Marina Anderson has done it again and again...
My thanks once again to my friends at NetGalley for the chance to read and review such wonderful works as these!
4 STARS to
CARESS (Part 6)
The plot continues to roil and boil in part 6 of the DINING CLUB SERIES. With the members of the club circling Grace is beginning to feel the pressure. The feelings of insecurity and doubt are growing within Grace and she has no one to share them with. In this entry of the series we really begin to see and feel the turmoil within Grace. Within this highly erotic and vividly sensual series it has been quite easy to lose touch with the individuals, as the series grows to its close we are in touch with them.
The gift of touch seems harmless enough, but anything and everything can be too good of a thing. It's a lesson well learned at the Dining Club, a lesson deliciously served and enjoyed. In CARESS, the next trial in Grace's future is looming and not everyone is excited by the prospect of her passing another level. But, what's the expression...a wolf in sheep's clothing? The wolf in question is none other than Andrew. I have to admit that I've had mixed feelings about the "staff" of the Dining Club, but this entry really grated my nerves.
Things are not all what they seem and everyone is not the happy, sexy family they have portrayed up to this point. I love the drama and conflict, but I really dislike certain hostesses at this club! These people are all too sexed up if you ask me. You would think that being that satisfied would make them happier. This is a turning point in Grace's journey and she clearly chooses her path regardless of the consequences. It is a delicious read and I'm anxious for the next "meal"!
SUBMIT (Part 7)
The plot thickens and so does the sexual and emotional tension. Can she really do it? Can Grace really pull off passing all of the trials at the Dining Club? More importantly...will she be allowed to pass them? In this latest entry into the series we clearly see that Grace's success is not in every one's best interest. What's worse is that we are left unsure of David's feelings on the matter.
What would you do if you risked everything to prove your love for someone and they are ambivalent to it? how many hoops..."trials" must you pass before you are worthy? The deeply erotic tale of Grace's sexual awakening has taken a deeply emotional tale. SUBMIT is the deepest and darkest of the series. It looks at the darker side of David's sexual appetite. I felt the terror and uncertainty in Grace's trial, but more importantly I felt her questions.
Grace is questioning herself and her choice. David is no help at all and I have to be honest, I am not at all happy with him! His childish feelings, his inability to have an adult relationship without his ridiculous terms is so frustrating! I have felt and enjoyed the hot, sensual encounters that have occurred within this story. I have drooled over the idea of a tall, dark, rich and handsome man wanting to teach me all sorts of new things, but this...this is just insane.
In between being all hot and bothered with the scenes painted in this story, I have been very uneasy with the status or lack there of David and Grace's relationship. Grace is blooming with every encounter and is willing to do what is necessary to cement her place in his life, while he just...well he just doesn't seem to be as certain. He has his reasons, but they are not in my opinion worthwhile.
Her final trial is here and with little support or compassion from David, Grace faces it as usual head-on. It's her quiet strength and courage that really are the back bone of this tale. The final trial is quite a doozy and quite apparent why most don't pass it. What happens next is the best part. What does the future hold for them if she passes? What if she fails? You'll have to read it and see!
SURRENDER (Part 8)
She passes!!! Holy cow, Grace uses every ounce of courage and will to pass David's final trial. Is the glory of the win all it was supposed to be? Can passing all of the tests placed before her bring her what she wants most in life? Can David really love her? Can he really allow her into his life completely? We don't get all the answers we've been waiting for.
It has been very frustrating to be left unfulfilled. Yes she passed, yes she has done all he's asked, but has she really won anything? After all that she's done, all that she's exposed of herself what is it that she really has won? Grace's journey of self discovery has been addictive to me as a reader. She has power now and the understanding that goes with it. But is David the man who deserves it? I'm still on the fence. For such a dominant man, he has been very unsure in the handing of her.
This is supremely clear when she learns of Table 5. Table 5...Amber's table and the final, ultimate level at the Dining Club. Does Grace really want to be in charge? Will running the Dining Club really make David love her completely? It's so insane, it's so desperate, I just couldn't put the damn book down. Table 5's trial is to be undertaken by both women. This leads to a one on one battle between Grace and Amber. It's the perfect culmination between the two advisories.
Dark, delicious and highly erotic. That's all I can say about the final trial. It puts both women at the mercy of all the high ranking male members of the Dining Club. It's a test and only one of these women are truly suited to be the victor. It was the best trial of the series. I trembled with excitement from beginning to end. A winner is chosen, but I don't think that that's the final word on this group. Ms. Anderson left us all with an opening into another chapter into this series that I sincerely hope she takes. I have enjoyed all the naughty fun and frustrating moments found in this series and hope to see move into the life between Grace and David outside the club.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Monday, October 21, 2013
TRACY WOLFF...WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?
THANK YOU OH GODS OF NETGALLY!!! Seriously, ever since I was introduced to the fabulous process, I have been a very, very happy reader. It has opened me up to new phenomenal writers that I may have otherwise never have come to meet. Such as...Ms. Tracy Wolff!! I don't know ya, but I love ya! The best weekend reading I've done all month!!! I enjoyed two new reads and am still riding the adrenaline high.
5 Flashbulbs to:
FULL EXPOSURE
WooHoo, Mon Dieu!! This is a story full of the sexy, sensual haze of the bayou. Set in the oppressive and secluded Louisiana swamp, Serena and Kevin find the heat between them steams up hotter than the southern summer ever could. They find in each other what they always wanted and were terrified to even imagine. Each page brings them closer together, each new day brings them closer to combustion, each moment pulls them closer entwining them together.
Kevin is a famous sculptor whose reputation has every one at a safe distance, keeping to himself and never allowing anyone too close. The last woman that did burned him and the taste has lingered making him leery to open up and trust. Serena has been building up fame of her own, her photographs speak for themselves and it's her talent that brings her to Kevin's doorstep. Hired for a new photo essay book highlighting the sculptor, the sparks between the two begin to smolder from the start.
She's just supposed to be snapping pictures, he's just supposed to ignore her and work around her. But how do you ignore the chemistry and desire that has settled deep within them both. Serena has quite a past of her own; she has survived the unthinkable but it ha cost her. She has built up a steel skin in order to survive in everyday life. So who better than a sculptor to help bend, cut and shape that skin and let some one else in.
Lust and Love in the bayou. In FULL EXPOSURE Tracy Wolff gives you all the heat you could desire. Kevin's intensity in claiming Serena's body is palpable and more than once I had to put down the e-reader for a gulp of air. You feel it, his intensity and his love for her. It's tangible and confident even though she refuses, reputes it day after day. His desperation for her borders on madness for him and breaks your heart a little.
Beyond all the erotically delicious scenes that fill this book is the true gift...suspense! Yes, Ms. Wolff stirs up your senses with hands, lips and soul-retching encounters only to stop your heart cold with a stalker! Each and every word from his POV is just numbing, simply terrifying. Each escalation ratchets up the fear and anxiety. It was simply the best of both worlds.
5 TEQUILA SHOTS to:
TIE ME DOWN
OH MY...I MEAN...WHAT THE...??? Yes, that's all I have to say about this erotic, sinful and delicious novel. I was absolutely speechless and stunned with this one. I admit that after reading the above book from the same author I was ready (or so I thought) for some more of her magic, but OH NO!!!! NO WAY, was I ready for what Ms. Wolff threw at me in this one. So as my heart begins to once again race as I remember, I beg you to hold on.
New Orleans; sultry, sinful and ripe with those who want to be bad. It's the setting for this wicked story and is as much of a character as any written. Anyone who has ever visited the city can attest to that, it's a place alive with the desire and life of those that inhabit it. I am beyond thrilled that she did one of my favorite cities such justice.
It's a southern city and even though these are modern times ole habits die hard, so Detective Genevieve Delacroix has a bitch of a time being the only homicide detective in town. I adored her, tough as nails and still feminine and fragile at heart, she deals with the worst of the worst that the Big Easy has to offer and still carries herself with confidence. Genevieve has busted her ass to be one of the best that NOPD has to offer, and she's going to need every ounce of her skill and confidence to overcome her latest case.
Professional filmmaker; Cole Adams is in New Orleans for work and for an end to his own personal hell. An end that involves the detective, only she doesn't know it. All the careful planning, all the work that the controlling and closed off man ha done is blown to hell the moment the two meet. Genevieve brings Cole to his knees with a want he never could have dreamed would exist for him. It's too dangerous to want her, to be with her, but it's even worse to try and stop the storm that's brewing.
Breathless; that's what I was. Cole's dominant nature comes through loud and clear and had me whimpering with submission along with Genevieve. He is hot, overpowering and completely focused on his prey. He left me trembling with desire, weakened and panting for more. Cole Adams is the ultimate alpha whit just enough broken boy to make you swoon. Tracy Wolff has the ultimate gift in describing naughty, angry and obsessive encounters.
Torn between her need and desire to have Cole master her body and remaining in control herself, Genevieve is in a constant battle. She can't cave to this man, she can't give in now. Not when the case of her life has come full circle and the madman has drawn a bulls eye right on her. How well does she really know Cole, how much does she really know about anyone really? As the killer's noose tightens around her the fear she carries threatens to push Cole away and tear apart something that she isn't quite ready to acknowledge. Can two dominant people learn to bend to each other?
Yes, this story is filled with suspense and danger (some gore too), but it's the combination of that danger and the explosive passion between the two leads that snared me. I literally read from start to finish in one night. I COULD NOT PUT THE DAMN BOOK DOWN! Each new clue drew me in farther to the investigation, while each new encounter between the two had sweat building on my brow and tension building elsewhere. Large hands, bruised wrists, love bites and deliciously sore muscles all swirled and bubbled together to form a direct punch to the heart.
Yep, the heart. Yes this is a super naughty, dark story but it's also full of heart. I felt Cole's pain and anguish. Genevieve's fear, trepidation and sorrow was a knot in my stomach. The battle these two waged between themselves and the world was frustrating and infuriating at times, but the end was so worth it. I don't do spoilers, but I will say that I was so not ready for who the killer was! I was however ready for the HEA. This was a couple that I really pulled for, that I wanted to have peace and to find love.
I am sorry that I have been unable to quote from either story, but the proofs I received were not finalized and so I was given a big fat NO! I wish I could tempt and tease you with the sultry, sexy words I read. I wish I could give you a glimpse of the deep fear that I experienced. BUT, since I can't you'll just have to run out and grab FULL EXPOSURE & TIE ME DOWN by TRACY WOLFF for yourselves. I promise that it will be so worth it. Just remember to make sure you've cleared your schedule, because once you start you won't want to stop until every last ounce of pleasure has been squeezed from you!
5 Flashbulbs to:
FULL EXPOSURE
WooHoo, Mon Dieu!! This is a story full of the sexy, sensual haze of the bayou. Set in the oppressive and secluded Louisiana swamp, Serena and Kevin find the heat between them steams up hotter than the southern summer ever could. They find in each other what they always wanted and were terrified to even imagine. Each page brings them closer together, each new day brings them closer to combustion, each moment pulls them closer entwining them together.
Kevin is a famous sculptor whose reputation has every one at a safe distance, keeping to himself and never allowing anyone too close. The last woman that did burned him and the taste has lingered making him leery to open up and trust. Serena has been building up fame of her own, her photographs speak for themselves and it's her talent that brings her to Kevin's doorstep. Hired for a new photo essay book highlighting the sculptor, the sparks between the two begin to smolder from the start.
She's just supposed to be snapping pictures, he's just supposed to ignore her and work around her. But how do you ignore the chemistry and desire that has settled deep within them both. Serena has quite a past of her own; she has survived the unthinkable but it ha cost her. She has built up a steel skin in order to survive in everyday life. So who better than a sculptor to help bend, cut and shape that skin and let some one else in.
Lust and Love in the bayou. In FULL EXPOSURE Tracy Wolff gives you all the heat you could desire. Kevin's intensity in claiming Serena's body is palpable and more than once I had to put down the e-reader for a gulp of air. You feel it, his intensity and his love for her. It's tangible and confident even though she refuses, reputes it day after day. His desperation for her borders on madness for him and breaks your heart a little.
Beyond all the erotically delicious scenes that fill this book is the true gift...suspense! Yes, Ms. Wolff stirs up your senses with hands, lips and soul-retching encounters only to stop your heart cold with a stalker! Each and every word from his POV is just numbing, simply terrifying. Each escalation ratchets up the fear and anxiety. It was simply the best of both worlds.
5 TEQUILA SHOTS to:
TIE ME DOWN
OH MY...I MEAN...WHAT THE...??? Yes, that's all I have to say about this erotic, sinful and delicious novel. I was absolutely speechless and stunned with this one. I admit that after reading the above book from the same author I was ready (or so I thought) for some more of her magic, but OH NO!!!! NO WAY, was I ready for what Ms. Wolff threw at me in this one. So as my heart begins to once again race as I remember, I beg you to hold on.
New Orleans; sultry, sinful and ripe with those who want to be bad. It's the setting for this wicked story and is as much of a character as any written. Anyone who has ever visited the city can attest to that, it's a place alive with the desire and life of those that inhabit it. I am beyond thrilled that she did one of my favorite cities such justice.
It's a southern city and even though these are modern times ole habits die hard, so Detective Genevieve Delacroix has a bitch of a time being the only homicide detective in town. I adored her, tough as nails and still feminine and fragile at heart, she deals with the worst of the worst that the Big Easy has to offer and still carries herself with confidence. Genevieve has busted her ass to be one of the best that NOPD has to offer, and she's going to need every ounce of her skill and confidence to overcome her latest case.
Professional filmmaker; Cole Adams is in New Orleans for work and for an end to his own personal hell. An end that involves the detective, only she doesn't know it. All the careful planning, all the work that the controlling and closed off man ha done is blown to hell the moment the two meet. Genevieve brings Cole to his knees with a want he never could have dreamed would exist for him. It's too dangerous to want her, to be with her, but it's even worse to try and stop the storm that's brewing.
Breathless; that's what I was. Cole's dominant nature comes through loud and clear and had me whimpering with submission along with Genevieve. He is hot, overpowering and completely focused on his prey. He left me trembling with desire, weakened and panting for more. Cole Adams is the ultimate alpha whit just enough broken boy to make you swoon. Tracy Wolff has the ultimate gift in describing naughty, angry and obsessive encounters.
Torn between her need and desire to have Cole master her body and remaining in control herself, Genevieve is in a constant battle. She can't cave to this man, she can't give in now. Not when the case of her life has come full circle and the madman has drawn a bulls eye right on her. How well does she really know Cole, how much does she really know about anyone really? As the killer's noose tightens around her the fear she carries threatens to push Cole away and tear apart something that she isn't quite ready to acknowledge. Can two dominant people learn to bend to each other?
Yes, this story is filled with suspense and danger (some gore too), but it's the combination of that danger and the explosive passion between the two leads that snared me. I literally read from start to finish in one night. I COULD NOT PUT THE DAMN BOOK DOWN! Each new clue drew me in farther to the investigation, while each new encounter between the two had sweat building on my brow and tension building elsewhere. Large hands, bruised wrists, love bites and deliciously sore muscles all swirled and bubbled together to form a direct punch to the heart.
Yep, the heart. Yes this is a super naughty, dark story but it's also full of heart. I felt Cole's pain and anguish. Genevieve's fear, trepidation and sorrow was a knot in my stomach. The battle these two waged between themselves and the world was frustrating and infuriating at times, but the end was so worth it. I don't do spoilers, but I will say that I was so not ready for who the killer was! I was however ready for the HEA. This was a couple that I really pulled for, that I wanted to have peace and to find love.
I am sorry that I have been unable to quote from either story, but the proofs I received were not finalized and so I was given a big fat NO! I wish I could tempt and tease you with the sultry, sexy words I read. I wish I could give you a glimpse of the deep fear that I experienced. BUT, since I can't you'll just have to run out and grab FULL EXPOSURE & TIE ME DOWN by TRACY WOLFF for yourselves. I promise that it will be so worth it. Just remember to make sure you've cleared your schedule, because once you start you won't want to stop until every last ounce of pleasure has been squeezed from you!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
WINTER'S COMING!
WINTER IS COMING SO WARM IT UP WITH...
5 LOGS ON THE FIRE for:
HEATING UP the HOLIDAYS
Featuring: Lisa Renee Jones
Mary Ann Rivers
Serena Bell
PLAY WITH ME
Lisa Renee Jones
Okay, so I'll admit to it up front...I'm a HUGE Lisa fan! And I mean HUGE!! So imagine my delight in her sexy, naughty addition to this fabulous anthology. I will try not to be biased but I have to be honest, even before the first word was read I was squealing with glee.
Kali Miller takes a chance at finding herself and some much deserved happiness and takes a job in the land of sin...Las Vegas, only when she arrives said job disappears like a coin in a slot machine. She has left everything behind and needs a job, needs to feel empowered and in charge of her life again. This drive pushes her into Damion Ward's world. A world that she's been immersed in before, so it leaves her leery at first.
"I'm bruised, not broken..."
High stakes, overload of power and a man that asks no questions, only demands that everyone fall in line has Kali questioning every moment they spend together. As she tries to examine Damion's actions and the ever present, ever undeniable lust that flows between them she also is trying her best to keep her head above water and do the job to the best of her ability.
"...the scent of him seems to chase me. It's spicy and wintery, stirring the oddest memory of a candle my mom used to burn during the holidays..."
These two are combustible! The heat and lust is a living breathing character within the story. Lisa's incredible talent to make you feel every nuance and desire makes this a decadent holiday treat. Kali is not a broken woman and she stands up to Damion at every turn forcing him to take down the walls he's built up in his life. The only problem with that is that this spunky reporter is pulled in much deeper, much faster than she could imagine. She definitely bites off more than she thinks she can chew. Damion pushes and Kali pushes right back, each what the other never knew they needed most in life.
"I would have liked that but the staff gave me the impression they thought I was the newest chick chasing the millionaire CEO."
I loved this story! Loved that Lisa gives us a woman who needs a man to support her and not make her. I love that this wonderful, sexy and intelligent man is a broken boy at heart. What I did not love was the ending...or lack of it! Yes I'm a greedy girl and I want more! I want to know what happens next, I want to know that the secrets they share do not break them. Mostly I want to see their Christmas! Thank You Lisa and NetGalley, once again it is FABULOUS!
SNOWFALL
Mary Ann Rivers
OMG!! Why have I never heard of this woman before? Where has she been hiding and how can I make her my new BF? I am speechless...completely and utterly speechless. Yes, that is how good this short story is! I am a mom of an only...and I felt the love flow with each word. I read this over a week ago and am still surrounded by the love and fear that I felt within these pages.
"We share the same philosophy, which is that whatever it is you're doing, you do for love. Your work, the friendships you extend, the person you fall for and hope is the one-start with love."
Yes, I know...and that little gem is only page 5! It is a beautifully written heart-filled story of love and hope. Jenny; super smart, undeniably beautiful (even if she's clueless about it...especially since she's clueless) and in the fight of her life. Hundreds of miles from home, from her anchor and alone in dealing with a life changing ordeal. Or so she thinks, having moved far from home to research at the lab of her dreams Jenny hasn't let anyone in. Her fear takes control of her life and makes everything else even worse.
"My mom is connected like that, she wants to understand why people do what they do and love what they love."
She shuts out the world as hers narrows even further and finds a connection of sorts on-line. It starts out innocently and builds into something steamy and yet empty. Still she shuts everyone out. I hate spoilers and with this story especially, I refuse to deny anyone the joy of reading this masterpiece. So, it's fair to say that a relationship that only exists within the blinking cursor of a cold laptop I no relationship at all.
Fear not, because even when you shut yourself out there are still people waiting for you to notice them and when you do it makes life worth living again. Evan does that, he pushes and challenges Jenny to be what he sees in her. He is loveable and awkward and just wonderful. My God he loves her mind! Like is totally hot for her brilliance. I love him. Evan's confidence and lack there of on occasion was sweet and real. Don't get me wrong I love an Alpha, but its also nice to have a guy who's just head over heels stupid with love.
"I feel like it was like, this aperture. Like you couldn't, at first, handle too much light, you'd be exposed, Lincoln was a way to let in just enough, and then maybe, I hope maybe, you can take in more light, and be Jenny, with me, who was always Evan. It was always me. And my amazement is so connected to all of it, to all these tiny moving parts that added up."
This is an intelligent, heart-filled story about life. About the things and people that anchor you when the world is dark. Ms. Rivers brings to point that its the people and moments that fill up and illuminate your world. So I'm going to hang my lights (tons of them) way up high for all to see. Because I'm here and I'm okay and I love my life. Thank you Mary Ann for the best early holiday gift I've ever had!
AFTER MIDNIGHT
Serena Bell
It's New Year's Eve and you'd rather be anywhere but here. We've all been there, running away from problems only to be confronted with how much worse it could be. Miles' life is falling apart; his job and reputation are in danger and his heart still aches from the stomping it was given. Nora is trying to prove a point; to herself to the world...who cares, all that matters is that he did not break her. So together they are trying to hide their pain and melt into the crowd unscathed until midnight. But what do you do when the attraction is undeniable and inescapable.
"They probably put some crazy pheromones in that stuff, grizzly-bear sex-gland extract or something."
This is a hilarious read. Between the serious, hurt Miles and the impulsive, beavis and butthead musings of Nora I laughed my way through a wonderful love story. These two are the example of animal magnetism, but never take it too seriously. It so worked for them, neither wants to be too heavy even if they both want nothing more than to lay themselves bare for the other. It was heartbreaking to move from his to her point of view.
"It's possible midnight will never come...It's possible we'll be stuck here like this forever..."
All that's left unsaid and unexpressed. I yelled and shook my e-reader in frustration. Always the sign of a good read in my opinion. Nora is life in Technicolor and Miles needs that in his life, badly. I read on with frustration and desperation. Why wouldn't he answer his phone? Why didn't she just tell the truth? Why the hell would anyone screw either of them? But, and I don't like spoilers...I loved it. Every frustratingly steamy funny word! I'm looking forward to some more fun, unavoidable love from a wonderful author. Serena, thank you so much for a New Year's Eve worth staying up for!
5 LOGS ON THE FIRE for:
HEATING UP the HOLIDAYS
Featuring: Lisa Renee Jones
Mary Ann Rivers
Serena Bell
PLAY WITH ME
Lisa Renee Jones
Okay, so I'll admit to it up front...I'm a HUGE Lisa fan! And I mean HUGE!! So imagine my delight in her sexy, naughty addition to this fabulous anthology. I will try not to be biased but I have to be honest, even before the first word was read I was squealing with glee.
Kali Miller takes a chance at finding herself and some much deserved happiness and takes a job in the land of sin...Las Vegas, only when she arrives said job disappears like a coin in a slot machine. She has left everything behind and needs a job, needs to feel empowered and in charge of her life again. This drive pushes her into Damion Ward's world. A world that she's been immersed in before, so it leaves her leery at first.
"I'm bruised, not broken..."
High stakes, overload of power and a man that asks no questions, only demands that everyone fall in line has Kali questioning every moment they spend together. As she tries to examine Damion's actions and the ever present, ever undeniable lust that flows between them she also is trying her best to keep her head above water and do the job to the best of her ability.
"...the scent of him seems to chase me. It's spicy and wintery, stirring the oddest memory of a candle my mom used to burn during the holidays..."
These two are combustible! The heat and lust is a living breathing character within the story. Lisa's incredible talent to make you feel every nuance and desire makes this a decadent holiday treat. Kali is not a broken woman and she stands up to Damion at every turn forcing him to take down the walls he's built up in his life. The only problem with that is that this spunky reporter is pulled in much deeper, much faster than she could imagine. She definitely bites off more than she thinks she can chew. Damion pushes and Kali pushes right back, each what the other never knew they needed most in life.
"I would have liked that but the staff gave me the impression they thought I was the newest chick chasing the millionaire CEO."
I loved this story! Loved that Lisa gives us a woman who needs a man to support her and not make her. I love that this wonderful, sexy and intelligent man is a broken boy at heart. What I did not love was the ending...or lack of it! Yes I'm a greedy girl and I want more! I want to know what happens next, I want to know that the secrets they share do not break them. Mostly I want to see their Christmas! Thank You Lisa and NetGalley, once again it is FABULOUS!
SNOWFALL
Mary Ann Rivers
OMG!! Why have I never heard of this woman before? Where has she been hiding and how can I make her my new BF? I am speechless...completely and utterly speechless. Yes, that is how good this short story is! I am a mom of an only...and I felt the love flow with each word. I read this over a week ago and am still surrounded by the love and fear that I felt within these pages.
"We share the same philosophy, which is that whatever it is you're doing, you do for love. Your work, the friendships you extend, the person you fall for and hope is the one-start with love."
Yes, I know...and that little gem is only page 5! It is a beautifully written heart-filled story of love and hope. Jenny; super smart, undeniably beautiful (even if she's clueless about it...especially since she's clueless) and in the fight of her life. Hundreds of miles from home, from her anchor and alone in dealing with a life changing ordeal. Or so she thinks, having moved far from home to research at the lab of her dreams Jenny hasn't let anyone in. Her fear takes control of her life and makes everything else even worse.
"My mom is connected like that, she wants to understand why people do what they do and love what they love."
She shuts out the world as hers narrows even further and finds a connection of sorts on-line. It starts out innocently and builds into something steamy and yet empty. Still she shuts everyone out. I hate spoilers and with this story especially, I refuse to deny anyone the joy of reading this masterpiece. So, it's fair to say that a relationship that only exists within the blinking cursor of a cold laptop I no relationship at all.
Fear not, because even when you shut yourself out there are still people waiting for you to notice them and when you do it makes life worth living again. Evan does that, he pushes and challenges Jenny to be what he sees in her. He is loveable and awkward and just wonderful. My God he loves her mind! Like is totally hot for her brilliance. I love him. Evan's confidence and lack there of on occasion was sweet and real. Don't get me wrong I love an Alpha, but its also nice to have a guy who's just head over heels stupid with love.
"I feel like it was like, this aperture. Like you couldn't, at first, handle too much light, you'd be exposed, Lincoln was a way to let in just enough, and then maybe, I hope maybe, you can take in more light, and be Jenny, with me, who was always Evan. It was always me. And my amazement is so connected to all of it, to all these tiny moving parts that added up."
This is an intelligent, heart-filled story about life. About the things and people that anchor you when the world is dark. Ms. Rivers brings to point that its the people and moments that fill up and illuminate your world. So I'm going to hang my lights (tons of them) way up high for all to see. Because I'm here and I'm okay and I love my life. Thank you Mary Ann for the best early holiday gift I've ever had!
AFTER MIDNIGHT
Serena Bell
It's New Year's Eve and you'd rather be anywhere but here. We've all been there, running away from problems only to be confronted with how much worse it could be. Miles' life is falling apart; his job and reputation are in danger and his heart still aches from the stomping it was given. Nora is trying to prove a point; to herself to the world...who cares, all that matters is that he did not break her. So together they are trying to hide their pain and melt into the crowd unscathed until midnight. But what do you do when the attraction is undeniable and inescapable.
"They probably put some crazy pheromones in that stuff, grizzly-bear sex-gland extract or something."
This is a hilarious read. Between the serious, hurt Miles and the impulsive, beavis and butthead musings of Nora I laughed my way through a wonderful love story. These two are the example of animal magnetism, but never take it too seriously. It so worked for them, neither wants to be too heavy even if they both want nothing more than to lay themselves bare for the other. It was heartbreaking to move from his to her point of view.
"It's possible midnight will never come...It's possible we'll be stuck here like this forever..."
All that's left unsaid and unexpressed. I yelled and shook my e-reader in frustration. Always the sign of a good read in my opinion. Nora is life in Technicolor and Miles needs that in his life, badly. I read on with frustration and desperation. Why wouldn't he answer his phone? Why didn't she just tell the truth? Why the hell would anyone screw either of them? But, and I don't like spoilers...I loved it. Every frustratingly steamy funny word! I'm looking forward to some more fun, unavoidable love from a wonderful author. Serena, thank you so much for a New Year's Eve worth staying up for!
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
MISSING YOU
The sun's about to set and I miss you. I miss you now just as much as I did that first night in the spring. Missing you is my job now, my goal everyday. It's a solid that's formed inside me, pushing out everything else that's good. Filling every moment of my day and punching thru me at night. Missing you is a full time job that I never applied for. It's the only thing that I pray to be failure at.
In the dark of night I miss the reverberation of your snores against my chest where I held to your back tightly. In the cold I miss the heat that emanated from your furnace of a body. The way that we had choreographed a dance long ago that required no words at all. I miss your overeager cheer that morning always brought. I miss the echo of your voice as it teased and taunted. My laughter is hollow and I search and fight for the happiness I once had. I miss the confidence of knowing that you are here, the comfort of someone having my back. I miss never walking alone; even when I was. The sure fact that you were there even when I couldn't see you. I hate the questions that have invaded my life; questions of confidence and self-doubt.
I miss that my accomplishments have no one to cheer them on and my failures have no one to cry with. The days are empty and lonely. My phone doesn't ring and my finger lingers...wanting even needing to text you. Hoping and praying that if I did you would answer. That for just a minute or two it could be like before. That maybe I could remember what it was like when you loved me. So I miss you...always. With every breath I take it becomes bigger and threatens to swallow me whole. I tread the waters of loneliness and hope for strength to hold on, but it's always there...I miss you, I miss us.
I don't know when or how my whole life became woven with yours. When you became my center, my home. They say ignorance is bliss. I say it's bullshit. I've lived in ignorance for what feels like a lifetime but I never saw it, never realized that that's what it all was. I missed it, I lost it, like sand falling through my fingers I lost us...I lost my happy. I lived in a dream and now I spend my nights trying to get a grasp on it again. Trying to pinpoint the moment when I lost it...lost you. But I can't, I can't get a hold on it. So I miss you some more.
The worst is missing your giant embrace. The only place that I ever felt safe in. It's gone and I'm afraid...all the time. It's not fair that you should have taken all that power with you, that you should have so much control. So I'm angry but I still miss you. I cry and sob and I still miss you. My heart is broken and I still miss you. I'm angry that I miss you, I'm angry that I love you still and I'm angry that you don't care. I wish you cared, I wish you missed me, I wish you'd come back.
So I miss you with every breath, every minute...I miss us. I miss the person I was with you and pray that I find her again. I miss the love we shared and can only dream of another chance. I miss you, I miss us. It's always here clawing away at me, reminding me of my failure of my loss. It's a dark shadow that follows me everywhere in everything that I do. Even without you I'm never alone, I miss you and I carry that around everyday.
I miss you...now and always. I love you...now and always. I wish that this was all just a very bad dream...now and always. But wishes don't always come true, sometimes the light of day breaks through and reality is just the same as it was the night before...and I'm still missing you.
In the dark of night I miss the reverberation of your snores against my chest where I held to your back tightly. In the cold I miss the heat that emanated from your furnace of a body. The way that we had choreographed a dance long ago that required no words at all. I miss your overeager cheer that morning always brought. I miss the echo of your voice as it teased and taunted. My laughter is hollow and I search and fight for the happiness I once had. I miss the confidence of knowing that you are here, the comfort of someone having my back. I miss never walking alone; even when I was. The sure fact that you were there even when I couldn't see you. I hate the questions that have invaded my life; questions of confidence and self-doubt.
I miss that my accomplishments have no one to cheer them on and my failures have no one to cry with. The days are empty and lonely. My phone doesn't ring and my finger lingers...wanting even needing to text you. Hoping and praying that if I did you would answer. That for just a minute or two it could be like before. That maybe I could remember what it was like when you loved me. So I miss you...always. With every breath I take it becomes bigger and threatens to swallow me whole. I tread the waters of loneliness and hope for strength to hold on, but it's always there...I miss you, I miss us.
I don't know when or how my whole life became woven with yours. When you became my center, my home. They say ignorance is bliss. I say it's bullshit. I've lived in ignorance for what feels like a lifetime but I never saw it, never realized that that's what it all was. I missed it, I lost it, like sand falling through my fingers I lost us...I lost my happy. I lived in a dream and now I spend my nights trying to get a grasp on it again. Trying to pinpoint the moment when I lost it...lost you. But I can't, I can't get a hold on it. So I miss you some more.
The worst is missing your giant embrace. The only place that I ever felt safe in. It's gone and I'm afraid...all the time. It's not fair that you should have taken all that power with you, that you should have so much control. So I'm angry but I still miss you. I cry and sob and I still miss you. My heart is broken and I still miss you. I'm angry that I miss you, I'm angry that I love you still and I'm angry that you don't care. I wish you cared, I wish you missed me, I wish you'd come back.
So I miss you with every breath, every minute...I miss us. I miss the person I was with you and pray that I find her again. I miss the love we shared and can only dream of another chance. I miss you, I miss us. It's always here clawing away at me, reminding me of my failure of my loss. It's a dark shadow that follows me everywhere in everything that I do. Even without you I'm never alone, I miss you and I carry that around everyday.
I miss you...now and always. I love you...now and always. I wish that this was all just a very bad dream...now and always. But wishes don't always come true, sometimes the light of day breaks through and reality is just the same as it was the night before...and I'm still missing you.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
WICKED SCHEMES
ANOTHER 4 STARS*
TOUCH
by MARINA ANDERSON
Part 5 of Marina Anderson's DINING CLUB SERIES is here and it does not disappoint. Grace and David are still at it and part 5 opens with the next trial. The trial does not disappoint and neither does all the scheming that's occurring behind the scenes.
Grace's determination to succeed and pass each trial in order to be closer to David, to be able to fully and openly love him and hopefully receive the same in turn is being thwarted with every available chance. What do you do when who you most desire is desired by someone else? David's inner battle is coming into the forefront and he can no longer fully hide his actions; whether planned or subconscious in response to Grace's achievements. The question is raised in whether he will be her biggest hurdle or biggest prize.
All the while there is danger in the dark recesses. Amber and Andrew have now bonded over a common need and they are willing to pull out all the stops to see that Grace's failure is there greatest scene yet. One will bask in her failure, while the other will dutifully be there to pick up the pieces. The proverbial pot is coming to a boil as the scene is now set for the final trial.
Will Grace succeed and find the love and happiness she desires? Will David face his fears and find that Grace truly is his perfect match? Can the DINING CLUB survive the storm that's brewing within it's walls? You'll just have to make a reservation and grab a set for Part 6....CARESS!
TOUCH
by MARINA ANDERSON
Part 5 of Marina Anderson's DINING CLUB SERIES is here and it does not disappoint. Grace and David are still at it and part 5 opens with the next trial. The trial does not disappoint and neither does all the scheming that's occurring behind the scenes.
Grace's determination to succeed and pass each trial in order to be closer to David, to be able to fully and openly love him and hopefully receive the same in turn is being thwarted with every available chance. What do you do when who you most desire is desired by someone else? David's inner battle is coming into the forefront and he can no longer fully hide his actions; whether planned or subconscious in response to Grace's achievements. The question is raised in whether he will be her biggest hurdle or biggest prize.
All the while there is danger in the dark recesses. Amber and Andrew have now bonded over a common need and they are willing to pull out all the stops to see that Grace's failure is there greatest scene yet. One will bask in her failure, while the other will dutifully be there to pick up the pieces. The proverbial pot is coming to a boil as the scene is now set for the final trial.
Will Grace succeed and find the love and happiness she desires? Will David face his fears and find that Grace truly is his perfect match? Can the DINING CLUB survive the storm that's brewing within it's walls? You'll just have to make a reservation and grab a set for Part 6....CARESS!
DECEIT?
DECEITFULLY YOURS
by BETHANY BAZILE
4 BREATHTAKING STARS
This was a story that I received from Netgalley in return for a review. I will admit that I was drawn to the description, but mainly because it sounded like a great set up for a yummy erotic tale. I was wrong...I was right...I was blown away! I devoured this story; chewing through each page...wanting to find the answers and yet wanting it to hold off and last a bit longer.
DECEITFULLY YOURS is the tale of Kylie and Jude. The tale of the deceptions that have made their paths cross and those that continue to linger and threaten the growing love between them. The story is filled with erotic scenes that flush your skin and make you pant, but also contains moments of pure sweet love that bring tears to your eyes. With each new day, each new scene between them a new line is crossed bringing them closer and yet causing the looming heartache to be that much worse.
Although the story is of Kylie and Jude, the secondary cast almost steals the show at times. Marcus is dark and you feel the blackness bleed off the page, while Stacia pulls at your heart. She makes you feel her need, her desire to be free of the prison that holds her, her desperation is almost palpable at times. Add the Thor twins (OMG!!!) and Jude's family and you have a wonderfully rounded cast with all the complications of real life that cause people to deceive.
Each moment they spent together brings them closer to what can only be the end. Right? How can you love someone who has so completely ruined your trust? How can you expect someone to look at you and believe you when you've lied? It's all here in DECEITFULLY YOURS; the good the bad and the questionable in people. I am honestly hooked and can't wait for more. Can you completely forgive or does it always leave a stain on the love you feel? This is one hell of an emotional ride and I don't think you'll feel it's effects until it's over!
Ms. Bazile dishes up an intriguingly deep tale of the right, the wrong and the ever widening gray areas of life. It's all about deception...deception that surrounds each of us every day of our lives. The deception that we create and that we participate in every waking moment of the day. Not only was this a great read it has provided a wonderful base for many conversations around drink filled, smoky bub tables. How do we deceive and why? Is it out of necessity or pleasure? Does our deception define us or does it wash away who we really are?
by BETHANY BAZILE
4 BREATHTAKING STARS
This was a story that I received from Netgalley in return for a review. I will admit that I was drawn to the description, but mainly because it sounded like a great set up for a yummy erotic tale. I was wrong...I was right...I was blown away! I devoured this story; chewing through each page...wanting to find the answers and yet wanting it to hold off and last a bit longer.
DECEITFULLY YOURS is the tale of Kylie and Jude. The tale of the deceptions that have made their paths cross and those that continue to linger and threaten the growing love between them. The story is filled with erotic scenes that flush your skin and make you pant, but also contains moments of pure sweet love that bring tears to your eyes. With each new day, each new scene between them a new line is crossed bringing them closer and yet causing the looming heartache to be that much worse.
Although the story is of Kylie and Jude, the secondary cast almost steals the show at times. Marcus is dark and you feel the blackness bleed off the page, while Stacia pulls at your heart. She makes you feel her need, her desire to be free of the prison that holds her, her desperation is almost palpable at times. Add the Thor twins (OMG!!!) and Jude's family and you have a wonderfully rounded cast with all the complications of real life that cause people to deceive.
Each moment they spent together brings them closer to what can only be the end. Right? How can you love someone who has so completely ruined your trust? How can you expect someone to look at you and believe you when you've lied? It's all here in DECEITFULLY YOURS; the good the bad and the questionable in people. I am honestly hooked and can't wait for more. Can you completely forgive or does it always leave a stain on the love you feel? This is one hell of an emotional ride and I don't think you'll feel it's effects until it's over!
Ms. Bazile dishes up an intriguingly deep tale of the right, the wrong and the ever widening gray areas of life. It's all about deception...deception that surrounds each of us every day of our lives. The deception that we create and that we participate in every waking moment of the day. Not only was this a great read it has provided a wonderful base for many conversations around drink filled, smoky bub tables. How do we deceive and why? Is it out of necessity or pleasure? Does our deception define us or does it wash away who we really are?
NAKED WOLVES?
Another addition to my addiction!
4 STARS* to HOW to RUN with a NAKED WEREWOLF
by MOLLY HARPER
Oh, holy hell was this book incredible! It was a gift from my friends at Edelweiss in return for a review, so here it goes....
This was a wonderful, heart and hope filled read. It kept me on the edge of my seat with laughter and anticipation. Each page pulled me in just a little bit more, made me question everyone just a bit longer. Ms. Molly Harper kicks ass in her writing style. The woman weaves a tale with humor and honesty, painting a really harsh tale with laugh out loud moments threaded through. More than once I found I had tears in my eyes and they were not from sadness...always.
HOW TO RUN WITH A NAKED WEREWOLF introduces us to Anna, or is it Melissa, Brandy, Lisa or Christina? It really doesn't matter because it's a woman who is running without a plan or destination from her past. A past that includes an evil husband. Don't ever believe the hype that Geeks cannot be menacing...that is totally proven false here!! We also have the great pleasure of meeting Caleb...mmm...Caleb!
Caleb, the hunky werewolf bounty hunter. Seriously if anyone can think of anything sexier please contact me immediately!! They cross paths due to circumstance or maybe it's fate, either way it makes for seriously delicious fun. My only gripe is my inability to quote this fantastic read. The sexy, snarky quips tossed between these two characters brought smiles to my face during a read that had the opportunity to cause fear.
RUNNING...is a story of strength. The strength to run, strength to stay and the strength to love again when you doubt your every move and choice. Caleb is way overprotective and wants to be overbearing, but sees the situation and reads his "Rabbit" the right way from day one...almost perfectly. It's never a completely smooth run to finish line, but getting there and winning the prize is soo worth it! Molly Harper proves that point in spades and has allowed a woman to save herself with the help of the man (and his Pack) of her dreams.
So...come on and RUN with the newest story of the Alaska Grundy Pack. It's a fun, smart and action packed story...that does end in a very open way. That being said I am more than excited to believe that we will have more to read about this great Pack. I promise you'll be breathless and happy at the end!
4 STARS* to HOW to RUN with a NAKED WEREWOLF
by MOLLY HARPER
Oh, holy hell was this book incredible! It was a gift from my friends at Edelweiss in return for a review, so here it goes....
This was a wonderful, heart and hope filled read. It kept me on the edge of my seat with laughter and anticipation. Each page pulled me in just a little bit more, made me question everyone just a bit longer. Ms. Molly Harper kicks ass in her writing style. The woman weaves a tale with humor and honesty, painting a really harsh tale with laugh out loud moments threaded through. More than once I found I had tears in my eyes and they were not from sadness...always.
HOW TO RUN WITH A NAKED WEREWOLF introduces us to Anna, or is it Melissa, Brandy, Lisa or Christina? It really doesn't matter because it's a woman who is running without a plan or destination from her past. A past that includes an evil husband. Don't ever believe the hype that Geeks cannot be menacing...that is totally proven false here!! We also have the great pleasure of meeting Caleb...mmm...Caleb!
Caleb, the hunky werewolf bounty hunter. Seriously if anyone can think of anything sexier please contact me immediately!! They cross paths due to circumstance or maybe it's fate, either way it makes for seriously delicious fun. My only gripe is my inability to quote this fantastic read. The sexy, snarky quips tossed between these two characters brought smiles to my face during a read that had the opportunity to cause fear.
RUNNING...is a story of strength. The strength to run, strength to stay and the strength to love again when you doubt your every move and choice. Caleb is way overprotective and wants to be overbearing, but sees the situation and reads his "Rabbit" the right way from day one...almost perfectly. It's never a completely smooth run to finish line, but getting there and winning the prize is soo worth it! Molly Harper proves that point in spades and has allowed a woman to save herself with the help of the man (and his Pack) of her dreams.
So...come on and RUN with the newest story of the Alaska Grundy Pack. It's a fun, smart and action packed story...that does end in a very open way. That being said I am more than excited to believe that we will have more to read about this great Pack. I promise you'll be breathless and happy at the end!
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