPOSED
Ethan Frost #3
by Tracy Wolff
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic romance

Exposed

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 5, 2015

Will Ethan Frost go too far for the woman he loves?

The moment Chloe Girard walked into my life, she exposed secrets and emotions I always thought were best kept buried.

She wants to move on, to ignore the past. But I can’t do that. Not when she still suffers. And not when the man who hurt her remains unscathed. So when I discover the perfect opportunity to make him pay for what he did to Chloe, I can’t walk away, no matter the consequences.

But there’s a fine line between justice and obsession. As I turn up old crimes and new lies, I know that I’m playing with fire—and risking the very foundations of our relationship.

My love for Chloe is absolute. I just hope it’s enough to save us both.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: EXPOSED is the third installment in Tracy Wolff’s adult, contemporary Ethan Frost erotic romance series focusing on billionaire CEO Ethan Frost and legal intern Chloe Girard. EXPOSED should not be read as a stand alone as each of the previous books is interconnected and tells the continuing story of our leading couple.

Told from two first person points of view (Ethan and Chloe) EXPOSED begins immediately after the events of book two -ADDICTED -wherein our couple is trying to rebuild their relationship in the face of misunderstanding and lies. In the previous book Chloe came face to face with her past-a past that is directly connected to the man that she loves-and in this our couple struggled to keep their relationship from imploding. EXPOSED focuses on Ethan’s need for revenge and the ensuing fall out of the plans he put into motion. Millions of dollars, the Vegas mob, and the revelation of several more victims finds Ethan and Chloe facing a chasm of betrayal, retribution and the ultimate revenge against a family member with political aspirations and a psychopathic personality.

There are still some issues of insecurity and trust between Chloe and Ethan-Chloe wants to move forward while Ethan is determined to mete out revenge. The relationship between Chloe and Ethan, and thusly the storyline, is sexually graphic with a good portion of the story focusing on their love, lust and need for one another. The $ex scenes are numerous, emotional, erotic and intense but the sex talk becomes repetitive and redundant-there are only so many times the use of the word ‘baby’ should come into play-if at all- during $ex.

The secondary and supporting characters include Chloe’s amazing best friend Tori as well as Ethan’s best friend Sebastian Caine whom we met in the spin off series PLAY ME. Some of the timeline overlaps between EXPOSED and PLAY ME. Ethan’s mother and his half brother Brandon play an integral role in the final outcome of the story.

The world building continues to follow the building relationship of Chloe and Ethan, but no longer focuses on the professional side of the relationship wherein Ethan is Chloe’s boss and therefore their love is taboo. The focus now centers on Ethan’s promise to protect Chloe at all costs, even if it means placing himself in danger and in a position to lose everything that he owns. There is also the aspect of a permanent future between our leading couple.

EXPOSED is a fast paced and revealing storyline about two people facing improbable odds and an all consuming love for one another. There are moments of betrayal and revenge; romance and love; moving forward and letting go. EXPOSED is an intoxicating read with tragic scenarios, dysfunctional family values, and an encouraging look to the future. Tracy Wolff writes a passionate storyline that will captivate your imagination.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

Excerpt beige

“Is it safe?” Tori asks an hour later, stumbling into the kitchen where I’m sitting at the table, sipping coffee and daydreaming of Ethan. “Does everybody have clothes on?”
“I’m the only one here,” I tell her. “And yes, I am wearing pajama pants and a sweatshirt.”
“Thank Christ.” She makes a beeline for the coffeepot and pours herself a large mug. I watch in amusement as she adds enough sugar to bankrupt a candy factory, then follows it with a quarter cup of cream before lifting the mug to her lips and downing half its contents in one gulp.
“How are you not three hundred pounds?” I ask in disbelief.
“Good genes and clean living.”
“Well, I won’t argue the good genes part, anyway.” The wineglass on the counter still holds the dregs of the two bottles of wine she drank last night.
“You should,” she replies with a snort.
I want to ask her what she means—it’s not the first time she’s made a derogatory comment about her family—but she’s got off-limits signs posted all over her when it comes to them. So I settle for bumping shoulders with her as I refill my own coffee cup.
She returns the bump, then smiles sweetly at me. With that smile, her short green hair sticking up in every direction and the remnants of last night’s mascara pooled under her eyes, she looks like a little kid playing dress-up. Dress-up in a punk rocker’s closet, mind you, but still dress up.
At least until the smile fades and she pins me with a look meant to bring better women than me to their knees. “Details. Now.”
“Ethan and I made up.”
“Believe me, I know. My room’s next to yours and the walls aren’t nearly as thick as you think they are.”
“Oh, God.” Embarrassed heat rushes to my cheeks. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” She waves airily. “Since I wasn’t getting any action last night, it’s good that someone was.”
I laugh despite myself. “Nice, Tori.”
“Hey, if you wanted nice, you probably should have picked someone else as your best friend.” She grabs a box of donuts off the counter and plops them in the middle of the kitchen table before settling into the chair opposite mine. “Just saying.”
“Yeah, well, it’s too late to worry about that now.”
“Damn straight.” She grabs a donut, then shoves the box toward me. “So what happened after I left yesterday? You need to give me the scoop before loverboy gets back.”
“We made up.”
“Obviously, you made up. Didn’t we just talk about all the reasons I couldn’t sleep last night?”
“Well then, what do you want me to say?”
“I want details. Did he grovel—I mean, with something besides that bracelet you’re wearing. Because even I have to admit that is some serious groveling in and of itself.”
I glance down at the heavy bracelet Ethan had delivered to me yesterday. The one he fastened around my wrist when I told him that I loved him. That I’d marry him. It’s as much a sign of his possession as the belly chain I wear around my waist—another gift from him.
“Don’t tell me how much it costs. I don’t want to know.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, darling,” she drawls in her best Sophia Loren voice. “I still remember your freak-out over the belly chain.”
When I don’t say anything else, she finishes off her donut in silence, all the while watching me with dark eyes.
“You look happy,” she finally says.
“I am happy.”
“That’s all that matters, then.” She drains her coffee, then pushes back from the table. “I’m going to take a shower, then head to the beach. Want to join me?”
“I can’t.”
She rolls her eyes. “Let me guess. Loverboy talked you into going back to work at Frost Industries?”
“I haven’t decided on that yet.”
“Then what’s going on? Is he coming back to sweep you off to some romantic getaway?”
“We’re going to Vegas.”
“Vegas? Really? I had him pegged for a private-island-off-the-coast-of-Greece kind of guy. I have to admit, I’m a little—”
“We’re getting married.” I say it fast, hoping it will have less of an impact that way.
No such luck. Tori stops in her tracks, eyes wide and mouth gaping like a fish as she tries to wrap her brain around what I just said.
“What?” she finally squeals before launching herself at me. “He asked you to marry him? When? Where?”
“Today. And I already told you. Las Vegas.”
She’s back to staring at me like I have three heads. “I meant when did he ask you. But what you’re telling me is that you’re flying to Las Vegas today? To get married today?”
“That is what I’m telling you.” I start gingerly trying to untangle myself from her embrace. It isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially when she’s hanging on for dear life and doing her best impression of an octopus with its prey.
“Oh my God. Oh. My. God. Ohmygod! You’re getting married. Today! To Ethan fucking Frost!”

 

 

Series Spotlight

Ruined
Ethan Frost #1
by Tracy Wolff
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance
Release Date: January 2014

RuinedOrder Links: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of RUINED

He’s the last man Chloe Girard should love . . . but the first she ever could.

Ethan Frost is a visionary, a genius, every woman’s deepest, darkest fantasy—even mine. And, somehow, I am his.

He stole into my life like a dream. Turned my reality upside down and made my every desire come true—especially those I never knew I had. He demanded everything I had to give and gave me everything of himself in return.

But dreams don’t last forever, and ours is no exception. Because my nightmares are darker, and my wounds deeper, than I could ever reveal. And as much as Ethan wants to protect me, the secrets we share will only tear us apart.

__________________

Addicted
Ethan Frost #2
by Tracy Wolff
Genre: adult, contemporary,erotic, romance
Release Date: July 15, 2014

Addicted Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO

About the book: Release Date July 15, 2014

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of ADDICTED

As Chloe Girard discovers, there’s love . . . and then there’s addiction.

Ethan Frost is everything a woman could want in a man. He’s rich, gorgeous, powerful, one of the most eligible bachelors in the world.

But that’s not why I’m with him.

I love Ethan for all the things no one else gets to see: his innate kindness, his reckless spontaneity, his unwavering determination to use his brilliance for good. I love the way he looks at me, the way he touches me. The way he makes me forget the wreckage of my past and the twisted fear that still lives inside me.

But sometimes it terrifies me how much I crave him, how much I need him just to breathe. I always thought it would be my past that ruined us, but there’s a darkness in Ethan I never dreamed existed. Can we survive as his secrets surface—threatening to unravel us both?

About The Author beige

Tracy WolffTracy Wolff collects books, English degrees and lipsticks and has been known to forget where—and sometimes who—she is when immersed in a great novel. At six she wrote her first short story—something with a rainbow and a prince—and at seven she forayed into the wonderful world of girls lit with her first Judy Blume novel. By ten she’d read everything in the young adult and classics sections of her local bookstore, so in desperation her mom started her on romance novels. And from the first page of the first book, Tracy knew she’d found her life-long love. Now an English professor at her local community college, she writes romances that run the gamut from contemporary to paranormal to erotic suspense.

Website |Facebook |Twitter |Goodreads |Blog

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Ebook of CLAIMED by Stacey Kennedy
Ebook of ONCE PERFECT by Cecy Robson
Ebook of SURRENDER by Violetta Rand
Ebook of LAST OF THE RED-HOT COWBOYS by Tina Leonard
Ebook of RAVEN by Ashley Suzanne
Ebook of UNTIL YOU FIND ME by Amber Hart
Ebook of RUSH by Gina Gordon

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Endless Nights (Vegas Nights Series) by Karen Erickson-Review and Book Tour

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Endless Nights (Vegas Nights Series) by Karen Erickson-Review and Book Tour

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Endless Nights
Vegas Nights #2
by Karen Erickson
Release Date: April 28, 2015
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic romance

Endless Nights

Amazon.com / B&N / KOBO /  Samhain / All Romance Ebooks / iBooks 

About the book: Release Date April 28, 2015

The sex is crazy good. Is it crazier to want something more?

Andrea and her two best friends have shed their nurses’ scrubs for a long-awaited weekend in Las Vegas, and nothing—flight delays, lost luggage, or the slightly weird guy with the sketchy invite to an exclusive bash—is going to stop their fun.

Within minutes of arriving at the opulent party, she’s deep in conversation with gorgeous, funny Luke Nelson, wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks. For some crazy reason, he can’t seem to keep his eyes—or hands—off her.

Luke isn’t looking for a hookup, he just wants to relax…until he gets one look at the classy brunette in the barely there dress. One minute they’re talking, the next they’re all over each other in a dark corner. It’s like he’s an addict and she’s the fix he’s been searching for all his life.

One night of hot sex isn’t nearly enough. But after a weekend spent never more than a few inches apart, the time is quickly approaching when they’ll have to make a long-distance relationship work—or break it off.

Warning: A lady who wants to go a little wild, a good-guy pro athlete who likes a little sass with his class, crazy good sex, and a crazy ex.

•••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: ENDLESS NIGHTS is the third installment in Karen Erickson’s adult, contemporary Vegas Nights erotic romance series of novellas focusing on three friends and nurses (Andrea, Natalie, Reagan) and a weekend in Las Vegas. This is professional football player Luke Nelson and Andrea’s storyline. The novellas run parallel to one another wherein each of our heroine’s will find love and her happily ever after.

ENDLESS NIGHTS follows Luke and Andrea’s weekend in Vegas where our couple will begin to fall in love. It is a story of insta-love/lust but in so much as what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas finds Luke and Andrea promising one another something more. When Luke invites Andrea to Seattle for another weekend together, the appearance of Luke’s ex will place doubts in Andrea’s mind-they really don’t know that much about one another’s private lives.

The relationship is very quick to develop; within a matter of minutes Luke and Andrea are in a passionate embrace followed by a weekend spent together in bed. The sex scenes are erotic and hot.

The secondary and supporting characters include flamboyant fairy godfather James who has sent into motion three potential futures for Andrea, Natalie and Reagan. Natalie and Reagan are present as moral support but Luke’s friends Noah and Declan are MIA. There is a prequel novella WICKED WEEKEND which is currently a FREE ebook: Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble / KOBO / that introduces the characters and James’s role in getting our couples together.

Karen Erickson’s VEGAS NIGHTS novella series has a little bit of everything: fun, sex, romance and love. Each of the short stories is erotic and predictable but entertaining and a joy to read. The woman are beautiful; the men are sexy and rich-what more can a reader ask for.

Reading Order and previous reviews:
Wicked Weekend
Reckless Nights
Endless Nights
Wild Nights-July 2015

Vegas Nights Series

Copy supplied by Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

Series Spotlight

Wicked WeekendWICKED WEEKEND
(Vegas Nights .5)
by Karen Erickson
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

FREE ebook: Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble / KOBO / / Samhain /  All Romance Ebooks

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 23, 2014

What happens in Vegas…could be a fantasy come true.

Between nursing school and starting their careers, Reagan, Andrea and Natalie have had no time for dating. After saving up for a special vacation, they’re on their way to Vegas for a long-awaited weekend of fun, sun, gambling and partying.

When their luggage goes missing, an impromptu shopping trip leads them to James, who makes them an unusual offer—to be part of the female scenery at his boss’s upcoming party. Not just any scenery, but women who are pretty in a real way, not the nipped, tucked and dyed Hollywood version.

Accept a “private party” invitation from a complete stranger? These ladies weren’t born yesterday. Yet before “no thanks” crosses their lips, Reagan discovers who James’s boss really is: Declan Carter, an actor she’s crushed on for, well, forever. Now she’s determined to be the eye candy who catches Declan’s eye. No matter what it takes…

Warning: Epic shopping trip results in meeting hot men. It is recommended that all credit cards be placed out of reach before reading.

________________

Reckless NightsRECKLESS NIGHTS
(Vegas Nights #1)
by Karen Erickson
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic romance

Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble / KOBO / | Samhain / All Romance Ebooks /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 13, 2015

Sometimes dream crushes do come true.

Vegas Nights, Book 1

Reagan can’t believe her luck—and not in a good way. One minute she’s hanging out with her friends at an exclusive party in Las Vegas. The next, she’s attracted the attention of a famous actor. Not just any actor. Declan Carter, the man on which she used to—okay, might still—have a fangirl crush. Whose blue eyes leave her embarrassingly tongue tied.

All Declan wants is to meet a nice, normal woman who won’t use him as a stepping stone to fame. Something about Reagan tells him she could be that rare woman, and he follows his instinct to invite her back to his suite—where they proceed to have wild monkey sex. All. Night. Long.

What was supposed to be one night of no-regrets sex stretches out into a blissful weekend of two people who can’t get enough of each other. But when the glamour of Sin City wears off, they’re standing on the edge of a once-in-a-lifetime chance to turn a weekend fling into something lasting. Will they take the jump?

Guest Post beige

Fun Facts about Endless Nights

A book series is never born out of nothing. There are always influences that come into play as I put together a series, and the VEGAS NIGHTS series is no exception. So without further ado, let’s discuss a few of those fun little facts.

• When I approached my editor about the VEGAS NIGHTS series, she asked that I have each heroine fall in love with an actor, a pro athlete and a rockstar (she was especially fond of the rockstar idea – and you’ll meet Noah Wilde in WILD NIGHTS in July). I was certainly on board for that…

• The heroine from ENDLESS NIGHTS is named after a favorite blogger of mine (though she doesn’t blog anymore, boo) who complained on Twitter a long time ago, I never see any heroines named Andrea! My name isn’t heroine-worthy. Well, Andrea, now it is. ☺

• I haven’t told my husband that my hero Luke Nelson plays for the Seattle Seahawks because I’m afraid he might disown me. You see, my husband is a hardcore 49er fan and he, uh, hates the Seahawks. But I wanted to keep Luke on the west coast and I’ve already written a hero who plays for the 49ers and I don’t like the Raiders so…hello Seahawks.

• The hotel they’re staying at in ENDLESS NIGHTS is based on the Bellagio. I did a signing in Vegas last fall and stayed at the Bellagio and wow, it’s gorgeous. So I knew I had to base my fictional hotel on the Bellagio because yeah, why not? Though there are so many beautiful hotels in Vegas it’s not hard to find some inspiration.

• The hotel in ENDLESS NIGHTS has no name. I did that on purpose.

• There’s a scene in a lingerie store that was inspired by the Victoria’s Secret catalog I received while writing ENDLESS NIGHTS. I thought, ooh that stuff is pretty, and decided to have Andrea try some of it on for Luke. He mightily approved.

• I love writing a pro athlete hero. I’ve written so many, it’s like I can’t escape them. I don’t want to escape them! They are way too much fun. And sexy. And hot. And gorgeous. And…you get the picture.

I hope you check out ENDLESS NIGHTS. I think you’ll enjoy Andrea and Luke’s story…

About The Author beige

Monica Murphy:Karen Erickson

USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson writes what she loves to read – sexy contemporary romance. Published since 2006, she’s a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband and three children.

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The Millionaire’s Unexpected Proposal by Jane Peden-a review

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THE MILLIONAIRE’S UNEXPECTED PROPOSAL (Miami Lawyers Novel) by Jane Peden

The Millionaire's Unexpected proposal

Amazon.com / B&N /

ABOUT THE BOOK; Release Date March 31, 2015

His marriage of inconvenience…

Camilla Winthrop is about to do something she’s never done in her life—she’s about to ask a man to marry her. Not just any man. She hasn’t seen Sam Flanagan in almost five years, after he coldly walked away from a passionate and intense two-week affair. Now Camilla is widowed and desperate…and marrying Sam is the only way she can protect their son. The son he never knew about.

A hugely successful attorney in Miami, Sam certainly never expected to see the stunning Camilla come through his door again. Nor can he ignore the desire heating his blood. But after she tells him her situation, Sam is furious. He’ll marry her, but under his terms. And he’ll take everything, including Camilla in his bed…unless she can find a way to thaw the millionaire’s icy heart once more.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: THE MILLIONAIRE’S UNEXPECTED PROPOSAL by Jane Peden is the first installment in the adult, contemporary Miami Lawyers erotic romance series. This is millionaire attorney Sam Flanagan and Camilla Winthrop’s storyline. After a two week passionate affair with a stranger in Las Vegas, Sam walks away without ever looking back. Fast forward five years and the woman he barely remembers walks back into his life with a proposal and their four year old son.

Told from third person perspective, the storyline follows Camilla’s conviction to protect her son by marrying the man she knows nothing about. When her ex in-laws force her hand after the death of her husband, Camilla must face the man who fathered her son-a man who believes Camilla is a gold digger; a whore who is determined to take everything he has. What ensues is Sam’s scheme to destroy Camilla by taking the one thing that means the most in the world-their son.

The relationship between Camilla and Sam is acrimonious. When Sam agrees to marry Camilla, against his law partner’s advice, he sets into motion a series of investigations that prove to Sam that what he believes about Camilla is true. He is determined to take back the son he knew nothing about and in the process, crush Camilla for the betrayal and heartbreak. In this, Sam is a difficult character to like. He is manipulative, cold and his heart is hardened to Camilla and the difficulties of her past. At times I felt there was nothing redeeming about a man who cannot see below the surface; who only hears what he wants to believe; who is resolved to annihilate his son’s mother. Meanwhile, he wants all of the benefits of married life. When the truth is finally revealed, Sam realizes that he has made the biggest mistake of his life.

The secondary characters include Sam’s law partners; Camilla’s half sister Olivia; her ex mother in law; and through a series of flashbacks and memories we get up close and personal with Camilla’s ex Danny.

THE MILLIONAIRE’S UNEXPECTED PROPOSAL is an interesting read. Jane Peden spins a tale of betrayal, heartbreak and rejection wherein the storyline hero is unlikeable with very few redeeming qualities. My hatred or hostility of Sam Flanagan continued to build as the storyline evolved. His one saving grace-Sam truly did love his son. The storyline ends on a happily ever after; the author did an amazing job fueling the animosity between this reader and her storyline hero.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Playing Knotty by Elia Winters-Review, Guest Post & Giveway

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Playing Knotty by Elia Winters-Review, Guest post & Giveaway

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Playing Knotty
by Elia Winters
Release Date: March 16, 2015
Genre: adult, contemporary, bondage, knot play, erotic romantic

Playing Knotty

 Amazon.com / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 16, 2015

Bondage meets bookworm in this sizzling erotic romance about a shy bookshop owner who discovers an exciting new side to herself when an old friend opens a bondage workshop in the back of her store!

Emma Green has never been very confident. When Ian Cooper, an old friend, asks to rent out the back room of her bookstore for a bondage workshop, she agrees because she needs the money. She isn’t expecting to participate, and she definitely isn’t expecting to enjoy it. But all of Emma’s expectations fly out the window when she tentatively agrees to be Ian’s bondage model for workshops and exhibitions—and her success in the role upends all previous notions she had about her body and her desirability.

Now, Emma must learn to reconcile these conflicting images of herself while dealing with another conflict: Is Ian just another playboy, or everything she’s been looking for?

••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: PLAYING KNOTTY is an adult, contemporary erotic romance storyline that focuses on rope and knot play-the ‘bondage’ part of BDSM. This is bookstore owner Emma Green, and accountant/bondage instructor Ian Cooper’s storyline. Most of the storyline takes place in and around Boston and Emma’s book store-PROLOGUE.

Told from alternating third person perspectives, the premise follows Ian Cooper as he endeavors to find a suitable location and model for his next bondage instruction class. Enter former high school acquaintance Emma Green, who has some available space at the back of her store. It just so happens that Emma is in need of a quick influx of cash and Ian offers room rental and modeling fees if Emma is willing to be his ‘bondage model’. What ensues is Emma’s introduction into rope and knot play, something she takes to like a duck to water.

Emma has some issues of self esteem; raised by a mother who was always concerned about physical beauty and image, Emma has always believed she is not quite good enough, pretty enough, slim enough or smart enough to make it on her own. Ian happens to be the man who sees a beautiful woman who has no problems with the kinky side of Ian’s life

Nine years earlier, Ian had a small crush on his high school friend and lab partner Emma Green. Fast forward to present day and all of Ian’s fantasies are about to come true. The sexual relationship is enhanced by their mutual arousal through rope and knot play, and in this their friendship and working relationship takes the next step forward.

The secondary and supporting characters include Emma’s employee and wanna be poet Bethany; Emma’s friends Alina and Margot whose expensive tastes are not conducive to Emma’s current financial situation : Ian’s best friend Brent who owns a small ‘gamers’ shop ; several members of Ian’s workshops and weekend bondage role players; and Emma’s slightly dysfunctional family including her younger sister Julia whose own life is now affected by their mother’s need for perfection and control.

Saying that, I did have some issues with the couple’s lack of communication outside of the ‘bondage scenes’. Most of the anxiety and uneasy situations in their relationship were caused by confusion and misinterpretation of body language and communication with one another in their daily lives. In this, my enjoyment level of the storyline was affected by the misunderstandings and heartbreaking beliefs that neither one was interested in a permanent relationship yet no one was willing to make the first move. I know this is where the storyline conflict arises, but it made for some awkward and frustrating moments.

There is also an enormous amount of detailed description and information about bondage play that shows the author’s research and personal experience with ropes and knots. At times, I found myself lost in the intricate explanation and information trying to imagine in my mind the ‘how’ and ‘what’ of the narration. I found myself struggling during the ‘how to’ and ‘play by play’ scenarios-I think my eyes glazed over a time or two.

Ella Winters puts her own spin on the BDSM writing genre-one where bondage and knot play are at the center of our couple’s sexual awakenings and arousal. If you are looking for something a little different; a little out of the ‘ordinary’ give Playing Knotty a try.

PLAYING KNOTTY is an interesting read; a detour from the usual BDSM storylines where the hero has a need to discipline the female. The rope/knot/and bondage play shows a different side to a lifestyle that many people are not wholly aware.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

Guest Post

Learning the Ropes: Research for Playing Knotty

The whole process of writing Playing Knotty has been an adventure. The first draft was much more about general BDSM, with rope play involved but not featured. As I planned my rewrites, the final draft of the book started to take shape, and I realized that I was basically going to be writing a book full of bondage. At that point, I knew I was in over my head.

Sure, I’m a kinkster. Once I started writing books like Playing Knotty and Purely Professional, there was no hiding my own status as a bit more “rocky road” than “vanilla.” But despite my own proclivities, I didn’t know enough about rope bondage to write this book from personal experience alone. I decided to delve into the often-fun and sometimes-overwhelming world of rope bondage instruction.

I’ve been accustomed to most of my book research being pretty neutral: maps of the public transportation system, Google street view of neighborhoods where my characters live, research on job descriptions, that sort of thing. Rope bondage research was much more fun.

Two books were instrumental in my research. The first one I read was Bondage for Sex by Chanta Rose. This book is gorgeous – diverse models, full-color photographs, clear instructions. This book taught me quite a bit, but it wasn’t quite enough on its own. The next book I read was Two Knotty Boys Showing You the Ropes. This book was a delight. Funny, informative, and thorough, by the time I’d finished, I felt much more prepared to write this book. (You should have seen my accountant’s face when I gave him the book receipts, but that’s another story.)

I don’t trust books alone, though: I’m the adventurous sort, so I did some “hands on” research as well. I’d have loved to take a class with a real rigger, but there were no rope classes in my area, so at-home amateur research sufficed. By prioritizing safety and being willing to laugh when our ropework went (disastrously) wrong, I gathered enough knowledge to complete my final draft.

Playing Knotty is finished, but my research won’t end just because the book is out. Rope bondage is beautiful, sexy, and fascinating, and I’ve only scratched the surface. A club near me is (finally) offering rope classes, so I’m going to continue learning. After all, I have a lot more books in my future, and at least a few of them will be as “knotty” as this one.

~~Elia Winters~~

about the author

Follow: Website/Facebook/Twitter/Goodreads

Elia Winters has always been a New England girl. Although she spent much of her childhood in Florida, she returned to her home state of Massachusetts as a teenager and has remained in New England ever since. She was blessed with an artsy, creative, somewhat quirky family that nurtured her eccentricities and helped shape her into the sassy woman she is today.

Elia holds a degree in English Literature and teaches at a small rural high school where she runs too many extracurricular activities. She balances her love of the outdoors with a bottomless well of geekiness; in her spare time, she is equally likely to be found skiing, camping, playing tabletop games, or watching Doctor Who.

A writer all her life, Elia likes to dabble in many genres, but erotic romance has been one of her favorites since she first began sneaking her mother’s romance novels. In high school, she kept her friends entertained with a steady stream of naughty stories and somehow never got caught passing them around. Her erotic fiction and poetry have been published online at Clean Sheets and Scarlet Letters under a different name. She loves BDSM erotica and men who can use semicolons.

Elia currently lives in New England with her loving husband and their odd assortment of pets.

giveaway

Elia’s publicist is graciously offering an ecopy of PLAYING KNOTTY to TWO (2) lucky commenters 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 and Follow Elia Winters Facebook

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

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

7. Please FOLLOW us on TSU for an additional entry.

8. Giveaway open Internationally

9. Giveaway runs from March 24-28, 2015

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Manwhore (Manwhore 1) by Katy Evans-Review, Interview and Giveaway

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Manwhore (Manwhore #1) by Katy Evans-Review, Interview and Giveaway

Manwhore Banner

Manwhore
Manwhore #1
by Katy Evans
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic romance
Release Date: March 24, 2015

Manwhore

Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble / Indiebound / Simon and Shuster

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 24, 2015

Is it possible to expose Chicago’s hottest player—without getting played?

This is the story I’ve been waiting for all my life, and its name is Malcolm Kyle Preston Logan Saint. Don’t be fooled by that last name though. There’s nothing holy about the man except the hell his parties raise. The hottest entrepreneur Chicago has ever known, he’s a man’s man with too much money to spend and too many women vying for his attention.

Mysterious. Privileged. Legendary. His entire life he’s been surrounded by the press as they dig for tidbits to see if his fairytale life is for real or all mirrors and social media lies. Since he hit the scene, his secrets have been his and his alone to keep. And that’s where I come in.

Assigned to investigate Saint and reveal his elusive personality, I’m determined to make him the story that will change my career.

But I never imagined he would change my life. Bit by bit, I start to wonder if I’m the one discovering him…or if he’s uncovering me.

What happens when the man they call Saint, makes you want to sin?

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: MANWHORE is the first installment in Katy Evans’s contemporary, adult Manwhore erotic romance series focusing philanthropic billionaire Malcolm Saint and journalist Rachel Livingston. Set against the Chicago skyline, MANWHORE finds Rachel caught between her job and her heart.

Told from first person point of view (Rachel) the storyline follows Rachel as she is ‘tasked’ with investigating billionaire ‘manwhore’ Malcolm Saint. Rachel’s employer the ‘EDGE’ magazine is quickly succumbing to the recession and a tell-all expose about Malcolm Saint may give the magazine a stay of execution. When Rachel’s boss assigns the story to Rachel, she begins to research everything she can about Malcolm Saint and she doesn’t like what she hears and reads. A few well placed calls and Rachel begins her descent down the rabbit hole where she will loose her heart and her soul to a man who is very different than the public persona.

The relationship between Malcolm and Rachel is one of immediate attraction but Rachel has a job to do. She tries desperately to remind herself that Malcolm is an assignment-one that has fallen completely out of control. There is a definite spark between our couple, one that does not go unnoticed by both Rachel and Malcolm’s friends, and in this there is the usual push and pull between the heart and mind. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense.

Rachel is a woman determined to keep things professional but as the storyline builds so too does the sexual attraction between our couple; there is no mistaking the heat, the need and the desire but in the end, nothing good will come when the truth is revealed. Malcolm is a man who doesn’t do relationships; and his reputation with the ladies precedes his introduction to Rachel. Heartbreak and pain will follow when someone looking for revenge, exposes the truth about Rachel’s assignment.

The secondary and supporting characters include Malcolm’s best friends Callan and Tahoe ; Rachel’s besties Gina and Wynn- both of whom play the devil’s advocate; and Rachel’s mother Helen. The requisite evil comes in the form of Rachel’s coworkers who demand and undermine Rachel’s attempts to stop the investigation; and an assortment of Malcolm’s employees, drivers and professional assistants whose duty it is to protect Malcolm from investigating eyes. There are a couple of potential storylines developing –perhaps between Rachel and Malcolm’s friends !

MANWHORE is an intense, captivating and deliciously romantic read. Katy Evans pulls the reader into a story that is moving and seductive; where ethical and moral dilemmas are only a heartbeat away; where falling in love is as beautiful as it is destructive. The tension and anxiety build while the reader watches the inevitable fall out.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

Interview 2

TRC: Hi Katy and welcome to The Reading Cafe. Congratulations on the release of MANWHORE.

Katy: Thanks so much for having me over, Sandy!

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Katy Evans Katy: I’m Katy Evans, author of the Real series and the upcoming Manwhore series. Real debuted in 2013 as the first in the Real series and from that moment on, I’ve been truly blessed to be able to share my characters and stories with readers. The first book in my new series, Manwhore, releases this month and I’m super excited for readers to meet Rachel and Malcolm Saint.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Katy: It all began when I became addicted to the Sweet Valley High books. As I closed the pages of my very first one, it struck me that all I wanted was to be a writer and share my own characters and stories with others. I wanted to make others feel the things I felt reading, and I also wanted to share the stories that – even then – seemed to pop in my head at night as I imagined alternate endings or plot points.

TRC: If you had a choice, which career, other than writing, would you like to attempt?

Katy: I’d love a career where I get to work with animals all day, especially wild animals. Animals genuinely like me and I’m also insanely attracted to them. They give me such joy.

Manwhore TRC: MANWHORE is your March 2015 release-an adult, contemporary, erotic romance storyline. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

Katy: Manwhore begins with my heroine, Rachel, getting an assignment to approach and investigate Chicago’s most notorious womanizer, the toe-curlingly gorgeous Malcolm Saint. What’s great about Saint is that we get a glimpse of him through the social media first – basically, gossip. Before our heroine meets him in person, she judges him based on the exterior persona that he projects to the world. Daredevil. Ruthless. Relentless. A playboy. All true. But when Rachel is assigned to get the “real” deets on him, we get to see another side of him that you’d never expect. And that’s what truly made me fall for him – I hope readers will fall for him as hard as I did too. There is SO much more to this man than meets the eye. He is so much more than a “manwhore.”

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series? Will all of the books feature Malcolm Saint as the leading hero or does each installment feature a different leading couple?

Katy: The first 2 or 3 books will be about Malcolm and Rachel and I’m hoping to continue with stories for some of their friends. 😉

TRC: What challenges or difficulties (research, logistics, background) did you encounter writing this particular story?

Katy: It was initially a challenge to take the book where I wanted to go. I had a very clear idea of what I wanted the book to be like, but I wasn’t sure exactly at what point of the story to begin. I played around endlessly until I found some direction from my wonderful beta readers and agent, and from that moment on, the book exploded.

TRC: Are the storyline characters based in reality or a culmination of fact and fiction?

Katy: My stories are a blend of fiction and reality. As they say, fiction imitates real life, and vice versa! 😉

TRC: How do you keep the plot unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

Katy: I’m a very organic writer, so although I know “what” I’m writing about and have an essential idea of how the book should be, I don’t know anything else. I just sit down and start pulling out scenes the characters start to shoot my way, and sometimes I discard them when I don’t feel they’re good enough to match my vision, and sometimes I keep them but work on them endlessly until they get to a place they want. Sometimes I put them in the wrong place and realize maybe it needed to come sooner, or later, or not at all. So it’s a bit of a discovery process, and then a shaping process to be sure that one thing leads to the other and then to the other…

TRC: Let’s talk about your REAL series. The sixth book is set to release later in 2015. Do you have a title or leading character? If so, are you able to give us a hint ?

Real Series

Katy: The Real book #6 is still in brainstorming stages so I don’t want to jinx it yet. I’m allowing all my characters free reign so it could be a return to characters readers have already met, or a new story for one of the supporting characters in the first several books. I definitely promise to keep you updated.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Katy: Oh definitely the characters. I always start with an idea that seems to come with the character – what does he/she want? That’s usually what starts all my stories. When I know that one of the MC’s wants something pretty badly. And from then on, they direct the story.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writers fail in this endeavor?

Katy: I think that a great book has many elements, but the most important is definitely to make us care about what happens to the character. It’s not the same to watch a car blow up than to watch a car blow up with someone your character loves inside that car. To make that connection, I think we need to dive deep into the psyches of our characters, sometimes to uncomfortable places, to find the truth of who they are and why they are the way they are. Maybe it hurts and sometimes we shy away from digging that deep, but when we do that, it’s definitely when the magic happens!

TRC: Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon. How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of writer’s block?

Katy: When I feel blocked, I usually step back and leave the book for a few days, and when that doesn’t work, I reread it or ask an author friend to give it a read, and help me pinpoint whatever is not working in the story. Usually Writer’s Block happens when you hit a wall and somehow the writer needs to scale that wall or go around it, or simply change something before that wall so that you don’t write yourself into a corner.

TRC: What is something that few, if any people, know about you?

Katy: I’m shamelessly obsessive about certain things and I want them exactly my way or….the highway. Thankfully my husband knows my looks and knows when to let me get my way, and when to set his foot down. Haha

Manwhore Plus 1TRC: On what are you currently working?

Katy: I’m currently finishing MANWHORE +1, the continuation of Malcolm and Rachel’s story, out July 7th.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Katy: Thanks so much for having me over. I’m truly blessed to be able to share my stories and can’t tell you how much the support I’ve received means to me!

 

 

LIGHTNING ROUND

TRC: Favorite Food

Katy: dark chocolate

TRC: Favorite Dessert

Katy: Hail Merry gluten free pies

TRC: Favorite TV Show

Katy: Vikings

TRC: Last Movie You Saw

Katy: Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

TRC: Dark or Milk Chocolate

Katy: DARK! For sure :d

TRC: Secret Celebrity Crush

Katy: Oh. I have many. Chris Hemsworth definitely tops the list.

TRC: Last Vacation Destination

Katy: St. Petersburg, Florida

TRC: Do you have any pets?

Katy: One mastiff and two pugs – Godzilla, Romo and Tommy 😀

TRC: Last book you read

Katy: OVERRULED by Emma Chase, awesome as always!

TRC: Pet Peeve

Katy: Waiting. Waiting for anything makes me insane. Haha

TRC: Thank you Katy for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on all of your success.

Katy: Thanks so much for having me over, Sandy, wishing you much success and many books to read! 🙂

giveaway

TRC: Katy and her publisher are offering a paper copy of MANWHORE 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 and Follow Katy Evans on Facebook

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

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

7. Please FOLLOW us on TSU for an additional entry.

8. Giveaway open to USA and CANADA only

9. Giveaway runs from March 24-28, 2015

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After Dark (Night Owl #3) by M. Pierce-a review

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AFTER DARK (Night Owl 3) by M. Pierce-a review

After Dark

Amazon.com / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: March 24, 2015

At twenty-nine, Matt Sky is trying to return to normal, having faked his death and come back to life. He and Hannah move to a simple house in the suburbs, and strive to grow their relationship into something durable and honest. They become more and more entangled, in the best ways possible.

At twenty-eight, Hannah finally has the life she’s always wanted: she’s pursuing her career as a literary agent at Granite Wing Agency, she is writing her first solo novel, and she is living with her hot, passionate lover. For the first time, Matt and Hannah are able to explore intimacy without inhibitions—without lies, secrets, or jealousy—and the results are explosive.

Still life together is not as easy as it seems. Matt is estranged from his brothers in the wake of his cruel stunt; Seth Sky, embittered by his failed pursuit of Hannah, makes a play for Hannah’s sister; and the topic of Hannah’s novel—her relationship with Matt and the Sky family—is driving a wedge between her and Matt. The lovers are devoted to one another, having come through many ordeals, but is their bond strong enough to last a lifetime?

••••••••••

REVIEW: AFTER DARK is the third and final installment in M. Pierce’s adult, contemporary NIGHT OWL erotic romance trilogy focusing on reclusive and troubled author Matt Sky, and literary agent Hannah Catalano. Their continuing story finds our couple at odds about marriage, children, writing and the future. To complicate matters Matt’s brother Seth is spiraling out of control and his actions begin to affect Hannah’s life with Matt. AFTER DARK should not be read as a stand alone; there is too much backstory and history revealed in the previous two novels.

Told from alternating first person points of view (Hannah and Matt) the storyline commences immediately after the events of LAST LIGHT (book 2) where Hannah had proposed marriage to Matt. Seemingly shocked but happy, Matt announces to the world that the couple are getting married whereupon everything begins to collapse and degrade. Matt’s ‘fake death’ has alienated him from his family and his need for Hannah becomes all encompassing. Matt believes he and Hannah know nothing about one another and in this he goes about proving everything is wrong. Marriage is currently not in his plans

Matt is a troubled soul with issues of abandonment, anger management, manic depressive tendencies, masochistic tendencies…..and, well you get the picture that our hero or ‘anti hero’ is a psychiatric nightmare. He is prone to anger; he is more childlike in maturity and behavior with bouts of depression, jealousy, doubt and fear; he is a man who is unable to control his reactions to the woman with whom he has fallen in love. Everyday problems are amplified when the heart is unable to understand what the mind sees. Matt struggles with the outside world; his need for privacy; and his anger towards his brother Seth.

AFTER DARK is an emotional, heartbreaking and oft times frustrating storyline where the hero’s bipolar intensity is disturbing, frightening and graphic. There is an almost co-dependency between Hannah and Matt-a dysfunctional relationship-one where Hannah refuses to give up on the man with whom she has fallen in love regardless of the number of situations and issues that continue to arise. Matt is a man possessed by his need for control; his actions are intense; his obsession with Hannah an addiction and dramatic.

M. Pierce will captivate your imagination and pull you into a storyline that is discerning, complex and complicated. I have many concerns about the building of a romance hero with so many emotional and psychological issues-but it is a fictional story where almost everyone will get their happily ever after; and in the end, a happily ever after is what ever romance reader is looking for but reality is another matter –all together.

Reading Order and Reviews
Night Owl
Light Light
After Dark

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Protecting Fate (Serve #6) by Katee Robert-a review

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PROTECTING FATE (Serve #6) by Katee Robert-a review

Protecting Fate

Amazon.com / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 17, 2015

He’ll keep her safe…but who will protect her from him?
Fixer Sara Reaver is in serious trouble. She’s stepped on the wrong toes, and now her uncle is sending her out of the city in an effort to keep her safe—and he’s assigning her a glorified babysitter. The last person she expects to show up is the gorgeous Z, or for him to tempt her and then reject her in the space of a single night. Twice. Now she’s out to prove to him just how good they’d fit up together in every way imaginable.

Mercenary Z Loreto hates protection jobs, but he’s willing to make an exception for his best friend’s little sister. The only problem is she calls up things he’s been doing his damnedest to keep under wraps for the last seven years. But when she pushes him too far, it all comes rushing to the fore, and the fact she’s willing to submit to his every desire only makes the loss of control sweeter.

Sara and Z have a boatload of issues between them, but they’re sure they can make things work if they take it one day at a time… Right up until things spiral beyond their control. Now Z’s playing for keeps in a big way, and Sara’s got to decide if a chance at true happiness is worth the risk of repeating history.

•••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: PROTECTING FATE by Katee Robert is the sixth installment in the adult, contemporary SERVE erotic romance series, written by Tessa Baily and Katee Robert, focusing on a group of friends and family who frequent the BDSM club SERVE. This is security expert, former soldier, and mercenary Zebadiah ‘Z’ Loreto, and ‘fixer’ Sara Reaver’s storyline. Although PROTECTING FATE is the sixth in the series, it can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous storylines is imparted where necessary.

Told from third person point of view, the storyline focuses on protecting Sara from a threat. As a fixer, she tends to make a few people angry and in this, her life has been threatened for raising the ire of the wrong people. Sara’s Uncle Rodger and her brother Garrett have some connections and have hired a ‘babysitter’ to protect their niece and sister. Enter Z Loreto-a former soldier and a man who is all business but finds himself attracted to his latest charge.

Sara is a submissive in the bedroom and she wants to spend her last night of freedom at SERVE-the local BDSM club where she and her brothers are members. Sara had not expected to come face to face with the man in charge of her protection-a sexy, hardened warrior who knows a thing or two about domination. When Sara’s apartment is trashed, Z moves Sara out of town for her own protection.

Z is a man with a past; a history in the BDSM scene that has left him raw, damaged and vulnerable. Secluded in a safe house with Sara, their relationship becomes more personal as Sara pushes Z in more ways than one. As the days and weeks pass, Z’s need to protect Sara is more than professional; it becomes a need; a part of his heart as he begins to fall for the woman in his care and his bed. The $ex scenes are intimate, compelling and with a little bit of kink on the side.

The secondary and supporting characters include a few of the previous storyline couples including Sara’s brothers Garrett and Will, and Garrett’s fiancé Ridley, as well as Uncle Rodger who is all about protecting his family and friends.

The world building continues to follow the BDSM lifestyle at SERVE. There are no hard-core scenarios; most of the bondage and discipline scenes are light and meted with affection and love, and take place off the premise of the club. Z’s mercenary lifestyle comes into play when he is called away on another mission but we know very little about what goes on behind the scenes-I would have liked to learned more about what happened while he was away but the storyline focused more on Sara (back home). There is also an issue (for me) with the quick resolution to the threats against Sara; very little is mentioned after the first couple of chapters and then everything is back to normal with a phone call and a promise. In this, the suspense was lacking and the threats were barely an issue.

The SERVE series is co-written (three books each) by Katee Robert and Tessa Baily with each storyline focusing on a different couple who are members of the BDSM scene and club SERVE. Although the story lines are connected, they are NOT interconnected in such a way that cohesion and understanding are a problem. Each story ends with a happily ever after and a look towards the future. Katee Robert adds a little bit of romance, suspense and angst to the series with Z and Sara’s storyline.

Copy supplied by the publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

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