Leanne Crabtree's Blog, page 20

Book Review – Fire Inside

Name: Fire Inside

Author: Kristen Ashley

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 4th June 2013

Rating: 4½ out of 5 stars

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So this tells the story of Lanie, a woman who has been hanging out with the Chaos motorcycle club for the past eight years or so with her best friend Tyra (Ty-Ty) who had married the head of the club, Tack. Their story was in “Motorcycle Man” in the Dream Man series (which I haven’t read).

At the beginning of the book, Lanie propositions Hopper “Hop” Kincaid to one night of sex and he agrees. The only problem is that one night is not enough for either of them. Before they know it they’re involved in a secret relationship that neither can get enough of. Lanie tries not to let him get too deep in her heart after suffering in the past while Hop is determined to help her overcome her reservations and to make them a couple.

I really, really, really liked this book! The only problem I had was it’s length (I seem to have a thing about really long books where I cant read them all at once and have to break them up with other books). There was something about it that just dragged me in and kept me reading. Maybe it was the way Hopper treated Lanie like a lady, simply because she came from a better background than him but still treated everyone fairly. Or his way of talking and thinking because he talked a lot of sense and did a lot of nice things for Lanie.

He was so easy to fall for.

There were two quotes I really liked:

“Honey,” I called and his head came up. “You have a monster too.”

“I did. My woman just slayed it.”

And:

He lifted his head and looked down at me. “Have it all now, I made a baby outta love.”

He was killing me.

“Stop making me cry and kiss me.”

Both show Hop’s sweeter side and made me all awwwww…

The only downside for me was that this was my first book by Kristen Ashley, even though I have two other books by her on my Kindle, and I hadn’t read the others to understand the back story of Lanie and her relationship with her previous fiancé Elliott.

Please note: It doesn’t take away from the story at all if you haven’t read it, as it is explained throughout Fire Inside but I personally would have liked to read Lanie’s back story first.

Nevertheless, this was an amazing insight into a motorcycle club and a really nice love story. I love it!

Next review(s): Acid

Stock Photos

Is it just me or does anyone else like looking at stock photos for inspiration when writing a story?

I’m having so much fun writing this “Road To…” one at the minute and looking for hot bad boy bikers, mechanics and just men in general. They’re definitely helping though with the steamier scenes let me tell ya.

Phew!

4 chapters in, though that’s kinda cheating considering chapter 3 is only eight lines long at the minute–I skipped it to write a hot garage sex scene instead

I don’t know what it is with bad boys but they’re fun to write. Haha, the joys of writing

Ay Dear

Well, I’m currently out of ideas for *Wolf Claimed*. I just seem to be repeating myself. If anyone has an helpful ideas on how Brent could claim Misha (I haven’t even thought of what cat she should be yet), then please let me know. If you’ve read the previous story Cat’s Wolf, then you know the background of the two, if not then don’t worry about it.

I’m thinking of having her nearing her needing, like Kaitlin in the first, only she’s now in a house full of wolves…

I’m going through a writer’s block/brain dead stage of things at the minute and though I keep writing in my notebooks, little bits for future chapters, it’s still not really going anywhere.

This may be one of those times to call on Natalie Herzer, my author friend for help. (BTW, you should totally check her books out on Amazon!!) http://n-herzer.blogspot.co.uk

In the mean time, I’m continuing to write the Hart of Dixie inspired piece, though it’s changed, into not being a love triangle and turning more into Fire Inside by Kristen Ashley which I’m reading at the minute as well as a few others (Full Blooded and Strange Angels (see Reading List tab above)). Though my characters wont be as old (not that 39/40 is old!) and I’m hoping to set it in a rural town/village in England. (With me being from Yorkshire, this may prove helpful because it’s hard basing something in America when you don’t live there :/)

Yeah, so “Road to…” as I’m currently calling it tells the story of Delaney, whose car breaks down in the middle of nowhere as she is trying to reach the little town/village where her sister is getting married the following day. She’s been walking in the hot sun for over an hour, with no cars passing by, when she hears the thrum of a motorbike coming her way. Quickly dropping her luggage, she runs into the middle of the road and flags the bike down. What’s a girl to do when the biker turns out to be one of the most attractive guys she’s ever seen?

Well, I haven’t quite decided that bit yet but I’m sure I’ll have fun thinking about it

Book Review – Dance for Me

Name: Dance for Me

Author: Helena Newbury

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 24th June 2013

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This is about Natasha, a dancer–ballet being her favourite–who goes to an audition for a role in an advert but gets distracted during the audition by someone running into the room. Darrell, the distractor, is captivated by her and the ballet she performs and asks her to dance for him as his muse so he can figure out a way to make his latest project work.

Darrell was rather intriguing from the start and I liked how we saw him from Natasha’s POV first before seeing how he came to be at the audition from his own POV.

Helena must have done ballet at some point or this is one really well researched book.

Several chapters had me wanting to look online at the moves Natasha was performing with how well they were written; how beautiful it all sounded. Maybe it was Natasha’s feelings at those points in the book that made them seem so charged and captivating. And this coming from someone who has never had an interest in ballet.

I liked Clarrisa. And Neil. And Jasmine. I liked everything!

Would recommend you read this if you like a nice love story. It certainly had me captivated from early on.

Next review: Full Blooded (I think)

Book Review – Arrested by Love

Name: Arrested by Love

Author: Virna dePaul

Genre: Erotica, Romance

Release Date: 27th May 2013

Rating: 3½ out of 5 stars

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So this contains three stories. All three are about male cops who, whether undercover or in internal affairs have a hot sexy streak in the bedroom. Each one follows one cop on his quest to win over the one who got away. Book 1 is an undercover mission that could be blown if the reporter tells them who he is. Book 2 is a personal mission to get back the woman who left him to marry someone else. Book 3 is another personal mission of getting the woman who turned him down to feel sexy again after being violated in her own home.

Normally when I read erotica, I find the author tends to focus more on the sex than the relationship between the characters (bear in mind, I normally read short erotic stories) but this had a fair dollop of romance as well as some steamy sex scenes. Maybe that was why I liked it more than any other erotica I’ve read.

The characters were likeable, especially Noah in that last story. How he was determined to make her enjoy sex again by giving up all control so she could decided what to do and how. That’s not to say that Ty and Luke aren’t nice guys too because they are. Their women are equally deserving and very lucky to get them.

I only have one thing to say and that’s regarding Ty’s story and how it ended. If you’ve read it, feel free to help me out here. Did they keep the bad guy in jail or did he get out and his second in command blab about Ty’s relationship with Claire?? It just kind of ended with no real explanation. Any help??

Other than that, it was a fun, hot read and if you like undercover cops who are bad (in the good way) in the bedroom then you should read this.

Next review(s): Dance for Me

Cat’s Wolf free this Weekend!

I’ve been waiting patiently for it to go free so I could post this and it just has!

This is it’s ASIN: B00D4E0Z3Q so just put that into the search bar or search Cat’s Wolf and you should find it

Hope you enjoy!

Anyone up for reviewing my book?

I recently released my latest story, Cat’s Wolf, on Amazon and I’m seeking reviews, to be posted on blogs, Amazon, GoodReads etc.

As you may have gathered, it’s a paranormal romance, and has already received two five star and a four star review on the US Amazon site.

If anyone is interested in a read-it-review-it of my story, please let me know or contact me for more details.

Thanks!

This is not good…

…On several accounts.

One: My list of books and my obsession with them :/ It is ever increasing and my asking for all these books off NetGalley is crazy. Luckily for me, I’ve been turned down a few times

Two: I was supposed to finish Chapter 1 of *Wolf Claimed* (title may change depending on whether I make Brent demanding enough to “claim” Misha) and instead started writing an entirely different story based on Hart of Dixie, which I am equally falling in love with and getting annoyed at (with the whole Wade liking Zoe and Zoe being oblivious because of her feelings for the engaged George). If you watch it, you’ll most likely understand that last bit, if not it doesn’t matter. It just means it’s a kind of love triangle.

Three: Related to two in the fact that Hart of Dixie is distracting me from my writing. It’s addictive. I only started watching it three/four days ago and I’m hooked: episode 16 already, of 22. I feel the need to catch up on it but like I said, such a distraction! (In fact, I’m watching episode 16 right now) :S

Book Review – Fangsters

Name: Fangsters

Author: Ryan Field

Genre: M/M Romance, Vampires, Mobster

Release Date: 3rd April 2013

Rating: DNF

I received this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I hate DNF’s. I always feel bad for not finishing them but sometimes I just cant get into a story. I stopped at 38%. This will be my second in a row now :/

So, once again, as I didn’t finish it I will copy the synopsis off GoodReads:

“In Field’s novel, protagonist Anton Pagano looks and sounds just like any other twenty-something. He lives in northern New Jersey with his mom and dad, and he’s never had to worry about anything other than his wardrobe, his latest new car, and the secret love affair he’s been having for years. However, Anton has more than just the love affair to hide: he belongs to a Sicilian vampire mobster clan that migrated to New Jersey in the late 1800s.

When Anton’s dad, the head of their clan, decides it’s time for Anton and his vampire cousin Digger to get into the “family business,” Anton is not enthusiastic, at least until he meets a sweet young human named Leo on his first night at work. They wind up spending the rest of the night together, but things get even more complicated when they bring Anton’s secret vampire lover into the picture.

After a bloody battle with werewolves, and the beginning of all-out war between two vampire mob clans the characters wind up on the precipice of their last resort.”

Right. Well, I expected this to be better–that sounds bad I know–but I was expecting them to be these tough vampires who kicked arse while running an illegal empire. In a way it was, but it didn’t seem bad-arse enough for me. Sure there were a few scenes with retribution/warnings handed out to people but I didn’t feel it.

Another thing that got me was all the mention of family and it’s many members. Yeah I know families are important in Italian/Sicilian cultures but more people kept getting mentioned and I found myself getting confused. What with Anton and someone else being turned by one person and his dad and uncle turned by someone else and this guy turned by the brother of that guy making them cousins…I got lost. It was a little too much for me to keep up with.

The relationship between Anton and Leo happened a little too fast for me to believe. Not the sex–he’s an attractive guy after all–but the “love you’s” and how strong their feelings were after the one night they spent together. Or maybe I just missed something?

It’s not a bad story, it was just a little different to what I normally read; the mobster/gangster bit anyway. If you like vampires, mobsters and m/m stories then you will probably like this.

Next review(s): Hot Blooded

Amazon Ranking & Freebie this weekend

Can I say I’m really surprised with how many people are downloading Cat’s Wolf? Over 150 in America alone and it’s not even been two weeks yet. It’s Amazon ranking keeps going up every morning when I check. Yesterday it was 6,000 and today its in the 3,000′s. Ranked #49 in Amazon US’s Best Sellers in Paranormal Werewolves & Shifters Romance.

I have to admit I’m waiting for more reviews to come in. It’s okay people downloading it but that doesn’t let me know what they think. Hopefully, these 159 people will leave reviews sometime soon and they’ll be happy with the story.

***************

I’ve also just enrolled it in Amazon KDP (after removing all traces of it from here) and have set it to be free this weekend (15-16 June).