SOUTHERN ROCKER CHICK starts off ….. back at the beginning! I thought we would be picking up right after where SOUTHERN ROCKER BOY ended bu
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SOUTHERN ROCKER CHICK starts off ….. back at the beginning! I thought we would be picking up right after where SOUTHERN ROCKER BOY ended but we go back in time and get Lacy’s POV. I didn’t know how much I needed to get this POV until I started reading it and so many things were clear to me. Clearer than the hints we got in the first book. So I was so pleasantly surprised with this story!
I felt a lot more sympathy for Lacy than I would’ve imagined. Her life hasn’t been roses. Don’t get me wrong, she’s made some bad decisions but she’s also just following her heart through all her bad and good decisions. And she’s trying to make the best of all situations.
I had to also remind myself how much of a good boy Jonah is. He doesn’t come across as that too much in this book, so I think it’s important to blend the two stories while you’re reading this one to get the full story.
So by the end of this book we are closer to where we finished in the first installment. I am so curious to read the next installment and see what will happen to heal the wounds in both Jonah’s and Lacy’s hearts. And I can’t help but think there might be a little wrench thrown in with a ghost from the past showing up during the competition.
Now that we know the full story, I’m ready to see what happens to give these two a much deserved HEA.
Errol King is a bit of an asshole. But I sometimes like that. He’s a conceited, possessive, jealous, self absorbed, asshole. Am I enticing you yet? But he oozes confidence and it is well deserved. You know from the beginning a man this jaded must have more than a few skeletons in his closet, and it was fun seeing some of those come out slowly in this book. He’s just the type of hero you want to see redeemed (after some good groveling).
And ah, Taryn Cummings. You border on TSTL at times, but I have to blame it on your crush and infatuation that you let a man treat you the way he does. As the book progresses, I think Taryn grows though. And it was a nice surprise to see the ending.
I was surprised to see this was a student/teacher story! Another one of my new addictions this year. Taryn is from New York and goes to Paris to attend culinary school. Errol is a Master Chef in charge of one of her classes. He wanted her from the moment he saw her picture in her application and went to great lengths to immediately have her. They maintained this relationship while still being student/teacher. I think this angle was handled pretty well.
The chemistry between these two was great, and once I got over my initial shock and dislike about how the beginning of the book was setup, I ended up enjoying these two quite a bit. It was more than a little hot. Maybe that’s just the foodie in me, but all the play in the kitchen and with food was scorchingly sensual! Yes, I wanted Taryn to grow a pair of balls, but she was slowly getting there. I know there’s got to be more to find out about her as well, and I can’t wait to get there.
I didn’t realize this was a trilogy about the same couple, but this book ends in a cliffhanger and it’s not the end of their story, so be warned of that. I have no problems with that, but I know some people like to know that going in.
All in all, I was pleased with this book. I enjoyed the story overall and I think the next installment will be even better. This had exactly the feel I was craving. Hot sex and kitchen fun mixed in for good measure. You may never look at kitchen utensils the same way! ;)
Favorite Quotes:
“Forget everything you hear. Forget everything you’ve seen. Forget everything you’ve tasted. Forget everything you can touch. Just feel.”
He brought the bottle above her heaving breasts and let the thick dark liquid slide into her cami. “I want you to remember how molasses looks…how it feels.”...more
I am a huge Karina Halle fan, as you may know. When I saw she was surprising us with a standalone contemporary romance, I was extremely hap
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I am a huge Karina Halle fan, as you may know. When I saw she was surprising us with a standalone contemporary romance, I was extremely happy and dying to get my paws on this ASAP. THE PACT was both a lot like the style of writing I expect from Karina Halle, but at the same time it was very different. And I enjoyed this one in just one sitting!
Stephanie Robson, our heroine, is a great heroine and one you can quickly learn to connect to. The story starts out when she’s 25, dating all the wrong guys, her career is not where she thought it should be at her age, and she’s still living with a roommate. But she desperately wants more out of life. She’s ambitious and confident, and I gotta love that in a heroine. She’s also fun and witty.
Then there’s Linden of course. I always say Karina Halle has a knack for writing some pretty awesome heroes and Linden McGregor is no exception. He’s Irish, he’s charming, he’s witty, he may come across as a playboy but he really isn’t. He’s super rich but he doesn’t act like a douche. He’s overcome some tough obstacles (mainly his bad parents) and become a great man. Add to that he’s a wonderful friend, caring, loving, loyal oh and a dirty talker…. Yeah, puddle of goo at his feet over here! But he’s very much human. Not the perfect cookie-cutter guy. He makes mistakes, he tries to follow his heart in doing the best he can for others. And that may just be my favorite thing about him. Even when I didn’t agree with some of his actions.
But my favorite thing about this story was the friends to lovers aspect. See Stephanie, Linden and James met when they were all working at the same bar. They quickly became best friends and that friendship and connection has lasted 10 years. As we see Stephanie and Linden’s relationship growing, they make a pact that if they aren’t dating anyone seriously by the time they are 30 they will get married. I’ve always had a fascination with this concept. Mainly because I could never picture myself doing anything like that.
Packed full of sexual tension, THE PACT is not as gritty as you would expect from Karina Halle, it’s sweet and emotional. It will easily be a book you devour quickly and enjoy the ride. The mark of a true author is knowing how to immerse you in whatever story you read and nobody does that better than Karina Halle! This story was very much alive!
Favorite Quotes:
“You’re my everything. And there’s nothing that will change that.”
The moment is gone. I won’t do anything. I’m a coward. A horny fucking coward.
I want to tell her all the filthy things I think about. Be real, be raw and unfiltered. I want to make her cheeks flush from my dirty mouth and her body squirm with desire....more
FALLING AWAY is actually the second book I have read in this series and while I wasn’t blown away with RIVAL, maybe the fact that
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3.5 Stars
FALLING AWAY is actually the second book I have read in this series and while I wasn’t blown away with RIVAL, maybe the fact that it was scorchingly hot got me really excited to read about Jax. And then there’s Jax himself. In RIVAL he sparked a little (or a lot) of interest in me. He’s younger than the girl he’s attracted to, which was a change. And he had his work cut out for him with her as they seemed like polar opposites.
This book was both what I wanted and unexpected at the same time. What I wanted because there are so many layers to Jax that we had no idea of and I really wanted to get under them. I was missing the backstory here because I didn’t read the first book (about his brother) but I had my suspicions. Jax is that perfect blend of broken boy that you want to fix and total jerk (that might turn some people off). Maybe he was my kind of jerk, even though at times all I could think was that if he had acted like that towards me that would’ve been the end of it.
He seems unrepentant about his bad boy ways and has that protective wall around him as high as can be. But he’s always wanted K.C. (don’t ask me why, because I didn’t get it at first). But because she’s always been so much “better” than him, instead of retreating like a lot of bad boys in books do, he’s done the opposite. He keeps shoving his attraction in her face. Tempting her. And THAT is hot. The way he keeps pushing the envelope taking what wants even when he wasn’t supposed to want it. The way he’s not afraid to tell her plain and simple how she makes him feel, in every dirty detail. Yeah, Jax was it for me in this book.
K.C. on the other hand I just grew to like. I started out not loving her so much because she was too mousy for my taste. Throughout this book she grew quite a bit so I was able to empathize with her by the end. She definitely has some explosive chemistry with Jax. But she never became my favorite girl. She’s also gone through a lot and I don’t want to give anything away as to what that is, but wow, the poor girl. You can’t help but weep a little with those journal entries.
FALLING AWAY is emotional and packed with angst. And Penelope Douglas is now turning into my go-to author for some hot angst-filled sex. The lady can write that like no other. I’m looking forward to my next taste of her writing.
Favorite Quote:
“You piss me off, you make me cry, you make me crazy . . . but you make me better, Jax.”
“I used to fantasize about pinning you against the lockers at school and running my hand up the inside of your thigh, hearing your whimpers.”
I will be completely honest, I was sold on this when I read the blurb. It sounded so interesting I couldn’t pass it up. What I quickly found was the type of new adult that can easily get on my nerves, though. I still pushed through because a spark of interest was lit.
BAD ROMEO goes back and forth in time telling us the story of Cassie and Ethan. They met in acting school, had what you can assume to be a turbulent past, and in present day have to work together for a play. Cassie wants nothing to do with Ethan now, and Ethan wants her back.
This book had plenty of moments I enjoyed and quite a few that were a bit frustrating. The chemistry was one of those good moments. It keeps this story riding on a high. There’s plenty of sexual tension, and frustration. This was one of my favorite things because it doesn’t rush to that sexual finish line. The build up is very enjoyable.
But I have to complain about something that annoys me in general. And this is a personal preference that I’ve complained about before. The hero that thinks he’s so guilty for something that happened in his past that he could never be good enough to another woman. When that thinking happens, I expect a good backstory. And I feel like the one in this book was very weak. It made no sense that he would feel that way to me.
All that aside, if you like some anger and angst with a lot of sexual tension, then you will enjoy BAD ROMEO. A lot. That’s the core of this book. And this is not a story that ends in book 1. Yes, there’s a cliffhanger and you will have to read the next one. I know I will because now I have to know how this all ends.
It feels good to be back in the ACRO world. Why does it ever have to be put on hold? I could read this series forever! I love the X-Men premise, the super powers, the battles and the hot sex. What more can we ask for!? I pleasantly surprised to see this book pop up when I least expected. By now it’s been a while since I read the last one and I honestly can’t remember if any of these characters were featured in the previous books. With that in mind, I still managed to enjoy this book a lot.
Tag and Justice have been friends since childhood. Both born from mothers that were experimented on, and both with powers they didn’t know exactly how to control. As they grew up, they grew apart in the paths they chose to lead. Justice went to ACRO and Tag decided to continue solo. This was the wedge in, not only their friendship, but their love affair. However, they’ve never fully gotten over one another. When Tag finds himself in a bind and needs Justice’s help to get out of it alive, deep buried feelings also get stirred. And when that stirring happens, after all the betrayals, it’s simply explosive.
There was less action in this book then I expected. It focuses more on the romantic relationship. Tag and Justice have a lot of years of heart ache to get past, but they seemed to get over their differences pretty quickly. Then you throw Ian into the mix, and I didn’t know where to look first. Ian was the man that picked up the pieces left of Tag after he was broken hearted about Justice going to ACRO and leaving him. But he was also the man responsible for the danger Tag is in now.
The sexual chemistry between these 3 is palpable. I just wish these would’ve been a full length book. I think the forgiveness was rushed. And the setup of this threesome was also rushed. These 3 men had some serious trust issues to get over and that happened to quick for my taste.
It was also nice to revisit with Dev, even if it was for just a second. I miss him and Creed and Annika and I can only hope that in the future these authors will give us more glimpses of them in action! I am left anxiously awaiting the next slice of ACRO I can get.
Just when you think you’ve read the whole story about a couple, there’s more left to be revealed! In SCHOOLED Lorelei James takes us to the
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Just when you think you’ve read the whole story about a couple, there’s more left to be revealed! In SCHOOLED Lorelei James takes us to the core of who Ronin is. While on their honeymoon, Ronin and Amery travel to Japan for some fun and sexy times, as well as some training for Ronin with his Master. And this book is very much Ronin’s story.
SCHOOLED is deep and sensual, more so than sexual. What an incredible job by Lorelei James at giving the perfect insight into martial arts and how it goes beyond the physical. She incorporates the facts so well within the story that I was in awe of her execution. Not only in that aspect, but also the beauty of Kinbaku. There was one particular rope scene involving a cherry tree that was just blissful perfection. I shows an understanding of the topics she’s writing about, and a good amount of research.
Only an author as talented as Lorelei James can capture the emotion and sensuality that the characters are going through at each moment. SCHOOLED excelled in that aspect for me and it made the book endearing to my heart. While I wasn’t necessarily as anxious to read a novella about Ronin and Amery because, quite frankly, I’m biting my nails waiting for Shiori’s book, this was just what I was missing in their story. It gives Ronin even more depth and it sets up Amery as a worthy companion for the rest of his life. At the beginning I was surprised that some (most?) of the sex scenes fade to black, but I see why it would’ve taken away from the story had they been there taking up space. If you’ve fallen in love with these two characters, you will be very pleased with this ending for them.
Of course, the teaser at the end for UNRAVELED left me even more anxious to read it! Come on March, hurry up and get here already!
I have had few experiences with Christine Feehan’s writing myself. But I was feeling the holiday spirit and wanted to jump in on a holiday
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I have had few experiences with Christine Feehan’s writing myself. But I was feeling the holiday spirit and wanted to jump in on a holiday story. So this seemed to fit that bill when I looked at it. It started out great, with a sexy and very alpha, tortured hero. And tough chick that seemed to be drawing that alpha to her like honey to a bee. The sexual chemistry was sizzling and I was immediately hooked.
Then it all sort fell apart. It got boring and dragged out. Just when I thought the suspense would kick up a notch, it didn’t. When the sexy would start kicking in, it didn’t. I might’ve officially gotten “non-existent” blue balls from this book!
I don’t think the dark subject matter revealed in the beginning and throughout the story, about the abuse Cole and his brother went through, was addressed or explored properly. They all just seemed perfectly fine. Maia was a bit of a superwoman. She’s a drummer for the band at a bar, she’s a traveling vet, she “speaks” to animals, she’s a super cook and can make pizza from scratch. She seems to be able to do it all. So when I first really liked her character, as the story progressed she went a little out of character for what I had in mind.
Now I remember how I felt with the last book I read by this author. She starts out really strong and gains my interest immediately, but I think she misses the mark on capitalizing on where the story could go. Things become simple and dragged out. Slows down the pace. And loses my interest. In this case, ROCKY MOUNTAIN MIRACLE turned into a sweet story that got bugged down by some crazy and far fetched ending and a too fast I Love You. Just goes to show you that just throwing in a twist in a story doesn’t make it good.
Let’s call this my surprise introduction to Kindle Alexander. I’ve seen these books around for a while and I have to confess, the cover who
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Let’s call this my surprise introduction to Kindle Alexander. I’ve seen these books around for a while and I have to confess, the cover whore in me always loves the covers. But I’ve also seen the books hyped so much that I was really nervous to read them because, quite frankly I was expecting a let down.
With that mindset going in, DOUBLE FULL grabbed my attention from the get-go. I’m a sucker for m/m college stories, especially if they involve sports. Another great thing about this was the gay-for-you angle. First we have Colton Michaels, the star of the team. He’s straight, he gets all the girls, he’s got a bright future in sports ahead of him. But he can’t seem to stop thinking about the hot male cheerleader, Jace. Except one night he decides to go for it and takes everything he’s ever wanted from Jace in the locker room. Then takes him away on a 5 day vacation. The best 5 days of his life. But life has a way of ruining that happiness and his father forces him back on the straight path and onto the NFL.
A decade later, Jace owns a successful cheerleading school and Colton is a star quarterback for a team. But both are having less than stellar personal lives. Maybe it’s time they both come to terms with the fact they’ve never gotten over each other.
DOUBLE FULL is HOT! Jace and Colton were hot then and they are hot now. It was also cute to see them tiptoeing around each other at times. Colton has managed to seriously hurt Jace in the past, and I was also happy to see that it wasn’t just “hey let’s forget everything happened and live happily ever after” for these two. I would’ve still wanted to see some more groveling, but that’s just me. Colton has also gone through a lot and even though it took a while for him to find the guts to do the right thing, he still did it with style in the end. ;)
The brief glimpse at the end about Mitch definitely has me interested in the next book and I will be reading it soon! It seems it’ll be a completely different feel than this one because of the storyline, but if the writing is as good as this one, no problem! I will be reading more by Kindle Alexander for sure in the near future, another addition to my must read m/m authors list....more
While I haven’t read the first book in this series, I jumped feet first into this one. I was a bit confused about the relationship portrayed at the beginning that was falling apart for Arthur (I don’t read blurbs, can you tell?) but once I caught on who the love interest was meant to be I immediately loved the setup. This is a story about complete opposites attracting and complementing each other.
Arthur is the more gruff and tough looking guy, works with his hands and is a bit of a big bear. Gabriel on the other hand is more delicate and classy. As the head of the library in town, he has a love for reading and the finer things in life. Never could they think the other would be a perfect match. And in fact they fight it kicking and screaming.
And that kicking and screaming makes for some really good sexual chemistry. Because, let me tell you, SLEIGH RIDE has a side of kink that is bound to warm you up under those holiday covers. Things that Gabriel naturally wants but is afraid to admit, Arthur easily can bring out. And those things Arthur was scared of doing with other partners, he can easily explore with Gabriel. Sexually these two are perfect.
But this book is also emotional. This is, after all, a small town. There are some issues addressed in this book about dealing with being gay and other people’s perceptions. How those things can hurt our MCs and the fact they have to rise above that.
SLEIGH RIDE is a sweet story, with a lot of heart and emotions. Great friends and wonderful families.
I felt like a little kid opening this book, I was so excited. Don’t you love it when there’s that one couple you’ve been wanting to see tog
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I felt like a little kid opening this book, I was so excited. Don’t you love it when there’s that one couple you’ve been wanting to see together and then it’s finally that time. I might’ve done a happy dance when I read the blurb for this book! I’ve waiting, literally, since book one! Starving for any second of interactions between Noelle and Jim. Trying to put out of my mind the fact that she was playing around with someone else. These two just HAD to happen. But then there’s the nervous side of me that was sooooo worried about my expectations. Too high? Would it disappoint me?
MIDNIGHT ACTION is my favorite book in this series to date and it exceeded all my expectations! It delivered on everything I knew was there and everything I had no clue could be. What an incredibly deep and emotional book. Just as it’s action packed, with an intriguing storyline that will keep you on your toes, this book was a heart breaking emotional journey through Noelle and Jim’s past. Neither one of those stories was easy. And the author did an amazing job at telling the story in flashbacks that blended perfectly with the current plot.
utc-top-pickDid I mention how much chemistry Noelle and Jim have always had? I think if they are in the room together, their sparks would burn you. But their history has brought them to a place of hate. And that hate runs deep. And is there ever anything better than straight up, angry, hateful f*cking? Gosh I feel like I need a cigarette (or two) after that….and I don’t smoke! This book embodied raw sexual chemistry and then took it up a few notches. Be careful when handling it, because you might get scorched!
I know I always focus on the alpha male, and yes Jim Morgan is THAT alpha male you want. But I think more impressive for me was Noelle. I’ve always loved her character because she’s kick ass and ruthless. Don’t mess with her because she may not have a heart left. And I was moved by her story. She’s gone through so much betrayal in her life that I understand where she’s been coming from. And I’m happy that she’s gotten her HEA.
With the side stories in this book, I can say I’m so excited for two of them! Liam&Sully (yes, this book had some minor m/m) and Sean&Bailey. I’m especially anxious for Sean & Bailey and I know it’s next. I think Sean better watch his balls from now!
If you are looking for an edge of your seat romantic suspense series to read, but you also wants lots of steam, then this is it for you. The Killer Instincts series is all about alpha males, kick ass women and the adrenaline filled lives they lead.
What can I say..Reading any Megan Hart story is like stepping into your comfy pair of pjs. I’ve been gett
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LETTING GO by Megan Hart – 4 stars
What can I say..Reading any Megan Hart story is like stepping into your comfy pair of pjs. I’ve been getting burned out with a lot of the new authors I’m reading and it was refreshing and delicious to read something that hooked me from the first sentence and didn’t let me go until I finished the story.
Colleen is a divorced 30-something who had a bad experience in her previous marriage. Her ex did a number on her self esteem, making her belief she was wrong in being a strong woman. Made her think of herself as needy, and drove her to drink to “loosen up”. She’s put all that behind her (mostly) but is still dealing with the emotional mess he left behind.
Jesse is a bartender, and is younger than her. He’s been watching her come into the bar he works at every Thursday order a drink that she doesn’t touch and not pay attention to any come-ons. But he’s been desperately watching because he’s drawn to her. He comes with his own baggage but he’s a complete charmer.
It was interesting to see these two very opposite characters come together, first in their interactions and then in their sexual relationship. There are a lot of layers to them that I wish we could’ve had more time to get under, but being a novella I think the author did a pretty good job at showing us what we needed to see. Especially the internal struggle that Colleen had to go through in letting go of her past preconceptions of what she was and how she was wrong. And accepting who she is and what she wants. Wanting and needing being different.
LETTING GO is a bit darker and not a happy story. No worries, there is an HEA. But as always with Megan Hart, things aren’t always easy and sunshine leading up to that. I think this story suffered some by being short but I still enjoyed it a lot....more
Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog)
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