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Played by Naima Simone-review

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Played by Naima Simone-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 3, 2024

Being a firefighter isn’t easy. Especially for a Black woman. Working with family helps a little. But when somebody from your company doesn’t come back from a call, it’s brutal—as in, “How’m I supposed to go on?” brutal.

And one death took me to a really dark place.

A year later, I’m at the Pirates’ hockey training facility. Just another day on the job. Until I find a charred journal. I look inside for the owner’s name, but the words on the page punch me in the gut. It’s like reading my own thoughts. Reliving my own pain.

The journal belongs to Solomon Young, left-winger for the Pirates—a father and widower. When I return it, I’m racked with guilt for the invasion of privacy. The look Solomon gives me is cold as ice.

But damn if that man isn’t hot as hell.

Now he’s stuck in my brain. And fate seems intent on making us face off.

••••••

REVIEW:PLAYED by Naima Simone is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, POC, erotic, hockey / firefighter romance focusing on thirty year old professional hockey player and single dad Solomon Young, and firefighter Adina Wright’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Adina and Solomon) PLAYED follows the building but reluctant romance and relationship between our story couple. Solomon Young has loved and lost, and struggles to move forward especially when he is has become co-dependant upon his in-laws for support in the wake of his wife’s death but his father is the team owner, and Solomon is about to cross a line as far as his former in-laws are concerned, a line that involves our story line heroine. Adina Wright is a firefighter, as are most of her family and siblings but Adina has also loved and lost knowing the pain of which Solomon continues to hide. A perceived act of betrayal threatens any hope of friendships, pushing Adina to the side, until a young boy discovers there is more to life than waiting on the sidelines for his father to come home. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between our story line couple, and the potential fall-out as emotions get the best of everyone including our story line hero.

The world building follows several paths. Adina is struggling with harassment at work: Solomon is battling his own guilt ; someone else is targeting our story line couple, and the fall-out is affecting Solomon’s play and his private life.

The relationship between Solomon and Adina begins acrimoniously as Solomon accuses Adina of a horrible betrayal. Not only does Adina feel threatened and abused but vengeance will come in many forms, threatening our heroine’s personal and work life. As Solomon and Adina begin to build the relationship, someone else give Solomon reason not to trust the woman with whom he is falling in love. The $ex scenes are provocative and impassioned.

The secondary and supporting characters include Solomon’s teammates, his son Khalil, as well as his in-laws Nate and Caroline; Adina’s siblings Malik, Malcolm, her mother professor Viviane Wright, her father Captain Nolan Wright; as well as her best friend Noni Crawford, and several other members of the Providence Firefighters squad including Matt and Jared. I hope the author has plans for several more stories.

PLAYED is a story of power and control, grief and guilt, family and friendships, relationships and love. The thought provoking premise is captivating and engaging; the romance is seductive but struggles with issues of trust and guilt; the characters are dynamic, determined and animated.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Ravaged (Burned, Inc 2) by Naima Simone-Review & Giveaway tour

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Ravaged (Burned, Inc 2) by Naima Simone-Review & Giveaway tour

 

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 15, 2022

Miriam

It’s no coincidence that my family’s breakup service is called BURNED Inc. I know what it’s like to be dumped. I’ve been there.

Long story short, I’ve got a rule when it comes to my love life: no athletes. As it happens, my best friend, Jordan, is a professional basketball player. He also has a delicious body and sexy tattoos.

But rules are rules.

Jordan

Miriam is my best friend. She’s also the love of my life, the woman I’ve been dreaming about since we met. But she doesn’t do athletes.

I get it. I really do. And I just want Miriam to be happy. Which is why I set her up with a teammate to help her find the man she deserves—even though I can tell she’s into me from that one hot-as-hell night we shared months ago. Still, rules are rules.

But here’s the thing: I’m a competitor.

And sometimes you have to break the rules to win.

•••••

REVIEW: RAVAGED is the second instalment in Naima Simone’s contemporary, adult BURNED, INC erotic, romance series. This is twenty-seven year old, BURNED executive and graphic artist Miriam Nelson, and thirty year old, NBA star Jordan Ransom’s story line. RAVAGED 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 first person perspectives (Jordan and Miriam) RAVAGED follows the friends to lovers relationship between twenty-seven year old, BURNED executive and graphic artist Miriam Nelson, and thirty year old, NBA star Jordan Ransom. Miriam Nelson and her siblings Levi and Zora own BURNED, Inc, (Breaking Up, Reversing Nuptials, Evading Disasters), a professional break up service that does the ‘breaking up’ for their clients but Miriam is tired of the business, and wants to commit to working full-time on her secret career. Needless to say, no one knows about Miriam’s professional persona as a graphic designer, an anime artist with her own set of graphic comics but it is Miriam’s attraction to her best friend Jordan that fuels the fires of most of her stories, stories in which she and Jordan are the leading stars. Jordan Ransom is an all-star NBA player who has been sidelined with an injury, giving Jordan time to consider what and who he wants in his life. Having fallen in love with his best friend Miriam, Jordan knows Miriam doesn’t do relationships, and their one and only one-night stand left a small tear in Jordan’s heart. When Jordan’s teammate and widower Daniel Granger expresses an interest in Miriam Nelson, Jordan steps aside, only to realize he may have made the biggest mistake of his life. What ensues is the ongoing but struggling friendship between Miriam and Jordan, and the potential fall-out when both Miriam and Jordan refuse to admit they have feelings for one another.

The relationship between Miriam and Jordan is a best friends to lovers romance in which Jordan watches from the sidelines as his fellow teammate and NBA star Daniel Granger makes a play for our story line heroine. Miriam knows that hurting Daniel is the last thing she ever wanted to do but Miriam loves somebody else, somebody she knows better than anyone else. The $ex scenes are limited but intimate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to Miriam’s siblings: Levi, Zora, and Zora’s boyfriend / attorney Cyrus (Heated #1), as well as their parents Reginald and Monica Nelson; Jordan’s mother Grace , his estranged father Michael, and fellow NBA teammate/widower Daniel Granger.

RAVAGED is a story of family and friendships, honesty and heart break, acceptance and love. The premise is impassioned and engrossing but predictable ; the characters are animated, sassy and spirited; the romance is passionate.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one HEATED

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

 

“Why were you about to leave?” Jordan brushes his lips across my forehead, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. “No, let me guess. Got too close for you. Too real. And what do two people like us, who come from f*cked-up homes where we saw the worst people had to give to each other, know about intimacy, right? It scares the hell out of us. Or it should. And normally, it does. But not with you, Miriam. And you can feel safe with me. I won’t hurt you. Won’t use whatever you share with me against you. So don’t run. Stay.”
Stay.
A shudder ripples through me, and I don’t try to stifle it. Stay. I’ve been wanted for several reasons. My IQ. My talent. Sex.
But no one’s ever asked me to just be. And not with them.
For how long?
The question sits on my tongue like a five-hundred-pound anvil, but I don’t voice it, too afraid of the response. Besides, for once, I’m also content to just be.
Tilting my head back, I rest it on his shoulder. This up close and personal with him, I can catalog every detail on his face. The black pupil with the very thin ring of brown. The tiny scar on the edge of his right cheekbone. The deep dip above his top lip that lends it the bow shape. The almost-there-but-not-quite cleft in his chin.
I’ve drawn him countless times in the last few weeks. So many that his face is as familiar to me as my own. And yet, I could analyze him for hours and still find new elements that would fascinate me. Jordan Ransom could become a new field of study, and I would easily earn my doctorate in him.
“Tonight, I told Daniel I couldn’t see him any longer.”
His eyes narrow, but he doesn’t speak. Yet my heart pounds in my chest, and the beat grows louder, the volume so deafening I can barely hear my own voice.
“It wouldn’t have been fair,” I whisper.
“Why not?” he asks, and that dark, low timbre is midnight and sin. Temptation wrapped in sex.
“You know why.”
He bends his head the scant inches separating us and only stops when his mouth hovers a breath above mine. “Say it,” he orders, his lips so close they nearly brush mine.
“Because he isn’t you.”
Jordan doesn’t move, and I can taste his kiss, but he doesn’t eliminate the remaining space between us. Doesn’t take my mouth and give me what I can now admit I came here for. No, instead he stares at me, his expression inscrutable. Unease twists inside me, and for the first time since he placed me on his lap, I want to climb off, insert space between us.
“We’re going to f*ck,” he states, and while the word sends a lightning bolt of heat straight between my legs, it tightens the screw on my unease, deepens it. Because his tone is flat, almost disconnected.
“Yes.” We are. I need him tonight. And I won’t be able to stop at a kiss. I’m too empty, too hungry. I haven’t felt complete since the last time he filled me.
“And I’m going to be your mistake.” His fingers thread through my hair, sifting before fisting the curls and bringing them to his nose. He inhales, his eyes closing and, for a moment, freeing me from their hold. It’s in this instant that a flicker of emotion flashes across his face. Pleasure. Pain. Both. But when his lashes lift, his expression is back to being a mask of inscrutability. “Don’t misunderstand me. I’m still going to f*ck you. I find I’m so goddam desperate to be inside you I’m willing to have you any way I can. But I just want to make sure I know where we stand.”
Oh God.
Regret pierces me in the chest, sliding between my ribs like the sharpest blade. I have a lot to answer for. The latest being from a couple of nights ago. I run the moments after our kiss through my head. I never called him a mistake, never said I regretted what happened on my couch. But viewing my actions, my silence, through his lens, I can see how he’d interpret them that way. And coupled with how I friend-zoned him after the first time we had sex, calling that a mistake . . . well, damn.
Briefly closing my eyes, I hate myself for causing this bold, beautiful man even a second of self-doubt. He’s no one’s mistake. No one’s regret. And I can tell him that. I could write him a fucking sonnet about that.
Or I could show him. 


 

Published since 2009, USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone loves writing sizzling romances with heart, a touch of humor and snark. Her books have been featured in The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly, and described as balancing “crackling, electric love scenes with exquisitely rendered characters caught in emotional turmoil.”

She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bullet proof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.

Website: http://naimasimone.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naimasimoneauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Naima_Simone
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naimasimoneauthor/
Street Team: http://naimasimone.com/newsletterstreet-team/
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1MXCpHd
Newsletter: http://naimasimone.com/newsletterstreet-team/
Amazon Author Profile: http://amzn.to/2EIQZZC

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Don’t You Forget About Me by Naima Simone-review & giveaway tour

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Don’t You Forget About Me by Naima Simone-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway tour

 Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 1, 2022

Whoever said be careful what you wish for had a serious gift for understatement.

As one of the world’s hugest musicians I’d seen and had it all. Sold out tours. Awards. Fame. Money. Women… And I’d almost lost it all. Epically.

Now I’m back home. A broken, burned out, desperate rock star…and a single father. I returned to give my son a family, stability. To figure out my life. But coming home meant seeing her.

The woman who was once my everything. Who made life in this too small town bearable. Who I loved with my whole heart…my whole body. But long held secrets forced me to leave nine years ago. Forced me to abandon her. And she’s never forgiven me.

Still…

I’ve never forgotten her or the heat between us that burned so hot we damn near went up in flames with it. And I want it again. And again. Even knowing the past will only tear us apart once more…

•••••

REVIEW:DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME by Naima Simone is a stand alone,contemporary, adult rock romance story line focusing on thirty year old, disgraced rock star King Sullivan, and twenty-eight year old, primary school teacher Lennon Ward.

Told form dual first person perspectives (Lennon and King) DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME is a second chance romance focusing on thirty year old, disgraced rock star King Sullivan, and twenty-eight year old, primary school teacher Lennon Ward. Ten years earlier, on the day of her high school graduation, Lennon’s heart was destroyed when the boy that she loved, left without looking back. Fast forward to present day wherein King Sullivan returns to his hometown, disgraced and in recovery, having spiralled out of control on his way to the top of the rock-god charts but King’s return home is met with hurt and trepidation when the only woman he has ever loved, remains broken and destroyed by the actions, ten years before. What ensues is the rekindling romance and relationship between King and Lennon, and the potential fall-out when Lennon must face the ultimate betrayal when the truth is revealed.

The relationship between Lennon and King is one of second chances. King was forced out of town ten years earlier, and throughout the years, his lead the cliched life of a broken rock star.Now in recovery, King is hoping to reunite with the only woman he has ever loved but a woman who is struggling with what happened and why. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

We are introduced to King’s brother Leif, and his fellow band mates Kade, Mac and Gideon: Lennon’s father Judge Terrance Ward, and her ex boyfriend Justin.

DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME is a fast paced, quick read focusing on secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control. The premise is emotional and revealing; the romance is seductive; the characters are determined and broken.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

I enter Hunt Auto’s breakroom, closing the door behind us. As soon as the lock engages, Lennon whirls around, and I shift my gaze from her infuriated glare to over her head.
Just for a minute.
Because Jesus… She’s f*cking gorgeous.
My fingers itch to sink into those beautiful, thick curls, hold her steady while I desecrate that wide, lush mouth. The knit of her dress pays homage to every curve and dip of her body, molding to her high, firm breasts, the sensual flare of her hips, the thickness of her thighs. And fUck if I can’t feel the heels of her knee-high boots in my lower back.
At twenty I’d barely had the opportunity to explore the searing sexuality and lust that had existed between us before I had to leave. Barely had my fill of that violets and musk scent that was more intoxicating than the best top-shelf alcohol. My stomach aches with hunger for a woman whose particular flavor is still as fresh, as potent to me as it was ten years ago.
“What in the hell are you thinking?” she snaps, then flicks her gaze towards the closed door. She lowers her voice without losing any of the venom. “Do you know what you just did?”
“Yeah.” I drag my gaze from the wall and meet hers. Not daring to glance below her chin. No, f*ck that. Her nose. “I stopped you from driving while you were upset. And don’t try lying to me,” I interrupt when her lips part to do just that—lie. “You were upset. Still are. Don’t ask me to see you hurting and walk away, whether it’s my business or not. Don’t ask me to do it.”
“Why not?” She jerks her gaze back to me, and I go solid. “You do it so well. You’re a pro at it.”
I stare at her. At the tautness of the skin over her cheekbones. The darkness in her eyes. She’s a bomb set on emotional detonate, and the masochist that I am, I want all that shrapnel embedded in my skin. I want her to draw my blood.
“Don’t stop now. Let it out, baby. You’re right. I left you. Didn’t look back. Didn’t give a f*ck,” I lie.
“You don’t give a f*ck about anyone but yourself. You never did. You used me and then threw me away,” she rasps.
“Yeah, I did. Now what?” I keep shoving at her, even though guilt slides through me like filth. “You want me to apologize? To crawl on my knees and grovel? To beg?”
“Yes.” Her whisper echoes in the room as if she shouted it. “I want to see you hurt, sorry, suffering. Just like when you left me broken. You didn’t give a damn then so don’t pretend you do now. Nothing about you has changed, King. Not one thing. And I hate you for it. I hate you for not once looking back at the wreckage you left behind you. I hate you for going on with life and living it like I never mattered while I had to face reminders and memories of you every time I walked out my front door. I hate you…” Her voice hoarsens, and she crosses her arms over her chest, bowing her head. “I hate you because you gave another woman what you promised me. A family. Gunner could’ve been ours. Should’ve been ours. But you stole one more dream from me.”
F*ck.
F*ck.
It doesn’t occur to me not to touch her.
Eliminating the space between us, I pull her into my arms.
“King, don’t…” Her whisper ends on a sob, and I tighten my hold on her, pressing my lips to her hair.
“No. I can’t. There’s no way I can let you go right now.” I inhale her, take her so deep into my lungs, her scent burns me, marks me. Rubbing my mouth over her hair, I beg just like she wanted me to. “Let go, Len. Let go and allow me to be the one who carries you through it. Lean on me, baby. Just for a little while.”
Her fists ball into my shirt, stretching the material at my waist. She rolls her forehead against my chest, and her jagged breaths scorch me through my clothes. I slide a hand up her spine, cupping the back of her neck, squeezing it.
As if that unlocks something inside her, her shoulders shake and seconds later, her cries rip through the room. She crushes her cheek against me, and her tears dampen my shirt and skin. Stroking her back with one hand, I cradle her head with the other, fingers tunneling under the bun to scratch her scalp.
How long she sobs in my arms, I’m not certain. Minutes, hours. A lifetime. It’s not long enough. Curling my body over her, I brush my mouth over her ear.
“I left, yes. But I did look back. So many damn times. And never, ever did I stop giving a f*ck,” I softly admit.
Her breath shudders against my chest, and locking down a groan, I lift my hands to her face, tilting it back. Her eyes, moist with all the tears she’s shed, meet mine. Even with her face wet and swollen, she’s beautiful to me.
“Liar,” she accuses, voice so rough, it’s nearly painful to hear. “You’re such a liar.”
Then she raises on her toes and crushes her mouth to mine.


 

Published since 2009, USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone loves writing sizzling romances with heart, a touch of humor and snark. Her books have been featured in The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly, and described as balancing “crackling, electric love scenes with exquisitely rendered characters caught in emotional turmoil.”

She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bullet proof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.

Website: http://naimasimone.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naimasimoneauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Naima_Simone
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naimasimoneauthor/
Street Team: http://naimasimone.com/newsletterstreet-team/
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1MXCpHd
Newsletter: http://naimasimone.com/newsletterstreet-team/
Amazon Author Profile: http://amzn.to/2EIQZZC

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Heated (Burned,Inc 1) by Naima Simone-a review

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Heated (Burned,Inc 1) by Naima Simone-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au / B&N paper /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 5, 2022.

Zora

I’m Denver’s unmatchmaker. Every city needs one.

Why? Because people break up—and sometimes they should. But when I learn that entertainment attorney Cyrus Hart is someone else’s mistake, I can’t believe it. He’s smart, successful, and sexy as hell.

When a chance encounter with Cyrus turns into something more, I can’t help but fall for him. Our chemistry is undeniable. But his ex used my company to send him that letter—and that’s a problem. Especially since he doesn’t know I own the company.

How can this possibly work? I know from experience that the riskiest ventures are the worthiest ones…but falling for Cyrus Hart may be my biggest gamble yet.

Cyrus

I’m a man with a plan—college, law school, a great career. So far, so good.

Until a stranger shows up on my doorstep and reads me a breakup letter from my girlfriend. My carefully laid plans unravel.

But then I meet someone new. It’s spontaneous. It’s electric. And it’s not according to plan.

•••••

REVIEW: HEATED is the first instalment in Naima Simone’s contemporary, adult BURNED, INC romance series focusing on the Nelson siblings: Zora, her twin Levi and Miriam Nelson. This is thirty year old business owner and POC (person of color) Zora Nelson, and thirty-three year old, entertainment attorney Cyrus Hart’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Zora and Cyrus) HEATED focuses on the fake relationship between thirty year old business owner Zora Nelson, and thirty-three year old, attorney Cyrus Hart. Zora Nelson and her siblings own BURNED, Inc, (Breaking Up, Reversing Nuptials, Evading Disasters), a professional break up service that does the ‘breaking up’ for their clients. BURNED, Inc’s newest client is socialite Valerie Summers, who is struggling with the direction of her current relationship with attorney Cyrus Hart. With most of her employees off with the flu, Zora Nelson finds herself facing BURNED, Inc’s next heart break victim, in the guise of attorney Cyrus Hart but Zora never expected to run into Cyrus in the days and weeks following his break up, a run in that manifests into a fake relationship and a NDA. Cyrus Hart is in line for partnership at the law firm for which he works but the partners want a man in a committed relationship, and in the aftermath of his ‘break up’ with Valeria Summers, Cyrus demands three months of Zora’s time, three months wherein Zora must play the devoted girl friend, keeping the secret about how they met. What ensues is the fake but building romance and relationship between Zora and Cyrus, and the potential fall-out when the truth is revealed.

Cyrus Hart never did love Valerie Summers but she was the perfect ‘girlfriend’ for the world to see. Meeting Zora Nelson stirs something deep without our story line hero. Zora’s secrets are about to destroy more than just Cyrus’ heart but his potential at the firm for which he works. Zora Nelson knows that to cross the line with a client could be a disaster for the business she co-owns with her siblings Levi and Miriam but Cyrus offers a three month fake-relationship, a relationship in which Zora, a plus-sized, woman of color, struggles in the face of believing she isn’t good enough for a man in Cyrus’ position.

The relationship between Zora and Cyrus begins when Zora is hired to ‘break up’ with our story line hero. Cyrus is desperate to make partner at his firm, and Zora is the perfect foil for the people in charge but a fake relationship often leads to something more, something Zora knows will eventually end with a broken heart. There are no $ex scenes but only sexual physical encounters.

We are introduced to Zora’s siblings: her twin Levi aka Leviticus, and Miriam, as well as their parents Reginald and Monica Nelson; Cyrus’ friend and client Jordan Ransom; fellow attorney Derrick Warren, and his wife Jill, and Cyrus’s ex Valerie Summers. There is something developing between Jordan and Miriam.

HEATED is a story of secrets and lies, family and relationships, forgiveness and love. The premise is engaging, entertaining and interesting; the romance is limited but seductive; the characters are charismatic and captivating.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Broody Brit (Cocky Hero Club) by Naima Simone -Review tour

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Broody Brit (Cocky Hero Club) by Naima Simone -Review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 27, 2021

Dear Axel,
It is incredibly stupid to write this text while I’m drunk. But what’s the saying? No gain, no pain. Or, no pain, no shame… Whatever. You know what I mean. And let’s face it. There’s no way I would be doing this if I was stone-cold sober. But since I’m plastered? To hell with it.

I want you.

I know. Crazy, right? Not only am I your temporary roommate but I’m a chatty nurse from Providence with an impeccable bedside manner and secrets. You’re a broody, commitment-phobe sculptor from England who communicates in grunts and single syllables. Not to mention, you’re returning home in several weeks. And yet, from the moment you dragged me for being a Swiftie, I’ve wanted to climb you like my personal jungle gym.

There’s no future for us. I’m not even sure I like you half the time. But that doesn’t stop me from hungering for those same hands that bend and shape metal to bend and shape me. So in all my drunken glory, I guess what I’m trying to say is if you want me, I’m yours. For the next few weeks until you return across the pond and we resume our lives as before. No strings. No demands. No regrets.

So meet me in the kitchen where all this started.

Or don’t.

It’s your decision.

Not that it matters. It’s not like I’m going to do something monumentally dumb and hit send on this text.

–Zenobia

••••••••

REVIEW:BROODY BRIT by Naima Simone is a contemporary, adult, stand alone, erotic, romance story line in the multi-authored Cocky Hero Club series inspired by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward’s BRITISH BEDMATE. This is thirty year old, British sculptor Axel Wright, and twenty-eight year old, American registered nurse Zenobia Hester’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Zenobia and Axel) BROODY BRIT follows the building romance and relationship between thirty year old British sculptor Axel Wright, and twenty-eight year old registered murder Zenobia Hester. Zenobia’s life is spiralling out of control-her ex boyfriend is in love with another woman; broken pipes and a two week eviction from her apartment; the past coming full circle from both sides of the coin, and accepting the offer to stay at Simon and Bridget’s home finds Zenobia facing a sexy, British sculptor who wants nothing to do with an unannounced roommate. Enter Axel Wright, and the man with whom Zenobia will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Zenobia and Axel, and the potential fall-out as Axel’s past refuses to let go, and the return of Simon reinforces the potential for another broken heart.

Axel Wright is in America preparing for an upcoming show. Our hero knows loss, and has struggled for the last eighteen years to move beyond the horrific memories of that fateful day. Meeting Zenobia Hester begins to thaw a heart that has refused to move forward, a heart that wants more than he believes he deserves. Twelve years earlier Zenobia Hester’s life imploded, and in the ensuing years, our heroine has struggled to gain access to the who of her past but a patient at the hospital reminds Zenobia that the past is not far behind, and Axel figures out the truth before anyone else.

The relationship between Zenobia and Axel begins acrimoniously as the ‘broody’ Axel struggles with the roommate he never expected to see. Battling between head and heart, Axel tries to ignore the ache in his chest, a ache for someone and something he lost. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We re introduced to Zenobia’s ex boyfriend James, and his girlfriend Jenna, as well as Dr. Simon and Bridget Hogue; and young accident patient Bethany Mavis.

BROODY BRIT is a story of heart break and loss; family and grief; friendships, relationships, secrets, hope and love. The premise is emotional ; the characters are vulnerable and struggling; the romance is seductive and captivating.

Reviewed by Sandy

Copy supplied for review

Published since 2009, USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone loves writing sizzling romances with heart, a touch of humor and snark. Her books have been featured in The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly, and described as balancing “crackling, electric love scenes with exquisitely rendered characters caught in emotional turmoil.”

She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bullet proof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.

Website: http://naimasimone.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naimasimoneauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Naima_Simone
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naimasimoneauthor/
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Blame It on the Billionaire by Naima Simone-a review

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Blame It on the Billionaire by Naima Simone-a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 1, 2020

She fell into his arms… now she’s falling for his trap.
Will a blackout change everything for these unlikely lovers?

It was a night filled with secrets, lies…and soul-stealing passion. And now the blackout that turned lowly executive assistant Nadia Jordan and start-up billionaire Grayson Chandler into insatiable lovers leads to a proposal Nadia can’t refuse. As she steps into Grayson’s privileged Chicago world, will his matchmaking mother and vengeful ex destroy her dreams? Or will her fake fiancé make those dreams a reality?

What happens in the dark never stays in the dark… Don’t miss the family drama, secrets and passion in the Blackout Billionaires series:

••••••••

REVIEW:BLAME IT ON THE BILLIONAIRE is the third instalment in Naima Simone’s contemporary, adult BLACKOUT BILLIONAIRES erotic, romance series. This is billionaire businessman Grayson Chandler, and executive assistant Nadia Jordan’s story line. BLAME IT ON THE BILLIONAIRE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Grayson and Nadia) BLAME IT ON THE BILLIONAIRE follows the fake fiancé relationship between billionaire businessman Grayson Chandler, and executive assistant Nadia Jordan. A recent black-tie affair found Nadia Jordan called into duty when her boss at KayCee Corporation demanded she bring him a change of clothes but Nadia never expected to run into the man who has starred in all of her fantasies, the man with whom Nadia would fall in love. A city-wide blackout found Nadia in the arms of Grayson Chandler, but a quick exit meant Grayson had no idea about the woman with whom he spent a one-night stand. Discovering Nadia worked for his company, KayCee Corporation, Grayson struggles with Nadia’s true intent the evening before. What ensues is the quick building but fake relationship between Nadia and Grayson, and the potential fall-out as the reality of their opposing worlds is about to bite them in the a$$.

Grayson Chandler is tired of his mother’s match making plans, and of his father’s desperate attempts to get him to join the family business. With the death of his older brother Jason, Grayson found himself avoiding the family’s guilt-ridden stranglehold as their only, remaining son. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and Grayson made Nadia an offer, she couldn’t refuse. Nadia has been a single parent to her younger brother most of his life, and Grayson’s offer of a fake relationship came with the financial promise that would help Nadia’s brother in his post-secondary education but all does not go according to plan when the Chandler family tries desperately to destroy the growing love between our leading couple.

The relationship between Nadia and Grayson begins as an accidental meeting but Grayson has no idea Nadia works for KayCee Corporation. Desperate to keep the wolves away, Grayson offers Nadia money in exchange to play the role of his loving fiancé. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The colorful secondary and supporting characters including Nadia’s brother Ezra; Grayson’s sister Melanie, and their parents Cherise and Daryl; as well as the cameo appearance of Gideon Knight, and Darius King.

BLAME IT ON THE BILLIONAIRE is a story of family, friendships, secrets and lies. The fast paced premise is entertaining; the characters are energetic; the romance is seductive and captivating.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Passion and Ink (Sweetest Taboo #2) by Naima Simone-a review

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PASSION AND INK (Sweetest Taboo #2) by Naima Simone-a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 18, 2019

Blackballed from my job.

Moved back to my hometown with my tail between my legs and family issues crushing my back.

Slinging drinks in a dive bar.

Yes, the past year has been hell. So when a man who’s temptation wrapped in golden skin and sin offers me one night of no-holds barred, dirty sex, I’m all in. I deserve it.

But now those few unforgettable hours have me facing blackmail from my own father: He’ll pay for my mom’s medical bills, but only if I never again touch the man who has quickly become my obsession.

Because the man? My obsession?

He’s my stepbrother

•••••••••

REVIEW: PASSION AND INK is the second instalment in Naima Simone’s contemporary, adult SWEETEST TABOO erotic romance series. This is twenty-seven year old,tattoo artist Jude Gordon, and twenty-six year old, waitress /accountant Cypress Winters. PASSION AND INK 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 first person perspectives (Jude and Cypress) PASSION AND INK follows the forbidden or ‘taboo’ relationship between step-siblings twenty-seven year, tattoo artist Jude Gordon, and twenty – six year old, waitress / accountant Cypress Winters. Tattoo artist Jude Gordon struggles with his direction in life; an ex-girlfriend who won’t let go; and the secrets and memories he is must keep to himself. Meeting the beautiful waitress who calls herself Ro, is the perfect foil for a man who battles between in the here and now. But a family dinner reveals Jude’s one-night stand is none-other than the step-sister he hasn’t seen for close to ten years, a woman who now consumes his fantasies and dreams. Enter Cypress ‘Ro’ Winters-Keller, and the woman with whom Jude will fall in love. What ensues is the building but secret relationship between Cypress and Jude, and the potential fall-out as Cypress and Jude’s time together comes with an unexpected expiry date.

Cypress Winters left California amid a work place controversy, and her mother’s inability to thrive on her own. Returning to Chicago meant starting over but never did she think she would have to face the man who all but destroyed her family and her mother’s life. Jude Gordon struggles with memories of the past, a time long ago where a thirteen year old boy became the adult to his mother’s spiral out of control. A gifted tattoo artist, our hero finds himself in direct competition with his more ‘successful ‘ brother Knox.

The relationship between Jude and Cypress is a step-sibling, taboo romance. Cypress’ father makes our heroine an offer she is unable to refuse but in doing so, places her relationship with Jude towards a path with only heart break but no future. The $ex scenes are passionate, vibrant and intense.

The colorful secondary and supporting characters include Cypress’ broken mother Brenda Keller, her father Dan Keller, and Jude’s mother Katherine.We are reintroduced to Jude’s brother and fellow tattoo artist Knox Gordon (Sin and Ink #1), and his girlfriend Eden, as well as several fellow tattoo artists at Hard Knox Ink, and Jude’s ex-girlfriend Annalise.

The world building continues to focus on the forbidden, the relationships deemed taboo by society but relationships where two people find love and their happily ever after.

PASSION AND INK is a story of family, betrayal, loss and love. The premise is captivating; the romance is seductive; the characters are broken, determined and lost.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one SIN AND INK

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Sin and Ink (Sweetest Taboo) by Naima Simone-a review

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SIN AND INK (Sweetest Taboo) by Naima Simone- a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 15, 2018

There’s sin, and then there’s literally going-straight-to-hell sin…
Being in lust with my dead brother’s wife pretty much guarantees that one day I’ll be the devil’s bitch. But Eden Gordon works with me, so it’s getting harder and harder to stay away. I promised my family—and him—I would, though.

My days as an MMA champion are behind me. But whenever I see her, with those wicked curves and soft mouth created for dirty deeds, it’s a knock-down fight to just maintain my distance. “Hard Knox” becomes more than just the name of my tattoo shop. However, surrendering to the forbidden might be worth losing everything…

•••••••••

REVIEW: SIN AND INK is the first instalment in Naime Simone’s contemporary, adult SWEETEST TABOO erotic, romance series. This is former MMA fighter and tattoo artist Knox Gordon, and receptionist Eden Gordon’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Knox and Eden) SIN AND INK follows the forbidden relationship between former MMA fighter and tattoo artist Knox Gordon, and receptionist Eden Gordon. Five years earlier, Knox and his brother Connor came face to face with their future but Connor married Eden, and Knox remained on the sidelines lusting after his brother’s wife. A tragedy in the MMA arena made Eden a widow, and Knox grieving the death he blamed on himself. Fast forward to present day wherein Knox’s feelings for Eden continue to grow, as Eden slowly becomes aware of their burgeoning attraction to one another. What ensues is the building but forbidden relationship between Eden and Knox, and the potential fall-out as Knox’s guilt over his brother’s death continues to ride heavily on our leading couple.

Knox Gordon struggles to get past the guilt of his brother’s death, a guilt that is exacerbated by his mother’s accusations and inability to let go, as well as his attraction, and love for his late brother’s wife. Eden Gordon knows it is time to move on but moving means letting go of what was, and into a future of what will be.

The relationship between Knox and Eden is one of the forbidden but a relationship that has been developing for several years. Knox’s guilt, not only for his brother’s death, but also his attraction towards his brother’s wife is compounded by the promise he made to keep his distance from the woman he loves. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense.

We are introduced to Knox’s brothers Jude and Simon, as well as their parents Dan and Katherine Gordon; and Knox’s former trainer Jake Reece. I am hoping the author has plans for future story lines focusing on Jude and Simon.

The world building follows the building relationship between Eden and Knox, as Knox tries desperately to stay clear of his late brother’s wife. The MMA story line focuses on Knox’s return to the ring, a return met with controversy and grief.

SIN AND INK is a dramatic tale of death and loss, lust and love, forgiveness and moving forward. The premise is engaging and emotional; the characters are broken, colourful and dynamic; the romance is a second chance at happiness, seductive and heart breaking. The story line ends on a happily ever after -for now-here’s hoping, once again, the author has plans to further their story.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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