Bingeworthy Books

Category: 5 STARS

  • Review: Fly With Me by Chanel Cleeton- Five Star FLAIL

    This book.  This book had me staying up until 2AM to finish it.  I started it earlier in the day and I absolutely could not put it down.  Sleep was not a high priority and neither was being mentally present the next day. AND I DIDN’T CARE.

    I discovered Chanel Cleeton last fall and I fell head over heels in love with her and her writing.  Lo and behold in the last book of the Capitol Confessions series, there was an excerpt for this book.  PILOTS. F-16 PILOTS.  Can you say catnip?

    When I was thirteen, Top Gun came out and I was OBSESSED.  We went to the Naval Museum in Pensacola, Florida that summer and I sat in an F-16 cockpit and I was convinced I was going to be a pilot.  Time passed and I came to appreciate the volleyball scene more and frankly, I was always more of a fan Slider than Maverick. Which considering that Maverick (Tom Cruise) turned into a couch jumping, Zenu loving weirdo, I feel even better about my choice. (FYI- Top Gun pilots were Navy, Cleeton’s pilot’s are Air Force… there is a difference.)

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    So, the book.  I read it again as I tried to gather my thoughts and it sucked me in all over again.  Noah and Jordan have absolutely staggering chemistry from the very beginning. They even allude to it in their own thoughts.  And its absolutely true!  It’s one thing for the characters to say that have chemistry but it’s another when the author makes you FEEL and BELIEVE the chemistry.  To the point where you’re totally ok with that fact that it’s basically love at first sight.

    Upon their first meeting in a bar in Las Vegas, it was lust at first sight but as Noah and Jordan spend more time together, it obvious that their attraction is more than just physical.  There is an incredible dance club scene that makes melt every single time I read it (Catnip!) and their connection is obvious and immediate and DELICIOUS.

    The song changed and the club grew frenzied around us, and then he was pulling me toward him and I was dancing, Noah behind me, his big hands on my hips, fingers laced with mine, his body moving against me.

    Yes, please.

    For such a tall guy, he had good rhythm. Really good rhythm.

    Honestly, I could include the whole scene and just reading it and typing it again makes me want to read it ALL again.  Noah and Jordan have that “We just met and I can’t enough of you, when I can I see you again?” thing going on.  Noah is a pilot, stationed in Oklahoma and Jordan lives in Florida.  This is a long distance relationship with a complicated twist.  They do the best they can to see each other and learn even more about each other.  Throughout the love story runs the very real complication that is Noah’s job as a pilot.  Many of us know military couples/ families and see the reality of their relationship, the moving and the time they have to spend apart.  I have an immense amount of respect for the sacrifices those couples and families make.

    While Cleeton writes an incredible love story but she does not short change the reality of the Noah and Jordan’s future.  The danger of his job, where will they live and can Jordan give up everything she knows for him?

    In the middle of Noah and Jordan’s sweet and RIDULOUSLY sexy love story… there’s pilot FLIGHT SUIT sex… we meet Thor (guh) and Easy.  I need these books and I need them NOW.  Ok, so I may have Thor’s book on my Kindle right now. (July 5th)  Easy’s will book be here in January and I’m telling you…his book is going to be a DOOZY. Holy crap.

    This review feels completely all over the place and it IS because this book completely rocked my world and I’m still discombobulated over.  I swooned, laughed, cried and I even had a number of Noah induced hot flashes.  Fly With Me is on my Best of 2016.

    So I can with 100% certainty recommend this book.  You need this book.  You need this book. Go… buy it now.  Thank me later.

     

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    From the author of Fly with Me and the Capital Confessions Novels comes the newest in the sexy Wild Aces Romance series.

     Eric Jansen—call sign Thor—loves nothing more than pushing his F-16 to the limit. Returning home to South Carolina after a tragic loss, he hopes to fix the mistake he made long ago, when he chose the Air Force over his fiancée.

    Becca Madison isn’t quick to welcome Thor back. She can’t forget how he shattered her heart. But Thor won’t give up once he’s set his sights on what he wants—and he wants Becca.

    Thor shows Becca that he’s no longer the impulsive boy he used to be, and Becca finds herself irresistibly drawn to him. But will Thor be able to walk away from his dream of flying the F-16 for their love or does his heart belong to the sky?

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  • Review: Big Rock by Lauren Blakely

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    Write this down, people, this is officially my first recommendation for 2016… buy this book now.

    I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about Spencer, but I’m here to tell you that I LOVED him and I LOVED this book. Don’t let the title or the first few sentences of the book fool you… not only is this book hilarious but it is so romantic and sweet. And the sexy times are off the charts (as they usually are in a Lauren Blakely book) I’m having a bit of a hard time explaining how much I enjoyed this book.

    The bar for male MC narrated books is set pretty high thanks to Drew Evans and Emma Chase.  Thanks to Drew and Ms. Chase, I love a male narrated book as long as it’s done well.   Ms. Blakely gives us a truly lovable character in Spencer, in that, he makes no bones ( huh huh, I said bone ) about how much he loves women.  He really isn’t a complete asshole and when it comes to his BFF, Charlotte he’s almost sweet.

    Again, don’t let the snippets you’ve read fool you, Spencer is sexy as hell but underneath it all, he’s a good guy.  He has a great family and his parents have a healthy marriage.  So, he isn’t damaged or anything and the scenes with them are great.  This book is a great example of your perfect match being right in front of you the whole time… right under your nose.  In Charlotte, he has a best friend and business partner and she knows him completely, the good and the bad.  After being thrust into a relationship with each other, they finally take the time to see what they have in each other AND have lots of smokin’ hot sexytimes.

    If you like a friends to lovers story, this one fills the bill perfectly!!

    Ms. Blakely has so perfectly combined laugh out loud humor smoking hot romance in Big Rock and I cannot wait for more.

     

    I do my best work in the bedroom. This is completely my domain. So it should be no big deal that she asked me to wait here. But something about being in Charlotte’s bedroom is wigging me out.

    Mostly because there’s nearby nudity transpiring mere feet away.

    She’s taking a shower, and no matter how you slice them, New York apartments are approximately thimble size. Let me spell this out—wet, naked, hot woman in a ten-foot radius.

    Got it? Okay. Moving on.

    I pick up a picture frame on her sky blue bureau of the dog her parents have. A fluffy brown summa dog—some of this, some of that. I’m going to focus on this mutt. Zero in on him. Look at his tail. Check out his ears. Yup, this picture is doing the trick. It is helping me not to linger on the naked woman and how well she kisses.

    Or how much I liked it.

    Why the fuck did I like it so much?

    Of course you liked it, idiot. A pretty woman kisses you, and you’re straight—you’d be stupid not to like it.End of story. Doesn’t mean anything. Stop analyzing.

    Especially since she just turned off the shower.

    Maybe she forgot a towel. Maybe she’ll open the door a crack, and ask me to grab one for her.

    I smack my forehead. Get it together, Holiday.

                I set down the picture, draw a deep inhale and straighten my shoulders. The door creaks open. She steps out of the bathroom wearing only a white fluffy towel wrapped above her breasts.          

                “You might be wondering why I asked you to wait in my bedroom instead of the living room,” she says, in the most matter-of-fact tone.

    I have no clue how she can be talking like we’re having a business transaction when droplets of water slide down her bare legs. But I’m a strong man. I can handle this. I’m not tempted at all by my best friend. Though my dick begs to differ, the traitorous prick.

    “The thought crossed my mind,” I say, as I lean against the bureau, striking a casual pose.

    “Because if you’re my fiancé, you need to be comfortable with me being naked,” she says with a crisp nod.

    Shit, she’s going to do it. She’s going to drop the towel. She’s going to make us practice fucking. I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth.

    Wait. No. I can’t fuck my best friend. I absolutely, positively, can’t screw Charlotte. Even if she tosses the towel on the floor and begs me to.

    I lace my fingers together behind my back, linking these twitchy hands.

    “Okay, so you’re getting naked,” I say, doing my best to imitate her cool-as-a-cucumber tone that is throwing me off big time.

    “No. It’s the idea of me naked,” she corrects.

    I give her a pointed look. “Seems to me it’s both the idea and the reality.”

    “Fine, fine. They’re one and the same, and it’s part of the debrief.”

    “Is this the exam portion?”

    She walks past me, her arm brushing against mine before she yanks open the top drawer of the bureau. “Yes. This is the practical portion.”

    “And this is because you somehow think we’re going to be required to be naked together in front of Mr. Offerman in order to pull this off? This isn’t like some feats-of-strength style fake engagement where we have to pass certain skill sets in an obstacle course. You know that, right?”

    She nods, as she hunts around in the drawer. “I’m aware of that. I see this as more like the Newlywed game.”

    “And in this version of the game we’re quizzed on how I get used to the idea of you naked and vice versa?”

    Her breath hitches when I say that—vice versa.

                I don’t know what to make of that small gasp, or if it means something about the idea of me au naturel.

                She spins around, and holds up two pairs of panties, one in each hand. “Quick. Do you prefer it when your fiancée wears the black lace thong?” She waggles a scrap of silky-looking fabric that is so hot my face might be engulfed in flames right now because Charlotte owns that? “Or do you prefer her in the white side-string bikini?” She waves the white pair before my eyes, and all I can see is a tiny triangular patch of fabric that’s the slightest bit see-through.

    Forget the flames. I am a fucking inferno right now knowing she owns this too. White panties that reveal pretty much everything.

     

    Mandy

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  • Review: Sustained by Emma Chase

    The first and maybe the most important thing I can tell you about this book is, I read it one day.  Honestly, I can’t really figure out how.  I mean, I have 3 kids and a job and I managed to start it on a Wednesday and I finished it at 1:30am Thursday morning.  I enjoyed it that much. I absolutely could not put it down!

    I’m a complete fool for Emma Chase.  I’ve loved pretty much every male she’s written, with the exception of Stanton, who frankly was…well hard to love as much as the other Chase men.  (I’m a tad bit of an Emma Chase apologist, okay?)

    But let me tell you, there is so much to love about this book.  Jake Becker is a tattooed law practicing badass.  Very much a badass in the same vein as Drew Evans but he is still a very different guy.  Ms. Chase’s characters do not run together for me and I truly enjoy them in their own way.

    I adored Chelsea as much as Jake did.  She was brave, warm and loving and sacrificed so much in order to take of her nieces and nephews without batting an eyelash.  Jake is immediately physically attracted to her and pretty shortly comes to realize that there is way more to her than meets the eye.

    Chelsea’s nieces and nephews are an absolute pleasure to read about.  After losing their parents, they could’ve easily been written as intolerable brats, acting out to cope with death. While they did get in trouble here and there, it wasn’t terrible things they were doing..for the most part. 😉  Jake never envisioned having kids and a family but he found himself being pulled into McQuaid brood in ways he’d never expect.  Like oh, I don’t know, escorting a bunch of teenageish girls to a One Direction concert and fearlessly wading into a house full of stomach virus victims, without batting an eyelash.

    Jake does these things without a bunch of whiny internal monologue.  He does it with a mature attitude of “Chelsea needs my help and it needs to be done”.  Of course, his initial involvement revolved around getting into her pants but it evolved rather quickly into something much more meaningful.   Is Jake perfect?  Nah.  Does he make some stupid decisions?  Sure. But I just kept on reading because I was completely engaged and sucked into this story.  I even CRIED.  Emma Chase, you made me cry and you know why.  *shakes finger*

    Sustained was a great combination of a trademark Emma Chase male character narration, sexy, funny and completely heartfelt and I LOVED every minute of it.

     

    Mandy

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    Available January 19, 2016

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  • 10 Qs with Cristin Harber’s Parker Black- Black Dawn review and

    I have to admit that I’m a huge fan of this series as a whole and I’ve always loved Roman.  For me, he was that one character that I wanted to know more about and I wanted to know ASAP.  So, I got Roman and I loved him.  Next thing I know, Ms. Harber has decided that resident tech geek Parker was up next.  I’ve always enjoyed Parker in past books, he has the same humor that the whole Titan crew possesses.  I kind of began to really wonder about Parker because he was kind of a mystery.  I truly had no idea how much I’d enjoy his character.

    You want to know why I enjoyed him so much?  He had layers.  Like an onion…just keep peeling.  Just because the dude sits behind a computer does not mean he can’t kick your ass.  Oh my lord…sweet baby Jesus.

    Our boy Parker also (like all Titan men) has a soft spot for a woman in need.  Enter Lexi Dare.  Lexi finds herself shackled to epic jerkwad Matt, who also happens to be an abusive asshole.  Lexi knows that she needs to get away from him once and for all but Matt has alienated her so severely that she feels beholden to him in some way after enduring a childhood of abandonment.  At one time Matt offered her never ending love and affection, now he uses it to manipulate her into staying with him.  Lexi has plans to get away from him and take her beloved dog, Bacon with her.  Matt, being the epic dickhead that he is, even threatens Lexi with hurting Bacon if she leaves.  Parker, to his credit, knows that something isn’t quite right with Matt, so he keeps an eye on things.  Lucky for Lexi, Parker comes into her life in a very important way.  While Lexi isn’t a completely helpless heroine, she certainly needs the support that Parker provides.  While Parker is a big and intimidating guy (aside from being wicked smart) he offers her affection (hugs) and a zing of sexual attraction that she no longer felt for Matt.

    …the world felt full of possibilities just from how Parker made her feel.  There was something between them, the kind of connection that made the air feel magnetic, as though it crackled and sparkled the closer they stood.

    I have to say that Ms.Harber deftly handles the subject of spousal abuse.  Matt is an asshole of epic proportions (did I mention that?) and Lexi deserves so much more.  She knows she does, it’s just a matter of timing.  If you’ve read any of the Titan series, you’ll know that they do not put up with any mistreatment- especially of women and once they get wind of what’s going on with Lexi personally and professionally and that she is important to Parker, they are all in. (Yes, that was giant run-on sentence)

    As the boss man, Jared so eloquently points out:

    “Somehow, for the last decade of your life or however the hell long you’ve worked here, you’ve missed out on something basic.  You got personal, we deal with personal.  And, brother, you have never got personal.  When shot pops up, as it’s done now, we go in and fix it.  Winters needed his girl.  We got his girl.  I needed a hand with Sugar.  Even though sh was kicking and screaming, we dragged her sweet ass home.  Rocco, Caterina.  Cash and Nic. Don’t even make me mention Roman,”

    Oh and did I mention that Lexi is a badass hacker herself?  Um yeah. Totally badass.  She’s no shrinking flower in need of a white knight to gallop in and rescue her professionally.  In fact, she has tendency to drive Parker a bit crazy professionally speaking 😉 I’d like to say more but I won’t.

    This book has layers and Ms. Harber covers several themes so very well.  Domestic abuse, hacker culture (really interesting btw) and the whole Titan group.  Let’s face it, my review is barely scraping the surface of the depth of this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  This genre is Harber’s forte and where she always manages to draw me in and totally immerse me in the Titan world.

    Parker stopped by recently and answered 10 questions. The Titan men always manage to give interesting answers 🙂

    10 questions from Inside the Actor’s Studio

    1. What is your favorite word? Done. Done when I finish a job, when I’m on the hunt for intel. Done when I need to get the hell out of the office and to my girl. It means on to bigger and better things.
    2. What is your least favorite word? No. Statistically speaking, there’s a way to do just about anything. So to hear someone say no, especially if it’s off the cuff, that drives me crazy.
    3. What turns you on? There is nothing sexier than spirit and intelligence. A girl doesn’t have to be an expert in quantum physics, but what catches my attention is a passion for learning and appreciation for what she knows. And she should have a hell of a fight in her, no matter what the obstacle.
    4. What turns you off? Mindless chatter. If you have something to say, make sure it is worth your breath.
    5. What sound do you love? The sound of success. *grins* When Lexi has finished something’s worked on, especially if it’s been harder than she anticipated, she makes this sound. It’s like a mixture of a content sigh and a hell yeah. Favorite sound ever.
    6. What sound do you hate? *laughs* Boss Man’s call coming in when I don’t have an answer he needs. Mostly because I should have the answer already and I’m pissed I don’t.
    7. What is your favorite curse word? Fucker. *laughs* Real smart sound, huh? Enemy drone? I want to take the fucker out. Asshole ex? I want to hurt the fucker. If something needs to crash, I’m praying that the fucker goes up in flames. Crass, but so it goes.
    8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt? Wow, I have literally done what I do in what shape or another since I was a kid. I’ve always tapped into technology. But… I would probably go back into the field again. I train with the ops teams, Winters and I go head to head on just about anything—most times I can take the guy. *laughs* So, put weapon in my hand and let me have the mission objective. Job would be done.
    9. What profession would you not like to do? Any job where I didn’t use my mind to reason out an outcome. Folding clothes in something retail would make me antsy. Flipping burgers would be too repetitive.
    10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates. *eyebrows drop quickly before he runs his hand over his face* I think He’d say something along the lines of good looking out for my girl. She needed me, and it might’ve taken me too long to figure out, but then I did. She’s the reason I lived and breathed. To make her life better.

     

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    1 winner: Books 1-3 in the Titan series (e books-4) and Titan Swag pack

    1 winner: $10 Amazon GC

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  • Review: Sweet Sinful Nights by Lauren Blakely

    What can I say? I’m a fan of the Nichols men.  I wish that there were more of them, though.  I fell head over heels in love with older brother, Clay Nichols in Ms. Blakely’s Seductive Nights. (Blog post)  I’m not sure what Clay and Brent’s father told them when they were growing up, but I’d like to bottle it and sell it.

    I cannot even express how happy I was to be back amongst the fabulousness? fabulosity? of a Nichols man.  They are alphas to the core, sexy as hell and complete and utter panty dropping dirty talkers.  On top of all of that, Brent is a (former) comedian and he is hilarious.  What I also loved was that Shannon was so well matched for him. After being engaged to each other and splitting up over Brent’s own hard headed stupidity, it was only fair that they got a second chance.  Brent realized that he had a GOLDEN opportunity, to get back the woman he truly loved.  There was no question that Shannon and Brent belonged together!  It was a matter of the two of them learning to be honest with each other and working through what drove them apart in the first place.

    There was a lot of sighing, swooning and hot flashes while I read this book.  I absolutely cannot wait for more from this series.  Alas, there are no more Nichols brothers but I have faith that I’ll love Shannon’s brothers almost (?) as much as Brent and Clay.  😉

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    She turned to look at him, and neither one of them said a word. Her green eyes were dark and intense. Her lips were so close. The inches between them were swallowed whole by the connection that crackled between them. She seemed to sway closer, and he moved in, seizing the moment.

    He lifted his hand to her hair, still sleek in its twist, different from the shade she’d had when he knew her, but beautiful just the same. A strand had fallen loose, chestnut brown and curled. He touched it, ran his finger across the single lock. Time melted away as he leaned into the familiar crook of her neck. The craving for her ran so damn deep it lived inside his bones.

    He inhaled her, that honey scent, a new smell that in an instant marked her.

    “Shan,” he whispered, rough and gravelly, filled with so much want for her, which had built over the years, grown higher, spread further, formed roots. Inhabited him. He was desperate to have her in his arms again, to smother her in kisses that erased all the years.

    “Brent,” she whispered, his name sounding like sugar on her tongue.

    He buried his face in her neck, layering kisses on her soft skin. “Where have you been?” he asked, though it was entirely rhetorical. She hadn’t been with him. He hadn’t been with her. That was the answer.

    “Where were you?” she countered softly.

    He lifted his face and looked her in the eyes as he brushed the back of his fingers along her cheek. “Thinking of you,” he said.

    He didn’t know how he’d gone from breaking two glasses to finding her falling into his arms. But that was where they were. He cupped her cheeks in his hands. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” he rasped out, and then he crushed her mouth. He consumed her lips. He kissed her hard, and greedily, and the world around him turned black and small. It faded into a speck of nothingness because there was room for nothing else in his world but her.

    Q&A about the Sinful Nights series:

    Does this take place after the events in the Seductive Nights series?

    A: Yes. This story begins one year after the final Seductive Nights book.

    Can I read this if I haven’t read the Seductive Nights series?

    A: Yes! You won’t miss a beat if you start with SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS. That’s why it’s Book One!

    Brent is Clay’s brother. Does this mean Clay will be in SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS?

    A: Why yes! He will indeed appear in a handful of scenes!

    Is this series similar to the Seductive Nights series?

    A: Absolutely. The hero in book one is a Nichols man! Nichols men are known for being dirty, passionate and fiercely loyal! You can also expect scorching hot sex scenes, dirty talk, high-class and glamorous settings, and passionate love. Have I mentioned the heat :)?

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  • ★ The Slayer by Kele Moon- 5 Star Review ★

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    I’m going to make this easy for you.  This was probably the best book I’ve read so far in 2015.  There- I said it. This book completely ate my brain!  I’ve been a Kele Moon fan for what seems like forever and I LOVE the Battered Hearts series so much- it’s not even funny.

    I remember reading the first book (Defying the Odds) in that series and someone on GR said (in a nutshell) “Oh you just wait, it gets better with the next book”.  AND IT DID!  To this day, Starcrossed is one of my all-time favorite books.  I have a signed copy of it on my bookshelf that I stare at lovingly. 😉

    So- about The Slayer.  The main thing I loved about this book was that Ms. Moon completely took her time to tell Chuito and Alaine’s story.  No corners were cut in telling their story and I was totally enveloped into their world and their story.  I’ve always used Starcrossed as the bar for which all I measured all of Ms. Moon’s books.  At some point in this one, I freaked out because it was THAT GOOD.  You know that feeling you get when you realize that you’re reading a book that just blows you away and that you just cannot put it down?  Yeah, that was me and this book.

    Ms. Moon goes all the way back to the beginning of Chuito’s Alaine’s relationship/friendship and I really appreciated the dense history she provides for them.  Chu and Alaine’s relationship is somewhat complicated by Chu- more than anything.  Chu is punishing himself by being in Garnet and Alaine represents everything he feels he does not deserve.  It’s obvious that Chu and Alaine love each other very much but Chu holds himself at arms length from Alaine.  Until they cannot deny it anymore and then you have to wonder how in the world they will make it all work.  How will they combine their two worlds?  Chu, a former gangbanger/MMA fighter and Alaine a preacher’s daughter…

    Alaine is a GREAT female MC.  She broke away from her family and is living her life by her own rules.  I loved her fortitude and her unrelenting belief in the goodness of Chuito.  She is drawn to him immediately, she sees him as a man who needs care and and is worthy of love.   They create a world of their own in their apartments and they grow from friends to so much more. As they bonded over eating together and hanging out.  Not to mention THE DANCING. OMG, the dancing is as sexy as the sexytimes and let’s face it, Ms. Moon can set the page on fire.

    Can we just talk about TINO and NOVA?!!! ( We meet Tino and Nova in Starcrossed)

    Holy shit.  I love these guys.  LOVE.  We get a massively huge bromance with Chu and Tino and I loved their relationship.  We are also treated to learning a lot about Tino, his motivation, his role in the Moretti family etc.

    Due the book going back a few years, we get appearances from the whole Garnet crew and we get some behind the scenes stuff from previous books that I enjoyed.

    NOVA.  While I’m on pins and needles about Tino’s book (coming next) I don’t think I can adequately express how bad I want Nova’s book.  I can’t even quantify it.  In fact, I don’t want to think about how long I have to wait for it.

    OH!!! DO NOT MISS THE DICTIONARIES!!! These are narrated by Chu and Tino and are not to be missed.

    So yeah.  I loved it.

     

    “It’s a new dance. I don’t know the steps.”

     “No steps. You always need rules,” Chuito complained. “Just listen to the music. Close your eyes.”

     “They’re closed. I’m listening.”

     “Listen to the drums. That’s the part you listen to. Feel it.”

     “I’m feeling it.”

     “No. Feel it like a heartbeat. Like life. You want it to be a love song, hear the sex in it. Hold me like I hold you.” He jerked her tighter against him as he said it, forcing her breasts to crush against his chest and her dress to ride higher up on her thighs. “Like you need me.”

     Alaine sucked in a hard breath and ran her hand up from his shoulder to his neck. The lust made her languid against her will, and when he moved this time, she followed because she didn’t have a choice.

     “You’re not supposed to think when you dance. Supposed to just feel. To move the way I tell you to move.” He ran his hand up her back, pushing at the center of it until she arched into him, allowing her head to fall back and forcing her hips tightly against his. “Yeah, like that.

     Better. I step hard. You step—”

     “Soft,” she finished for him.

     “That’s right. Follow my hand. Hard, soft, together we fit.” He loosened his hold on her waist, and she stepped back to the beat and then allowed him to pull her into his arms again. They did it a few times, the push and pull, stepping away from the heat and moving back together like they needed each other to keep breathing. Then he pulled her to the right and stepped to the left at the same time. When he used his hold on her waist to force her back, she stepped so that her feet were between his. He fit the two of them back together like a puzzle piece again, with his leg pressed so intimately between her thighs it was making her ache. She arched her hips on instinct, and he hummed in approval. “Bueno, asi mismo. Move them like

    God made you to move them. That’s good, mami.”

     Before now, they’d been dancing salsa, not this hybrid, more sensual form of moving that felt like a guilty pleasure. The beat was the same, the steps were sometimes the same, but this was so much more intimate. A tease. A candy-coated sin that wasn’t a sin because it was labeled dancing instead.

     Alaine loved it.

     She let herself be completely soft in his arms, moving where he wanted her to move, because it felt so damn good to let go of everything else and just be with Chuito. All she had to do was feel the drums throbbing and listen to the erotic, lulling sound of a man singing in Spanish about dancing with his woman.

     All night.

     They danced until the sun came up.

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  • Review: Risking it All by Tessa Bailey

     

    A couple of months ago, while reviewing another Tessa Bailey (reviews) book I lamented that I’d like for to write a book with a higher word count.  Well, I got my wish.

    Our man is Bowen is  broken and bruised in so many ways and Ms. Bailey really got to the heart of him.  Bowen is quite an edgy guy and has some serious protective instincts where Sera is concerned.  Honestly, I’m kind of left scratching my head as far as what to say in this review.  I’m not going to mince words, I enjoyed everything about this book.  Bowen and Sera are going to be a read again couple for me for sure.  My Kindle needed to spend some time in the freezer though.  Smokin’.

     

    “Did Hogan tell you not touch me or something? Because-”

    “What?” His head whipped up, the hands holding hers against the wall flexing hard.  “Listen to me, if I wanted to fuck you, I’d end anyone or anything who got in my way.  Nothing would stop me.  Not a locked door,  Not some lowlife.  Nothing.”

    “If?” she repeated, embarrassment cooling her desire.  “You don’t want to?

    His laughter was harsh. “Want to? Want to?” One of his hands loosened its grip to drop down and grasp the bulge in his pants.

    “I didn’t even know it was possible to ache this bad.  It hurts to breathe, baby.”

     

    This book is a spin off of Ms. Bailey’s Line of Duty series and is a great start to the new series, Crossing the Line.  I cannot wait for the next one! (What else is new?)

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  • Review & 10 Questions w/ Roman: Hart Attack by Cristin Harber

    I think we all have a series where, you meet a character that you kind of become obsessed with.  Let’s say you meet that character pretty early on in the series, say book one or two.  That’s nice isn’t it?  And then the author proceeds to TORTURE you, giving you little pieces of the character and possibly introducing a love interest a couple of books before said lusted after character.  Are you still with me?  Good.

    In case you haven’t caught on yet, Roman Hart, is that character for me.  I wanted his story from the moment he jumped off the page in Garrison’s Creed.  Actually, he didn’t jump off the page, so much cuss right off of it.  That’s how we meet him, cussing at Cash.  Ha! Roman is surly. He’s been through a lot, everything with Nicola and now it seems it’s his turn to fall head over heels in love with a woman who is going to challenge him every step of the way.

    Beth.  Our girl Beth is formidable and yet quite vulnerable down deep and she has wrapped herself in her work to function in her life.  Beth carries a huge amount of sadness and guilt around and I really just wanted to hug her.  (Actually, I really wanted her to let Roman hug her) She knows that Roman is her Achilles Heel but feels the undeniable pull towards him.  It’s almost comical the dance the two of them do around each other.

    Like all of the Titan women, she is no slouch and Lord knows she has to be a badass in some way to be able to deal with Roman.  Let’s face it, he can be kind of jerk and he makes no apologies for that and it’s rather endearing to me in a “I’m an alpha giving you a hard time because I care about you” way.

     

    “I didn’t say you were a booty call, Beth.” He left the door open and walked down the hall.

    “Come in or leave.  Either way, shut the door.”

    Freakin’ attitude problem.  “You’re a jerk.”

    “Surprise.”

    “The asshole routine isn’t a good look for you, just so you know.”

    Though, the shirtless look was.  Carefully, she stepped into his house and prayed that he’d put a shirt on.

    Well, kinda.

     

    To say that there was a fair amount of verbal sparring in this one would be an understatement. (Also the kind of verbal sparring where you just want them to finally throw down and get naked)  I enjoyed the give and take of Roman and Beth, they were well matched and complemented each other.  Professionally, they worked well together too and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. (I’m not even going to go into how hot the sexytimes were.  Just trust me.)  Oh and there’s Roman suit porn.  YES.  Roman in camo and cargos is one thing but the thought of Roman in a dress shirt and suit jacket makes MAH knees all wobbly.  Good googly moogly.

    Let’s talk about the Titanverse.  Yes- that’s my new name for it…I’m trademarking that name.  TITANVERSE.  The whole gang showed up and I freaking loved it.  Sugar, who I enjoy more and more made a memorable appearance and of course, cracked me up.  Hell, they all made an appearance!  I love Titan family reunions.  Ahhhhh.

    Can we take a moment to appreciate the bromance between Cash and Roman?

     

    “Doesn’t your wife feed you?”

    Cash ignored him.  “So who was the lucky lady?”

    “It’s not like that.”

    “Man, you broke out the crescent rolls.  Of course it’s like that-”  Cash pivoted, head tilted.  “Is a Beth thing?”

    “No”

    “Not a thing?  Or not Beth?”

    Roman stared at the rolls. “If you choked and died this minute, I’d be okay with it.”

     

    Awww see?  I love these boys.  Oh…so um I kinda got to ask Roman my favorite 10 questions (from Inside the Actors Studio) and he DID NOT disappoint.

     

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    Hey, Straight Shootin’, thanks for letting me drop by. *rubs hands together* Ten questions, I’m ready. Whatcha got?

    1. What is your favorite word? Favorite word… Well, let’s see.
    Favorite word? Easy, it’s “dude.” It’s the perfect word. It means what the hell, or it gets someone’s attention. Or it shows a serious level of annoyance.

    “Dude, that’s awesome.”

    “Dude, let it go.”

    “Dude…”

    I guess it could sound kind of like I’ve gone all Cali-surfer guy on you, but trust me when I tell you, that word works the military-black ops scene well.

    2. What is your least favorite word?

    Special.  It’s awful. Whoever thought of special never wanted a guy spouting it off. “Oh, that’s special, Beth.” See what I mean? Doesn’t work. Not unless I say, “Oh, he’s special, Beth.” And it generally goes hand-in-hand with some job she’s working and I pretty much hate the asshat who she happens to work with. Gregori Naydenov—he’s special. In a I-wanna-kick-his-butt kind of way. Maybe that makes me a brute, but that’s fine. Long as I’m not special.

    3. What turns you on?

    *Laughs and shakes his head* There’s a certain feisty, curly-haired spy that can do anything, and I think it’s hot. But, general terms, a chick that can throw back a beer and shoot some pool? Hot. A woman who knows how to sway her ass to get my attention? It’s been known to work. But, God, give me a smart lady with a sassy mouth and it will kill me not to kiss her.

    4. What turns you off?

    Appletinis.

    5. What sound do you love?
    *tilts head, gives a look* Not sharing that. But let’s just say when I hear it, the world could be falling apart and I won’t give a damn. (And neither will Beth.)

    6. What sound do you hate?

    There was a time when nothing would slow my roll if a Titan job was on the line. The second I had the go order, I was running toward the helicopter. But, things have changed. If my girl’s in my arms and the phone rings with a job, I’ll cringe a little before letting go. Don’t get me wrong. I love my job—I live and breathe Titan. But, I also live and breathe someone else now too.

    7. What is your favorite curse word?
    Fuck. Not very creative but gets the job done and fits almost every situation.

    “Fuck, I’m in a tight spot.”

    “Fuck, my woman looks good.”

    “Fuck, Straight Shootin’ probably doesn’t want me eff-bombing all over their page.”

    8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

    No idea… Oh, man, let me think… I could rate and review tactical weapons. But I don’t know if there’s much of a career in that.

    Hmm. Totally outside the military spectrum, I could probably fake my way through a chef’s job. I can cook the hell out of some grub. That’s a little known fact about me. So a chef.

    9. What profession would you not like to do?

    I couldn’t sit at a desk. I couldn’t counsel the grieving. *rubs a hand over my face* If I can’t blow something up in the general course of business, it’s probably not a job for me. So desk jockeying or sales would send me to the grave faster than an IED.


    10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates

    I’d love him to say, “Job well done.” Whenever there’s a Titan job, that means someone’s getting hurt and someone might die. Truthfully, I enjoy taking the bad guys out. I’m a protector. A soldier. I do what’s right, even if it’s messy. That is why God put me on this earth, and I hope to get a high five from the Big Guy when I get there.

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  • ARC Review : I Saw Her Standing There by Marie Force

     

    I’m always excited beyond belief when I start a Marie Force book and depressed when I’m done.  Every single book, I am beyond excited to start it and to return to the world that Ms. Force has created!  Then as I’m reading, reality dawns upon me that sooner or later, I’ll come to the end of the book and finish it.  I guess I can call that a First World/Book reading problem.  There are much worse problems to have.

    Now, this book?  I ADORED Lucy and Colton!! Colton was just as delicious and charming as his older brother, Will.  I remember when I read Will and Cameron’s book, All You Need Is Love, and I completely freaked out over Will.  I kept wondering, are all of the Abbott men, this AWESOME?  So far, the answer is

    HELL YES.

    There is something about the Abbott men and their skills in and out of the bedroom.  Holy CRAP.

     

    He kissed her.  Hard.

    When she moaned and opened her mouth to his tongue, he took full advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate the other things she could do with her mouth beside obsess about other women in his life.  He wrapped his arms around her and settled into his kiss as his muscular body pressed against hers.

    Lucy curled her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips.  She’d never been kissed the way Colton Abbott kissed her, as if kissing her was the only thing keeping him alive.  He didn’t kiss so much as consume.  She felt consumed by him, and it was the sweetest feeling she’d ever known.

     

     

    so-hot

     

    Colton and Lucy lead very different lives in completely different places and neither one has any plan to make a change.  So what happens with you fall madly in love (while in a bit of denial about it) with someone and all you can think of is that person, wanting to be with that person and you can’t see them on a daily, much less weekly basis?  This is the conundrum for Colton and Lucy.  To Ms. Force’s credit, there was no easy, quick fix.  She brought them along slowly and I kept wondering, how in the world would Lucy and Colton figure this out?  I love that there was no quick fix, it was all about Colton and Lucy figuring out what was important to them and how to manage their lives and compromise.

    And of course we cannot forget the elder members of the Abbott family and their adorable meddling ways.  I truly love how Ms. Force has woven the parents and grandparents into this series (just as she has done in the McCarthy/Gansett series).  Although, the elder Abbotts are on another level of meddling, but it’s meant in a “we know what’s good for you  and we are going to do it anyway- way”.  We also get to hang out with Cameron/Will (squee) which made for some hilarious conversations between brothers and BFFs.  Hannah/Nolan of course made several appearances and we got a little bit more of Hunter.  I really cannot wait to see how Hunter’s book plays out.  I loved getting a glimpse of the Abbott family members via conversations with Colton (aka giving advice) and family dinner.

    In conclusion.  I LOVED this book.  Love Love Love and I cannot wait for more from Ms. Force and this series.  Hell, I’ll read anything she writes, she’s THAT author for me.  If she writes it, I’ll buy it.

     

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    Book 3- I Saw Her Standing There:

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    Book 2- I Want to Hold Your Hand:

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    I have the pleasure of offering one of my lucky blog readers the prize pack below.  This giveaway is AWESOME!!! I want to win it! 😉

    • Green Mountain series sticker
    • Stuffed Fred the Moose
    • Signed copy of I Saw Her Standing There
    • Sample of Vermont Maple Syrup
    • Vermont Country Store catalog (we are requesting this—will see if they’ll do it)
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  • Review: Owned by Fate by Tessa Bailey

     

    OwnedbyFate400

     

    It’s kind of scary to me that Ms. Bailey improves with each book she publishes.  Somehow, some way, something always evolves with her writing.  To be honest, I’m not a huge BDSM fan but I know that if Ms. Bailey wrote it, I won’t not hate it.  😉  I think that’s one of the marks of a truly talented writer, they can take a subject you may not be bouncing off the walls about and push you out of your own zone and enjoy the book.

    This one is as full of intensity as (many? all?) of Ms. Bailey’s books are, but Jonah possesses an edge that I found to be slightly different than the others.  That’s something I truly appreciate, Bailey’s characters do not run together for me.

     

    “Why don’t we start with your name?”

    He dragged his tongue across his teeth.

    “The one I was given at birth or the one I’d prefer you to call me?”

    Caroline swallowed hard, already regretting her answer. “Both.”

    “Jonah.” He pressed his hips forward.

    “Master.”

     

    Um yeah.  Hot flashes galore with this one.  On the other hand, Ms. Bailey explores Caroline’s viewpoint so well.  Caroline could not understand the lure of this kind of club, much less the lifestyle.  Little did she know that Jonah was exactly what she needed in more ways than one.  Caroline admits to herself that “she expected to be disgusted” and yet she was far from it.  These feelings are quite a source of confusion for her and a source of contention between her and Jonah because he recognizes that she may (or not) be more trouble than she is worth.

    But what fun would it be if Jonah walked away from that kind of challenge?  None.  Zip. Nada.  Jonah possesses the requisite “Bailey Badass” intensity and a vulnerability that I will not the reveal the details of.  But I will tell you that it adds another layer of  depth to this story.  Jonah is a dominating sexual ninja AND a tender lover/partner and it’s freaking fantastic.

    At one point there was shift in the plot, a moment where a decision is made by Caroline (again, not going to divulge) and I swear, I just sat there and thought “Tessa Bailey, you just moved up another notch as a writer.” When I finished, I felt like this book represented another shift in Ms. Bailey’s writing evolution.  Personally, I think she needs a bigger field to run around in (like a horse needs a large field…like a really pretty, funny and smart horse).  I’m talking larger word count, longer books…more room to run.  Either way, I’ll keep reading.

    Just sayin’.

    GUESS WHAT?  In October Ms. Bailey is releasing another book in the SERVE series, Exposed by Fate on 10/27.  The book features Caroline’s brother (Oliver) and her BFF, Eliza.  Good things to come, I suspect.

     

     

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