Lori L. Clark's Blog, page 156

Book Review: Quintessentially Q

Quintessentially Q (Monsters in the Dark #2)
by Pepper Winters

“All my life, I battled with the knowledge I was twisted… fucked up to want something so deliciously dark—wrong on so many levels. But then slave fifty-eight entered my world. Hissing, fighting, with a core of iron, she showed me an existence where two wrongs make a right."

Tess is Q’s completely. Q is Tess’s irrevocably. But now, they must learn the boundaries of their unconventional relationship, while Tess seeks vengeance on the men who sold her. Q made a blood-oath to deliver their corpses at Tess’s feet, and that’s just what he’ll do.

He may be a monster, but he’s Tess’s monster.
TeriLyn's thoughts: This story is unbelievably good in a seriously twisted, frightening, compelling way of being good. I'm not certain how to review this to do it justice without spoiling the plot for anyone so I've decided to keep this a bit short maybe even a bit vague.

Pepper Winters can write the hell out of, well...hell. She absorbs her reader with darkness, her words disturbingly consuming you. Ms. Winters writes about the dregs of which some humans feed from with compassion and precision. Quintessentially Q will make you FEEL. It will make you THINK. This story takes the worst kind of horror and makes you feel it, think about it. It truly makes you want to be stronger because of it. So many emotions consumed me while reading Tess & Q's second book; horror, disgust, love, compassion. This book is gripping, swirling with endless dark emotions you feel throughout the entire journey all the while creating light in darkness. Tess and Q are characters whom make you feel for them and with them. QQ is told from dual POV's and in my opinion it was a brilliant storytelling choice. Reading the agony festering in each of them made this story so much better. We didn't have to guess at the reactions from either of them, we lived nightmares and dreams right alongside of both Q and Tess. The writing is astounding, the plot is explosive, and the story will grip you with a powerful storm of feelings from beginning to end. This author will tear you apart and put the pieces back together. It's startling to realize that while she's tearing down her characters she's doing the exact same to the reader. I was literally clutching my Kindle until the very last word. Bravo, Ms. Winters, the Monsters in the Dark series is crazy good, hauntingly perfect.

Favorite Quote:
'We broke each other, and the only way to stay whole was to entwine ourselves, gluing the jagged parts, stitching our souls into one.'

Book Review: Tears of Tess

Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark #1)
by Pepper Winters

A New Adult Dark Contemporary Romance, not suitable for people sensitive to grief, slavery, and nonconsensual sex. A story about finding love in the strangest of places, a will of iron that grows from necessity, and forgiveness that may not be enough.

“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.
Then it all changed.
I was sold.”

Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility.

For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.

But lusty paradise is shattered.

Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.

Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.

Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?
TeriLyn's thoughts: I absolutely love when a book leaves me reeling and I have no idea how to write a review in fear of not doing the writing justice. Tears of Tess proved to be that book. The two thoughts immediately swirling around my head are I stayed up half the night because I could not tear my eyes from the gripping pages and why the hell did I wait so long to read this compelling story. Tears of Tess surprised me; it’s not as dark as I was expecting but hauntingly beautiful all the same – the tale of two broken souls who find in each other the will be monsters in the dark together without shame or guilt, a perfect love story.

Tess is a young woman on holiday with her boyfriend of two years in Mexico. We learn pretty quickly that Tess is fighting an inner battle over her relationship. The comfort her and Brax provide each other keeps her grounded and in love. However, that comfort lacks passion and an intimacy Tess craves. In Mexico, Tess finds herself kidnapped and trafficked. She is sold. After this dark period in the story, Tess meets her new master, Q. Q proves to be an enigma; both a predator and a protector. The cloud of mystery surrounding him is just as confusing as it alluring. And like Tess, he’s hiding a monster, content on hunting his prey. Ironically, they both have the heart of the lamb but roar with conviction like the lion. Q immediately recognizes darkness in Tess that he’s only ever recognized in himself. She lifts him from the dregs of his conscious and he lifts her from the depths of sexual despair. There time together is an awakening of souls, a gift of acceptance and submission they both never intended to receive.

Pepper Winters, right from the prologue, enchants the reader by sucking you into an intricately woven web of the monsters that lurk in the dark. There are some monsters to fear and there are some monsters that morph fear into passion unveiling latent desires that have been dormant for far too long. Ms. Winters story of passion, fear, redemption, and acceptance will you leave breathless. The writing is concise and appeals to the reader who loves to get lost in a book. Told from Tess’ POV until the epilogue, we see a dangerous and alluring side of human sexual nature. The mysterious and intriguing plot, the depth of character in the H/h, and the moving love story woven through the text will leave you as powerless against the story as Tess with Q. Tears of Tess completely swept me away; brilliant debut. I look forward to reading more from Pepper Winters.

Book Review: Desire

Desire (The Seductors Series #1)
by B.L. Wilde

Jade has worked as a Seductor in a secret organization for five years now. Her main job? To earn the trust of her targets and secure the object or information her company was hired to steal—by any means necessary. She’s damn good at it, too.

With five years left on her contract, she is handed an assignment that turns her world upside down.

Oliver Kirkham is the attractive, young CEO of Kirkham Industries, a weapons manufacturing company, and is currently in possession of some very important blueprints—blueprints that could change the way war, as we know it, works. He’s extremely focused and doesn’t have time to date, at least until he comes to the rescue of a shy but very alluring Jade Gibbs.

What happens when one night of passion turns into more? Will Jade allow her feelings for Oliver to get in the way of her mission? Or will she do what she was hired to do and secure the steal?
TeriLyn's thoughts: **ARC generously provided by author in exchange for an honest review**

Desire holds true to its title. It's an interesting story with a unique plot that is fueled by desire. Jade is a top agent where she practices the art of seduction in order to get information or goods from targets. She's worked the job flawlessly without breaking the first rule of not getting attached, until she meets her new target, young billionaire Oliver Kirkham. Oliver awakens her to feelings that have been dormant for her for a long time. He's charismatic and wears his heart on his sleeve. Their story ignites from their very first encounter. The writing is engaging and the plot flows easily making Desire a quicker read. I didn't feel that we got a lot of depth of character from Jade. Realizing that her career is a reason for that, I still feel as though I want to know more about her and her life before she became a seductor. There is a blatant mystery that swirls around Jade, and while I liked that for Oliver as the reader I wanted more from her character. Without that, I felt a certain disconnect to the characters. However, her character is fiercely independent and a great example of a great heroine. The story did hold my attention and I found the plot refreshing in its uniqueness. Usually billionaire men are paired with damsels in distress and I really liked that Jade isn't even close to being that damsel. The books ends in kind of a cliff hanger, it's not a cliff hanger where you're clutching the Kindle and screaming for more but Desire leaves you well desiring a little more. I'm excited for the second book to see where Jade and Oliver's journey takes us.

Book Review: Found in You

Found in You (Lost and Found Series, #1)
by K.L. Ruse

Twenty-three-year-old Camryn Singer never imagined that she would return to the place where she lost everything. To grant a dying wish, she moves back to the small Jersey beach town where she grew up, hoping to somehow find the missing pieces of her life. Determined to keep her wounds unopened and her heart guarded, she instead slams head-first into Cole Stevens.

Sexy surfer Cole has always used the waves to numb the pain of his past. But when he runs into Camryn on the beach one day, he wants nothing more than for her to heal his scars and light the spark back in his life.

Will Camryn and Cole be ripped apart when the ghosts from their pasts come back to life, or will they discover that it’s not until you’re lost, that you can be found?
TeriLyn's thoughts: **ARC generously provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for and honest review**

Found in You is a whirlwind romance. There are a lot of different subplots happening within this story and it times it was a bit chaotic for me. I found the writing to be a bit choppy at times and I'm not sure whether it's personal preference or the speed at which the story was flowing. Many things different things were happening without any real depth given to any of those different plots. I liked the setting and the basis of the story which is about a young mother who returns to the place where she grew up to face the truth about the hurt of her past. She does this as a last request to her mother whom has passed from cancer. One thing that I particularly liked about Found in You was the delicacy in which the author handled the death of a parent from cancer. It was truly unique how Ruse weaved Camryn's mother into the story through the notes and other things she left behind to guide Camryn through troubled times. I felt like I was in Camryn's head too much. There wasn't much space for descriptive narrative and depth. Her emotions branded most the book and with the back and forth nature of those feelings I felt conflicted on her. Cole is somewhat of a soft hero for my liking. There were times when I was looking for something huge to come from him and I didn't get it. Both of the pasts were interesting plots of the book they were under developed, in my opinion. I enjoyed all the secondary characters as well especially Gavin, Camryn's five year old surfing son. This book is easy to get through I think due to the fast pace of the story. And while I didn't not like it, it just didn't wow me.

Book Review: A Ticket to Ride

A Ticket to Ride by Paula McLain: "It was August. For years it was August . . . . There was heat like wet gauze and a high, white sky and music coming from everywhere at once."

In the long, hot Illinois summer of 1973, insecure, motherless Jamie falls under the dangerous spell of her older, more worldly cousin Fawn, who's come to stay with Jamie and her uncle as penance for committing an "unmentionable act." It is a time of awakenings and corruptions, of tragedy and loss, as Jamie slowly discovers the extent to which Fawn will use anything and anyone to further her own ends, and recognizes, perhaps too late, her own complicity in the disaster that takes shape around them.

Lori's thoughts: The blurb on this one sold me. Jamie was a seriously naive young girl who was never wanted by her mother and grew up living with her grandparents -- until that's not an option anymore. Whisked away from California to Moline, Illinois to live with her Uncle. Everything is okay. Lackluster, but, okay.

Enter Fawn...The wild child. Jamie adores Fawn. Idolizes her. Wants to be more like her. Fawn steps into Jamie's life and things begin to go downhill from there. Jamie is an impressionable girl who wants to do whatever she can to please Fawn, including sneaking out and doing crazy things. By the time Jamie begins to figure out what Fawn is all about, it's too late.

Interesting book. I liked it a lot -- and look forward to reading more of the author's work.

Release Blitz & Giveaway: Spark

Title: Spark (Spark Series #1)Author: Jennifer RyderRelease Date: February 28, 2014

SynopsisNot many people know that I, Eevie Lawson, have a problem. An addiction to romance novels. I eat them for breakfast. I hide it the best I can, but I need them to breathe. It’s how I cope.

I’ve had a swag of book boyfriends, but now that I’m free from the responsibility of caring for my three younger brothers, it’s time to find one in the flesh.

In real life, no girl meets their hero on page one, or even at the end of chapter one. I should know.

My journey is real. It’s not perfect, and it sure as hell isn’t easy—but the fight for something worthwhile never is.


Buy the Book

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About the Author
New Adult and erotic romance writer. My debut novel 'Spark', part of a four part romantic suspense series will be released on 28 February 2014! A sexy imagination, a life-long love of books and a sucker for romance, Jennifer Ryder couldn't stifle her creativity any longer.

Writing steamy adult romance has become her new focus. Living on a rural property in New South Wales, Australia, she enjoys the best of city and country.

Her loving husband is ever willing to provide inspiration, and her two young cherubs, and sheep that don't see fences as barriers, keep life more than interesting.

Jennifer placed third in the International Stringybark Erotic Short Fiction Award 2013.
Connect with JenniferFacebook | Goodreads | Twitter

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Cover Reveal: Rush Too Far

It’s time to fall all over again…

Note from Abbi: Rush Finlay won readers hearts in Fallen Too Far. However, his side of the story was never told… until now.
RUSH TOO FAR is coming May 6, 2014
If you thought Rush was hot before, you’ve not seen nothing yet.

Summary
Everyone in Rosemary Beach thinks they know how Rush Finlay and Blaire Wynn fell in love. But Rush is back to tell his side of the story...

Rush has earned every bit of his bad-boy reputation. The three-story beach house, luxury car, and line of girls begging for time between his sheets are the envy of every guy in Rosemary Beach, and Rush handles it all with the laid-back cool of a rock star’s son. All he needs are his best friend, Grant, and his sister, Nan.

Until Blaire Wynn drives into town in her beat-up pickup truck with a pistol under her seat. The Alabama farm girl instantly captures Rush’s attention once he discovers that the angelic beauty is his new stepsister, but he vows to keep his distance. Even if she needs his help. Even if he craves her.

Because Rush knows why Blaire is all alone in the world, forced to ask for help from the father who abandoned her three years ago. And he knows if he gets too close it will destroy Nan, who has a secret connection to Blaire.

He has every reason in the world to stay away from her. Find out why he doesn’t.

Preorder links:
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About Abbi
Abbi Glines is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Rosemary Beach, Sea Breeze, Vincent Boys, and Existence series. A devoted booklover, Abbi lives with her family in Alabama. She can often be found hiding in her office pretending to write while actually watching episodes of Buffy on Netflix. If she’s not in a Vampire Slayer mood she can be found watching Friday Night Lights. But please do not tell her husband. He has no idea she isn’t always hard at work.



Follow Abbi
Twitter: @abbiglines
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Email: info@abbiglines.com
Instagram: @abbiglines

Cover Reveal: Song Without Words

Song Without Words by Juli Page Morgan
SynopsisTop jock Spencer Moretti owns the New Orleans Rock radio airwaves. A veteran of countless band interviews at the age of 22, she’s ready for her own world-wide syndicated program. All she needs is one big break, and she finds it during a chance meeting with Geoff Lane, former guitarist for the legendary UK band Axis.

When Spencer discovers that Geoff has a secret music project in the works, one that’s sure to reignite his career, she ropes him into an exclusive interview, determined to snag the juicy details. Intrigued by the lovely disc jockey’s feisty nature and her spitfire temper, Geoff is determined to snag something too – Spencer!

Spencer and Geoff make sweet music together until death strikes their circle of friends. As the body count mounts, it’s clear that someone will go to any lengths to stop them cold. Can they keep a killer from destroying all they have, or will their love song become a murder ballad?
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Kobo
About the AuthorJuli Page Morgan is a former rock ‘n roll radio announcer who had the great luck to meet and interview lots of bands over the years. During those interviews she heard lots of interesting stories, but it was when the microphone was turned off and they were just hanging out that she heard – and saw – the really juicy stuff! Incorporating these revelations in her books (with names and locations changed to protect the innocent, and often the not-so-innocent!) lets her remember those wonderful people that briefly rocked through her life, and to take her readers on a hard rocking journey full of love, music and happy endings while giving a “backstage peek” at some of the things that really happened. Her Romances that Rock™ include Crimson and Clover, Athena’s Daughter and Song Without Words

Juli lives in Arkansas with her husband. When she’s not writing she’s recording voiceovers for television commercials, remodeling her old house, and trying to convince her husband the world won’t come to an end if the television is turned off. She also listens to a lot of music at maximum volume and has never met a speed limit she didn’t exceed. Juli’s an unapologetic lover of rock ‘n roll, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, and French onion dip, not necessarily in that order.

Visit Juli’s website at www.julipagemorgan.com

Promo: Too Consumed

He wants to be with me forever… I love Seth and I can’t really picture my life without him, and he loves me too, God knows he says it enough, but I didn’t know he’s actually thinking about forever…is he even capable of forever?

"Too Consumed" is book #2 of the Consumed Series. "Consumed" is book #1 of the Consumed Series. **Mature Content Warning** Recommended for ages 17+ due to language and sexual content.

Olivia did the impossible...

She tamed the over-confident Casanova, Seth Marc, turning him into a one woman Romeo.

With Seth's first professional fight coming up, she does her best to keep him focused and driven...even if that means withholding sex from him.

As sexual tensions rise, so do past discrepancies the couple thought buried, putting extra stress on both their romantic and professional lives.

Stuck in the center of the action, Olivia and Seth fight for air as they collide face first with the tough world of professional MMA.

Also Available, Consumed (Book #1)...

Coming Soon… Forever Consumed
Skyla Madi

Cover Reveal: Very Wicked Things

Very Wicked Things Book 2 of the Briarcrest Academy Series A new adult romance from bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills Release Date May 13, 2014 Synopsis:Born on the poor side of town…Ballerina Dovey Beckham is a scholarship student at Briarcrest Academy, determined to prove she’s more than just a girl with the wrong pedigree. She does whatever it takes to succeed in her endgame, even if it means surrendering her body…but never her heart.Until the day she meets him, and he rips apart all her well-laid plans. Suddenly, the girl everyone thought unbreakable might just shatter.Born into wealth and privilege…Cuba “Hollywood” Hudson is rich, spoiled, and a star football player. With his fast cars and superficial girlfriends, he lives the high-life, hiding his secrets from the world.Until the day he meets her, and she offers him something he’s never tasted…love.But once in a lifetime kind of love doesn’t come easy. When trust crumbles and doubts creep in, both will have to decide to either love or let go…forever.Welcome to Briarcrest Academy, where sometimes, only the wicked survive. Excerpt:Cuba’s POVNot exactly a meet-cute…The room closed in, making me sweat. I hadn’t talked to her in over a year, and now here we were, face-to-face. Two ex-lovers who hated each other.I had to get away from her.Dovey tilted her head as I stood, giving me a scathing glare. “Leaving so soon? Yeah, go ahead, cut and run. Coward.”I ignored her and tried to get Weinstein’s attention, to let her know she could flunk me for all I cared.“Before you go, tell me one thing, and I’ll make sure we aren’t partners in this class. You’ll be free of me,” she said.“What?” I asked, my voice going all raspy, blocking all the words I wanted to say. They weren’t things she ever needed to hear.“Why so cruel to me? You aren’t to the other girls you date and dump. Why single me out?”I seethed. “And it didn’t take you long to find someone else, now did it? How is Spider? Does he get you hot like I did?”She smirked. “He’s fine. He thinks I hung the moon. He thinks you’re an ass. I agree.” I tightened my fists and pressed them against my thighs, swearing to myself I wasn’t responding to her bait. I swore. She was a dangerous game I didn’t need to play.Suddenly, her face fell. Was she recalling the last time we were together? Was she remembering how I used to… “I trusted you,” she whispered, all her anger seeming to be gone. The unsteadiness of her voice undid me, sent me right over the edge of that precarious cliff I’d been hanging on to by the skin of my teeth.Yeah, she hadn’t been the only one who’d trusted me. I’d ruined them all. Every last one. Dark thoughts assaulted me, of the blood I had on my hands.Snap! My pencil broke and small pieces flew across my desk and into the empty space between us.I wanted to pummel my desk until my fists bled. I wanted to punch a hole through the wall, the floor, my face. Everything was my fault. Just mine. She’d been collateral damage, the kind that breaks everyone involved. And I was sorry for it, but sometimes you do what hurts because it’s for the best. But she was my kryptonite, leaving me no option but to hurt her. Again.I didn’t think about my cruel words, I just said them. “You were a curiosity, Dovey. You weren’t the usual BA girl, and I wanted a taste. That’s all. I moved on when it got boring. Get over it.” Author Bio:Ilsa Madden-Mills is a loving wife and mother, a loyal friend, and a teacher. When all that is done, she writes. Obsessively.She spent several years teaching high school English, but now hangs out at home with two small kids, a neurotic cat, and her Viking husband. She collects magnets and rarely cooks except to bake her own pretzels.When she’s not typing away at a story, you can find her drinking too much Diet Coke, jamming out to Pink, or checking on her carefully maintained chocolate stash.She loves to hear from fans and fellow authors.Very Wicked Things is Book 2 of the BA Series.Very Bad Things is currently available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks.Awesome Book Trailer to Very Wicked Things:




Author Goodreads Link to Very Wicked Things:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... Author Website:http://www.ilsamaddenmills.com/Author Ilsa Madden-Mills FB link:https://www.facebook.com/authorilsamaddenmillsTwitter:https://twitter.com/ilsamaddenmills ____Want to read the number one new adult romance Very Bad Things first?Go here:Universal Amazon Link: http:// myBook.to/verybadthings