King’s Rule (Kings of Sydney #2) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

KING’S RULE (Kings of Sydney #2) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 1, 2019

I don’t know what’s worse: hating my stepsister or lusting after her. I knew that hiring Poppy could be a mistake, but what choice did I have? Nobody else wants to work with a King—my crime lord father made sure of that before my brothers and I sent him to prison.

It’s not all bad, though; Poppy is a little more open-minded than I remember. It turns out my attraction to her isn’t completely one-sided—apparently, she finds my authority as exciting as I find her body. The animosity between us only makes it more exhilarating…

But a dark secret from my past could ruin everything. Poppy’s father used to work with mine, and I know more about his death than she guesses. I’ve been living with the guilt for years, and now that I’m so close to Poppy every day, I don’t know how much longer I can hide it.

I could tell her everything and risk our thrillingly wild fling—but am I willing to give up something that feels so good?

••••••••••

REVIEW: KING’S RULE is the second instalment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult KINGS OF SYDNEY erotic, romance series focusing on the King siblings of Sydney, Australia. This is thirty-year old investment whiz Xander King, and twenty-five year old architect graduate Poppy Valentine’s story line. KING’S RULE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalment is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: KING’S RULE contains scenes of discipline and spanking, Domination and submission, that may not be suitable for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Xander and Poppy) KING’S RULE follows the acrimonious relationship between step-siblings, thirty year old investment whiz Xander King, and twenty-five year old architect graduate Poppy Valentine. Months earlier, the King brothers took over their father’s real-estate business, a business with ties to the local mob. With their father now in jail for money laundering and fraud, Xander, Leon and Ajax King struggle to clean up a reputation inherited based upon sins of the past but what Xander never expected was to come face to face with his father’s step-daughter, a woman who, for years, has pushed all of Xander’s buttons-both good and bad. Enter Poppy Valentine, architect graduate, and a woman desperate in more ways than one. What ensues is the enemies to lovers relationship between Poppy and Xander, and the potential fall-out as Xander wants nothing more than a friends with benefits affair, leaving Poppy struggling to make sense of it all.

Xander has a secret that if revealed would likely destroy the tentative hold he has on our story line heroine. Broken and hurt, blaming herself for her father’s death, Poppy battles between head and heart feeling as though she has surrendered her soul to the Devil, himself.

The relationship between Xander and Poppy is tempestuous, at best, ever since a ten-year old Poppy found herself the step-sister to Leon, Xander and Ajax King. From the outset Poppy struggled to fit into the family, a family she refused to accept or love. Hurt, humiliated and grieving, Poppy would make Xander’s life miserable right from the start, misery disguised to hide a growing attraction to her new elder step-brother. A distinct lack of maturity, and the ever-present sibling squabbles was exhausting; the back and forth aggression, and onslaught of emotional tirades left something to be desired. The $ex scenes are erotic and intense.

The secondary and supporting characters are colorful and energetic. We are reintroduced to Xander’s brothers Leon and Ajax, as well as the introduction of Poppy’s mother Lily Valentine.

KING’S RULE is a story of family, heart break, blackmail and love. The premise is dramatic and energetic; the romance is erotic; the characters are immature, broken and struggling to fit.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Hard Night (11th Hour #3) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

HARD NIGHT (11th Hour #3) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 27, 2018

It’s their pleasure to serve . . .

Made up of former soldiers, the men of the 11th Hour play by their own rules to protect the innocent, capture the guilty, and stay in fighting shape for whatever–and whoever–comes their way . . .

Jacob Night, ex-Black Ops, owner of a billion-dollar security company, and leader of the 11th Hour, spends his life completing dangerous missions for others. But there’s one personal mission he has yet to complete: Finding his missing brother, who was betrayed by the woman he should have been able to trust. But when he finally tracks down his brother’s ex, there’s one surprise: she can’t remember a thing.

Faith has no memory of who she is. She can’t remember life before she came to work for Jacob Night, and she’s not sure she wants to. But when she and Jacob are ambushed by men who have come to kill her for sins she can’t recall committing, she has no choice but to face the past. Yet once she does, and Jacob’s identity–and her own–come to light, they may not survive with their lives intact, let alone their hearts.

••••••••••

REVIEW: HARD NIGHT is the third instalment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult 11th HOUR erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for 11th Hour Security. This is ex-Black Ops / 11th Hour owner Jacob Night, and Faith Beasley’s story line. TOTAL CONTROL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Faith and Jake) HARD NIGHT follows the building relationship between ex-Black Ops / 11th Hour owner Jacob Night, and Faith Beasley. Six months earlier Faith found herself in the hospital without any memory of who she was, or anything about her past including the man she would grow to love. Jacob Night suspects Faith knows something about his missing brother Josh but our heroine is unable to recall the how and why of her current dilemma. Fast forward to present day wherein Faith will be targeted by someone from her past. Desperate to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love, Jake ‘abducts’ Faith to places unknown in the hopes of being able to jostle her memory into revealing the truth about the brother he lost.

Faith Beasley has amnesia. For six months our heroine has struggled to regain her forgotten memories but with their return Faith knows it is only a matter of time before Jake discovers the truth about her connections to the past. Jacob Night doesn’t do relationships and a relationship with the woman he believes is keeping secrets threatens all sense of peace for our story line hero.

The relationship between Faith and Jacob is one of immediate attraction; there is a definite palpable sexual energy that may or may not be predicated on the fear of the unknown. Faith is hoping for something more but when her memories return betrayal and heart break become her only companion. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic, aggressive and intense.

The colorful secondary and supporting characters include Callie Hawthorne and Jack King (Raw Power #1), Kellan Blake, and IT specialist Sabrina Leighton (Total Control #2). The requisite evil has many faces but is familiar to our story line couple.

HARD NIGHT is a story of power and control; betrayal and vengeance; family and love. The premise is engaging and energetic; the romance is spirited and dramatic; the characters are broken, flawed and intoxicating. HARD NIGHT is an impassioned and startling story of romantic suspense.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Raw Power
Total Control
Hard Night

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Total Control (11th Hour #2) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

TOTAL CONTROL (11th Hour #2) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 26, 2018

Once they were soldiers. Now they answer only to honor . . .

The 11th Hour is made up of men and women who are no longer deemed fit to serve their country, but still need to fight a war. They work in shadows, keep their secrets—and follow their hearts . . .

Helicopter pilot Kellan Blake has always hated being told what to do, so being discharged from the army for insubordination doesn’t come as much of a surprise. What does surprise him is that when he joins up with the elite, underground 11th Hour squad instead, they send him straight home. The nest of vipers that calls itself his family is the next target for the team’s tech unit, so he’ll either have to brave their traps and deceptions himself—or watch his sweet, shy friend Sabrina walk into them alone . . .

Sabrina’s no femme fatale, but since there’s no one else with the tech skills to get the info they need, she’ll put on a party dress and take one for the team. But whoever decided she should pretend to be Kellan’s new fiancée hit a little too close to home. How can she concentrate on a dangerous mission when she’s worried about giving away what she really feels for her loyal, passionate, smoking hot partner? At least she isn’t likely to blow their cover. Until she’s in the line of fire, and neither Kellan’s demons nor his heart are hers to tame .

••••••••••••

REVIEW: TOTAL CONTROL is the second instalment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult 11th HOUR romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for 11th Hour Security. This is former Night Stalker Helicopter pilot and former Navy SEAL Kellan Blake, and IT specialist Sabrina Leighton’s story line. TOTAL CONTROL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Kellan and Sabrina) TOTAL CONTROL follows the friends to lovers relationship between 11th Hour Security team members former Night Stalker Helicopter pilot and former Navy SEAL Kellan Blake, and IT specialist Sabrina Leighton. Sabrina and Kellan were childhood best friends. The daughter of the Blake estate gardener, Sabrina was raised alongside Kellan when her mother’s death and her father’s subsequent abandonment left a ten year old Sabrina with no one else to care. Fast forward to present day wherein, Sabrina and Kellan must work side by side when an 11th Hour Security assignment pits father against son as Kellan must uncover the truth behind the accusations against the father he loves. What ensues is the building physical romance between Kellan and Sabrina; the take down of the man Kellan calls dad; and the fall-out of the relationship and friendship between our leading couple as Sabrina struggles with memories from the past.

Sabrina Leighton has loved Kellan since she was ten-years old but as the daughter of the hired help, Sabrina was constantly reminded that she would never be acceptable for the man that she loved. With secrets of her own, Sabrina knew that to get involved with Kellan potentially meant a broken heart-a heart she had already lost to the man who only saw Sabrina as a friend, and nothing more. Low self esteem and numerous insecurities were always at the forefront of our heroine’s mind. Kellan Blake refused to believe that the man that he loved, his father, was involved in the things of which the 11th Hour Team had accused. With secrets of his own Kellan and Sabrina return to their childhood home, only to come face to face with the dysfunction within.

The relationship between Sabrina and Kellan is a friends to lovers romance that is doomed to fail as secrets and ghosts from the past continue to loom over our leading couple. From unrequited love to the hero’s overprotective alpha personality, the relationship also struggles with preconceived notions and a familial history that continues to eat at our heroine’s heart. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to the 11th Hour Team including leader Jacob Night, ex-Black Ops, owner of a billion-dollar security company; Faith Beasley, Isaiah Graham, and Callie Hawthorne and Jack King (Raw Power #1). Faith and Jacob’s story is next in Hard Night.

There are some issues of repetitiveness and redundancy including 79 mentions of varying eye shades of blue, and 16 comments about the green or green-gold color of the heroine’s eyes. I also had a difficult time accepting the ‘issues’ that eventually tore our couple apart-Sabrina’s explanations and actions just didn’t fly in the face of everything that had happened. Kellan’s quick emotional turn around once he discovers that Sabrina has wanted a relationship for close to twenty years is questionable; and the results of the team investigation that culminated in nothing more than a slap on the hand were unfulfilling and underwhelming.

TOTAL CONTROL is an interesting and entertaining story line but I struggled with a number of issues. The premise is engaging; the romance is spicy; the characters are dynamic and energetic.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one RAW POWER

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy 

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The Undercover Billionaire (The Tate Brothers #3) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

THE UNDERCOVER BILLIONAIRE (The Tate Brothers #3) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 27,2018

The Tate Brothers were raised to protect what is theirs…

Navy SEAL Wolf Tate is on a mission of vengeance. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to infiltrate the lair of his arms-dealing enemy—and rescue the mother he never knew. To do this, he’ll need more than his father’s fortunes or his brothers-in-arms. He must find a way to kidnap his enemy’s daughter for leverage. There’s just one problem: She is also one of Wolf’s closest friends—and the only woman he’s ever loved…

For years, Olivia de Santis has been waiting for Wolf to take her in his arms and make her dreams come true. But she never imagined that he’d sneak into her bedroom one night…and take her as his hostage. Olivia knows she should resist him—and stay loyal to her own family. But how can she deny the burning justice of Wolf’s mission, and the blazing desire in his eyes—even if giving into the heat of the moment can put her in grave danger?

•••••••

REVIEW: THE UNDERCOVER BILLIONAIRE is the third ( and final) instalment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult THE TATE BROTHERS romantic suspense series focusing on three foster brothers-Sullivan (Van), Wolf and Lucas Tate-as well as their foster sister Chloe Tate. This is thirty-year old Navy SEAL Wolf Tate, and twenty-eight year old heiress Olivia de Santis’s story line. THE UNDERCOVER BILLIONAIRE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary although I recommend reading the series in order for cohesion and backstory.

SOME BACKGROUND: In the aftermath of their adoptive father Noah Tate’s death, Van, Wolf and Lucas Tate are called home from active duty to find themselves the recipients of three letters outlining what the future has in store-letters from the grave asking each son for a final favor. There is a dark history between father and sons, marred by secrets and lies, and a father ill-equipped to look after the family he chose to raise.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Olivia and Wolf) THE UNDERCOVER BILLIONAIRE follows the acrimonious and heart breaking friendship between Navy SEAL Wolf Tate, and oil heiress Olivia de Santis. For close to thirteen years, Olivia believed Wolf Tate to be her only friend but her recent abduction by the man in question reveals the painful truth about their relationship and her father’s thirty-year war with Wolf Tate’s father. Wolf has been on a mission to ferret out the truth about the man who raised him as his own and his connection to Cesare de Santis only to realize that everything he believed to be true was closer to a lie. What ensues is the back and forth, caustic relationship between Olivia and Wolf, and the potential fall-out when Wolf refuses to back down from a mission that was going to h*ll.

The relationship between Olivia and Wolf is angry and antagonistic. For close to 13 years Wolf faked his friendship with Olivia de Santis, a friendship our heroine believed to be pure and true. Wolf’s revelation all but destroys our story line heroine, a woman who will give Wolf everything and more. The sex scenes are intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text but I struggled to feel any palpable sexual attraction due in part to Wolf’s cold reactions and continuous rejection of our story line heroine.

Throughout the story Wolf Tate slowly destroys our heroine’s heart. Olivia is an innocent, in more ways than one, but has become nothing more than a pawn in her father’s war against Noah Tate, a war that all but destroyed the boys Noah raised as his own. Wolf, desperate for the love of a family, will do almost anything to reveal the truth, a truth that will destroy his relationship with the woman with whom he will fall in love.

THE UNDERCOVER BILLIONAIRE is a story about vengeance and betrayal; deceit and family; power and control. The premise is a story of desolation and dejection; the romance suffers with one man’s lies and deception; the characters are broken, naïve and desperate. I did struggle with the believability and elaborate ruse of some of the story line and series premise including some important information that Olivia was able to find within ten minutes that our hero could not find for close to thirty years.

Reading Order and previous reviews
The Dangerous Billionaire
The Wicked Billionaire
The Undercover Billionaire

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Raw Power (11th Hour #1) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

RAW POWER (11th Hour #1) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

About the book: Release Date February 27, 2018

They fought for their country. Now they fight for you.

To find the people lost in the shadows, you need the men who live in them. The former soldiers of 11th Hour are unaffiliated, unacknowledged, and definitely illegal. They protect the innocent, destroy the guilty–and capture hearts along the way . . .

Rugged, skilled, and hard-bodied, Jack King’s whole life was the Marines until an injury left him discharged from active duty. But he finds a new purpose when he’s recruited by a special unit that employs ex-military to do very special jobs. Yet he’s not impressed when his first assignment is babysitting the pretty, perfect daughter of a politician–especially when she’s far from the angel she appears to be . . .

Callie Hawthorne hates politics, and she hates playing the part of a senator’s goody two shoes daughter even more. It only gets worse when her father decides she needs a security detail 24/7–and the bodyguard happens to be the most insanely hot guy Callie’s ever seen. Still, she’s not going to be ordered around just because of some half-assed threat to her father. . . . But when it turns out her dad’s no angel either, Jack has to kidnap Callie in order to protect her. And as danger closes in, he’ll need all his considerable talents to keep them both alive. The greater challenge will be to keep his hands off her .

••••••

REVIEW: RAW POWER is the first instalment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult 11th HOUR romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for 11th Hour Security. This is former US Marine Jack King, and socialite Callie Hawthorne’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Callie and Jack) RAW POWER follows the building romance between former US Marine Jack King, and socialite/Senator’s daughter Callie Hawthorne. Hired to protect our story line heroine Jack King doesn’t want to babysit a spoiled socialite especially one who doesn’t seem to give a damn about her personal security. But an attempt against her, along with a number of hidden cameras found in her small apartment, find our heroine beginning to understand that Jack King is the least of her worries. What ensues is the building relationship between Jack and Callie, and the potential fall out when Callie’s life becomes fodder for the man in charge.

Callie Hawthorne has lived a life of sheltered abuse by a man whose public persona is matched by the evil that has become her life. Trying to get away places everyone, including Jack King, in danger, a danger she isn’t willing to risk for the man with whom she has fallen in love. Jack King is new to the personal security business, so new his first assignment goes all to h*ll when he isn’t willing to play by the rules in an effort to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love. No one, not even his new boss, is able to force Jack to give up on the woman he has been tasked to protect. Scarred both inside and out, our hero refuses to lose another soul to the evil that has followed him from most of his life.

The relationship between Callie and Jack begins acrimoniously. Callie comes across as a spoiled socialite, a role she has been groomed to perform from a very young age but a role she hides behind in the face of the truth at home. Jack’s immediate attraction to Callie is tempered by her willingness to place herself in a danger, a danger she believes comes from only one direction. The $ex scenes are intimate and erotic without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. –Both Jack and Callie like it rough in the bedroom.

We are quickly introduced to the team at 11th Hour Security: Team leader Isiah Graham, Faith Beasley, Sabrina Leighton, former Navy SEAL Kellan Blake, and the money behind 11th Hour – the mysterious Mr. Night.

RAW POWER is an intense story line; a sexy, intriguing and spirited story of romantic suspense. The premise is edgy; the characters are sassy and energetic; the romance is provocative and dramatic.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Big, Bad Billionaire (Billionaire Fairy Tales #4) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE (BILLIONAIRE FAIRY TALE #4) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

The big Bad Billionaire

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 21, 2017-11-18

An intensely sexy Billionaire Fairy Tales standalone novel by Jackie Ashenden that is billionaire romance meets Little Red Riding Hood with a happily ever after.
Wicked. Ruthless. Obsessed.

Sent away from his family as a boy because he couldn’t be controlled, Rafe DeSantis’s new guardian turned him into a monster. One who wants only two things out of life: To get revenge on the father who destroyed his life. And to possess the woman who was kept from him. Ella Hart has been his obsession for years, and now that he’s her guardian he’s finally in position to black mail her into his bed. And once he has her there? He’s going to eat her up.

Innocent. Alone. Hunted.

Ella has been living with her grandmother since the death of her parents when she was a child. She’s learned to pour her grief and pain into dance, and it’s become her escape. Her passion. Now she’s set her sights on a prestigious dance school in Paris. But there’s one problem. Ella was so young when her parents died, her money was left in the hands of the DeSantis family…and it’s now controlled by Rafe. A man she’s always found compelling and terrifying at the same time. Rafe offers her an ultimatum: Give herself to him, body and soul, and she’ll get the money she needs.

Ella isn’t in a position to refuse, though she tries to resist the sexy billionaire. It feels good, until her heart becomes involved. Does the big bad billionaire want to capture her heart? Or does he only want to own her body?

•••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE is the fourth instalment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary adult BILLONAIRE FAIRY TALE erotic, romance series focusing on the DeSantis’s siblings-Xavier, Nero, Raphael, Lorenzo and their sister Olivia. This is thirty two year old CES of DS Corporation Raphael DeSantis, and twenty year old ballerina Ella Hart’s story line. THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Rafe and Ella) THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE focuses on the building by acrimonious relationship between twenty year old ballerina Ella Hart, and her guardian, billionaire CEO Raphael ‘Rafe’ Desantis. Eighteen years earlier, a then two year old Ella, adored the man she has now come to hate- a man whose once violent temper forced his father to send Raphael away to teach the young teen a lesson-a lesson that came back with a vengeance as Raphael took control and possession of DS Corp’s CEO.

Throughout the years, Rafe never forgot about the young girl who would one day grow into the woman that stole his heart but a series of painful losses found our heroine the sole keeper of her elderly grandmother, as she herself struggled between her head and her heart, and the prospect of dancing in Paris France. When our heroine is accepted into the prestigious European ballet school she is forced to confront the man who now controls all of her money. Enter Rafe DeSantis, Ella’s new guardian and financial controller, and the man with whom Ella will fall in love. What ensues are Rafe’s terms (and manipulation) for funding Ella’s European adventure; the building romance between Ella and Rafe; and the potential fall out as Rafe has yet to come to terms with the demons from his past.

THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE is a modern retelling of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD with all of the fairy tale markings including Ella’ bedridden, elderly grandmother, a ballet production of Red Riding Hood, and a hero who considers himself more wolf-like than human. Raphael DeSantis’s brutal and abusive childhood formed the man who would one day take down the father who all but gave up on our story line hero but childhood memories that now control every aspect of his adult life. Rafe and Ella’s fathers were best friends, and as such Rafe was a part of Ella’s early life but our heroine does not remember the good times with the man she would grow to love.

The relationship between Ella and Rafe is enemies to lovers; a second chance, of sorts, for two people whose earlier years were destroyed by heartbreak and sorrow, abuse and suffering, loss and revenge. We learn of Rafe’s overwhelming need to rekindle his friendship and relationship with the woman who has now become the focus of his fantasies and dreams; and of Ella’s unresolved and indeterminate hatred for the man she once loved and adored. The $ex scenes are erotic, seductive and intense. The sexual attraction is palpable.

THE BIG, BAD BILLIONAIRE is a story of betrayal and trust; redemption and fractured family dynamics; second chances and falling in love. The premise is enchanting and imaginative; the characters are broken and tragic; the romance is dramatic and passionate.

Reading Order and Previous reviews
The Billionaire’s Virgin
The Billionaire Beast
The Billoinaire’s Intern
The Big, Bad Billionaire

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Dangerous Billionaire ( Tate Brothers #1) by Jackie Ashenden-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

THE DANGEROUS BILLIONAIRE (Tate Brothers #1) by Jackie Ashenden-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

The Dangerous Billionaire Banner

THE DANGEROUS BILLIONAIRE
Tate Brothers #1
by Jackie Ashenden
Release Date: Ma 2, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romantic, suspense

The Dangerous Billionaire

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play / Indiebound /

Dangerous-Billionaire-Blog-Banner (1)
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 2, 2017

Money doesn’t always change the man in this new standalone romance from Jackie Ashenden.

Navy SEAL Sullivan “Van” Tate has been called home to reluctantly inherit an empire and finds himself facing the most difficult mission of all: love.

Nothing about Sullivan “Van” Tate is what it seems. A Navy SEAL raised among the New York City elite, Van prefers heart-pounding action over a Wall Street corner office. But when his adoptive father dies and his business rivals move in to overtake his empire, Van must suit up to save the company and protect the one woman most forbidden to him…and the object of Van’s most dangerous desires.

Chloe Tate is as ambitious as she is gorgeous. With a newfound independence, Chloe is no longer a prisoner on her father’s ranch. But everything changes when losing her father may also mean losing her life. Even with her survival on the line, Chloe can’t deny the burning attraction she feels the moment she locks eyes with Van, her rich, rough and ready, foster brother and the new head of her father’s company. Tall, dark, and muscled, he’s the one man who she has no business being with. But how can she resist a Navy Seal Warrior when he’ll do anything to protect her?

•••••••••

REVIEW: THE DANGEROUS BILLIONAIRE is the first installment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult TATE BROTHERS erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on three foster brothers-Sullivan (Van), Wolf and Lucas Tate-as well as their foster sister Chloe Tate. This is Navy SEAL Sullivan (Van) Tate, and Chloe Tate’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Chloe and Van) THE DANGEROUS BILLIONAIRE follows the Tate siblings in the aftermath of their father Noah Tate’s death. Called home from active duty, all three brothers find themselves the recipients of a letter outlining what the future has in store. Enter Chloe Tate, Van ‘s foster sister, and the woman that calls to his heart. What ensues is the protection and lock down of Chloe Tate in the face of a series of threats against our story line heroine. Van Tate is tasked with protecting his younger ‘sister’, a woman he hasn’t seen in close to eight years but a woman that means more to him than he had ever anticipated.

Chloe Tate has been in love with her ‘foster brother’ most of her life. Dejected and alone, our heroine spent most of her life on her father’s ranch, and with his death Chloe has hoped to take over the business she had come to love. But things don’t go according to plans when threats against her life come from an unlikely source-a source that is all to familiar to our story line heroine.

Sullivan (Van) Tate is a Navy SEAL; a career military man who spends his life in service to atone for sins of the past. Unable to move beyond what was and what should have been, Van struggles with his latest assignment ‘from the grave’-to protect the woman he sees as his little sister, and prevent the take over of his father’s company.

The relationship between Van and Chloe is one of mutual attraction but eight years have passed since they were last together. Van has always had a protective nature as it pertained to Chloe Tate, and with the latest threats against her life, Van goes alpha bear to protect the woman he loves. The $ex scenes are intimate, intense and seductive.

We are introduced to Van’s brothers, and Navy SEALS-Wolf and Lucas Tate. Wolf and Lucas also received a letter with orders from beyond the grave-orders that send each man in a different direction. Lucas’s story line is next in THE WICKED BILLIONAIRE.

THE DANGEROUS BILLIONAIRE is a story of family, betrayal, secrets and lies. The presentation suffers with too many repetitive reminders about the past, internal dialogues (Chloe and Van) laced with self-pity and a defeatist mindset; and the believability factor is questionable. Van’s emotional self-depracating attitude and guilt override his personal well being, as well as a heroine who is TSTL (too stupid to live) as she continuously places herself in the line of fire believing she is impervious to the threats against her life. Chloe’s apparent rejection by the father she loved is another constant throughout the story-there is plenty of whining and self pity from both of our leading characters. There is very little in the way of conflict resolution so I am going to presume more is to come in the next installment(s).

THE DANGEROUS BILLIONAIRE introduces the players and background to the Tate family history- a history marred by secrets and lies, and a father ill-equipped to look after the family he chose to raise. There are moments of heartbreak, sorrow and revelation; acceptance and moving on from the past. The premise is challenging; the romance struggles in the face of guilt; the characters are tragic and lost. Sadly, I struggled with some aspects of this introductory story but overall I am looking forward to see how it all plays out.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

excerpt

He didn’t look at her. Instead he shifted his weight onto one elbow and lifted his hand, cupping one breast in his palm. The breath hissed in her throat, the shocking heat of his touch reverberating through her like a scream echoing through a deserted house. He brushed his thumb over her aching nipple and she gasped, all the desperation she’d felt earlier rushing back.
He lowered his head, putting his mouth against the pulse at the base of her throat, the feel of his lips so hot she began to shiver almost uncontrollably. His tongue pressed lightly, his thumb brushing back and forth over her nipple, teasing her. She groaned, her spine bowing, pleasure like a live thing twisting inside her.
“Beautiful,” he whispered roughly against her skin, giving her the reassurance she needed without her even having to ask. “You’re just so fucking beautiful.”
He didn’t speak after that, too busy trailing kisses down over her skin, making goose bumps rise everywhere, the brush of his thumb maddening. Then he took his hand away as his mouth closed over the hard point of her nipple, hot and wet, an intense pressure building as he began to suck.
She groaned again, the pleasure bright and electric, her hands closing into fists beside her head. It felt so good she could hardly stand it. She whispered his name yet again, the sound raw as he teased her nipple with his tongue, then bit gently on it, making a sob catch in her throat.
He shifted his attention to her other breast, sucking that into his mouth as well as he slid one hand down the quivering plane of her stomach, to the fastening of her jeans. She lifted her hips urgently, unable to keep still, wanting to pull away from the maddening torture of his mouth and yet wanting him to suck harder, deeper at the same time.
“Hush.” His breath was hot against her sensitized nipple. “I told you to keep still. It’ll happen, don’t worry.”
She tried to do as she was told as he casually flicked open the button on her jeans and grabbed the tab of her zipper, tugging it down. Then his fingers were feathering light touches across her stomach, moving lower, sliding beneath the waistband of her panties. The breath sobbed in her throat as she felt those teasing fingers tangle in the soft, damp curls between her thighs, pulling lightly, sending tiny pinpricks of sensation racing over her skin.
She said something, she didn’t know what, maybe it was his name again or maybe it was a curse, and then she forgot it entirely as his fingers slid lower, stroking the soft, slick folds of her pussy.
Her hips bucked against his hand, her head going back on the pillow. He circled her clit with one finger, teasing her. Inching her closer toward the edge of the cliff but not pushing her off.
His mouth was so hot on her nipple, licking and sucking, torturing her as his fingers stroked unhurriedly around and around her clit, then sliding down to circle the entrance of her body, almost pushing inside but not quite.
He was playing with her, making her moan and move restlessly beneath him, blind now to anything but the feel of his hands on her body and the relentless pressure that was slowly building higher and higher.
Then quite suddenly he took his hands away and she nearly burst into tears at the loss, reaching for him as she felt his weight shift up and back.
“Lie still.” The rough sound of his voice rolled over her, full of command. “I’m not going anywhere.”
So she did as she was told, lying back against the pillows, blinking away the stupid rush of salty tears from her eyes and watching him slide off the bed. He straightened and pulled his shirt off, then got rid of his shoes. He un­ did his pants, pushed them down his hips along with his briefs, and stepped out of them magnificently, gloriously naked, but for his dog tags.
She couldn’t stop staring at him, following the carved lines of muscle and sinew, a work of perfect, masculine art, the eagle and trident inked across his chest making it very clear—as if his body hadn’t already—exactly what he was.
Dangerous, lethal. A weapon in human form.
He bent and got his wallet out of his pants, every movement fluid, purposeful as he extracted a foil packet from it. Then he ripped the open the foil, taking out the latex inside. And as she watched, completely fascinated, he reached down and gripped his cock in one hand, rolling down the condom with the other.
Big. He was really big. And beautiful too.
Her hands itched, wanting to touch him, to stroke down the long, smooth length of his rigid flesh, feel exactly how hard he was. But then he was moving, the bed dipping as he got back onto it. And her breath caught as he reached for the waistband of her jeans, pulling the denim down her legs in short, hard jerks, taking her panties along with them, and finally slipping them both off. Then he put his hands on her bare thighs and with ruthless insistence, spread them wide apart.
Another rush of vulnerability swept over her and she half sat up, breathing fast. “Van, I . . .” she began, before stopping short, not knowing what she wanted to say.
But he was moving forward, putting his hands on her shoulders and easing her back. “Let me look.” His voice had gentled again. “I only want to look at you.”
She tried to relax against the pillows, letting him hold her thighs apart, his gaze returning between them. The look on his face was so hungry, making her feel less ex­ posed and more . . . powerful almost. She liked doing that to him. She liked making him look at her as if he was starving.
He moved forward quite suddenly, coming over her, surrounding her with all that bare, tanned skin and strong muscle, his dog tags brushing against her sensitized breasts. The scent of him was everywhere, fresh, with that spicy, earthy undertone, and she was abruptly trembling so hard she didn’t think she’d ever stop.
He said nothing, looking at down at her, and this time his expression was fierce with something she didn’t under­ stand. She wanted to ask him what it was, but then he slid one hand beneath her hips, lifting them, and she felt the head of his cock slide through her folds, nudging against her clit. And she forgot what she was going to ask. In fact, she lost the power of speech entirely.
All she could do was lie there, shaking and desperate as he teased her, and when she didn’t think she could bear it anymore, he began to push his cock inside her, the intense stretch and burn of her pussy around him tearing a gasp from her throat.
She sobbed, because he didn’t rush. He went slowly. Inch by inch. Murmuring encouragement, telling her what a good girl she was, how tight and wet and hot her pussy was, and how good she felt around his cock. The dirty talk made her break out into a sweat, the climax so near she could almost taste it, making her want to shove herself up onto him or do something—anything—to push herself over the edge. But he didn’t let her, pinning one of her hips to the mattress with one hand as he lifted her leg up and around his waist with the other, tilting her pelvis so he could slide in deeper.
She stopped pleading, her throat too dry, her voice too hoarse. Besides, it was clear he wasn’t going to do anything until he was good and ready. She could only breathe through the pleasure that was wrapping itself around her throat and squeezing tight, making her gasp, making lights burst behind her eyes.
Then he was seated deep inside her, and she found herself pressed to the mattress, pinned beneath the hot, heavy weight of him. But strangely, looking up into his beautiful face, she didn’t feel crushed. She felt anchored. As if for the first time since she’d left Wyoming she’d come home in some way.
She didn’t speak as his arms came around her, cradling her, holding her close against him like she was a secret he wanted to keep safe. Then he drew back his hips and thrust deep inside her.
Chloe came apart then, sobbing against his shoulder, shattering as easily and as lightly as a sphere of blown glass, the pieces of her held together only by the strength of his arms.

Copyright © 2017 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Press.

About The Author

Jackie AshendenFOLLOW: Goodreads /Website / Twitter / Facebook

Jackie Ashenden lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, the inimitable Dr. Jax, and their two kids and two cats. When she’s not torturing alpha males and their stroppy heroines, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything she can lay her hands on, posting random crap on her blog, or being forced to go mountain biking with her husband.

Giveaway Gold and Black

Jackie Ashenden’s publisher is graciously offering a paper copy of THE DANGEROUS BILLIONAIRE 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.

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

3. Please LIKE and Follow Jackie Ashenden on Facebook

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

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7. Giveaway is open to USA only

8. Giveaway runs from May6-10, 2017

SMP St. Martins

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The Billionaire Beast (Billionaire Fairy Tales #2) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

THE BILLIONAIRE BEAST (Billionaire Fairy Tales #2) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

The Billionaire Beast

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 7, 2017

Dark, tortured, and intimidating, these dominant billionaires will steal their innocent heroines’ breath away. Overwhelmed by their desire to control their world, they push their heroines to explore their deepest desires. But even the most unworldly of heroines can unlock these billionaires’ secrets.

Nero de Santis: Damaged. Bastard. Beast.

Nero hasn’t left his house in ten years—he demands the world come to him, and the world is only too happy to bend to the strong-willed billionaire. Ruthless, cold, and selfish, Nero wants for nothing and takes care of no one but himself. His last handful of assistants have left his house in tears, but the prim redhead applying for the job looks up to the task. Nero has spent his life shut within the walls he built, with no care to have more than a window to the outside world. But the fiery passion he senses beneath his reserved assistant’s exterior makes him want to break down the barriers he lives behind, and unleash the beast within.
Phoebe Taylor: Uptight. Misunderstood. Engaged.
Phoebe needs the obscene amount of money that comes with being Nero’s personal assistant for one thing, and one thing only—to pay for the mounting hospital costs that her fiancee’s two-year coma continues to incur. She’s heard rumors that the de Santis beast is a force that cannot be tamed—but even she isn’t prepared to handle the smoldering intensity simmering beneath his hard shell of feral dominance. Nero is hiding something, something he is fighting with every step he takes. Yet he can’t help but stake his claim on this woman who has shaken up his life, and Phoebe can’t believe this animal of a man is the one person to ever look into her eyes and see her soul. Nero wants to keep her. He wants to devour her. And Phoebe just might let him.

•••••••••

REVIEW: THE BILLIONAIRE BEAST is the second installment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult BILLIONAIRE FAIRY TALES erotic, romance series focusing on the de Santis brothers-Xavier, Nero, Raphael and Lorenzo. This is billionaire IT specialist Nero de Santis, and personal assistant Phoebe Taylor’s story line. THE BILLIONAIRE BEAST can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Nero and Phoebe) THE BILLIONAIRE BEAST follows the building relationship between reclusive billionaire Nero de Santis, and his new PA Phoebe Taylor. For close to ten years Nero de Santis has kept himself hidden behind closed doors; locked in a sprawling mansion that potentially covers several city blocks with only his butler for social interaction. Ten personal assistances in 30 days precedes Nero’s introduction to his latest ‘temporary’ employee. Enter Phoebe Taylor, a young British woman struggling to survive the mean streets of New York, as well as the medical bills for her comatose fiancé. What ensues is the contemptuous relationship between Phoebe and Nero, and Phoebe’s struggle to remain distant from the mysterious man with a dark and lonely past.

Nero de Santis is a broken man whose ability to interact with people is questionable; his actions and emotional behavior are dangerous; his demands beyond the requirements for a normal personal assistant aggressive and improper. Throughout the story line small snippets from memories of the past begin to outline a heartbreaking history for our story line hero. Phoebe Taylor followed her fiancé of three years to New York only to find herself alone, paying the ever increasing medical bills for a man who remains comatose closing in on two years. In desperate need of money, our heroine accepts the position of Nero’s personal assistant suspecting that she is expected to perform outside the range of her normal duties. The $ex scenes are seductive, intimate and intense.

THE BILLIONAIRE BEAST is a dark romance about two people whose lives are pulled together by loneliness and need. Nero de Santis’s actions and demands are difficult to accept; his initial treatment of Phoebe Taylor borders on abusive and controlling. Some readers make take exception to Nero’s behavior; the reasons why will be all too clear at the end. The premise is dramatic; the characters are controversial and tenacious-our hero is tormented and lost; the romance is provocative yet heartbreaking.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book 1-THE BILLIONAIRE’S VIRGIN

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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