Certified Bed Reader...
...willing to go all night!
Drop Everything Now (Picture Perfect, #3)
I was lucky enough to be given an advance copy of Drop Everything Now by the author. It's important to note I haven't read the first two books in this series (yet!) and I wasn't at all lost, so I'm guessing the books don't actually connect together or the connection isn't wrapped up in the storyline.Andi rushes home to Vegas after her mother is injured in an awful accident. She meets Ryder at her hotel. Despite being distracted by her mother's condition, Andi can't help feeling a strong attraction to Ryder. He helps her find a place to stay and a job, pretty much is an all-around great guy to her. The chemistry is pretty hot from the get-go, but Ryder's holding back, afraid to reveal to her his second job as a stripper.
It reminded me a little of "Magic Mike," but with an actual plot that didn't make me yawn! Once the big secret is out, the story flows faster and everything heats way up. Very enjoyable read.
What happens when a Girl Genius and a Sexy Jock meet? A lot of pheromone sniffing and two insatiable sexual appetites!This book marks a few firsts for me:
1. First Harlequin KISS
2. First Amy Andrews read
I don't know if this is the norm for other Harlequin KISS books, or if it's just Amy Andrews's great writing style, but this book reminded me of the old Harlequin Temptations. I always loved those books and hated when they fizzled out. Amy's voice is fun and brilliant! The plot's not overly complicated or dramatic, but is far from uninteresting. It held my attention without any problem.
Cassiopeia "Cassie" Barclay is a Mensa-level smarty pants; think Sheldon Cooper ("Big Bang Theory") and Temperance Brennan ("Bones"). Cassie's unemotional, logical, and doesn't believe in love because it can't be proven by science. She believe in pheromones, though, and Tuck's are a thing of magic!
Samuel "Tuck" Tucker is an ex-football QB and businessman. He's no dumb jock, though he lets Cassie (very comically) believe he is when they first meet. He's had a tough few years emotionally, so he does what any alpha man would do...he sleeps with a lot of women. Yep, he's a player, but it doesn't take him long to realize Cassie's different.
What starts as just sex spirals into relationship territory quickly. Cassie can't get enough of Tuck's...err pheromones, and he lures her (all logical-like) into living with him for the three months she's at university finishing up her PhD. It's the perfect solution for her to concentrate on her studies without concentrating on how much her body craves Tuck's!
Tuck knows how he feels before Cassie. Poor Cassie has a lot of emotional-growing to do and has to learn, the hard way, what love is all about. I love that it's Cassie's best friends who swoop in to help her piece everything together!
Highly Recommended!
Come Away With Me (With Me in Seattle, #1)
1-star -- Erotic RomanceWRITING 101 / Lesson 1: Overuse of words and phrases can kill a book.
- This is the second time, in as many weeks, I've come across an author who missed this day in English. This writer's go-to word: beautiful.
WRITING 101 / Lesson 2: Make your characters real to the reader.
- Instead, both Luke and Natalie were two-dimensional.
WRITING 101 / Lesson 3: If your plot is character-driven, it dang well better have some character-development.
- Refer to Lesson 2.
I'm sorry. I know a lot of you liked this book. Either I'm being too picky lately or the Goddess of Sexy Books is having fun at my expense. Either way, I'm disappointed.
3 Stars -- Erotic Romance QuickieFriends-to-lovers theme.
Hot sex.
Rockstar hero.
Plain-Jane heroine.
A little kink.
Hero & heroine are both over 40.
Pleasurable (ah-hem) read.
LOL, it's the Bowen Brothers gathered together talking about Valentine's Day. It is what it is, my friends. You can't read it without reading the first two books. But, really, why would you want to?
2½ Stars - Erotic Romance QuickieAm I the only person who changes characters names if I don't like them? Seriously, "Keith" is one of my least favorite hero names! It didn't help that this Keith is an awkward kinda (maybe?) alpha. It was hard to really get a good grip on their personalities considering how short the story is.
Fear of Falling
Thought I would start this one, got 2% into the Kindle Sample and the author had already referred to two different guys voices as being "laced with a southern drawl." Things like that pull me straight out of a story and brings out my inner editor!I'm not going to shelve this one as "taking a break from" because I barely got into it and I may (or may not) decide to go back. I know I sound picky; maybe I am, but it's my Kindle and I'll read what I want to! ;)
It's as if J. Lynn took a peek at my Reading Checklist and strategically, one-by-one, checked off every item on it. Frigid did it for me -- big time! I enjoyed every single page. I didn't skim, become annoyed by the characters, or want to throw a hissy-fit because it wasn't going how I wanted it to.Kyler and Sydney have been best friends since long before he was a manwhore and she became an anal-retentive hot mess! From chapter 1, you know these two love each other. It's clear to everyone but them! He's so protective and gentle with Sydney. *sigh*
Then, they get snowed-in together. THEN, Sydney lets her mouth do some talking. THEEEENNN, Kyler won't let her take it back! AND THEEEEEENNNN, they have some serious hot sex. Holy shit, it's hot! So hot, I was jealous. Whew, years of unrequited love worked for them, lol.
There's a bit of a mystery, though, I use that term loosely because I had no problem figuring out who was making trouble for them (and I don't think you'll be surprised by the "who" either). It tied it all together in a very intense moment that made me wanna scream! It had to be done, though, so they could work out Kyler's past and Sydney believe in their HEA. Don't worry, it's nothing crazy horrible. Kyler's 100% all about Sydney from start-to-finish. In fact, if you're looking for angst, this isn't your book. There's some during the book's Black Moment, but you don't feel this heady emotional weight.
Frigid is a feel-good book for those who love a friends-to-lovers theme. I'm hoping Tanner and Andrea get a story! Those two were great secondary characters.
Shine Not Burn
After Reading Blurb: This sounds awesome! I soooo hope I like this book.After Reading First Few Chapters: Cheese. Total-effin'-cheese. This girl's humor is going to annoy me the whole book and I'm going to hate it!!!
After Finishing Book: I'm not a squeeing kinda girl, but I swear I'd squee right about now if I was! I LOVE THIS BOOK!
Yes, there's some cheesy humor. But there's also plenty of laugh-until-I-nearly-peed, spew-Dr. Pepper-from-my-nose/mouth, snort-like-a-pig (uh, not that I'd ever make that kind of sound), moments to balance out the cheesy stuff. One of my favorites is when Mack gets Andie on a horse for the first time:
I panicked, watching Mack get farther and farther ahead, worried my horse would run to catch up and dump me on my sorry butt. I'd probably fall right onto a snake, and with the way my luck was going, I'd land on him while he was sunning himself fang-side-up. My whole body tensed into a human-shaped board of solid fear.
The horse snorted and began walking backwards.
I yanked on the reins some more, trying to get her to stop, but she wouldn't listen. She just kept going faster in the wrong way.
"Mack!" I shrieked. "It's broken or something! It's in reverse! It's going in reverse! How do you make it go into drive!?"
He twisted in his saddle and started laughing.
I was torn between laughing with him and crying...
Oh, how I felt Andie's pain! My first time on a horse was spent alternately gripping the saddlehorn like it was my only lifeline and praying if I fell, it'd kill me on impact before the horse trampled me! LOL.
Let me tell ya, Mack and Andie have some serious chemistry! Mack knew, from the start, that Andie was the girl for him. I really liked that. They meet in Vegas, they get married, and then...well, two years go by. Two years where Andie doesn't realize she got married to her sexy one-night cowboy; not until she applies for a marriage license with her loser boyfriend. She tracks Mack down to get divorced and she doesn't stand a chance of getting out of Ohio with her heart!
If you're a fan of love, laughter, family, and friendships, this book is the one for you!
Exquisite (Exquisite, #1)
I can't deny Exquisite is an emotionally-charged book. It's also very steamy (wow, that non-touching shower scene did me in!) and Mason's completely swoon-worthy. Lena takes some getting used to; she's bitchy and very standoffish, but you aren't left in the dark as to why she's that way. I got her, even when I wanted to strangle her!Ella Frank can write passion and emotion; two huge pluses when I'm reading a new-to-me author! My only problem with the book is it suffered from the dreaded Sagging Middle. About 60% in, there wasn't enough plot density; it fell flat and stayed there for several chapters. Then came the story's black moment and... it wasn't a surprise, nor was Mason's reaction (unfortunately). I don't mind guessing this in character-driven plots, but I guess for me the black moment stemmed from Lena doing something I really thought was unprofessionalshe peeked at his mother's medical chart while going in to visit her after a heart attack. She wasn't Catherine's doctor and didn't ask if she could see the chart and that rubbed me the wrong way.
Still fully plan on reading both [b:Entice|17306130|Entice (Exquisite, #2)|Ella Frank|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1359558882s/17306130.jpg|21874351] and [b:Edible|16249388|Edible (Exquisite, #3)|Ella Frank|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1368453690s/16249388.jpg|22289401]! Shelly and Rachel deserve their HEAs!
Facade (Games, #2)
Ladies, if you like your guys smart, introspective, and tortured, you need to read this book. I never in a million years would've guessed it in book 1, but Adrian's suffering from PTSD. His past, the traumas that he endured as a child and young man, OMG it broke my heart. I knew in Charade that there was so much more to this guy.Delaney, sweet girl, isn't without her own problems. She's clearly codependent; she has an overwhelming need to fix everyone in her life. It's how she copes after the events that tore her family apart at the seams. Her past and Adrian's are linked. I cannot tell you how, but you find out pretty early-on in the book. I wish she hadn't waited so long to reveal things to him, but I understood her hesitation, too. You can't really know what you would do unless you were in her situation.
There's a twist at the end that I kinda saw coming. There were signs in the beginning that made me wonder, but then I swept them aside because I thought I was reading too much into it. When the twist came, it still floored me because the scene nearly ripped my heart out!
There's plenty of great chemistry between Adrian and Delaney. He's such a total player, yet, you know it's different for him with her. Loved his nickname Delaney! And really enjoyed seeing Cheyenne and Colt (from Charade) again; they're so cute!
Nyrae's an amazing writer. She never fails to pull me right into her stories!
Uh, heeellllloooo sexy race car driver! I plan to continue buying these books simply to drool over the covers. That aside, this book was leaps and bounds better than the last one in the series! Grey isn't just a pretty face, ladies. ;)• 3.5 Stars
Contemporary Sports Romance
Axel (Corps Security, #1)
*looks at ratings* *glances at reviews*Gulp.
There's no doubt, this book and its self-published author is a favorite among friends. I think this is probably a case of timing. It didn't hit my happy-reader button soon enough for me to keep with it.
I'm putting it on hold for now. Will return to it at a later time.
3½ Stars || Contemporary RomanceJust a quickie review for this one. It felt, at times, that the author tried too hard to make the ten year age gap a huge problem with this couple. I think Travis's character suffered a little because of that. He's a great guy, more beta than alpha, but I never fully fell in love with him. Andie's a good heroine, very relateable, and someone you'd like to be friends with. Plot's pretty basic and easy to follow.
It's good if you're looking for something to cleanse your reading-palette between heavier-themed books. Or, if you just want something uncomplicated and fun to read.
Breathe Me In (Ross Siblings, #2.5)
HOLD UP! I'm dropping out of life to read this book tonight! Didn't even realize it was coming out today, but that doesn't matter. Ghost...I'm yours. Be seeing you soon, baby!Upon my return to life...
First, do I have to return? I really like it with Ghost. That biotch, Macy, doesn't deserve him. *sniffle*
This is not a standalone! Breathe Me In begins the morning after the Oh-My-Gawd-That-Was-HAWT Concert in [b:Rock Me|8135807|Rock Me (Ross Siblings, #2)|Cherrie Lynn|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1273006270s/8135807.jpg|12932079]. It is imperative that you read that book before reading this one. If you don't, important events from [b:Rock Me|8135807|Rock Me (Ross Siblings, #2)|Cherrie Lynn|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1273006270s/8135807.jpg|12932079] will be spoiled, and that'd be a huge disappointment. Read that book! Then, read this one. Then, continue on the journey with Macy & Ghost's full-story, [b:Leave Me Breathless|15748335|Leave Me Breathless (Ross Siblings, #3)|Cherrie Lynn|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342660909s/15748335.jpg|21440678].
I love that Cherrie Lynn really gave us the start of Macy & Ghost; the cute texts, hanging out, and the sexiness. God, the sexiness. Yum! Backseat in a GTO never looked so good!
Fans of the series, I don't have to persuade you guys to read this. You already love Ghost. You do, right? *glaring* You better. This isn't going to disappoint you!
To Everyone Else: WTH are you waiting for? Read these books. Don't give me the stink-eye. I know I'm pushy passionate about these books! With good reason. They fuckin' rock! Oh, and they all have some of the best, most memorable, CURL-MY-TOES moments ever!
Damn. That got me worked-up, lol. I gotta go read Brian's story again...then, Ghost's. Or, maybe I'll just read my favorite *wink* parts.
