What a book! Some characters deeply flawed, others totally messed up. But here’s the thing, you will be hooked from the beginning. Once you enter theiWhat a book! Some characters deeply flawed, others totally messed up. But here’s the thing, you will be hooked from the beginning. Once you enter their dark depraved world, you become involved in their destiny. You root for the monster, you empathize even as his depravity sickens you. It’s everything dark erotica should be.
So. A prowler is on the loose. A peeping Tom who has moved beyond just watching. He has started taking.
I flourish in the darkness. And for me, 3:15 is the quietest time of the night. Far beyond most people’s ability to stay up late, and too early for even the earliest riser. It’s when you are secure in your sleep, in the safety of your warm covers, when you think you are most alone. That’s when I come, when every last guard is down.
He moves from victim to victim but he’s yet to find the thing that will fill that void. Until he sees Vesper. Vesper is beautiful. But that’s not all that draws him to her. There’s more, and he wants it.
Maybe she wasn’t like the others. Maybe she was something in between people like them and people like me.
And even though he’s used to meticulous planning, Vesper is not like the rest. And for once, he doesn’t leave the victim, he takes her.
As you can see, I’m trying very hard not to give you the story. The reason is that I went in blind, and so should you. I will tell you that this is right up there with the best books I’ve read, and even more so in this genre. Initially ,I thought it was very much like Comfort Food, particularly the conditioning. But then it became much much more. Comfort Food is a short story that left me slightly unfulfilled – wanting to fill in the gaps of the characters lives before and after. This one shows you how the monster was born. It takes you through both the villain and the victim’s lives and so, for me, it was a more complete experience.
And not only that, it is well written. The words flow, creating these deeply written characters. Vesper for one, is a sweet girl. Used to taking care of people but never really feeling taken care of. Which is why when she realizes someone is watching her, she’s afraid, but there’s some thrill intermingled with the fear.
I don’t know what this is. I don’t understand it. But every part of me wants it. To feel so strongly desired. To be cared for. To always be the singular focus of his attention. He’s brutal, but I am the focus of his obsession.
Then there’s the villain. He is brutal. Believe me when I tell you that the author pulls no punches. He is a nightmare in every way. He is dark and twisted and every trigger warning is at the heart of this book. He is on a hunt and no one is safe. But Vesper, she keeps him in line. She’s the one who holds the control. But what does this mean for Vesper? Being with a monster?
You don’t stare the devil in the eyes and come out without some of his sin. You can’t beat the devil without becoming like him. You can’t appeal to his kindness, so you have to learn to play his games. You lie, you fuck, you manipulate, you fight, you hurl insults, until you do whatever it takes to win the battle. Every time you do those things, you understand him a little more. Until finally, he becomes your ally. You think you’ve won, that you’ve made him more like you. But the truth is, it’s the other way around. So that even when you win, you’ve lost.
Again. What a book! Steamy in that way only dark erotica can be. Scary, so scary. And even though the author warns that there’s no light, if you’re like me, you’ll find that light and it will add to the devastation. There’s just nothing quite like this book.
This was my most anticipated read of the year, and what.a.book! So devious and delicious and just so brillianFor more reviews go to: Jessy's Book Club
This was my most anticipated read of the year, and what.a.book! So devious and delicious and just so brilliantly crafted, I didn’t want it to end!
I’d been stalking RK religiously since I read Breaking Him. But you know how it works – sometimes when you’re really looking forward to something, you build it up in your head so much that you know it’s going to be a disappointment. Not this one. It was everything I wanted and needed it to be, and then some.
It begins where book #1 left off. Dante has once again broken Scarlett’s heart and she’s drowning herself in a Costco-sized bottle of Patrón… as you do :) And as much as it hurts to go through it again, what happened the first time might have been way worse.
Once you’ve been broken, every break after, even when they hurt like hell, can never outdo the profound damage of the first time.'
And while we got bits and pieces of what happened the first time, this book finally lays down all the pieces of the puzzle and man did they hurt. This was angst in bucketfuls. I cried like a baby and I guarantee you will too. It was just one thing after another trying to break these two apart. One awful thing after the next and sometimes I asked myself if human beings can truly be that awful to each other. How naïve of me! Yet these two are made for each other, no matter how many people come between them…
“Does he know he doesn’t have a chance? That he never did? You’ve never been soft for anyone else. You’ve never been vulnerable. Those things belong to me. They always have. They always will. You’ve never given that you that’s mine to anyone else and you never will.”
And as much as Scarlett would want to deny it, that has always been the truth.
He was a complicated man. Manipulative. Ruthless. Savage. In his eyes was an enigmatic power over me that was exclusive to him. The king of all my regrets. The architect of every last drop of joy I’d ever tasted. My tormentor. My savior.
Sigh :( Yes, we all know they’re meant to be. That their kind of love doesn’t come often. And after all the scheming and hurting, we learn to forgive right there with them and it’s a journey, believe me. I felt so invested in these two and that’s why this author is so dear to me. She knows how to make it hurt but also how to make it heal. She takes you through the trenches, but then brings you right over to the glorious other side.
And did I mention the steam? I mean, angry sex, hate sex, love sex… it was all there in perfect detail. To be honest I didn’t need much, every time Dante spoke I brought out the fan :) And what a complete package he is! I mean, do men like these exist? He loved her so much, like a disease and its cure together.
To say I missed her was a cruel understatement, like saying you’d miss your soul after you gave it away. After it was torn from you. I was empty. Flesh without blood. I was not whole without her. Never would be.
My review cannot do this book justice. I have so much of the book highlighted it’s impossible to figure out what to put in here and what to leave out for the reader to discover for themselves. But I will say this, the series title could not be more appropriate if it tried. We get both love and war. The two mix so well together you can’t tell one without the other. And maybe the reason I got so invested in these characters’ happiness was because of how deeply they suffered. How they clawed their way to each other despite the odds.
But more than that, it’s the author’s voice, that is so uniquely hers, that makes this book one of the best I’ve read in a long time.
Finally, Cade’s story! I developed a bit of a crush on Cade the Demon in book #4… as handsome as the other immortals but with a naughty side :) See, tFinally, Cade’s story! I developed a bit of a crush on Cade the Demon in book #4… as handsome as the other immortals but with a naughty side :) See, the only way demons can tell who their fated partner is, is by sleeping with them, so Cade took advantage of that. However, for the last year of so, he’d discovered who his female was, but he couldn’t have her seeing as she was a mortal.
Demons are not allowed to claim mortal brides as they might not survive it. So he watched her from afar. Her – Holly, a mathematician aspiring for her PhD. Too clever for Cade who though a prince, was sent away to live with a foster family. Everything he’s learnt is self taught, so he’s sure he can never measure up.
Anyway, these two are thrown together because it turns out that Holly is The Vessel. Every once in a while there comes a woman who will bear a child of ultimate good or ultimate evil: The Vessel. An evil sorcerer wants Holly so as to get a child of ultimate evil, and Cade is to deliver her. In exchange, he can finally reclaim his brother’s crown. Talk about a dilemma.
It’s a foregone conclusion that I will love every book in this series. Kresley Cole can do no wrong in my book, so I was expecting to love it, and it lived up to my expectations. Cade was just as naughty and deliciously hot as I wanted him to be. At first I thought Holly too boring but she has spunk and she’s clever so it all evened out.
I will say that my favorites are still Bowen and Sebastian, and surprisingly, their wives are my favorite heroines…. but Cade and Holly still came close. They had this undeniable attraction and the steam was still off the charts.
“If you were mine, I’d give you a good seeing to at least five times a day.”
And that he did believe it or not. That he did.
The book has the amazing action I’ve come to associate with the series though I’m still waiting for the immortal that will make me forget Bowen MacRieve ;)
The moment I read book #1 in this series, I was turned into a romantic suspense fan. Nothing better than things blowing up all around a love story :) The moment I read book #1 in this series, I was turned into a romantic suspense fan. Nothing better than things blowing up all around a love story :) But this turned out to be a different kind of love story, one with not just one man, but two.
Two brothers, Blane and Kade, both having fallen for the same girl, Kathleen Turner. After all those near death misses, after finally admitting she just might love two men, it's time for Kathleen to choose in this last instalment in the series.
I was in an unwinnable situation. In love with two men - two brothers - and the consequences of that would hurt us all.
I have to say, I for one didn't want her to choose. I was the loudest advocate for polyandry… why can't she keep them both? But alas, she had to choose. And it's a long way to that decision. Both men with such different qualities, yet in the heart of it, love for her and a will to do anything to give her a good life.
"Sooner of later, you'll choose," he whispered. "You'll want one of us more than you don't want to hurt the other. And you'll choose. I want to be the one you can't live with out."
Sigh… I of course won't tell you who she chooses but she took her sweet time. I actually felt for the two men. I mean, I get it's a difficult situation and I would have been just as confused but the way she went back and forth just didn't feel fair. But, alls well that ends well.
And of course this is not just a love story… someone is up to no good and this time we get more than one villain. Kade is up to his usual sexy no-one-messes-with-kathleen mode and Blane is the one with his head on straight. But they both want the woman and the competition is on. The heat was off the charts… much more than in the other books...
It's hard to write a spoiler free review so I will say this, a wonderful conclusion to the series. One brother gets the woman and the life he's always wanted, the other… well… let's just say I hope the other one gets a novella or something just so he can get his HEA.
I am Justice Drake. And I turn housewives into whores.
Now…who’s first?
The entire blurb is like a lightening bolt to your spine. I wanted to know who I am Justice Drake. And I turn housewives into whores.
Now…who’s first?
The entire blurb is like a lightening bolt to your spine. I wanted to know who Justice Drake was, wanted to find out just what he does and how he does it… and man! I wasn’t prepared for what I got!
My business is sex. I instruct sex. I live and breathe sex. And I need it, just like their duplicitous husbands.
Justine Drake runs an exclusive resort where women whose relationships are crumbling, i.e, their husbands are cheating on them, go to learn how to loosen up and sex it up. His methods are unothodox, he revels in shocking these rich housewives and he succeeds all the time. These women are the kinds that make the tabloids; rockstar wives, Upper Eastsiders, you know the kind. Justice knows everything about them, down to who their husbands are cheating with, and his job is to get them to become more appealing to their husbands.
I have to say I was initially shocked, not by his methods because I’m no prude, but by the idea of the program. But I got lured into it by the author’s wit and writing style…. and by the fact that Justice redeems himself. His program has been running for a long time, but something is different this time round. He can’t get one of the women out of his mind. He’s always managed to remain professional… stay away from the women… but he can’t stop wanting this particular woman.
Kissing Ally would be so easy. Touching her, holding her, tasting her… it’d be like breathing. I want to breathe. I want to inhale her in every way possible. I want her life to sustain me, her heartbeat to synchronise with mine. But I don’t want to taint her.
See, his life has been one of seclusion. He left everything he knew to start over, and he likes it that way… until he meets the woman who challenges who he is and how he lives his life. She brings light to his otherwise dark existence… and now that he’s found her, he’s not willing to let her go. There’s just one problem, she’s married.
Ally may be Evan’s by law, but she’s mine by nature. And in a battle between lions, no one gives a fuck about what’s lawful. It’s all brute strength, cunning and instinct. Three things I’ve utilised my entire life to survive.
And the battle for her ensues.
This is definitely a new take on erotica, and I’m all for something different. SL Jennings shocked then delivered. Bravo!
Kick is the story of Fiona Drazen, a 23 year old with a huge problem, and that’s an understatement. Fiona wakes up at a mental institution where she’sKick is the story of Fiona Drazen, a 23 year old with a huge problem, and that’s an understatement. Fiona wakes up at a mental institution where she’s told that she stabbed her lover twice in the chest. She has no recollection of it. She is given 72 hours of evaluation and if she can convince her therapist that she is fine, she’ll be released.
But theres more to it than that. She’s a wild child, drug addict and the media knows her well. So she just might be getting out of the institution to face the law. Her story is told in the present – at the institution, and the past – as she recollects her BDSM relationship with Deacon, her Dominant. The purpose: to try and jog her memory of what happened the night she stabbed him.
In usual CD Reiss style, the book is brilliantly written. The words flow, the story builds up to a mighty crescendo, and we’re left with a cliffy. And though it’s a short novella, we get to connect with Fiona, sympathise, and in my case, pity her.
There is heavy subject matter packed into those pages… Drug abuse, sexual addiction and heavy BDSM. It was shocking to even me because I can honsetly not relate… But the author did a good job of laying it bare. No mincing of words or glossing over… It was there in all of its realness.
I’m curious to see how CD Reiss cleans this one up, because this girl needs it.
I said before that the men in this series get better and better and Bowen MacRieve proves that right. I swooned more for him that I have for any fictiI said before that the men in this series get better and better and Bowen MacRieve proves that right. I swooned more for him that I have for any fictional man... ever!
So you guessed it. Wicked deeds on a Winter's Night is the story of Bowen Macrieve. We first met him in book #2, as Lachlain's best friend. Bowen has lived through centuries of loneliness and sadness due to losing his mate Mariah. In book #3, he entered the Hie to compete for the ultimate prize, a time travel key. He hoped to use it to go back to the night his mate died and save her. His book starts during the Hie, where he finds he's very attracted to Mariketa, a young, mortal witch. He's sure she's used a spell to enthrall him because as a Lykae (werewolf) he's meant to have only one mate and though she's dead, he cannot be attracted to another. Hasn't been for centuries.
"For one hundred and eighty years I've no' touched another." He leaned in closer to her. "Have never even given a woman a second look. But now I canna seem to keep my hands off a slip of a witch," he rasped at her ear. "A witch who has me feeling like I'll die if I doona find out what it'd be like to kiss her."
Because he wants to win the Hie without distractions, he traps Mariketa in a cave, but not before she casts a spell on him, he'll hurt like a mortal and cannot regenerate from any wounds.
As you know from reading book #2, Bowen doesn't win the Hie, in fact, he's trapped in a cave slowly dying, not knowing that Mariketa is also slowly dying in the cave he trapped her in. But he vows to go back to her and kill her for costing him the competition. Only when he does go back, he finds he's still attracted to her. She feels like his mate, which is not possible since one cannot have more than one mate in a lifetime. He wants her to break the spell, but starts doubting whether it actually is a spell. Maybe, just maybe, he has the chance to find love again.
"Doona bring me back to life only to destroy me once more."
Ah, his story! A hot tortured warrior finds love again? I was sold from the beginning! And before I continue gushing over Bowe, we have Mariketa the Awaited, believed to soon become the greatest witch anyone has ever seen. Unfortunately, she is still mortal and can't control her powers.
These two were hilarious together. If they were not fighting or kissing, they were teasing each other. I loved it. She was a lovely heroine. I loved that she kept him in check. And of course Bowe could not help but be possessive of her.
"I doona share what's mine. No other males. Only me. It'll only be me for you."
But of course she wonders if he can truly be hers. After all, he's suffered for so long because of his mate's death. She wonders why she always comes second, and if he could truly want her given the choice to get his mate back.
It was a beautiful love story. But of course, not merely that. Mariketa is awaited to do something huge. And she finds her destiny is nothing short of impossible. So we get action and drama in the midst of all the romance and steam :)
I've tried to read other genres in the midst of all this paranormal addiction but have failed. Nothing can top these books, these men, their women and their stories… So onto book #5 I go. But I'll leave you with more of Bowen.
"They question why I have no' found a way to die after my loss. I want to take you among them and say 'This is why I kept going, you sods. And look at my reward.'"
Sigh... This man. So happy he got his happily ever after, even though he had to go through hell to find it.
I’m officially a lover of the Immortals After Dark series!
A Hunger Like No Other is the story of Emmaline, the half vampire, half Valkyrie, and LachlaI’m officially a lover of the Immortals After Dark series!
A Hunger Like No Other is the story of Emmaline, the half vampire, half Valkyrie, and Lachlain MacRieve, king of the Lykaes (Werewolves). Lachlain had been imprisoned and tortured for centuries by the Vampire king Demestrieu. He escapes one night only after following the scent of his mate.
See, the Lykaes have one true partner, their mate, and Lachlain has searched for his for centuries. When he finally discovers that his mate is Emmaline, a vampire, he is disappointed. The Lykaes and the Vampires hate each other, and he hasn’t met a vampire he hasn’t killed. But Emma is his mate, whether he likes it or not. So he takes her by force, because he must have her. And, the more time he spends with her, the more he feels for her…
Over the long years alone, he’d envisioned his mate in a thousand different lights. He’d prayed she would be intelligent and attractive, prayed that she would be caring. And now Emma, half-vampire, half0valkyrie, was shaming even his wildest fantasies.
And the attraction is two-way… Emma finds that she’s starting to like him, even want him…
He’d called her beautiful! Before she’d felt only a sad resignation, but now she was giddy. She narrowed her eyes, realising what this was, Stockholm syndrome. Surely. Identifying with you bullying captor? Check. Forming an attachment to him? Check. But in all fairness to herself, how many captors were six-and-a-half-foot-tall gods with delicious, sun darkened skin, coolest accent, and the warmest hardest body she’d ever dreamed of?
LOL. None Emmaline, so take him and run! Is what I mentally shouted at her ;) As his friend tells her…
He’s a wealthy, attractive male, a king, who would spoil and protect you for the rest of your life. All you have to do is accept it.
Yup. I absolutely love their story. The Immortals After Dark series is more erotic than other paranormal series I’ve read, and I was still surprised at how erotic. Lachlain wants Emmaline and he’s not afraid to take her by force… but the more time he spends with her the more he realises that he also wants her to enjoy herself… and there begins a series of erotic scenes that had me fanning myself.
But it’s not all smut. Lachlain has a sensitive soul as we soon discover and he’s not happy with his treatment of Emmaline. Add to that the fact that he was tortured for so long and we get ourselves a very tortured alpha male – the best kind in my opinion :) He definitely stole my heart with the man he turned out to be… saying what he feels whether it will be reciprocated or not… and of course, it’s his mate, so possessiveness doesn’t even begin to cover his nature.
I found Emmaline funny though I did wish she’d stop torturing Lachlain and just love him. Throughout, I found the push and pull of their story entertaining and endearing and of course steamy but I remember a point where I wanted to shout at Emma to just succumb and let Lachlain have her.
I will say that my favorite part of the book was their love story. The fact that Lykaes and Vampires do not coexist, the fact that Emma’s Valkyrie aunts would hunt down anyone who takes their Emma… everything about the conflict and the execution of their love story was perfect.
But the book is again not all romance… there is the world that Kresley Cole has created of vampires, lykaes, valkyries, witches, ghouls and every other preternatural you can imagine. I’m more of a vampire lover myself and usually stay away from urban fantasy… my brain is seriously slow at wrapping itself around all these creatures and their complex worlds. So I did have to fight that in the beginning, especially in book #1. But I’m only at the beginning of this series and immensely enjoying myself. I just bought book #3 and I find that the more I go, the more I understand about the world.
If all else fails, I’ll stick to the love stories with the possessive alpha males and the women who catch their hearts.
“While you’ve been running around growling ‘mine’, I’ve been silently saying it right back at you.”
Having read Kresley Cole’s hot Paranormal Romance series, I was really looking forward to her Erotic one… and now I can tell you with all certainty thHaving read Kresley Cole’s hot Paranormal Romance series, I was really looking forward to her Erotic one… and now I can tell you with all certainty that no one writes erotic scenes like she does!
The Professional introduces us to Natalie, a PhD student searching for her birth parents. Her investigator disappears and she gives up hope. One day, in a bar with her friends, she sees a stranger. She’s always been good at reading men, so good at spotting who was what, which is mostly why she remained a virgin, never saw one she wanted enough. But with this stranger, things are different. Her friends can’t believe she’s found the one man she can’t decipher.
“That’s one hot piece of tackle- in a cage fighter/GQ model mash up kind of way. Probably gets more ass than a toilet seat. But he got you to look twice, which makes him a rare and wondrous creature, this bar’s very own unicorn. Requires closer investigation…”
And so she investigates and comes face to face with Aleksandr Sevastyan. A 3 piece suit wearing, scarred AND tattooed man. No wonder she can’t read him. But he knows her. He’s been sent to protect her. A professional… but there’s so much more to him… and their story begins.
I’ll first start by saying that it’s been a long time since I read Erotic Romance… it had become tedious, the same sort of smut… then I read The Professional… met Sevastyan and thought… Christian Grey who? He was a possessive dominant who wanted more than he could give.
Yes, he wants Natalie, wants to possess her… but he also has dark secrets he doesn’t intend to share. Add to that the fact that he’s been sent to protect her… A Russian enforcer in the Russian Mafia… He had everything I go for (in the fictional sense). Oozing bad boyness… and a dirty talker to boot.
“When a woman singles me out” – he leaned down to murmur at my ear – “it’s because she wants to get fucked. She looks at the scars and tattoos and knows she’ll get fucked hard.”
Yes. Sevastayn is exactly what our virgin heroine needs.
It was as if I’d thought pleasure was only rated on a scale of one to ten, and then this guy seductively whispered, “Didn’t you know? The upper end is infinity.”
But she’s not a naive virgin. In fact, she was the furthest from naive. She was funny and I have to say I identified with her A LOT. Mostly with her humor and her relationship with her best friend Jess (who deserves her own book!) But more than that, she was intelligent. She made a few questionable choices in my opinion, but all in all a heroine I liked.
Their story is in no way straight forward. It reminded me of what I missed so much in this genre. Well written erotic scenes… Sevastyan is a dominant and he shows Natalie just how good it can get… man! Those scenes… I love a dominant possessive man as much as the next person but Sevastyan might be the most possessive yet… This man wears sexy-possessive like a second skin… and it turns out that’s the kind of hero I like…
“If you become mine, I won’t let you go.” His words were clipped, as if he was biting back frenzy. “Understand me, if I’m, your first lover – I will be your last.” The ringing tone of finality chilled me. “And I would kill any man who thought to touch what was mine.”
And he was serious with that. Sevastyan was used to figthing for what he wanted. And when he got it, he kept it. Which to be honest, kinda scared me.. but well.. turned me on as well… just like our heroine…
“This need I have for you… it should unsettle you.”
I swallowed. It did. Still I asked, “Why?”
“Because it unsettles even me.”
But more that their love story is the background story. A father Natalie never thought she’d ever meet. A country she never thought she’d visit. And a situation in which she never imagined herself. So we get much more suspense and intrigue than I even imagined.
I vacillated between 5 and 4 stars because there were times I thought the heroine was making crazy decisions but after all was said and done.. I loved their story… humorous and steamy, just how I like it.
I can’t imagine reading anything but this series! Every time I’m done with one book I rush to get the next in the series. I highly doubt I’ll read anyI can’t imagine reading anything but this series! Every time I’m done with one book I rush to get the next in the series. I highly doubt I’ll read anything else till I’m done with the last book in the series!
Destined for an Early Grave brings us back to Cat and Bones. They are finally relaxing together since Cat quit her job hunting bad vampires for the government. Now it’s just her and her husband Bones. Until she starts having strange dreams, all telling her that Bones is not her actual husband. There could be another.
Remember how excited I was that Bones was jealous in book #3? How possessive he acted? Now imagine what he’s like when there’s a man claiming to be Cat’s husband? Possessiveness x100! Which then made this book one of the best emotionally speaking. Cat and Bones begin to fight, and to question each other’s devotion. Which of course doesn’t help, because the vampire who is claiming Cat wants her back, and if Cat is unsure of Bones, the better for him.
“I won’t stand for this. I’m not going to hold you in my arms and wonder if I’m the one you’re really thinking about.”
Poor Bones. I absolutely love him and seeing him in so much emotional pain was just hard.
“I can stand for many things. I can stand your affection for Tate, much as I despise him. Your repeated jealousies over other women, even when I have given you no cause, for I’d be the same way in your place. I can stand your insistence to participate in dangerous situations that are way over your head, for again, that is also my nature. All these things ate at me, but for you, I chose to stand them…
Underneath your claims of devotion, past your love – and I do think you love me, despite it all – you don’t want to change over because you don’t think we’ll last. You believe we are only temporary… I’ve known it since I met you, but I’ve been patient. I told myself that one day, you wouldn’t look at me with those guarded eyes. That one day, you’d love me the same way I loved you… I’ve been a fool.”
Gah! I felt for him. My newest and favorite book boyfriend that’s for sure. The way he loves Cat… just beautiful. And the way he continuously shows that no matter what, she comes first. Sigh…
Besides my falling deeper in love with Bones, I did love everything else about the book. It still has Jeaniene Frost’s trademark writing – humor that had me laughing out loud plus wit, steam, suspense, intrigue… the whole shebang.
I continue to be wowed by this author. I can’t remember the last time I connected so well to a cast of characters. The sexy Bones, the strong Cat, then bring on Vlad, Spade, Ian… even Cat’s annoying mother!
A brilliant series. A must read. I can’t bring myself to read anything else.
I’d been looking forward to Em and Hunter’s story since they were introduced to us in Reaper’s Legacy! Their story was clearly going to be a modern daI’d been looking forward to Em and Hunter’s story since they were introduced to us in Reaper’s Legacy! Their story was clearly going to be a modern day version of Romeo and Juliet…
I’d given almost a decade of my life to the club. Never complained, never held back. I’d done terrible things for the Devil’s Jacks. I’d keep doing them, too. All I wanted in return was one thing. One girl. Of course it had to be the girl who could start a war with a phone call…
See, Em is the daughter of the Reaper’s MC President, whereas Hunter is a member of the Devil’s Jacks, the Reapers’ sworn enemies. Add to that the fact that Hunter kidnapped Em… and things don’t look like they could work out for these two.
Their story begins right before the kidnapping… and we finally get to know what exactly was going on between Liam (Hunter) and Em. I enjoyed these two. Em is really her father’s daughter, she was no nonsense the entire time and the kind of heroine you root for. Hunter is deliciously sexy and we get to find out about his background and how he turned into a Devil’s Jack.
I will say that Em is my favorite heroine so far in this series… she stood her ground and fought for their relationship… and there was a lot of fighting seeing as nobody was thrilled that she’s dating the enemy. Add to that a series of incidents that result to the two groups pointing fingers at each other… and let’s just say, these two had their work cut out for them.
Em didn’t fight singlehandedly though, Hunter was right there with her.
“We’ll have shit come up, fight, whatever. But you’re mine now. I won’t be sharing you, I won’t be leading you, and I sure as fuck won’t let the Reapers take you away from me.”
Unfortunately, because of the incidents and threats of ‘going to war’, these two were not together as much as I’d have liked. It seemed to me like most of their relationship happened via the phone… of course when they did get together the chemistry was off the charts… but I wished for more of these scenes. To me it had a ratio of 60 – 40, 40 being them actually together and 60 being the clubs’ infighting… so I was left wanting more.
Luckily we have the humor and authenticity that is the trademark of this series, so this was a worthy instalment. I’ll end by saying that Ruger still holds top spot as my favorite biker in this series :)
Maybe some hidden, fragmented part of me had feared that if I admitted to Bones how much he truly meant to me, then I’d be acknowledging to myself thaMaybe some hidden, fragmented part of me had feared that if I admitted to Bones how much he truly meant to me, then I’d be acknowledging to myself that he had the power to destroy me more thoroughly than anyone… All the rest of the world could only kill or devastate my mind and body. Bones alone held the power to demolish my soul.
Sigh. Back with my favorite characters :) Okay, so I never left. I’m so hooked on this series it’s insane!
In This Side of the Grave, Cat and Bones are now hunting a different kind of predator. No longer bad vampires, but bad ghouls. Vampires have been dying left, right and centre. A ghoul is behind this, inciting the rest to go into war with the vampires. As strong as vampires are, Cat and Bones find they need another ally. The ghoul queen of New Orleans.. However, she might be more inclined to stick with her kind…
Not surprisingly, I absolutely loved this instalment of what has fast become one of my favorite series. The humor in it is so unexpectedly hilarious… Like when Cat argues with Bones and Vlad on whether they have to kill their hostage, and Vlad (with Pyrokenesis) just does it.
“What the hell was that?” I gasped.
“Premature inflamulation.” he replied. “Happens sometimes. Very embarrassing. I don’t like to talk about it.”
Ha :) I absolutely love Vlad! The characters are just so well developed and an absolute thrill to read about. I honestly can’t believe I just recently heard of the series. Living under a rock is not fun at all ;)
Back to the book. Cat and Bones are much stronger after their major fight in book #4. They might even be better than before.
“No matter what happens, you will never lose me.” he whispered. “I am forever yours, Kitten, in this life or the next.”
“You’ll never get rid of me either,” I said, “no matter which side of the grave we’re on. I’ll haunt you, chase you all around eternity, whatever it takes, but it’s you and me until the stars burn out.”
Ah… these two! And I haven’t even mentioned the action, the intrigue…
The only caveat I had was that some of the characters seemed to have developed further than the last book. Thing is, between book #4 and book #5, the author wrote two other books in a spin of of the series. So if, like me, you choose not to read the spin off, then you’ll find mentions of activities you have no clue about and characters who suddenly have wives/husbands. Did that deter from my enjoyment of the book? Not at all.
I’m about to go on to book #6. I am utterly and completely obsessed.
And it keeps getting better and better! I actually say that with so much awe not only because I’m wowed by Kylie Scott, but because I’ve never been a And it keeps getting better and better! I actually say that with so much awe not only because I’m wowed by Kylie Scott, but because I’ve never been a romantic comedy fan and it’s turning out that I quite the fan! I usually stay away from romance books labelled as humorous but this book made me reconsider. I laughed my way through 80 percent or so of the book. And it was awesome!
Play is the story of Mal. We met him in Lick as the funny, playful and super sexy drummer for the rock group Stage Dive. In Play, he meets Anne, a girl next door type who happened to be invited for a party at David’s house. He immediately starts joking around with her. Next day he moves in with her asking her to be his pretend girlfriend. Why? In his words…
“I’m a fucking delight to have around. Plus I’ll open jars and lift heavy shit. I hear those are issues for women.”
Lol. Ok no, that’s not why he needs a pretend girlfriend. We don’t really have a clue in the beginning. Anne agrees to do it, and let’s be honest, it’s no hardship, everyone and their mother have a crush on Mal. And that is how their story begins :)
It was hilarious which I’d expected having read the first book in the series, Lick. But this one upped the ante. I had serious laugh out moments and immediately liked Anne. These two were seriously made for each other. The banter and wit had me reading this book every spare moment I got.
But of course not everything in their lives is hunky dory. There’s something Mal is hiding from everyone which sees him having some down moments from his usually playful self. Add to that the fact that Anne comes from a terrible background and these two have their conflict.
I loved that even the super playful Mal had an emotional side…
“I’m missing a beat, Anne. I can feel it. Shit ain’t right.”
I looked up into his beautiful face. My heart breaking for him. “I know. I’ve got you.”
Ah! I loved these two! I will say that I wished their erotic moments were less chatty and more… we’ll, you know ;) but all in all a fun read. Had it’s heavy moments but nothing too angst. Plus with all the humor it turned out to be the kind of read I needed.
I wanted him with something more than abandon – conviction. Now, this other emotion blossomed and it gave depth to my desire. I wanted to know every iI wanted him with something more than abandon – conviction. Now, this other emotion blossomed and it gave depth to my desire. I wanted to know every inch of him, to be his living map and his willing canvas. I’d never thought of love as a want to submit, and yet there I was, surrendered before I’d even touched him, and something other than my pulse uttered the command.
I couldn’t love this book more! Incredibly written, incredibly smutty, incredibly funny, incredibly heartfelt… going to my favorites shelf, that’s for sure!
Breaking Joseph is the second and last book in Leila’s story that begun in Breaking Leila. I admittedly wasn’t Leila’s biggest fan after what she did to poor Matt, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the book. In Breaking Joseph, we join Leila in New York where Joseph is paying her to sleep with him for a week. Of course Matt is on the trip, and so is Aidan (I love Aidan so much!) Matt is incredibly hurt from his break up with Leila and as much as Leila regrets the whole thing, she is now enjoying being with Joseph.
The sun will rise in a few hours and one way or the other, I’ll be forced back into the black and white world. I could be Leila, who is on a glamorous trip to secure her job as a proper lawyer. Or I could be Charlotte, who is on an extended job with her last client, and is blurring at the edges a little more with every fuck. When I wake up… who will I be?
Joseph, the Chairman of the Whored, the smart, rich, handsome and unapologetic man who now just might want more than a week with Leila.
Originally, I thought Joseph was nothing like my other clients. Wrong. He’d come to sate the more forbidden desires and had ended wanting something on another level. Only two things separated him from the other men I’d fucked for money: I hadn’t expected him to ask for anything else and I longed to give it to him all the same.
I absolutely enjoyed their story. I still felt for Matt but finally understood why Joseph and Leila were so drawn to each other. Two sides of the same coin.
“I want… I want to own every inch of you so that you beg to be allowed others. Sweet little things we can tease and torture together, men who wish you moaned their names like mine. I don’t think monogamy is physical Leila. I don’t think you do, either.
I absolutely loved how they came together. How they wanted each other, even healed each other through it all.
We never made love, and we never really fucked anymore, but oh, we cast spells and fought battles.
Sigh, so beautifully written! I have to say that the book is incredibly and unapologetically smutty. Pack-your-bags-and-move-into-a-huge-fan hot! But also described as dark in that there is some edge play… blood play… well, be warned. But it is also lightened by the laugh out loud humour and the sarcasm. It was such a beautiful mix of everything I love.
And that’s not even talking about the heartfelt moments. The moments where Leila learnt to deal with the whore side of her that is Charlotte. The moments where she realised her feelings for Joseph, the moments where her two sides warred with each other, and the moments where she triumphed, whole.
I cannot say enough good things about the writing. I remember checking my kindle twice, at 52% where I breathed a sigh of relief for having another huge half to go, and at 70% where I despaired for almost reaching the end.
Again, going to my favourites shelf. A definite must-read.
I thought she was a saint. She thought I was a sinner. Too bad we didn’t try to find the truth. We both paid the price. We destroyed each other.
I was I thought she was a saint. She thought I was a sinner. Too bad we didn’t try to find the truth. We both paid the price. We destroyed each other.
I was so excited to read a Pepper Winters book! I’m always getting recommendations and with a prologue like that I just had to.
Destroyed is the story of Hazel. She accompanies her friend Clue to an underground (mostly illegal) fight club, Obsidian. There she meets the owner who goes by the name Obsidian Fox. The attraction is instant.
He was just… more. More in every way. More man. More danger. more threat that I’d encountered in any male, but it was the scar that made him unique. Jagged, irregular, it transformed half his face from perfection to sordid story. Half of him seemed approachable while the other steeped in hell.
There’s a pull that binds the two of them together. They’re both perplexed by this connection. See Hazel has a sad secret, one that holds her back, and Obsidian has a dark secret, one that does not allow him to get close to anyone.
The attraction however forces Obsidian to do something he’s never done before. He goes after the girl. And since he wants her so bad, he takes her by force. Hazel is pulled into obsidian’s world. One that’s full of darkness, a man she can’t touch, a man who’s dangerous to her and everything she holds dear. But she wants to fix him, and she finds she can’t stay away.
Somehow my need to help him became tangled with the desire to make him fall for me. To keep him, so I could always be there to bring him back from the dark.
Again, I was curious to enter into the dark erotic world of Pepper Winters. And I was immediately captivated – I love tortured heroes after all. And none is more tortured than Obsidian Fox.
“I want you to touch me. I want you to break me. I’m yours, Hazel.”
I felt for him as he battled his feelings for Hazel. I rooted for him as he attempted and failed to heal himself.
And then there was Hazel. Sweet sweet Hazel with a backbone of steel. How she tried to fix this man. How she tried to make her world right as it crumbled around her. And though it was hard, they fought and fought for what they wanted. And though they failed, they always tried again.
I will however say that I have some caveats. I found that I skimmed some, it felt a tad too long. I also lost my concentration in parts and found myself feeling strangely apathetic to some scenes and uncomfortable in some. But that’s all me. I can in no way say another reader will feel the same.
It is definitely not the darkest book I’ve read nor was it meant to be. It’s mostly about an extremely tortured hero who learns to heal.
What an incredible conclusion to one of the most heart rending stories I’ve ever read.
“Love doesn’t let you walk away clean. Love is messy. Lov[image]
What an incredible conclusion to one of the most heart rending stories I’ve ever read.
“Love doesn’t let you walk away clean. Love is messy. Love takes a fucking piece of you before it’s done.”
We finally get to the end of Tristan and Danika’s story and what a journey it’s been. So many ups and downs, so many tears and laughter, and more pain that two people in love should ever have to handle. But RK Lilley is not done taking our hearts through the grinder. You will cry with them and for them. You’re heart will shatter, but it will mend, right along with theirs.
Lovely Trigger begins a few months after the accident. You know, the accident that left Danika broken in more ways than one. Tristan wants to make amends. He’s already in rehab and trying and hoping for a reconciliation.
I longed to have her in my life. In any capacity. I’d take literally anything. I wouldn’t be happy with less than everything, but I’d take what I could get. Crumbs, scraps, tastes of what she once felt for me, as a salve for what I still felt in abundance for her.
But he doesn’t even know half of what happened to Danika in that accident. He can see what happened physically, but the emotional scars are enough to convince Danika that the two of them can never be friends again, let alone lovers.
“There is this hollow place inside of me, where my faith in you used to be. I am so full of fear, and I do not know how to let myself trust you again. I don’t have the strength to do this. Not again.”
The story, rather, the conclusion to their story then spans a period of over six years. Of Tristan trying to fix something that can probably never be fixed. Of Danika trying to move on with her life. But their love is a sickness and a cure together. No one can hurt Tristan the way Danika can and vice versa. But only they can heal each other. And they are bound to each other. Couldn’t move on even if they tried.
I was naked, but I didn’t even try to cover myself from his eyes. My body wasn’t the most exposed part of me just then. I wanted to cover my heart.
RK Lilley tells their story the way it should be told. Pulling no punches. She doesn’t shy away from making your heart bleed. And bleed it does. Because their story is not an easy one to tell. But in all that pain, even when you can’t see a sliver of hope… you can’t help but do just that. Hope. Hope that their story is not just a tragedy. Hope that they can find some happiness together.
It’d always been like that between us, there had always been the drive to touch, to feel each other in every way one human could touch another, inside, outside, body, soul.
And so there we have it. The saga of Tristan and Danika. The battles and the victories. The defeats and the triumphs. The tragedies and the trials. But love, love above all.
She was mine again. And, even when she hadn’t wanted me, when I’d lost all faith, I’d always, always been hers.
I'm a huge fan of CD Reiss. Her Songs of Submission series is perfection! So of course I was excited to read this book. I'm also a huge Mario Puzo andI'm a huge fan of CD Reiss. Her Songs of Submission series is perfection! So of course I was excited to read this book. I'm also a huge Mario Puzo and Sopranos fan and when I found out that this book would be Mafia themed, my excitement metre shot through the roof!
Spin is the story of Theresa Drazen and Antonio Spinelli. Theresa is a trust fund girl with a good job and a cushion-y world. She was engaged to the District Attorney who's now running for Mayor. He cheated on her and they broke up, but she's still in love with him. Until she meets Antonio Spinelli or Spin for short.
He was beautiful to me. Not my type, not at all. But the slight cleft in his chin, the powerful jaw, the swoop of dark hair falling over his forehead seemed right. Just right.
Their attraction to each other is immediate and strong. Spin wants her, but there's one problem. Spin is in the Mafia. They're worlds apart. But they're drawn to each other and soon enough, not even their worlds can keep them apart.
I loved this book for a myriad of reasons. No one can do wit and banter like CD Reiss can. This is why I was immediately hooked. I love how fast the dialogue is. How clever it is. It's my favorite thing about her books. Then bring in the mafia guy with the street talk and the god-complex and I'm sold. He was bad… not bad-boy, killing and beating up people bad. And I loved how different he was from dainty Theresa.
Then bring on a heroine I love and I was a goner :)
"I won't deny I'm attracted to you. I'm sure I'm not the first. But I'm not a conquest. I don't like being chased, especially not through the offices of WDE. This is my job, Mr. Spinelli, not a mouse hole. You can't stick your paw in and hope to catch me. I don't care to mix business with displeasure."
Ha. I loved her. I thought of at least one guy I should have told that mouse hole bit to :) But as strong as Theresa is, when she falls, she falls hard. And when she went for what she wanted, it was full steam ahead.
I had to do what I wanted, and I wanted to feel alive again. He was like my drug, and I would either get hit or go into withdrawal, but I wouldn't abdicate my right to chase him.
And who wouldn't want Spin? The dirty mouth on him..
"Tonight and after, you're mine. Your first loyalty is to me. Every moan on your lips. Every wet drop from your cunt. When the thought of fucking crosses your mind, it's mine."
But with their lives so different, when deaths are connected to Spin, and Theresa's scorned ex wanting revenge and the Mayor's seat, it's one thing after the other coming to destroy their relationship.
"Are you sure you can love a man who's damned?"
"Only you. Damned or saved. I want only you."
I loved their story (though it isn't over.)
I will say that I have some caveats, mostly involving the structure of the Mafia and Spin's role in it. Is he a Capo or a Consigliere? Is he a Made Man or not? It seemed like the two were intertwined into one role. But Anyway, that will only be confusing to those addicted to Mafia stories like I am.
All in all, a mix of everything I love. Romance, Steam, Intrigue… Definitely looking forward to the sequel!
“You got your saint Rae. Just… promise me you need a sinner too.”
This is my favorite guilty pleasure – curling up with the men and women of sector Fou“You got your saint Rae. Just… promise me you need a sinner too.”
This is my favorite guilty pleasure – curling up with the men and women of sector Four and letting all my sexual fantasies come true ;) If you’ve read this series before then you know how downright decadent the O’Kanes are. If you haven’t, what in the hell are you waiting for?!
Beyond Jealousy is the story of Ace, Cruz and Rachel. Ace and Rachel had been a thing, well, kind of, until Ace screwed it up and Rachel landed onto Cruz’s lap. But recently Ace and Cruz have decided to got at it together, for as long as there’s a woman between them. And it’s getting messy… feelings for each other are getting in the way and of course… there’s the woman they both want – Rachel.
I hardly ever read menage stories but man was this one hot! The O’Kanes are known to dirty it up in orgies like you’re never seen, or read before. Yet as much as they have all the sexual freedom they could get, they always do their forevers in twos. So this threesome was going to be the first, if they could do it right, that is.
I was so excited when I got the book. It’s Dystopian Erotica and there is vivid description of the dystopian world, but let’s be honest, I’m mostly addicted to the smut. Calling this steamy is an understatement, it’s hot as hell. And you know what? Kit Rocha just jumped right into it. I hadn’t gotten far before Ace, Cruz and Rachel were a mass of tangled limbs on a bed. The heat? Off the charts!
But while I loved those scenes, I also loved the emotional part of their story too. Ace doesn’t feel worthy for Rachel and Cruz. He’s convinced that they only need him for sex and that as soon as they’re done with the adventure, they’ll kick him out and remain a pair.
“You’re sweet and you’re perfect and Cruz is in love with you. You’re both too good for the likes of me…”
I seriously hurt for him. We get more of his back story as a whore in Eden and for once we see more than the cocky, sexy tattoo artist. We see Alexander Santana, the kind of man who’ll see the good in everyone and nothing in himself. He’s convinced that the only reason a woman would want him is for sex, so as much as he wants both Cruz and Rachel, he can’t imagine why they would ever want him… need him. And he’s convinced that he’ll be the one left with a broken heart.
Ace fucked up. It was what he did, who he was. When he detonated everything they’d build together, Cruz would protect Rachel. Rachel would protect Cruz. No one would protect Ace.
And while they all have their insecurities, his were the worst. And it wasn’t just that they wouldn’t find him worth keeping or loving, but he also has his worries that the only reason Cruz would agree to their threesome is to get to Rachel, but never because he also loves Ace.
It couldn’t be real. None of this could. Not Cruz wanting them both – wanting to share and be shared.
I loved their story. The first 60 percent was spent fanning myself because these three really go at it. And the last 20 percent I had tears in my eyes.
“I fell for the feisty, smart-ass Julia that calls me on my shit. But I’m owned by the vixen that you become behind closed doors.”
Yes Sir! I’m still r“I fell for the feisty, smart-ass Julia that calls me on my shit. But I’m owned by the vixen that you become behind closed doors.”
Yes Sir! I’m still riding the Alessandra Torre wave :)
Masked Innocence is the sequel to Blindfolded Innocence (which was my first 5 star read of the year!) and it starts right where the latter left off. Julia is finally letting go of her inhibitions… She wants Brad, and to have him, she has to be open to things she never contemplated before…
Their relationship is going well though she’s afraid she’s falling too fast too soon. However, she’s also never done anything like this before… about time she enjoyed herself. Unfortunately, there are many things set to rock their lives, at the forefront, a murder that leaves Brad as the suspect…
This one was different from Blindfolded Innocence. The steam and the banter is there but what’s new is the suspense. At first I was unsure how I felt about the latest addition. On the one hand, I love suspense and it was done well… on the other hand, I feel as though it kind of took away from the amazing dialogue these two characters had in book #1.
That being said, I understand the need to diversify and strengthen a plot. The suspense took their story to a completely different direction. We finally get to know Brad’s background, and it will surprise you. While Blindfolded Innocence was Erotic Romance, this one becomes Romantic Suspense. But don’t worry, to Blindfolded Innocence‘s sexual tension, we get Masked Innocence‘s steam… lot’s of it ;)
That, combined with one of my favorite heroines;
“Why are you so certain I will fall in love with you?” His voice was low, irritated.
I smiled patiently at him. “You just met me. I’ve had over twenty years to get to know me. Trust me, you will. You’re too smart not to.”
Yup, love her :)
In conclusion, I love Torre’s writing. I love her strong heroes and even stronger heroines. Looking forward to the conclusion of this story.
Jessy (Jessy's Book Club)
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