Category / Emotions Wrencher

by mvbookreviewer

Requested ARC Review: Afternoon Rhapsody by Jess Dee

Format: E-bookafternoonrhapsody
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Series: Bandicoot Cove: The Wedding, #1
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd.
Hero: Broderick Evans
Heroine: Bianca Rogers
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: September 4, 2012
Started On: September 4, 2012
Finished On: September 13, 2012

Afternoon Rhapsody by Jess Dee is a spin off from the Bandicoot series of which I have read and immensely enjoyed a book or two. True to Jess’s style, even though Afternoon Rhapsody is a novella, she manages to take the reader through a lot of emotional  potholes and at the same time delivers erotica as it is meant to be; scorching hot enough to melt your panties off!

Bianca Rogers is attending the wedding of Aidan and Mack and is trying to forget the fact that she has been separated for more than year from the man she had been married to since she was sixteen. For just the duration of her time away from everything strenuous, Bianca would like nothing better than to tumble the sheets with the tall and hot as sin man she stumbles into, a man who basically stuns her with with the immediacy of her physical reaction to him. At the same time Broderick Evans invokes in her, memories of her husband Rick whom she can’t help but remember as events that unfold brings along with it the good and the bad bits of a marriage that is still very much a part of who she is.

Afternoon Rhapsody is a novella with which Jess managed to surprise me, all in a good way of course. Since it would spoil things for those who haven’t read the story, I’d rather keep a lid on exactly what it was that surprised me, but the fact that the story managed to do that makes me remember it at odd moments.

Afternoon Rhapsody is a story that deals with the difficult topic of two people who are on the verge of a divorce, just days away from signing the papers that would signify the end of a relationship that had defined them for such a long time. Ten years of marriage down the tubes, what had worked and what hadn’t worked and what in the end had managed to drive them apart made for an engrossing read for me and echoed with something deep inside of me. I’ve said this always and I’d say this again – marriage is tough business. One just doesn’t sail through the stormy and the not so stormy weather it brings along as the years pass on by. It needs commitment, acceptance, compromise and a whole lot of other ‘sacrifices’ that two people may not be able to make, both at the same time. And somehow Jess manages to drive home the point of what is important, those little and subtle things that at first don’t seem to matter, but then over time fester onto become problems of epic proportions which just doesn’t bode well when it comes to so many years spent together and when the love that they both feel for each other is such a huge part of both of them.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the story deals with all depressing aspects of a relationship. Rather, Jess delivers a scorching hot read that practically had me reaching for my tall iced glass of water, time and yet again to quench the parched throat of mine which seemed to be a never ending one as both Broderick and Bianca practically set my iPad on fire with the heat that they generate together, which could most probably generate enough power to light up a small village. There were moments where I nearly gulped my own tongue inside, moments where my tummy was tied up in knots and then there were those moments that I was amazed at the way Jess handled everything from those emotional minefields to sensuous moments that were all memorable in their own right.

If you are a fan of Jess Dee’s remarkable novels, this is a must read! For those who are new to her talent at melting practically all your clothes off, you need to read this. Broderick would have you panting in no time at all!

Favorite Quotes

Brody’s soft growl changed to a ragged groan when the barrier of his wet boardies proved too annoying, and she slipped her hand beneath the sodden material, taking his hot, pulsing cock in her palm.
Then it wasn’t just Brody groaning. Bianca let out a soft moan, the feel of his hard flesh enough to set fire to her loins.
Satin-covered steel.

Pearls of moisture beaded on the tip of his erection. She stopped breathing. Ran her thumb over the wetness. Moaned.
He tore his lips from hers. “Bee…”
Her name was both a salutation and a plea. His eyes blazed with passion.

With every thrust of those fingers, he touched something inside her, something deep, a knot of nerves that increased her pleasure exponentially. But that wasn’t all he touched. With every plunge, every lick, he touched her soul. Reached a part of her she’d repressed for so long.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Samhain | Reader Store

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas

Format: E-bookravishingtheheiress.jpg
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Fitzhugh Trilogy, #2
Publisher: Berkley
Hero: George Edward Arthur Granville Fitzhugh (Fitz)
Heroine: Millicent Graves
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: July 3, 2012
Started On: July 20, 2012
Finished On: July 22, 2012

I have been meaning to get this review written for quite sometime now. Well, ever since I finished the book a couple of days back. I wanted to write the review when the essence of the story was fresh on my mind, when the feelings that coursed through me as I read through every single page of the book still lingered deep inside of me so that I could do the book the justice that it so deserves. But alas, life and its various blunders happened and here I am penning the review a few days later and yet, the remnants of a story that made me cry god honest real tears still lingers on and I wonder whether I would be able to read a story that even remotely compares to this one anytime soon.

I should have actually being prepared when I took on this book on a recommendation from Brie at Romance Around the Corner. That girl has an uncanny ability of recommending books that speaks to this twisted needy heart of mine and Ravishing the Heiress certainly did that and more. And I say I should have been prepared because my one encounter with Sherry Thomas and the way she writes came right after when I first started reviewing and stumbled across her book Not Quite a Husband. And man, was that a story that had my gut churning and my insides doing cartwheels all around. 

Ravishing the Heiress is the second book in the Fitzhugh Trilogy of which the first book I have not read. But I am definitely looking forward to the 3rd and final book in the series which is to come out on October this year. Sherry certainly leaves us with tantalizing glimpses into the story of Helena and Viscount Hastings not to feel otherwise and I for one cannot wait!

Its the year 1888 and Millicent Graves (Millie) is getting ready for the final phase of Operation Marry Well for which she has been preparing for all her life. Discipline, control and self-denial has always been part of her upbringing, love never a part of the equation for which she has been practicing for up till now. Millie has always been the obedient sort, the one who never makes any untoward waves, does as expected and retreats when need it be. And when at the tender age of 16 years she encounters the new Earl of Fitzhugh, her heart takes that undeniable leap and tumbles headlong into that unknown abyss called love which we all clamor for.

Earl Fitzhugh is 19 when he becomes an earl which hadn’t seemed that terrible at all at first. But when he knows of the situation which would require him to marry well in order to put the state of the affairs of his estate and financial woes of the family to rest, attaining earldom suddenly doesn’t seem like the best thing to happen, especially when it means giving up on the woman he has vowed that he would love for the rest of his life. Though Fitz knows its by no fault of Millie that she has to marry him, he can’t help but feel the deep throes of despair overtake him even at the mere thought of marrying her and living with a woman he doesn’t love for the rest of his life. But Millie offers him a way out, a reprieve that would give him a period of 8 years until the marriage would be consummated and that’s the only thought that gives him the slightest room to breathe as he prepares himself for an ordeal that seems like it would never ever end.

What Sherry Thomas takes us on is a journey filled with so many beautiful and poignant moments that I couldn’t help but have this huge huge lump in my throat at all times. There was a time or two when I thought that I was going to end up with a serious medical condition if it didn’t let up; but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. There is a beauty in the way Sherry writes her stories and brings her characters to life, a dreamlike quality to the love and emotions that she invokes in her readers and I for one was glad to be a part of it as I let myself be catapulted right along with Millie and Fitz in their journey towards happily ever after.

First comes along the friendship, borne out of the need to have a semblance of normalcy in their marriage. A bond forged out of Millie’s need to see the man she love shake the grief that weighs down on him from day one of their marriage. Their quest to put their estate to rights, to move ahead in their business affairs and day to day mundane activities brings them closer, Fitz coming to rely more on Millie than he would have ever envisioned. And then the 8 year milestone comes up and along with it comes the woman who has never been far from Fitz’s mind, the woman he has made a promise to himself and her that he would love for all eternity.

What Fitz takes on as completing his end of the deal or the bargain that they shook on 8 years back turns out to be the most anticipated event of his life, the feelings that course through him when he thinks of leaving Millie and what they have together giving him that odd ache in his heart which he doesn’t know how to identify as. It would take a whole box of tissues to get through the scene during which the final act takes place, all that pent up longing on Millie’s part acting as a sheer aphrodisiac for the reader, that iron-clad control of hers completely breaking apart under the tender assault of Fitz’s brand of seduction. As the scene progresses, the seducer in turn becomes the seduced and I would have to say that that would be one scene that would forever be permanently etched on my mind.

One would think that Fitz being the total clueless fool he is when it comes to Millie and the fact that he is forced to marry a woman he doesn’t love would make him an ogre, a man that would earn the disapproving frowns from the feminists all around. But nothing could be further from the truth as Fitz is a man who demands nothing lesser than the complete and utter love of the reader even though I would have loved to paint an arrow in bold red color and point it towards Millie a time or two. But his utter clueless nature when it comes to his wife whose heart remains a mystery to him is what makes the story so, so good, the angst so well delivered that I couldn’t have asked for more.

The only thing I found disappointing as the other readers is the fact that the ending seemed a trifle bit too rushed, the resolving of the main issue that had been holding back Fritz just a tad too ‘easy’ for my tastes. I wanted the best and only the best for both Fitz and Millie and especially Millie who earned my undying love throughout the story for her patience, perseverance and unselfish nature  though she is no doormat heroine.

If you are a fan of historical romances, if you want a story that would take you away on a breathtaking journey, if you want to be swept away by the sheer magic of words alone, pick this up and never look back. I guarantee you an amazing read that would make you cry buckets before you are through! Kudos to Sherry Thomas for another story that amazes and awes in equal doses. Some authors create magic – and Sherry is one of them.

Favorite Quotes

“Was unhappiness really so invisible? Or did people simply prefer to turn away, as if from lepers?”

“Rain came down in sheets. It had been a miserable spring. Already he despaired of ever again walking under an unclouded sky.”

“Perhaps unrequited love was like a specter in the house, a presence that brushed at the edge of senses, a heat in the dark, a shadow under the sun.”

He was summertime itself, young, luminous, lit from within by rekindled hopes and reawakened dreams. And every beggar along his path—herself included—could expect redoubled generosity and kindness.

It was the beginning of the end.
Or perhaps, it was only the end of something that was never meant to begin.

Even now her body yearned to be closer to him. She wanted to press her nose into his skin and inhale hungrily—he always smelled as if he’d just taken a walk across a sunny meadow. She wanted to rub her palm against his jaw to feel the beginning of stubbles. She wanted to slide her hands underneath his shirt and learn every single shape and texture, with the fierce dedication she’d once put into mastering the Grandes Études.

Some hopes were weeds, easy to eradicate with a yank and a pull. Some, however, were vines, fast growing, tenacious, and impossible to clear. As she played the music box again, alone in the drawing room, she began to realize that hers were of the latter kind.
She would never stop hoping.

But tonight, after the carriages left, there would be Millie, her scent like a breeze from their lavender field at the height of summer, her skin as smooth as the finest velvet.
Their eyes met. She flushed. Desire tumbled through him.

He kissed her on her ear, a kiss with the barest hint of moisture to it. She could not breath for the electricity of it, a violent spark of pleasure that shook and scarred. His fingers caressed her shoulders. His lips pressed into her exposed nape. Dark, hot sensations spiked into her.

Make no sounds. Do not, under any circumstances, make any sounds.
She faltered. A whimper of unutterable pleasure escaped her tightly clenched teeth.
Deep inside her, a dam that had been ceaselessly reinforced crumbled. Years upon years of pent-up desires flooded her. Suddenly she couldn’t care less that she must remain quiet and pliant.
She wanted. She wanted. She wanted.
She gripped him by the lapel and yanked him to her.

His climax began gathering again, rising toward a point of no return. He didn’t know if he could restrain himself this time: He was too close, too near to being overwhelmed.
She cried out, trembling exclamations.
He lost all control, his release hot, violent, and endless.

Then he made love to her not only as if he had never experienced lovemaking before, but no one had.

And in the depth of her eyes were all these years—seasons they’d known, paths they’d trod.
Slowly he entered her again. Everything reflected in her gaze: shyness, yearning, ripples of pleasure.
The pleasure turned fierce, then ferocious. He labored to draw breath. In the wash of her climax, she closed her eyes. He closed his own eyes and yielded to the moment.

Love without friendship is like a kite, aloft only when the winds are favorable. Friendship is what gives love its wings.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Within Reach by Sarah Mayberry

Format: E-bookwithinreach
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Harlequin SuperRomance
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Michael Robinson
Heroine: Angie Bartlett
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: August 1, 2012
Started On: July 2, 2012
Finished On: July 15, 2012

Within Reach by Sarah Mayberry focuses on one of my favorite tropes in romance. A widowed hero who finds love in the most angst-ridden situation one can find and thus Within Reach by Sarah Mayberry is a superb read and delivered exactly what I wanted in the right doses.

Michael loses his wife of 6 years to an undiagnosed congenital heart defect and devastation doesn’t even begin to cover what he goes through in the process of picking up the pieces of his life as his two kids demand that he be a pillar of strength rather than breaking down and digging himself a hole somewhere, which is exactly what he feels like doing. 

Angie Bartlett loses her best friend when Billie dies at the age of 32. Her vivacious friend whose zest for life and color, whose life was so abruptly cut off leaves Angie reeling from the loss of it all. And it takes her a timeout from the situation back at Billie’s household to realize the rapid escalation towards crisis it was veering off to.

Helping out in the process of moving forward means Angie finds herself spending a lot of time at Michael’s, and both start to face that unsettling discovery that there might be more to their feelings towards each other than just mere friendship. Angie feels as if she is betraying her best friend by feeling desire of such ferocity towards Michael. And Michael who has vowed never to forget nor love any other woman except Billie finds himself torn apart by the strength of his desire to possess and be possessed by the woman who is slowly driving him insane with want. Though Michael wants nothing more than to ignore the feelings that Angie invokes and bury his head in the sand, the answering need that flares to life in Angie’s eyes proves to be his undoing every single time.

Sarah is an author who certainly gets everything right when it comes to developing lovable characters. She has that uncanny ability to deliver characters that we the readers can relate to, characters who are flawed, yet comes with redeeming qualities that just makes them seem so real and larger than life. For me, both Angie and Michael’s characters were equally appealing. Angie in my opinion is kindness itself, and she earned my love from the very beginning of the novel. Angie might be reserved when it comes to being openly affectionate, but she has a mighty tender spot for Billie and her family and that shines throughout the story, even way before she starts developing feelings for Michael. I loved how Angie seemed to be able to give, expecting nothing in return, even when she knows that the ultimate conclusion of a relationship with Michael might mean irreversible heartbreak for her.

Michael is such a delicious hero. The way Sarah brought him to life through Angie’s eyes, those things about an attractive man that we all notice and take a second look at coupled together with that innate sense of fairness and kindness deep inside of him makes him one of the most drool-worthy heroes I have read this year. I love a man who is larger than life, and that is exactly how I envisioned Michael as I read along. And let me tell you, Michael might seem a bit hesitant when it comes to taking the “plunge” with Angie, but when he does, oh boy does he do it well! 

The only thing that disappointed me a bit was the lack of an epilogue. There was so much angst in the book that the lump in my throat refused to go away each time I picked up the book. Even from chapter 1 itself I knew that Within Reach was going to end up breaking my heart a bit, but then I trusted Sarah enough to put it back together. The ending itself wasn’t bad, but I wanted something to keep with me, something to dream about a bit during the moments of semi-wakefulness that I go through when I am right about to fall asleep. And I wanted just a bit more for Angie which I know might not convey the message that I want to, but I wanted to see Michael and Angie’s happily ever after, a happily ever after worthy of someone like Angie.

Nevertheless, Within Reach was an amazing read, and Sarah Mayberry is an author that always never fails to deliver.

Recommended highly to fans of Sarah Mayberry, fans of widowed hero themed romances that love a good angst-ridden read!

Favorite Quotes

He finished up then shed his clothes and climbed into bed. Turning onto his side, he closed his eyes. As always as he drifted toward sleep, there was a small, forgetful moment where he slid his hand over to touch Billie’s back, instinctively seeking reassurance as he hovered on the brink.
As always, he found nothing but cold sheets.
A few minutes after that, he fell asleep.

He wasn’t sure who moved first, her or him. There was the thunk of her bag sliding down her arm to hit the floor, followed by the muted clank of her keys a split-second later, then he was pulling her into his arms and she was lifting her face to kiss him.
She tasted of salt and fresh air and life and he spread his hands across the small of her back and pulled her closer, need an urgent tattoo drumming through his blood. She felt so good, so strong and supple, and they fit together perfectly.

Her legs started to tremble and together they went down to the rug. Angie lay spread before him like an impossible offering and every thought, every memory, every consideration dissolved and there was only the need to be inside her, to lose himself in the slick warmth of her, to feel alive and to feel pleasure.
He stretched on top of her and her legs spread to accept him. He gripped himself and found her entrance. He slid inside her, into tight, wet heat. And then he really did lose his mind.

She watched as Michael stripped and walked toward the bed, his erection standing proud. The bed dipped as he got in the other side. She rolled toward him, and he pulled her into his arms. His skin was cool against hers, making her nipples bead. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed herself against him, offering him her heat.
Offering him everything.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Harlequin

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Still Lake by Anne Stuart

Format: E-bookstillake
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Harlequin Books
Hero: Thomas Ingram Griffin
Heroine: Sophie Marlborough Davis
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: August 1, 2002
Started On: June 22, 2012
Finished On: June 31, 2012

Its the summer of 1982 in Colby, Vermont and Thomas Ingram Griffin is arrested for the murders of three young women, all killed quite brutally. Years later, Griffin returns to Colby and poses as a John Smith to finally put his past to rest, to find out whether in fact it had really been him who had gone on a murdering spree that fateful night when his life had gone so horribly wrong.

30 year old Sophie moves to Colby, Vermont to live the life she has always wanted to and dreamed about. A homemaker and someone who loves the quiet serenity that the countryside provides, Sophie looks after her now forgetful mother Grace and half sister Marty who has an attitude of her own a mile wide. In the midst of Sophie’s hard work to restore Stonegate Farm to its former prestige and glory  to run her bed and breakfast, what Sophie doesn’t need is the enigmatic and mysterious man who claims to be John Smith to turn up next door and send her life spinning out of control.

I just loved, loved, loved Still Lake. I loved the 30 year old virgin Sophie who has her mind set about how she wants to live her life. Sophie is the type of heroine that I just adore. She is not the size six heroine who has everything going for her. Rather she seems real, she has a figure that practically drives Griffin out of his ever loving mind and I just loved how the sparks flew whenever Griffin and Sophie are together.

The banter between Griffin and Sophie is one of the most wonderful aspects of the story. It completely serves as foreplay for some of the scenes and gives the reader a laugh or two while Sophie tries to convince herself that she doesn’t need a man like John Smith to ruin her and send her emotions into a tailspin. And I loved how Griffin tries to convince himself that a woman like Sophie would be the most inappropriate addition to the life of a man like him. Griffin is so over the top hot that I found myself completely enraptured by his character, ready to lay myself down and plead him to carry me away. Oh well!

Grace and Marty certainly do add to the story with their rich characters and the little side romance that takes place warmed my heart. And the creepy stalkerific killer who is much closer to all of them than anyone of them ever realized makes Still Lake a definite page-turner!

I so loved the ending in Still Lake to bits. Left me with a huge-ass smile on my face for a long, long while!

If you are a fan of Anne Stuart and her uber hot-flash inducing heroes, Still Lake is a must read! Highly recommended!

Favorite Quotes

And she didn’t want to escape. She wanted to be kissed in the sunlight by a gorgeous man. She just wanted some other man, not this complicated creature who had more secrets than she could even begin to imagine.
But it didn’t matter what her brain wanted. Her body, her mouth, her soul wanted him, and she heard a quiet little sound of desire and knew that it had come from her.

At least it was dark. His eyes drifted down over her body, the ripe curves in the moonlight, and a dreamy expression crossed his face, just before he leaned forward and put his mouth against the side of her neck, tasting her hammering pulse.

He slid his hands under her butt and she could feel him pressing against her, hot and hard and sleek. And then he thrust inside, deep, fast, burying himself inside her, breaking past whatever trace of innocence she still had remaining.

It started slow and hit her with the force of a sledgehammer, a cataclysm of such power she could only hold on to him and let it happen. He went rigid against her, rock hard in her arms, and he probably muttered “oh, shit” again, but she was beyond hearing, lost in some mind-scattered cloud of inexpressible pleasure. She fell back, limp, awash in shimmering sensation, and she knew an odd, faint trace of regret that he’d used a condom. She’d wanted all of him inside her, a total giving, and he’d withheld something.

He half expected another argument. A struggle of some sort. Again, a surprise. She made that soft, hungry sound that had already emblazoned itself in his senses, she put her hands on his shoulders, and she kissed him back, her tongue sliding against his.

He touched her, and she came again at his touch, her mouth pulling at him.
He was beyond gentleness. He shoved her back against the blanket of clothes and moved between her legs.
He went in hard, fast, deep, only barely able to control himself. She wrapped her legs around his, and he reached down and pulled them higher, up around his hips, so that he was deeper still, and she was tight, clasping, milking him with the power of her climax, which was almost sweetly painful.

[…] “I want to wake up with you in the morning, I want to fight with you in the afternoon, and I want to make love on any and every available surface in this place. And then I want to do it all over again. Come upstairs with me, Sophie. I’ll keep you warm. I’ll keep the darkness away.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: A Modern Love Story by Jolyn Palliata

Format: E-bookamodernlovestory
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Lucian Anthony Cintrone
Heroine: Robbie Byrne
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: February 1, 2012
Started On: June 18, 2012
Finished On: June 22, 2012

Robbie Byrne and Lucian Anthony Cintrone (Luc) come into each other’s lives when they are both 12 years old. Robbie becomes a part of the foster care system when both her parents die in an accident traumatizing her for life. Luc, who has been a part of the system for far too long after being abandoned by his parents is the rebellious sort, the one who uses cuss words in every sentence and has an attitude a mile wide. 

Over the years, Robbie and Luc’s relationship grows, the crush that materializes on Robbie’s part from the time they both turn 14 which escalates and grows as time progresses. Though Luc might not want to acknowledge the attraction that flares between them from that very tender age, he is not as immune towards Robbie as he might like to think he is. Jealousy and possessiveness all foreign concepts to a man like Luc are emotions that hit him hard when it comes to Robbie though Luc does a swell job out of keeping himself at arm’s length time and yet again.

When both Robbie and Luc hit 22 years of age, that is when things turn around and all the pent up longing and sexual attraction that fairly sizzles the pages practically explodes giving one of the best against-the-door-smexing scenes I have read in a long, long while! Luc makes every scene come alive with his dark and broody nature of which I just simply could not get enough!

Things take a turn for worse when a woman who has her sight set on attaining Luc as her own enters the picture and manipulates both Robbie and Luc well enough until she drives a wedge through their relationship that seems an impossibility to heal from until towards the very end. 

Though Jolyn Palliata is a totally new-to-me author, this was a book that I couldn’t possibly think of putting down once I picked it up. The words flow smoothly, the characters totally invade into your heart and the story just grabs you from the very start until all I could think about was Luc, Luc and Luc some more! I found myself thinking about Luc’s character at odd moments, something that happens to me only when a story has managed to totally bewitch me in all aspects.

There is an element of infidelity and cheating on Luc’s part in the story. For some readers, I am sure this would be a total turn-off when it comes to the world of romance because they want everything to perfectly align in their hero and heroine’s world. But for me, I have total respect and love for an author who pushes the boundaries and safe-limits when it comes to writing romances and I loved the way Jolyn managed to give the story that extra punch by creating Luc the way he is and bringing him truly to life by making him true to his character.

Now some might think based on that statement that Luc is not the hero material. But you couldn’t be further from the truth. There are so many endearing traits to him that I just can’t help but sigh over him even now. Luc might be a bit of an asshole, rude and taciturn when it comes to dealing with the rest of the world, but when it comes to Robbie, he is a totally different man. It takes one who sits on the sidelines and quietly observes him to see the difference, the nuances of the expressions that cross his face whenever Robbie enters the room. 

The way Luc wants to take things slow, to romance Robbie and give her everything that her heart desires was such a lovely aspect of the story and Luc’s character. He definitely enters uncharted waters when it comes to romance and love but that doesn’t stop him from wanting to give Robbie those things and more! And when it comes to breaking Robbie’s heart, he does it in the same style as well, with no holds barred, giving me the deepest sort of grief throughout those couple of chapters.

You can’t read A Modern Love Story and not be captivated by Robbie. She is the type of heroine that you fall in love with and never stop even after you are done reading. Selfless and giving is what she is all about and I loved her to bits from the very start. Her total understanding of Luc and where all his issues stem from gives her that extra edge and the way she totally and absolutely melts in Luc’s embrace just made me sigh every single time!

The only thing that made me bring the rating down by 1 star was the fact that I felt that the last couple of chapters focused more on the ‘villain’ rather than Luc and Robbie and that didn’t sit that well with me. And the lack of an epilogue is very much felt when you reach the end and want to see and witness the happily ever after of a couple that goes through some pretty rough and tough times to finally come out as the winners.

I would highly recommend A Modern Love Story to anyone who can take romances that pushes your comfort zone. If you love a hero who is uber-alpha, possessive to the max with the ability to melt you with just one searing look, you need not look any further than Luc himself! Trust me, he is definitely all that and more!

Favorite Quotes

He knew when he had her, when he brought her to peak for the second time. The sound of his name on her lips made his own release all the more euphoric, and totally consuming.
She was his.

God, she wanted this. Wanted him. He made her feel wanted, needed. He lit fires inside her she hadn’t known could burn so fierce, in places she didn’t even know existed. Nothing in life could ever make her feel this complete, this whole. He was as much a part of her as her own soul.

“I love you so much, Robbie. Sometimes it feels like too much.” His heart lurched as her  eyes welled up. “But I trust it. I want it. And I want you. Always.”

The color of her hair spreading across the pillow looked like a liquid flame, licking and curling its way as it spilled across the fabric, and it occurred to him…that was how it felt to love her—like a fire that’s constantly burning, constantly consuming. He would have it no other way.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Tempting the Best Man by J. Lynn

Format: E-booktemptingthebestman
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Gamble Brothers, #1
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Hero: Chase Gamble
Heroine: Madison Daniels
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: April 23, 2012
Started On: June 9, 2012
Finished On: June 18, 2012

Tempting the Best Man by J. Lynn is the type of story that I love to indulge myself in. It was fast paced with enough heat to melt me in the right places and I loved the heady feelings that coursed through me as I read along.

Madison Daniels is the youngest and the only girl in the Daniels family. 28 year old Chase Gamble is the best friend of her only brother Mitch and the love of her life. Though Chase has always kept his distance from Madison except for that one time when he slipped a bit, Madison knows she has to accept the fact that Chase may never reciprocate her feelings towards him.

It is her Mitch’s wedding that brings the whole family together with the 3 Gamble brothers in attendance. When by a quirky twist of fate Chase and Madison are thrown together under the most ‘trying’ circumstances, that legendary control of Chase by which he abides by when it comes to Madison crumbles away, leaving him vulnerable to all those feelings he harbors for Madison which he continues to deny.

The passion that bursts forth between Madison and Chase is of the red-hot variety and of the toe-curling kind and I couldn’t get enough of how Chase goes from assuming that nonchalant facade of his to being almost brought down to his knees in a matter of seconds. There is nothing sexier than a man who is all growly and uber-possessive when it comes to the woman he desires above everything else and Chase was certainly ALL that and more!

Madison’s character was such an appealing one too! She is the type of heroine that you love right from the very start and root for and cheer on, on her quest towards her ultimate happily ever after. Madison’s understanding of Chase’s character and how he views himself doesn’t stop her from staying true to what she believes in. And that was one reason why I loved Madison’s character so much!

Though the ending felt a bit rushed to me, Tempting the Best Man is the kind of story I would recommend for anyone looking for a quick, hot and fun read to curl up with when you really want to indulge and keep the real world at bay for a couple of hours.

Favorite Quotes

Those lips had curved into a knowing half smile that did funny things to her insides. And like a match tossed to gasoline, her body sparked alive and flames licked every inch of her.

His lips hovered over hers.
“No,” he snarled.
Madison wasn’t sure to whom he was talking, but then his mouth was crushing hers, and her world became him—the touch and feel of his lips pressing down, forcing hers to respond. It wasn’t a gentle kiss or a sweet exploration. It was angry and raw, breathtaking and soul burning. Right now, she didn’t want gentle. She wanted hard and fast, him and her, on the floor, even the bear rug, both of them naked and sweating.

She tried to swallow, to take a breath, but her eyes met his, and there was nothing but aching intensity in his gaze. And she was drawn in, swept away.

He dipped his head, placing his mouth to the space below her ear. He nipped her there, just a tiny bite that sent a wave of heat through her veins. And then his lips moved lower, leaving a hot trail behind. “You drive me insane, absolutely freaking insane. Do you know that? I bet you do.”

“Don’t stop,” she whispered. “I want to feel you inside me.”
“I couldn’t stop now, even if I wanted.” He kissed her, marking her with all the passion and yearning she had felt for so long. “I need this. Damn it, I need you.”
And then he plunged into her with one deep stroke.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Score Sheet Review: Skin Deep by Pamela Clare

Format: E-bookskindeep
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: I-Team After Hours, #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Nathaniel West
Heroine: Megan Hunter
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: May 15, 2012
Started On: May 17, 2012
Finished On: May 25, 2012

 

CATEGORY SCORE GRADE
The hero 90 A
The heroine 90 A
Story line 90 A
Emotional Intensity 90 A
Suck me in Factor 85 A
Heat & Sensuality  85 A
Conflicts 80 A
Writing Style 100 A
Quotable Factor 80 A
Ending 95 A
Overall Grade 88.5 A

Score Sheet Summary

Skin Deep by Pamela Clare is a spin-off novel from her bestselling I-Team series which is an absolute favorite of mine. Being her first self-published book as well, Skin Deep tells the story of the sexy Marc Hunter’s younger sister Megan Hunter who finds love and redemption when she least expects to.

Megan’s childhood had been a painful one, one filled with abuse of every kind imaginable. Reading Marc’s story would paint a vivid picture of just how much Megan had suffered at the hands of people whom she should have been able to trust, people who misused and abused the position of authority they had over people in situations like the one Megan found herself in. 

Nathaniel West is ex-military, scarred on the inside and out, taking one day at a time in his attempt to move forward in his life. When he sees Megan from community shelter his family donates ground beef to, his interest is piqued enough for him to sit up and take notice. And when Megan and her adorable little daughter Emily’s life gets thrown into danger, it is then that the relationship between Megan and Nathan fosters and grows giving you a beautiful story of love amidst bits of action and humor that only Pamela Clare can deliver. Recommended for fans of I-Team novels.

Favorite Quotes

She didn’t wait for him this time, but rested her palms against the hard wall of his chest, rose up on one knee, and caressed his lips with hers, increasing the pressure.
More shivers.
His eyes drifted shut, his lashes long and dark. One big hand came to rest on her hip as he steadied her. He caught her lower lip between his, and gave it a soft tug.
Belly flutters.

He hungrily took what she offered. There had to be a thousand different ways to kiss a woman, a thousand different ways for lips and tongues to meet, caress, tease. He wanted to find every single one of them.

“Geezus!” His jaw was clenched, his brow furrowed as if he were in pain.
And she knew he was in pain, the same kind of pleasure-pain she felt—precious torment, sweet distress, torturous bliss.

She collapsed onto him, kissed his chest, the left side slick with sweat. He wrapped his arms around her, drew her close, one hand stroking her hair, his heart thrumming in his chest, both of them breathless.
And as sex cooled into sleep, he kissed her tears away.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

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by mvbookreviewer

Score Sheet Review: Heart of Steel by Jennifer Probst

Format: E-bookheartofsteel
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: BookHub
Hero: Logan Grant
Heroine: Chandler Santell
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: October 14, 2011
Started On: May 3, 2012
Finished On: May 14, 2012

 

CATEGORY SCORE GRADE
The hero 80 A
The heroine 80 A
Story line 80 A
Emotional Intensity 75 B
Suck me in Factor 75 B
Heat & Sensuality  80 A
Conflicts 80 A
Writing Style 85 A
Quotable Factor 70 B
Ending 75 B
Overall Grade 78 B

Score Sheet Summary

Logan Grant is the owner of L&G Brokerage, one of the most successful companies in the city. Chandler Santell is the owner of Yoga and Arts Center which she needs to take drastic measures in order to save and that includes going to Logan and risking it all on a deal that could go either way for her.

Chandler is a woman who has been burnt and burnt badly by those she should have been able to trust most. And understandably she is skittish when it comes to passion and feeling too much. But that is exactly what she cannot shy away from when it comes to Logan and his devastating sexuality together with that connection that is forged between these two people who are quite different from one another.

Logan finds his fascination with Chandler an enigma, the burning fire inside his soul an indication that his heart is not made of steel as most people would like to think. In Chandler, Logan finds that elusive feeling called completeness with her by his side. But any wrong move on his part could send Chandler fleeing and it is through a lot of trial and tribulations that these two eventually find their happily ever after.

I loved reading Heart of Steel. Logan and his utter focus on Chandler and the way he pursues her with that single minded intensity of his was such a huge turn on!

Jennifer Probst delivers a good bout of searing sensuality together with a story that sizzles in all the right ways. Recommended!

Favorite Quotes

Chandler prepared for a sensual, teasing game like the night before. What she hadn’t expected was the powerful, drugging need that touched fire to her body when his tongue penetrated the seam of her lips to thrust into her mouth, hungrily plundering the dark, silken depths over and over again. 

“I want you. I’ll drag out every damn secret you have. I’ll stalk every hiding place, haunt your dreams at night, and make your body burn for mine. When you finally surrender, I’ll make you feel more pleasure than you’ve ever known.”

She pressed her body against his, luxuriating in the feel of his hips cradling hers, the lean strength of his thighs, the bold evidence of his arousal. He pulled back, heard her strangled cry of protest, and re-slanted his mouth to kiss her more deeply. He used his lips and teeth and tongue to push her to the limits of control, until she became helpless beneath the onslaught and surrendered completely.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry

Format: E-bookherbestworstmistake
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Martin St Clair
Heroine: Violet Sutcliffe
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: May 5, 2012
Started On: May 4, 2012
Finished On: May 6, 2012

If you are a fan of Sarah Mayberry and her Blaze line novels, you must have come across Hot Island Nights which was released in September of 2010. In Hot Island Nights, Sarah leaves readers with a tantalizing glimpse into the relationship between Victoria and Martin and I for one was drawn towards it so much so that I mentioned in my review about wanting to read their own story. And finally, with Her Best Worst Mistake which turns out to be Sarah’s first self-pubbed story, she gives her die-hard fans the story of Martin and Violet and believe me, I couldn’t have asked for a more fitting story for the two of them.

Violet Sutcliffe and Martin St Clair tolerates each other’s presence for one reason alone. Their love for Violet’s best friend Elizabeth who happens to be Martin’s fiance is what keeps the claws sheathed behind a veneer of civility whenever they are around each other. Violet thinks Martin to be a bit stiff under the collar, someone who needs to loosen up a bit and live a little. Martin thinks Violet to be a bit too much, a bit too flashy and just a tad too much of everything. 

When Elizabeth leaves a floundering Martin behind in the wake of her realizing that her life is not going in a direction that she wants or needs, Violet is surprised by the feelings of sympathy and a riot of whole other emotions that cruises through her at the thought of Martin being all alone. While Violet battles with the unsettling feelings that seems to unravel deep inside of her all the while thinking that Martin despises her, Martin proves her wrong by turning up on her doorstep and leaves her reeling from the most explosive sexual encounter of her life.

Sarah definitely turns up the heat in this one. I for one have missed the heat she so effectively turns up in her Blaze books, not that I haven’t immensely enjoyed her Super Romance titles – I have. But, a girl needs a little bit of heat every now and then and in Her Best Worst Mistake Sarah gives us that and so much more with each encounter between Martin and Violet turning more explosive than the previous one. Don’t be lulled into thinking that its all about heat and explosions in this story. True to Sarah’s style, she gives readers two characters who have gone through their fair share of trouble in life to become the people they are today.

I loved, loved, loved Martin. I wanted to hug him and never let him go after reading the first couple of chapters. And my love for everything to do with Martin seemed to grow exponentially as the story continued. I wanted to be the one to ruffle his feathers, to make him lose that legendary cool and control of his. And when Violet does just that by merely walking into the same room as he is in; I felt like jumping out of my chair and shouting out “Hallelujah!” at the top of my voice. I was that invested in his character and the emotions that he invoked in me.

Violet was such a swell heroine. I loved her vivacious and bold nature right from the very start. Her loyalty towards her best friend is what keeps the guilt meter at an all time high when she is with Martin. But the attraction and the feelings of the more tender nature that courses through her when she is with Martin are ones not to be denied and I loved her for being true to those feelings, even when all the while conflicted with what she thinks is right and what she considers to be wrong.

The best part about the book was how well Sarah handles the crackling heat between Violet and Martin that they never even identify to be as such. I loved how realistically Sarah portrayed the turn of their relationship. I am always a reader who finds it a bit funny when two people who have such an explosive sexual chemistry right from the very start manages to just stay away from each other until the very last minute until the author is well and ready to deliver on all that tension. In my experience, if two people have that explosive a sexual attraction, it would be hard to just walk away when things tend to reach the point of no return pretty easily. And I loved Sarah for making Martin and Violet’s attraction just that – something I could identify with and loved from the very beginning.

If you have already read and enjoyed Hot Island Nights, I am sure you would have already grabbed your copy of Violet and Martin’s story and enjoyed it as much as I have. If you haven’t, don’t worry, you can still read Her Best Worst Mistake as a standalone. But reading the two books together makes for an awesome loosely tied series which I cannot recommend highly enough!

Explosive, beautiful and tender – a romance not to be missed!

Favorite Quotes

Martin smiled, the slow curve of his mouth revealing a dimple in his left cheek.
Violet frowned, as she did every time she saw that dimple.
It didn’t belong on his face. It was as simple as that. Dimples were impish and mischievous. They spoke of laughter and pleasure, not three piece suits and pipes and slippers and cardigans with elbow patches.

“Why did you lift your top the other night in my office? Why did you flash your breasts at me like that?” he asked, his voice very low, his grey eyes intent on her.
“I don’t know,” she whispered. 
“Liar,” he said, and then he closed the distance between them and his hands were cupping her face and his mouth was lowering toward hers and her heart was beating so hard and fast it was a wonder it didn’t explode. 

“I’m sorry, I have to move. I have to. You’re so bloody tight. So good,” he groaned, his face distorted with need. 
He started to pump into her, long, powerful thrusts, the slap of flesh on flesh and the wet rush of their bodies moving together mingling with their ragged breathing. Everywhere she touched him he was hard as granite, as though every muscle in his body was straining toward completion. She’d never felt more desired, more wanted, more wanton or sexy in her life and she felt her own desire rising higher with every stroke.

Her perfume enveloped him as he reached for her. His hands smoothed over soft fabric before finding the warmth of her skin. She lifted her mouth to his and kissed him hungrily, greedily. 
She tasted so good. Like sin. Like every dirty thought he’d ever had. 

Purchase Links: Amazon | Smashwords

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested ARC Review: Office Affair by Jess Dee

Format: E-bookOfficeAffair
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Bandicoot Cave Anthology
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd
Hero: Ben Cowley
Heroine: Melissa Sparks
Sensuality: 4.5
Date of Publication: May 1, 2012
Started On: April 29, 2012
Finished On: May 2, 2012

Jess Dee is an author who continually surprises me with how good her books turn out to be. Jess’s books always delivers a scorching hot read, and I mean scorching HOT! And together with that she also delivers that unbeatable combination of well developed characters that totally call out to you and mixes it all up with enough emotion to really make the story worth your while. And let me assure you, Office Affair is no exception to that rule!

Office Affair tells the story of the no-nonsense, one hundred percent goal oriented Melissa Sparks who has lusted after her sexy as sin colleague Ben Cowley from afar for far too long. Ben is a changed man, a man who has had his heart destroyed. Ben doesn’t know what else to do but bury himself in his work and ignore the gaping hole in his heart that hasn’t seemed to heal. And then Melissa turns up at his doorstep, offering herself to him, a strictly no-strings attached sex fest which should have been a dream come true for a guy like Ben who likes his relationships short and without any complications. But then, neither Melissa nor Ben takes into account that strange feeling that takes a hold of you and gives you something worth to hold on to and that is exactly what happens to both of them as their affair burns hotter and brighter than the burning sun.

Office Affair revolves around a lot of sex scenes, all of them top notch and over the top hot that I couldn’t get enough of them. That is why I keep repeating like a broken record that Jess certainly knows what she is doing when she delivers readers with erotica that goes straight to your blood! Ben is such a sexy, sexy, sexy man! He turned my insides to mush with his possessive streak, turned me on far more than I can remember being turned on by a book and left me wanting more, which is exactly how I love my heroes. And Melissa turned out to be such an endearing heroine, whose inner vulnerabilities called out to me and made me yearn for her happily ever after as if it were my own.

Beneath all the searingly mind blowing sex scenes lies the story of two characters who are broken in their own ways, both of them finding that healing touch that makes their future one filled with promise and happiness. For those who are squeamish, there is a menage scene tossed into the story which proves to be a pivotal point in Ben and Melissa’s relationship. And as always Jess handled everything so well that even I, who stay away from menages loved what took place when Ben gave Melissa everything she would ever want and more during that one night of unbeatable passion.

If you are a fan of Jess Dee, I don’t think you would require any further urging on my part to read Office Affair. If not, give Office Affair a go. You would not regret it if you love your sex melt-your-panties-off-hot and the story with enough emotional punch to leave you with a huge smile on your face once the ultimate conclusion is reached. Recommended!

Favorite Quotes

The next time she caught his cockhead between her pussy lips, he couldn’t hold back. He thrust once, hard, seating himself deep inside her body.
So good.
Fucking amazing.
Tight. Wet. Slippery.
Perfect. So fucking perfect.

The orgasm slammed through him, hauling the breath from his body. He could no more have prevented it than he could have pulled away from her. He came hard. So hard he couldn’t keep his eyes open. Couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.
Couldn’t…
Oh, God. Oh, fuck. So good. So fucking good.

Gasping, searching for breath and inhaling only the heady scent of musk and sex, Ben realized one thing. He had just had the most powerful orgasm of his life—with his colleague.

“Ben!” She called his name, begged him.
“Right behind you, sweetness.”
And just like that a pair of hands wrapped around her hips, legs pressed close to hers, and something hard brushed the sensitized lips of her pussy.
Hard. God, so gloriously hard.
It didn’t vibrate. Not even a little bit, but with one clean thrust, that something hard filled her. Filled her, stretched her and delighted her like the toy would never have been able to.
Ben.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Samhain

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