Review: IOU Sex

IOU Sex by Calista Fox

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don’t know about you, but I love a story where a bitch gets what’s coming to her. Combine that with some hot sex and a happy ending and you’ve got the makings of a great story. And that’s just what IOU Sex is.....a great story. (Though, I wish to God it had a different title. I *almost* didn’t read this book based on the title alone. I don’t know why....it just has that “cheezy” vibe to it. Granted, I can’t think of a title that I would prefer over this one, so there ya go.)

Anyway.

Like all of the books I read that are well done,,,,,I wanted more. I loved the concept of this book so much, but it SO deserved to be a full length novel. It felt more like the final act of a really good book versus a stand alone novella. That being said....I loved it to pieces.

Fiona comes from an affluent family. The kind where you do what you're told without question. Unfortunately (or fortunately), Fiona isn't the type to just obey orders. She marches to the beat of her own drummer, much to her overbearing mother's chagrin.

Fiona has just received an invitation to her baby sister’s engagement party. No big deal, really, except that the sister, Lizzie, is marrying Fiona’s FORMER fiance! How did he become her former fiance, you ask? Well.....Fiona caught them 69-ing it in HER bed right before the wedding. Classy, right? And even classier.....Fiona gets an invitation to the engagement party - on the SAME stationary that Fiona herself had picked out when she was the intended bride. (Gah. Uppity folks can be so tacky.) To show that she’s the bigger person and that’s she’s over it.....Fiona decides to go to said engagement party. In a racy red dress - with some super hot mancandy on her arm. That man is her best friend and occasional fuck-buddy, Michael Houston. Michael is a famous photographer, a hot piece of ass, and a super nice man. And.....well.....he’s also somewhat of a player. Because of this, Fiona has kept her heart away from him. Because, really, the last thing she needs is another broken heart and another failed relationship.

So, the day before the nightmare engagement party, Fiona calls up Michael and says she needs to ask him a favor. In his oh-so-sexy voice, he asks her to come over and ask her in person. She’s not stupid.....she knows what he wants. And even though it’s been almost a year since she’s been with him - and she’s horny as hell - she promises herself that she’s not going to sleep with him. (Yea, right!!)

Of course, they end up having some amazing sex....and in the midst of all that, we realize that Michael just might not be as much of a player as he used to be. It’s obvious from their interaction that Fiona is special to Michael. In fact, he wants a real relationship with her, but Fiona doesn’t want to go there. (OK, yea, she really does....but she’s scared. A broken heart is a hard thing to forget.) Of course, Michael agrees to go to the party on her arm....IF....she agrees to spend the rest of the weekend with him. (And like a fortune cookie....you should tack on “in bed” to that previous sentence.) Reluctantly, she agrees.

The party is everything you would have hoped it to be. Fiona gets exactly the reaction she was hoping for. She looked smokin’ hot, and she was with an equally smokin’ hot man that only had eyes for her. She got to tell off her fake-ass-fiance-stealing sister and she finally realized that she really was completely over the cheating-bastard-ex-fiance. Oh yea, the uppity mother who turned a blind eye to her younger daughter stealing the other daughter’s fiance.....yea....she got told off too.

AND, Fiona finally realized that Michael is a man worth going out on a limb for and risking it all for.

*Sigh* I love stories like this. I love seeing worthy people get what they deserve and asshole people getting told where they can shove it. But like I said in the beginning....this felt so much like the third act of a really good novel. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the story. But when I think of the potential backstory that could have been.....I feel a little let down. The conflict resolution was so sweet....but I couldn’t help but feel just how much sweeter it could have been if the book started....say.....right after Fiona caught the fiance and the sister going at it. And then how she met Michael, etc. I always hate to base my rating on what ISN’T there versus what IS.....but in this case, I can’t help it. I would totally give this 5 stars, but there was so much more I wanted.

*ARC provided by NetGalley

Review: Sugar and Spice (#1)

Sugar and Spice by Mari Carr

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ginny is turning 30 and she just got dumped by her douchey boyfriend. In steps Travers, her best friend since childhood. He agrees to take her out for some birthday fun - at an exclusive sex club that she's been dying to go to. Once they arrive at the club, Ginny spots the douchey boyfriend all up in some blonde bimbo's fake tits. To comfort her, Travers says all the right things and then takes her back to his private room for some, um, fun.

I love a good best-friend-turned-lover story, but they only work when we get to see the friendship first. That's the element of this book that just made me giddy. I loved the friendship between all of the characters. Ginny is the lone girl in a group of three guys. They've all been BFFs since childhood, and now they all work together. Travers has always had the hots for Ginny, but he never admitted it to himself or anyone else. Too bad....everyone else sort of already knew. Well, except for Ginny. Ginny had always sort of had a thing for him too. (Damn it, these kids and their failure to communicate!) There are several great flashbacks to their childhoods that do a good job in establishing not only the deep friendship and love the four have for each other - it also shows that there was something all along between Ginny and Travers, if you read between the lines.

I absolutely love all of the characters that were introduced in this book, so it makes me quite happy to know that we'll be seeing this world continue to expand in the form of a series. (YEA!!)

Review: Happy Hour (#4)

Happy Hour by Mari Carr

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jamie, Trey, and Grace are all teachers at the same high school. On Fridays, they like to get together at the local bar for happy hour. It's April....almost graduation....and they're all about to go crazy. If it wasn't for their Friday night get-togethers, they all probably would.

Grace is 40 and has been single for quite a while. Her husband died in a car accident, leaving her alone with their young daughter who is now about to graduate from high school. Grace has devoted her life to raising her daughter and now that she’s about to be faced with living alone for the first time in her life, she realizes how much she’s missed out on. With the encouragement of her BFF (and fellow teacher) Cheryl, Grace is determined to make this happy hour a different one. She’s going to cut loose and allow herself to be that person she’s always held back from being. And Jamie and Trey both pick up on her new attitude on life. Jamie, who is secretly (or really, not so secretly...according to his friends) is in love with Grace. And he has been for a while, but he’s never bothered to act on it. He’s about 8 years younger than Grace, is Grace’s daughter’s softball coach, oh, and he also suffered a devastating loss of love when his fiance walked out on him. Needless to say, these two crazy kids have a lot stacked against them.

So, what will it take to get Grace and Jamie together? A little good, old fashioned jealousy. Trey, fellow coach at the school and best friend of Jamie, tries out a little bump-and-grind dancing with Grace and Jamie doesn’t seem to like it one bit. Then Trey admits that he did it only to put a boot to Jamie’s ass to get him to ask her out. What Trey didn’t count on was that he would genuinely get the hots for Grace. Although Jamie isn’t too keen on sharing a woman, Trey assures him that it would only be for one night. He basically just wants to tap that and move on. Trey knows that Jamie and Grace are meant for each other, but he thinks she needs to sow some wild oats before she settles down with Jamie. (Mind you - Jamie has yet to ask Grace out....so he’s making a lot of assumptions. But apparently anyone with eyes in their head can see the chemistry and affection between Jamie and Grace.)

While Jamie is initially hesitant to proposition Grace with their menage scheme, he soon realizes that his raging hard-on for the hot English teacher trumps any fears he might have about her saying no. And of course, Grace doesn’t say no.

The trio leaves the bar and heads to Jamie’s house for some, you guessed it, smoking hot-for-teacher sex. The thing I love most about Mari Carr’s books is her ability to write consistently hot sex scenes. Even if I don’t care for the characters, the sex is always super hot. Luckily for me.....I did love the characters in the book. So much. While Grace and Trey are obviously hot for each other, it’s also obvious that Grace and Jamie are meant to be together.

Menage stories are sometimes hit or miss for me. I loved this one because it didn’t aspire to be a “let’s live this threesome alternative lifestyle” type of story. No. It was just three people, having smoking hot three-way sex and then going about their normal lives. No trying to buck society’s norms. No, it was just some one night only naughty sexytimes. And it worked. So well. Jamie seemed just like the kind of guy you’d want to take home to meet your parents. You know, as long as no one brings up the threesome with his best friend over the get-to-know-you dinner.

Review: Erotic Research (#1)

Erotic Research by Mari Carr

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Julia and Ross have been coworkers and best friends for ten years. She is a best-selling romance novelist and he is her editor. But for those same ten years, Julia has been somewhat of a recluse - she hardly dates or goes out. Ever. And then her cat dies and she loses it.

To help her out of her funk, Ross suggests she try writing erotica and he gives her a ton of books and the keys to his mountain cabin so she can go do "research". But underneath his helpful exterior, Ross is plotting to seduce his best friend. He's been in love with her forever and he can't keep it from her any longer. BUT, he fears his somewhat kinky sexual tastes might scare the somewhat vanilla Julia.

While Julia is secluded in Ross's cabin during the winter, he drives up from the city for a surprise visit (and hopefully a seduction). Of course, they get snowed in together. And that's when things really begin to heat up. (bad pun, *rimshot*)

The sex is, whoa, incredibly hot. And about as un-vanilla as you can get! While it starts off as "research"....or at least that's what Julia thinks....it quickly turns into so much more. What these two crazy kids had was a failure to communicate! Both have always had the hots for the other one, but neither of them ever had the balls to admit it. But I swear, during the story....I just wanted to slap them both to make them confess their feelings to each other. They're bubbling just barely below the surface....it's the subtext of every word they say to each other.....and yet it goes unsaid for so long! It's so frustrating as a reader, but as frustrating as it is.....it's that much more satisfying when their feelings true finally do come out.

I can't think of a hotter fantasy than best friend turned love of your life. And if said best friend-turned-true love can also manage to give you the best sex of your life....well, that's all just icing on the cake, baby.

Review: Cracklin' Rosie (#2)

Cracklin' Rosie by Lissa Matthews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We first meet Rosie in the first book of this series, Sweet Caroline. She's the waitress/owner of the local diner, and she's a pistol. A pistol with a fetish for being spanked. But due to the small town she lives in and their everybody knows everything about everybody else mentality....it has remained her dirty little secret. Until she meets Decker.

Decker is a friend of Buck (from book 1) and after Buck moves to the mountains to be with Caroline, he calls Decker and asks if he wants to go into business together. Shortly after sort of moving to the mountain town, Decker meets Rosie when she hires him to replace her roof. And he's a goner. He wants Rosie and he has a feeling she wants him - but she is stubborn and doesn't want to admit that she feels the same for him. Eventually she admits it, and somewhere in the conversation Decker also realizes that Rosie has thing for being spanked. And wouldn't you know it....Decker likes to spank.

I loved Decker. He's super sweet, hot as hell, and he's covered in tattoos. What's not to love? Rosie, as I said, is a pistol. A pistol that I sometimes just wanted to smack. I was all "Girl, you have this hot man lusting after you!! Stop running away from him!!" But in her defense, she had a strong fear of being in a relationship that might get a little kinky and might not be the "norm". And more importantly she was terrified of the people in town finding out about her fetish. She's a little paranoid about her kinks anyway, so I can see where she could take any potential relationship and mentally fast forward it to the point where it goes horribly wrong and then suddenly the ex has loose lips and tells everyone in town that she's a kinky wench. Ok, so maybe she's more than a little paranoid. But I come from a small town, so I can certainly understand where she's coming from.

The sex is hot and takes place all over - in a truck, in the woods, on a porch, and yes....even in a boring old bed. But I can promise you that the sex is anything but boring. As with all of this author's books, the sex is smoking hot. (And there is plenty of spanking for those of you into that sort of thing. *wink*)

I love this series, and the world that's been built for it. And I can't stand the wait for book #3. I just know it involves Cort and Blue. (Cort being a friend of Decker and Buck's.....and Blue being Rosie's childhood best friend)

Review: Sweet Caroline (#1)

Sweet Caroline: Blue Jeans and Hard Hats, Book 1 by Lissa Matthews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The hotness drips off the pages of this book like lava. Good Lord....

Caroline is a 40 year old, recently divorced woman who is looking to sell her house and move to the mountains. While wandering through the a home improvement store, she encounters Buck. Buck is a contractor who normally doesn't do the kind of work that Caroline needs done....but he feels an attraction to her - so hey, why not. Things stay completely platonic until he runs into her in a sex shop. Here, the slightly shy Caroline boldly shows Buck what kind of things she likes - from clamps to whips to glass dildos. And thus their relationship begins.

The hot monkey sex starts out hot and continues to get even hotter....if that's possible. If you're not a fan of BDSM, I would suggest you skip this book.....because it does go there. A lot. But don't get me wrong. While there is a TON of sex in this book - there is a good storyline as well. Caroline's ex-husband got her interested in the lifestyle, but after years and years, the relationship eventually morphed into something Caroline didn't want. Swinging was always something they did.....but when the ex-husband started getting it on without Caroline's knowledge....well, it just started going downhill from there. Finally, she asked him to move out. It was this move that prompted Caroline to take a road trip that landed her in the mountains of Georgia, in what would soon be her new home. As soon as the repairs on her old home were made, that is, and she was able to sell it. The one thing she didn't factor into her new life was Buck - and falling in love with him.

Start reading this book for the hot sex....but keep reading it for the great characters you'll be introduced to here and in the other books in the series. I love Lissa's writing style and she sure as hell can write a hot scene. No doubt.

Review: Better Than 8 Fantasy

Better Than 8 Fantasy by Erin Jamison

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Man, oh man. If there was ever a concept for a book series that I was totally down for - it's Better Than 8. What is Better Than 8 you ask? Well, as you'll find out in this book, it's a dating website for women who like their men....um....gifted? *snicker* At first, I thought this story was going to be about guys with huge dicks and the women who want them. And, yea....I guess it kind of is. But what I didn't count on was the great story and the characters that have laid the foundation for this series.

This story focuses on Amara, the only single one in her group of girlfriends. One night at a party, one of her friends jokingly suggest that she sign up for this new dating website called Better Than 8. And she does....mostly as a joke. But when she is contacted by Seva, she starts to think that maybe there's something to this site after all. The two strike up a steamy online flirtation that continues for months, but then suddenly ends shortly after Amara send Seva her phone number. He never calls and the online flirtation comes to a screeching halt. Figuring that he's found someone else or she's been played for a fool, Amara goes about her life.

When Amara gets called away to Puerto Rico on business, who do you think she meets in a business meeting? That's right....Seva. And he's even more beautiful in person than the photos he sent her. I can't even imagine how hard it was for Amara to sit through a long ass meeting with a raging case of lady-wood. Later on that night, Amara and Seva end up at his beach house where they finally have more than instant message sex.

It isn't until the next morning that Amara discovers that Seva has a roommate. A hot male roommate name Naldo. And you can probably guess when I'm going with this, right? And in case you're wondering....yes....it was totally hot. I mean, what's hotter than one buff Latin man making your every sexual fantasy come true? The answer is TWO buff Latin men making your every sexual fantasy come true.

The sex in the book is super hot. But you know what I didn't realize? I didn't realize until I was going back over parts of the book for this review that there isn't really a ton of sex in the book. Remember, Amara doesn't actually meet Seva until much later. And after they meet, yea, there's a lot of sex. But before, it was just hot sexy emails and photos. Obviously it had to be very hot and sexy if I didn't notice that it wasn't actual vag-n-dick sexytimes. So, bonus points to the author for that!

As I said before, I love the concept of this series and the characters that are introduced. Amara's pack of girlfriends are going to be fun to watch....assuming they make it into the rest of the books. (I hope so!) And even if they don't, I'm quite excited to read more about the women (or men) who are turning to the Better Than 8 website to find love! (Good Lord, if only such a site existed. If only.....)

Review: Tigerlily

Tigerlily by Charlotte Stein

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such an odd little sexy book. I don't even really know how to categorize it. I've been trying to think of descriptive words for it. These are the ones that came to mind right away: whimsical and mystical. It was like a smokey dream sequence from a movie. Like, maybe it was real or maybe it was someone having a dream.....but you weren't really quite sure. Sexual whimsy. That's how I'm going to describe it. And it was like no other romance I've ever read. (And that ain’t a bad thing.)

One day, Mae sees this man running through the fields behind her house. He's handsome, yes, but he also seems hurt. Oh, yes and he's deliciously naked. She finally catches up to him and she isn't sure about him. He doesn't know his name, where he's from, and he responds oddly to being called "human". Mae immediately thinks either she's crazy or he is. Eventually, she talks him into coming back to her house with her.....and she notices the cuts on his arms have already healed. Like, 5 minutes ago he had wounds.....now he has none. Odd, indeed. He's not ashamed to be walking around butt-ass nekkid and is also mystified by things such as water faucets and telephones. Ok. Now Mae really thinks she's crazy. Just to prove to herself that she's not imagining him.....she calls a friend and has the friend speak to Mr. Nekkid-No-Name. Sure enough, the friend can hear him.....so at least Mae knows SHE'S not the crazy one. Then Mr. Nekkid-No-Name calls Mae by her name.....and she knows that she hasn't told him this information. This is the point when I would start to really freak out. But there's something about the guy that Mae just can't make herself fear. Finally she tells him that she needs to call him something and he says that he's always liked the name Sam. So from here on out....Mr. Nekkid-No-Name is Sam.

The whole mystical-whimsical ambiance continues throughout the entire book - and it works - because even though Mae knows that Sam is real, he still has this unrealistic quality to him that she just can’t wrap her mind around. It’s like she knows him from somewhere, but can’t remember where. Or maybe he’s some sex god or demon.....she just doesn’t know. But as the hours tick on, she remains drawn to him. He’s almost child-like in his wonder of everything - the water in the faucet, the phone, and Mae. They share some sort of connection - sexual, romantical (if that’s a word)....whatever you want to call it. When Mae feels aroused, so does Sam. When Mae feels pleasure from a touch or a kiss, so does Sam. Good God - to know a man with the power to know what turns you on because he can actually FEEL IT turning you on - seriously, that thought is almost too much to comprehend. And there is some delicious sex in these pages. I won’t go as far to classify it as hot monkey sex - although it is hot....but it seems to go deeper than that. (No pun intended.) It seems not to be just sex for the sake of orgasm, but sex for the sake of orgasm and emotional connection and healing of the spirit. Or something like that. I don’t know how to explain it. All I know is that I read the sex scenes with a little bit of “oh yea, that’s hot” and a whole lot of “awwww......how touching”.

But why is Sam there? What brought him to Mae? Well, Mae is sad, depressed, and lonely. Her parents were killed, though it isn’t explained how, and she’s hasn’t been herself in quite a while. Is Sam there to bring her back? Is he really real or is he just something Mae made up to help her heal? Do I know for sure? Yes and no. I have my ideas on what exactly Sam is. Although it IS explained what/who he is.....I think there is another layer to that, but I’m not going to say because either a) I’m wrong and you’ll think I’m a dumbass or b) I’m right and it will prevent everyone from drawing their own conclusions. So.....my advice is for you to read it, let it swirl around in your head, and then figure it out for yourself. And if you want to email me and discuss it later, well, that’s ok too.

Review: Inked

Inked by Everly Drummond

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Super short little gem of a book. This is one of those that I would love to give 5 stars to, but it just wasn't long enough. I wanted more story.

The story starts out with Avery getting a tattoo by Brody, the super hot tattoo artist. (And really, is there ANYTHING hotter than a tattooed guy? The answer is no, no there isn't.) So, yea....Avery is getting this tattoo and is getting seriously turned on by the hotness that is her tattooer. And Brody is attracted to her, too. (Naturally)

Brody finishes up the tattoo and Avery leaves, though both are wanting to do or say something.....acknowledge the attraction, etc. But neither does. As soon as Avery drives off, though, Brody decides that he HAS to see her again. He grabs the waiver she signed (that has her address on it) and closes up shop and heads out to find her.

And you know where this is going. Brody shows up at her place, they have awkward small talk and Brody almost leaves, but Avery has the balls to grab him and kiss him. And they end up having crazy hot monkey sex. And it ends there. What the what???? This is why I can't give it 5 stars. Too.Damn.Short.

Overall, the book is well written and I loved the storyline, but there needed to be more. This soooo deserved to be a fully fleshed out novel and not just a short story that could be read in 25 minutes. The characters were as developed as they could be in a story this size, but I wanted to know more. (I always do!)

I'm looking forward to more work by this author, but please....make it longer!  (Size does matter. Tee hee.)

*E-book provided by the author.

Review: Yuletide Greetings (#3)

Yuletide Greetings by Brynn Paulin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another good but all too short story from Brynn Paulin.

Zach (brother of Rob, the owner of The Dungeon) is not having a good holiday. He sort of got suckered into being the mall Santa and he isn't happy with the gig. As a cheer-him-up gift, brother Rob tells him he's sending him over a surprise. Not long after, Kate shows up. Kate thinks she's showing up at this guy's house that she's been talking to on one of those sex-hookup websites. But as soon as Zach opens the door, she realizes it's not the guy from the pictures they exchanged. BUT, she goes in anyway and they have some naughty fun and do some inappropriate things with a candy cane and so on and so forth.

Overall, I really loved the story. BUT....like all of the other novellas I've been reading lately - I want more info. There was so much room for a ton of character development, the scene at the mall could have been greatly expanded, etc. There was just so much more story that could have been told, that should have been told. I just think that the writer is selling herself short by not making these stories longer. BP is a good writer, she knows how to write a hot scene and characters we care about.....so why not go full length with that.

And now for the things that make me go "hmmmmmmm". Ok, so you're Kate....and you just go to this guy's house and have sex with him? You've never met him! He's not the guy from the hook-up site, but you do him anyway?!? And where are the condoms? For real. I know it's a STORY - but come on, people.....I will only suspend so much disbelief and I don't for a minute thing that any sane person will show up to a stranger's house and have unprotected sex. Geez. And on top of that - you let said stranger stick a candy cane up your hoo-ha? OMG. Nothing screams raging yeast infection like sticking candy up in your lady-parts. But I guess if you've already rode him bareback, I'm guessing yeast infection isn't high on your list either.

Review: In The Dark

In The Dark by Brynn Paulin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Taking place in 1351 - the plague has just swept through England, killing or displacing almost everyone, including Katherine's entire family. Katherine - who has been forced to hide away her entire life because of the "devil's mark" on her face. She lives in a secret tower in the castle and gets around using hidden passageways. She and two of the servants in her father's castle were the only lives spared.

Shortly after, Calen the Black, arrives at the castle. It has been given to him by King Edward. (Because they think the castle is empty, except for the remaining servants. No one knows of Katherine's existence.) Calen and his men immediately starts cleaning out the castle and burning all of its contents. Katherine silently watches from her tower, as Calen burns all memories of her family. As the days go on, Katherine's fascination with Calen continues to grow. She wants to know more about this man. So one night, she visits his room - using her secret passageways. The have a night of passion - in the dark, so Calen can't see her disfigured face, and Katherine is gone before Calen wakes up the next morning. Calen feels that it's a dream, except he has some of her red hair tangled in his hand.

This happens several more times - and each time, Katherine makes her escape before Calen wakes. Finally, knowing that Calen has fallen for her, Katherine decides to leave the castle before Calen tears it apart looking for her. As she's making her escape, she is caught by some of Calen's men. They threaten to rape her and then burn her at the stake for her "devil's mark" on her face.....but before they have a chance, Calen comes in and demands the prisoner be released. Katherine is crying and doesn't want Calen to see her in daylight - because of her hideous scar. As soon as he sees her face and hears her speak....he knows that it's his beloved Katherine. And, of course, he could care less about the scar. He finds her beautiful anyway, and he begs her to stay with him as his mate.

OK - so, what the fuck is up with every single piece of erotica that I read being so damn short! This novella was just BEGGING to be a full length novel! Good Lord. It was sooooo good, but damnit, it was too short. There was enough character development to make you love the characters, but there could have been so much more. I wanted a back story. I wanted an epilogue. I wanted more hot 1300's sex. I wanted to know more about the mark on Katherine's face. Was she truly disfigured or was it just a birthmark? Geez. What was Calen's life like before he arrived at Warg Castle?

I really loved this story - but I can't give it 5 stars because it SHOULD have been a full length novel. Not to make it so was just an injustice to the characters.

Review: Getaway (#3)

Getaway by Cara McKenna

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a sequel to Backwoods and Shivaree.

The book starts with Natalie back home in upstate NY. When leaving work one day, she sees Shane waiting for her. She was shocked, as she never expected to see him again.....much less in snowy NY. (Shane wasn't fond of the snow.)

Come to find out, Shane has made his escape from Gabriel. They've been lovers for a year, but Shane still can't reconcile that he is in a relationship with a man. And he can no longer stand the mysterious hold that Gabriel seems to have over him. He basically comes to Natalie seeking a rebound.

Come to find out, Shane just left Gabriel - with no clue about where he was headed. When they finally did talk, Shane officially broke up with him and also told him where he was. He didn't think Gabriel cared about him as more than a casual fuck.....until Gabriel also showed up in NY.

Of course, Shane and Gabriel have some hot "reunited and it feels so good" sex. And both confess their feelings for each other. Eventually.

Ok - so where does this leave Natalie. Well, before Gabriel arrived, she was having the hot monkey rebound sex with Shane. And honestly, I loved Natalie and Shane together. They had true passion and I think there was love there.....although maybe not the conventional vanilla variety. Shane was definitely in love with Gabriel too, but there was no doubt that he wanted something with Natalie. He just wasn't sure what it was.

After Gabriel arrives, Natalie knows she's no longer needed for the hot monkey rebound sex. Until Shane invites her to help him with the one last thing he has yet to give Gabriel. (Entrance into Shane's backdoor, if ya know what I'm sayin'.) Meh, it seems a little weird - but it really isn't. It's actually really sexy and sweet - with Shane finally giving himself over to his true desires.

My only real issue with this book, besides it not being long enough (I ALWAYS want more!) is that I would have liked to have seen the three of them all end up together. There were hints that it was headed in that direction....but it didn't happen. While Shane did make the offer, Natalie declined, deciding that she didn't want to share. (Boo, Natalie! Two hot men want you? Say yes!)

Overall - I really loved this series. It was my first foray into m/m romance, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I can only hope that book 4 (and there are rumors of a book 4) will resolve my issue with the book. ;)

Solid 4 stars.

Review: Shivaree (#2)

Shivaree by Cara McKenna

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was the 2nd book in the Shivaree series. The same main characters from Backwoods, with the addition of Natalie Foster - a woman from upstate New York who is on her way back home from Miami - and she's on the rebound from her asshole ex-boyfriend. Her truck breaks down in the middle of the night - not too far from Shane's bar - and this is where she ends up for the night.

She meets Shane and Gabriel - not knowing that they are lovers. She is infatuated with Gabriel and it isn't long before she is dancing with him - and making Shane very jealous. BUT - Shane and Gabriel have a deal. Gabriel can sleep with women, provided Shane knows about it - and can join in if he chooses to. And of course - eventually - he does. Although, Natalie does sleep with Gabriel solo first. THEN they go for the threesome.

The chemistry between all three characters works.....quite well, actually. And there was an element to their threesome that I have yet to encounter in other books involving more than 2 people in the bedroom.....so that was, um, interesting. Shane was his normal dickish self, which is surprisingly hot. I don't like dominate/asshole men.....but it worked for Shane. And Gabriel is still somewhat of a mystery.....to the people he encounters as well as the reader.

Again - my only complaint was that this could have easily been a full length novel. With good stories, though, I always want more....no matter how long they are. And I definitely wanted more of this story.

Review: Backwoods (#1)

Backwoods by Cara McKenna

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was the first book I've ever read that was a male/male romance. Shane - the heterosexual, gruff bar owner in Nowheresville, Louisiana and Gabriel - the "too beautiful to be believed" mandolin player. Gabriel walks into Shane's bar one night - and neither of their lives would ever be the same again.

Shane has never been attracted to men......until he meets Gabriel. There's something magical about Gabriel that Shane just can't understand - and what starts out as Gabriel just bumming a night on Shane's couch soon turns into nights of passion and the best sex Shane has ever had.

OK - I really loved this story. The chemistry was very real between Shane and Gabriel. I love the fact that Shane is a macho alpha-male heterosexual who can't quite understand his attraction to this man. He fights the attraction, takes his anger out on Gabriel (which he loves) and they have some crazy hot mansex.

This was my first m/m book....but it certainly won't be my last. Hot sex is hot sex, y'all. Whether it's m/m, m/f, m/f/m.....whatever. H.O.T.

My ONLY complaint is that this book was so short. I would have rather it have been a full length novel with more time for some character building (more for Gabriel than Shane).

Review: Because Of You

Because Of You by Mari Carr

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was definitely a shorter story that was begging to be a full length novel. The plot and characters were great, although the bad guy in the piece was not a shock at all. I think if the book had been fleshed out into a full length book, the story surrounding the bad guy could have been built up more and it would have been more of a surprise.

So, the story focuses on Jessie, a young widow, who is not convinced that her husband's "accidental" death was an accident. She begins asking questions and doing her own investigating and soon she begins receiving phone calls and threats....she gets mugged.....and her apartment is broken into. To get away from it all, she goes and stays with her gay BFF in a little town about 3 hours away. While on vacay, she meets Caleb at a party. They both have a little too much to drink and Caleb walks her home.....and they have some tipsy hot sex on the kitchen counter.

Even though Jessie feels it's too soon to hop back into another relationship (it's only been 8 months since her husband died), she can't help the attraction she feels to Caleb.

But the vacay ends and Jessie goes home and resumes her investigation into her husband's death. The threats against her continue and she ends up moving to the town where her BFF (and Caleb lives). After a car accidents thrusts her back into Caleb's life....they both come to realize that they can't fight the feelings they have for each other.

Like I said, I would have loved for this short to be a full length novel. I think the characters deserved that. But as it is, it's a great short story (albeit, predictable)....and I completely fell in love with Jessie and Caleb. And while this book didn't have as much of the crazy hot monkey sex that Mari Carr's books usually have....what it did have was enough.

Loved it. Solid 4 stars.

Review: The Swing

The Swing by Lissa Matthews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yet another hot little gem from Lissa Matthews.

Caitlyn and Jethro. Caitlyn - she is the widow of Jethro's twin brother, Marcus. Jethro and Marcus served in Afghanistan together, were in an accident - and only Jethro walked away from it. The story takes place 2 years after Marcus' death.

Caitlyn was always in love with both men. Marcus was light hearted, fun, romantic, and sweet.....the complete opposite of his twin. Jethro was dark, brooding, and the bad boy that every good girl wanted. It was no secret that Jethro was as in love with Caitlyn as his brother was. (My only problem with all this is WHY Caitlyn married Marcus over Jethro. It's sort of hinted that she had stronger feelings for Jethro....but being a short story, it isn't fully explained. Anyway.....)

So - two years after the death of Marcus - Caitlyn can't ignore her feelings for Jethro any more. She goes to him and they have some crazy hot sex on his porch swing that he built. (And ps - he has a porch swing business.....) Anyhoo.....

Caitlyn is torn between her desire for Jethro and what she feels is a betrayal to her dead husband. She feels passion for Jethro that she never had for Marcus and a desire that she just can't ignore any more.

And Jethro - gah - he could break your heart. His silent longing for Caitlyn.....agh. It was obvious that this was a man that loved his brother. Loved him to the point that he could watch him marry the woman he was in love with, and still be happy for him. He didn't fight Marcus or try to steal Caitlyn away. He just wanted his brother happy. And his brother knew that Jethro was in love with Caitlyn. We realize this when Jethro reveals his dying brother's final words....something to the effect of....."Take care of Caitlyn; I know you've always loved her." Gasp. Heartbreaking.

This story had all the makings for a really, REALLY cliche romance, but you know what - it wasn't like that at all. I found the story to be completely believable, a little gut-wrenching, and most of all....very, very hot. The only thing I wish was that this had been a full length novel. I think it could have easily gone there. There's enough back story presented in this one short story that it could have easily been expanded on. As I turned each page, I found myself wanting to know more. How the twins met Caitlyn.....why Marcus married instead of Jethro.....the war.......the family issues when Marcus and Jethro enlisted. Soooo many questions.

But overall - I loved this piece. A lot. Maybe one day the author will expand on it and give us the full-novel treatment that these characters are just begging for.

Solid 4 stars.

Review: Sugar Rush

Sugar Rush by Lissa Matthews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another short gem from Lissa Matthews.

This one involves Jane (the owner of a candy business) and Graham (hunky freelance travel writer). It starts out with Jane making a delivery of her homemade truffles. Usually her business partner/roommate/gay BFF, Edward, makes the deliveries - but today - he insisted she make this one delivery herself. She gets there and meets hunky Graham. And when she tries to give him his truffles, he tells her that he didn't order any. She immediately gets mad, thinking Edward had played a joke on her. She insisted he take them anyway - which he did - only if she would come in for a few minutes and get warmed up. (They're in Denver - and it's winter.) So - as they're sitting on the couch - Graham opens the box of truffles and laughs when he realizes it's a box of rocks. Now Jane is pissed. She had a feeling that maybe Edward wasn't playing a joke but trying to set her up on a weird sort of blind date with Graham. Graham denies knowing anything about a set up or Edward or anything. They share a hot kiss.....but Jane leaves in a huff and goes home to talk to Edward.

Turns out, Edward met Graham at a bar and thought he would be a good match for Jane. See - Jane got her heart broken pretty bad a while back - and she's sort of just given in to moping around and not exactly making an effort to get over her ex. Edward said he just wanted her to smile again. (Awwww.)

Later that night, as Edward rushes out for a "date" and insists that he will be out all night.....Jane sort of figures that something is up. And sure enough.....Graham shows up a few hours later wanting to take Jane out to dinner. Jane ain't havin' it. She makes him leave when she just REALLY wants him to stay. He does leave, only to come back a while later with pizza and beer. If she can't go out to dinner, he'll bring the dinner to her.

And of course - the night ends in sex. HOT sex.

The next morning - after Edward comes back home and realizes that Graham has spent the night......they begin to talk. Jane wakes up and walks in on the tail end of a conversation and takes some words out of context and ends up thinking that Edward made Graham ask her out and that the last evening didn't mean anything to Graham. Furious and somewhat heartbroken - she kicks Graham out again.

Here's what I love about this book - Jane's character. She's a bigger girl who has a lot of self esteem issues, mostly because of the ex that broke her heart. He used to tell her she needed to diet and lose weight....that she wasn't pretty enough....that she needed to change her job.....blah blah blah. And Jane's self esteem suffered because she started to believe him. I've been in very similar situations - where I went into a relationship feeling pretty damn good about myself, but I let the guy's insecurities rub off on me in the form of him telling me that I have the problems - issues - flaws (and not him) and that I'm the one that needs to change (and not him). Believe me - that fucks with a person's head. So in this case, I could relate to Jane on so many levels that it was just scary. And I loved Graham. How can you NOT love a hot ass guy that loves your curves and doesn't want you to be a boney ass poster child for bulimia.

You know there's going to be a HEA. And I must say - I LOVED the chance encounter with her ex-boyfriend and the possible reveal about him. (And just so ya know.....I have those same suspicions about my last ex-boyfriend! I think that's why he was such a miserable bastard and why he tried to break me down so much.....because he couldn't accept who he REALLY was so he felt like he needed to try to make me hate who I was.)

Gah. I'm going from book review to personal diatribe of my bitter love life. Anyway....

Solid 4 stars! I can't wait to read everything that this author comes out with!

Review: Arrested Holiday

Arrested Holiday by Lissa Matthews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Now THIS is the Lissa Matthews that I love.

Holli is traveling from Atlanta to NYC on Christmas day to spend the holidays with her friend Charlotte. Somewhere in BFE Pennsylvania, in the middle of the night, she gets pulled over for speeding. While the officer is checking her license and registration, a red flag pops up and it says she isn't who she says she is. So....the officer arrests her.

Come to find out, the red flag was merely a clerical error - but due to it being Christmas and all....there's no one working who can fix it. So....Officer Hunky (as Holli has started calling him, in her head) is forced to keep her in jail. They talk off and on during her 28 hour stay in the pokey - and both realize that they are pretty attracted to each other.

So - when the call finally comes down that Holli can be released, with conditions, both Holli and Michael (ie, Officer Hunky) are excited. BUT - the conditions are, that she must not leave the city and she has to be under house arrest. So rather than take Holli to a cheap motel room, he takes her to his house.

Next....ok, but really....do I have to explain what happens next? Gah. It is a romance novel, after all. GUESS! I'll give you some hints - hot sex, more super hot sex, and handcuffs.

The story was sweet and hot when it needed to be - and you really got a good feel for who these people were - you had a reason to care about them. I loved how playful they were with each other. It was really sweet to watch their relationship unfold.

And let me just say this.....this man makes her a grilled cheese sandwich with smoked Gouda. I mention this ONLY because smoked Gouda is my favorite cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich. I would have done Officer Hunky then and there. (After I finished my sandwich, of course.)

Review: Stick Shift

Stick Shift by Lissa Matthews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When sweet musician/teacher Lily goes to North Carolina for a mini vacation to house sit for her friend, she never imagined that her life would be turned upside down.

Lily is a huge race fan, and while her friend is out of the country, she leaves Lily with her racing tickets. Before a race one day, Lily and a friend go to an autograph session that features Cam Carter - THE hottest driver in racing today. Lily is shy, 32 years old, and doesn't feel she is anything special. After an awkward meeting with the hot 25 year old Cam at the autograph session.....he feels an instant attraction to her and she feels the same, but doesn't want to admit it to anyone.

He scribbles his number and a time and place to meet on the back of one of his photos - and she shyly leaves the autograph signing without even realizing that he had slipped her his number.

After much prompting from her friend, Lily goes to met Cam, blah, blah, blah....and they proceed to have some crazy hot sex.

Lily is never quite comfortable with the whole Cam thing. He is young, hot, rich, and famous - she is (what she considers) old, not famous, and not the rail-thin model she thinks everyone expects him to be with. I sort of love that about her. I have my own body issues - so I totally relate to Lily thinking she isn't pretty enough to date the hot guy. (Awwww.)

And Cam. Jesus Christ - he is just about the hottest thing there is. His affection for Lily is so honest and sweet - it's so easy to see why she fell so hard for him so fast. And really - Lily is a sweetheart - so that works the other way too. Lily is real - she doesn't want Cam because of his fame....she wants him for him and he knows it.

I really loved this story. It was short, sweet, passionate, and VERY VERY sexy.

Solid 4.5 stars.

Review: Simple Need (#1)

Simple Need by Lissa Matthews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good. Lord. This book..... It's super short and super hot. Very hot. VERY VERY HOT. (Am I being clear?)

The story starts out with Elise in a bar, drowning her sorrows. Just that afternoon, she was dumped by her boyfriend via text message. (How classy of him, right?) While she's finishing her last drink, she's approached by Vinter, co-owner of the bar....although she doesn't know this until later. He makes pleasant small-talk with her and listens to her story and buys her another drink. Then he tells her he wants to take care of her (Read: fuck her silly). Elise usually attracts the suit wearing douchebag types - but he has always fantasized about hot sex with a bad boy. Now is her chance to make that fantasy a reality.

Ok - first of all - could the name Vinter be any hotter? That right there is almost enough to make you go down on your knees in front of this man. I mean.....what is hotter than a tatt'ed up bad boy who is really just a sweet, fluffy marshmallow inside? Granted, he's a marshmallow that will go down on you until you pass out and fuck you until you hallucinate, but still. HOT! In fact, everything about Vinter is just about perfect. He's so incredibly sweet to Elise. Probably sweeter than any other guy has ever been. And in just one short night, he helped Elise discover parts of herself that she'd always kept hidden....even from herself.

The only thing I wish was different?  I wish the story was longer.  (But I ALWAYS want the story to be longer when I love it as much as I loved this one!)

One more thing - COCK PIERCINGS.