Category / ARC Review

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Anticipation by Sarah Mayberry

Format: E-bookanticipation
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Brothers Ink, #2
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Eduardo Oliveira
Heroine: Blue Sullivan
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: April 1, 2015
Started On: April 13, 2015
Finished On: April 23, 2015

Blue Sullivan and Eduardo Oliveira (Eddie) have been colleagues and best of friends for more than 10 years. Blue has also been in love with Eddie for all those years, a love that she has kept to herself, her yearning for him something she had tamped down by turning to other places for comfort when necessary. However, nothing prepares Blue for the event that changes her life, a serious accident moments before which Blue is hit with remorse over the fact that she had never come out to Eddie with how she feels.

For Eddie, the moment the colorfully vivacious Blue, who is larger than life in every single aspect nearly loses her life serves as a serious bludgeon to his heart and emotions. The protective feelings that Blue arouses in him is one that Eddie has a hard time controlling, but as Blue’s friend, Eddie wants, no craves to be the one who helps her pick up the pieces.

Blue’s feelings towards Eddie intensifies to a point of no return which results in the hottest, most mind blowing nights of their lives. However Blue has kept her feelings under tight control for all those years for a reason. She doesn’t want to risk the friendship that she values above everything else with Eddie just for a tumble between the sheets. And given Eddie’s track record with relationships, if even one can call it that, Blue decides that she is right to deny them both a chance to see where this facet of their relationship could lead them.

It has been a while since I indulged in a friends-to-lovers romance and I welcomed this book with emotions akin to that of someone reuniting with a close friend who has been away for a long, long time. Sarah Mayberry does a mean friends-to-lovers romance from time to time, well lets be honest, she writes mean romances in whichever trope she singles out her books to be based on and I loved this little number, the second book in the Brothers Ink series.

Eddie, simply put, is the best thing about the story. His patience, endurance, kindness and the love he has in that big beautiful heart of his for Blue is what makes him that much more endearing. It takes a special kind of man or rather person to break down the emotional walls that a would be partner hides behind. Eddie has the added advantage of having being best friends with Blue for the past ten years. With that sort of arsenal in place, Eddie launches the type of mission that would win Blue over, but not without Blue giving him the fight of his lifetime.

Blue is a feisty character whom some of us can relate to, while others would sit back in awe and envy her over the kind of strength she has and the control that she exerts on herself. Life hadn’t been kind to her when she was a child and though a lot of good things had come her way since then, understandably, Blue has a hard time accepting all of it with good grace. Especially when it comes to the thought of losing her very best friend, the man she has loved from afar for so very long.

Blue’s hesitancy to place her trust in Eddie & his love is understandable given the track record Eddie holds for his love life. So opting to dislike Blue over the way she gives a bit of herself and then retreats is definitely not a choice when it comes to her. Blue’s indecision is what lends the story the proper amount of emotional angst that makes a romance worth delving into and while I was frustrated at times, I loved every single bit of it. Eddie’s character not only smoothed Blue’s ruffled feathers but did mine as well.

I would be remiss in my review if I don’t mention the bits of Maggie and Raf included in the story. Though I didn’t overly love their story as much as I did this one, I still enjoyed seeing them settle into the life that they’d found for themselves. Maggie’s story proved to be an interesting one in terms of what she went through. And if you haven’t already read her story, you should! Raf is just as sexy as Eddie! Them Oliveira genes!

I loved and loved the sensuality of the story. There were times when I went “woohoo, go for it girl’ and then there were moments that I nearly swallowed my own tongue from the panting variety of good, hot sex included in the story! What makes a Sarah Mayberry superb is the fact that she knows how to balance out the sex and the emotion and rarely shortchanges the reader on either aspect. And this one has got plenty of Eddie to tide us over!

The fact that both Blue & Eddie took their time to come together as a couple was the one aspect of the story that endeared it to me in a good way. A character like Blue’s is not easy to convince when she has a stubborn streak a mile wide. But in Eddie lies a determined streak perhaps that far outreaches Blue’s stubbornness and I felt like high-fiving with Mayberry over the the fact that she spent enough time on the story and each of their characters, giving it that realistic edge that made their connection & coming together that much more wholesome.

Recommended for fans of Sarah Mayberry, fans of contemporary romances & of course those that like myself love the friends to lovers trope! Can’t wait to read Lena’s story, interesting glimpses of which were included in this story.

Final Verdict: A story that touches deep into the heart of love, the risks it brings & the triumph that follows.

Favorite Quotes

“Haven’t you ever wondered?” she heard herself ask, her voice barely more than a whisper. “About us? How it would be?”
He was so close she could see his pupils dilate as her words hit him, the dark pupil swallowing the green of his irises. Then he spoke, and his words tipped her world upside down.
“Every fucking day of my life.”

“Tell me what you want,” he said.
Was it really that simple?
She knew it wasn’t, but she was so far gone, reason and common sense left far, far behind. All she could think about was the man looking at her as though he wanted to consume her and the need making her sex ache for fulfillment.
“You. I want you.” The words came from her soul, the most honest she’d ever uttered, and the moment they were out of her mouth the world got crazy.

How many years had he secretly wanted this?
Too many.
He ran a hand over her belly. She widened her stance eagerly as he slipped his hand between her thighs. His breath hissed out against her breast as his fingers slid over slick, plump flesh. She felt so good, so ready. He slid a finger inside her, and she clenched around him, welcoming the invasion.
“Fuck, Blue.” His words sounded like a prayer, fervent and worshipful, and that was exactly how he felt.

“Oh, God,” she breathed, and he felt her inner muscles ripple around his cock. “Oh, fuck, Eddie. Oh, God.”
“Yes. For me. Come for me, Blue.”
As if her body had been waiting for his words, she came apart, bucking against him, her thighs locked tightly around his hips, her head thrown back, her eyes closed.
His own climax hit him simultaneously, and he gave a low, almost pained groan as he thrust himself home. She opened her eyes and leaned forward, biting his shoulder as he came in one long, shuddering rush.

The sound was barely out of her mouth before Eddie moved beneath her, rolling her onto her back, his cock slipping free. She started to object just as he plunged inside her again, his hips working powerfully as he pumped into her. The slam of his body against hers, the satisfaction of having his cock so deep inside her and the primal, unrestrained desperation of his movements were exactly what she craved. He lowered his head and drew a nipple into his mouth, sucking on it hard enough to hurt. The stab of pain pushed her over the edge and she dug her fingers into his ass, holding him deep inside her as she came, hard.

“Get your clothes off,” he said, his voice gravel-rough with need.
She started to object…then she looked at his big, beautifully hard cock and decided that she could fight that battle another day. She whipped her top over her head, then stood so she could shed her pants. Eddie scooped her up, carrying her into the kitchen. He’d barely parked her ass on the table before he was inside her.
“I thought about doing this to you all day,” he said. “Every…fucking…second.”

… love took a part of your soul. Love meant that a phone ringing in the middle of the night could change your life. Love got its hooks into you and never let go. It made you bleed. It made you weak. It made you hurt.
Love was loss, pure and simple. It was risk. It meant casting yourself on the universe’s mercy and hoping against hope that you were going to be one of the lucky ones.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Bang by Ruby McNally

Format: E-bookbang
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Lights and Sirens, #3
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd
Hero: Jackson Ford
Heroine: Marisol de la Espada
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: March 3, 2015
Started On: January 22, 2015
Finished On: February 20, 2015

Bang by Ruby McNally is the 3rd book in the author’s Lights & Sirens series & my experience in reading this author. While the story worked for me on certain levels, there were bits and pieces that I had slight problems with which however when it came down to it still managed to deliver a good read.

The story begins 4 months after Jackson Ford returns to duty after being shot and fighting the long, tough and hard battle of recovery. While physically Jackson seems to have recovered, as the story goes on, it is evident that Jackson suffers from post traumatic stress disorder owing to what he has gone through.

Jackson’s partner Marisol de la Espada, the woman he has loved for almost as long as they’d known each other has a tough time dealing with what happened to Jackson. So much so that she had completely avoided going to see Jackson while he had lain on hospital, playing a waiting game to see when she’d walk through the doors of his hospital room.

What makes it extra hard for Jackson and Marisol to get back into their groove is the fact that their relationship had progressed to a stage that had ended in a disastrous lovemaking session which needless to say makes things pretty much awkward.

What struck me the most in this story is the fact that how realistic Ruby creates her characters. Jackson and Marisol aren’t perfect in anyway. Yes, Jackson is handsome, strong and endowed in the way most heroes in romances are. While Marisol is the dream woman for Jackson, she suffers from her own insecurities with her physical appearance after having given birth & a lot of doubts when it comes to whether she and Jackson would ever be able to make it work.

Marisol having never turned up to see Jackson through the long hard months of recovery that had followed surpasses the usual survivor’s guilt. While most would question why she never did manage to work up her courage to go see him, I kind of understood where Marisol was coming from. Sometimes, fear & insecurities coupled with of course the survivor’s guilt that Marisol was experiencing has a way of preventing you from doing what’s right. And the longer you put it off, the harder it tends to become to take that step and that’s one other reason why I say that when it comes to flawed characters and putting that message across, Ruby McNally has done a bang up job.

Like most cops, Jackson has a hard time coming to terms with his PTSD. But he does eventually get there through a lot of misunderstandings that takes place between him and Marisol. I admired Marisol for taking that difficult step in nudging Jackson in the right direction and I was equally glad that Jackson took the bait because otherwise their story would’ve become more messed up than it already was.

While the sex was hot & the romance good enough to make it worthwhile, I felt that the story lacked the emotional wallop it’d have packed if it had included more details on the shared past of Marisol and Jackson. The past that is just barely skimmed through when it comes to Jackson and Marisol. While it does the required job to lay down the groundwork for the characters, I’d have loved if it had been just a little bit more. The missed chances, the heavy longing on each side, the realization that had led to the breakdown of Marisol’s marriage etc. would have brought with it a huge emotional impact to the story.

The one other problem I had with the story was the tense it was written it. I can’t exactly put my finger on which tense it exactly is, but I can definitely say that it made getting into the story a tad harder for me.

Recommended for those who love stories involving law enforcement officers & friends to lovers trope.

Final Verdict: Messed up in a way that delivers a good romp!

Favorite Quotes

“Jack—” Mari says again, warning this time, wanting to let him know how hard she’s going to lose it. “Oh my God, Jack, I’m—”
“Shit,” Jack hisses, hips jerking, and she realizes a second too late that he’s trying to get away from her, pull out, but by then she’s already coming and coming, one leg wound around his and this feeling like there was a missed stitch in her someplace and he tugged it, like she’s unraveling everywhere.

Jackson seems to be considering it. Then he shakes his head. “Nah,” he says, undoing the belt and letting it drop to the floor with a thunk. “Don’t think so.” He unzips his fly and pulls his cock out without even unbuttoning, the tip already shiny. It looks lewd and obvious against his dark blue pants.
Mari swallows. The instinct to spread her legs hits right in the bottom of her belly. “Jack,” she murmurs, shifting. “I’m gonna mess up your—”
But Jack nods. “I know,” he says, hooking both hands underneath her knees and yanking her hips to the edge of the bed. When he leans over his nameplate is right in her face, Officer Ford in stitched white thread. “Gonna have you all over my zipper.”

“Fuck, Mari, hurry up and come.” His voice is strangled.
Mari shivers. “Make me.”
Jackson looks at her. Then he reaches up with one forearm and puts all his weight against her bent knees, practically folding her in half. “Is this it?” His thrusts click up another gear, the teeth of his zipper biting into Mari’s flesh. One of them catches and she yelps, but that feels good too, all rolled into everything. “Is that how you like it?”
And—fuck.
That is.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Samhain | ARe | iTunes

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Under His Touch by Jeffe Kennedy

Format: E-bookunderhistouch
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Erotic Romance
Series: Falling Under, #2
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Alexander Knight
Heroine: Amber Dolors
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: January 19, 2015
Started On: January 15, 2015
Finished On: January 22, 2015

Under His Touch by Jeffe Kennedy is an explosive read and the second book in the Falling Under series by the author. Being my very first Jeffe Kennedy novel, I didn’t find any difficulty in immersing myself in the story, thus pretty much safe to say that this can be read as a standalone and that Jeffe writes one helluva story!

Amber Dolors is young, smart and ambitious. The only thing that seems to be lacking in her life are prospective men with whom she can connect on a physical and mental level. What Amber craves physically is someone who would hold mastery over her, but Amber finds herself hardpressed to find someone who fits the persona that she has in mind. A persona that seems to tie in perfectly with her boss Alexander Knight (Alec).

Scarred from his marriage and preceding divorce, Alec is a broody hero if ever there was one. Hailing from Britain, Alec’s move to the U.S. had come in order for him to leave his past behind. Amber is a distraction that Alec can definitely do without. Though their workplace has no strict rules on inter-office dating, Alec feels that he is way older for someone like Amber even though his body smolders from the very idea of him and Amber together.

Under His Touch is a story that has a lot of angst of the good variety in it. Alec though he wants to possess Amber in every single way possible, resists her at every level until he realizes that him and Amber will happen, one way or the other. For Amber, Alec giving in means she gets to experience the sort of sex life that she has been craving for, for a very long time. But as these two embark on an affair that has no time limit set on it, both Alec and Amber realize that it is not just the physical aspect of their relationship and connection that draws them together. And Amber realizes that if ever they were to have a chance at making things work long term, Alec would definitely need to lay the demons that hound him to rest.

Under His Touch is an erotic romance with BDSM elements to it. Alec is a man who exudes so much control over himself and that of his encounters with Amber that lent an extra charge to the sensuality that was pretty much overloading my senses to begin with. The one encounter during which Alec’s legendary control broke is one that is worthy of a mention. I couldn’t help but want more of the same.

Amber was definitely a heroine that endeared to me. I liked her spunk, her independent nature and the fact that she wasn’t willing to settle for anything less than what she wanted. And I loved her for the fact that even though she is young and inexperienced when it comes to the likes of a BDSM lifetstyle, she is intuitive enough to know what Alec wants and needs. Though Alec might be the dominant in their relationship, Amber herself provides the much needed relief and salvation that Alec had been seeking, albeit unknowingly.

Alec is a hero that would drive most readers nuts, and all in a good way. His sexuality is one that is not all over the place, but yet the strength of it could be felt at the turn of every single page. Amber labeling his attire as suit porn was one I could definitely relate to. I couldn’t help but smile and fan myself a bit everytime Alec came into the picture. Yes ladies, he is that enchanting! And now imagine all that with a sexy British accent? Swoon!

The only thing that I felt lacking in the story was a well rounded ending. I wanted a little bit more of Alec and Amber before the story was through. I felt that the ending was a trifle bit rushed. Perhaps an epilogue that showed Alec and Amber somewhere down the line would’ve done a lot to appease readers like myself who wants to actually see the happily ever after before turning the last page of the story.

Recommended for fans of BDSM, fans of angsty romances & fans of sexy British heroes! I loved it!

Final Verdict: Alec exerts mastery of the kind that would drive you absolutely mad from the wanting!

Favorite Quotes

He tapped a pen on the desk, glanced out at the empty hall and back to her with a wry smile. “I find that hard to believe. I’d think they’d be lining up to buy you drinks and so forth.”
“Back at you. Aren’t the women of New York falling over themselves for a shot at you? I could name half-a-dozen on this floor alone.”
“Please don’t.” He leaned his forearms on the desk, laced his fingers, checked the hall again. Seemed to gather himself and met her gaze. “Surely you know if I wouldn’t cross the line for you, I wouldn’t for anyone.”

“A kiss,” he whispered, “to seal our agreement.”
Saturating herself in the experience, she relished Alec’s obvious desire as much as her own. It felt so perfect, to yield this way, to be half-naked on his lap, held in his grip as his mouth lowered to hers. To know he’d control the kiss and at the same time craved the taste of her. Trying to be gentle, he brushed her lips with his, but his hand tightened on her hip, fingers digging in, and he made a sound she would have called despair in another circumstance, from another person.
Heady with the moment, with him and the way his mouth sank into hers, she returned the kiss, leaning into him with a sense that she might die if he stopped. His hand on her chin shook and he transferred it to the back of her neck, winding it into the fall of her hair and twisting, pulling her head back so he kissed her more deeply. He tasted of wine and desire, kissing her so hard, the attraction they’d both banked until now meeting and opening like their mouths, feeding on each other and fusing in a nuclear reaction, slamming them into each other and into a blaze of need.

Then he replaced his finger with his tongue and she lost her mind entirely.
Oblivious to anything but the slow stimulation of his tongue on her tender breasts, feeling that at any moment she might begin bleeding through her pores, she dropped her head back, trying to absorb it. Sounds came out of her. Delirious moans and whimpers, but she gave up wondering when he’d stop this. Gave up thinking about needing an orgasm like water in the desert. She only rocketed with each tortuous lick, unable to resist in any way.
When his mouth closed on her nipple and bit, she came.
The orgasm took her like a lightning bolt. Unheralded except for the static cloud that had built so slowly and imperceptibly that she hadn’t been able to prepare. Instead it caught her in its convulsing current and she screamed, thrashing in Alec’s hands, wild and mindless. He switched to her other nipple, sucking and biting it as she bucked on his lap.

“Suck me off then,” he ordered, setting the brandy aside and making himself think about the damn McCloskey account. Which helped not at all because it reminded him immediately of how she’d smiled when she suggested they could discuss that over drinks, sly and full of that—
“Holy Christ,” he gasped as she freed his cock and closed her hot mouth over it.
She worked the shaft with her delicate fingers, taking him deep into the depths of her clever mouth. His balls clenched as she sucked the climax out of him almost instantly. Unthinking, he buried his hands in her hair, held her head and thrust himself into her mouth. Mindlessly emptying himself.

She stilled, cognizant enough now to anticipate, her breath hitching with tears and moans of encouragement. In one swift movement, he buried himself in her and slipped his fingers into her slick tissues, to press hard on her clit.
As he’d anticipated, she convulsed, wrenching as the orgasm took her. To his surprise, he nearly came, too, barely hanging on, digging his fingers into the sheets as her body milked him. He managed to make it until she crested, enough to ease himself into stroking in and out of her, finding her rhythm, bracketing her clit to ease her through the crash and prolong her arousal. She responded as a thoroughbred race horse, ramping into another rise and climax, her body shuddering and her cries going from despair to delight.

“Only when I say you can, yes?”
“Yes.” She sighed out the agreement, willing to promise anything, then sucked the air back in when he thrust hard into her, slamming his hips against hers, penetrating impossibly deep.
Though she’d just come, the near-brutal shock threw her close to climax, like a spark set to a rocket. She clenched her teeth against the keening sound coming deep out of her.
Alec pulled back, kissing her with all the gentleness lacking a moment ago, coaxing her through it. As she recovered, softly, sweetly he moved in and out of her channel, stroking in long glides, lulling her, so she rode up on steadily increasing levels of arousal. Each time he seemed to ease deeper into her and she had no ability to resist, only to yield more.
Without warning, he slammed hard into her again.
She screamed and she thought she heard him laugh, low and wicked.

“So what now?” Tell me to strip, Alec.
He glanced at her. Away again. Face and voice in that carefully neutral mode. “What
would you prefer to do? If you want to go, I understand. Maybe you should. That’s part of why I stayed away this evening. Part of me hoped you’d find me gone and leave again.”
“Why?” Her mouth had gone dry with dread. But he’d said he wanted her. In devastating, erotic detail.
His lips curved in that cruel ironic smile and he turned to face her, leaning an elbow on the rail. Not relaxed, though. Coiled. “Perhaps the monster always hopes, somewhere in its twisted heart, that its prey will escape.”

“I’m looking,” he grated out. He seized her wrists and stretched them over her head, pinning them there with one hand and using the other to flick open the front clasp of the bra. Cupping her naked breast, he squeezed, tight, and she writhed under the grip. “I’m touching.” He leaned in hard, his erection pressing against her belly, the brick wall grating against her back through the silk. “Now tell me to stop.”
Instead she moved her hips against his, wild for more. “Don’t you dare stop.”
“You know the penalties for giving me orders.” He pinched her nipple and she gasped but held his gaze, defiant.
“Do your worst.”

With a curse that sounded almost foreign, his accent had gone so thick, he released her wrists, dug in his pocket and ripped open his pants, just enough to release his cock and get the condom on. “Put your leg around my waist,” he ordered, pinning her wrists on either side of her head. “I can’t be gentle.”
“I don’t want gentle.” She barely finished the words before he’d pushed deep inside her. Fast, hard, nearly brutal. Clenching her teeth to keep from screaming as a new orgasm built on the last, she watched his face, the way his gaze stayed riveted on her as he fucked her with a wild intensity.
“I want you every second of every day.” His thrusts punctuated his words, thick and guttural. “That’s not the problem.”

“Please,” she gasped, unable to frame more than that. “Please.”
“When I say.” He thrust in and out, the sensation so intense, shattering. Unreal.
With his other hand, he gathered her breasts together, squeezing them, and she cried at it,
a long stream of pleas. The forestalled orgasm seemed as agonizing as any of it. He accelerated his pace, smacking into her hips so hard she had to brace against the glass.
“Now!” He shouted, simultaneously dragging off the clamps and pinching her clit, ramming to the hilt inside her.
She screamed. Flung far from the earth, fired into orbit by the incredible release. Rocket fuel. Nuclear fission.
She blasted into tiny fragments of who she’d been.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | ARe | Carina

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Legacy of Fear by Ryshia Kennie

Format: E-booklegacyoffear
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Beyond the Page Publishing
Hero: Max True
Heroine: Andra Vandersan
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: October 21, 2014
Started On: January 4, 2015
Finished On: January 12, 2015

“Find my heart. Find my girl.”

Legacy of Fear by Ryshia Kennie was one of those reads that I had to force myself to finish because I had difficulties in connecting with the main protagonists in the story. Andra Vandersan, an expert code breaker teams up with Max True, a world-class linguist in order to find the clues behind a mysterious message that Max receives, that plunges both their lives in danger.

Set in Hong Kong, which was a unique aspect to the novel, Andra & Max find themselves dodging the criminal elite of Hong Kong in their attempt to see that the lengths to which the person who has sent them the clues had gone would not be in vain. A doll and a cryptic note. An ancient women’s language and the secrets it hides that kills is the reason Max and Andra engage in a race with time, their connection which had begun way before the start of the story forging into something much greater as the danger closes in around them.

While the mystery aspect of the story had intriguing bits to it, as I mentioned earlier, my main complaint lies in being unable to connect with either Max or Andra. Both are okay characters on their own. But the suddenness of which Max turned up at Andra’s doorstep, the fact that there is a history between Andra and Max that is not delved into in a satisfactory manner as the story progressed made it feel like there should be a whole other book in which that aspect of their shared past should be explained. I felt at a loss, unable to fully accept the attraction and the culmination of that desire on both their parts; something that didn’t move me, at all.

Perhaps I am missing something here, but I didn’t see any reference to a book which details the pasts of the characters, nor how they met and how their connection had forged. It’d have been so good to see that aspect of their relationship come to life, even if not in detail.

I found myself more intrigued with a certain lethal force that is part of the story; reminded me of the bad boy, almost irredeemable heroes that Anne Stuart creates. His love for the woman that has held his heart for eons was one that moved me more than Max and Andra’s relationship did, and that is telling in itself.

Recommended for fans who would like to read a romantic suspense set in a different setting.

Final Verdict: Legacy of Fear delivers mystery that intrigues.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | ARe | SmashWords

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Hush by Anne Frasier

Format: E-bookhush.png
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Penguin Putnam
Hero: Max Irving
Heroine: Ivy Dunlap
Sensuality: NA
Date of Publication: September 24, 2010
Started On: December 28, 2014
Finished On: January 4, 2015

“It’s happening again,” was all he said. It was all he had to say.

Criminal profiler Ivy Dunlop receives the call that she had been waiting for for the past sixteen years, since the murder of her son at the hands of a serial killer dubbed as “The Madonna Murderer”. Ivy had barely escaped death herself and has been awaiting the day when she would be able to avenge a loss that has left her with its blazing mark on her.

Chief Homicide Detective Max Irving doesn’t like it when he is ordered to “babysit” the criminal profiler from Canada. Its not like they weren’t receiving enough assistance from agencies already. But Ivy’s unique insight into the killer owing to her relationship with the case makes Max change his mind.

Hush is not a romantic suspense but rather a full on suspense novel that has the bare elements of a connection forged between the leads Max and Ivy that leaves readers like myself begging for just a tad more. I had no idea when I picked this up to read that Anne Frasier is in fact Theresa Weir, whose books I have previously enjoyed.

The writing style is evocative, drawing you deeper into the dark spell that the killer weaves. A killer with definite mummy issues, The Madonna Killer’s sudden re-emmergence after a long hiatus leaves the police reeling in its wake, trying to do their best with the limited resources to unravel who the killer is.

Though Ivy has studied criminal psychology and is considered a criminal profiler, her limited experience in the field shows when she turns up to assist Max in the case. Max himself has his own issues going, with his son Ethan, whose background itself lends an edge to the story.

I loved the descriptive writing, the haunting expressions. The backstories were told in a manner that left my heart aching and I wanted so much more for the characters before the story was through. There were certain unfinished threads to the story when it ended, and I don’t mean any sort of romantic elements since the story isn’t categorized as one to begin with. That made the story feel a little less well rounded though I enjoyed the sadistic and creepy killer brought to light with the “reel-you-in” style of writing by Anne Frasier.

Recommended for fans of suspense novels.

Final Verdict: Hush is a novel that is procedural without sounding dry & leaves you wanting more!

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Not Quite a Wife by Mary Jo Putney

Format: E-booknotquiteawife
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: The Lost Lords, #6
Publisher: Zebra Books
Hero: James, Lord Kirkland
Heroine: Laurel Herbert
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: May 1, 2014
Started On: December 24, 2014
Finished On: December 28, 2014

Marry in haste, repent at leisure.

Not Quite a Wife by Mary Jo Putney is my first read from the author. Book 6 in The Lost Lords series, Not Quite a Wife’s title reminded me of Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas and I expected something similar to that when I requested for the title on Netgalley. And though the story didn’t deliver the exact sort of tale that I was expecting and I found myself a tad bit disappointed in the story, there were aspects to it that worked for me that kept the pages turning.

James, Lord Kirkland is a spymaster and quite a wealthy one at that. Ten years back, James had fallen in love with the Laurel Herbert and married her quite soon after they’d met for the first time. But their love had been a short lived one, or rather a love that had been tested by the other side of his life, a life steeped in violence when required. The fact that Laurel had told him that she never wanted to see him again is the reason James stays away, though his heart bleeds from the loneliness of their separation.

Laurel is the co-founder of a shelter for the abused along with her brother. The life that she had carved out for herself after she had turned away from James is one that she is content with, though the thought that she would never be able to have any children of her own with divorce being a non-option from her estranged husband leaves her feeling bleak. That is until James lands in her life yet again and a sequence of events finds her pregnant with his child.

Thus a pact is made; all that James asks of her is to give him a chance, give them a chance to find out whether they can make their relationship work, for the sake of their unborn child. I loved the premise of the story. It is rare to read historical romances where the lead heroine ventures into issues such as taking care of the abused and the less fortunate in the society. Laurel’s heart is a pure one, and James sees nothing but good in her. She is the light that brightens up his otherwise dark soul and when she took leave, that light had been extinguished from his life for ten long years until James is given the chance to make things work again.

And yet, the violence that is part of James’s life is one that comes to light yet again, driving Laurel to seek a way to move past that particular factor that repels her very core. Though I understood that Laurel’s upbringing hadn’t really prepared her for violence of the sort that James is familiar with, I found myself liking her a little bit less because of her attitude towards James, a man who had been nothing but kind, loving and ardent when it comes to her. I found that for someone like Laurel who is smart and has seen the dark side that life has to offer in the eyes of the abused that comes seeking shelter with her, yet she cannot seem to see past the violence that shrouds James’s life.

I loved James. For me, he was the only reason the story worked to the level it did. He is kind, loving, strong, sweet, loyal and yet lethal as well. The lack left behind by Laurel in my opinion was partly taken care of by James, whose character I absolutely adored. The one unique aspect to the story that I liked was the music that James and Laurel makes together. That opened a doorway to reconciling a lot of issues that existed between James and Laurel.

Recommended for fans of Mary Jo Putney.

Final Verdict: Not Quite a Wife; a story  that explores a second chance at love & marriage.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | eBookMall | iTunes

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: The Best Kind of Trouble by Lauren Dane

Format: E-bookthebestkindoftrouble
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: The Hurley Boys, #1
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Patrick Michael Hurley
Heroine: Natalie Clayton
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: August 26, 2014
Started On: December 22, 2014
Finished On: December 24, 2014

Natalie Clayton is the librarian of the small town Hood River. Natalie has a good life going for herself, a life in which she controls what happens to her and the situations that she puts herself in. She is not at all ready for someone from her past to come and shake it all up, be it that the person in question is Patrick Michael Hurley (Paddy) with whom she had had some of the best sex of her life fifteen years back.

Paddy is used to women fawning over him. Being a rockstar makes it easy for him to get any woman he wants. Almost too easy. When Natalie at first acts like she doesn’t remember him, Paddy is more than taken aback; he is intrigued. And an intrigued Paddy who becomes interested in pursuing a woman who seems determined to say no to him at every turn is something that Paddy can’t turn away from. Paddy remembers the good times that he and Natalie had shared and he wants that back with a vengeance that surprises even him.

The Best Kind of Trouble is my second read by Lauren Dane. The humorous undertone to the story as it kicked off gave off the vibes that this would be a read well worth delving into. And turned out I wasn’t wrong in assuming as I did. Paring someone like Paddy who is laidback, who has got all the confidence in the world when it comes to women with someone like Natalie is enough to keep the pages turning.

Unlike I presumed, the character who comes with the most baggage is Natalie. Her past, the fact that she had never been in control of her life back then proves to be a deterrent as she tries to forge her way into the future with Paddy. Coursing through uncharted waters, Paddy and his lovable family certainly helps along and one cannot be help but be enchanted by the various secondary characters that comes to light. I can’t help but want to read Ezra and Tuesday’s story which I think is up for grabs next. With equally screwed up pasts, their story seems to be one that would give quite the angst filled ride!

I loved the realistic edge to The Best Kind of Trouble. The stages through which Natalie and Paddy’s relationship developed was well delved into in my opinion. How they were individually two different people who could exist on their own just fine but together they become infinitely better was one that echoed through me as I read through the last pages. Natalie’s hang ups were well deserved and I totally understood where she was coming from. And I totally loved the fact that Paddy had to work to win Natalie’s affections when his effortless charm had pretty much guaranteed the ladies in his life before.

With panty melting variety of sex scenes in the mix, Lauren Dane brings to readers and her long term fans a series steeped with familial ties, humor, rock and roll and of course sex of the kind that would knock your socks off. Well worth a read!

Final Verdict: Downright sexy & a helluva lot of wholesome! Recommended!

Favorite Quotes

He lowered his head, and she went to her tiptoes to meet him halfway for a kiss.
Ha, kiss was such a mild word for what it was.
She wove her fingers through his hair and tugged to keep him there. If she was going to make a really bad decision, she wasn’t going to do it halfway.
Plus, he was really good at kissing.
He traced her bottom lip with the tip of his tongue and then nipped hard enough to make her gasp. That’s when he barged right into her mouth and turned her knees to jelly.

“I really need to come, Nat. But I won’t until you do. Do it for me.” He grinned, and she groaned, moving to lean her head on his shoulder.
“Is that your version of do it for America? Or just the tip?”
Startled, he snorted a laugh until her body tightened around his, and she bit his shoulder hard as she came. He snarled, pulling her down on him, holding her in place as he pushed deep, as hard and deep as he could and followed her.

His mouth dried up. “Are those…are you wearing… stockings?”
She looked down at herself and then back at him with a smirk. “I do believe so, yes. Can I tell you a secret, Patrick?”
He gulped and nodded. She laid the skirt on a chair and pulled her blouse off, leaving her in nothing more than a pretty bra, barely there underpants and stockings.
She moved to him, climbing on her bed, hands and knees to him. She straddled his lap, and he leaned for- ward, burying his face in her cleavage until everything was perfect.
“Tell me your secret, then, Natalie.”
“I like wearing stockings. I like it when the breeze blows up my skirt and I can feel the difference between where my legs are covered and where they aren’t. It’s like a dirty secret right there under the fabric.”
“Christ.”

It seemed to stretch—climax and this moment between them where she was laid bare to this man, where he was open to her because he allowed her to see inside him. Whatever it was, she’d never experienced it before, and it left her raw. In the best kind of way.
He groaned, pushing so deep, the muscles in her thighs burned a little as he held them wide with his hips. Her name was a snarl on his lips as he came, and she liked it that way. Liked knowing she filled him with the same sort of savage need he did her.

It was too much and not quite enough until he nudged her feet apart and the head of his cock pushed against her, entering her in one slow but insistent thrust.
The joy of it filled her, arced up her spine, swelled her heart. He held her, bringing her pleasure as he made love to her. And as dirty and hard as it was, it was making love. Even when it was fucking, it was that. She wasn’t a faceless, nameless groupie; she wasn’t mean- ingless or a person he was with to pass the time. She was someone with him.
Someone to him.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | ARe | HQ | eBookMall | iTunes

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Her Risk to Take by Toni Anderson

Format: E-bookherrisktotake
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Her, #2.5
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Caleb Landon
Heroine: Sarah Sullivan
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: December 15, 2014
Started On: December 13, 2014
Finished On: December 13, 2014

Her Risk to Take by Toni Anderson was an absolute delight of a novella. Ms. Anderson voiced some misgivings about writing novellas when she sent this to me. Well let me tell you, those misgivings were completely 100% misguided if Her Risk to Take is anything to judge Ms. Anderson’s talents in penning novellas by. An author who has continuously delivered with her books ever since she began publishing her stories, Toni Anderson is definitely an author you ought to be reading if you aren’t already a fan.

Her Risk to Take is set in the Her series. This is completely readable as a standalone so you need not worry if you aren’t already acquainted with the series. Perhaps, if you are new to Ms. Anderson, this just might be the perfect place to start sampling her writing because Her Risk to Take certainly turned out to be a scrumptious tale told within just 80 or so pages.

Ex-con Caleb Landon (Cal) lives his life, constantly looking over his shoulder, wondering when his past would catch up with him and tear him away from everything that he loves and holds dear to his heart. Though he has done his time for the crime he committed, Cal lives with a guilt in his heart that makes him think that he is not for the likes of Sarah Sullivan, the woman who owns his heart.

Sarah, an ER doctor at the County Hospital, is tired of waiting around for Cal to make a move. She decides to take matters into her own hands and seduce Cal into seeing things her way, hopefully of a shared lifetime together. But Cal is extremely skittish considering the danger that might befall the Sullivan family and especially Sarah if he is to stay around. It is actually when danger comes calling that Cal finds himself reassessing his priorities and taking a good hard look at what he might be giving up if he were to take the cowards way out.

Like I said earlier, Her Risk to Take was absolutely wonderful. I loved the pace, the setting and the characters that tugged my heartstrings and made me fall like a ton of hot bricks for them. I loved Sarah. Her dedication, fierceness, spirit and fire were qualities that I adored. There is solid goodness in every inch of her and that is evident in every step that she takes. I loved her take charge attitude and the fact that she was willing to risk it all for love. That in my opinion takes immense courage when the other end of the stick might end up being heartbreak of the kind you might never survive.

That brings me to Cal. Sigh! Cal is the strong, silent type of hero that broods and yet is as gentle as they come, and hotter than sin between the sheets. Cal’s lifelong tendency of thinking that he would never be good enough for Sarah, especially given his dark past gave the angst to this little number. I love a hero who doesn’t say much but feels so so much and Cal fits the picture perfectly. And ladies, he is tattooed to boot, so there is that added deliciousness that just took my breathe away. Needless to say, I flat out loved, loved, loved Cal.

Her Risk to Take delivered the right balance of romance, sensuality, the good variety of angst and love. The danger that came calling was just the icing on the cake for me. Recommended!

Final Verdict: Her Risk to Take; delivers an emotional avalanche of the good kind!

Favorite Quotes

She started stroking him, tip to root, and shivered in anticipation. She’d spent a lot of time imagining this. He seemed to hold his breath. She used her tongue on his back, tracing skin she’d seen but never tasted. Then, just when she thought he was going to say “what the hell are you doing?” he put his hand over hers and increased the pressure of her grip. He groaned and thrust against her palm, and she could feel his whole body trembling. “I’m dreaming.”

Don’t you want me, Cal?” she asked, circling him again with her other hand. The words were supposed to be a challenge, but came out more like a plea. His hands finally moved, grabbing her by the ass and bringing her closer. He sat up as he pulled her down onto him; her eyes closed as pleasure blasted her. She sank down, taking him deep, and cried out as her body exploded. She came that easily.
That’s what happened when you went years fantasizing about a guy and finally got him where you wanted him.

She’d expected Cal to be a gentle, controlled lover—he did everything else with such slow reverence, especially around her. He treated her like she was sweet sixteen and never been kissed. But this was wild, this was ferocious, and she was right there with him, nails scraping his skin, striving to get even closer as he pounded into her body with no more reverence than a stag rutting in the forest.
She loved it.

He shifted her up the bed until her knees were draped over his shoulders, and he was eating her up with small bites and licks until she began trembling on the edge of release. He wanted to torment her for hours, but her hands crept between his legs, and she found him again, her fingers strong and agile—knowledgeable. His eyes crossed, and he almost came on the spot.
She was nothing like he’d imagined. She was infinitely more.

“Enough?” he asked.
“No. No!”
He drove forward until he was planted to the hilt, surrounded by wet molten heat that made him want to weep. They were face to face, his eyes lined up with her eyes. His lips lined up with her lips.
He’d never kissed her.
This was the second time he’d been inside her, but he hadn’t kissed her yet—not properly. He stopped moving, dipped his head, and his heart shattered when she rose up to meet him, kissing him gently, reverently, like he was special.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Kobo | iTunes

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Deadly Fallout by Katie Reus

Format: E-bookdeadlyfallout.png
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: Red Stone Security, #10
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Sawyer McCabe
Heroine: Zoe Hansen
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: December 9, 2014
Started On: December 11, 2014
Finished On: December 11, 2014

Deadly Fallout by Katie Reus is the 10th book in her Red Stone Security series. Do not be put off by the fact that this is the 10th book in an ongoing series. I am here to attest to the fact this is completely readable as a standalone since I myself picked Deadly Fallout as my very first introduction into the series.

Dr. Zoe Hansen is a surgeon, is forced to move her job and start afresh after a stalker gets too close to comfort. But 7 months later, Zoe finds her newfound peace once again shattered by the very same man. When her stalker gets murdered, Zoe would think that the days of her having to look over her shoulder are over. But far from it as Zoe finds herself saddled with a more vindictive version this time around, who is willing to play dirty to get to her.

Sawyer McCabe is the freshest recruit to the Red Stone Security. Having served as a SEAL for most of his life, his retirement from the military comes at a time he had wanted to. When Sawyer finds out that Zoe with whom he has a bit of a shared “past” with is in danger, every muscle in his body gets ready to fight, to fight to save the woman who has the power to bring him down to his very knees.

Deadly Fallout is such a great book. I ended up finishing it in one sitting because it served a story that begged the pages to be turned. Both Zoe and Sawyer are characters you’d definitely fall in love with. I did. Zoe is a heroine who is strong and independent in the truest sense. Able to stand up for herself but not stupid enough to want to prove something to everyone that she can do it all alone. Tough, smart and loyal; an unbeatable combination when it comes to a heroine. Flat out loved her!

Sawyer, oh my dear Sawyer; there’s something about heroes named Sawyer. Strong, honorable and sexy to boot, Sawyer is the type of hero to suck out the oxygen in a room just by walking into it. There’s an intensity to him that is hidden but the fire that burns and consumes him when it comes to Zoe breaks it all out to the forefront and that in itself was a mighty heady and delicious experience.

The villain was easy enough to figure out towards the latter part of the book but nevertheless the stalker crazy element to the whole thing gave the story the edge that it required. Definitely quite the interesting side characters that I would love to get to know better. Perhaps I will pick up a book or two in the series and give them a go. Some of the plots sound quite intriguing! Definitely recommended!

Final Verdict: Delivers fast paced suspense & scorching sexual heat!

Favorite Quotes

Without thinking, she leaned forward and brushed her lips over his, softly. He stiffened slightly and she wanted to die of embarrassment. Maybe she’d made a mistake, misread the—
Sawyer crushed his mouth over hers, moaning into her mouth like a starving man.
She clutched his shoulders and suddenly found herself flat on her back on the bed, one of his thighs between her legs as they kissed.

From the party, he knew the layout of her house so he moved quickly across the tile—until she lifted up against him and impaled herself on him.
He sucked in a breath, his head snapping back from hers. Groaning as he filled her, she arched her back against him, her nipples stroking his chest with the movement. They weren’t going to make it to the living room. “Wall or floor?” he managed.
“Wall.” He loved that she didn’t even pause in her answer.

“Come for me,” he murmured as he pulled out of her again, almost fully, before sliding back in with a groan. She was so damn tight. “I want to feel you coming on my cock.”
It was like his words set something off inside her. Her breathing hitched and her inner walls, which had already been incredibly tight around him, started rippling. She buried her face against his neck and bit down lightly, groaning against him as she found another orgasm.

She hadn’t made it past the threshold before he was behind her, on her, his big hands clutching her hips as he tugged her back flush to his torso. His skin was hot against her back. The skin on skin was too much and not enough.
He let out a soft growl as his hands slid up her hips, spanning her waist and stomach before cupping her breasts. He didn’t touch her nipples though, just held her gently.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Hour of Need by Melinda Leigh

Format: E-bookhourofneed
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Scarlet Falls, #1
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Hero: Grant Barrett
Heroine: Ellie Ross
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: December 9, 2014
Started On: December 7, 2014
Finished On: December 9, 2014

Hour of Need by Melinda Leigh is her debut book in the Scarlet Falls series. Featuring a military hero and a heroine who finds herself in the midst of a mess because she’d just been in the opportune place, Hour of Need is a story that captivated me from start to end. Though I have a bit more time to spare than before these days, I seldom have the urge to stay up late up till dawn, just because I HAD to know how a story ended. Hour of Need did that to me. And that itself tells a story.

Major Grant Barrett is the oldest of the four Garrett siblings. Having spent more than half his life training to become a soldier and dedicating his life to moving up the ranks, Grant is in Afghanistan when he gets the news of the murders of his brother Lee and his wife Kate. Reeling from the impact, Grant makes it home to sort out Lee’s affairs, to determine what to do with their two kids and perhaps find out why Lee and Kate had been killed.

Set in the small town of Scarlet Falls, Melinda weaves a tale that is highly readable, that compels you to turn the pages. Ellie Ross lives next door to Kate and Lee with her daughter Julia and her grandmother. While Ellie and Grant’s paths had crossed before when he’d been on leave the last time, Ellie and Grant both ignore the flare of attraction that is between them, Ellie because she has been burnt before by living in the moment and has no intention of doing it ever again and Grant because he has nothing to offer towards a family life when he is all about the army and making General.

The various characters that you meet in the story just makes it more intriguing. The web of mystery in the story is finely wrought and it has been a while since the villain turned out to be a surprise for me and Hour of Need managed to do just that. There are multiple threads in the story that takes the story to its ultimate conclusion. There is the Barrett family reunion, the siblings having drifted apart as each had sought to live lives of their choosing. Then there is the aspect of the story that deals with looking after Lee’s children, not an easy job given that no one in the Barrett family has much experience in dealing with kids and babies. It was heartwarming to see how it all came together and I felt this warm glow inside of me because Hour of Need, though it deals with a disturbing subject, somehow managed to make me feel good too.

Like I said above, Hour of Need is a story that deals with a disturbing subject. Bullying and its effect on the young ones, how it can go so wrong that there is absolutely no going back. I liked the fact that Ms. Leigh portrayed the aspects related to bullying in a way that it drove home a message and also delivered that edge to the story which made the heart pound. It’s like you know that the only way down is by jumping and by jumping the only inevitability is a terrifying death that awaits you.

Now lets talk about Major Grant Barrett *rubs hands together in glee*. From the moment you meet Grant, he holds every cell of yours attentive to him and him alone. There are heroes who are sexy without making an effort; Grant is one of those. He walks in, the room feels charged and that is because Ms. Leigh does a fantastic job out of creating and keeping the sexual tension between Ellie and Grant in pace with the rest of the story. Ellie’s tendency to mistrust Grant at first was definitely in line with her character, and realistic if you ask me. All in all, I would have to say, both Ellie and Grant are characters that you’d love.

With a beautiful ending of the heartwarming variety, Hour of Need leaves me with just one question. Are Hannah and Detective McNamara going to get their own happily ever after? The evil person that I am, I would love to explore the tension that is between them.

Final Verdict: Disturbing, spine tingling & heartwarming! Definitely recommended.

Favorite Quotes

A small shudder passed through him, followed by a wave of need he couldn’t explain or deny, except that his soul was an empty shell. He pressed his lips to hers and let the taste of her fill the void inside him. Instead of resisting, she clutched his shirt and let him in. What started out tender and innocent shifted. desire warmed him and pooled low in his groin. A hungry groan eased out of her throat.

“We shouldn’t do this.” With an answering groan, he slid his hands under her shirt. his rough palms scraped up her rib cage.
But it wasn’t enough.
“Definitely not.” She pushed him away and ripped her shirt over her head, flinging it over her shoulder. her bra followed. Cool air rushed across hot skin. Her nipples budded as if he’d touched them. She’d been holding back on her impulses her entire life. Baring her body to him was liberating.

“You know I’m not staying in town. I have to go back. This isn’t a good idea.”
“I know.” But Ellie cupped her own breast and raised a playful eyebrow at him. She brushed a thumb across her nipple and reveled as grant’s mouth dropped open. She’d never been a bad girl, not even in high school. She’d simply made one mistake. But now she felt positively wicked.
It felt wonderful. Freeing. exhilarating.

Hands clutching the backs of her thighs, he lifted her and entered her with one steady, wet slide. The fit of their bodies was perfect, combining to make one whole being.
“Yes.” This was what she needed. him. She clutched his shoulders. “Grant.”
The heat of his skin fused with hers. His mouth was on the side of her neck, his lips near her ear. he retreated and surged into her again. Her body responded with an electric wave of pleasure that started in her center and spread outward through her limbs.
“Ellie.”

He nudged inside her, intending to be gentle. But pleasure flooded him, and his body surged into her without input from his brain. She bowed backward.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why did you stop?” She arched, her heels digging into his ass, pulling him even deeper.
“I thought I’d hurt you.” he panted, his muscles shaking with the effort of holding still.
“Obviously not.” her hips moved beneath him. “Now stop thinking. That’s an order.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N

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