Cover Reveal: DEADLY SECRETS, LOVING LIES by Cynthia Cooke

Family secrets must be kept, and painful wounds must be ignored.

After an all-out assault by a vicious terrorist bent on destroying her entire family, a former government agent must break the strict rules she has always lived by when she emerges from hiding to reluctantly accept the help of her all-too-sexy ex-lover. Running a deadly race against time, they rush to rescue her kidnapped sister, find her missing father, and bring the notorious villain to justice. But nothing ever goes as planned. Bullets fly, danger abounds, and their passion reignites even faster than the lies are flowing. But their stubbornly held secrets just might spell the end of their rekindled love and hopes for the future…as well as their very lives.

On Sale Today at Entangled Publishing

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by Pearl on May 13, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in covers, Promo

Posted by Pearl on May 13, 2012

http://pearlsworldofromance.wordpress.com/2012/05/13/cover-reveal-deadly-secrets-loving-lies-by-cynthia-cooke/

Mini-Interview and Giveaway: Joely Sue Burkhart

This morning I posted my review of YOURS TO TAKE. A book I loved to pieces. I love this entire series but this latest installments totally blew me away. So much that I contacted Joely Sue to ask a few questions that were on my mind. It’s by no means a full interview since I am the world’s worst interviewer ever but I hope you all enjoy knowing a bit more about the book and Joely Sue. I am happy to have her on my blog so please give her a warm welcome.

I’ll randomly pick a commenter to receive a copy of YOURS TO TAKE some time next week. I’m also doing Twitter giveaways of all three books in the Connagher Family series today so keep an eye on my Twitter account and brush up on your knowledge of fashion trivia!

And now I give the stage to Joely Sue Burkhart!

PWOR: You mentioned to me that you worry about how Vicki, Jesse and Elias will be accepted. Why?
JSB: Each time a new book comes out, I’m a nervous wreck. All that waiting until the first reviews come in, stressing about whether this book will meet the readers’ expectations. With YOURS TO TAKE, I was even more stressed than usual because the book was very emotional for me to write. The conflicts between the three characters were so real to me that I was exhausted — like Vicki and Elias had been wrestling ME instead of each other. I joked with my sister that Vicki just about killed me before I got her story told the way she wanted!

PWOR: How did you come up with this story for Vicki. What was the inspiration for Vicki’s story.
JSB: I knew all along that she was going to be involved in a menage – I just didn’t know who the men were or why she needed them both. It’s the same way I knew Miss Belle was wacky and Conn was an English professor (DEAR SIR, I’M YOURS) and that Victor was a sadist (HURT ME SO GOOD). I just knew. I’d been working on a Dallas cop character for a different book that never went anywhere…until I realized he was in the wrong book. Elias came over and the fireworks started between him and Vicki, but I still didn’t have the real heart of the story until Jesse finally came in off the streets.

PWOR: I love how every story in this series is different and unique to the characters. How do you do that?
JSB: The characters are just so real and unique when they come on stage that I don’t have any choice but to make their stories unique too. When I started this series, I really only knew Conn, and that he had a brother and a sister. It wasn’t until I was mostly done with his story that I figured out that Victor was a sadist. I still didn’t know anything about Vicki. Through writing Victor’s story and figuring out what made him tick, I finally got to meet Vicki (at theend of HURT ME SO GOOD). She was a tough nut to crack, though, and it took me several months of working with her before she finally opened up and helped me write her story.

PWOR: What does a writing day look like for you?
JSB: On an ideal day, I get up at 5 AM and write for an hour before I have to get the family up. I have an Evil Day Job as a computer programmer, so I don’t have any time during the day, unless I neglect my workout to write over lunch. Sometimes I can sneak in some words around the kids, dinner, and homework, but I really can’t guarantee
how the evening hours will go. I do a lot more administrative type tasks at night where I don’t need to be breathing a story quite so much. Although I’ve been known to put my headset on, listen to the book’s playlist, and keep on going. When the words are going, I have to go too, even if it’s past my bedtime.

If I didn’t work, I’d be a total night owl. I love to stay up late until all hours of the night writing, but it doesn’t happen very often!

If you have any comments or questions for Joely Sue, don’t hesitate to comment, it can land you a copy of YOURS TO TAKE!

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by Pearl on May 11, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in authors, giveaway, interviews, Twitter

Posted by Pearl on May 11, 2012

http://pearlsworldofromance.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/mini-interview-and-giveaway-joely-sue-burkhart/

ARC-Review: YOURS TO TAKE by Joely Sue Burkhart


All fire and gunpowder need is a stray spark…

The day one of her old clients gunned down a cop, former defense attorney Vicki Connagher lost everything—her passion for justice, and her lover, Detective Elias Reyes. The dead cop’s partner.

Even though she’s following her dream to start her own fashion line, it’s tough with heartache as her only companion. Until she brings Jesse, a wandering street artist, in from a freak Texas snowstorm. His submissive flirting brings out dominant tendencies she never knew she possessed, yet she hesitates to let him take her as far and as hard as she wants to go.

Some homeless junkie in Vicki’s house? Not on Elias’s watch. Pride kept him away, but as long as Jesse is staying in Vicki’s downstairs shop, he’s staying with Vicki. On the couch, but it’s a start.

As the days go by, the three work out an uneasy alliance. But Vicki’s joy at having Elias back in her life is tempered with a growing desire to have it all. Elias in her bed, and Jesse under her command. The only question remaining is if her tough alpha cop is willing to embrace all that she is…

Product Warnings
Explicit sex, BDSM, a tough alpha cop, a reluctant Domme, and a smoldering submissive street artist willing to do anything to belong to her.

Title: YOURS TO TAKE
Author: Joely Sue Burkhart
Series: The Connaghers, book 3
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2012, May 8
Format: eBook
Source: Received an e-ARC from the author for review

First line:
It didn’t snow very often in Dallas, Texas, but when it did, everything came to a halt.

Memorable Scenes:
– Jesse telling Vicki and Elias his life story >; my heart broke and I cried
– That first kiss between Jesse and Vicki >; OMG that was hot
– Jesse’s watercolors for Vicki >; *melts*
– the confrontation between Vicki and her mother >; was holding my breath the entire time
– Vicki and Elias’s make up sex session while Jesse watched >; *mesmerized* I think my mouth was open and I drooled while my heart was beating a drum solo that would have done great in a drummers competition

Vicki Connagher is a former defense attorney now fashion designer. She’s a tough cookie with a big, tender heart. She’s uninhibited, doesn’t pull punches and tells it like it is. I loved Vicki. Though she was only subtly present in the previous books in this series I suspected there was so much more to her than was being presented in those glimpses.

Vicki has two heroes in this book as the book flirts with both BDSM and ménage.
The first hero is Jesse Inglemarre, a homeless street artist who has had a rough time over the years. Thinking of Jesse makes me sigh. I have never read a hero like him. He is so strong in his fragility and vulnerability it blew me away. He’s sweet, honest, intuitive and open. He’s candid yet guarded as he’s had to learn how to survive on the streets.

With Jesse Joely Sue Burkhart shows that the true power of a D/s relationship lies with the submissive. This and more elements of BDSM were portrayed in various scenes that made me fan myself and at the same time they made me think about what a D/s relationship entails.

The second hero is Elias Reyes, a police detective and Vicki’s on-again-off-again boyfriend. Elias is gruff, protective, harsh and uncompromising when it comes to his work but he has a soft side to him too. He doesn’t show this side often but when he does it’s all the more powerful.

There weren’t very many secondary characters but those who were present definitely left their mark. I loved that Victor, Shiloh and Mal made an appearance! And of course there was powerhouse Mama Connagher. But a newly introduced character who left a lasting impression on me was Colby Wade. A little birdie told me he’s going to have his story too and I can’t wait!

I’ve waited a long time for Vicki’s story and now it’s here. I love this series and from the moment I caught snippets of Vicki’s book on Joely Sue’s website I was chomping at the bit to get my greedy little paws on this book. And I couldn’t be happier with it than I was when I finished it.

I must disclose that I am not a seasoned BDSM reader. I’m what my dear friend Leontine calls “a BDSM-light” reader. This means I enjoy books with not too dark BDSM elements. I am not familiar with the lifestyle or how it’s “supposed” to be. I always say that if I really like a BDSM story the seasoned BDSM-reader won’t.
Now by no means do I want to imply Joely Sue Burkhart doesn’t write BSDM as it’s supposed to be but I can imagine that readers of darker BDSM and connoisseurs of the lifestyle will find YOURS TO TAKE not to their liking. I however gobbled it up like a starving bum at a star-restaurant all you can eat-buffet.

The main characters of YOURS TO TAKE are so powerful and intense they just blew me away! I was in awe of Vicki’s big heart and strength, I melted for Jesse’s disarming honesty and Elias just made me weak in the knees with his gruff alpha attitude. You want to dislike Jesse because he’s flirting with a woman who’s committed to another man, you want to dislike Elias for his harshness and borderline aggressiveness, you want to dislike Vicki for wanting to have her cake and eat it too. But you just can’t, at least I couldn’t. The sum of these three characters created a beautiful whole with a perfect balance that just worked for me but I can see that it might not work for everyone that way.

The thing is, they’re flawed, they have their ugly sides and faults but that’s what I love in characters. I don’t like picture-perfect, happy-happy characters. For me to click with them emotionally they need to have their flaws and go through emotional growth throughout the book and that is exactly what Joely Sue Burkhart gave me with Vicki, Jesse and Elias! And next to that she intertwined them both as characters as with their development in such a powerful way it left me in awe. From the first word to the last I was enthralled, captivated by the characters, fascinated by their back-stories and the story unfolding between them and fanning myself at the heat of the sex scenes.

YOURS TO TAKE is the kind of book that took my heart, broke it and then put it back together, leaving it whole and satisfied. If you love erotic romance that’s both scorching and emotionally brilliant and you haven’t read Joely Sue Burkhart’s Connaghers series yet, you are seriously missing out!

Favorite Quotes:
“Vik,” he drawled out his nickname for her in that low, sexy voice that always made her want to throw her head back and moan deep in her throat. “I thought you quit defending assholes I put away.” ~Vicki & Elias

All his arousal was for her, if she wanted it. If she needed it. In his mind, he imagined her giving him the order not to touch himself. No pleasure unless she gave it. ~Jesse

He let out a low, husky laugh against her ear that sent the southern half of her body on full alert. Oh God, now it was her turn to feel ashamed at her ravenous hunger. She was lucky her stomach didn’t rumble as loudly as his had at breakfast. Starved and so damned needy, it took all her willpower not to turn around and haul his mouth down to hers. ~Vicki & Jesse

“Maybe you need a buffer between you and him. Someone softer, gentler, who can absorb all the dramatics without falling apart, who would never try to set one against the other, and will always do exactly as you say, when you say, how you say, no questions asked. Someone who’d love getting burned by your sparks, and isn’t afraid of the harder black, either. In fact, you just might like someone who can take it hard, real hard, as hard as you want.” ~Jesse to Vicki

She slid her right hand down his back and wrapped her fingers around the waistband of his pants, hauling him tighter against her. “I’m going to hell for this.”
“Then you might as well enjoy me fully.” ~Vicki & Jesse

“So you’ll come over tonight? Please?”
He let out a wicked, low laugh that made her blood smolder. “Oh, I don’t know, Vik. Your couch isn’t that comfortable. Besides, you’ve got that hot cabana boy to tend to you now. Why do you need me?”
“I won’t make you sleep on the couch tonight. I swear.”
“We’re going to be loud, babe,” he purred, drawing a rough groan from her.
“I’m going to make you scream. We’re going to hit every surface of your bedroom, hell, your whole apartment, and your boy’s going to hear every whimper, thud, curse and shout of release. Are you sure you’re up for that?” ~Vicki & Elias

“ This ?” He drawled out, making her toes curl. “What exactly are you offering me, Vik? Sharing you with that young pup? I’m a junkyard Rottie named Spike and I guarantee my bite is just as mean as my bark. I don’t tolerate cream-puff poodles around my woman.” ~Elias

He hugged with his entire body, arms locked around her hips. “I’ve never had a choice. I don’t know what I like, not really, but when you touch me, even a hug, it’s like angels start singing and my bones melt and my blood boils in my veins. It’s you. Whatever you want. I trust you not to hurt me.” ~Jessie

Elias quietly slipped his seldom-used key into her locked door and eased it open. It made him feel sneaky and mean, hoping to catch her in a compromising position, and also sick to his stomach at the thought. He didn’t know if he could really face that reality. He could talk about it, even joke about it, but if he saw her having sex with another man, it might be the last breath that bastard would ever take.

“Nah, that was just the appetizer.” He swiped his tongue along the curve of her ear. “We’re going to take a long, sweaty ride while you buck for all you’re worth. You want to fight me. You want me to conquer you, tame you to my hands and my body like a green-broke mare. Every time we fuck each other into a stupor, you make me prove I’m man enough for you. So buck. Fight. Or better yet…”
He leaned in, shoving with his body hard enough that her breath rushed out on a groan, but he released her hands. “Try to drag me into a death roll at the bottom of the river.” ~Elias

As if Elias knew she’d thought of the other man, he growled in her ear. “Can he take you like this, Vik? Can he make you groan and sweat facedown against the wall? Can he ride you at your worst, no matter how bad you buck and kick?”

“If you were to deliberately pick out something to wear for Reyes, I bet you’d choose red or black, right? This is totally unexpected. It screams innocence and shyness, a direct contradiction to your personality. If you were to slip this little baby on for your cop, I guarantee he’ll swallow his tongue in surprise, and then blow a gasket trying to get you out of it.” ~Jesse

Her cheeks burned. “You’re my brother, V. The last thing I want to do is tell you all the things running around in my mind every single time I look at him. You’ll probably beat him up or something.”
“Nah,” he drawled. “That’s Conn’s department, not mine. Mama might horsewhip him though.” ~Vicki & Victor about Jesse

The bathroom door opened, and Elias damned near choked to death because his heart tried to crawl up his throat. He couldn’t breathe as Vicki came near her bed. She wore a filmy, white negligee that tied beneath her breasts and fluttered about her hips, oddly demure but so damned sexy he couldn’t remember his own name.

His lips slid over her flesh in nibbling, soft bites. His breath was a light caress, his stubble a rough one that made her clutch his head harder. He nosed deeper, like he was trying to rub her scent all over him, like he didn’t care if he never breathed again. ~Jesse & Vicki

“Are you okay?” She didn’t dare lift her head to seek Elias’s reaction. Jesse didn’t answer—he knew who she was asking.
“Yeah,” Elias replied in a graveled voice that made her shiver. “I’ve never seen anyone go so limp and eager like that. It’s like he’s giving you every single thing he’s got. His breath. His will. God, no wonder he makes you so hot, Vik. He’s begging you to ravish him.” He must have leaned close because his hot breath moistened her ear. “Show me some more.”

Later today I’ll be posting a mini-interview with Joely Sue Burkhart, make sure you come back to comment on it because you could win your own e-copy of YOURS TO TAKE!

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by Pearl on May 11, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in ARC-Review, Connaghers, Contemporary Romance, eBooks, Erotic Romance, favorite books, Joely Sue Burkhart, perfect reads, Samhain Publishing
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Posted by Pearl on May 11, 2012

http://pearlsworldofromance.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/arc-review-yours-to-take-by-joely-sue-burkhart/

ARC-Review: OFFICE AFFAIR by Jess Dee


All work and no play? Not for this girl. Not anymore.

Melissa Sparks has had enough. Enough of being an overachiever, enough of having no social life, enough of being lonely. Just this once she wants a change. Something different. Something that looks very much like her business associate, Ben Cowley.

Ben is all alone in the deserted offices of Preston Elks. He’s gorgeous, he’s single and he’s been her secret fantasy for the last two years. It’s a split-second decision, but there’s no going back.

When Ben looks up from his desk, the last thing he expects to see is his too-serious, straight-laced colleague stripping naked. It’s been a year since his last relationship ended, and though he’s still picking up the pieces, Melissa throws his carefully balanced world off its axis. So does her offer: a brief affair, no strings attached.

Right about the time he realizes a simple affair will never be enough, she’s back in professional mode—and clearly as distant as ever. Now it’s up to him to show her that what they have is no fluke…and he’ll do whatever it takes to convince her. Even if it means inviting another man into their bed.

Product Warnings
This book contains a man haunted by his past decisions, a woman determined to succeed, sex hot enough to steam up every office window on the block, and a voyeur who gets off watching those windows steam up.

Title: OFFICE AFFAIR
Author: Jess Dee
Series: Connected to ISLAND IDYLLE from the Bandicoot Cove Series
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2012, May 1
Format: eBook
Source: Received an e-ARC from the author for review

Please Note: This review contains spoilers if you haven’t read Jess Dee’s ISLAND IDYLLE (Bandicoot Cove, book 3). So beware and don’t read it if, like me, you don’t like spoilers of books you intend to read.

First line:
“You want to know what I think?”

Memorable Scenes:
– Melissa’s striptease act and proposition in Ben’s office > loved witnessing Ben seeing Melissa in a different light for the first time
– sexy times on the desk > goes without saying that this makes the memorable list :)
– the phone smex scene > I’m still speechless…
– The masturbation scene on Ben’s bed > OMG! Am I still breathing? I think Jess Dee fried my brain with that scene


Melissa ‘Mel’ Sparks is direct and honest and she doesn’t hold back. She’s helpful, smart and down-to-earth but also a goal-getter and a loner. I loved that tough, direct Melissa also had a soft, shy side to her. Made her vulnerable and likeable when she could have easily been a corporate bitch ;)

Ben Cowley. Oh what can I say about Ben without gushing and turning into a puddle of yearning woman? He shot straight to my favorite heroes list and if you know my likes in erotic romance you’ll probably guess why. Ben is insightful, a hard worker and a dirty talker. The end of Ben’s relationship with Sienna has left him a changed man. He works hard and is on edge and tense. He’s built a wall around himself to prevent further heartbreak, hurt and humiliation. I just wanted to hold him to my chest, hug him and then have him whisper dirty talk in my ear!

Both investment bankers, Ben and Mel are so compatible it’s eerie! I loved how in tune they were, both emotionally and sexually, even when Mel was fighting it hard. Mel and Ben are also dirty talking bed-partners. I loved that they both were, in many romances it’s the hero doing all the dirty talk so I really appreciated that Mel was just as eloquently dirty as Ben. However, Ben’s dirty talk has landed him on my favorite heroes list, the first Jess Dee hero to get on that list and I have a suspicion he won’t be the last.

I loved how Melissa approached Ben all business and casually offering just sex and how shocked Ben was that he reacted physically to her. And then it turned out Mel isn’t that cool about it at all, she has a major crush on Ben but thinks they’re not socially compatible and she doesn’t stand a chance with him. Little does she know that Ben is more than happy to go from sex to something more lasting.

Jess Dee knows how to focus on the main couple of her books. There are very little secondary characters in this book and the only one who stood out is of course Will Granger. A friend of Ben’s who works across from Ben’s office, has voyeuristic tendencies and on occasion shares women with Ben. I wondered if he also was the stranger who watched Mel masturbate in her car on the company parking lot.

The build-up to the conflict was excellently done. The signs were all there, not only the fact that they were not going to be able to keep it strictly sexual, but also the introduction of the third. The moment Will, was introduced in the story and the ménage was being set up I could feel the tension building and I was waiting for the shit to hit the fan. And it did, and it was resolved

Jess Dee opened with desk smex! *Ka-ching* extra point, because everyone knows you get an extra point in the rating from me for desk smexing in an office romance and this particular desk scene was sizzling hot and totally worth the extra point! Speaking of smex, the sex scenes were once again beyond awesome! Explicit, provocative, unapologetic and did I mention hot? Breathtakingly hot! I may have actually panted a few times. Djeezus, who needs a heater when you have Jess Dee books ;) If I ever get caught in a snowstorm without any means of warming up I’ll just read a Jess Dee book.

There’s a phone sex scene that left me speechless. Jess Dee managed to give me a sex scene that was so so so hot and fill it with emotions so intense and giving the characters so much depth and development that I’m still baffled. And the hero and heroine weren’t even in the same house. How does she do that?! I just know it’s writing like that that puts you on my auto-buy-must-read-immediately list!
At one point Melissa’s POV gives us:

She felt naughty and decadent and sexy and aroused all at once. And she loved every minute of it.

And this is exactly how I felt about OFFICE AFFAIR! If you like your erotic romances wickedly dirty, explicitly carnal and emotionally satisfying, don’t miss this one!
Quotes weren’t hard to find but some of them were so explicit and deliciously dirty I had to leave them off, as I don’t have a R-rated warning on my blog :) Now look at the number of quotes I’ve included and imagine that it could have been even more.

Favorite Quotes:
She leaned forward. “You should know by now I never jump into any deal without doing a background check first. I watched you, observed your reactions. Carefully. The second I pulled the clips from my hair, your eyes turned a shade darker and your cheeks reddened.” Her hand hovered in the air between them and then landed on his shirt. “Your breathing has been uneven ever since. And now?” She smiled that sexy smile again. “Now it’s just plain ragged. And that, Cowley, is a huge turn-on.”

Seconds before another orgasm could overwhelm her, he pulled away, leaving her unsatisfied and unfulfilled. She let him have it, complaining viciously, demanding more, demanding satisfaction, swearing. The expressions that came from her were nothing less than filthy. And filth like that—from the mouth of a straight-laced woman like Melissa—turned Ben on so much a strangled groan burst from his throat.

She wasn’t earthbound anymore. Wasn’t a solid mass. She was floating on air. A million light years away from the office. She was in heaven. In paradise, languishing in a cloud of undiluted ecstasy. She was an empty, aching vessel, desperate for fulfillment. Desperate for the release only Ben could give her.

“I’m telling you. A caramel kiss is not going to do you any harm. Eat it.” His voice brooked no argument.
She gazed longingly at the treat.
“Okay, I’ll give you a choice. One way or another you get a kiss this lunchtime. Either take a bite of the dessert, or I’m going to plant my lips on that luscious mouth of yours and kiss you. With tongue. Lots of tongue. In broad daylight, while the entire company is at work.” He shrugged. “I know which one I’d prefer, but as I said, the choice is yours.”

Ben couldn’t hold back any longer. He lay in his big, empty bed and thought about Melissa. He thought some more about her, and a little more after that. And then he grabbed his phone, found her number and dialed, expecting the call to ring through to voicemail.
Her throaty, “Melissa Sparks speaking,” undid him.

“You’re the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing I imagine before I fall asleep. I dream about you. Every single night. I live to see you, at the office, at home, anywhere. I just need to see your face. Hold your body. Touch your skin. I need you, Mel. More than I need air. You can’t walk away from me. You can’t love someone else.”

4 Comments
by Pearl on May 1, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in ARC-Review, awesome reads, Contemporary Romance, eBooks, Erotic Romance, favorite books, Jess Dee, requested review, reviews, Samhain Publishing
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Posted by Pearl on May 1, 2012

http://pearlsworldofromance.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/arc-review-office-affair-by-jess-dee/

ARC-Review: CAPTIVATED by Lauren Dane


Vincenz Fardelle, exiled son of the Supreme Leader of the Imperialist Universe, has spent much of the last ten years working to stop the threat his father poses. But he’s not alone in his quest. Julian Marsters has lost his best friend and countless others in the war and has made vengeance his only goal. In each other, Julian and Vincenz find not only like minds, but kindred spirits.

However unexpected their relationship, everything changes for Vincenz and Julian when Hannah Black comes into their lives. Having been captured and held in near total isolation by imperialist troops, their immediate response is to protect her.

Emotionally shattered but resilient, Hannah rebuilds herself. Because of the warm safety she finds in the arms of Julian—and Vincenz she becomes someone harder, stronger and bent on preventing the Imperialists from harming anyone else.

For the two men, wrestling with their passionate feelings for Hannah is only the beginning. War is about to send all three into harm’s way and an equally dangerous secret could tear them apart.


Title: CAPTIVATED
Author: Lauren Dane
Series: Federation Chronicles, book 5, Phantom Corps, book 3
Genre: Futuristic Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Berkley Heat
Year of release: 2012. May 1
Format: Trade Size Paperback
Source: Won a digital ARC of the book in a Twitter-giveaway held by author

First line:
She rocked because it brushed her hair over her skin.

Memorable Scenes:
– the conversation between Vincenz and Julian about Julian’s virtue > funny and the scene that followed was sizzling hot!
– The first threesome love scene > this scene pushed me over the edge of spontaneously bursting into flames. Where’s that fire extinguisher when you need it?
– the scene with the gloves > when you read the book you know exactly what scene I mean and you know why I put it with the memorable scenes
– the love scene between Vincenz and Hannah after the mission on Silesia > pivotal scene for both their characters and sizzling hot too!
– the sex scene when they’re at the compound on Asphodel > I thought the previous sex scenes were hot? Well, this one put even those to shame!
– Andrei giving Julian and Vin advice how to make up with Hannah > I love Andrei and Lauren Dane gives excellent grovel!

Hannah Black is a doctor and scientist. Taken by the Imperialists as a prisoner and tortured to the brink of insanity she is saved by Vincenz Fardelle on a Phantom Corps mission. Hannah is broken by the torment she suffered but a she’s survivor. She is strong. Though she may be or seem fragile at first, as the story progressed her strength replaced her fragility and revealed a caring and nurturing woman with amazing resilience. Vincenz and Julian and their love slowly but surely heal her back to the woman she is supposed to be.

Vincenz is the exiled son of the imperialist leader. He has struggled his way into the Federation Phantom Corps, overcoming mistrust and proving he is not an Imperialist spy. Within the corps he is Vincent Cuomo. Vincenz is fierce caring, charming, intense and protective. His heritage makes it hard for him to find his place in life and among his loved ones, except with Julian and Hannah. They are the two anchors that keep him stable.

Julian Marsters has known loss from a very young age and the latest loss, his best friend was killed in the line of duty, has left him hurt and made him surround himself with harshness. He is calm and confident but also tough, hard and broody. Underneath this all he hides a vulnerable and wounded man that can only find solace in being loved by Vincenz and Hannah.

Vincenz and Julian form the perfect tag team for Hannah. They are both pillars of comfort to her. Always patient, they let her set the pace and give her time and space to heal. But they also know when it’s okay to push her to the next step in the process. One in his own gruff, straightforward way. The other in his disarming, caring way. In turn, Hannah is the element they never knew was missing from their pairing. Her insight, intuition and humor is exactly what they need to make their relationship come completely full circle.

The first sex scene is a m/m scene and I’ve said it before: Lauren Dane is one of the few authors who can make that work for me in a m/m/f book, who can make a m/m/f ménage work for me, period. The way she eased Hannah into the relationship that was already established between Vincenz and Julian was brilliantly done. At first I worried how the trauma she suffered would impede the physical part of the relationship but I needn’t have worried.

The erotic part of this book was once again amazing, as with all the previous books in this series. Lauren Dane knows erotic romance and delivers on it every single time. The groveling followed by make up sex scene was a gem of excellence. I was crying on one page and gasping with arousal on the next. The book starts of fast-paced and intense but a little over the halfway point the intensity lessened a bit and the pace turned slower on one page and it felt rushed on the next. However, the last few chapters were back to the intensity of the beginning so this was a minor issue.

The Federation versus Imperialists war plot is excellently continued in CAPTIVATED. I love the world Lauren Dane has built over the course of this series. It’s interesting and keeps evolving throughout the series, surprising me at times with unexpected twists and directions. I enjoyed the plot as much as I did the romance and sex scenes. It absolutely stands its ground against the scorching heat of the romance. I also love how the overall story arc remains threaded throughout all the books and yet each book has its own isolated plot that adds a new dimension to the ongoing one.

CAPTIVATED took me through a whole gamut of emotions. My heart broke for all three main characters, each for a different reason. But my heart was also warmed by the beautiful romance and the intense feelings between the main characters. There were many lump-in-throat moments, the sex scenes made me blush, and let me tell you it takes a lot to make me blush when it comes to sex scenes and the plot made me angry and vindictive (towards the bad guys of course). It’s no secret Lauren Dane’s writing appeals to me greatly and CAPTIVATED is no exception. Once I started reading the fast pace, interesting characters, intensely emotional romance, nail-biting plot and scorching sex kept me in their thrall.

With CAPTIVATED I was just as engaged in the plot as I was connected with the characters and aroused by the eroticism. It’s another awesome installment of this series and while reading this book it suddenly dawned on me that, as with all series, this series will end some day and I realized I don’t want that to happen. I want it to go on forever, giving me exactly what I want in futuristic erotic romance novels!

Favorite Quotes:

There was something so scorching hot about the way Vincenz had sex. So unabashed. In a man who was normally buttoned up tight and ultra calm, that wildness and burning intensity when it came to f*cking felled Julian.

She didn’t want to fall apart and yet, it was happening. Pieces of her fell through her fingers like sand.

“You can let go, baby.” Vincenz kissed her temple. “Let yourself fall apart a little while if that’s what you need. I’m here to hold all the pieces until you’re ready.”

Need was a drumbeat in his head, a throbbing bass in his gut, throttling through his veins like wildfire. She tasted like spice and sweetness. Like something dark and forbidden and altogether precious and he needed her like he needed to breathe. -Julian

And by the time he figured out that because his defenses had been down with her, she’d gotten under his skin and into his heart, it was too late to do anything but admit his need for her. She lodged herself into all his jagged, empty spots as he gave herself to him and things had just clicked into place. -Julian

“I’ve been greedy for you. But instead of burning the place downstill of the night when you were ours again.”

1 Comment
by Pearl on April 30, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in ARC-Review, awesome reads, Berkley Publishing, Federation Chronicles Series, Lauren Dane, Phantom Corps Series, reviews
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Posted by Pearl on April 30, 2012

http://pearlsworldofromance.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/arc-review-captivated-by-lauren-dane/

Requested Review: LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD by Tamara Morgan


It takes a real man to wear a kilt. And a real woman to charm him out of it.

It might be modern times, but Kate Simmons isn’t willing to live a life without at least the illusion of the perfect English romance. A proud member of the Jane Austen Regency Re-Enactment Society, Kate fulfills her passion for courtliness and high-waisted gowns in the company of a few women who share her love of all things heaving.

Then she encounters Julian Wallace, a professional Highland Games athlete who could have stepped right off the covers of her favorite novels. He’s everything brooding, masculine, and, well, heaving. The perfect example of a man who knows just how to wear his high sense of honor—and his kilt.

Confronted with a beautiful woman with a tongue as sharp as his sgian dubh, Julian and his band of merry men aren’t about to simply step aside and let Kate and her gaggle of tea-sippers use his land for their annual convention. Never mind that “his land” is a state park—Julian was here first, and he never backs down from a challenge.

Unless that challenge is a woman unafraid to fight for what she wants…and whose wants are suddenly the only thing he can think about.

Product Warnings:
The historical re-enactments in this story contain very little actual history. Battle chess and ninja stars may apply.

Title: LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD
Author: Tamara Morgan
Series: Games of Love, book 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2012, February 14
Format: eBook
Source: Received an e-ARC from the author for review

First line:
What the ballroom lacked in authenticity, it more than made up for in effort.

Memorable Scenes:
– the male strippers at the re-enactment > I laughed out loud at this scene

Kate Simmons is a bookstore manager who enjoys her Jane Austen reenactment group and just lives her life the way she wants to. Though she’s very down-to-earth she is also strong-willed and has a snarky sense of humor that flares up regularly. I loved that she wouldn’t back down from challenges, on the contrary, she thrived on them.

Julian Wallace is a construction worker and Scottish/Highland Games athlete. He’s very gentlemanly and honorable but he’s also stubborn and competitive. There were moments where he got on my nerves a bit but then the next moment he would say or do something sweet and honorable and I’d let it slide. Kudos to Tamara Morgan for writing characters that have their annoying traits yet manage to charm me.

The romance was set up very slow and gradually. The conflict between Julian and Kate messed up the heated moments a few times… and we all know how I feel about interrupted sexy times. However, it didn’t bother me so much with this story as it made sense in the setup of the romance. I really liked the way Kate and Julian challenged and teased each other.

From the blurb I was expecting a bit of a rom-com funny contemporary but I didn’t get this in the beginning. It read more like a very serious contemporary. The humor came mainly from the secondary characters such as Jada and Michael. Jada was a hoot! She’s unapologetic and a party girl to the bone. The opposite of Kate and this made the friendship between them work so well. Michael was so cute and funny. I hope to see him back as a hero in a book of his own.

I liked the writing, it wasn’t very fast-paced but it flowed easily and fluently. I cannot say it immediately grabbed me though as it took me a while to warm up to the story. As I’m used to fast-paced, cut-to-the-chase contemporary romances (I read a lot of contemporary erotic novellas). It felt like a historical romance disguised as a contemporary romance. This is absolutely not a bad thing because I also enjoy historical romances. I was just expecting something different than I got. And it once again made me realize I sometimes need to keep my expectations under lock and key more and just go into the books with a more open mind.

Despite the trouble with the historical feel and the slow build-up of the romance, I do look forward to read more by this author, at least would love to read Jada or Michael’s stories as I really liked her writing style and subtle humor.
Favorite Quotes:

The grin on Julian’s face spread as he reached for Kate’s foot. The appendage acted of its own volition, gliding into his waiting hands like the wanton traitor it was.
“Allow me,” he said in a low voice, his other hand slipping up along the back of her calf, his fingers tracing a pattern that seemed somehow programmed to compel her body into a state of liquid complaisance. He cupped the sole of her shoe, pulling it off her foot at the heel and working toward her toes.

She decided it was best to leave—the mature thing to do, surely.
But then Julian emerged from his tent, wearing nothing but a pair of athletic pants. Her vision tunneled like she was in an Alfred Hitchcock movie, and she found her legs didn’t work quite as well as they used to. She already knew he was strong, that his chest was a hard-packed surface of muscles that radiated heat. But seeing, in this case, was more than believing. It was swooning, drooling, falling to the ground in a pool of hormonal bliss.

“That woman who almost ripped Mikey’s balls off the other night will probably be here. You want to get in a pillow fight with her?”
Peterson sighed and put a hand over his heart. “Hell yes.”
Julian tossed an empty beer can at him.
“What? You forget I’m a single dad. The only action I see these days is what Barbie’s giving up to Ken. And let me tell you, that chick is one big prude.”

“[...]. You’ve got all your dreams contained in little ordered boxes, and you think keeping them there is your source of power. But your real power is right in front of me. You have such a soft, gentle presence, people think you’re easily swept aside— you think it, too. But there’s steel in there, and you have no idea how strong that makes you. Believe me, I’ve been trying to bend it for weeks without any luck. And I’m a pretty strong man.”

1 Comment
by Pearl on April 28, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in ARC-Review, Contemporary Romance, eBooks, Games of Love Series, good reads, requested review, reviews, Samhain Publishing, Tamara Morgan
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Posted by Pearl on April 28, 2012

http://pearlsworldofromance.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/requested-review-love-is-a-battlefield-by-tamara-morgan/

QuickScore-Review: MERRICK’S DESTINY by Moira Rogers


Merrick Wood is a wild man–literally. For six decades he’s stalked the Rocky Mountains as a bloodhound, fighting a losing battle against the vampires who have taken over most of the American frontier. He’s sure he’s seen it all, until an airship crash leaves him caught behind enemy lines with a concussion and a mate he doesn’t remember taking.

Paralee Colton is a wild woman. She enjoys her freedom and makes a good living flying over the Deadlands. Until, that is, bloodsuckers shoot down her ship, and she’s forced to deal with an irritatingly attractive man who isn’t a man at all.

Trapped together in the wilderness, Merrick and Paralee must fight to find a safe camp before the new moon drags Merrick into three days of sexual madness. But as enticing as Paralee finds the bloodhound, she doesn’t realize the stakes of their courtship game.

Getting out of the Deadlands is only half of Merrick’s battle for survival. If he can’t convince Paralee to stay with him, he’ll follow the footsteps of every bloodhound who’s ever lost a mate–straight into the grave.

Title: MERRICK’S DESTINY
Author: Moira Rogers
Series: Bloodhounds, book 1.5 (A short story set between Wilder’s Mate and Hunter’s Prey)
Genre: I’ll give it a shot: Historical Western Paranormal Steampunk Romance
Publisher: All Romance eBooks
Year of release: 2012, February 12
Format: eBook
Source: Received an e-ARC from author for review

First line: The first time Merrick Wood laid eyes on his mate, she was sitting on top of him, her hands sliding quickly over his chest.

Memorable Scenes:
– the scene in the cave the first night after their crash > the banter was awesome and that first kiss…wow!

QuickScore-Verdict:

A sassy airship pilot and a seasoned Bloodhound turn out to be mated and they are left to find their way to safety after their airship crashes in the middle of Vampire and Ghoul territory.

The start of this book was awesome. I was immediately thrown back in the fascinating world of the Bloodhounds. I don’t know why but I loved how Merrick called Paralee “sweet girl” all the time and I fell for Merrick more every time he’s say it.

MERRICK’S DESTINY is written in the same easy, humorous Moira Rogers writing style as the first story. Since it’s a very short story there is not much of the continuation of the plot or world building from the first book. But I can’t say I minded that so much as it left plenty of pages devoted to the romance.And we all know how much I love my romance.

I’m so glad Alisha Rai talked me into reading WILDER’S MATE, because otherwise I would’ve missed out on a great Moira Rogers’ series. This is a series with fiery, independent women, wild dirty-mouthed bloodhounds and enough heat to keep me warm on a cold wintry night.

Favorite Quotes:
“I don’t want you to be sorry,” she snapped. “I want you to have your wits about you. You’re a bloodhound, and we’re stuck in the Deadlands. I need you.”
Merrick gritted his teeth against the swell of feral satisfaction the words brought. His beastly half had the sense of an animal in heat, and no wit to appreciate nuance. Her I need you wasn’t sweet submission. It was ruthless practicality, and the plain truth.

“Shit.”
“What’s the…” She followed his gaze and snorted. “New moon, huh? All the more reason to make it back to civilization. There’s a lovely whorehouse in Denver, you know—wall-to-wall French women who’ll gladly stick their tongues places you didn’t even know you had. Or so I hear.”

She brushed her thumb over his lower lip and met his gaze, then bent and pressed her mouth to his.
He’d been less aroused at the bottom of a pile of naked women, and it wasn’t even a dirty kiss. It was slow and soft, his hissing cat melting into a warm armful of purring woman.
She wasn’t the only one purring. The damned beast inside him might as well have bared its belly in submission, all of its usual violence and impatience leashed in favor of enjoying the sweet, nervous taste of her.

“Bed.” He lowered her to the floor, but he didn’t ease his tight grip around her waist. “When I let go, go upstairs.” The words were a low rumble, and he ducked to catch her gaze with his wild eyes. “Don’t run. For the love of God, do not run or I will take you on the damn stairs.”

3 Comments
by Pearl on April 20, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in All Romance eBooks Publishing, Bloodhounds Series, eBooks, good reads, Historical Romance, Moira Rogers, Paranormal Romance, QuickScore-review, requested review, reviews, Steampunk Romance, Western Romance
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Posted by Pearl on April 20, 2012

http://pearlsworldofromance.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/quickscore-review-merricks-destiny-by-moira-rogers/

Requested Review: RULE OF THREE by Kelly Jamieson


If you follow the rules, you miss all the fun…

Kassidy is a good girl who wants to be bad. Dag is a bad boy who is very, very good. And Chris? He likes to watch…

When wicked-sexy Dag returns to Chicago to catch up with his old college buddy Chris and meet The Girlfriend, none of them are anticipating the unexpected turn of events that switches a loving twosome into a scorching hot threesome. As old feelings resurface, and new attractions are explored, a storm of sexual sparks is unleashed that leads them into forbidden areas.

Always the good girl, Kassidy blossoms under the attentions of two loving men, but neither she nor Chris are expecting the ménage to take a quarter turn toward Dag…and his feelings for Chris. When it’s revealed that Dag’s attraction to Chris is one big reason he left town, a tangled mess of old hurts and new feelings might destroy friendship. Love. Might destroy everything.

Product Warnings:
This book contains a couple already in love, a couple falling in love and a couple in love who didn’t know it; also multiple scorching sex scenes including girl with boy, girl with two boys, boy with boy and two boys with girl…whew!

Title: RULE OF THREE
Author: Kelly Jamieson
Series: Standalone
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2012, February 14
Format: eBook
Source: Received an e-ARC from the author for review

First line:
“In the shower?” Kassidy looped her arms around Chris’s neck and gave him a sexy look up through her eyelashes.

Memorable Scenes:
– Chris and Dag meeting again for the first time after 6 years and the introduction of Kassidy > my stomach tightened and chest hurt right alongside Dag’s and I was jealous of Kassidy
– the scene where Dag’s arrival for a night out, interrupts Chris and Kass at the verge of some serious sexy time on the couch> I loved the outcome where Chris and Kass continued in the bedroom with Dag only a few feet away, waiting for them.
– the nightclub scene > wow… Best scene of the book so far!!! Sizzling hot, thrilling, turning point in the book

Kassidy Langdon is the lucky heroine of RULLE OF THREE. She is intuitive, sensitive and a people person. Her heroes are her boyfriend Chris and his best friend Dag.

Chris is a golden boy who is sweet and kind but he also has a rebellious, ruthless and dirty streak. And he likes to take charge in the bedroom. This to me was a surprising side of him. He’s also stubborn and hides from talking about his feelings.

Dag is a rule-breaker. He is not one for a long-term commitment and he’s lonely despite his success because he can’t express his feelings to the one person he’s loved forever.

Chris and Dag are very different characters. Dag is the bad boy rebel against Chris’s rule-abiding golden boy. They have been friends since college. Best friends, until Dag moved away to the West coast for business 6 years ago. Actually Dag fled away because he was afraid of Chris’s reaction if he told him he was in love with him.

While writing this review I noticed I had very little review notes on Kassidy and a lot more on the men. This leads me to the conclusion that the author put more emphasis on the men, or was it that I was more focused on the men than on Kassidy?

I adore this style of ménage. Where the attraction between the couple and the third is not evident. And where the third has a secret crush on the hero. It builds up a tension arc that makes you anticipate every next page eagerly. It also predicts a bumpy ride. As I suspected nothing went smooth and easy towards a HEA and it turned out to be complicated and intense.

I love it when the author gives me a ménage that’s not cut-and-dry all happy-happy. When issues are raised, discussed and dealt with. The ménage in RULE OF THREE gave me exactly that. The m/m part of the story may not appeal to die-hard and seasoned m/m readers but for me it worked, even though I didn’t understand why Chris was the “catcher” in the crucial love scene instead of Dag, which would have made more sense to me.

The sex scenes were so hot they made my heart pound. A very big part of what I liked about them was the build up…this was done in a very sensual and sexy way. I also liked the alternating between full-out, detailed sex scenes and the behind the closed bedroom doors, fade-to -black scenes. It kept the balance between story and eroticism in place.

Kelly Jamieson’s writing style definitely appealed to me. It’s crisp and clean and gives the reader everything you need to know without info-dumps. It also gave me great showing, no telling! And something in her writing creates this anticipation, from the blurb of course I knew Dag wanted to be more to Chris than just a friend but it was also very palpable in the beginning of the story. Even without the blurb I would have guessed from the way Dag’s character was being portrayed.

One minor thing bothered me. There was a lot of chest tightening. The first few times they went unnoticed but after 4 times in just as many chapters I started to notice it to a point I needed to add it to my review notes.

She also did a great job with building up the tension and conveying the character’s feelings to the reader. There were parts I read with abated breath, waiting for the tension to break. Little, almost casually thrown in remarks gave me glimpses of interesting back-stories, back-stories I couldn’t wait to get the full 411 on! With every chapter more information about the characters is revealed, giving me a slow, intense characterization interlaced with the fluent, fast-paced story surrounding it.

Around 35% it felt like the tension broke a little and fizzled down… The sex scene started to overpower the emotional intensity and it felt like the emotional struggle Kassidy was having was brushed over. Also once they start having sex it’s like the premise of Dag’s intense feelings towards Chris (the heavy m/m vibe I got at the beginning of the book) is watered down and he seems completely focused on Cassidy. This didn’t stroke with the beginning.

However this only lasted for a few chapters. Around the halfway mark the intensity grew stronger again and the conflict thrown in also contributed to this. From this point on I was once again drawn in and the strong ending made up for a lot.

RULE OF THREE is a great story in the vast field of ménages out there. I can add Kelly Jameson to the select group of authors that writes m/m/f ménages that work for me. I have a few other Jamieson books on my TBR and I can’t wait to get to them.

Favorite Quotes:

“I’m betting you’re a chicken or fish kind of girl,” Dag said, watching her. “Or maybe salad.”
She reached for her glass of wine with a graceful motion of her hand and flashed him a look. A faintly hostile look. “Chicken or fish kind of girl?”
He tipped his head to one side. “Don’t tell me you want beef too?”
She gave him a slow smile that sent heat sliding right through him. “I believe I will have a steak tonight,” she said softly.
“Attagirl,” he replied, holding her gaze. Another flash of heat jolted him.
Huh. Something flowed between them, something warm and magnetic, something that felt a lot like…attraction.

Dag watched Chris’s long, tanned fingers caressing Kassidy’s hair, slowly rubbing a strand then dragging his fingers down the length of it. Something clenched inside him and he felt like he couldn’t take his eyes off the mesmerizing motion.

But spending time with Chris’s girlfriend without Chris shouldn’t be a problem. Really. Why would it?
Just that sexual tension underlying everything they said, every glance they shared, and never mind if he actually were to touch her. Then he wanted to, just to see if actual sparks would fly. Bad. Bad idea.

He’d heard everything, every goddamn moan and pant and thrust. They might have thought they were being quiet, but you couldn’t f#ck up against a door without making noise.

Complex emotions rose and fell in him, fragments of thoughts spun away even as he tried to marshal them together into coherency. But his balls were on fire, his dick so hard it hurt, and all those hormones pounding through him were destroying his ability to resist temptation.

Life was so strange. When you could be jealous of the things someone else had at the same time they were jealous of what you had. Why couldn’t everyone just be grateful for who they were and what they had without comparing it to others?

Leave a Comment
by Pearl on April 19, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in ARC-Review, Contemporary Romance, eBooks, Erotic Romance, great reads, Kelly Jamieson, requested review, reviews, Samhain Publishing, standalone
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Posted by Pearl on April 19, 2012

http://pearlsworldofromance.wordpress.com/2012/04/19/requested-review-rule-of-three-by-kelly-jamieson/

ARC-Review: CONSENT TO LOVE by Abby Wood

Twenty-four-year-old small-town girl Ana Reynold serves beer at the local bar, tries to keep her beater car running, and dreams of a better life as a painter.
If she can learn to make a decent steak, she might
get promoted to cook—and earn enough for her real heart’s desire. Right now, that doesn’t include romance.

But when she meets a tall, dark and sexy Native American man named Kane, Ana can’t take her eyes off him—or stop thinking about him. But she’d better. Everyone knows the proud Lakota who raises horses wants nothing to do with a townie barmaid who’ll bring shame to his people.

Except Kane can’t get Ana off his mind. He proposes a red-hot weekend in bed, a no-strings affair to end Monday morning. Yet once Kane brings the outsider onto Lakota land, everything changes…

Title: CONSENT TO LOVE
Author: Abby Wood
Series: Wild Pleasures Series, book 2
Genre: Contemporary Western Romance
Publisher: Carina Press
Year of release: 2012, April 2
Format: eBook
Source: Received an e-ARC for review from the author

First line: The warm shimmer of desire grew stronger the longer the man leaning against the truck stared her way—leaving Ana Reynold’s legs weak, her face heated and her insides tumbling.

Memorable Scenes:
– the blowjob scene after Ana and Kane make love the first time > OMG! *fans self*
– the braiding scene > scene that showed beautifully how in sync Ana and Kane were.

CONSENT TO LOVE tells the story of Ana Reynold and Howahkan (Kane). Having read the first book in the Wild Pleasures series I went into it expecting something different than I got. I expected another BDSM-tinted story but instead I got a straight erotic story that beautifully portrayed the development of a relationship between two people who brought different outlooks into it. And even though it wasn’t BDSM, the heat sparked of the pages!

While reading I fell in love with Kane within the first pages. His confident yet quiet demeanor, won me over in a split-second. One thing I didn’t completely get though was why he let a passed relationship influence the progress of his relationship with Ana so much. However, later on in the story there is an explanation that satisfied my curiosity and answered some of the questions I had.

I also loved Ana. She was in breath of fresh air throughout the entire book. She was the light to Kane’s dark and I really enjoyed the development she went through towards the end.

Whatever I missed in the build-up of the story (sometimes it felt like Ana and Kane skipped some steps in the development of their relationship) was more than made up for by the excellent eroticism of the love scenes. These scenes, though pretty vanilla, made this story stand out for me. I also enjoyed the look into life on a reservation and the Native American culture. It’s something I am not very familiar with it and I love it when authors let me discover new things through their stories.

CONSENT TO LOVE is a beautiful, intense and excellently written romance. It took me away on an emotional journey of fiery passion and strong feelings. It made me stop and think about stuff, it made me fan myself numerous times but most of all it reminded me why I love reading romance. I’m very happy I broke my reviewing hiatus and made time to read this book.

Favorite Quotes:
“Don’t worry, Ana. I’m a patient man with things that are important. When you’re comfortable with the idea, maybe you’ll shed your inhibitions and see what we could find together. So, when you work up the courage to finally kiss me, to satisfy your curiosity, I’ll let you.”

He was worthy of being the star of a nude painting of the perfect male body. She wanted to create the way he looked this minute. Unclothed, raw and powerful. He came in shades of brown. Tawny, sunset and burnt sienna.

She ran her hand along the seat rise to the cantle. “How did you know how to size it?”
He leaned over and kissed her. “I know your body better than my own. You have no idea how many hours I’ve lain beside you, running my hands over your ass and memorizing every curve so I could make this saddle perfect.”
She laughed. “Oh, is that what you were doing? I could have sworn you were warming me up for sex.”
He shrugged. “That too.”

3 Comments
by Pearl on April 5, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Abby Wood, ARC-Review, Carina Press, Contemporary Romance, eBooks, great reads, reviews, Western Romance, Wild Pleasures Series
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Posted by Pearl on April 5, 2012

http://pearlsworldofromance.wordpress.com/2012/04/05/arc-review-consent-to-love-by-abby-wood/

Review: HEART SIGNS by Cari Quinn

 The heart has a language all its own…

Rory Fowler has taken Sam Miller’s billboard orders for the last two years, but they aren’t to advertise they’re love notes to his wife. Sam’s most recent billboard about his wife’s passing hits Rory hard. When she calls Sam to offer condolences, it sets off an unexpected chain of events that ends with Rory in Sam’s apartment-and his arms.

Reading Sam’s love letters tugs Rory into the romance between him and his estranged, now-deceased, wife. Their lives soon intertwine so completely that Rory wonder how she’ll ever forget the man who makes poetry out of emotions she’s fought to dismiss. And plays her body even more skillfully that he writes love notes.

Consumed by guilt and grief, Sam is shocked by the feelings Rory arouses in him, sexually and otherwise. Now he’s not thinking about yesterday as much as he’s looking forward to tomorrow. He’s just not sure if he’s capable of moving on…or if the woman who helped him find the will to really live again will be by his side.

Title: HEART SIGNS
Author: Cari Quinn
Series: stand alone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Year of release: 2012, February 3
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via Jasmine Jade eBook-Store

First line:
Rory Fowler stared at the billboard outside the highway entrance, her foot hovering over the gas.

Memorable Scenes:
– the introduction of Sam > I fell for him from the moment he set foot on the page!
– the letters/notes… > all of them were beautiful and heartbreaking but the first one to Rory and the last one in the epilogue were the ones to make me tear up
– the phone sex scene > there are not enough of these scenes in the erotic romances I read!

Rory Fowler is compassionate and witty. She is not a girly girl but more a one of the guys woman. She’s outspoken, unapologetic and direct. I loved Rory as much as I did Sam and Sam was something else!

Sam Miller was fascinating and intriguing even before he set foot on the page. Just from the blurb I was anxious to read his story and get to the bottom of his billboards to his late wife and the self-deprecating view he has of himself. He is morose and guilt-ridden. And it should be known that bald heroes fascinate me even without saying. When I discovered the cover of this book and discovered Sam was bald I knew I had to have this book. (of course it would have gotten it anyway because hey, it’s a Cari Quinn book).

What I loved about Sam and Rory, and actually about all of Cari Quinn’s main characters, is that they aren’t perfect. They have flaws and own up to them. It makes them real and likeable and easy to relate to.

This story grabbed me and intrigued me from the very start. Just like Rory I was curious about Sam’s motive for the billboards and about what happened with and to Dani, Sam’s deceased wife. Within the pages of this book all was disclosed in a great way. It was gradual and with much showing and little telling.

I loved everything about this book but I absolutely adored the notes at the start of every chapter. The notes tell the story without giving it all away too soon. Awesome! Lust at first sight and instant chemistry gradually transforms/evolves into so much more, into a deep, profound love, into two kindred spirits, two soul-mates finding each other.

HEART SIGNS is a fascinating, compelling and heartwarming love story filled with raw emotion and sensual heat. After INSATIABLE, this book has earned Cari Quinn her third perfect 10 from me. The combination of heat and emotion does me in every single time and Cari delivered on both in HEART SIGNS!

Favorite Quotes:
“Rory?”
“Yes, sorry. I’m still here.” Would he please stop saying her name? She’d do just fine if he didn’t. “Lunch sounds lovely. Where would you like to go?”

Rory. What a weird name for a girl. He still couldn’t fully believe she was a girl, after thinking she possessed XY chromosomes, not XX, all this time. Their email exchanges had never been anything other than friendly and businesslike. But hearing that husky voice pour over his phone line this morning had given him one heck of a jolt. It wasn’t just that she was female. He’d hooked in to that voice and to the woman behind it.
Did lust at first talk exist? Probably not. More fodder for the weird file.

The last thing he cared about at the moment was damages or insurance. For the first time in forever, his skin was on fire, and it wasn’t from the beaming September sun. This was all her. This nameless woman who’d sparked something inside him and set it ablaze without even knowing his goddamn name.

For her sex had always been about a borrowed connection. Wires patched together to make a unit long enough to transmit a message. That shared goal, those stolen moments when nothing else mattered but pleasure. When they ended, so did the link. The electricity faded.

[...]“No fantasy I could make up touches the sound of your classy, deep voice caressing dirty words.” (Rory to Sam)

He’d used the wrong word. Longing didn’t come close. This was why seeing each other in person was so dangerous. One look, one gulp of her with his starved eyes, and she filled so many of the hollows he’d carried for so many months. If he let her, she’d fill the rest. He could be that greedy. Just take, take, take. Why should he have to give when he’d waited so long?

This thing with Rory had grown from the embers of his relationship with Dani and maybe that was why it was doomed to fail. She thought he was some sad, poetic guy with a kitten. Truth was he was a cracked shell around a lot of unglued parts she’d somehow started to help him put back together again.

He wasn’t ready for anything with her. That was a simple, brutal truth she couldn’t ignore any longer. Even if he seemed awful damn ready when he called her every night and panted in her ear, even if he’d tasted ready as hell that afternoon. Sex and shared laughter and long conversations about everything under the sun couldn’t patch up the wounds that only time could stitch back together. She wasn’t a miracle worker. She was just a woman, a little broken and a lot stupid.

He looked at her and then down at the edges of the blanket he’d clutched in his fists. “It’s been a while and God, you’re so sexy I can’t even breathe.” His voice shook to match the rest of him. “If I fuck this up, I’ll get it right, Ror. I promise. Just bear with me, okay?”
“You won’t fuck it up.” Her utter certainty in the face of his fear calmed his jangled nerves. “We’re going to make the most wonderful, incredible, sticky, dirty love that’s ever been made. Got that? Now get up here, Sam Miller, and prove me right.”

3 Comments
by Pearl on February 6, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Cari Quinn, Contemporary Romance, eBooks, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Erotic Romance, favorite books, perfect reads, reviews
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Posted by Pearl on February 6, 2012

http://pearlsworldofromance.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/review-heart-signs-by-cari-quinn/

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