Tuesday, December 29, 2015

RELEASE DAY REVIEW ~First Touch by Laurelin Paige~

Title: First Touch

Author: Laurelin Paige
Series: First and Last #1
Release Date:  December 29, 2015

My Rating: 5 Stars
When Emily Wayborn goes home to visit her mom while on hiatus from her hit TV show, she receives a voicemail from her former best friend, Amber. Though the two were once notorious party girls, they haven't spoken in years. Although the message might sound benign to anyone else, Amber uses a safe word that Emily recognizes, a word they always used to get out of sticky situations during their wild days. And what's more chilling than the voicemail: it turns out that Amber has gone missing.

Determined to track down her friend, Emily follows a chain of clues that lead her to the enigmatic billionaire Reeve Sallis, a hotelier known for his shady dealings and play boy reputation. Now, in order to find Amber, Emily must seduce Reeve to learn his secrets and discover the whereabouts of her friend. But as she finds herself more entangled with him, she finds she's drawn to Reeve for more than just his connection to Amber, despite her growing fear that he may be the enemy. When she's forced to choose where her loyalty lies, how will she decide between saving Amber and saving her heart?

This book tortured me. Downright took me by my make believe cojones and strung me up. First Touch is THAT book. The one that leaves you feeling so perplexed about EVERYTHING that you don't know whether you hate it or love it. I think I loved it. Did I? How the heck should I know. But I'm so flabbergasted, that I can't believe I did anything but love it. It kept be up until 4 am reading and when I finished I shouted every profanity in my repertoire and then made some up.

Emily and Reeve are explosive. In and or themselves there's a lot of turmoil, hate, affection, uneasiness. These two have the market cornered on messed up, confused, and erotic. What a place to be! I will warn readers that this is not an easy read. It is dark. Really dark. And sometimes the graphic detail of Emily's past went too far for me. But again, this is that book that gets a hall pass for putting me out of my comfort zone. I was so highly engaged and riveted. Every part of this book was a train wreck waiting to happen, and wreck it did. This way, that way. And it left my heart and nerves shattered.

So do you pick up this book? Maybe. If you're in the mood to be taken for a ride, and tossed around a big, absolutely. I want to say prepare yourself, but there's no possible way you can. Just dive in and relish in the yo-yo storyline that is Emily and Reeve's beginning.

Happy Reading!
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*
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NEWS ABOUT BOOK 2 - LAST KISS

Meet Laurelin:
NY Times & USA Today Bestselling author Laurelin Paige is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Mad Men and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Adam Levine. She is represented by Bob Diforio of D4EO Literary Agency.






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RELEASE DAY REVIEW ~Mastered by Maya Banks~

Title: Mastered
Author: Maya Banks
Series: The Enforcers #1
Release Date: December 29, 2015

My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Maya knows what makes readers hot. Now she turns it up in Mastered, the explosive first book in a new series of a desire too dangerous to resist.

What he wants, he takes with no remorse or guilt.
She stood out in his club like a gem, unspoiled and untouched. A lamb among wolves, she clearly didn’t belong. Drawn to her innocence he watched as she was surrounded by men who saw what he did—but no one but him could touch her. He summoned her to his private quarters. He sensed her fear. He also recognized the desire in her eyes. And he knew she wouldn’t leave before he possessed her. She had no need to know his secrets. Not until he had her under his complete and utter control.

What he wants, she isn’t sure she can give him.
The moment he told her want he wanted, she couldn’t resist. Instinct told her to run, but her heart said stay and walk the fine line between pleasure and pain. Though she wasn’t sure she could ever completely surrender, the primal part of her wanted to try, even knowing this man could break her in ways she never imagined. Because once he possessed her, he owned her and it would be too late to turn back. She can only pray that he doesn’t destroy her in the end.

Mastered is a book that you will either love or not. I happen to fall into the former category. This book is a new turn in Maya Banks's writing and I could not be more thrilled. Leaving the cookie cutter concepts, and the plug n play characters at the door, Ms. Banks has created a book that will seduce, crush, tempt, and destroy you. I know it sounds dramatic, but, it is. Drake is the hero I love to hate. He's crass. He's dark. He's controlling. He's alpha. I could go on and on. But above all else he's an enigma. There's so much mystery surrounding this man that even when you want to hate him, you have to believe that there's redemption for him. As for Evangeline - she's both strong and weak. Yet her weakness stems from her everlasting strength waning, and from the demand from Drake to a true submissive. 

The emotions are high, the seduction is intense and Drake and Evangeline are both bound together and torn apart. Where can this go? Where does it end? It's anyone's guess. This book had me gritting my teeth and wondering what in the hell would happen next. It's a stunning tale and completely engaged me from page one until the end. 

Is this a must read? Absolutely, in my opinion. Will everyone love it as much as I do? Maybe, it's hard ot say. This is a three book series. And I enjoy those immensely it gives me time to revel in the couple and the story. And surely I need more time to revel in Drake and Evangeline. This is going ot be a long road and I cannot wait for more form this series. It is exquisite and heartbreaking. I highly suggest everyone give this book a read!

Happy Reading!
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

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Friday, December 11, 2015

BLOG TOUR REVIEW ~Dirty Billionaire by Meghan March~

Title: Dirty Billionaire
Author: Meghan March
Series: Dirty Billionaire #1
Release Date: December 8, 2015
I've got a big dick and an even bigger bank account. That's pretty much where my bio ends.
Honestly, I don't need to say anything else. I've just sold 99% of women on going home with me.
Do I sound like an asshole to you?
That's because I am.
And guess what? It works for me just fine.
Or at least it did.
Until I met her.
Books talk about sparks flying. Fuck that shit. With her, it was like emergency flares mixed with jet fuel. Or maybe just straight up napalm.
Only one problem.
She wouldn't tell me her name or her number when she disappeared from the hotel room after the hottest fucking night of my life.
Now I've had a taste of unicorn pussy—the sweetest, rarest of all pussy—and I need it again.
So what's an asshole to do?
I took this problem to the street. A missed connection gone viral.
And when I find her? I'm keeping her.
Holly

COUNTRY STAR JC HUGHES CAUGHT BETWEEN A COCK AND A HARD PLACE
How is he going to explain this one away to girlfriend Holly Wix and his fans?
“That two-timin’ son of a . . .”

I hiss under my breath as I stare at the headline—and the compromising picture accompanying it—splashed in vivid color across the front page of the gossip rag displayed prominently in the checkout line at my supermarket. For the second time in two months, it’s a picture of my “boyfriend” locked in an unmistakably passionate embrace with another woman, except this time she’s wearing a giant black strap-on.

The edges of the paper crumple in my sweaty grip, and I fight the urge to tear it to shreds, along with every copy sitting on the rack in front of me.

He’s going to destroy my career before it even has a chance to become a reality.

One year, they said. One year in this joke of a “relationship” and I’d earn my stripes, be all set in the world of country music. Judge me all you want for agreeing, but when your brand-new record label puts something like that in the contract that will jet you out of the backwoods town you’re dying to escape, you don’t ask questions. You sign on the dotted line.

But reality is a cold slap in the face, and some days it hits you when you’re standing in line at the grocery store. What happens when they finally catch JC with a guy? His habit of swinging both ways, but preferring men to women, is about to become the worst-kept secret in Nashville.

I’m Holly Wix, winner of a make-me-a-star TV show, and handpicked by the label to buoy JC’s once-impressive but now flagging career. It didn’t seem like a big deal when they slipped it into my contract in the beginning. What starry-eyed girl wouldn’t be thrilled to have her name linked to a country star?

Instead of the one-way ticket to stardom I naively expected, I’m becoming the butt of every industry joke faster than the guys back home can spend their paycheck on twelve-packs and scratch-offs. But I’ve got one shot at keeping this dream career alive, and honestly, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to save it. So this situation with JC needs to get settled before things spiral further out of control.
I will fully admit, I loved this book far more than I anticipated. It's not your normal billionaire takes control book. The characters are much more thrilling, dominating, sexy, and funny than the norm. It made the book come to life and sucked me into its mesmerizing world. It's the beginning of a symbiotic relationship. 

Holly and Creighton want to use each other. And I mean down and dirty, filthy usage going on. And I almost wanted to set my ereader aside to give them some privacy. Together they're raunchy and erotic. Yet, underlying all the physical attraction is the feeling of pure connectedness. Of course neither of them are willing to admit it, but to the reader, from the outside there is so much potential for these two and I am grappling to read their next installment. As in, I'm on pins and needles waiting for that book. It's going to be SO freaking good. Like tingle-inducing good. 

Overall, a must read for me. Dirty Billionaire is a quick, deliciously, sinful read. And let me just say, I would not complain one iota if I could just revel in the wicked yumminess that is Creighton Karas. He is sin on an effing stick and I. LOVE. IT. 

Happy Reading!
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest  review*

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Title: Dirty Pleasures
Author: Meghan March
Series: Dirty Billionaire #1
Release Date: December 29, 2015
I did it. I married a billionaire.

My reasons are my own, but the last thing I expected was to feel owned.

I may have taken vows, but I’m still determined to be me.

Now his rules are taking over my world, but I’m not the kind of girl to just obey.

There’s only one problem: I might actually be falling for him…

I have no idea how this marriage is going to go, but holding onto a piece of myself while succumbing to his dirty pleasures is shaping up to be the ride of a lifetime.

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Title: Dirty Together
Author: Meghan March
Series: Dirty Billionaire #3
Release Date: January 12, 2016
My wife.

I love saying those words.

She’s mine, and if she thinks I’m going to let her run without tracking her down and bringing her back to where she belongs—with me—then she’s about to be introduced to a new reality.

Because I’ll fight dirty to give her the happily ever after she deserves.



Links to Buy:

Meet Meghan:
Meghan March is the author of contemporary and erotic romance novels.

Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She's also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she's ever had. She loves hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com.




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Tuesday, December 8, 2015

BLOG TOUR REVIEW + GIVEAWAY ~Corrupt by Penelope Douglas~

Title: Corrupt
Author: Penelope Douglas
Release Date: November 17, 2015
Organized by: As the Pages Turn

My Rating: 4.5 Stars
I was told that dreams were our heart’s desires. My nightmares, however, became my obsession.

His name is Michael Crist.

My boyfriend’s older brother is like that scary movie that you peek through your hand to watch. He is handsome, strong, and completely terrifying. The star of his college’s basketball team and now gone pro, he’s more concerned with the dirt on his shoe than me.

But I noticed him.

I saw him. I heard him. The things that he did, and the deeds that he hid…For years, I bit my nails, unable to look away.

Now, I’ve graduated high school and moved on to college, but I haven’t stopped watching Michael. He’s bad, and the dirt I’ve seen isn’t content to stay in my head anymore.

Because he’s finally noticed me.

Her name is Erika Fane, but everyone calls her Rika.

My brother’s girlfriend grew up hanging around my house and is always at our dinner table. She looks down when I enter a room and stills when I am close. I can always feel the fear rolling off of her, and while I haven’t had her body, I know that I have her mind. That’s all I really want anyway.

Until my brother leaves for the military, and I find Rika alone at college.

In my city.

Unprotected.

The opportunity is too good to be true as well as the timing. Because you see, three years ago she put a few of my high school friends in prison, and now they’re out.

We’ve waited. We’ve been patient. And now every last one of her nightmares will come true.

***Corrupt is stand-alone dark erotica
I enjoyed the fright of not knowing what was coming and from where.

“When we used to wear the masks,” Michael said, dropping his voice to a near whisper, “you liked it, didn’t you? It scared you, but it turned you on.”

I raised my hesitant eyes and tried not to let out a laugh. What was I supposed to say? That the fact that they’d looked like monsters got me hot?

I shook my head clear and stood up, saying in a quiet voice. “I’m going to bed.”

I grabbed my phone and took a step, but Michael’s voice stopped me.

“Come here,” he said softly.

I turned my head, narrowing my eyes. Come here?

He sat up, resting his forearms on his knees and waiting, while I shifted on my feet.

He was always playing games. I didn’t trust him.

But the temptation to engage was too great. He was right. I was getting good at it, and I kind of liked it, too.

I took slow steps, holding up my chin to steel myself.

When I reached him, he placed a hand on my hip and pulled me in between his legs. I gasped as he fell back against the sofa again, pulling me in with him. I shot my hands out, planting them on both sides of his head on the back of the couch, keeping myself upright as I leaned into him.

“Say it,” he breathed out, holding my hips with both hands now. “It turned you on.”

I closed my mouth and shook my head, looking down at him with a challenge.

“I know it did,” he maintained, a fire in his eyes. “Did you think I couldn’t see how tense your body would get or how your nipples got hard through your shirt when you saw me wearing it? You’re a little twisted. Admit it.”

I folded my lips between my teeth, turning my head away.

But then he tipped his chin up and caught my nipple between his teeth through my tank top, and I closed my eyes, letting out a small cry.

Oh, God!

The heat of his mouth swooped into my stomach as he released my nipple and then snatched it up again, dragging it out between his teeth.

“I’ve got the mask upstairs,” he taunted, kissing and nibbling on me through my shirt. “I can get it if you want me to.”

No. No, I wasn’t like that.

I pushed away from him, but he held me firm.

“Michael, let me go.”

But then I felt my phone vibrate in my hand, and I quickly glanced at the screen, seeing no name with the number. Reading the number, though, I noticed that it was his mother’s. That’s strange. I thought I had her number saved in my Contacts.

But I let it go, remembering that my mom was with her. I needed to take this call.

Planting my fists on Michael’s chest, I shoved him away. “Get off me. Your mom’s calling.”

All he did was laugh, though, and my face fell.

He grabbed my arm and threw me down onto my stomach and came down on my back, pinning me to the couch.

I breathed hard and fast, feeling his cock press against my ass as he snatched my phone out of my hand.

I stared wide-eyed as he placed it a few inches in front of me, his finger hovering over the green Answer button.

“Michael, no,” I rushed out, panic making my lungs ache.

But he swiped the screen anyway. The ringing stopped, and I heard silence as she waited for me to say something.

“Say hi,” he whispered in my ear.
This is one of those books that will wow and awe. It made my jaw drop, it made me quire, it made me uncomfortable. But I have to say that's what made it wholly magnificent. Corrupt is in its roots dark gritty, and flat out nasty. There are lines crossed and I will admit, at times I almost wanted to stop reading. However, this author is one near and dear to my reader heart and I knew she wouldn't let me down. And she didn't by any stretch of the imagination. She quite simply took her readers on the scenic and terrifying route to the end. However, that made it thrilling, and my heart rate and blood pressure will proabably never be the same. 

Corrupt is one of those books that you have zero idea about what is coming at you. I mean NONE. You think you know, but there there's about a million twists, and you feel like you're in wonderland with hot guys and a woman that finds her guts and stands up for herself. Erika is my kinda of heroine. She may seem meek and timid, but you push her just enough and she's going to come back at you like a bulldozer. Then there's Michael. I spent equal time hating and loving this man. By then end there was obviously a bit more love involved, because holy hell does this guy know how to redeem himself, but he almost lost me a few times. As for the other guys, I'm still on the fence. I hope and pray there will be more stories to shed light on them. I have a vivid pro/con list in my mind for Will, Kai and Damon, and with one wrong move they could settle permanently in one column. 

Corrupt is a whirlwind that will leave you head spinning for days to come. But in all of its dizzying spell binding there is a one of a kind, superb story that will leave you breathless. This is without a doubt a MUST READ!

Happy Reading!
*ARC provided by the author in exchange for and honest review*



Meet Penelope:
Penelope Douglas is a writer and teacher in Las Vegas. Born in Dubuque, Iowa, she is the oldest of five children. Penelope attended the University of Northern Iowa, earning a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, because her father told her to "just get the degree!" She then earned a Masters of Science in Education at Loyola University in New Orleans, because she hated Public Administration. One night, she got tipsy and told the bouncer at the bar where she worked that his son was hot, and three years later they were married. To the son, not the bouncer. They have spawn, but just one. A daughter named Aydan. Penelope loves sweets, the show Sons of Anarchy, and she shops at Target almost daily.

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