C.J. Butcher's Blog, page 124

Review: Jester by Lilly Atlas

Jester by Lilly Atlas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thrust into a world of danger and fear, first grade teacher, Emily, is forced to comply with a terrifying MC president’s demands in order to save her brother’s life. Her only port in the storm is Jester, a member of a rival MC she’s supposed to use and betray. Jester proves to be the opposite of everything Emily expects, and before long she’s in his bed, and he’s in her heart.

Jester would give life and limb for the No Prisoners Motorcycle Club. His sole focus needs to be on the impending attack against their enemies, the Grimm Brothers. Meeting sweet and innocent Emily wasn’t part of his plan, and falling for her is out of the question.

Can Emily save her brother’s life without destroying the man who opens her eyes and heart to an amazing world of pleasure? She’ll do anything in her power to help her brother while protecting Jester, but when Jester finds out she was sent by his enemy, she may lose everything she’s trying to preserve.

I really LOVE anything by Lilly Atlas!!! I will walk through the desert just to read one of her books. I waited on pins and needles for this and it didn't disappoint. Was it as good as Striker? I don't think it was. However, it was still a 5-star read! It had twist and turns and it had violence and sex. It had everything that we have come to know and love with Lilly. I'm not giving any spoilers for those who haven't read it but I will say that she rocks when it comes to her editing style. She goes over her books with a fine tooth comb and makes sure that there isn't any mistakes and I love that. There isn't anything more distracting than bad grammar, sentence structure and out of place comma's.

This isn't what you would call your "hard-core" MC romance. I'd say it's more of your romance with the MC vibe thrown in and I like that. I don't like the brains flying everywhere and sex galore. Sometimes classy is better and Lilly pulls it off outstandingly. We see our characters from the previous books and some setup to the book coming up. I think this is going to be a series that will stick around for awhile.

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Review: Lord Sebastian's Secret by Jane Ashford

Lord Sebastian's Secret by Jane Ashford
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

He's hidden this shameful secret all his life...

Lord Sebastian Gresham is a battle tested soldier and brilliant strategist. Yet all his life he's had to hide his complete failure to decipher letters. In his own mind, he's just stupid. What a miracle it is that he's found the perfect bride. Lady Georgina Stane is beautiful, witty, and brilliantly intelligent. Sebastian is head over heels in love, proud as a peacock, and terrified. If she finds out, he'll lose her love forever.

This book was a tough read for me. I kept putting it down and picking up another book for inspiration to finish this one. The sex scenes were hard to read and not because they were steamy and inviting. It's because they're just so odd....like the author has never had sex. For example: A country upbringing had shown her a bit about mating. She could see clear evidence of Sebastian's unsated arousal. "I should do something for you," she said. She had some ideas on that score. She reached up.

A country upbringing? Like watching cows mate? Really? I hate giving criticism on a book because I know how much time and effort goes into it but that's just wrong on so many counts. Also, the formatting is a tiny bit distracting for me especially with all the paragraphs.
There are so many different characters in this book that you really need to keep a journal. There's an Indian, a priest, an eastern magician, a couple dogs, a couple brothers, some sisters in law. I expect that there's going to be a clown at some point. I mean I keep waiting for this guy to grow a pair and he doesn't, he's stuck on his big secret.

At one point, I almost thought the author took a vacation and let a ghostwriter finish a couple chapters. The heroines (Georgina) father was eccentric and over the top and now he's a major bully. I won't let any spoilers go as to what he's taunting the hero about but it's a total DNF move. I would put the book down if I wasn't writing a review. I didn't really like Sebastian's one brother and I'm not sure I'd even read his book. I did like Randolph. I just didn't see the big deal with the humongous "secret" and I wouldn't have spent almost 400 pages keeping it a secret. I'd say at 25% it would have been great to just reveal it. All the drama of keeping the secret was enough to make me have heartburn and take some tums. I read to relax and this book made me take 2 Xanax and follow it up with chocolate. I'm gonna have to hit the gym after this book.

There are a few grammatical errors with sentence structure. For example: "Well, if we want run papa through with a saber, that might be helpful," There should be a "to" in there.
The book had some funny parts because it seems like all the people are crazy...Seriously, all of them are crazy. There's not a sane one in the lot.

Would I read this again? Or gift it to my friends? No, I don't think so. For the price of this book, I'd say save your money and buy a Lisa Kleypas or Susan Elizabeth Phillips novel and save your Xanax for another day.

I received this book for free from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

View all my reviews

Review: Jester

Jester by Lilly Atlas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thrust into a world of danger and fear, first grade teacher, Emily, is forced to comply with a terrifying MC president’s demands in order to save her brother’s life. Her only port in the storm is Jester, a member of a rival MC she’s supposed to use and betray. Jester proves to be the opposite of everything Emily expects, and before long she’s in his bed, and he’s in her heart.

Jester would give life and limb for the No Prisoners Motorcycle Club. His sole focus needs to be on the impending attack against their enemies, the Grimm Brothers. Meeting sweet and innocent Emily wasn’t part of his plan, and falling for her is out of the question.

Can Emily save her brother’s life without destroying the man who opens her eyes and heart to an amazing world of pleasure? She’ll do anything in her power to help her brother while protecting Jester, but when Jester finds out she was sent by his enemy, she may lose everything she’s trying to preserve.

I really LOVE anything by Lilly Atlas!!! I will walk through the desert just to read one of her books. I waited on pins and needles for this and it didn't disappoint. Was it as good as Striker? I don't think it was. However, it was still a 5-star read! It had twist and turns and it had violence and sex. It had everything that we have come to know and love with Lilly. I'm not giving any spoilers for those who haven't read it but I will say that she rocks when it comes to her editing style. She goes over her books with a fine tooth comb and makes sure that there isn't any mistakes and I love that. There isn't anything more distracting than bad grammar, sentence structure and out of place comma's.

This isn't what you would call your "hard-core" MC romance. I'd say it's more of your romance with the MC vibe thrown in and I like that. I don't like the brains flying everywhere and sex galore. Sometimes classy is better and Lilly pulls it off outstandingly. We see our characters from the previous books and some setup to the book coming up. I think this is going to be a series that will stick around for awhile.

View all my reviews

Review: Lord Sebastian's Secret

Lord Sebastian's Secret by Jane Ashford
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

He's hidden this shameful secret all his life...

Lord Sebastian Gresham is a battle tested soldier and brilliant strategist. Yet all his life he's had to hide his complete failure to decipher letters. In his own mind, he's just stupid. What a miracle it is that he's found the perfect bride. Lady Georgina Stane is beautiful, witty, and brilliantly intelligent. Sebastian is head over heels in love, proud as a peacock, and terrified. If she finds out, he'll lose her love forever.

This book was a tough read for me. I kept putting it down and picking up another book for inspiration to finish this one. The sex scenes were hard to read and not because they were steamy and inviting. It's because they're just so odd....like the author has never had sex. For example: A country upbringing had shown her a bit about mating. She could see clear evidence of Sebastian's unsated arousal. "I should do something for you," she said. She had some ideas on that score. She reached up.
A country upbringing? Like watching cows mate? Really? I hate giving criticism on a book because I know how much time and effort goes into it but that's just wrong on so many counts. Also, the formatting is a tiny bit distracting for me especially with all the paragraphs.
There are so many different characters in this book that you really need to keep a journal. There's an Indian, a priest, an eastern magician, a couple dogs, a couple brothers, some sisters in law. I expect that there's going to be a clown at some point. I mean I keep waiting for this guy to grow a pair and he doesn't, he's stuck on his big secret.
At one point, I almost thought the author took a vacation and let a ghostwriter finish a couple chapters. The heroines (Georgina) father was eccentric and over the top and now he's a major bully. I won't let any spoilers go as to what he's taunting the hero about but it's a total DNF move. I would put the book down if I wasn't writing a review. I didn't really like Sebastian's one brother and I'm not sure I'd even read his book. I did like Randolph. I just didn't see the big deal with the humongous "secret" and I wouldn't have spent almost 400 pages keeping it a secret. I'd say at 25% it would have been great to just reveal it. All the drama of keeping the secret was enough to make me have heartburn and take some tums. I read to relax and this book made me take 2 Xanax and follow it up with chocolate. I'm gonna have to hit the gym after this book.
There are a few grammatical errors with sentence structure. For example: "Well, if we want run papa through with a saber, that might be helpful," There should be a "to" in there.
The book had some funny parts because it seems like all the people are crazy...Seriously, all of them are crazy. There's not a sane one in the lot.
Would I read this again? Or gift it to my friends? No, I don't think so. For the price of this book, I'd say save your money and buy a Lisa Kleypas or Susan Elizabeth Phillips novel and save your Xanax for another day.
I received this book for free from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

View all my reviews

Review: Bully

Bully by Penelope Douglas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book!! Part of me wanted to smack Jared, while the other part of me wanted to hug him for what he went through. I'm glad that he and Tate worked through their issues and found their way back to each other in the end. At many points in the books I found grammatical errors, words spelled incorrectly and it did detract from the story somewhat. I found myself reading back over it and trying to understand what the author meant but in the end, I understood it. I thought the characters were well-thought out and I believed in the love they had for each other. This is my go to book when I want to read something and escape. I've read the series probably twice since it came out and I recommend it to everyone who wants something that is detailed, heartwarming and about childhood love.

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Review: Wild Kisses

Wild Kisses by Skye Jordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wild Kisses
by Skye Jordan

Description
Newly divorced, Avery Hart returns home to Wildwood eager to take on her dream opportunity and transform her family’s dive bar into her own bakery. The contractor for hire isn’t just a master with his hands—he’s big, built, and wears a tool belt like nobody’s business. Despite being an ex-con, Trace Hutton is irresistible. Too bad he’d never go for someone as inexperienced as Avery.

Trace needs to focus on the job at hand, not daydream about smearing icing all over the sexy baker…and licking it off. This job is the key to getting his construction company back on its feet after his time in prison. Besides, no one deserves a fresh start more than Avery, and she certainly won’t get that with him.

After a delectable night of passion (and pie), Trace craves something more. But he’ll be damned if he’ll let his checkered past crush her dreams. And as Avery starts to realize how Trace fulfills more than just her physical needs, she struggles with whether to let her history decide her future, or explore the wild new possibilities of forever…

Skye Jordan is a must read for me. I absolutely love her Hockey series and this series is no exception. I fell in book boyfriend love with Trace. He's got issues and insecurities and that just makes him all the more attractive in my opinion. He's been to jail and served his time but the townspeople will not let him forget that. He's paying his penance and trying to make it in this world when he falls for Avery. Avery is the BEST heroine ever!!! She's kind to everyone and you just fall in love with her. She's been hurt by everybody. Everybody's left her at one time or another. Her ex-husband, her sisters, her mother, her father and she's tired of having that happen. Now she just wants to have a fling with Trace. She's opening a bakery and he's helping her renovate it and get everything ready to get it open. I was rooting for this couple at about 20% and I read it in one sitting. I loved the secondary characters and was glad we got to see them again. They were awesome. I'm gonna have to go back and read it again. I fell in love with Zach, Traces brother and you get to see that it's not Trace that was the wildchild but Zach. I won't give spoilers but Trace and Zach's dad is just sad and it breaks your heart when you find out what Trace gave up.

I did not like Austin who is one of the cops...he was such a little abusive snots. He gives all cops a bad name and I was so hoping that he would get his in the end. Then there was J.T., the guy that Trace knew in prison. I know that books have to have a bad guy but this guy made me want to shank him. That makes for a great book!! When you feel so much that you want to beat your Kindle just hoping it reaches your bad guy...you've read a great book from a great writer.

I didn't find alot of grammar issues and I didn't have any paragraph problems. It was refreshing. Her editor obviously does her job and does it well.

Now, my one critical issue was the language...it's not for the faint of heart. You can't let your teenager read this. There were so many GD'S that I lost count and felt it unnecessary and Jesus' name in vain that it was redundant. The sex scenes were also abundant and left absolutely NOTHING to the imagination...and I mean nothing. Sometimes, I thought it was over the top. Like, having sex on the counter with acidic mango juice and then using it as lubricate? Everyone knows that this will cause some irritation or a yeast infection. No one wants that!!! Plus, I imagine it would burn a little.

Overall, I will definitely put this on my "I will read this again shelf." I found it to be heartbreaking at times and I felt what Ms. Jordan was trying to convey to the bottom of my soul. I will be gifting this to my friends when it comes out.

I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions.



View all my reviews

Skye Jordan's just to good to pass up!!

*****5 Stars Yes Ma'am!!!
Wild Kisses
by Skye Jordan
Newly divorced, Avery Hart returns home to Wildwood eager to take on her dream opportunity and transform her family’s dive bar into her own bakery. The contractor for hire isn’t just a master with his hands—he’s big, built, and wears a tool belt like nobody’s business. Despite being an ex-con, Trace Hutton is irresistible. Too bad he’d never go for someone as inexperienced as Avery.Trace needs to focus on the job at hand, not daydream about smearing icing all over the sexy baker…and licking it off. This job is the key to getting his construction company back on its feet after his time in prison. Besides, no one deserves a fresh start more than Avery, and she certainly won’t get that with him.
After a delectable night of passion (and pie), Trace craves something more. But he’ll be damned if he’ll let his checkered past crush her dreams. And as Avery starts to realize how Trace fulfills more than just her physical needs, she struggles with whether to let her history decide her future, or explore the wild new possibilities of forever…
Skye Jordan is a must read for me. I absolutely love her Hockey series and this series is no exception. I fell in book boyfriend love with Trace. He's got issues and insecurities and that just makes him all the more attractive in my opinion. He's been to jail and served his time but the townspeople will not let him forget that. He's paying his penance and trying to make it in this world when he falls for Avery. Avery is the BEST heroine ever!!! She's kind to everyone and you just fall in love with her. She's been hurt by everybody. Everybody's left her at one time or another. Her ex-husband, her sisters, her mother, her father and she's tired of having that happen. Now she just wants to have a fling with Trace. She's opening a bakery and he's helping her renovate it and get everything ready to get it open. I was rooting for this couple at about 20% and I read it in one sitting. I loved the secondary characters and was glad we got to see them again. They were awesome. I'm gonna have to go back and read it again. I fell in love with Zach, Traces brother and you get to see that it's not Trace that was the wildchild but Zach. I won't give spoilers but Trace and Zach's dad is just sad and it breaks your heart when you find out what Trace gave up.
I did not like Austin who is one of the cops...he was such a little abusive snot. He gives all cops a bad name and I was so hoping that he would get his in the end. Then there was J.T., the guy that Trace knew in prison. I know that books have to have a bad guy but this guy made me want to shank him. That makes for a great book!! When you feel so much that you want to beat your Kindle just hoping it reaches your bad guy...you've read a great book from a great writer. 
I didn't find alot of grammar issues and I didn't have any paragraph problems. It was refreshing. Her editor obviously does her job and does it well. 
Now, my one critical issue was the language...it's not for the faint of heart. You can't let your teenager read this. There were so many GD'S that I lost count and felt it unnecessary and Jesus' name in vain that it was redundant. The sex scenes were also abundant and left absolutely NOTHING to the imagination...and I mean nothing. Sometimes, I thought it was over the top. Like, having sex on the counter with acidic mango juice and then using it as lubricate? Everyone knows that this will cause some irritation or a yeast infection. No one wants that!!! Plus, I imagine it would burn a little. Overall, I will definitely put this on my "I will read this again shelf." I found it to be heartbreaking at times and I felt what Ms. Jordan was trying to convey to the bottom of my soul. I will be gifting this to my friends when it comes out. 
I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions.
Wild Kisses

Another Unicorn!!!

*****5 Star Review*****

Storm chaser Max Grady can already feel it: there’s a tornado coming to his hometown of Chance, Nebraska. Max is going after it, and the only person he wants by his side is police officer Bree McDermott, fellow adrenaline junkie, his best friend, and the woman Max has secretly been in love with for years. But when a close call with a tornado leaves them lip-locked, Max knows that the danger is only beginning.
Bree is always up for excitement. Her close and sexy encounter with Max is unlike anything she’s felt before, and she wants more. As they work together to help clean up Chance, the air between them crackles with sexual tension. But Bree has a tendency to look ahead to the next thrill, and Max knows it. Now they’re all tangled up as they chase the strongest force of nature on earth: love.
I fell in love with Max. If Bree didn't want him...I'd want someone like Max in a heartbeat!!! He was sweet, kind and amazing. He had a dominant side and the sex was a little too spicy for me. I would have liked it a little more subtle and for the author to use the less is more approach. I don't like my romances all Fifty Shades of Grey, so at one point I thought it might get like that and I was like "Woah, Erin Nicholas...What in the world?" I'm used to her Alpha Males but not handcuffs and bullwhips. Bree's sort of a thrill seeker and loves the adrenaline rush that comes from that. At times, I wanted to smack both of the characters and go "WAKE UP" but I didn't. 
Will I keep Erin Nicholas in my top ten authors of ALL TIME? Well yeah! Cause she knows how to write romance. We get to see that she knows her stuff when it comes to writing smart women and smart men. It's not just a couple pages of what they do and then the rest is sex. Will I recommend to all my friends? I sure will because I think it's definitely worth the read.
I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on 
Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's.

Love Erin Nicholas

Tangled Up by Erin Nicholas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Storm chaser Max Grady can already feel it: there’s a tornado coming to his hometown of Chance, Nebraska. Max is going after it, and the only person he wants by his side is police officer Bree McDermott, fellow adrenaline junkie, his best friend, and the woman Max has secretly been in love with for years. But when a close call with a tornado leaves them lip-locked, Max knows that the danger is only beginning.

Bree is always up for excitement. Her close and sexy encounter with Max is unlike anything she’s felt before, and she wants more. As they work together to help clean up Chance, the air between them crackles with sexual tension. But Bree has a tendency to look ahead to the next thrill, and Max knows it. Now they’re all tangled up as they chase the strongest force of nature on earth: love.

I fell in love with Max. If Bree didn't want him...I'd want someone like Max in a heartbeat!!! He was sweet, kind and amazing. He had a dominant side and the sex was a little too spicy for me. I would have liked it a little more subtle and for the author to use the less is more approach. I don't like my romances all Fifty Shades of Grey, so at one point I thought it might get like that and I was like "Woah, Erin Nicholas...What in the world?" I'm used to her Alpha Males but not handcuffs and bullwhips. Bree's sort of a thrill seeker and loves the adrenaline rush that comes from that. At times, I wanted to smack both of the characters and go "WAKE UP" but I didn't. Will I keep Erin Nicholas in my top ten authors of ALL TIME? Well yeah! Cause she knows how to write romance. We get to see that she knows her stuff when it comes to writing smart women and smart men. It's not just a couple pages of what they do and then the rest is sex. Will I recommend to all my friends? I sure will because I think it's definitely worth the read.

I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's.



View all my reviews
Tangled Up

Another Unicorn!!!

Giving It All by Christi Barth

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Christi Barth’s smoking-hot contemporary romance series continues as the five best friends who survived a tragedy as teenagers take to their Naked Men podcast to open up about women. In Giving It All, the group’s globe-trotting hunk discovers that you need to go home to find love.

Logan Marsh never stays in one place for long. Through his family’s foundation, Logan spends his days traveling to the world’s most dangerous places to deliver disaster relief, which really puts a damper on his sex life—until he reconnects with his high-school crush. Stranded together in the Caribbean, they enjoy a steamy fling that awakens feelings Logan has ignored for too long. But family drama calls him away from her sweet embrace . . . or so he thinks.

Brooke Gallagher loved being a home economics teacher and cheerleading coach. Then an unexpected tragedy forced her to take some time off. Now she’s back in D.C. and despite the intensity of her tropical encounter with Logan, she’s shocked to bump into him again. Logan’s dealing with his own issues (including a newly discovered half-sister) and he’s itching to get back on the road. More than anything, Brooke wants to be there for him. But first, he has to decide if love is enough to keep him in one place.

I want to just say I love this series soooooo much that I want to be in it Christi Barth. Seriously, name one of your characters Janeen and have her work in Mental Health!!! This was the greatest book that I read out of the 4 I had this weekend. You made me laugh, cry and want to throw the kindle at the wall because Logan was acting like an oaf! I wanted to be Brooke's best friend, best friend. If that makes sense.

I have an affinity for the Naked Guys as I call them. Each one is different but they each have their strengths and weaknesses. I love them all. In my head, I was singing "Another one bites the Dust" and I loved that it wasn't instalove. These two had known each other a long time.

I felt incredibly sorry for Brooke and her situation. It broke my heart because anyone that has been close to someone who has committed suicide knows it's a resounding gong that ripples through not just one life but the lives of many other people. I think this book tackled many subjects that many authors might not tackle and that to me was one of the highlights. She wasn't afraid to tackle the taboo. Was this a book that had sex in it? Yes, but it wasn't the central theme and I liked that!!! It kind of took back seat to the real root of the issues of the book!!

Logan is wonderful hero who has flaws, beautiful, relatable flaws. Brooke is a woman who has been left or abandoned by every man she's ever dated for one reason or another. She's smart, dependable, she's not a whiner, she doesn't complain. She's strong and self-reliant. I just liked her. She meets Logan while she's vacationing to get away from tragedy and he's trying to get back to the US to meet a half-sister he's never met. They have one steamy night and it's on...like he can't seem to shake her and she can't shake him. He can't seem to say the right things because lets face it....guys don't and she takes it the way he says it. What I liked here is that the writer didn't prolong the misunderstanding for chapters! I hate when authors do that for angst. It just irritates the reader to some extent. She gave the reader some angst and then pulled back for some steam. Brooke didn't take any junk and I liked that. She held her ground and folded when she needed to fold. Logan held his ground and did the same. It was real to life. Not all this "it was so fake, I can't read that bull." Loved it!!!

Author's Writing- A++++
Plot of Story - A+
Character Development - A+++
Language - B (Has Cussing that isn't suitable for anyone under 18)
Sexually Explicit Scenes - A (Again, not suitable for anyone under 18)

This is definitely a book that I will be recommending to everyone I know!! I have loved all of this author's books and this is no exception. She is talented and knows how to tell a story from start to finish without it getting bogged down in details that don't really matter or angst. Kudos and will be reading all the others that follow!!

I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's.




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Giving It All