The Earl in My Bed is a sweet little adult novella that ticked all the boxes. I am more used to Sophie Jordan wr...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
The Earl in My Bed is a sweet little adult novella that ticked all the boxes. I am more used to Sophie Jordan writing YA, having penned the very popular Firelight series, but here she proves that adult romantic literature us well within her grasp as well.
I really liked this story of forbidden romance and passion. I thought the story was well developed despite its length. The characters are likeable; I admired Paget for thinking of herself, so often in books the characters are forever falling onto their swords and giving up their happiness for the sake of others, it is all very admirable but these characters need to think of themselves to and finally we have a character that does that without coming across as selfish.
Jamie is Darcey like; he is quite cold, quite restrained and finds the wait or propriety and earldom heavy. He wants to be left alone and can be surly, but behind the exterior there is a softness to him that it endearing. I loved the chemistry between the characters and the steamy scenes were very good.
The Earl in my Bed suffers in the same areas where most novellas do. The end is a rush and at complete odds with the rest of the book which builds at a nice pace. Quickly wrapped up endings seem to be a plague where novellas are concerned. Apart from that I enjoyed this and would have loved it to have been a full length novel. My interest in this series and in Sophie Jordan as a romance writer has been gained.
(I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review) (less)
Like most anthologies Love Letters: Open Desire is a little hit and miss, but mostly I enjoyed it. I thought each story was fairly well written and de...moreLike most anthologies Love Letters: Open Desire is a little hit and miss, but mostly I enjoyed it. I thought each story was fairly well written and developed but some were better than others. By far the best story of the bunch was A is for Assignment by Ginny Glass. I really liked the characters and chemistry in this one. It just seemed to work and I would have loved a little bit more of it.
The next best for D is for Detained by Maggie Wells, again I liked the chemistry and thought it was pretty darn hot but it lacked the depth and magic of Glass’s attempt. B is for Bondage was about as good but again like D is for Detained lacked something. Both of them were still very enjoyable and I have very little to complain about.
My least favourite is C is for Curious by Emily Cale which is a female/female pairing. I failed to feel the chemistry between the two characters and felt that everything moved a little too fast, the other stories stretched over a few days, or the characters had considerable history.
All in all this is an enjoyable anthology and none of the stories are bad, it is good if you are looking for a short and racy read.
Bite Me Your Grace is a charming little book, it didn’t blow my mind but I did find it very enjoyable and entertaining.
I really loved the two main ch...moreBite Me Your Grace is a charming little book, it didn’t blow my mind but I did find it very enjoyable and entertaining.
I really loved the two main characters (Ian and Angela) and the romance between them. I thought Angela was outspoken and funny, and Ian was more smouldering and serious. They matched each other perfectly and I thought they had great chemistry. The scenes between them were great and I greedily lapped them up.
Unfortunately Ian and Angela were only half the story and it was the other parts of the book where I had trouble. Firstly, there were a few to many points of view for my taste. The book seemed to switch between people to quickly and some voices, in particular the hunter, were not needed in my opinion. Another issue I had was that every male seemed to be in love/lust with Angela. A good heroine does not need men falling all over her, even the hunter wanted to ‘save’ her and it all was a little too much.
Bite me your grace does have its problems but generally speaking it is an enjoyable historical paranormal romance, with more than a pinch of humour. (less)
This has to be one of the best series introductory novellas I have ever read. I really loved it, I loved the plot and the setting, it was dark, gritty...moreThis has to be one of the best series introductory novellas I have ever read. I really loved it, I loved the plot and the setting, it was dark, gritty, violent and sexy.
The characters were amazing. Silence was so cool I almost wanted to be her. She is feisty, funny and fierce, she can hold her own in fights and is more than capable of looking after herself. Hark was just fan-girl worthy. I LOVED him. He was strong, smart, funny and extremely charming with a sex appeal that could bring anyone to their knees. He is, without doubt, one of the best male characters I have read in the last year or so.
The romance was brilliant; I swooned all over the place. I thought they were amazing together, the chemistry was explosive in and out of the bedroom. The marriage/mating/bonding process was really nicely done and I thought it was a great concept.
Silent Warrior brings a dark and dreary edge to the fantasy/urban fantasy genre. It was gritty, romantic and at times even funny. I simple cannot wait to read more from this series and more from this author. (less)
I was very unsure about reading this book, I am a firm HEA girl and from the sound of the blurb I was pretty su...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
I was very unsure about reading this book, I am a firm HEA girl and from the sound of the blurb I was pretty sure that the two main characters were not going to stay together. Is that the kind of book I really want to read? I didn’t think so but I am really glad I did because Breaking the Rules turned out to be a pleasant surprise and was not at all what I thought it was.
Breaking the Rules is fairly explicit, it does not shy away from that aspect but what it does is use sex as a tool for self-discovery. Grace is uptight, straight laced and to be honest not all that fun. Enter Ramon; hot, Spanish and completely off limits. At first I have to admit I didn’t like him, I thought he was cocky and arrogant but he managed to see something in Grace and no one else could and sets about to free her from her self-inflected loneliness. He does not do this for himself, not even for his own pleasure but because he wants her to realise that there is more to life than career success and that relationships are worth the effort you put in to make them work.
Grace and Ramon are not meant to be together, not long term, even though the sex between them is explosive. But that does not mean that there is not a happy ending. I don’t want to go into too much detail because that would ruin it so I will just say that I loved the way it finished and wouldn’t have changed a thing.
This book is not perfect, sometimes the characters got on my nerves a little, sometimes I found it all just a little bit cheesy, but for the most part it was very enjoyable, very engaging and extremely steamy.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review (less)
When I saw this book pop up on Netgalley I was unsure and it took me a while to put in a request for it but boy...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
When I saw this book pop up on Netgalley I was unsure and it took me a while to put in a request for it but boy am I glad I did. I thought this was really very good and it is easily in the top five romances I have read so far this year.
There is just so much to like about it. The storylines, characters, and intimate scenes were all great, but what really made me fall in love with this book was the main character Heather. It is not actually Heather herself that I loved so much, it was not her personality or her characteristics (although, those are also great) it was that this book was centred solely on her and the growth and changes she makes in her life.
Heather has spent her life bending over backwards to please other people and she has had enough of it, so she sets about to change things. She starts a relationship with the rather swoony Tony, she spices up her sex life, she becomes more assertive at work and finally challenges the best friend who has always been slightly belittling. What is great is the author and Tony step back and allow her to grow and discover without putting road blocks in the way. It was a massive high five for girl power especially when Heather becomes a little dominant in the bedroom (there is a desk and a table tennis paddle, if you don’t know what I could be referring to it starts with an ‘S’ and ends in ’panking’)
That’s not to say that Tony is not important, he does some growing too. He knows he has found something special and he is not prepared to mess it up. Through Heather he sees that he has been unhappy with his life so he also changes. I really liked Tony, probably more than Heather, he was charming and swoontastic.
The romance was great; they had bundles of chemistry and were really sweet together. The scenes in the bedroom were hot but they could also be really cute.
Vanilla on top was by no means perfect, there are holes to be picked in it but there was nothing that really bothered me about it. This is a short and sweet read that offered something a little different.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review (less)
I went into this with low expectation and I have to say I came out the other side pleasantly surprised, this boo...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
I went into this with low expectation and I have to say I came out the other side pleasantly surprised, this book is quite a little gem. I have heard next to nothing about it and am glad that I took the chance and requested a review copy from Netgalley.
Nobody’s Angel is one of those books that just seem to get everything right. It was just the right length, its plot kept me entertained and I didn’t bore of it at all. The writing was good and I liked that Gail took this into some dark places.
The characters were awesome, Kendall was exactly the kind of woman I like. She is smart, sensible and brave. She is not over the top or over dramatic, she is also sweet and funny and I just couldn’t stop myself from liking her. Zeke was amazing. I have a fascination with tall, big men (not overly muscular men, just big built men) which is exactly what Zeke was. I also have a thing for masked men (probably due to my infatuation with Phantom of the Opera) so he ticked all my boxes. Zeke is strong and tough but there is also a sense of vulnerability about him which endeared him to me even more.
The romance between them was brilliant and I really liked them together. Nobody’s Angel was a great surprise and I really, really enjoyed it. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review(less)
Ever since I watched the quite amazing movie Warrior I have had a thing for UFC (and Joel Edgerton…its really bad, if someone even says his name I sta...moreEver since I watched the quite amazing movie Warrior I have had a thing for UFC (and Joel Edgerton…its really bad, if someone even says his name I start blushing.)
so I was really looking forward to reading this and it didn’t disappoint.
The characters were really great, Melody was sweet and loving and I admired her strength to get away from an abusive ex-husband and her bravery to risk loving a man who makes money from violence. She wasn’t a strong character, she didn’t have the strongest backbone or the sassiest nature but she made the best of what courage she had and I liked her for it. It was not always easy and there was a lot of time where I thought she might run but she didn’t and I thought that was great.
Clay was dreamy. I really liked him, he has this tough exterior and always scowls instead of smiles but under all that armour he is a sweet guy who just wants to live simply. What I loved about him was that he knew he was in love with Melody and knew she was it for him. He made no excuses, didn’t try and find a way to back out and just owned it. He was a sweetie romantic and I wouldn’t mind a man like him to call my own (preferably looking like Joel Edgerton if at all possible.)
The romance was awesome I loved these two together. It was steamy when it needed to be (really steamy) but cute when it needed to be as well. I liked that dynamic, I liked that these two were clearly meant to be together, but mostly I liked the simplicity of the romance. It was just about two people who meet and fall in love, that’s it.
Defying the Odds also introduced a host of supporting characters that will get there time in the spotlight soon and I honestly cannot wait to read more of this series and more from this author.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review (less)
Sometimes you come across a book that manages to just utterly charm you, that is what The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl did to me. It was far from...moreSometimes you come across a book that manages to just utterly charm you, that is what The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl did to me. It was far from perfect but I really, really enjoyed it. Firstly I just loved the idea. A geek girl falling through time and landing in a handsome and surly earl’s bedroom is exactly my kind of thing and I thought it was executed really well.
I loved the characters, Jamie was so much fun. I loved her feisty attitude and her determination where her relationship with Mike was concerned. My one complaint about her was that she had a tendency to do silly things which got a little annoying at times but then she sacrificed everything for the sake of a dog which being a dog lover I couldn’t complain about.
Mike or Micah was amazing. He was completely swoon worthy and at times rather devastating. His demeanour was not always exactly friendly but there was just something about him that I just couldn’t help but love. He could be so nice and sweet but there was a tough side to him to, I liked both equally.
The romance between them was full of chemistry, I just loved them together and the love scenes were really, really great.
There were times where this didn’t quite make sense and I thought that it was maybe a tad too long but these things didn’t bother me at all. At the end of the day this is just a very charming, very sweet romance that I would recommend. (less)
I expected The Lass Wore Black to be like most other historical romances of this era, but I was pleasantly surprised when it started to do things a li...moreI expected The Lass Wore Black to be like most other historical romances of this era, but I was pleasantly surprised when it started to do things a little bit differently. This was more than just a romance and after a little bit of a rocky start I found myself enjoying this.
What set The Lass Wore Black apart were its characters. They were very far from perfect and had multiply flaws. They were not necessarily likable but they were human.
Catriona used to be a beauty, she prided herself on her looks and loved the way she could seduce and influence men. She becomes horrifically disfigured after a carriage accident and losses her looks and the powers that came with them. This book explores her recovery and how she finds a different, kinder side of herself once she lost her vanity. Catriona is not always easy to like, at times she is selfish and stubborn, but I could not help but admire her. She handles herself well after the accident, considering the damage that has been done. She rarely self-pities or complains even though she is in a lot of pain. When she wanted to she was capable of great kindness and I ended up really liking her.
Mark is another great character, unlike Catriona he is selfless and lives to help others. He is smart and kind but his actions were not always agreeable. He deserves Catriona (for good reason) but takes it too far. He is not always clean cut, not always the angel he is painted to be but his heart is in the right place.
The Storyline and pacing were great, it never felt rushed and I was never bored. I thought the sex scenes were a little dull but found the romance sweet. Over all I thought this was a charming and at times dark historical romance that dared to be a little different. (less)
I have not read a fireman romance in years so I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into Sex and the Single Fireman,...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
I have not read a fireman romance in years so I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into Sex and the Single Fireman, and for the most part I was not disappointed. To be honest the whole thing was a little far-fetched but it was sweet, funny and at times I struggled to put it down. I thought the writing and storytelling was strong but I would have liked more fire action. The small scene there was really came alive for me and I found myself wanting more, but it was not to be.
I really enjoyed the character. Rick is AMAZING and I had a bit of a thing for him. He tries so hard to be tough and stern but behind all that he was just one big softy. He is a great dad and an understanding boss but he sucks at handling romance. He just had no idea what to do with Sabina, he half wanted to throw her down and have his way with her and half wanted to run away screaming. He makes some silly mistakes in the romance department but all in all he is adorable.
Sabina was awesome as well, I had bundles of respect for her and the decisions she made in her life. She refused to be pushed around and I thought she handles herself well with the situation she found herself in. She had a tendency to jump to conclusions which could be a smidge amazing but mostly I loved her. Like Rick she was useless at romance and messed things up as much as Rick did.
I loved the romance there were sparks flying everywhere; Bernard sure knows how to write a couple with chemistry. She also knows how to write great sex and the bedroom scenes were explosive.
My one real complaint was that it went on a little too long. It could have done with being at least 50 pages shorter, other than that I really enjoyed and I cannot wait to read more of this series. Especially if the next book focuses on the frankly devastating psycho.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review (less)
All or Nothing is an entertaining romance with a touch of suspense to keep things interesting. It was a little f...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
All or Nothing is an entertaining romance with a touch of suspense to keep things interesting. It was a little far-fetched but I expect that from these kinds of books and to be honest it is one of the reasons I like them so much.
The characters were strong; Conrad is extremely likeable (even when he is being silly). He was trying so hard to stop things from falling apart but most the time only made it worse. He makes mistakes, but he owns them so it’s forgivable. I really like Jayne, she is so honest with herself about what she was doing and how she was feeling. She is nothing like the clueless female characters I am so used to seeing. I couldn’t help but admire her level headedness. The chemistry between Jayne and Conrad was immense and I loved reading their rekindling romance.
Like I said before, All or Nothing is a little far-fetched and it does have a few issues but I was able to overlook them and I found this very entertaining.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review(less)
There was a lot to like about Killing Time, I have always been a fan of military romances but this had a little...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
There was a lot to like about Killing Time, I have always been a fan of military romances but this had a little more bite than most. The real surprise here was that there was a decent plot outside of the romance. I would have still read and enjoyed this book if there was no romance at all, which is something I can’t say about most military romance books. I thought this was generally quite smart, well written and brilliantly put together. The storyline held my interest and kept me entertained.
I really liked the characters they were smart and didn’t dumbly stumble into dangerous situations. Eva didn’t need to saved all the time, she was just as tough and capable as the men which is something I LOVED. She was smart, sassy and easy to like. Mike was great as well; he was truly a good guy who behind the tough exterior was really quite vulnerable. He was easy to swoon over and I found myself doing just that with surprising regularity.
The romance was awesome. The chemistry between Eva and Mike burst off the pages. I liked that the romantic drama was kept to a minimum and that they acted like adults when things got tough.
I did have a few problems with it though. I felt like the last third lost its way a bit. I did not enjoy it as much as the rest of the book and felt that it was maybe a little long. I also don’t know why it was necessary to make Eva’s ex-husband a bad guy, it served no purpose to the story apart from to make Mike look good which he needed no help with. Also towards the end there were a few to many characters and I struggled to place them all.
Killing Time does have its problems but for the most part it was extremely entertaining and is one of the smarter military romances I have read. I look forward to reading more of this series and more from this author.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review(less)
Generally speaking I enjoyed this romantic thriller. There was nothing I hated about it but nothing blew me awa...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
Generally speaking I enjoyed this romantic thriller. There was nothing I hated about it but nothing blew me away either. It was a quick read that entertained me but that I will probably not think about again.
I enjoyed the characters in this book. Becca was nice and perfectly likable and I really liked Reid, he was sweet but could also be tough. I enjoyed the romance between them it was cute and I appreciated the lack of relationship drama. There were quite a few sex scenes which I didn’t mind but might be a problem for some.
Like many books of this genre Covert Seduction falls into some over used clichés. Characters in these types of books (especially female characters) always seem to forget that their lives are in danger and that someone is trying to kill them. They spend their time stumbling into dangerous situations whilst day dreaming about men/sex. The male characters are not that much better and tend to forget that someone is trying to hurt the love of their lives and in this case have sex with her against a full length window, a window that an assassin might think was perfect for taking out a target.
Still I enjoyed this book and the characters in it, I accept these clichés as they come with the territory so they don’t put me off too much.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review(less)
I really loved this novella from Meredith Duran it proved that you don’t need a full length novel for a proper...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
I really loved this novella from Meredith Duran it proved that you don’t need a full length novel for a proper heart stopping romance. If a novella is written well it can be just as passionate, romantic and heart breaking as a novel.
I really enjoyed the storyline and I loved the characters. Both Amanda and Ripton were strong. They were both stubborn, both argumentative and feisty. I loved reading their interaction and the chemistry between them was amazing.# Your Wicked Heart is a cheap and quick read, it was really entertaining, and there are a lot worse ways to spend an hour or two.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review(less)
I liked this sweet little novella, the storyline was interesting, and the writing good but what I really loved w...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
I liked this sweet little novella, the storyline was interesting, and the writing good but what I really loved was the characters and the romance between them.
Fiona and Archie had bundles of chemistry and I really enjoyed reading their romance develop. I loved their flirtations conversations and the banter between them. I would have loved it if this had been a little bit longer but apart from that I found this perfectly enjoyable.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review (less)
The Mysterious Madam Morpho is a novella between books 1 and 2 of the Blud series. I have not read the first bo...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
The Mysterious Madam Morpho is a novella between books 1 and 2 of the Blud series. I have not read the first book in the series but do not think you need to in order to understand and enjoy this book. It did take a little getting used to but after a few pages I was fine.
I really quite liked this, the storyline was entertaining and exciting. I also loved the setting and the steampunk elements.
The characters were great both Imogen and Henry are extremely likeable. The chemistry between them was obvious from the moment they met and I found their romance to be very cute.
I will definitely be checking out the rest of the series as I really enjoyed this little taster.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review (less)
The Marriage Trap is the second book in the Marriage to a Billionaire series and in my opinion is better than the first book. The first few chapters p...moreThe Marriage Trap is the second book in the Marriage to a Billionaire series and in my opinion is better than the first book. The first few chapters put me off a little (mainly because Maggie annoyed me) and I thought I was going to hate it, but it picked up quickly and it was plain sailing after that and I found it really entertaining.
I enjoyed the characters much more in this book; they had more personality and spirit. Both Maggie and Michael were pretty awesome. They were feisty, argumentative and passionate which lead to some pretty amazing chemistry between them. I liked that it was Michael who wore his heart on his sleeve and was willing to risk it all instead of a female character.
There were some annoying moments but there were also some really sweet moments as well. Generally speaking I enjoyed this book, it was a quick romance that was extremely entertaining. (less)
A lady by midnight is the third book in the Spindle Cove series but the first that I have read. You do not need...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
A lady by midnight is the third book in the Spindle Cove series but the first that I have read. You do not need to read the ones before in order to understand this book.
I mostly really enjoyed this regency romance. All of the characters are likeable; Kate is like the Bridget Jones of the era funny, at times sassy and looking for love. Thorne is comparable to Darcy, moody, stubborn and passionate. Reading Kate slowly break him down was entertaining.
The romance was good and I found myself routeing for this couple but what makes this book great is the humour. This book is really funny and often had me laughing out loud. One bit towards the end involving various pieces of weaponry was so funny it bought tears to my eyes.
This book did have its issues. I felt it was a tad longer than it needed to be and some of the drama towards the end was a little over done and in my opinion not needed.
Other than that I really enjoyed this funny romance, if you are a fan of historical love stories then I highly recommend this.
(I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)(less)
There are three things I really like, romance, sci-fi and Christmas. So when I heard Carina Press was relea...moreFor this review and more check out my blog
There are three things I really like, romance, sci-fi and Christmas. So when I heard Carina Press was releasing an anthology encompassing all of these things I knew I had to read it. A Galactic Holiday comprised of: How the Glitch Saved Christmas by Stacy Gail, Galileo’s Holiday by Sasha Summers and Winter Fusion by Anna Hackett.
I really enjoyed How the Glitch Saved Christmas, I loved the futuristic world it was set in and thought the storyline and characters were very good. It was a cute story and I found a part at the end to be quite touching. I enjoyed the romance; I do love a good enemy to lover story line so this was good for me.
The same cannot be said for Galileo’s Holiday which was by far the worse story out of the three for me. I thought it was quite boring in parts, lacked chemistry and flow. I couldn’t really bring myself to care about what happened. I did however like the idea of the story and felt that some of the use of technology was good.
Bringing up the rear is Winter Fusion which is another hate to love romance. Again I thought this story was really good. I really liked the characters in this one and the storyline was my favourite of the bunch. The only thing that bugged me was that sometimes the characters underreacted to things going on around them, for example there is an explosion and nobody seems to care about that or the fact that they almost lost their lives.
This is the third holiday anthology I have read so far this year (there are bound to be more) and it is my favourite so far. I really quite enjoyed it. (less)
In parts I really quite enjoyed this little novella. It was short, sweet and had a little bit of everything. It...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
In parts I really quite enjoyed this little novella. It was short, sweet and had a little bit of everything. It was romantic and funny with a little bit of drama thrown in.
I quite liked the characters, they made mistakes but they owned up to them. They are a bit nerdy which for this reader is awesome because I am a little nerdy to. I loved reading about their arguments which was fuelled with unresolved sexual tension.
When they do get together they do so with a bang…a bang that never seemed to end. This is where my issues with this book really started. It is just full of sex; once they start they just don’t stop. They have more energy than an energizer bunny. I love a little sauce in my books but after reading the 5th consecutive sex scene (bear in mind that this is a short book) even I got bored of it.
Generally I enjoyed this book but there was even too much sex for this pervert.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review (less)
I quite enjoyed this short, erotic romance. It was sweet funny and had just the right amount of kink for me. I thought the storylines and writing was...moreI quite enjoyed this short, erotic romance. It was sweet funny and had just the right amount of kink for me. I thought the storylines and writing was good and I liked the characters. Abby felt a little sorry for herself at times but that was addressed so I am not going to complain. (less)
*I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for a review*
I have been looking for a good adult steampunk romance ever since I read The Iron Duke earlier this year, and for the most part A Lady can Never Be too Curious fit the bill.
I really liked Janette. She was not meek or silly; she was a fighter and saw no reason why she could not be an intellectually equal to a man. She was not easily frightened and instead was naturally inquisitive, a trait I liked in her. I loved her interaction with Darius, there was plenty of humour and banter between them and a bucket load of sexual tension. The romance was great, it built agonizingly slowly and when the sex scenes came they were really, really great.
The only issue I had with the romance was Darius. I liked him but he was constantly doubting Janette and warning her away from him. It was ok for a while but it stretched the whole book and got really repetitive.
I liked the story line and enjoyed the level of the steampunk element; it was neither over nor under-done. I felt like there were times where there was a bit too much dialogue and not enough action which caused my attention to drift occasionally.
This book is not perfect but it didn’t matter too much, I still found it very entertaining. (less)
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a review*
One of the things I love about being a book blogger i...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a review*
One of the things I love about being a book blogger is that sometimes a book that you wouldn’t normally read lands in your lap and takes you by surprise. I am not normally a fan of historical romance, I will read Highland romance and Historical PNR but straight historical…well that is not normally my thing. In short, Heiress without a cause is not a book I would ever choose to read. I am really glad that I was given the opportunity to read this because in the end I utterly adored it.
At first I wasn’t sure, the book got off to a really slow start and the first 50 pages struggled to hold my interest. I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to make it through the book, but then, out of nowhere the story burst into life and I was hooked.
I loved the characters. Ferguson is not the buff, moody, warrior type you are used to seeing in romance books. Instead he has charm and a personality that outshines his looks. Madeleine is also great. She is gutsy and interesting not just some brainless beauty. She has a sharp mind and she is not afraid to use it.
The romance between them is what really got to me. I just loved it, it really got under my skin and I revelled in it. I loved these characters together, there was lust and love but there was also respect between them which is something I like to see in my romances.
The sex scenes were hot, they were great. The characters and the writing combined were just perfect for the intimate parts of this book. Ramsey certainly knows how to get her readers hot under the collar.
Heiress Without a Cause isn’t perfect. I thought the characters changed their minds a little too often and as I have already mentioned it got off to a slow start, but all in all I thought this book was great and I really enjoyed it. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series and maybe I might try out a few more historical romances.(less)
*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review*
This book was not what I thought it would be at all. I read the blurb and thought it wa...more*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review*
This book was not what I thought it would be at all. I read the blurb and thought it was a PNR when really it is a very human contemporary novel. I am not complaining because generally speaking I enjoyed this.
Fallen Angel takes is about a very tough subject, one that I never really thought I would see in erotic romance. Bradley, however, treats this subject with respect and I never once thought this book was done in bad taste. In fact it was very sweet and although there are some upsetting moments is doesn’t dwell on them. This book is more about moving on with your life after bad things happen, not about the bad thing itself.
Angel is a great character; she has been through so much but manages to be full of hope and love. I liked her so much because of this. Dec is carrying around a lot of anger but really he is soft and sweet. I liked the romance between them. In the beginning I wasn’t sure because feelings were growing so quickly, but I did come around. The sex scenes were really, really great...but (and this is a big but) before they get to the sex point there was a lot, and I mean A LOT of self-pleasure going on. It felt like someone was masturbating every two pages. I am all for personally exploration but in moderation. Seriously, find some self-control people!! I am quite honestly surprised they had any energy left to have sex with each other.
Despite the vigorous self-love I did enjoy this story it doesn’t set out to upset you, which given the subject matter it could have done. Instead it is a short and sweet romance that is hard to dislike. (less)
This is exactly what I have been looking for. I have massive love for PNR (Paranormal romance) but nothing has really captured me since the early Black Dagger Brotherhood books. Well finally something has. I just loved this book. It had everything; action, drama, humour and romance. It was just great.
Ok, so what made this book so great? I will start with the idea. I think Britt Bury is incredibly smart because she has taken the top three (or there about) romance sub-genres and somehow mixed them together. This is a Highland novel, it is set in Scotland. Our hero, Kelvin, is a Scottish clan warrior…but he is also something else. Kelvin is a paranormal being, closely related to shape shifters (although his species doesn’t actually shift). This novel might look and feel like a Highland novel but it is set in the modern world. So it is a highland, PNR, urban fantasy novel…but wait, there’s more (stick with me here.) This modern world has no humans (almost) they all died out. The world is full of paranormal beings but things are still somewhat derelict. So to conclude The Darkest Day is a highland, PNR, Urban Fantasy, Dystopian novel. Sounds a bit too much doesn’t it? Except for the fact that it works perfectly. Bury has written this book so well that the joining of so many genres doesn’t distract from but enhances the reading experience. This book is written in a way that is also utterly entrancing. I struggled to put this book down. It was engaging from beginning to end. The prologue set the tone immediately and that atmosphere and intensity stayed with the book the whole way through.
Let’s move on to the characters. Essentially there are only two characters in this book. There are others who pop their heads in (I think/hope this was more for the next books in the series) but there are only two people who really matter in this book, Kelvin and Izel.
Izel is a great female lead. She is funny, smart, sassy and just all round awesome. I didn’t once find her irritating or weak. She was not kick-ass or unemotional but she was no doormat either. Kelvin (honestly if you could see what this guy looked like in my head you would faint) is just devastating. If I met him I wouldn’t stand a chance. He is strong, hard and tough. He has responsibilities and obligations. He at times probably comes across as a little scary. He is rash, stubborn and infuriating. But behind all the brutishness he is loving, gentle and fairly emotional. When he loves he does it with all of his heart and he would do anything to protect that person. Like Izel he was not once annoying.
The romance between Izel and Kelvin was just amazing. I loved the growth of their relationship, from enemies, to annoyances, to lust then finally to love. Sure, there are some bumps along the way but it was not done just for the sake of drama. Most of the humour in this book came from the banter between them. In the beginning the sparred verbally back and worth which gave the book a light-hearted feel but slowly that turned to something darker. The tension and chemistry between them poured off of every page, it was fidget inducing brilliant. It oozed from the characters and created bucket loads of sexual tension.
The Darkest Day proves that there is still some imagination in the romance genre. It is by far the best PNR I have read in a while and I strongly recommend it. I cannot wait for the next book in the series. (less)
*I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for review*
Dangerously close was what I call a gr...moreFor this review and more check out my blog
*I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for review*
Dangerously close was what I call a grower. For the first 4 or 5 chapters I wondered how the hell I would get through the whole book. After that it dramatically improved. It grew on me.
Storyline/Plot Generally speaking I liked the plot, it was interesting and there was a nice blend of suspense and romance. The big problem was the beginning; it just seemed to be full of useless information. I didn’t need to know in detail how Ashley became blind, got a dog and a live in helper. I just needed to know she was blind, had a dog and a live in helper. I could have done with a few paragraph explaining these things not 4 chapters. Other than that it was good. I did think that maybe Ashley had been through a lot of unnecessary stuff in her life but all in all it was fine.
Writing Like so many of these types of books the narrative jumps around a lot, it settles to three characters and that worked well. I liked the way Adams wrote Ashley’s blindness, she didn’t slip up once but also didn’t mention Ashley’s blindness constantly.
Characters At first I thought Ashley was terrible because she had all those boring chapters. She dramatically improves when Mel comes along because we are able to really see her personality. She has been through a lot but has a wicked sense of humour. I never once thought of her as weak, even when she was at her lowest and feeling self-conscious she had strength which I really admired. In the beginning there is not much to like about Mel, he is just another spoilt rock star that has gone off the rails. Yet, he manages to slowly but surely redeem himself and he turned into a likable guy. Is he perfect? No, but that’s how I prefer my male leads.
Romance What I loved about this book was the way the romance grew. There was no insta-love, instead the characters first respected each other, then formed a friendship. What I loved was the way they talked about their friendship when they became lovers. They didn’t just fall into bed overcome with lust. They took their time and that made the romance better. The sex was intense and well written, I enjoyed it but I would have liked to have seen Adams utilise Ashley’s blindness a little more. There is something so sensual about not seeing but feeling.
Dangerously Close is a nice romantic thriller that I enjoyed…if you discount the first 4 chapters that is.(less)
A free copy of this book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for a review.
Every now and then a book comes along that challenged the expectation and clichés of the genre it has been placed in. The Theory of Attraction by Delphine Dryer is one of these books. Forget the cover; forget what you think you know about this genre because this book is something else. It is BDSM meets The Big Bang Theory. I wasn’t sure the two together would work yet somehow it did. Dryer has literally taken the erotic romance/BDSM handbook and ripped it up.
I knew things were a little different when I read this:
“He’s very much an acquired taste, and it took me a good year at least to realise I’d acquired it.”
At first I was confused; did that mean the male character was not jaw dropingly, thigh quivering hot? In a way it did, Ivan is not the normal romantic hero. He is a scientist, a nerd and is completely socially inept. I don’t mean he is shy or unconfident, Ivan has real social even borderline mental issues. He also clearly has OCD. It doesn’t sound very romantic does it?...Except that it really, really is. When Ivan is being his nerd self he is beyond adorable. He is charming in his own geeky way and is completely lovable (he reminded me a lot of Reed in Criminal Minds which did not hurt at all.) It was not hard to see why Camilla was so utterly taken with him.
Camilla is another thing that this book does differently. She doesn’t come from a bad or abusive background. She doesn’t have trust issues. She isn’t a push over and neither is she too stubborn for her own good. Camilla is a normal woman like you and me (unless you are a dude.) She is funny, realistic and impossible to dislike. I love the way she interacts with Ivan, the way she understands his awkward nature. I also love the way she obsesses and pines over him, it is really amusing (let’s face it we’ve all been there.) But what she doesn’t know is that Ivan is not just a control freak nerd, he also likes control in the more private and personal areas of his life…like the bedroom. It turns out that despite appearances Ivan is a Domme.
It is with the introduction of kinky sex scenes that this book nose-dived ever so slightly. I think it is hard to write romantic BDSM sex and I felt the romantic spark between Ivan and Camilla diminished when it was introduced. I much preferred the ‘vanilla’ sex between the two. It was a lot more emotional and suited them, as a couple a lot better. I think a lot of it is down to personal preference. I have no problem with BDSM but the heavier it is the less attractive I find it. This book does get heavy at times. There is flogging, chains, anal, plugs, blindfolds and clamps, so it is definitely not for everyone.
The first third of this book is 5 star worth and even after it is worth a high rating. It is not for the faint of heart but it has a lot more to offer than kinky sex. It is cute, funny and different from a lot of other books out there. It comes highly recommended by me.
Wild and Steamy is an anthology made up of three stories. The Blushing Bounder by Meljean Brook, Vixen by Jill Myles and Kitten – Tiger and the Monk b...moreWild and Steamy is an anthology made up of three stories. The Blushing Bounder by Meljean Brook, Vixen by Jill Myles and Kitten – Tiger and the Monk by Carolyn Crane.
In my opinion Meljean Brook is the queen of steampunk, nobody does it quite as well as she does and The Blushing Bounder is no exception. The steampunk element was amazing and complimented by a lovely romance, good storyline and likeable characters. It is an awesome novella that fits in well with the rest of the Iron Seas series.
Vixen was my least favourite of the bunch but that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it. It was well written, had a good story line and good characters. It was also extremely saucy.
Kitten – Tiger and the Monk introduced me to a new series. I haven’t read any of the Disillusionist books but after reading this I most definitely will be. I loved the dark and dreary world this was set in, loved the less than perfect characters and loved the storyline behind it.
Wild and Steamy is one of the better adult anthologies I have read. None of the stories were bad; each had its appeal and was enjoyable. (less)
Bewitching the werewolf is a short and free (at least it was when I got it) book on amazon.
This book was so much fun. The storyline was good and it o...moreBewitching the werewolf is a short and free (at least it was when I got it) book on amazon.
This book was so much fun. The storyline was good and it often made me laugh, I really enjoyed it. Megan is a great character who lacks a verbal filter, Zach was charming and hot and the chemistry between them sizzled.
I felt like it moved a little too fast for me and would have liked a little more, but it was free so I can’t complain. (less)
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