Mini-Me: All Fired Up by Vivian Arend and Elle Kennedy

He’s ready to lead the way

Parker Wilson never thought he’d go from battle-hardened soldier to romance expert, but after his stint in the Rangers, that’s exactly what happened. As the owner of DreamMakers Inc., he helps other men win in the love department, using every resource available to plan the perfect date. When a routine recon turns into an unexpected night of passion, Parker’s mission becomes more personal—and he won’t give up until Lynn Davidson is all his.

She’s more than willing to follow

Lynn is a goner from the moment she lays eyes on the delectable Parker. She’s just ditched her boring almost-boyfriend and is tired of sticking to the straight and narrow. It’s time to walk on the wild side, and what better way than in the arms of the most irresistible man she’s ever met? But when their red-hot affair is threatened, it’ll take a team effort to make their dreams come true.
~~

I picked this up on an Amazon deal I think, because I recognized the name from a different military story (I wanna say it was a menage?) I read a while back. I remember liking the story well enough and since I haven't bought a new contemporary romance - let alone an erotic one - in a while, I said what the hell. And it did a fine job for what it is. It's a short, sweet little story with a lot of spice and not tons of emotional/character development. None of which I'm complaining about. I went into this not wanting a lot of drama and Arend and Kennedy supplied - pretty much everyone is an adult who owns their sexuality without any shame. There's a bit of an over the top villain at the end, but I got exactly what I wanted/needed out of the HEA so I consider it a good buy. Plus I have the second book to see if it gets any better!

Count on Me by Lauren Dane

Petal is the last place Caroline Mendoza thought she’d end up. Sixteen years ago she lost both parents there—her mother to murder and her father to prison for the crime. Since then she’s built a successful life, but she’s never let go of the belief her father is innocent.

Now she’s back in Petal to find the truth. With a new job and a mystery to solve, she’s got plenty on her plate. But when she bumps into Royal Watson, the sparks fly hard and fast.

When the whipsmart, opinionated lawyer blows into town like a beautiful storm, Royal has a reason to make the time to get off his organic farm and pursue her. And soon their intense attraction is tipping into something more.

As Caroline’s dogged investigation digs up ghosts of the past, there’s not much time for basking in love’s glow. The closer she gets to the truth, the more threatened the real killer gets…and the greater the danger that all her digging could lead to her own grave.
~~

Petal,GA has been a solidly good but perhaps not my very favorite of series from Lauren Dane. I think this particular installment shows both why her romances work very well and what some of the pitfalls are with small town mentalities.

First, the good- Royal is a terrific hero. I never felt like I got to know him in previous books, when he was just Anne's boyfriend, but on his own he proves himself to be a smart, strong, and reliable human being, who's experienced enough emotionally to be able to empathize with a variety of people. It's been over a year since his breakup when he meets Caroline again, and the two of them enter in their relationship with one of the cutest grocery store scenes I've ever read (when I do I get to stumble upon a cowboy hottie in the cereal aisle?).

Their relationship is the highlight throughout the story, deservedly so, but I do admit to getting a little distracted by the small town politics that were much more prominent in this book. I couldn't understand or believe that all these different people would be angry with Caroline for moving away from Petal. Really? Even without the extenuating circumstances with her parents, it has to mean that she's a bad egg, or that she thinks something derogatory about the town? Shrug. I couldn't be completely on board with that, though I do think Dane did a phenomenal job painting the complicated layers that exist between family members, especially when there are generations of institutionalized racism not being recognized as such. 

And I could write an entire paragraph about Anne and her duplicity and how there's no way in HELL I'd be a big enough woman to get over that and befriend her. But that's me.

Overall Feeling - B

Series - 1) Once and Again 2) Lost in You 3) Count on Me

Hard Time by Cara McKenna

In this all-new novel from the author of Unbound, a woman with a rocky past finds romance in the last place she’d ever expect...

Annie Goodhouse doesn’t need to be warned about bad boys; good sense and an abusive ex have given her plenty of reasons to play it safe. But when she steps into her new role as outreach librarian for Cousins Correctional Facility, no amount of good sense can keep her mind—or eyes—off inmate Eric Collier.

Eric doesn’t claim to be innocent of the crime that landed him in prison. In fact, he’d do it again if that’s what it took to keep his family safe. Loyalty and force are what he knows. But meeting Annie makes him want to know more.

When Eric begins courting Annie through letters, they embark on a reckless, secret romance—a forbidden fantasy that neither imagines could ever be real…until early parole for Eric changes everything, and forces them both to face a past they can’t forget, and a desire they can’t deny.
~~

I rarely choose to pick a book where I know at least some of the plot is going to end up making me feel uncomfortable, but after all the hype on Twitter and the wonderful reviews going around about Hard Time I knew I had to at least try it for myself. And I have to say I don't regret reading it.

Cara McKenna doesn't downplay or put rose colored glasses over the realities of prison time for the inmates Annie works with. They're interested in her presence solely because of what she is: a woman. Her connection with Eric is completely unexpected and while I've never believed sparks can really just, you know, spark like that, the letters they write each other were enough to keep me invested in how important their relationship was to them. When it finally evolved to the point that they could be together nothing was an easy fix; dynamics had to be renegotiated and each person's comfort zones and turn-ons became topics of conversation that brought them closer together.

In the end, despite the fact that dealing with Eric's family was enough drama for any one person, I was almost sad not to learn more about how their relationship was accepted by Annie's father. The happy ending was almost unexpected after all the hurdles and difficult emotional barriers, but it turned out all the more satisfying because of them.

Overall Feeling - B

Series - None

**Title requested from NetGalley*

Marked by Lauren Dane, Vivian Arend, and Kit Rocha

Three stories of passion, possession, and ink.

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lauren Dane takes you into a brand new world in ALL THAT REMAINS. Summer Killian falls fast and hard when Charlie arrives in Paradise Village. But the heat turns all the way up when she learns Charlie is also with Hatch -- the man she loved four years before. While she's not sure she's cut out for a triad, neither man is going to give her up. (Metamorphosis Series, #1)

Take a ROCKY RIDE with New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Vivian Arend as she leads you back to the Six Pack Ranch. Anna Coleman might be the law around Rocky Mountain House, but bad boy Mitch Thompson knows that under the stiff RCMP uniform is a woman with a passion for speed and pleasure that matches his own, and he's not giving up until she's his. (Thompson & Sons, #1 -- a Coleman Cowboys spin-off series)

Kit Rocha returns to Sector Four in BEYOND TEMPTATION. A promise to a dying friend backfires when Noah Lennox finds that the girl he was supposed to rescue is all grown up -- and wearing O'Kane ink. He wants to protect her from the secrets of their past, but she wants him. And an O'Kane woman always gets what she wants. (Beyond #3.5, set between Beyond Pain and Beyond Jealousy)
~~

[Quick note - Marked is on sale at Amazon for $2.99 through the month of February!]

The is one of those rare anthologies where I wasn't only happy with one author's story - each one had something unique to offer and provided a glimpse into how each person writes their own HEA's. 

Originally I was only interested in this collection for Lauren Dane's story. She's been a favorite of mine for years and even though this was going to be a foray into a new series for her, I trust her voice and was confident I would enjoy it. Which I did. I think she does a great job grounding her characters in a new future, creating sympathetic people who made choices they had to live by or atone for. I think my only problem, which I admit to being incredibly personal, was that I couldn't detach enough to really believe in how this future had unfolded. I've read too many dystopians where less women equaled less independence (for "protection" reasons) so to see how this society had evolved to revere women was a bit of a surprise. But like I sad - personal problem, I can't really attribute this to anything Dane did or did not do. 

Vivien Arend's story was great, the kind of contemporary erotic romance that I like so much, but Kit Rocha's entry was the biggest surprise for me. I'd heard a lot of good things about her Beyond series but somehow none of the reviews I'd read had pushed me over the edge into giving her a try. Marked was the perfect entry in her world as it not only included cameos by characters in previous books, it also tantalized me with just enough information about the world itself to leave me wanting more. I'm pretty sure though it was the except from Beyond Shame that finally did me in completely - I gotta know what happens!

Overall Feeling - A

Series - Various

*Title won in a Twitter contest*

Hidden Passions by Emma Holly

Sexy fireman Chris Savoy has been closeted all his life. He’s a weretiger in Resurrection, and no shifters are more macho than that city’s. Due to a terrible tragedy in his past, Chris resigned himself to hiding what he is—a resolve that’s threatened the night he lays eyes on cute gay cop Tony Lupone.

Tony might be a wolf, but he wakes longings Chris finds difficult to deny. When a threat to the city throws these heroes together, not giving in seems impossible. Following their hearts, however, means risking everything...
~~

I love Emma Holly and her Hidden series, and I would possibly even go out on a limb here and say that a story existing within another story made this coupling even better. Chris and Tony spend so much of their time in the shadows that it results in an incredibly intimate relationship. The story is so much about why they can't go public, or at least why Chris feels he can't go public, that how much each is willing to take in the name of love becomes the focus. I think because the angst is more than just unnecessary drama it really works not only for me but for the story itself.

And I can happily say that even though it's her first full fledged M/M romance I wouldn't say Holly treats anything different in this book. There are lot of sexy times between Chris and Tony, which if you've read any of the previous stories in this series you wouldn't be surprised by, and their HEA is satisfying and dosed with a bit of sudden action. A great read!

Overall Feeling - B+

Series - 6) The Faerie's Honeymoon 7) Hidden Dragons 8) Hidden Passions

Enthralled by Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day, Meljean Brook, & Lucy Monroe

They have the power to hold you spellbound, to captivate your senses, and to keep you forever in their control. Forever enthralled…

#1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh returns to her sensual world of the Breeds…as one stubborn Breed meets her match, and can no longer deny her mate—or the fierce desires of her own heart.

New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Day introduces the League of the Black Swan…and the dangerous game one woman plays when her family’s curse dooms her to kill the man she loves.

New York Times bestselling author Meljean Brook delivers a new story in her steampunk world of the Iron Seas…as a man who’s lost everything returns home to find that not only is his marriage in jeopardy, but he must now fight air pirates who intend to steal his one remaining treasure—his wife.

And Lucy Monroe, national bestselling author of the Children of the Moon novels…unleashes the feral passions of a werewolf on the body, mind, and soul of his prey, his lover, his lifemate.
~~

I kind of remember when this anthology was released, I think it was on my Google calender, but it was thanks to the efforts of the good ol' DC Public Library that I brought it home. Enthralled is an anthology of 4 stories, all with authors I know but none of which I currently read regularly. The Breed series by Lora Leigh was the big draw, her books have been autobuys for me up until the last couple of years, and while "Devil's Due" was good it wasn't great and the lack of real conflict just made it ok as a read.

The real winners here were "Ecstasy Under the Moon" by Lucy Monroe and "Curse of the Black Swan" by Alyssa Day. Both are interesting introductions to the authors' individuals worlds (and characters) and even as short stories had very satisfying endings.

All in all the anthology isn't bad and for people who need a little help deciding what to read next there are a variety of genres on display to choose from.

Overall Feeling -B/B+

Series - Various

Drawn Together by Lauren Dane

Beauty is more than skin-deep…

Tattoo artist Raven Smith is blunt and hard, broken and jaded, dark and beautiful. While she doesn’t hide her painful past, she does keep a wall around her heart. She’s free sexually—but no one gets to the real Raven beneath the prickly exterior.

With a voice like smoke, Jonah Warner is a smooth-talking, highly successful attorney, with a body that should never be hidden by a suit. He’s the kind of man who never takes no for an answer and always gets what he wants. And what he wants is Raven. She’s a survivor, and he finds that incredibly alluring.

Jonah gets under her skin in a way Raven has never experienced. He makes her break all her rules—including her no-monogamy rule.

But when a figure from Raven’s past shows up at the tattoo parlor and drops a bomb into her life, their relationship will face the ultimate challenge…
~~

There's a lot of history before Drawn Together, mostly for those who've read the rest of the Brown series, and while it's probably not my favorite book of the bunch it's not a bad way to end things either. Raven is the wild child of this extended family and I almost feel like a bit of the rough edges that make her who she is were muted here - of course that could also be a result of her growing into her own which totally happens to people as time passes, and I'm just being a big whiner about it. [Shrug]. When she meets Jonah they click instantaneously, initially in the bedroom, but from that springs the beginning of a relationship Raven can't manage to squash. 

I don't have any complaints or comments about their sexual antics, what people like is up to them and I think it defeats the purpose of the HEA to split hairs on whether things were BDSM enough, but I guess I'm just glad Raven had it as a touchstone. She's had an incredibly crappy life - that I wish had gotten more screen time - but like for us sometimes the characters in books don't get to have 100% perfect explanations for why things happened the way did. Sometimes bad things happen to good people and we just have to find ways to survive the aftermath, no neat answers to be had. As someone who feels probably overly attached to the Brown family after all these books, lol, it was nice to see everyone threaded through Raven's story and it was a good novel to say goodbye with.

Overall Feeling - B+

Series - ... 3) Inside Out 4) Never Enough 5) Drawn Together

Teaser Tuesdays (10/8)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

"Let's just leave it at this - if you touch me again, I'm going to punch you so hard you lose a tooth or two. Trash like me doesn't take kindly to being manhandled by dried-up bitter bitches who wished they'd been able to fuck their way higher up the societal food chain."

--pg 144, Drawn Together by Lauren Dane

Cake by Lauren Dane *ARC Review*

Art student-slash-bike messenger Wren Davis pursues what she wants. And what she wants now is Gregori Ivanov, rock star of the Seattle art scene. With his tattoos, piercings and sensual sneer, Gregori is the ultimate bad boy. Wren’s gotten to know the man beneath the body art, too—and it only makes her crave him more.

But Gregori loves women like he loves cake and champagne—intensely, but only for the moment. And after Wren experiences just how scorching sex with Gregori is, she’s determined to show him that just one taste won’t be enough… 
~~

I think in Cake I was finally able to pinpoint at least part of what makes Lauren Dane one of my favorite authors - her writing is incredibly visual, which makes each and every character 'real' in a way that few others can duplicate. Wren and Gregori could have been caricatures, especially him with his green mohawk and tattoos, but instead Dane has used her words to ensure that the reader can clearly grasp the outside and how that reflects on the inside.

In Cake we're introduced to two people who've been dancing around each other for a while; they've got a rhythm in their conversations and the flirtation meter is turned to HIGH pretty much every time. Still the fact that they're so comfortable with each other doesn't negatively effect the bedroom antics (when those happen) or the final emotional upheaval (which is necessary to get over some baggage). Dane has won me over again with an engaging short story showing characters who are mature enough to recognize the important people in their lives, but insecure enough to need some help towards that final HEA.

Overall Feeling - A

Series - None, Title available 9/17/13

*Title requested from NetGalley*
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Hidden Dragons by Emma Holly

Do you believe in dragons? Werewolf cop Rick Lupone would say no . . . until a dying faerie tells him the fate of his city depends on him. If he can’t protect a mysterious woman in peril, everything may be lost. The only discovery more shocking is that the woman he’s meant to save is his high school crush, Cass Maycee.

Half fae Cass didn’t earn her Snow White nickname by chance. All her life, her refusal to abuse fae glamour kept men like Rick at arm’s length. Now something new is waking up inside her, a secret heritage her pureblood father kept her in the dark about. Letting it out might kill her, but keeping it hidden is no longer an option. The dragons’ ancient enemies are moving. If they find the prize before Rick and Cass, the supe-friendly city of Resurrection just might cease to exist.
~~

There are many things I could say about Hidden Dragons, about the Hidden series in total really, but the best of them is that Holly is consistently producing some of my favorite fantasy based erotic romances. Most of the books take place in the in-between town of Resurrection, where humans, Fae, and everything else live together (mostly in harmony) and as such each book introduces us to new people while still bringing back the ones we already love. 

I'm not saying that you don't have to suspend some sort of disbelief for Cass and Rick - it is an erotic romance and while there's the implication that both of them liked each in high school, they jump into bed pretty quickly once the story begins. I admit to a blink and a quick 'well ok, lol' thought until they'd spent a bit more time together - but once past that you get a great, fast paced story about two people drawn together by lust, eventually love, and some really cute dragons.

Overall Feeling - A

Series - 1) Hidden Talents 2) Hidden Crimes 3) Hidden Depths 4) Move Me 5) Hidden Dragons

Painted Faces by L.H. Cosway

Dublin native Freda Wilson considers herself to be an acquired taste. She has a habit of making offensive jokes and speaking her mind too often. She doesn't have the best track record with first impressions, which is why she gets a surprise when her new neighbour Nicholas takes a shine to her.

Nicholas is darkly handsome, funny and magnetic, and Freda feels like her black and white existence is plunged into a rainbow of colour when she's around him. When he walks into a room he lights it up, with his quick wit and charisma. He is a travelling cabaret performer, but Freda doesn't know exactly what that entails until the curtains pull back on his opening night.

She is gob-smacked and entirely intrigued to see him take to the stage in drag. Later on, Nicholas asks her if she would like to become his show assistant. Excited by the idea, she jumps at the chance. Soon she finds herself immersed in a world of wigs, make-up and high heels, surrounded by pretty men and the temptation of falling for her incredibly beautiful employer.

In this story of passion and sexual discovery, Nicholas and Freda will contend with jealousy, emotional highs and lows, and the kind of love that only comes around once in a lifetime. 
~~

After hearing so much about Painted Faces from Dear Author and Smexy Books there was no way I could resist snapping it up for $.99. I'm not always in the mood for the unconventional, but generally speaking the reviews were positive, both about the story and the high level of sexual tension. To sum up my own feelings I'd say that the story and the characters are indeed unconventional, but the insecurities and experiences they've both had make them relatable; ultimately though I couldn't connect enough to Freda to make the first person really work for me. 

Not to put too fine a point on it, Freda/Fred is a bit of  bitch. She's learned to protect herself from the criticism that often comes with being physically bigger, and so communicates both with friends and family in a very sardonic, sarcastic tone. I can't say I'm a fine. I understand why she does it - it's just not my cup of tea, and I don't find many of her friends (or the roommate) all that likeable either. Luckily the heart of the story, her relationship with Nicholas is more engrossing. They're both very broken characters and Nicholas has a lot to go through of his own past before he's able to foresee himself in a relationship. Both of them end up hurt at times and while they work it through in the end it was definitely emotional there for a minute or two.

It's a good, interesting story, I just think that personally it would have been better written in third person. But hey - that's just me :).

Overall Feeling - C+

Series - None

Lush by Lauren Dane

Mary Whaley has her hands full running a successful catering company and overseeing her supper club. She’s got everything she ever wanted—or so she thought. When she meets ridiculously hot and very dirty rock star Damien Hurley at her friend’s engagement party, the attraction she feels is overpowering—and she isn’t about to deny herself.

Damien is used to a hard and fast life. He and two of his brothers started a band when they were all in high school—then they hit the big time and stayed there. He’s also a legendary madman on the stage and in the bedroom. But when he meets Mary, something clicks, and the bad boy starts thinking he may have finally found something good.

What begins as a series of fleeting trysts soon get much more complicated. Damien can’t figure out why Mary doesn’t want more from him. And before long it’s Damien who wants more of Mary. But it turns out Mary is no stranger to the celebrity news and he’s got a very big job ahead of him—proving that he’s worth more than a one-night stand…
~~

I try to prevent too much fangirling here but woohoo so good! Please, if you haven't, stop and buy this book because the joy of reading a romance where the leads navigate the social minefield of trust & their different lives as actual ADULTS is just off the charts.Yes, you know going in that as a romance there's going to be a HEA but instead of a fade to black, you assume the rest, Dane creates two people who feel like people. Real men and women with friends and family and within all of these bonds is a very complicated picture of life.

If I was going to nitpick I didn't think Mary and Damien's 'big fight' was all that necessary to the story but I'm sure someone else could just as easily say that some sort of conflict was required or it'd all be considered too easy. Eh I don't mind easy when I feel like throughout the book the two of them have had to negotiate due to their lives, family, and what they see for themselves in the future. 

Ultimately Dane has done it again with a great book, a great series, and (from what I'm hearing) a freaking fantastic introduction to a new family we'll get books for in the future!

Overall Feeling - A+

Series - 1) "Sway" 2) Tart 3) Lush 

Lost in You by Lauren Dane *ARC Review*

It hasn’t been easy for Joe Harris to live down his not-so-honorable past, but the military made him a better man. He’s determined to make up for past mistakes, starting with coming home to care for his ailing father.

Things are going as planned until his best friend’s little sister comes barreling into his life. Funny, quick talking, smart, beautiful, she’s a temptation he tries—and fails—to resist.

When Beth Murphy hears Joe is back in town, she makes sure she’s the first on his welcoming committee. Though he tries to pretend he’s gruff and unworthy of her, she sees the man who spoils his dog, who touches her like she’s precious. Cherished. But there’s one wall she can’t break down—the truth about what’s happening at home.

On the night the nature of his father’s illness becomes painfully, publicly apparent, Joe does the right thing—push Beth as far away as possible. But if he thought she’d go away quietly, he’s about to learn she’s made of sterner stuff.
~~

I'm pretty sure it would take a lot for me to not enjoy a Lauren Dane story - especially one taking place in Petal, Georgia. The Chase brothers (and now the Murphy family) kind of represent all that I love in romance: witty dialogue, Alpha men with a heart (& manners), and a touch of Southern charm. Who can resist all that?! And Lost in You takes it a step farther, since the relationships within which the Murphy clan are finding theirs HEA's are not simple and perfect. Real life problems - divorce, cheating, mental health issues - become major plot points around which both the hero and heroine have to learn to operate. 

There are immediate sparks between Joe and Beth - fantastic sparks. She sees something she wants and goes after it immediately, with a lot of charm and a fun sense of deviousness. It's rare to see the woman as the one who chases but I think the fact that she's good natured-ly cajoling Joe into following an attraction he already feels makes it work. They start as something a step more serious than f*ck buddies and unfortunately getting to the point where can both admit to their feelings isn't easy. Speaking as someone who's got their own complicated family past I like the way Dane writes each of them as real people, who don't always know how to balance family, loyalty, and their own HEA. 

While reading the Chase Series isn't required to enjoy this book I recommend them because 1) they're great on their own, and 2) it makes this books even better :).

Overall Feeling - A

Series - 1) Once and Again 2) Lost in You (3/12/13)

*I won this book in a blog contest*

Yours, Mine and Howls by Kinsey W. Holley

Thirteen years ago, Ally Kendall died defending her young cousin from his werewolf stepfather.

She hasn’t been the same since.

Ally returned from the hereafter with strange new powers, burdened with the secret of why and how she survived. She managed to scrape her life together and raise her cousin, but now he needs a pack to guide him into adulthood. That means pulling up stakes yet again and heading for Colorado to find the only werewolf qualified for the job. A werewolf, she discovers, who tempts her to give up control in a thousand sinful ways.

Cade MacDougall, Alpha of an unrecognized pack, has a tragic history, a sizable ranch, and a daughter who thinks she’s a cat. Time to find a mate? Don’t make him laugh. Until Ally shows up with a smokin’ hot, preternaturally strong body that smells like mine, and introduces him to a nephew who holds the key to unraveling mysteries about Cade’s family—and himself.

But Ally’s holding something back. As Cade’s enemies gather, the cowboy and his secretive new mate must come clean about their mysterious pasts…or else all hope of protecting their newly formed family—and their future—will be lost.
~~

Between Patti's review and the awesome excerpt online I went into this book with pretty high expectations and I can happily report that it lived up to them. How many werewolf 'fated mate' stories can you say begin with the heroine dying? It's a first for me and created an interesting dynamic going in - Ally doesn't want to reveal to Cade how she ended up being his nephew's caregiver but he can tell that their story is total BS. Combine this with Ally's inability to submit to Cade's authority on the basis of his penis and you've got a fun story with great dialogue. 

There are sparks from the beginning between the two of them, and they don't diminish just because Ally doesn't let Cade be the 'asshole alpha'. I loved it because while there was conflict between the two it never felt mean; neither was actively trying to hurt the other, they just both wanted to be in charge, which is impossible with werewolf hierarchy. Ultimately you get a nice romance combined with a bit of supernatural intrigue and action. It works well as a stand alone and I highly recommend it.

Overall Feeling - B+

Series - 1) Kiss and Kin 2) Yours, Mine and Howls 3) Ready to Run

Teaser Tuesdays (1/29)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
 
"Dude, please, don't manage me right now. I'm telling you, I'm on my period and I want to cut someone. Just begone."

--pg 259, Tart by Lauren Dane

Teaser Tuesdays (1/15)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
 
"Trey laughed. She felt like his ally and Zane's too, the piece that fit their puzzle more snuggly together."

--pg 295, The Billionaire Bad Boys Club by Emma Holly

Tart by Lauren Dane

Juliet Lamprey is having the time of her life running her successful bakery, TART, when Gideon Carter comes back into her life. Returning home to help his grandfather run the family on the farm, Gideon is back for good. When they meet again, the spark between them is immediate, and it isn’t long before the former childhood friends play catch up in bed.

That’s not good news for local lawyer Cal Whaley. Though the sexually open but strictly monogamous Cal has loved Jules for a long time, he’s hardly ever taken it further than friendship. When he sees her start to fall for Gideon, he knows he has to make his move or risk losing her forever.

Who would have anticipated that all three of them would connect on such an intimate level? The trio’s scalding liaisons take them places they’ve never dreamed. But such an intensely passionate and unusual relationship comes with equally as complicated emotions, and when Jules must suddenly leave town, she wonders if she’ll have a choice to make when she returns
~~

I liked Tart but I have to say that it's probably not my favorite Dane novel. I think that while I liked the family, the relationship, and for the most part how each of the main characters interacted with the world, I couldn't get over how everything started. 

It's a bit spoiler-y, but come on. Why would Jules be ok with Cal just coming up and kissing her after she'd been with Gideon for a while? Yes she goes straight to Gideon and tells him what happened, but it all seemed a little strange to me. Add in the fact that it felt so sudden, the chapters go from Cal's point of view talking about how he doesn't want to ruin the friendship he and Jules has, to suddenly kissing her in an alley, and I just couldn't quite let go of the 'WTF' feeling. 

I would have to say though that if you can let go of any concerns about how the relationship initiates, the rest of the book reads pretty well.  Don't expect Gideon to be anything less than perfect and with his balance between Cal and Jules things progress between the three of them without many issues. Their families aren't always as accommodating, but that's a truth that Dane has never shied away from. Sometimes people suck and sometimes they do things that hurt you for what is seemingly no reason. It's a crappy situation to be in and I'm just thankful that eventually Jules stood up for herself enough to tell those people to suck it. 

It's a good addition to the series, and a great way to stay connected to the Brown siblings, but I would give this book more of an ok (but that's kind of because the rest her work is awesome so keep that in mind?).

Overall Feeling - B-

Series - 1) Cherished (duology) 2) Tart 3) Lush (April 2013)

The Billionaire Bad Boys Club by Emma Holly

Self-made billionaires Zane and Trey have been a club of two since they were eighteen. They’ve done everything together: play football, fall in love, even get smacked around by their dads. The only thing they haven’t tried is seducing the same woman. 

Rebecca learned early on not to trust anyone. She raised her brothers by herself—with no adult being the wiser. Her knack for cooking kept a roof over the twins’ heads. Now she’s damned if it won’t pay their way through Harvard as well. Add in running Trey’s latest restaurant, and her plate is way too full for romance. 

That’s an attitude the bad boys intend to change. Zane and Trey have set their sights on the sexy chef. When their hearts enter the equation and they both fall for her, this committed twosome faces their hardest test of all! 

 ~~ 

 I've always loved Emma Holly but with this particular story I think she's on par with Lauren Dane in the realm of 'believable menages'. Can I make that a category? I think it should be because when things are not set up as a straight erotica, when there's a HEA with each person deserving of individual love and attention, it's not easy to get that perfect balance. Part of what I think makes it work so well here is the original attention put on the relationship between Zane and Trey. They've been together since they were teenagers and while individually they may have played around, the core of their relationship was always the two of them. Thus when Rebecca is brought in (with an amazing adeptness in regards to how both Zane and Trey separately start things off) it doesn't rock the boat. 

Still that doesn't mean things are easy.  Each of them has their own insecurities and Holly takes the time to make sure a lot of them are addressed - and doesn't skimp on the reality of how other people could view what they're doing. I probably wouldn't say I missed the volatile family reactions that Dane tends to focus on, but the vulnerability of people in the limelight choosing a non-traditional lifestyle is a real problem. There are going to people invested in their own interests who won't take no for an answer and Holly takes the time to write in a scenario that fits with the overall story. I liked all the supporting characters in this one, no one felt unnecessary or throw in there to advance the story, and I hope that some of them get their own books later. Loved it!

Overall Feeling - A

Series - None 

Teaser Tuesdays (11/27)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

"He shrugged and she noted the faint blush on his neck and then wondered how his skin would taste. Like the hussy she was."

--pg 11, Tart by Lauren Dane

Surviving

So....yeah. About how I'm not in the US right now. At 6:10am this morning I boarded a flight to Hong Kong!! Hong Kong people! I can't even believe it and I'm typing it out for you. I'm not going to be back until some ungodly hour on Nov 11th (it's gonna be that special trip where I leave and land on the same day) and I have to admit to being a bad blogger. 

Instead of actually reaching out for guest posts or maybe reading books I hadn't already reviewed, I've spent the last few months, weeks, days, dreaming about my trip. Which is my long worded way of saying I don't have any reviews for you guys while I'm gone. I know - I KNOW! I suck, I'm sorry, I really should learn to do better. 

What I can do for you right now though is highlight some of the books I picked to entertain me during the long, long, flight. None are all that expensive (some are even on sale!) and a bunch are the next books in series I enjoyed before:

$.99 books
Thanks to Fiction Vixen I learned a bunch of eroticas were on sale and these are the two I picked:

 Petals and Thorns by Jeffe Kennedy & Burned by Eliza Gayle

Series

 Born to be Wild & Midnight Heat by Donna Kauffman

(review of the first book here)

 The Boldest Man in Ballymuir & The Brightest Flame in Ballymuir by Dorien Kelly

(review of the first book here)

Authors I love
Is this a surprise? I didn't think so. 

The Billionaire Bad Boys Club by Emma Holly

Hope this inspires you to do your own down time book list - even if they're only to be enjoyed in your home :). Happy Friday!