Category / Awesome Read

Rating of 4.25 Stars

by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones

Format: E-bookescapingreality
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Series: The Secret Life of Amy Bensen, #1
Publisher: Julie Patra Publishing
Hero: Liam Stone
Heroine: Amy Bensen
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: July 22, 2013
Started On: July 17, 2013
Finished On: July 20, 2013

His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.

Liam Stone is a reclusive billionaire and philanthropist, a brilliant architect whose work is coveted by anyone and everyone who wants to make a long lasting impression in terms of building architecture and landmarks. A man who hugs his own demons far too close to comfort, Liam is a man used to taking charge, going after what he wants and winning.

Amy Bensen is a woman who is on the run, who has been on the run since she’d been 18 years old. Blending in with the rest is what does best, drawing attention to herself something that makes her palpitate in the fear that whatever or whoever she is running from would get the best of her.

Amy and Liam’s paths cross when the unseen danger comes calling once again, requiring her to leave whatever semblance of normalcy she has had for the past couple of years and leave everything behind. With the attraction and sense of awareness that trickles to life between them real and hard to ignore even from the very start, Amy finds herself breaking all her self appointed rules when it comes to Liam and how utterly and thoroughly he wreaks havoc on all her senses. Told in first person from Amy’s point of view alone, Escaping Reality is the first book in the two book series, The Secret Life of Amy Bensen.

Escaping Reality is my very first book by the New York Times Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones. Amy’s story is one that calls out to the reader, one there is no escape from once you start reading. With the turn of each page, Lisa embroils you deeper into the unfolding relationship between the darkly handsome Liam, whose contrasting nature of being demanding in the bedroom and protective out of it tugs at your heartstrings.

Liam is a force to be reckoned with. One doesn’t assume the role of being a billionaire after having grown up barely making ends meet without becoming one. His utter focus on Amy and uncovering the secrets that makes her flinch away from life and all the possibilities it has to offer is one that compels the reader to keep turning the pages. There is a darker side to Liam, a side that he mostly hides from the rest of the world. The moment of desperation that revealed that side of him was in essence the point where I felt myself get drawn deeper into his character.

Amy has been running for so long, looking over her shoulder for the danger in pursuit of her, from the bits and pieces of memories that haunt and taunt her for so long that its almost as if she has known no other way of life. Liam is the rule breaker, the man who disturbs and destructs all the plans she has laid out in her mind to play her role in the game of survival that has become her life for the past six years.

Amy might want to turn around and run, run as far away as she can from Liam and all that he comes to mean to her in the short span of time that takes to form the bond between them, but something holds her back, the need within her that spirals out of control every time Liam lays his eyes on her. It is her undying need to be with him and protect him from her at all and any cost that finally makes Amy take that vital step towards seeking answers for the questions that has always been at the back of her mind, never being answered for the lack of courage within her to step in that direction.

Escaping Reality of course concludes with a cliffhanger ending which leaves the reader practically itching to find how the series will conclude, the curiosity which will only be sated coming October.

Final Verdict: Relentless; with the hint of danger & darkness snapping at the heels of the turn of every page, Escaping Reality is an unstoppable page-turner!

Favorite Quotes

His fingers curve around my neck, tugging my mouth near his, teasing me with the promise of a kiss. “You have no idea just how demanding I can be.” And with that erotic promise, his tongue slices into my mouth, a silky, hot caress that seems to touch every inch of my now tingling body. The taste of him, of hot passion and desire, sizzles through my senses, and my fingers splay on the hard wall of his chest.

He advances on me and I swallow the rest of my sentence. I start to back away but he is already in front of me, his hands on my waist. I suck in a breath, and just that fast, I’m on the counter, skirt up, knees apart, and the fingers of one of his hands tunnel into my hair. His mouth slants over mine, his tongue licking into my mouth, and he doesn’t taste tender. Not one little bit. He tastes like the raw, honest passion he’s promised this night will hold. And he tastes like me.

There is just the wild passion consuming us, and he is touching me, moving inside me, and I am going crazy with my hands tied. I want to touch him. I need to touch him.
He is on edge too, his grip tightening around my hips, his face buried in my neck, and with a guttural moan, he pushes harder, deeper, and my sex is one deep pulse around his shaft that begins a wave of pleasure and spreads through my entire body. I am there. I am falling, tumbling, and finally, I crash into that sweet spot.

Purchase Links: Amazon

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Beat of Temptation by Nalini Singh

Format: E-bookbeatoftemptation
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Psy-Changeling, #0.5
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Hero: Nathan Ryder
Heroine: Tamsyn Mahaire
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: October 2, 2007
Started On: July 12, 2013
Finished On: July 13, 2013

29 year old Nathan Ryder (Nate) is one of DarkRiver’s top soldiers, who is soon on the way to becoming a sentinel.

19 year old Tamsyn Mahaire (Tamsyn) is DarkRiver’s healer who assumes her position at the tender age of 17, taking on a responsibility that would have broken a woman of lesser strength and maturity.

Few Changelings get to recognise and meet their mate so early in life. A bond that can never be broken, much less ignored without being slowly killed on the inside, Nate and Tamsyn recognise the fact that they are mates the day Tamsyn turns 15 years old. But Nate resists taking what’s rightfully his, leading Tamsyn to think that he might actually not want her as his mate unlike her who wants him and all of him with everything in her being .

This novella is set at the very beginning of the series, much earlier than even Lucas’s story, ‘Slave to Sensation’ that is the 1st book in the Psy-Changeling series. Set in San Francisco, Beat of Temptation is told from both Tamsyn & Nate’s points of view.

Anyone who loves this series would have an innate sense of curiosity to learn about the stories of the various couples you encounter in the series that have already settled down and lend considerable fodder to the story as secondary characters. Tamsyn and Nate are one of those couples that you always come across and it was while reading ‘Mine to Possess’ that I was actually thinking along the lines that I would love to know about them too! And to my delighted surprise, there it was, the story of Nate and Tamsyn, tucked inside the anthology ‘An Enchanted Christmas’.

Beat of Temptation is quite the angst-ridden read, much more so than any other book in the series I have read to date. Nate resisting a bond that is a visceral part of both of them is painful in the extreme. With the sexual need as well as the need to be held which is an aspect of Changelings that is essential for their survival, Tamsyn feels torn on the inside and the animal inside of her breaks with too many rejections to count.

Though Nate’s reasons for holding back are quite understandable given his past, the fact that he makes his mate believe that she is not important enough in his life in his misguided attempts to keep her at arms lengths lends that gut wrenching quality to the story which I absolutely loved.

I fell in love with Nate, just like Tamsyn did, when he buys her violets, a flower so delicate which is symbolic of the love they share more than anything else. Loved the little epilogue tucked at the end which just made me want my own Changeling hero to pet and stroke and to be petted in return.

The only thing that disappointed me was the fact that there wasn’t even one good solid sex scene in Beat of Temptation. The sexual tension between Tamsyn and Nate is one that can be cut through with a knife and to not get anything out of all that honest to goodness tension was a bit of a letdown.

Recommended for fans of the series & those who are curious about stories of other secondary characters already settled down with their mates.

Final Verdict: Beat of Temptation echoes like a beat of want in your body. Nate & Tamsyn are a must-read!

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Holiday Sparks by Taryn Elliott

Format: E-bookholidaysparks
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Hero: Ben Hartley
Heroine: Darcy Tucker
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: December 21, 2012
Started On: July 4, 2013
Finished On: July 5, 2013

Ben Hartley is a tattoo artist who also happens to be Darcy’s tenant. Darcy Tucker is the front end manager of the elite Blackstone’s Department Store. Work practically dictates her life and she has time for little else.

Ben loves Christmas and the festive season that goes along with it. He learns the hard way that Darcy, who is way far too appealing for his peace of mind does not when he ends up using his ingenuity to decorate her home and light it up for the whole neighborhood to admire. A quirky sequence of events however has Darcy asking for Ben’s help, which gives them both the opportunity to explore what they could have together if they are willing to take that chance.

With a contemporary setting and told from both Ben and Darcy’s points of view, Holiday Sparks was a beauty to lose myself in. I frikking loved Ben, which should not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. I mean I loved him so much that I felt a tiny frisson of jealousy over the fact that author Cari Quinn practically owned him even before the story made its way to the rest of the readers.

There’s no reason whatsoever not to like a man who has a wicked sense of humor. That is always a major turn-on factor as far as I am concerned. Add to that the take-your-clothes-off-now variety of good looks and tattooed bad-assness that hides a sensitive and fun loving guy; well, there’s very little possibility for anyone to screw it up with a man like him.

Ben is the direct opposite of Darcy who is ambitious and driven enough to not let her focus on her end goals be swayed by anything until she takes notice of Ben who lives right under her nose. It doesn’t mean that Ben is someone without his own goals and focus in life. Rather Ben is the type willing to have a little bit of fun along the way to his ultimate goal. When circumstances forces Darcy to get to know Ben up close and personal, its hard for her to walk away from the man who makes her feel like the most precious and desired woman on the planet.

I loved the intense love scenes in the book more so than the tender ones. Not that I didn’t love the tender ones too! I found that the intense ones brought to light just how into each other Ben and Darcy were and showed the changing flavors of their relationship in the most scorching and panty melting way possible!

Overall a book that surprised me and held me enthralled in equal doses. What more can a gal ask for?

Recommended for fans of holiday themed romances with a lot of snarky humor & heat! And also fans of Taryn Elliott.

Final Verdict: A story that delivers a love that sparkles & shines in all the ways that matter!

Favorite Quotes

She sucked in all the air in the room. And it still wasn’t enough. Her body trembled as he kept the constant circular pressure. The safe warmth was gone, leaving her raging inside. She searched out for something to grab, anything to hold on to. Fisting the blankets, she pushed back against him. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as she sobbed through the tearing release. His name was a keening cry ripped from her lungs.

She sobbed into his shoulder. It was just the only way for all the pressure and the pleasure to release from her. He buried his forehead into her shoulder as he panted against her. His body still sought refuge in hers. His thrusts grew into a madness that didn’t seem to know how to blow itself out.
She clamped her legs around his hips and held on to him as they finally both broke into too many pieces to ever comprehend.

He plunged inside her. Ocean-scented sex curled around them. Her fingernails bit into his shoulders as she rode him harder. The way she sobbed his name with the racking shudders that chased her orgasm kicked him into the beyond.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Ellora’s Cave | B&N

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Life of the Party by Kate Davies

Format: E-booklifeoftheparty
Read with: Bluefire Reader for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Girls Most Likely To…, #3
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Jeremy Wright
Heroine: Tess Bonham
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: July 8, 2013
Started On: July 1, 2013
Finished On:July 1, 2013

Hero: Jeremy Wright moves to Silverton as the hotel manager & finds that he has a reason to stay in the woman he befriends and has crushed on for a long while.

Heroine: Tess Bonham is known as the ‘Life of the Party’, not because she has partied hard but rather the opposite. She’s the one who organises and arranges events and the one everyone depends upon; sometimes to the extent of taking advantage of her.

Storyline: Life of the Party is the 3rd and final book in the Girls Most Likely To… series by Kate Davies. The story revolves around Tess and her hot and wild affair which begins as a friends-with-benefits arrangement, or so she thinks. Little does Tess know that Jeremy has a whole lot of other plans for that involves her that stretches into a long, long while. 

Setting: Life of the Party is set in the small town of Silverton and is told from both Tess and Jeremy’s points of view.

Likes: By far, Life of the Party is my favourite from the series. Main reason being that I loved both Tess and Jeremy, perhaps because they’d both been around a bit in the previous books and I felt like I knew them somehow. Kate has done a wonderful job in creating a believable sense of connection between Jeremy and Tess and I couldn’t have asked for more in a novel of this length.

Jeremy is the kind of hero I love best. He has a wicked sense of humour that got to me right from the very beginning. Though younger than Tess, Jeremy seems very mature and though has been hurt before doesn’t bring along all those nightmares into his relationship with Tess. I am a goner for a hero who utters the endearment ‘sweetheart’ and I found myself practically swooning every time Jeremy flashed that wicked grin of his and uttered hot dirty talk that revved up more than Tess’s engines.

Tess is quite the loveable character in her own right. I loved the fact that she’s the sort of person who goes above and beyond for the people that she cares about. Her self esteem requires a bit of a boost which Jeremy certainly helps along with and I found the way Tess was worried she might mess things up with Jeremy so endearing and relatable! And I loved, loved, loved the way Jeremy brought to life the wicked side of the otherwise prim, proper and conservative Tess.

The fact that Jeremy and Tess can be themselves around each other and still want each other to the extent they do; that’s what made this book a winner in my opinion.

Dislikes: None.

Recommended for: Fans of Kate Davies; fans of the series & fans of older women-younger hero romances.

Final Verdict: Jeremy, oh dear Jeremy. You’ve made me a believer of dirty talkin’.

Favorite Quotes

A grin spread across his face.
“C’mere.”
“Right here?” She looked around, heat crawling up her neck. The sounds of the pub employees moving around outside clearly filtered into the little room.
“Right here, right now.” He held out his hand and she took it, hoping her trembling fingers wouldn’t give her nervousness away. “I’ve been wanting to do this all day.”
He tugged her closer, bringing their bodies into contact, and wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her own hand behind her. Then he lowered his head and kissed her.

“Jeremy,” she said, her voice pleased. “When did you get—”
Her sentence cut off as he pulled her out the door into the alley behind the pub. Turning her around, he pressed her up against the rough brick exterior, stepped between her legs and kissed her.
Within moments, he was achingly, ragingly hard. He rocked into her, letting her feel how much he wanted her, and she moaned into his mouth. He slipped a hand under her thigh, urging her leg up, and she wrapped it around him willingly. They were as close as they could get without losing articles of clothing, and he sure as hell resented the fabric that separated them.

Finally, finally, he moved between her legs, raising her up with both hands beneath her gorgeous ass, and slid all the way home.
They both groaned at the sensation, and he had to stop for a moment, buried to the hilt, as he fought off a too-soon orgasm. It was everything he’d been waiting for—hot and tight and so, so wet. He dropped his forehead to her shoulder and breathed her in. Then he began to move.
Slowly at first, the drag and press of each inch waking nerve endings that had been long dormant.

With the lift of a shoulder, he headed toward his office. “Come on, let’s take a look at the schedule.”
The minute she was inside his office, he had the door shut and Tess crowded up against it. Her hair, so neat and tidy in that auburn topknot, started to slip and loosen. Something inside Jeremy did the same. He kissed her, long and slow, and it wasn’t until she damn near whimpered that he finally pulled away.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Saved By The Bride by Fiona Lowe

Format: E-booksavedbythebride
Read with: Kindle for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Wedding Fever, #1
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Finnegan Callahan
Heroine: Annika Jacobson
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: April 15, 2013
Started On: May 10, 2013
Finished On: July 1, 2013

Hero: Finnegan Callahan, driven and ambitious, is a man who steers clear of emotional entanglements. He knows for certain that forever never works. After all his parents had been the perfect example of how bad things can turn out when “love” leaves the equation.

Heroine: Annika Jacobson, a little bit klutzy with a whole lot of heart and enthusiasm for everything she puts herself into. She might not look too deep into herself and take care of what requires fixing when it comes to her own self, but she certainly does all that and more when it comes to the people that she loves.

Storyline: Saved by the Bride is the 1st book in the Wedding Fever series. Annika is the heroine who is determined that she would save her ailing hometown of Whitetail, Wisconsin at any cost. She is willing to go to any lengths, even if it means gatecrashing into the engagement party of the daughter of one of the most influential businessmen who owns property in Whitetail, if that is what is required to fix things up. Things however don’t go according to plan and before she manages to gracefully gatecrash, she is in dire need of rescuing and along comes Finnegan Callahan, a man who makes all her girly bits sit up and take notice when they really should not.

Before long, Finn and Annika are embroiled in a summer long affair that has no room whatsoever for emotional entanglements. But then when has love ever gone according to plan?

Setting: Saved by the Bride has a contemporary setting and takes place in the small town of Whitetail, Wisconsin and is told from both Finn and Annika’s points of view. Other secondary character viewpoints are also included.

Likes: Fiona Lowe has a talent for weaving stories with a lot of humor and heart in it with characters that really drive the story forward. Saved by the Bride is my second book from Fiona and I liked what the story had to offer. Being the first book in a new series always means laying the foundation for the novels that’d follow and I believe that Fiona has done a splendid job in the setup and I certainly did fall in love with the way of life in Whitetail.

The enthusiasm with which the folk of Whitetail takes on the project of turning their ailing town around rather than sitting on their bums and endlessly worrying about the dire circumstances they had all fallen into was really infectious. If everyone in this world puts that much heart and effort into solving their problems I bet that this world would be a whole different and a much better place.

Finn and Annika’s budding relationship is a mix of treading wearily into murky emotional waters and a whole lot of heat in the physical aspect. The attraction between Annika and Finn is one that sizzled right from the onset and is one the reasons why someone like Finn who is all too wary of anything emotional to take that step towards Annika, be it even if his intention at first had been to enter into a solely physical relationship.

The relationship between Finn and his father Sean was at times hard to read about. There is so much angst involved, the emotions that had been locked down for so long on Finn’s part upon all that disappointment he had encountered while growing up is hard to just forget and move on from. It is Annika who makes him face what he doesn’t want to and in turn it is Finn who makes Annika face all that she doesn’t want to.

I loved and loved the romance between the secondary characters Bridget and her fiance Hank. Bridget’s need to get everything perfect in the misguided notion that her wedded life would be everlasting if then was an aspect of the story that I found myself really interested in.

The one bit that I truly liked was the time Annika was “forced” to take in order to find herself and make peace with her past and finally be able to return to being who she is supposed to be. I think love in its finest and lasting form can only happen only when you are at peace with your own self.

And way out of topic, but something that just tickled my funny bone; Annika being called “Anni”. Mohamed Nasheed or rather “Anni” as he is known amongst his supporters is one of the Presidential candidates in the upcoming Maldivian elections in September 2013!

Dislikes: I might be the only one who thinks so, but I thought that the story sometimes deviated a bit too much from the focus that should have been Finn and Annika. Sometimes that’s the drawback of reading stories featuring a lot of characters; focus is lost from the main leading characters and I believe that happened in Saved by the Bride too. Not that the other characters and their interactions weren’t interesting and lent its own colorful richness to the unfolding story. But I’d have loved to read about Annika and Finn just a tad more.

Recommended for: Those who love romances set in small towns that encompass a lot of humor and heart. This one’s for you!

Final Verdict: A whole lot of humor, a little bit of angst and love of the heartwarming kind. You are definitely going to fall in love!

Favorite Quotes

She opened her mouth under his and sighed. He tasted of malt, of hot, starry summer nights and a tantalizing sense of long-lost joy. With her hand still pressed against his chest, she curled her fingers under the gaps between the studs of his formal shirt, and the tips met hot skin and taught muscle. Her breath hitched and her palm itched to feel more.
His hands slipped down her neck, caressing her bare shoulders and journeying along her arms – the touch leaving a trail of intoxicating bubbles that joined together into an effervescence of unadulterated need.

His mouth melded to hers and his heat flooded her like the blast from an open furnace – swooping through her like a hot wind on an August day. It instantly fanned all the tiny embers of desire that had been burning deep inside of her for days, into a ranging and out-of-control wildfire. She plundered his mouth with hers, filling herself with his taste of coffee, mint and sex. As she lost herself in his mouth, she pressed her hands to his naked skin, touching him and soaking him up like parched land absorbs rain when the drought breaks.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Lost In Kakadu by Kendall Talbot

Format: E-booklostinkakudu.jpg
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Escape Publishing
Hero: Mackenzie Steel
Heroine: Abigail Priscilla Mulholland
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: August 1, 2013
Started On: June 21, 2013
Finished On: June 27, 2013

Lost in Kakadu is one of the most different romances that I have come across to date. And I mean different in a really good way. I’m a huge fan of romances that comes with the survival in the wilderness theme. I believe that when you really have no option but fight with everything you have to survive, there are no pretenses to be had and you really honestly get to know a person.

Abigail gets on the small plane that is to take herself and husband Spencer along with a handful of other passengers to Kakadu, with a sense of foreboding that she cannot explain; one that her husband ridicules and takes pleasure from. In the end, the feelings of unease that had been coursing through Abigail from the beginning turns into nightmarish reality and the plane crashes with herself and 2 others as survivors.

Abigail is a woman who has led a rich and pampered albeit a confusing and at times a heartbreaking life. She is not the kind of woman who would actually enjoy vacationing in the great outdoors, much less surviving in the wilderness with no hope of rescue coming their way any time soon.

Mackenzie Steel mourns for the loss of his lover, partner and savior who is killed on the trip. The grief that he feels is an undeniable one, but he knows deep inside of his heart that Rodney would want him to survive and to fight to stay alive at all cost. With a woman who surprises and infuriates him in equal turns as company, Mackenzie finds his hands full exploring the lengths to which he is ready to test his comfort zones in order to survive and come out victorious.

As I mentioned earlier, there is no better way to get to know the real person hidden inside than to have to depend on each other for survival. Abigail is the sort of female lead that shows glimpses of a woman who could be so much more but because of the life that she had forced herself to live till now makes it a difficult task to find that woman inside all those protective layers that she had put up to survive.

Discovering the woman that Abigail could become turned out to be one of the best aspects of the story. Neither Abigail nor Mackenzie wakes up the day after the plane crash and turns into soldiers who had been trained to live under the sort of conditions they find themselves under. Rather it is a journey of discovery on what works and what doesn’t, on learning to work together as a team and in the process discover that one can find love of the most beautiful kind even under the most trying and unusual circumstances.

Lost in Kakadu is a portrayal of how much the author Kandall Talbot loves the outdoor and adventures. And I think thats one of the main reasons why the story compelled me to keep turning the pages and let me lose myself in the wondrous journey of self discovery, love and the limits of endurance of the human body that is willing to survive at any cost. I loved the slow awakening of Abigail and Mackenzie’s emotions for one another. A case of depending on each other which had turned into friendship, mutual respect and then a love that defied all odds made for a triumphant read in my opinion.

Charlie and the letters that he had written to his family all throughout his life turned out to be another moving aspect of a story that already had a lot going for it. The epilogue that was tucked in at the end that gave a sense of closure to Charlie and his longing to be reunited with the family he had lost turned out to be an ending that provoked all sorts of mixed emotions from me. But if I were to give it all away here, well, that would mean ruining the journey that is Lost in Kakadu for you.

Lost in Kakadu is a tale of endurance, grief, survival and undying love that comes highly recommended. If you love romances featured in the wilderness and love stories that feels like a journey rather than just a happily ever after, then this one is for you.

Favorite Quotes

His arousal was swift and absolute and he leant toward her upturned face, searching for a sign. He tried to resist the throbbing in his loins but when she didn’t turn away he couldn’t wait a moment longer. As his world blurred into a haze of lust he pressed his lips against hers. She tasted of rain drops. From the very first touch his uncertainty was swept away. Abi parted her lips allowing his tongue to explore the softness of her mouth and the hairs on his neck bristled as her hand clutched his neck pulling him down to her. A groan tumbled from his throat.

He brought her to the brink of no return and then he pulled back, hovering above her on his hands and knees, his breathing ragged. She wanted him … now, and reached up to pull his mouth to hers. Their lips touched with sizzling passion. Their kiss deepened, tongues probing, exploring. She was lost in the moment, savouring the fire deep within her. He eased himself into her and she gasped, digging her nails into his muscular shoulders.
They became one, entangled in an intensity that united them with feverish appetite. Her body came alive, throbbing inside and out as he thrust himself into her.

Purchase Links: Not Available

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Wife in Name Only by Hayson Manning

Format: E-bookwifeinnameonly
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Hero: Rory Hughes
Heroine: Zoe Hughes
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: April 1, 2013
Started On: May 2, 2013
Finished On: May 4, 2013

Hero: Rory Hughes, cutthroat businessman known as Ice Man in the construction world. There’s nothing he would not do to make a merger, be it even sell his soul.

Heroine: Zoe Hughes, owner of the honeymoon island Last Stop, Paradise. Zoe is all about the simple things, wanting the peace and quiet that fulfillment and love can bring to life.

Storyline: When Zoe walked out on her husband Rory one year back, she had no idea that it would be to salvage the source of her salvation that she would be forced to call her estranged husband and ask him for his help. Zoe needs the publicity to boost her business whilst Rory has the intention of killing two birds with one stone, i.e. win his wife back on his terms and tone down that cutthroat image of his which was affecting his business. But Zoe and Rory never factored into the equation just how much things would change when they are “stranded” on an island with nothing much to do but give into that flaring, scorching hot attraction that has never died between them.

Time Period: Wife in Name Only has a contemporary setting and is told from both Zoe and Rory’s points of view.

Likes: There were lots of things that I loved about this book. For one thing I loved the fact that Rory did not change and turn his life around the minute he laid his eyes on his wife again after one long year. Rory doesn’t know how to bend his own self-imposed rules of trying to attain success at any cost and that’s not something that’s so easy to give up. And it wasn’t just Rory who stayed true to his character. Zoe too holds onto those values that she believes in, the reason that she had walked away from being married to the love of her life being that he had turned into someone that she didn’t or couldn’t love any longer  without destroying herself in the process. The woman she has changed into appeals Rory on so many levels, but even then, old habits are hard to break unless that cold and hard shell around Rory breaks down and he is ready to take the chance he never did before. Sometimes relationships break apart and the couple involved needs a time out from each other, to step back and evaluate and heal which just might pave the way to patching things up between them. And that’s exactly what happens to Rory and Zoe and I loved every minute of the journey that took them to their final destination.

How much I loved the chemistry between Zoe and Rory, I can go on talking about that for ages. From the minute Rory sets foot on the island and sets eyes on his beautiful wife, the attraction that has always been a big part of their relationship flares up and neither can deny the heat that scorches them both and leaves them burning for more. I loved the fact that the author doesn’t drag the attraction between the two until the reader is ready to throw the book at the wall because the characters have something called too much self control. My theory is simple. If you have that combustive a sexual chemistry and the timing is right, there’s no way on Earth you can walk away from that kind of heat unless of course you are a self-proclaimed saint. And even then I highly doubt that you can walk away from the kind of chemistry that zings between Rory and Zoe. And yes, it is THAT good and yes, Hayson certainly does deliver on all aspects! Just look at the quotes section and I am certain I can make a believer out of you.

One more thing that grabbed me  was the setting for the romance. It felt like I was lying in a hammock and taking in the scenery myself all the while. It takes good descriptive writing in my opinion to be able to transport a reader into the setting of the story and I believe Hayson did it perfectly.

Dislikes: I thought that the ending where Rory is hit by an “epiphany” which makes him return to his wife was a bit cliche’ but somehow Hayson made it work and the story got a thoroughly happy ending at the end. If it had been me, I would have loved for them to go through a bit of a separation again, just for both of them to discover that being together completes each other. That in my opinion would have been the perfect ending.

Recommended for: Those who love steamy romances featuring married couples who get a second chance at making things right.

Final Verdict: Sinfully good!

Favorite Quotes

His eyes flicked from her visibly hardened chest and back to her lips. His hands cupped her lower back, and he pulled her closer. Sparkles of deep, dark, and delicious want coursed through her veins. With his thumb, he drew circles over the thin fabric of her dress. Before she could help herself, a deep moan escaped from the back of her throat.
She stilled at his sharp intake of breath. Heat pooled between her legs.

A burn started throughout her body, heating her blood to boiling point.
His hand slid from her forearm, up over her shoulder, causing a long cascade of goose bumps. Her name escaped him in a long groan as he bent his head toward hers.
Their mouths clashed. Hot, burning need flowed from her mouth to his and back again. Their tongues twisted around each other in a familiar tango. She sucked in his lower lip and her body sagged when he groaned in her mouth.
She wanted him. Anything to override the powerful current that had heat pooling in a slick between her legs.

Her head fell to her chest then she arched back to meet him. Her body struggled to catch up as he stretched her to her limit. She widened her stance to accommodate all of him. The pressure building in her sex had her hands ripping into the bark of the tree. Inches away from release, she closed her eyes at the pressure building. Her body gave one final arch before she convulsed around him and screamed his name.

“I’ve found what I’m looking for, Rory. Have you?” she whispered.
“I know what I want right now.”
His eyes darkened. His eyes traveled from her chest, and a knowing smile curled his lips before his gaze landed on her mouth and stayed there. She squirmed at the warmth traveling between her legs.
“What do you want?” She licked her lips.
“I want your mouth on mine. Your legs wrapped around my hips, your shorts off, and your sweet body pulsing around me.”

The sensation of his hand working, kneading, and rubbing her overwhelmed all thought. His erection at her opening drove her over the edge. She screamed as the mother of all orgasms rocked her body. She arched, then plunged backwards, driving her body onto him. She moaned as she strained to accommodate the length of him. The pleasure mixed with pain was exquisite. He stilled, kissing the back of her neck but not moving inside her. Her hips instinctively started rocking, but his fingers gripped her hip, stopping her. Her head arched against his shoulder, her breath coming in long, ragged bursts.

She stuck her hand on her hip. “Curves? Really? That’s not going to get you another biology lesson anytime soon.”
His eyes darkened, and that deep pulse in the corner of his neck kicked into life.
“How about now?”
She moistened suddenly dry lips. “No, not now.” Her body did the sexy-times dance it did whenever he had that look about him. “I know what you’re thinking. Your whole body responds. Your pupils dilate, you wet your lips, your breasts push against your top.” His gaze dropped downward to her belly and below. “And I know exactly what’s going on down there. You’re all hot, wet, and mine.”

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Traitor by Julia Sykes

Format: E-booktraitor
Read with: Kindle for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Series: Impossible #2
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Sean Reynolds
Heroine: Claudia Ellers
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: April 12, 2013
Started On: April 22, 2013
Finished On: April 23, 2013

Hero: Sean Reynolds, the man who sends my pulse skyrocketing every single time he enters the picture. To reveal his character here would be spoiling the story for those who would love to get their hands on this delicious trilogy.

Heroine: Dr. Claudia Ellers, pediatrician who is kidnapped at gunpoint in the first book which sets the ball rolling; changing the woman she is and the things she had believed in, once and for all.

Storyline: Traitor is book 2 in this delectable series by Julia Sykes. Book 2 continues where book 1 ended on a cliffhanger. Claudia decides to go undercover, all the while telling herself that it is for the good of the man she has come to care so deeply about in such a surprisingly short span of time.

Time Period: Traitor has a contemporary setting and is told in first person in Claudia’s point of view.

Likes: I am not a patient person. Everyone who knows me well knows this. And I am someone who cannot stand it when I have to wait for such a long time to read a book, especially from an author who is dear to me. And yes, even with the one book that I have read by Julia, I have turned into a fan and would be on the lookout for more of her books. Back to the point, Traitor being out already proved to be a blessing for me when I finished Monster. Where seldom most books hold little interest for me these days, Julia Sykes changed that and it has been a while since I have anticipated a book so much I am even willing to read it while waiting for the bus. That tells a story in itself.

Sean proved to be as delicious as he was in the first book, maybe even more so because as Sean’s character slowly comes to light through Claudia’s eyes, it invoked a lot of mixed reactions deep within me; all of them which were good I should point out. There is that dark edge to him no doubt and I would love nothing more than to finally read about the man who Sean is and the things he had gone through in his life. He is a mix of tenderness, ruthlessness and darkness; all very contrasting characteristics for a single person to hold. But he blends them well and that dominating nature of his is enough to turn even a BDSM skeptic like me into a believer. Oh well, lets not get carried away and say that Julia Sykes does a brilliant job out of it and managed to invoke a lot of seat squirming moments for me! The thing I loved most about the BDSM aspect was that even though Sean may think he is in the driving seat and he is pretty ruthless in his attempt to drive home that point;but its apparent that Claudia holds just the same amount of power or rather should I say even a stronger hold on the man who is Sean? Well, the 3rd and final book will tell I am hoping.

Traitor did threw me to a loop by delving into the relationship that fosters between Claudia and Agent Clayton Vaughn. One second I start believing that Sean is not the one for her and that she would be better off with a man like Clayton who is totally alpha in his own way with a tenderness that beckons Claudia to divulge all her deepest innermost secrets. He provides her with a source to dump all her worries, to cleanse her mind of all the worries and that dark pain that she keeps ruthlessly stamped down. And in the next minute, I start second guessing his intentions and motives for being who he is. Nevertheless to say, it speaks of the impressive talent an author has when she can make a reader go through all that and that too just by projecting only a single character’s point of view in the story.

I should mention that I loved the fact that Claudia is woman enough not to want Sean to treat her as fragile piece of glass that requires delicate handling. I love it that Claudia can see through to Sean, and that she believes in him and wants the best for him though she may not be traversing down the path that everyone might believe to be the most fitting. Nevertheless, I know Claudia’s heart is in the right place and the inner war she wages with her conscience day in and out tells the story far better than I ever could.

Dislikes: None.

Recommended for: Fans of Julia Sykes. Fans of BDSM-themed romances and for fans of ruthless, dark & edgy heroes and the heroines who are women enough to handle them as they are.

Final Verdict: The Impossible trilogy just gets better. Volatile, intense and gritty; I loved it.

Favorite Quotes

His hands were suddenly gripping my waist, jerking me up with him so that we were standing. I twined my arms around the back of his neck, holding him to me so that he couldn’t break the kiss. His hands were fumbling at the buttons of my blouse, trying to expose me for for him. But he wasn’t satisfied with his progress. His low growl rumbled through me as his hands fisted in my shirt. With a jerk of his powerful arms, he ripped it open, the buttons flying free, making small popping noises as they bounced against the hardwood floor.

I could feel him hardening impossibly further, his need for release mounting even as I was pushed towards the precipice. As I felt him jerk inside of me, his fingers found my clit, pinching hard. At the same time, his grip on my throat eased, and blood rushed to my head. The high was incredible. I was shoved over the edge, falling into a bliss-filled haze. Sean was the only real thing in the world as I flew out into the abyss, pleasure consuming me. I didn’t recognize the strangled cry that echoed around the room as my own.

He was pulling almost all the way out of me now, taking me harder and faster. My hips began to move against him, meeting his thrusts.
“You’re mind now, Claudia,” he growled as he drove into me harshly. “Mine!”
“Yes!” I wanted to say, but it came out as an unintelligible groan. Even if I hadn’t been gagged, I wouldn’t have been able to speak; I seemed to have lost control of my tongue. The only movement I could manage was rocking my body back against him, and even that was pure instinct rather than an action I controlled.

Purchase Links: Amazon

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Monster by Julia Sykes

Format: E-bookGolden Portrait
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Series: Impossible #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Sean Reynolds
Heroine: Claudia Ellers
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: March 29, 2013
Started On: April 20, 2013
Finished On: April 22, 2013

Hero: Sean Reynolds; an enigma that if I describe would spoil the book for those who would love to get their hands on this one.

Heroine: Dr. Claudia Ellers, a pediatrician whose life goal has been to take care of kids, who puts up emotional walls so high to keep herself disconnected from the rest of the world as a way to keep herself from getting hurt.

Storyline: Claudia finds herself kidnapped at gunpoint and escorted to the premises where Sean Reynolds is in need of treatment from a gunshot wound. Secrecy surrounds the man known as Sean, a man who tempts Claudia beyond reason even under the most bizarre circumstances that life has dealt her with yet.

Time period: Book 1 in the Impossible series has a contemporary setting and is told in first person from Claudia’s point of view.

Likes: It was quite by chance that I came across this novel for free on Amazon for the day and the blurb convinced me to add it to my pile of reads. I am someone who always loves it when an author delivers something different, a hero that is not putty in the heroine’s hands from chapter one of the story. Perhaps its because my love for romances began with stories that tended to have heroes who can be assholes to quite a degree, but when they fall, it makes me more appreciative of the men they are. And Monster seemed like a good story to focus my attention on when authors hardly deliver those kinds of heroes anymore; not surprising when feminists can give reviews that can practically break a book in half and perhaps end the writing career of an author just as she begins to get started.

Hence to my amazement, I found Sean to be a hero having that perfect balance of charm and a wealth of secrets in his eyes and the kind of arrogance that lets you know that he has truly earned the right to be arrogant where women are concerned; if you know what I mean. And then there is that dark and edgy vibe to him that made me practically squirm in my seat right along with Claudia herself who is helplessly ensnared in the depth of hidden pain that lurks in the shadows of those beautiful green eyes of his.

Being just the debut novel of this series entitled “Impossible”, the book ends on a cliffhanger and provides those tidbits that makes it hard to not buy the second book in the series which I did so immediately after I finished Monster last night.

There is a certain degree of darkness in the book, a little bit of BDSM which lends this book the right mix of scorching heat which just made Sean more appealing in my eyes. And then there is Claudia. She is dedicated, loyal and has been hurt so badly in the past that she locks the warm, giving and sensual woman she is deep inside and seldom lets that part of herself come out. But when Sean comes into the picture, regardless of all the advice that she gives herself, she finds that she is unable to say no to the answering fire that blazes to life in Sean’s eyes as they are both caught in the web of desire that refuses to let go!

I loved every bit of their reluctant yet scorching hot attraction towards each other which just blazed across the pages and made the read that much more unforgettable.

Dislikes: It is always a facet that irks me when authors choose to write in first person and tell the story from just character’s point of view because I feel that I miss out on the other character’s feelings and reactions. But somehow Julia Sykes makes this series work, if the 1st book is anything to judge it by. I’m just going to hold my tongue for now and see where Julia leads me as the 3rd & final book in the series is to come out early next month!

Recommended for: If you love a romance with a sexy alpha hero with a bit of a dark edge, Monster is the place to start. If light BDSM doesn’t turn you off, I recommend that you try. I certainly couldn’t get enough!

Final Verdict: Intense & thought provoking, Monster is definitely an appetite whetter!

Favorite Quotes

For a moment, his mouth was still against mine. My only warning was a low, rumbling growl. His hand left my face to tangle itself in my long hair, fisting at the nape of my neck. He pulled sharply, and I drew in a shocked breath at the slight pain as my head dropped back in response. Only when my lips were offered up to him in the way that he wanted did he finally take my mouth.

I let out a small whimper at the overwhelming intensity of his dominant gaze, but it turned into a shocked, delighted cry as he abruptly drove into me in one long, swift thrust. My arms jerked against his grip as I writhed beneath him, trying to adjust to the sudden large intrusion that stretched me so ruthlessly after years of emptiness. But he held me fast, his steely grip and his hard cock pinning me in place. He stayed utterly still for a moment, his face contorted with the effort of holding himself back.

He stared down at me forbiddingly, the ferocity of his expression instantly stilling my efforts. “What did I just tell you?” He asked harshly. “Who controls this fuck, Claudia?”
I quelled under him, my body trembling as I felt myself submit to him completely, ceding to his will. “You do,” I whispered.
[…] “Your pussy is mine now, Claudia,” he said roughly, driving home his possessive words with another harsh thrust. “Isn’t it?” Another demanding thrust. “Tell me,” he growled.
“Yes,” I said breathlessly, almost delirious from the pleasure he was giving me. “I’m yours, Sean.”

Purchase Links: Amazon

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Widow by Anne Stuart

Format: E-bookthewidow
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Connor Maguire
Heroine: Charlotte Thomas
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: September 12, 2012
Started On: March 12, 2013
Finished On: March 15, 2013

Sigh. Count on Anne Stuart to always deliver a story worth sinking one’s teeth into. Though most people on Goodreads who have read and rated this book doesn’t seem to like it much, I found the story hard to put down and enchanting at best and thought provoking as well. Needless to say I enjoyed the heck out of reading this one.

30 year old Charlotte Thomas (Charlie) receives the news of the death of her ex-husband Aristide Pompasse 5 years after she leaves him and has started a successful life of her own. Knowing that as the widow and beneficiary of his will she would have to face her past and the demons that she keeps at bay at any cost, Charlie makes her way to Tuscany, Italy to once and for all deal with everything she had left behind.

It is in Tuscany and at Pompasse’s residence that Charlie runs into the 35 year old Connor Maguire who poses as an insurance consultant to get what he wants out of the supposed tragedy behind the death of a man who had surrounded himself with a harem of young women, a man who had been considered as one of the greatest artists of his time.

Charlie would rather cut off an arm than admit to herself or anyone else for that matter that Connor ruffles her feathers and gets under her skin in a way that no man before him ever has. His confronting nature coupled with his rough around the edges appeal makes Charlie want the unthinkable and crave for something she has never had before.

Connor is willing to do whatever it takes to profit from the story behind the death of the legendary artist, whose uptight and closed up widow makes him think of things better left unsaid. Connor is not going to leave any stone unturned in his attempt to get what he wants, be it even if seducing Charlie is what it’s going to take. However, things hardly go according to his plan as his fascination with Charlie and what she represents continues to grow together with his hunger to have her in every manner possible for a man to have a woman.

The Widow by Anne Stuart makes for an awesome read, the details of Charlie’s past makes for a shocking and titillating read. The past that Charlie tries so hard to escape from inevitably catches up with her and in the end lands her life in danger as it becomes clear that someone is out for her blood and that death is the only inevitable conclusion behind the craziness that ensues.

I will never know how Anne Stuart does it; and she does it every single time; she manages to come up with heroes of the calibre that most writers are afraid of creating and gives them an appeal that is hard to escape from. True to that fact, Connor makes for a very appealing hero, whose ruthless nature makes it hard for a fan of such heroes not to fall head over heels in love and lust with him.

Charlie is the character that makes you think, a woman who had married an old man whom she had looked up to as a father figure and protector who had ended up killing her on the inside and stealing her very soul in the process. Her escape from him hadn’t come without a price though people who know of her would hardly understand that by looking at her. Needless to say, Charlie’s character was one that called to me and made me empathise as well as fall in love with her as the story continued on its path.

Highly enjoyable, The Widow is recommended for fans of contemporary romantic suspense novels by Anne Stuart and for those who like myself love a little bit of ruthlessness in their heroes which means seeing them fall in love is just that much more fun!

Favorite Quotes

Charlie wouldn’t have thought a kiss would be earth-shattering. But then, she would never have let anyone like Maguire kiss her if she had had half a chance to avoid it.
But she didn’t. He wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her up against his dusty, sweaty body, put a hand behind her head to hold her still and simply kissed her, openmouthed, using his tongue.
And she closed her eyes and kissed him, and he opened his mouth for her, and this time it wasn’t firm and dry, it was hot and wet, and she felt a jolt all the way down her body. For half a moment she tried to pull away, and then simply sank against him, pulling her hands from beneath his T-shirt and sliding them around his neck, pulling him closer. She felt his hands skim her face, as if he was afraid to touch her, and then he did, cupping her face lightly, as he met her unpracticed kiss with such profound gentleness that she wanted to weep with longing.

She didn’t even know how it happened. She turned and leaned her back against the door, looking up at him through the thick shadows. And then the shadows were blotted out, as he placed his body up against hers, hip to hip, chest to breast, mouth to mouth.
She was hungry for it. Hungry for him, when she had thought it was something she’d never feel. He tasted like rain and repentance, of sweet sin and the night air, and she closed her eyes and kissed him back, shivering in response.

He was moving a little faster now, and he heard that breathless catch in her voice. She was climbing again, and this time she knew where it would lead. And she wasn’t sure if she was ready to go there again.
But he was. He wanted her with him. He wanted her convulsing around him as he spilled inside her, and he wasn’t going to come without her.
“No,” she said. The first time she had said no all night.
“Hell, yes.” He reached between their bodies and touched her, hard.
She was absolutely silent this time as the climax hit her, clenching around him, as wave after wave of release drained her body.
And he followed her, letting go, holding nothing back.

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

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