Review: Collide

Collide by Megan Hart

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It has taken me several days to think about what I wanted to say in this review. I loved this book so much - and it was completely different from anything that I’ve read in quite a while. Maybe ever. Even a week later, this book is still with me. I’m still thinking about it every day and I want to read it again and again. Really, I didn’t want the book to ever end.

The story focuses on Emm. She was in an accident as a child that left her with a brain injury. The only lasting after effects are the blackouts she occasionally suffers from. They’re called fugues.

Having recently moved out on her own in a new city, she quickly becomes a local at The Mocha, the neighborhood coffee shop. She meets here best friend, Jen, here almost every day for coffee and gossip. It is here that Emm also encounters Johnny Dellasandro. Apparently he’s famous (or infamous).....and Jen is a huge fan. Emm learns that he is an artist and a former actor in 70’s art films. Kind of like Andy Warhol....but with less pop culture notoriety. Johnny lives in the neighborhood and frequents The Mocha, though he hardly speaks to anyone. Ever. But Emm is intrigued and Jen is more than happy to show her all of his movies.

Soon, Emm becomes immersed in all things Johnny. And her fugues - which hadn’t been happening in past years - have started up again. The only difference now is that when she goes dark, she’s going back in time during Johnny’s heyday of the 70‘s. She sees his friends and his house and details that she doesn’t think she should know. At first, she blows it off as just her remembering random details from internet searches she did on Johnny. But the fugues become more frequent and every time she is with then-Johnny and they have the relationship that she wants with now-Johnny. But he continues to ignore her in the coffee shop. Their relationship never goes past that until Emm slips into a fugue state at his front door. He brings her into his house and helps her once she comes out of the fugue.....and this finally opens a door to a more personal relationship for the two of them.

I want to describe every detail of this book because I loved it so much. But I don’t want to say anything else about it because I want everyone else to have the OMG moments I had while reading it. The surprise, the joy, and the sadness - everything. Oh, and in case you’re wondering....yes, there is plenty of hot monkey sex going on in this book. PLENTY. But this is so much more than an erotic novel. It is a beautiful story of true love, and while it does make you suspend some disbelief here and there, it always comes across as completely believable....even if you know that it isn’t.

I can’t stress enough the amount of love I have for this book. Please do yourself a favor and read it. Like....right now.

*ARC provided by NetGalley

Review: A Bit Of Rough

A Bit of Rough by Lucy Felthouse

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This story is super short, super HOT, and totally worth your time. There isn't much any time for character development, but the story is built on stereotypes that we all know - the buff-as-hell man-whore and the chick who just wants to get laid.

And really, who needs or wants character development when you're reading a story that is purely sex. Nothing but crazy, mind-blowing, hot monkey sex.

The story is basically this - Alison sees Drew in a bar. He's hot, tattooed, and possibly not the brightest crayon in the box. He's bragging about how many women he's bagged - and yes....that's always a turn off. But when you're horny Alison and you're staring at Mr. Sure-Thing, well, who cares? She waits for him to come on to her, which he does - man-whores are so predictable - and they go back to his place for some, well, you know.

And like I said, there is some crazy hot monkey sex here. Like, "I needed to fan myself and have a cigarette after reading it" kind of hot. And I don't smoke! WOWZA.

There is no happily ever after for these characters, because Drew isn't the guy you happily ever after with. No. He's the guy you have labeled as "booty call" on your cell phone. That's it. THAT is the happily ever after!

Now....my question is this. Where can I buy a "Drew" and how soon can he be delivered to me?

Review: Talk To Me

Talk to Me by Cassandra Carr

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The story revolves around Jamie, the new producer for a NYC radio sports talk show, and Drew, a former professional hockey player and host of the sports talk show. Jamie is a new comer to New York - she’s gorgeous and perhaps a bit shy....and she has a fetish for great shoes! Drew is a hot hunk of a man....known as “the Beast”, and that moniker doesn’t necessarily refer to his behavior on the ice, either.

At first, Drew and Jamie keep their relationship completely professional. But they can’t fight the attraction they feel and eventually Jamie gives in. Drew catches her, um, alone....listening to a recording of his voice. Sexy!! And it makes Drew realize that maybe he underestimated his new coworker. Maybe she isn’t quite the blushing flower that she appears to be. And the hotness only goes up from there. There’s lots of sex....smoking hot sex. But with that comes confusion and miscommunication between the two of them. You see, both Jamie and Drew have a gotten hurt in the past. Jamie has a habit of making bad man choices and Drew has walled off his heart for fear of it getting broken again. But neither of them can deny that this relationship isn’t “just sex”....even though they both tell themselves that’s all it’s going to be.

*SIGH* I will always love a book that features a strong, yet tortured Alpha-male and a strong female who doesn’t put up with his bullshit. At the core of this story, there are two people who have both suffered due to previous relationships and both are scared of history repeating itself. And maybe, just maybe, this thing they have is real and can help them both heal up the scars that the past has left behind.

Part of me wants so badly to label Drew as a possessive asshole who is just using Jamie. But I can’t. Despite his douchebaggery, he’s really just scared. His saving grace is his constant inner-monologue that acknowledges his douchebaggy ways. He knows he’s being a dick and that he is handling his relationship with Jaime the wrong way....but he just couldn’t help himself. (Hey, at least he’s self-aware!) And yes, his actions kind of border on caveman at times....but, it’s kinda hot. Who doesn’t want a man that wants you so bad that he goes a little crazy? We’d all be lying if we said we didn’t want a man to fight and beg for us. It’s not like he’s clubbing Jamie over the head and dragging her back to his cave. Maybe he’s not perfect, but that’s what makes his character so real and ultimately, so lovable. And when Drew’s walls finally do come down, my insides melted. It was just delicious.

I loved absolutely everything about this book. The characters - the hot monkey sex - the ending - and most importantly....Drew turning out to be the man we hoped he was all along. *Swoon.....* This will be one of those go-to books that I’ll pick up and read bits and pieces of when I want to feel all melty and swoony. I’m pretty sure swoony isn’t a word....but you know what I mean.

And PS....just in case you didn’t know - hockey players are the hottest athletes. 

Review: Take Your Pick

Take Your Pick by Jasmine Haynes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ok. This just might be one of the dirtiest books I have ever read. Not that "dirty" is a bad thing. I'm just saying - this book isn't for the faint of heart. There is M/F, M/F/M, M/M/F, and M/M. Yep - it coves it all. There's also oral, anal, and plain ole va-jay-jay sex. BUT! Thankfully.....there are also a lot of condoms. I love it when a dirty book uses condoms. It just makes it feel less dirty somehow. Like - "Hey, they may like their hot monkey sex upside down, up the butt, and back again - but at least they're safety conscious!"

The story revolves around Rena - a beautiful, powerful business executive. She's involved with Grant - a handsome, powerful business executive. Together, they have awesome, kinky, powerful business executive sex. And - they also happen to have an open relationship. That is, until one night when Grant decides that he wants to be exclusive. Although Rena is totally into Grant, she feels that she can't get everything she needs from him alone. She feels he withholds his passionate side from her. Although she is sexually satisfied with him.....it's missing something....wild, unrestrained passion. That something - well - Rena gets it from Karl. Karl is her hot contractor. And he is 100% pure passion. He'll grab her as she walks in her house and fuck her up against a wall, or on a countertop, or the floor.....whenever and wherever the mood strikes. He also loves to fuck her after she leaves Grant's bed. The smell of another man on her turns him on. (Yea, he's a dirty boy....!)

During Rena and Karl's hot monkey sex session.....Rena happens to mention that Grant wants to be exclusive. Meaning, she would have to give Karl up and neither one of them wants that to happen. Rena can't decide who she wants more (or rather - whose fucking she can do without). Karl suggests that she fuck both him and Grant - together - and decide then.

Grant agrees - somewhat reluctantly - and this is where the crazy stuff gets really crazy and really dirty.

I'm not about to go into detail about the crazy sexcapades that go down in this book. Instead, I'll just use a few key words: raunchy, menage, balls, licking, 69, and so on and so forth.

If you're looking for a sweet book where the characters make love to each other, this ain't that book. Oh sure, the characters care about each other and everything is consensual - but make no mistake about it - this book is about fucking. There's enough plot to move the characters from one orgasm to the next, but did I happen to mention that this book is all about the fucking? It's not about some pansy-ass plot points. It's about fucking. Hot monkey sex. Menage. Fucking.

Did I mention fucking?

Review: Reawakening

Reawakening by Charlotte Stein

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was the first book that I was really nervous about reading and reviewing. An ARC was given to me by the author, as well as an opportunity to have her do a guest blog on my website. (No pressure!) After I agreed to it, I was scared. What if I ended up hating the book? I had never read anything by Charlotte Stein (although I do have two of her books in my TBR pile). I had never read any books about zombies. This had all the makings of situation that could go horribly, horribly wrong. Would I lie about the book and just say I liked it, even if I didn't? It was with all of these trepid thoughts that I began to read Reawakening.

Turns out, my fears proved to be completely unfounded because I loved the book! (Whew!)

A zombie apocalypse has taken over and there are very few humans left. June has been fighting them off for the past two years when she is rescued by Jamie and taken to a remote island. The only other inhabitant of this little island is Blake. Two hot guys and one chick. The only humans left (that they know of). I'll admit, this book was much different than some of the books I've read lately. You know, the ones where the characters are having hot monkey sex by page 3. Yea. THOSE books. It took me about 25 pages of constantly thinking "is this when they all have sex?" to realize that this isn't one of THOSE books. Oh yea, there's sex.....hot sex.....but not until much later on. Once I chilled out on the sex front, I was able to delve into the world where flesh-eating zombies roamed free.

The beginning of the book plays out in a way that I can only describe as unsettling. Like, I was constantly on edge, as if someone was hovering behind me with their fingernails poised over a chalkboard.....and I never knew when they were going to screech their nails down on it. It wasn't tense as in "OMG, I'm so scared" kind of way, it was just....unsettling. I was always a little confused, and I would go back a page or two and read a little bit, thinking maybe I had missed something. Then I finally realized - DUH! I'm supposed to be unsettled....zombies have taken over the fucking planet. How ELSE am I supposed to feel? For all those tense moments, you're right there with the heroine, June, wondering if a zombie is lurking around the next corner waiting to eat her face off.

After Jamie gets June to the island, things are a little tense and awkward for all of those involved. June is constantly thinking that Jamie and Blake will turn into zombies at any moment. She barely speaks to them and they basically just walk on eggshells around her.....trying not to spook her anymore than they know she already is. (If anyone qualifies for a major case of PTSD, it's a chick who's been fighting zombies 24/7 for the past 2 years.)

Eventually, June loosens us around them a little and they all sort of become friends. They share meals, play endless games of Scrabble, but the tiptoeing around each other continues. (Sexual tension, much?) And then June has a sex dream about them which awakens all of these sexual feelings that she has shelved for the past 2+ years. The sex dreams continue, although she doesn’t tell the boys about them. She thinks they aren’t attracted to her and then she finds out they think she is a lesbian. But eventually, it happens. She makes out with Jamie, and that’s as far as it gets. For now. And at some point, she makes out with Blake as well. It isn’t until they fly back to the mainland in search of supplies that things go from heavy petting to hot monkey sex. While searching for supplies (like food and fuel), Jane’s dumb ass decides to venture out in search of condoms, gets spotted by a zombie, and has to fight it off. She kills it and that’s when the guys realize that this bitch can take care of herself - though they’re not happy with her running off on her own. This whole escapade prompts June and Jamie to have a little talk, wherein they discuss the fact she has sex on the brain - hence the need for condoms - and the fact that Jamie and Blake also have sex on the brain, but they don’t want to freak her out by saying “Hey, yea, I know it’s the zombie apocalypse and all, but do you wanna have a threeway?” Ok, so no one ever says that, exactly, but that’s the subtext. How June could have ever thought they didn’t want her is beyond me. I mean, if there’s ever a sure way to get laid, it’s to make sure you are the ONLY KNOWN FEMALE LEFT ON THE PLANET.

Eventually, they all get to the hot monkey threeway sex part. And it is H.O.T. And Jamie even pops out the “I love you” during one of the threeways. (Good timing, dude!) And because these three dumbass kids can’t communicate with each other worth a damn, feelings get mixed up, there’s the whole Jamie / Blake “she loves you more - no she loves YOU more” stuff. I swear, even during a fucking zombie apocalypse, guys are still so damn thick-headed stubborn and stupid.

The thing is, June has fallen for both guys - in completely different ways and it takes almost losing one of them to a zombie that made it to the island for them to all realize that their threeway love circle could actually work.

I glazed over a lot - obviously, cause I don’t want to give it all away.....but this book just worked for me on so many levels. Like I said at the beginning, I was completely unsettled by the writing. I didn’t enjoy that at first; I didn’t understand it. I’m not used to reading romance/erotica that sort of gives me the heebie-geebies in a way that has nothing to do with anything sexual. As I continued through the book, I realized that the unsettling was a very deliberate effort to do just that.....unsettle me. It was saying - Don’t get too comfortable.....this ain’t your average erotica tale.

There’s also a great deal of humor in this book. I pulled out a ton of quotes to list in my review and I decided that I really didn’t want to pull them out of context for those that are going to read the book. But I will give you my favorite quote from the book: “Porn always made this look so easy. The guy had a cock the size of a ham hock? No problem! Just shove it right up that chick’s ass—hell, she could probably take it in her nostril if you push hard enough.”

And finally.....the scariest thing in the book? Learning that Miley Cyrus songs survived the zombie apocalypse. For fuck’s sake. ;)

*ARC provided by the author

Review: The Virgin and the Playboy

The Virgin and the Playboy by Kate Richards

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I swear. I should know better than to read these novellas and expect the HEA that I want! Damn it. If you've EVER read any of my reviews, you know that more often than not I need that confirmation that everything all worked out. Even though I know they got their happily ever after - I need PROOF!! I need it spelled out for me in black and white. I can't just be expected to use my own imagination to picture how everything plays out AFTER the last page! I mean - I'm the READER! I have to use MY imagination?? What the what? But seriously.....

Even though it left me wanting more - I loved this novella. It tells the story of Julia and Mark. Julia somehow managed to graduate from college with her virginity intact. At this point, she just wants to get her cherry popped and be done with it. She's tired of it holding her back. So, she consults this website called 1NightStand.com and arranges for (you guessed it) a one night stand with a hot playboy type. She didn't tell the site she was a virgin.....thinking that would be breaking rules or something.

So, she goes to this Vegas hotel to meet Mark. Mark is the hot guy that rarely sleeps with the same girl twice.....he is, as the kids say, a player. He's usually seen with the overly blonde, fake breasted women. He joins up with the 1NightStand.com site on a dare from his friends. Who knew the dare would lead to Julia - who turns his world upside down in just a few hours.

Y'all, when I say the sex is hot - I mean it is H.O.T. Crazy hot monkey bed sex and even hotter monkey shower sex. And not only that, Mark and Julia actually make an emotional connection. She's real in a way that the women he usually dates are not. (I'm not just talking about boobs.) Julia is sweet, honest, and genuine. Mark - who you want to think of as just a doucebag - really isn't. Even though he is (was?) a player.....deep down, he is a nice guy who just never met the right girl.

This is a super quick read that will only leave you wanting to know more about Mark and Julia. It's sexy and sweet and has a lot of heart, considering it is an erotic novella. I loved it......I just wanted more of it.

Review: Breaking The Silence

Breaking The Silence by Katie Allen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have a soft spot for a tortured hero. I can't help it. There is nothing that melts my butter any quicker than a big strong ox of a man with issues and a shy, sensitive side. And that describes our protagonist to a T. William is a quiet computer programmer who moved around his whole life, but he's finally settled into a beautiful house in icy Minnesota. He works from home, doesn't leave the house much, and has no social life to speak of. The best part of his day is looking out of his window to see this woman walking her dog. He doesn't know what it is about her, but he is drawn to her and he lives for the moments when he can catch a glimpse of her from his bedroom window. Yea, I know. It sounds terribly creepy, but it's not. William is just painfully shy and he can't get up the nerve to go and talk to her. The most he can do is masturbate to thoughts of her while he is in the shower. Again, I know that sounds creepy....but it's not. He's PAINFULLY shy. So shy that he is 28 years old and he's never really been on ANY dates, he’s never kissed a girl, and yes, he is a virgin.

The woman he watches is Jenny. She’s 26 and works in a comfy little cubicle at an engineering firm. Her cube-mate is her gay BFF, Chris. One day while Jenny was in Chris’s cube, trying to fix his screwed up email, the office asshole, Evan, approaches them. It was common knowledge that Evan was into Jenny. The office even had a betting pool going as to when he would finally ask her out. Turns out, today’s the day. Of course, Jenny turns him down.....lying and saying that she just started seeing someone and that he just might be “the one”. Evan doesn’t exactly believe her, but at least it gets him to leave her alone. For now, at least.

That afternoon turns out to be the time when Will finally gets up the nerve to go out to the walking path to meet Jenny. She was walking and not paying attention.....and she almost bumps into him. They share awkward introductions, and Jenny is amazed by how handsome and shy this Norse God of a man is. As the days go by, Will continues to meet up with Jenny and her dog Rosie for walks. One one of these walks, Jenny asks Will to go with her to a work reception. Eagerly, Will says yes. Yes to their first date....which turns out to be his first date with anybody, not just with Jenny. Although Will isn’t much of a talker at the party, everyone seems to love him - except for Evan. And he is his usual dickish self. Even though Jenny was lying about having a boyfriend when Evan initially asked her out - in fact, she hadn’t even met Will at the time - showing up at the reception with what appeared to be her boyfriend was hopefully enough to ward off Evan the asshole for good. (Although that isn’t why she asked him to go.....Jenny does genuinely like him.)

The party ends and Jenny and Will head back to her place - and on a whim, Jenny asks him to come inside. And the proceed to have ridiculous hot monkey sex. They make it to the bedroom, but only stop long enough to push just enough clothes out of the way to allow some skin on skin contact. (That kind of sex is SERIOUSLY fucking hot.) And despite the fact that Will is a virgin, he sure as hell knows what he’s doing in the bedroom. My guess.....he watched a lot of porn. You know, for instructional purposes. But whatever his methods, he sure managed to turn Jenny’s crank. And afterwards he wanted to cuddle! WTF! Is the perfect? Yes, I think he might be. And Jenny has pretty much drawn the same conclusion.

Their relationship continues on with hot sex, them getting along in every aspect, and Will coming out of his shy and reclusive shell. And then the unthinkable happens - Jenny gets attacked one night and Will comes in on the very end of it and runs the guy off and is left with a broken and shaky Jenny. While trying to comfort her, he keeps moaning over and over again, “not Jenny, not Jenny, not Jenny”. It was hinted at throughout that Will did not have the best childhood. You knew that his lack of dating or sex or kissing even in 28 years stemmed from something other than shyness. After Jenny comes home with him to recover, they finally have the discussion that allows Will to open up about his past and begin to heal and it allows Jenny to heal as well, knowing that someone does know what she’s going through.

The book ended as I had hoped, but you know me.....I wanted one more chapter. An epilogue. Further proof of their happy ever after. I’m really trying to come to terms with my neediness on this front. Really.

I have to say that this review took me FOREVER to write. Why? Because I wanted to write about everything I loved - all the small aspects of Will’s actions and personality that made him one of the sweetest characters that I’ve come across since I’ve been reading romance novels. He was all man, but pure at heart to the point of being almost childlike. He was just an unnaturally sweet soul that just happened to reside in the body of Zeus (as his coworkers called him). His character could have very easily come across as creepy, but he never did. Not one moment in the story made me question Will or his motives. He was genuinely sweet and dear God did I root for him all the way.

I loved everything about this book. This is the second book that I’ve read by this author and I’ve given them both 5 stars.....yet I have never seen this author mentioned on any of the book blogs that I read. Why? She’s fabulous. Her dialogue is charming and funny without being cliche and she knows how create characters that you fall instantly in love with. So please take my advice, check out this book. It’s a beautiful story.....and I dare you not to fall in love with Will! I.Dare.You.

Review: Seven Day Loan

Seven Day Loan by Tiffany Reisz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm not sure what I expected from this book. To be honest, the premise kind of skeeved me out. A man loans his sub to a Dom whose wife/sub died three years ago. I've read a lot of books featuring a Dom/sub relationship, and the concept of "you're my property and I'll loan you out as I see fit" has always made me uncomfortable. But, the book made it clear that the heroine, Eleanor, wasn't exactly forced to do anything. She didn't have to have sex with the guy she was being loaned to, whose name is Daniel. No, no sex had to be involved unless she was ok with it.

Turns out, Daniel is actually a nice guy. Smart, handsome, wealthy, and very much a Dom. But what I loved about Eleanor was that even though she was a sub, she wasn't Miss Meek and Mild. She was a smart-ass, she was bold, and she dared Daniel push her to her limits (which he did), and she seemed to enjoy every second of it. And in turn, she challenged him and pushed him to his limits as well. Since his wife died three years ago, he had been celibate and had not left the house since her funeral. We quickly learn that Eleanor's presence there isn't simply about her being his sexual plaything....she's there to heal him and bring him out of his self-imposed exile.

It doesn't take long for you to want Eleanor to end up with Daniel and not go back to Him (as he's called in the book.....her current lover/Dom) I won't say how it all ended, but I know there is a sequel on the author's website......so I hope the continuation of the story goes the way I think it might. *fingers crossed*

When I opened this book up on my Kindle, I had only planned to read a few pages before drifting off to sleep, but as I got into the story, I couldn't stop clicking through to the next page. I couldn't read fast enough to get to the end.

All that being said, there was one scene that made me go "whoa!". It definitely pushed my comfort level to its limits, but it was dealt with in such a way that I wasn't turned off or grossed out by it. It just simply pushed me to that point. And that's part of the reason I read books like this.....to push my mind to places it might not otherwise go.

Review: Black Jack

Black Jack by Mari Carr

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was not the pirate story I was expecting. Black Jack tells two different stories, sort of. It features Jack and Emma.....two lifelong best friends. Emma manages a fetish club, called Scoundrels. The third guy in their BFF trio, Travis, owns the club. So Emma calls in Jack to fill in as an actor in a pirate fantasy show they're doing at the club. The male actor called in sick - and as Emma is helping Jack through the scene, they find out that the female lead has also called in sick - forcing Emma to take over that role. As the two best friends are rehearsing the scene, some of their not-so-well-hidden feelings for each other come to the forefront and their rehearsal leads to some hot dry humping and fondling and eventually Emma has a powerful orgasm. Naturally, this could be a somewhat awkward situation for two lifelong BFFs who have never gone past the "just friends" stage.

After their performance in the pirate fantasy, it become clear that they can't be "just friends" anymore. Both confess that they've always had feelings for each other - and actually - that they are in love with each other - and they move quite smoothly into the girlfriend/boyfriend roles.

The pirate part of the story is told as a fantasy in each of their minds - a fantasy that was inspired by their fantasy play at the club. It seems like both stories wouldn't work together, but they do.....so effortlessly. And really, who hasn't had a pirate fantasy? Geez. H.O.T.

But there's more to it than that. Jack is into some kinky stuff - sex in public (which is why he agreed to sub for the actor in the first place), whips, chains, wax play....all kinds of stuff. Stuff he didn't think that Vanilla Emma would be down with. Oh, but was he wrong. But he has a thick skull....and it takes him a while to believe that Emma really is into it all.

I know this story is the first of a two part series - and thank goodness, because I need for Travis (the 3rd BFF) to find his HEA. He prefers to shy away from the crowd and he likes to watch the activities in his club from the two way mirror in his top floor office. He also like to get off while he watches, so his story should be quite interesting.

I loved everything about Black Jack. I thought it was sweet without being sugary and incredibly hot without being unrealistic. And besides that, who hasn't had the fantasy that their perfect mate and the love of their life will turn out to be a best friend who has been there all along and who knows you better than anyone. Throw in pirates - and good Lord - it's kind of the perfect scenario.

My only complaint (sort of) is that the story is just too short. But I always say that with any novella that I love. I always want more; I'm selfish like that. The thing I love about Mari Carr's stories is that the characters are always fully fleshed out, despite the fact that the story is novella-length. You know who these people are and you care about them, and really, if wanting to know more about these people because I find them so compelling is the only thing I have to complain about, well, then, I think that's OK.

Review: By The Book

By the Book by Scarlett Parrish

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Three words: Daniel Fucking Cross

But....more about him later.

And before I get into the review of THIS book, let me mention the previous book I read by Scarlett Parrish - Long Time Coming (LOVED IT). The only thing I wasn’t happy with was the lack of an epilogue. Well - you get the epilogue in this book!! Ok, so it’s not a real epilogue, it’s just a few sentences. BUT, at least I know where Piper and Leo are headed! Swoon.....

But, back to By The Book....

It starts out with (seemingly) mild mannered librarian Reece at work and in walks author Daniel Cross (yea, THAT one). He's there to do some work on his latest book, but there seems to be a spark between him and Reece. A spark of what, Reece isn't exactly sure. You know, since he is hetero and has a girlfriend and all. So then we have "mild mannered" Reece celebrating his birthday with his girlfriend, Georgia. Her gift to him? A threeway with her BFF, Sarah. Oh yea. So obviously Mr. Reece McVanillasex isn't so vanilla after all. This is when you know things are probably gonna get freaky-deaky with Daniel Fucking Cross at some point. (At least, in my filthy mind, I was hoping they would.) Ah, Daniel Cross - he wears guyliner, writes books, and is pretty sure he is God’s gift to anyone with a pulse.

So, of course, eventually, Reece and Daniel strike up a friendship and they dance around the unspoken attraction, and eventually Reece confesses that his bedroom activities are, shall we say, open minded. And also mentions that he and his girlfriend wouldn't be opposed to bringing in Daniel for some happy fun sexy times. (YES!) And it’s a threeway that is totally hot. The sexual tension that sparks between Reece and Daniel is delicious, even with Georgia in the room and Reece pretending there isn’t any sexual tension there. Wowza.

After their threeway, Georgia decides she wants another go at Daniel. And, of course, Reece agrees. So one night, he heads to Daniel’s apartment to discuss this with him. This meeting ends in a hot kiss between the two men. Reece’s first kiss from a man, actually. And I love this quote from Daniel: “Well, for your fist time, that wasn’t bad, and let’s face it, if the first man you kiss is Daniel Cross, you struck gold there.” Gah. I love a cocky man. (Tee hee - cocky) And what follows shortly after this is, perhaps, one of my favorite scenes in the book. And one of the hottest. Reece, alone in the shower, while thinking about Daniel. Either I’ve never read a masturbation scene in another book or this one was so real and so hot that it wiped the others from my mind. But yea. Reece, jacking off to thoughts of Daniel Fucking Cross was H.O.T.

Things start to get messy with Reece tells Georgia that Daniel kissed him while they were at Daniel’s apartment. Georgia gets pissed and Reece feels a little blindsided. I mean, he’s seen her fuck other dudes. He’s seen her with other chicks. She’s seen him with other chicks......but him kissing a dude that they’ve both been naked with is suddenly off limits? I mean, I understand her reasoning - she wasn’t there - but still. Double standard, much? Geo and Reece essentially breakup and Reece ends up at Daniel’s. And finally (FINALLY) Reece and Daniel get it on. Daniel finally gets what he’s been wanting all along - buttsecks from Reece. And while it takes a little longer for Reece to agree to getting buttsecks from Daniel (he thought he was hetero, remember) - they finally do go there. And it is just as hot as you can imagine it to be. How could it NOT be? It’s Daniel Fucking Cross.

The thing that I was most torn with in this book was Georgia. One part of me wanted to feel sorry for her because she is the jilted lover. Technically, her boyfriend cheated on her and eventually left her for another man. (Even though he tried to avoid that by offering that they all live happily ever after as a trio, but Georgia wasn’t down for that.) Then on the other hand, Georgia and Reece (as a couple) often brought a third party into the bedroom. It’s foolish to think that (eventually) someone is going to have feelings that venture out of the “it’s just hot monkey sex” zone. And, unfortunately for Geo, it happened with Daniel and Reece. For the longest time, I really hoped that Georgia would agree to being part of a threesome. I guess it was me feeling sorry for her, and not wanting to see her heart broken. But in reality, I could only see Reece ending up with one person - Daniel Fucking Cross. And I can’t even hate on Reece like I want to. I want to think he’s an absolutely bastard for what he did to Georgia. I want to hate him. But I can’t. He fought his attraction to Daniel. Didn’t want to want him. But in the end, the heart wants what it wants and it doesn’t always agree with our head. So how can you be mad at someone for what they couldn’t help? If Georgia can understand that, then so can I.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the best thing about Scarlett Parrish’s writing....her ability to write internal dialogue and spoken dialogue and have them flow together so effortlessly. I love that the most about her books, well, that and the smoking hot sex scenes! I can’t wait for more from her!

Plus - Daniel Fucking Cross. (Just had to throw that in one more time.)

Review: Long Time Coming

Long Time Coming by Scarlett Parrish

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have to get this off my chest first - WTF??? NO EPILOGUE???

Ok. Now I feel better.

So - I fucking loved this book with every fiber of my being. And I'm pretty sure, ok, so I'm totally positive, that Leo Carson has completely ruined me for actual guys. He's perfect. Not so perfect as to be unrealistic, I mean, his tears don't cure cancer or anything. But if I were to write a list of what I wanted in a guy....after having read this book....I would just need to write "Leo Carson from the book Long Time Coming."

Piper and Leo randomly meet at a bar and exchange numbers. Piper, having just gotten out of a relationship with the #1 Douchbag ever - and THEN having slept with the best friend of her brother who shouted that he was in love with her as he was climaxing - well, let's just say that Piper wasn't exactly looking for Mr. Right. But she was looking for Mr. Right Now. And if Leo called - she would have no problem letting him be Mr. No-Strings-Attached-Hot-Monkey-Sex guy. And Leo called. And they hooked up - and proceeded to have a one night stand that lasted for 36 hours. (FYI - The sex in the book might have just been some of the hottest scenes I have read. Ever. And yea - go look at the stuff I read.....that's saying a lot!)

So, Mr. Leo Perfect Guy says and does all the right things. He treats Piper well - which she obviously isn't used to. And because of her own insecurities and need to not be vulnerable, she almost fucks it up. For most of the book, I wanted to smack Piper Holt repeatedly. I wanted to scream at her to wake up and take what this man is offering you! Stop being a dumb ass. Then started thinking, no one is this dumb. No one is this blind to a man's affections. But you know what....I remembered a situation I was in years ago. I was sorta dating this guy that really liked me.....I let my insecurities kill the it. I did everything in my power to push that man away. I pushed him away before he had the chance to push me away. I was stupid. I was Piper Holt. (Without the 36 hour hot monkey sex session, unfortunately.) After remembering my own personal situation, I stopped wanted to smack Piper - but instead was screaming at her to FIX THIS!! It's not too late, girl!! It was too late for me to fix my stupid, but it's not too late for you!!!

Ok. Well. I didn't mean to get all personal there, but yea, I related to Piper more than I care to admit to. Her inner dialogue was so well written and so real - I wanted to smack her and hug her all at once.

And Leo. sigh There are no words. If this character is based on a real person....I need his phone number. And a passport. And an airline ticket to England. RIGHT NOW. I need to find this man.

Edit:  Itty bitty bit of an epilogue to this story is found in By The Book.  Squeeee!  (My review for that one is coming soon!)

Review: Plus One

Plus One by Scarlett Parrish

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

At the opening of the book, we meet Lydia. She's having trouble finding a job - probably because she has long bright pink hair. She's just getting started at an interview for a job in a university library when she's interrupted by Dr. Spencer Flynn. His copying machine is broken and he can't translate the shorthand notes that were left for him. Luckily for Dr. Spencer, Lydia CAN read shorthand, so she offers to do the transcription for him. And of course, it doesn't look too shabby for her interview that she's being so helpful before she even has the job.

Right from the start, Lydia and Spencer have this smartass banter back and forth between them. They seem immediately drawn to each other, maybe more out of curiosity than anything. She's a beautiful 23 year old with pink hair who is looking for a job; he's a 42 year old professor of math geekiness. Of course, there's nothing about that that says "ideal couple", but if you've ever read a romance novel, you know it won't be long before they're having some hot monkey math nerd sex.

After Lydia fixes a copier, transcribes shorthand notes, and finishes her interview, Spencer gives her a ride home in his candy apple red mustang. When they arrive at her apartment, they chat for a little while before Spencer gives Lydia the sexiest kiss I've ever read about. I'm telling you, the genius in Scarlett Parrish's writing is her ability to write the unspoken along with the spoken. Writing them in such a way that they flow together so perfectly that you're completely caught up in the experience and the feelings of what the characters are going through.

You know the hot kiss isn’t going to be enough for either of them. Eventually Spencer pays Lydia a visit at her apartment and they have hot couch sex. Which turns into a blowjob in his office at work (Lydia DID get the job, obviously), which turns into them being in a relationship where the sex is incredibly hot all the time, although Lydia doesn’t know how to define what they’re doing. Are they boyfriend and girlfriend? What? She’s totally into him, but she somehow doesn’t feel as if he is as into her. She’s constantly questioning the things he does - like, he takes her to a restaurant out of town.....she thinks it’s because he’s embarrassed to be seen with her. Chalk it all up to insecurity and a lack of communication, but we’ve all been there. We’ve all dated that guy that we felt was too good to be true and in turn, we questioned his every action and his motives - just looking for a problem. And if there is a shortage of problems, we’ll just start creating them in our head. Yea - we’ve all been there, done that. Lydia is no exception. But their relationship continues on, and they make plans to go out IN town, but at the last minute Spencer cancels. A family member is sick, he says. Of course, Lydia doesn’t exactly believe that. This is when her self-doubt really starts eating away at her relationship. She feels slighted and ignored.

After this, Spencer calls her and wants to talk. She thinks he wants to have THE talk....they one where he says they can’t see each other any more. Come to find out, that isn’t the case at all. Spencer confesses that he has a seven year old son - and that is who was sick. He knew that she thought he was lying when he cancelled their date, and he wanted to reassure her that he wasn’t. Lydia doesn’t quite know how to take the news about the son. Immediately she feels that she’ll never be as important to Spencer as his son, Lucas, is. (Which is so selfish of her.) She feels like she’ll never be more than 2nd place in his heart. (Lydia, can I smack you now? Please?) He apologizes and tells her that he should have mentioned it before now, but he just didn’t know how.

Things continue along, and then when Lydia isn’t invited to be Spencer’s “plus one” to a gallery opening, she decides to buy a ticket and go with her gay BFF. She dyes her hair to its natrual color (which Spencer has always been dying to see), she gets all her fancy duds on and heads out to the party. At first she’s all blasé about it - and then Spencer spots her. AND. HE. LOSES. HIS. SHIT. Come to find out it was his babymama’s exhibit and Spencer was there with his son. And yea, Spencer acts like a bastard. I understand why he was mad, but damn it, the way he talked to Lydia made me want to smack him. And even though I can understand why he was mad that she came to the gallery, he was disrespectful to her. Very disrespectful. And of course, this spells the end of their love affair....temporarily, at least.

Some time passes and Spencer shows up at Lydia’s house to apologize and talk it out with her. They end up having “we’re still sorta mad at each other” sex (which is always hot), and he does apologize. Several times. But for Lydia, it’s not enough. He disrespected her in public - in front of his colleagues - and some private hot nookie isn’t equal to the public humiliation and she sends Spencer on his way, their relationship is finally over. (Yea, right....)

Eventually, Spencer does what Lydia (secretly or not so secretly) wanted all along - he publicly acknowledges her in a way that can leave no room for doubt that he is not even remotely embarrassed by her. He does it in front of a room full of his students - knowing that the college grapevine will have the news spread far and wide within hours. He calls the library and has her bring over a book and then once she’s in front of his class, he proceeds to invite her to dinner with his parents and his son. (Swoon) At first she doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing, and then she gets it and she agrees to dinner. He sends he away with a short note, written in shorthand, that he needs transcribed. And apparently the letter - just three sentences long - was just want she needed to hear.

Damn it, y’all - there is no epilogue! AGH! I really hate that I’m so damn needy that I have to know - in writing - what happens after the characters find their HEA. I like it spelled out for me in black and white. And really, I would LOVE to know what the note said! Scarlett....you reading this?? What did the note say?? I mean, I can guess what it said. But geezums, I need to know!

Despite my pathetic need to always have one more chapter.....I loved this fucking book so much. I love a plucky heroine who is a bit different, has a strong character, and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. I might have wanted to smack her at times, but it’s always easier to judge someone’s actions when you’re not in their shoes. At the end of the day, Scarlett Parrish writes characters that are so fully fleshed out that I care enough to want to scream at them and tell them to communicate and just work it the fuck out and be happy.

Review: Experimenting With Ed (#1)

Experimenting with Ed by Katie Allen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a happy surprise this book turned out to be!! It was a totally random purchase and I absolutely fell in love with it. (Obviously, judging it by the 5 stars I gave it!)

It starts off with Claire at a bar with her boss and coworkers - celebrating a grant that their research team was due to receive. Claire’s boss, a pube-faced toad of a man that had the hots for her, had finally pushed her a little too far. So far that a bouncer stepped in to make sure Claire was OK. The bouncer was Edward Astor. Ed for short. And he was just about the most handsome man that Claire had ever laid eyes on.

After the little issue with her boss - and Ed intervening on her part - Claire decides to walk home. Ed, being a gentleman and a tough guy, doesn’t want her walking five blocks, alone, at night. So, he takes a break and walks her home. I was hoping for some hot monkey sex at this point, but it didn’t happen. But I was pretty sure it was coming, eventually.

The next day, Ed is waiting for Claire.....to walk with her to work. Some might view this as creepy and stalker-ish, but I didn’t. I thought it was sweet. It’s pretty obvious from the beginning that Ed is a little different, but he never comes across as creepy. Socially awkward and a little shy, maybe. But never creepy. So anyway - he walks her to work and they’re the first ones there so she brings him in and shows him around the lab where she works. Ed is a little freaked out - he doesn’t like labs or doctors - but Claire keeps the mood light and even introduces him to her favorite test subject.....a lab rat named Wilma. There’s also a hot make-out session in the supply closet before the rest of Claire’s coworkers get to work. (YUMMY!) And while Claire’s day started out good, it goes downhill from there. She gets fired because she refused to support her boss when he told her he was planning to falsify data in order to secure the grant money. And it only gets crazier from there. (And I mean crazy in a good way. Like, crazy as in action packed.) Claire almost gets killed twice, there’s a fire, some car chases, some motorcycle chases, and a whole lot of crazy hot monkey sex. Good Lord, you will fall in love with Ed. It’s that tortured Alpha-male thing again. That gets me every single time. That, coupled with the fact that Ed is just a big ole teddy bear when it comes to Claire. *Swoon* I mean, really. What’s not to love?

Along the way, we meet Ed’s friend, Darwin, and we also learn a little bit about their past and how they both came to be......different. I won’t spoil it here, but let’s just say that it’s Top Secret / Government / Off The Record type stuff. It explains a lot, but it also opens the door wide open for many more books to come.

Don’t get me wrong, I did have a few issues with this book. The resolution played out a little too easily, a little too neatly. In - out - clean escape - problems solved. But the problem solving didn’t get mentioned except in the epilogue as our couple is driving into the sunset. I would like to have seen all of that played out over the course of a chapter or two, rather than having it mentioned merely as an afterthought. BUT.....I didn’t write it, so I have to respect the author’s choices. But even with that, I still can’t give less than 5 stars because I did love the characters so much.

Ya know, I feel so smug about having found this book. Why smug? Because it was a great story with lots of hot sex, action, and a hero I could really fall in love with - and I discovered it all on my own. It wasn’t a recommendation from anyone. (I know, what am I....a five year old? LOOKIE! I did it all by myself!) And furthermore, I don’t even remember how I found this book to begin with. I think it was an impulse buy on Amazon due to those “customers who bought this book also bought this book".  I think. But whatever the reason, I’m so glad I found it.

Experimenting With Ed happens to be the first in a series that will focus on all the men that were “altered”. I know from reading the author’s blog that the next book with focus on Ed’s friend, Darwin. There are 5 men in all, so I can only assume that there will be 5 books in the series. All of the men were assigned letters and when they escaped, they choose their own names. We have Ed, then Darwin....because I’m a genius, I’m guessing the remaining three guys will have names that start with C, then B, and finally A.

Bring on boys D, C, B, and A! I can’t wait.

Review: Take Your Pleasure

Take Your Pleasure by Jasmine Haynes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Good Lord, the hotness of this book.

Lincoln Masters and Natalie Beaumonde.....boss and employee. Natalie has been a little "off" lately, seeing as how she just caught her jackass boyfriend of two years with another woman. Lincoln is a stickler of a boss - and doesn't like mistakes. And up until this week, Natalie had never made any. When he calls her into his office, she is sure she is about to be fired. Instead, he offers her a choice - take a spanking or report (in detail) what has happened to cause her mistakes. She chooses the spanking and the hotness just goes up from there.

As the relationship progresses, Natalie eventually tells Lincoln what happened between her and her asshole BF, Van. (Natalie caught Van with a leather clad dominatrix......double-teaming it with some toys of the rubber cock variety. They boyfriend tried to say it wasn't cheating. I would love to have heard a more graphic explanation from Van as to how this wasn't cheating. "No baby, it wasn't a human dick in my ass. It was rubber. It ain't cheating if it's a rubber dick." Um, that's not in the book....that's just in my head. Anyway...)

After Nat tells Lincoln the deal with Van - Lincoln offers to help Natalie dominate Van in the way he wants and possibly help them get back on track. OK - for a hot minute there, I did not like where this was going. I was all......Lincoln, you asshat, YOU want Natalie. Why the hell do you want her back with her artsy-fartsy douche of an ex? I seriously considered not finishing this book because I was so convinced that I was going to be pissed off. BUT, it came highly recommended to me.....so I didn't give up. I new my GR friends wouldn't recommend a book that had a bullshit ending. :) So I kept on trucking. And thank goodness I did. Besides the whole scene between Natalie, Van, and Lincoln being awesome ("Suck my dick, boy." I'm paraphrasing, but whatevs....), it was actually nice to see Lincoln step outside of himself and think only about Natalie. And then it was nice to see Van man up and think only about Natalie. THEN, it was nice to see Natalie stop rolling over and playing dead with her wants and needs and lay it all out on the line for Lincoln. And the memo she gives him is priceless.

Because I'm selfish, I always want more story, more background, more character development....everything. This book was no different. BUT, the characters seemed to be more defined than in other books of similar length, so at the end of the day....I was kind of OK with the shortness of the story. I wouldn't hate it if there were more to the book.....but at the end, I wasn't pulling my hair out, dying for more. I was satisfied. (I think it was the memo that did it. It made me LOL.)

Gah. Easy 5 stars here.

(And finally - an erotic story that knows what a condom is!!!)

Review: Brazen

Brazen by Cara McKenna

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Super short and super hot!! It's been a while since I've read a book written in first person. It seems a little awkward at first, but you get used to it after a few pages.

Caroline is a photographer just out of a shitty marriage. She has her assistant, Will, arrange for her to have a harem of men at her house. There are strict rules (no shirts, no talking, no touching unless asked, etc.). If they break the rules, they're fired. Then Caroline meets Sean. An English violinist who breaks all her rules. She fires him (of course), but he returns anyway.

And y'all - when I say this book is short - I mean, it will take about 20 to 30 minutes to read. And when I say it's hot - I mean it is scorching.

Easy 5 stars. But damn, I wanted more! (I'm soooo greedy.)

Review: Do Over

Do Over by Mari Carr

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Good. Lord. I. Loved. This. Book.

It's super short - so it's a quick read. I know sometimes it's hard for a short book to really give you a feel for the characters and make you understand them. That wasn't a problem with this book. It was shocking how well developed the characters actually were, given the length of the piece.

The story focuses on Faith and Troy, a couple who has been happily married for 25 years. Recently, their youngest child left for college - and for the first time in a long time, they are alone. Faith is feeling the pains of an empty nest. To cheer her up, Troy suggests they go home.....to their hometown where their parents still live.....and where they met and fell in love.

Faith is sort of having a pity party with her mom.....the kids are gone, she's lonely, Troy is Mr. Happy-go-lucky, etc. She's not unhappy in her marriage....she just doesn't know what to do now that she doesn't have to parent every single day. Suddenly Troy come in (she thinks he's been out golfing with his Dad) and hands her a bag and tells her to go upstairs and change. Faith is confused, but she does it. When she gets upstairs, she realizes that the bag contains Troy's old high school letterman jacket. Still confused, but curious, she leaves with Troy and he proceeds to take her around the town to all of the places where they had their "firsts" and their momentous moments - where they shared their first kiss, where he proposed, the church where they got married, their honeymoon suite at the hotel, etc.

OMG. While I loved every single thing about this story - it also pissed me off because I am not convinced that a man like Troy exists. Cause Troy is fucking perfect. The sweetest, most romantic, sexiest.....you name it. And to boot - he is still totally, head over heels in love with his wife, even after 2 kids and 25 long years of marriage.

Beautiful story, hot sex, and it's nice to read a romance novel that doesn't involve a bunch of crazy shit. It's just your average married crazy hot passionate romantic loving erotic monkey sex.

I loved this book. 5+ stars.

Review: Willing Victim

Willing Victim by Cara McKenna

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've said it in my other reviews of Cara McKenna/Meg Maguire books.....I just love her style of writing. It's just so effortless and flawless. The dialogue is so real and lacks any cliche that I've come to expect (in some form or fashion) in my romance novels. I guess I just need to realize that and stop being so surprised by it. :)

The story centers on Laurel and Flynn. Laurel meets Flynn when he breaks up a fight in a park between a random couple. Laurel follows Flynn to thank him for stepping in and offers to buy him lunch. He lets her and throughout lunch, despite Laurel's hints and advances that she might be interested in him, he keeps telling her that he's not her type, etc. She persists and finally he breaks down and says that he'll agree to go on a date with her if she'll meet him at a certain location on Friday night. He tells her if she can handle that, then he'll go on a date with her. Turns out the location is a bar that is also home to an underground fight club. Flynn is one of the star fighters. Laurel is immediately drawn into Flynn's rough world - and as she will soon learn - that world also includes rough sex.

I really thought I was going to have a problem with the type of sex in this book. There were lots of warnings about the content and the rape fantasy scenes, etc. But really, it never got to a point where I found any of it offensive. Maybe it was because underneath all the scruff and gruff - Flynn was actually a super nice guy. He wasn't a misogynistic douche that wants to smack women around in bed. It was all completely consensual and that is made very clear in the book - and even the scenes where Laurel "struggles to get away", it doesn't come across as scary or rapey (I know that's not a word), but it really doesn't. It comes across as two people who know what turns their crank in bed.....and two people that aren't afraid to ask for what they want. That right there....is hot.

As with the other books I've read by this author, the characters have so much depth and you really do fall in love with them and get emotionally invested as they move toward their HEA.

My only complaint? This book wasn't long enough! I wanted more.....

Solid 5 stars. No question.

Review: Ruin Me

Ruin Me by Cara McKenna

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The story starts out with Jay and Robin getting (almost) engaged. Robin has been with Jay for 4 years and is deeply in love with him - but when he proposes, Robin can't make herself say yes......because of Patrick. Patrick is a man that saved her life many years before she met Jay. He even served 7 months in prison for beating up the guy that attacked her. She visited him often while he was in prison.....but when he got out, then barely saw each other or spoke. But ever since that night he saved her, Robin can't stop herself from wanting Patrick. (And she's never even so much as kissed him.)

Jay, the impossibly understanding boyfriend, knows about Patrick and the fact that Robin wants him (sexually). So he gives her permission to go to him - with one condition......they can do anything EXCEPT intercourse. Even though Robin is initially shocked by the idea, she is also hopeful that she will finally get Patrick out of her head......

And it just gets insanely hot and sexy from there until the end......goooood Lord.

I think Cara McKenna (otherwise known as Meg Maguire) might be a new favorite author. I love her writing - it's so effortless. I don't really know how to explain it. It just flows and I can't make myself stop reading. The dialogue is witty and sexy without being cliche in a way that some romance novels tend to be.

My only complain about this book is that it wasn't long enough! And I can't wait to read more of her work!

Review: The Reluctant Nude

The Reluctant Nude by Meg Maguire

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This. book. OMG. I don't really even know where to start with it. First of all - I effing loved every second of it. To the point I kept putting it down and walking away because I did not like the idea that I was almost done with it. I just wanted it to go on and on and on and on for infinity. I've read a ton of damn good books this year, and this one is up there in the top three for sure. I want to read it again. Now. And then finish it so I can read it again. I loved it that much.

So, the book features Fallon and Max. Fallon is a somewhat reserved ecologist from New York who travels to Canada to meet with the famous (and famously reclusive) artist Max Emery. He's a sculptor and he has been commissioned to create a statue based on Fallon - for her "fiance". Of course that's just a cover story she worked up because the "fiance" is actually this doucebag land developer that is trying to tear down her childhood home - and they only way he'll give it up to her is if she poses nude for Max, so he can create a life size (and naked) statue of her. (Dickish, right?) Since she has no other means to get her childhood home back, she reluctantly agrees.

Of course, she is immediately uncomfortable with Max and his casual, sexy, artsy Frenchness. But he senses her unease, so he proceeds with caution. At the beginning, it is just a HUGE paycheck for him.

As time goes on - both Fallon and Max begin to have feelings for each other as each of them slowly let their guards down and begin to really know each other. As the story unfolds, the sexual tension and desire jumps off the page. And parts of it were so intense....I just had to put the book down and think about what I had just read.

I don't even want to give any more details of the plot because I just want everyone to read this book. I promise you, you will not regret it.

I would give this book 10 stars if I could.

And finally - my favorite quote from the whole book: "What kind of bread?"

And yes - I realize that makes NO sense out of context. Just go read the damn book.....and you'll get it.

Review: Simply Shameless (#3)

Simply Shameless by Kate Pearce

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. Loved it.....loved it......loved it. I didn't want it to end, I couldn't put it down and the only reason I didn't read it in one sitting was because, you know, I have a job to go to.

Book 3 of this series tells the story of Madame Helene - who is the owner of the House of Pleasure. I love a good tortured hero. I also love a good tortured heroine. Fortunately for me, this book has both.

The book starts out with Helene, traveling alone from France to England to start a new life for herself. On her way there, she meets Philip Ross. Initially, she ignores him....but when a carriage accident forces them to spend a few nights together at an inn in the middle of nowhere - things heat up quickly. At the end of their few days together, they realize that their little fling is really something more. Philip ends up proposing marriage to Helene, but is swiftly turned down because Helene just can't bring herself to trust him or think she's good enough for him. He storms off and they part ways......for the next 18 years.

Through a series of events, Philip comes back into Helene's life 18 years later, and neither of them can deny that the attraction and the passion they once had are still there.

So far, I have loved both books in this series. When I got to this one, I honestly thought I was going to dislike it. I mean, I really didn't care about Helene, the owner of the House of Pleasure......until I learned about her backstory. Oh man. Talk about breaking your heart. And Philip, too. Geez. If two people EVER deserved a HEA - it's these two.

I would give this one more than 5 stars if I could.