Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Historical Romance POV: Third Person, Dual Series: Standalone Publisher: Avon Hero: Major Baron Nathaniel Cain Heroine: Katharine Louise Weston Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: October 01, 1984 Started On: February 26, 2024 Finished On: March 01, 2024
For Kit, Cain no longer had a name. He was the quintessential man, fierce and demanding. And for Cain, the mysterious veiled creature in his arms was everything that a woman should be . . . but never was.
Set in the turbulent aftermath of the American Civil War, Just Imagine is a story that brims and boils over with grit, passion, and emotional conflict. It starts with revenge and resentment but blossoms into something profoundly moving anchored by two characters whose hearts are just as stubborn as their wills.
At its core is Katharine Louise Weston, known to most as Kit, an eighteen-year-old Southern firebrand determined to reclaim the only thing she has left in the world: her family’s South Carolina plantation, Risen Glory. Disguised as a boy, she travels to New York to kill the man who legally holds her inheritance; Major Baron Nathaniel Cain, a Union war hero with a guarded heart and secrets of his own.
From the moment Kit storms into Cain’s life, their dynamic crackles with tension. She is wild, unrefined, and utterly unrepentant about who she is. Having grown up neglected by her father and stepmother, Kit shaped herself into someone fierce and independent, more at ease in britches and boots than in silks and frills. Her resistance to femininity, and everything it represents, is both heartbreaking and empowering. And yet, over the course of the novel, to witness her reluctant and powerful awakening—not just into womanhood, but into self-awareness, vulnerability, and eventually, love gave this book the vivaciousness it delivers.
Cain is one of those heroes who walks into your heart, breaks everything in sight, and leaves you aching in the best way. A man who grew up emotionally starved, abandoned by his mother and brutalized by a broken father, Cain learned early on to mistrust love and to guard his emotions behind a wall of indifference. His war heroism, his reputation, and his past with women are all defense mechanisms masking a man starving for connection. Kit forces him to confront all the things he has spent a lifetime burying. He doesn’t want to feel, but she makes him feel—and that is what both scares and saves him.
Kit wants her land, her independence, and maybe even her place in Cain’s life; but she doesn’t know how to give love without turning it into a war. Cain wants Kit, but he is terrified of becoming his father; twisted by obsession and broken by a woman’s power over him. Theirs is not a romance of softness. It is a fierce, combustible thing, made up of sharp words, stolen moments, aching silences, and the kind of love that both wounds and heals.
What I loved most was how messy this love story is, in all the right ways. There is no instant transformation or neat resolution to all that takes place in the story as it evolves. From their initial clash of wits when Kit is a vulnerable eighteen to when she returns three years later, schooled on how to be a woman, but achingly vulnerable in a lot of ways and what ensues; all of it is real, raw, and unrefined in the best way.
Kit and Cain make mistakes as any headstrong couple is bound to do when they are “forced” into situations beyond their control. They lash out. They hurt each other. But underneath it all is a slow, undeniable shift: a giving way, a reaching out, and finally a surrendering of pride. Even their intimacy carries this duality; full of hunger, but ringed with emotional barriers they dare not cross. The tension simmers throughout the novel until it breaks with heartbreaking clarity and unexpected tenderness.
Another aspect that I also loved was the rich historical backdrop, the sharp social commentary, and the compelling secondary romance between Sophronia and Magnus, whose lives are intertwined with that of the main protagonists. Perhaps, the most shocking reveal of the story is related to that of Sophronia and that too added much richness to the story
Just Imagine is a story that made me cry, not just for the pain Cain and Kit carry, but for the beauty of watching them find their way to each other. It reminded me of why I fell in love with romance reading in the first place: for the epic battles between the heart and soul, the push and pull of strong characters shaped by a world that demands they give up their pride, and for the quiet, powerful surrender of love that changes everything.
Recommended for: Readers who love enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn historical romance, emotionally tormented heroes, wild-hearted heroines, post-Civil War Southern settings, and love stories where the angst is real and the payoff is ultimately worth it.
Final Verdict: A raw, passionate, and unforgettable romance; Kit and Cain burn with fury and longing making me ache, laugh, and cry. A true masterpiece by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.
Favorite Quotes
Their eyes locked, and he drew nearer. Even before he touched her, she felt the heat of his skin. “We both know this has been between us ever since the day you came here. It’s time we put an end to it so we can get on with the rest of our lives.” Temptation whickered. He brushed her cheek with his finger and spoke softly. “I’m going to have you now, Kit Weston.”
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Post Apocalyptic Romance POV: First Person, Single Series: Kindled, #2 Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Grant Heroine: Olivia Vincent Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: July 12, 2022 Started On: January 04, 2023 Restarted On: February 17, 2024 Finished On: February 23, 2024
He feels like mine—in all his tightly held angst, his guilt, his nearly impenetrable walls.
I don’t particularly recall as to why I started reading this in early 2023 and stopped. Perhaps I was not in the mood to receive the glory this book was in every sense. Either way, I am so very glad that, for whatever reason, I decided to pick this up again and restart from page one. If not, I would have ended up missing out on the installment that is by far my most favorite from the series!
In the second book in the Kindled series, Claire Kent returns to her quietly gripping post-apocalyptic world with Princess, a story that is as beautifully restrained as it is deeply emotional, and stands out for its nuance, longing, and the way it so effortlessly shows the soft center of a man who is seemingly made of stone.
The story follows Olivia Vincent, who was just seventeen when the world as she knew it ended. The daughter of a tech billionaire, she turns out to be among the lucky few who survived in an underground luxury bunker built and prepared for the imminent collapse of the world. But safety comes at a price; isolation, loss, and uncertainty become constant companions over the years.
The story picks up when Olivia is twenty-two, and is no longer the sheltered rich girl she once was. Her days are marked by routine, emotional numbness, and the lingering grief of losing her father. But the one steady presence in her life is Grant—the stoic, unreadable, maddeningly aloof head of security who has been watching out for her over the years.
Grant is everything I love in a hero; strong, silent, protective to a fault, and utterly devastating once the layers start to shed off. His sense of duty is absolute, often to the detriment of his own happiness. He sees Olivia as something to be protected, even from himself. It is this internal conflict; his deeply ingrained protector instinct versus the forbidden yearning he tries so hard to suppress, that becomes the emotional heart of the story. And when his restraint finally snaps, the result is as raw and powerful as one would expect.
Olivia is equally compelling. She may have been born into privilege, but in this new world, that means nothing. Her resilience, maturity, and capacity to love are what make her so well-matched with Grant. She wants more from him—from their connection—and she is not afraid to ask for it. What I loved most was how she continued to push forward, even when Grant pulled back, not in a naive way but with emotional clarity and strength. She is also the one who makes the first move, and even the second move, because with a man like Grant who sees Olivia is someone who is way above his pay grade, that makes every sense, especially in the context of their relationship,
The romance that unfolds is one that seeps through the pages, which starts off in the heated moments of passion that ignites a storm between the two, in the quiet moments, in withheld confessions, and especially in the ache and angst of what is not being said. When the payoff comes, it’s not just physical; though those scenes are explosive in the best possible way—it’s deeply emotional. Soul-deep and satisfying in a way that lingers long after you turn that last page.
Princess is easily my favorite in this series. Not only because of the slow burn and the masterfully written sexual tension, but because of Grant. His quiet devotion, the weight he carries, and the way he loves; makes him truly an unforgettable hero. Claire Kent writes alpha males with such authenticity; just strong men with soft hearts and a deep, primal need to protect what’s theirs. And Olivia? She has always been his.
Recommended for: Fans of age-gap romance, post-apocalyptic settings, strong silent heroes, heroines who come into their own, and slow-burns with explosive emotional (and physical) payoff.
Final Verdict: Grant is the gold standard of strong, silent heroes. Princess is a quietly stunning romance—intimate, powerful, and unforgettable. An absolute standout.
Favorite Quotes
“Are you okay?” he asks, falling down onto the bed beside me like he suddenly went boneless. “Yeah. I… think so.” I check his face. I desperately need to know how he’s feeling right now, and it’s always so difficult to read him. His body is limp. Tired like mine is. He reaches out and pulls me against him, wrapping his arms around me in a loose embrace. I sigh and settle there. It feels better when he holds me. It feels like he needs me. As much as I need him.
“Oh, princess, you don’t seem to understand that I’ve had years—years and years—of practice at holding myself back. Pretending I don’t want what I want.” “W-what?” He’s not flirting or trying to seduce me or teasing me out of my bad mood. He looks dead serious, so I have to believe he means what he says. “I spent years wanting you, knowing I could never have you. A week should be nothing compared to that.[..]”
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Post Apocalyptic Romance POV: First Person, Single Series: Standalone Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Travis Farrell Heroine: Layne Patterson Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: November 13, 2019 Started On: February 08, 2024 Finished On: February 17, 2024
Claire Kent delivers another deeply human and achingly intimate post-apocalyptic romance with Last Light, a story that does not seek to rush nor dramatize what it truly means to end up in a world that is full of chaos. The setup is stark as it is for her books in this setting: the world as we know it ended years ago when an asteroid struck Europe, sending global civilization into freefall. Governments collapsed, infrastructures failed, and what is left now is survival in its rawest form—hunger, danger, and a constant threat from those preying on the weak.
Layne Patterson, just twenty, is one of the rare ones left trying to hold on to her humanity. When her grandmother—the last of her family—passes away, Layne makes the impossible decision to travel across what is left of three states to find the only people she might have left in the world. She has no vehicle, no protection, and few supplies. However, what she does come across is a man that her grandfather trusted in—Travis Farrell. A man who was the town’s mechanic. A man who like her is headed to Fort Knox to find family.
Travis is a revelation. A quietly gruff, emotionally guarded older man, he is at first glance the stoic survivalist archetype—but it quickly becomes clear that there is far more beneath the surface. He does not talk much, nor does he smile much, and he certainly is not equipped with flirting skills. But his actions always speak volumes. He offers Layne safety without strings, companionship without pressure, and a fierce kind of loyalty that is all the more moving for how understated it is.
What I adored about this story was how slowly and naturally their bond built—layered with silence, trust, vulnerability, and finally, need. Layne may be young, but she is grounded. She has lived through enough loss to know what matters. And despite the horrors of their world, she is still tender, curious, and emotionally brave. Watching her open up to Travis—and seeing him quietly unravel from the inside—was a slow-burn of the best kind. The heat between them is subtle at first, buried under caution and circumstance, but when it ignites, it is undeniably powerful.
Then comes the emotional gut-punch. The angst, when it arrives later in the story, doesn’t feel manufactured or forced—it is honest, raw, and so very human and moved me to tears. Not because it was dramatic, but like the rest of the story, the understated nature of it all just had me wanting to bawl my eyes out. That fear of loving someone in a world where everything is already lost. The fear of being left again. The fear of not being enough.
But again, it is Travis who makes everything alright. His love is quiet, constant, and devastatingly beautiful all because of the fact that he does not go around showing the world what his love is like, but rather proves it in every other way possible. The epilogue—set a year later was everything in the end. I totally loved it!
If there is one thing that Claire Kent does better than most, it is writing men like Travis. Men who aren’t perfect, but who love in that deep, undramatic, grounding way that makes them unforgettable. You won’t find grand declarations or sweeping gestures with them. Instead, these are men with whom you feel safe, desired, treasured, and protected at any and all costs.
Recommended for: Readers who love post-apocalyptic survival romances, May-December tropes, quiet heroes who love hard, and stories that make your chest ache in the best way possible.
Final Verdict: Last Light is aching, tender, quietly devastating—and Travis is the kind of hero that I would exactly hope for if and when the world ends.
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: First Person, Dual Series: Slow Burn, #1 Publisher: Montlake Romance Hero: Jackson Walker Boudreaux Heroine: Bianca Hardwick Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: October 17, 2017 Started On: January 27, 2024 Finished On: February 04, 2024
The first thing Jackson Boudreaux said to me was, “I don’t like to be kept waiting.”
A modern-day take on Beauty and the Beast with a twist of The Princess and the Frog as well, Burn for You, the first book in the Slow Burn series by J.T. Geissinger delivers a gorgeously layered, emotionally charged slow-burn romance between a reclusive billionaire heir and a strong, no-nonsense chef trying to keep her world from falling apart.
30-year old Bianca Hardwick is focused, fiercely independent, and determined to keep her struggling restaurant afloat. Her personal life might be a disaster, but the one thing she has going for her is her beloved restaurant, which she will fight with everything she has to keep. The last thing she needs is the grumpy, rude, infuriatingly hot 35-year old Jackson Boudreaux walking into her kitchen and turning her world upside down.
Jackson—aka “The Beast”—is heir to a world-famous bourbon empire and desperate to gain control of his inheritance before his toxic family tears it all apart. Forced by his parents to get married or face the consequences, Jackson comes up with a foolproof plan (or so he thinks), and proposes to Bianca to become his wife, in name only.
When Bianca refuses his initial proposal, little does she know that her life would be turned upside down when her mother gets diagnosed with terminal cancer. With little in the way of finances to be able to afford life saving treatment for her mother, Bianca finally gives into Jackson’s proposition, all the while knowing that Jackson was a man who could destroy her in a way that her ex could not.
And thus begins the fake marriage between Bianca and Jackson, with both of them determined to ignore the gigantic elephant in the room—the awareness that sizzled to life between them from the start, growing in leaps and bounds with every subswuent encounter. Before they know it, their disdain and fascination with each other slowly morphs into something tender, painfully real, and oh-so-heartwrenchingly romantic.
Jackson is the kind of hero that romance readers live for. He is tortured with a capital T, rough-edged, aloof, and scarred in ways that go beyond the physical. He carries a heavy load of emotional trauma tied to his tragic past and complicated family dynamics, which makes him all the more endearing.
Jackson is drowning in guilt, grief, and deep-rooted self-loathing—and it is Bianca who throws him the lifeline that he has been seeking all along. Bianca, with her strength, fire, and honesty, is the balm to his bitterness. She sees him, calls him out, and stands her ground—but she also gives in when it matters the most.
Their chemistry is undeniably explosive, simmering beneath every interaction, and when it finally boils over, deeply satisfying and filled with eroticism of the kind that wreaks havoc on your senses. Being my first novel by Ms. Geissinger, I would say I was pleasantly surprised and definitely moved enough to dig up her backlist for books with my name written on them.
When all was said and done, what I felt that the story deeply lacked was an epilogue. After the emotional ride readers go through with these two, we need more than just a fiery grand gesture. I wanted to see them in the aftermath—thriving, teasing, loving—some glimpse of forever.
Even with that critical factor, this book was still a win in many ways. Gritty, tender, and gorgeously written, with a setting that pulsed with atmosphere and characters that stayed with me long after I finished the last page. If Jackson is the Beast, Bianca is the woman who tames him—not with submission, but with strength and honesty.
Recommended for: Fans of grumpy/reclusive heroes, strong-willed heroines, fake marriage tropes, emotionally charged backstories, and Beauty and the Beast retellings.
Final Verdict: A modern Beauty and the Beast with Southern bite—fiery, emotional, and beautifully written. Jackson is definitely bound to break your heart.
Favorite Quotes
I gestured to his arm. “Why do you have a semicolon tattooed on your wrist? I noticed it when we were in the kitchen.” Jackson turned his left hand up and gazed down at the simple black tattoo on the inside of his wrist. He was silent for a long time, then looked up and met my eyes. He said, “You’re an avid reader. You know the meaning of a semicolon.” I frowned. “It’s when the author could have ended a sentence but chose not to.” “Exactly.” “I don’t understand.” Jackson looked deep into my eyes. His smile might have been the saddest thing I’d ever seen. He said softly, “I’m the author, and the sentence is my life.”
Who was the real Jackson Boudreaux? The Beast that snarled and snapped? The suave sophisticate at ease in front of crowds? Or the sad, lonely man with a mysterious tattoo and eyes full of bad memories?
“All right, Bianca, since you asked—no, you don’t look wifely.” I stared at him, strangely hurt. His voice softer, he said, “I’ve never seen anyone’s wife who looks as good as you do. You’re a fucking wet dream. Now stop fishing for compliments and buckle your lap belt, we’re about to take off.”
He reared up on his hands, threw his head back, and roared my name at the ceiling. So this is what all those stupid love songs are about, I thought, just before I went supernova and exploded in a white-hot ball of fire into space.
“You’ve ruined me for anyone else,” he whispered hoarsely, beginning to lose himself. “Bianca. I’m ruined.”
For the way you changed my plans For being the perfect distraction For the way you took the idea that I have Of everything that I wanted to have And made me see there was something missing, oh yeah
For the ending of my first begin (Ooh, yeah yeah, ooh, yeah yeah) And for the rare and unexpected friend (Ooh, yeah yeah, ooh, yeah yeah) For the way you’re something that I’d never choose But at the same time, something I don’t wanna lose And never wanna be without ever again
You’re the best thing I never knew I needed So when you were here I had no idea You are the best thing I never knew I needed So now it’s so clear, I need you here always
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: First Person, Single Series: Green Valley #2 Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Carlton Hill Heroine: Josephine Katarina Pendleton Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: March 14, 2023 Started On: January 11, 2024 Finished On: January 12, 2024
Noelle Adams (aka Zannie Adams, aka Claire Kent) delivers a sweet and emotionally engaging vacation romance with An Accidental Fling, the second installment in her Green Valley series. The story follows Josephine Katarina Pendleton—Jo to those who know her—on her first real vacation since college, a much-needed break from her demanding job at a local family law firm. Jo’s plans for a relaxing solo trip at a resort just outside Asheville takes a sharp turn when she finds herself rooming with none other than Carlton Hill—her best friend’s older brother and the man she’s known, and maybe wanted, for most of her life.
Carlton Hill—tall, broad-shouldered, with a moody scowl and those chocolate-brown eyes—is the gruff, emotionally bruised hero who once used to be the sweet boy next door. His past, particularly his broken engagement to the too-perfect Morgan, has left him guarded and a little hardened. But beneath that grumpy exterior still lies a man capable of deep love—if only he’d allow himself to hope again.
Jo, on the other hand, is practical and emotionally independent. She has built a fulfilling career, made peace with her aversion to romantic entanglements, and never imagined herself falling into something as messy and unpredictable as love. And yet, Carlton’s presence forces her to confront just how much she has been holding herself back from living fully and loving freely.
What starts as a temporary arrangement, with a defined end date and no emotional strings attached, is the perfect solution for two people like Jo and Carlton—she’s allergic to commitment, and he is emotionally gun-shy. But as the days go by, the rules they have set begin to crumble under the weight of real connection, intense chemistry, and growing feelings they never intended to explore.
Their fling is supposed to be simple, easy, and temporary. But the more time they spend together, the more difficult it becomes to keep feelings out of the equation. The slow crumble of the walls between them, the way they begin to want more even when they promised not to, provides the emotional depth that makes this story so compelling.
I loved this book. Ms. Adams has a way of writing heroes that just works for me, and this particular mix—grumpy, tender beneath the surface, emotionally scarred but ultimately brave in love just pushed all the right buttons. Carlton was all of that and more. His progression—from closed-off to vulnerable—was so satisfying to witness. And Jo, with her wit, resolve, and relatable fear of getting hurt, felt very grounded and real.
Their chemistry was palpable, and the casual-to-serious progression felt natural and I loved every minute of their journey—both messy and real as it gets, to their happily ever after. I especially enjoyed the setting—a cozy, low-key resort nestled in the mountains, which added a quiet intimacy to their evolving relationship.
If I had one complaint, it would be that I wish we had seen a bit more of Carlton’s perspective. Being fully in Jo’s head meant some of his emotional growth happened just out of sight—but even so, the emotional payoff was in the end, worth it.
Recommended for: Fans of grumpy/sunshine dynamics, best friend’s brother tropes, emotionally scarred heroes, low-angst contemporary romance, and Ms. Adams’ uniquely charming romances.
Final Verdict: A quietly intense, emotionally layered vacation fling that turns into so much more. Carlton is peak grumpy hero purrfection.
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: First Person, Dual Series: Kindled,#4 Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Zed Heroine: Esther Hamilton Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: December 29, 2022 Started On: January 07, 2024 Finished On: January 10, 2024
First published in December of 2022, Hero, the fourth installment of the Kindled series by Claire Kent was a delightful read for me in many ways. Ms. Kent has a remarkable ability to bring together characters that have nothing going for them initially, who would probably not have gotten together if life had not thrown a major apocalyptic disaster upon them, and making it all work splendidly.
Esther Hamilton is 18 years old when the catastrophic event of the asteroid impact occurs, altering life as people knew it on Earth. Esther was a freshman in college at the time, whose ambitious aspiration was to become an astronaut. When the apocalypse forces her into survival mode to take refuge with family in a remote cabin, that is when she meets 24 year old Zed, her step-uncle at the time.
Years later, things have changed to the point where Zed is now single father to Rina, his five year old daughter. Esther, who originally viewed Zed as someone with no ambition and aimless in life, finds herself part of a family unit that comprises of the three of them, working hard to survive the hard realities of life.
Esther suffers from deep rooted anxiety that gnaws at her, at how little control she has over the elements and their shared life. In the midst of it, learning to recognize and appreciate the changes that transforms Zed into someone she could not care for initially into someone she is fiercely attracted to, is jarring enough as it is. While initially this connection is reluctant and driven by circumstance, over time, it grows into one that is more complex and multi-layered.
I truly loved Zed and admired his growth as a character. He was an unserious man (as most men tend to be at a certain age), but as the story evolved and along came responsibilities in the form of his daughter and of course Esther, he reveals the layers to his character, transforming into a dependable and caring figure. In my opinion, Zed was love!
At the same time, Esther was a character that truly resonated with me; her independence, resilience, and determination to survive despite the hardships and all odds made me fall for her and root for her. Esther is a complex heroine (as Ms. Kent’s heroines in this series tend to be), and her inner conflicts and shock at the realization that she fancies none other than Zed and the possibility that he fancies her back is one more problem for her to agonize over.
It is even initially the way Zed’s care for Esther’s well-being goes beyond obligation, offering her comfort during moments of intense anxiety that comes with the high uncertainties in her life that makes this story give you the fuzzy feels. Their first impulsive sexual encounter breaks another barrier between them, which helps Esther to see Zed in a whole new light as Zed becomes more attuned to her needs and emotions. It is also Zed that calls Esther out for hiding her emotions, giving the reader insight into how well he actually knows Esther inside and out.
Recommended for readers who love survivalist themed romances. This series is a must-read!
Final Verdict: Disaster has a way of bringing out the hero in you; Zed’s transformation into a man who Esther could wholeheartedly desire, love, and depend on makes for great reading.
Favorite Quotes
Literally nothing else has a chance to exist in my mind. It’s entirely filled with vivid, intense images of me and Zed fucking. My body reacts to it. My heart rate picks up again but for a different reason now. All the energy from my earlier panic has transformed into something entirely different. It’s too much. I can’t control it. It’s like a foreign entity has taken possession of my body. And it’s that power—not me, it can’t be me—that’s reaching up to grab the sides of Zed’s head and pulling him down into a hard kiss.
I can’t believe we’re doing this. Having sex in the middle of the night. With each other. “What are we doing?” I toss my head back and forth on the mattress, trying to make myself think clear thoughts. “This isn’t right.” “Stop worrying about everything,” he mutters through a clenched jaw. It looks like he’s exerting great effort, and it’s the hottest thing. “Stop thinking for one fucking minute.” A wave of sensation slams into me then, and I follow his advice and push all my worries and mental stewing aside. Right now I need this.
Maybe it’s the helpless sound I make, but Zed is suddenly on fire. He makes a growling sound and palms my ass with one hand, lifting me up against the door in a quick, carnal move. I wrap my legs around him, partly because I need it for stability and partly because I want to feel the thick form of him between my thighs. His tongue is deep in my mouth, and he starts making a humping motion against me. It’s ridiculously hot. I squirm and gasp and try to squeeze him between my legs. “Damn,” he rasps at last. “You’re driving me out of my mind.”
“Esther.” I make a sobbing sound and lean forward so I can bite the curve of his shoulder, using it to smother the helpless sounds I’m making. He’s taking me hard and fast now, and my vision is blurring over. I squeeze him with my legs and dig my nails into his back and bite down hard on his shoulder as the pressure finally releases in intense waves of sensation. I come hard and messy all over him, around him, and he fucks me through it until he’s finally falling out of rhythm. “Sweet Jesus.” He swallows over the words as he pulls his cock out of me in a quick move and lets me down so my feet hit the floor. His face twists as he comes in several spurts against my chest and belly.
He reaches out to take me by the waist and pull me so I’m standing between his legs. He’s gazing up at me, his blue eyes hot. Strangely hungry. “Too lazy to even get up off your ass to do it right,” I say dryly. He chokes on a laugh. “Oh, I’m gonna do you right. You can count on it.” Before I can come up with an appropriate rejoinder, he’s swung me down onto the bed. I’m on my back, my upper body and butt on the mattress, but my legs hanging clumsily over the side. He moves over me. Kisses me deep and hard.
I feel completely out of control, and it’s a new, heady feeling for me. I clutch handfuls of the bedding beneath me, and bite my bottom lip over the helpless moans I’m making. “That’s right,” Zed mutters, his eyes raking up and down my body from my face to the place where his cock is moving in and out of me. “You’re doing so good. You’re taking it so good. Just let go. You can let go.”
He goes at it harder this time, holding on to fistfuls of my ass flesh so he can get good leverage to push. It’s aching but in a way I like. I need. I hear the shameless sounds I’m making and can’t believe they’re coming from me. I sound like an animal. So does he. We grunt and push and slap our flesh together until I’m coming again with a scream I barely manage to hide in the pillow.
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: First Person, Single Series: Standalone Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Josh Bennett Heroine: Leslie Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: July 20, 2014 Started On: January 05, 2024 Finished On: January 07, 2024
I went on a Claire Kent reading binge phase towards late 2023 which sort of fizzled out early 2024. It was wonderful while it lasted, and I believe I will still pick up some of her older science fiction novels at some point when I once again hit a reading slump or get in the mood for a pick-me-up romance which I know Ms. Kent will definitely deliver.
No Regrets is an apt title for the story that unfolds between 38 year old paralegal Leslie who grapples with her grief over losing Polly, her dog of eight years, and Josh Bennett, 34 year old veterinarian, who is new to Leslie’s town. Leslie made a vow to herself on her last birthday that she would live with no regrets, and nothing has changed in the past eleven months until tragedy comes calling.
Leslie and Josh’s first encounter takes place under emotionally charged circumstances, when Leslie is struggling to get her aging and very ill dog out of her car into the clinic. Josh who has recently joined as a partner to the clinic assists her, ends up making an impression on Leslie through his kindness and sensitivity in dealing with everything.
When Josh seeks her out to spend some time with Leslie knowing that she is going through an emotionally taxing time, one thing leads to another and before they know it, their mutual attraction ends in a no-strings-attached, one-night stand. From the start, Josh makes it clear that he is not looking for any long-term commitment, and Leslie, though she is not looking for meaningless hookups, says yes believing that it would be just a one time thing.
After the initial hookup which neither believed would amount to much, Leslie and Josh reconnect by chance at a bar and gradually establish a pseudo-relationship that is purely no strings attached. While Josh continues to stress that is not looking for a happily ever after, Leslie though hesitant at first, considers the proposition as part of resolution to live without regrets.
While Josh and Leslie continue on this path and enjoy each other’s company, the emotional intimacy between them develops and strengthens, where Josh starts showing glimpses of vulnerability and Leslie starting to want more than just casual intimacy. It takes a lot for Josh to finally reconcile with his past and work for something long lasting with Leslie, upon his realization that short-term and casual does not fit the path that he and Leslie have walked on.
I liked both Leslie and Josh. Leslie for her strength and vulnerability, her determination to live without regrets (which did not amount to much at first – something we can all relate to), her humor and self-awareness, and her ability to see through Josh. When it comes to Josh, it is his empathy and kindness, his complexity, his quiet strength, and towards the end, his transformation from an emotionally closed off man to someone who is more open to pursuing love and where it takes him that made him endearing.
In signature Kent style, Leslie and Josh share undeniable chemistry rendering their moments from lighthearted banter to intense intimacy, both electric and captivating. The push and pull dynamic between the two due to the differences in terms of their expectations creates the needed angst for the story and I loved all of it.
Recommended for fans of contemporary romance who love a reluctant hero and his journey towards emotional fulfillment.
Final Verdict: No Regrets by Claire Kent is a beautifully crafted romance that explores grief, healing, and the transformative power of love, with characters whose emotional depth and sizzling chemistry captivate from start to finish.
Favorite Quotes
He gently slid the neckline of my top to the side to expose my shoulder. He smiled. “I see more freckles.” Then he leaned down and gently nipped me, right on the hollow of my throat. I gasped at the shocking jolt of pleasure. I’d never experienced anything like it—so completely out of the blue. Then he was kissing me, and there was no way I could resist kissing him back. The bar was dim and not very crowded, but the other customers hardly crossed my mind as the kiss deepened. It had been a long time since I’d been kissed, and he was somehow stronger and more passionate and more skillful and just more than the other men I’d been with. It felt like he was everywhere. Filling all of me.
He bit down on the sensitive flesh of my throat, and I felt the sharpest jolt of pleasure I’d ever experienced in my life. I cried out wordlessly in response, my pelvis jutting out in sudden need for stimulation. My arousal had intensified so quickly—and with so little conscious thought—that I was losing my sense of balance and coordination. I wasn’t sure I could stay on my feet, had Josh not trapped me between the sink counter and his body. My eyes blurred over until the small, dingy bathroom faded into nonexistence. All I was aware of was Josh, in all his intensity, physicality, and hot, hot power.
His cock drove its way into my pussy, his upper body pressing against my chest as he sunk all the way inside. I bit down on his shoulder—my teeth against his t-shirt—as I felt his solid substance stretch and fill me. He didn’t give me a chance to get used to the tight penetration. With a guttural sound and a jerk of his neck, he started to thrust. Fast, short, and sloppy.
Two hours later, I was in his small, barely furnished apartment. We’d gotten takeout to eat from a place halfway down the block. After we’d eaten, I’d taken a shower first, and now he was taking a shower. He was very easy to hang out with. No demands. No deep feelings. No awkwardness. Just interesting conversation and sex.
“Fuck,” Josh said, lifting his face to capture my mouth again. His voice was thick and hoarse, the sexiest thing I’d ever heard—but somehow aching like I did. His hips jerked against my pelvis, and his body grew tighter and tighter as the frantic motion of our bodies intensified. My head fell back as pleasure welled up inside me, Tears streamed down my face when my spine arched involuntarily. “Oh, God.” Josh kissed me one more time with clumsy, unfocused passion. Tremors had started to run through his body as he tried to rein in his release. Then I came, clutching him, riding out the waves of pleasure as his control broke and he fell into climax too.
He leaned in closer so his mouth was next to my ear. His murmur had gotten thicker, sexier. “You turn me on just standing there. I want to fuck you again. I want to make you come harder than you’ve ever come before. But that’s all it would be. If you want hot sex with no-strings, then I’m your man. But if you want something serious, then you should just walk away.”
“You’re sure? About the no-strings thing?” “Yeah. I’m sure. As long as you were serious about making me come harder than I’ve ever come before.” I couldn’t believe I’d actually said that out loud. Someone else must have said that. He smiled. Hotly. Smugly. “I was serious.” “You were talking pretty dirty in there,” I said, feeling less uncertain as an uncharacteristic wildness seemed to possess me. “Do you always talk that way?” He lifted a hand to stroke this thumb over my cheekbone, the way he’d done a few weeks ago when he was talking about my freckles. Then he leaned down, like he would kiss me. But he said in my ear instead, “I can talk as dirty as you want.”
He made a guttural sound in his throat as he finally got up from his chair. He moved over me, his hands sliding over my body, drawing my arms out from where they were crossed. Then he adjusted me until he was seated on the couch and I was straddling his lap. He stared up at me for a moment—desire and need and heat shuddering in the air between us—and then he kissed me hard, deep.
“Very good. You feel so good. Your pussy is hot and tight and so wet.” He sucked in a shuddering breath as my channel squeezed around him instinctively. “Yes,” he hissed. “Just like that. You like it when I fuck you like this, don’t you?” The coarse language from him sent jolts of desire to my center. He was hitting my g-spot on each thrust, and the shudders of pleasure made me want to scream. I whimpered and bit down on my lower lip, my whole body slammed with carnal heat.
“Oh Josh!” The words were choked on a harsh inhale. The smolder in his eyes turned into a blaze—like nothing I’d seen from him before. He made another guttural sound and shifted his grip on my wrists to one hand, stretching my arms straight above my head. “Don’t move them from right here,” he said. I kept my arms in place as he unfastened his pants and rolled on a condom. When he’d done so, he lined his cock up and thrust into me with one hard stroke.
His weight was resting on me now more fully, pushing me into the mattress, but I loved the feel of his hot, sweaty heaviness. His thrusts became shorter and faster, and I rocked my pelvis up against his motion—my clit getting good friction from his pubic bone. “God, it’s so good,” I gasped, as I felt another orgasm building up at my center. “Fuck, yeah.” Josh was panting hotly against the skin of my neck, holding enough of his weight on his elbows to keep me from smothering beneath him. “So good.”
He made a choked sound and slid himself very slowly—torturously slow—inside me. I was gasping and flushed all over as I tried to soften my body against his, wrap myself around him. “Oh, fuck, Leslie.” His head had lowered slightly, and he was breathing erratically. “Sometimes I think…” “You think what?” I grabbed his shirt with both hands and hung on. “Oh, fuck. It’s just too good.” I didn’t know if that was what he’d originally intended to say, but it sounded pretty good to me, and I wasn’t in a fit condition to sort out anything else.
“Leslie.” My name was no more than an inhale as he moved against me in a jerky push of his hips. Then he was kissing me, and it was deep and hungry and needy. And it was exactly what I wanted. Exactly what I felt too. The kiss went on a long time, until he’d turned me over onto my back, and we were rocking in a sensual rhythm together.
“Josh,” I kept saying, arching up every time his touch triggered a ripple of pleasure. “Fuck, Leslie,” he mumbled against my skin. “You feel so good. I need you so much. Like this. Just like this.” And I arched up at that too—because his words triggered more pleasure than his touch.
“It’s like watching the sun come out from behind the clouds,” he murmured. “What is?” “You. When you let yourself out, when all the passion inside you bursts out from your quiet composure. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It’s like when your hair suddenly flames out in red when the light hits it. That’s you. All of you. Flaming out. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: Third Person, Dual Series: Standalone Publisher: Loveswept Hero: Matt Stokes Heroine: Elizabeth Marks Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Published On: November 24, 2015 Started On: December 23, 2023 Finished On: January 02, 2024
Taking It Off by Claire Kent brings to readers the story of 26 year old Elizabeth Marks, art therapist working at an exclusive preschool in Boston, and Matt Stokes, owner of a male strip club called Bare Assets, a man with a tough past. Elizabeth comes from a wealthy and influential family, a father who is involved in politics, and as a result, Elizabeth struggles with meeting the expectations of her parents and balancing the desire for a structured, picture-perfect life. Matt who inherits the strip club from his father, is a man who went through a difficult upbringing, which includes dealing with mother’s addiction.
Elizabeth and Matt crosses paths when she reluctantly attends her college roommate’s bachelorette party held at Bare Assets. Given Elizabeth’s nature, she is uncomfortable with the club’s atmosphere and the performers, but notices Matt who stands apart from the others, in his role of overseeing the events as it happens at the bar. When Matt, after a brief conversation with Elizabeth challenges her to return to the club twice a week for a month to see if her feelings for the club changes, this serves to be the foundation of the relationship that burgeons to life between them.
While Elizabeth and Matt could not be more different from each other in terms of upbringing and status in life, Elizabeth is nevertheless drawn to the raw masculinity that is Matt. While Matt has long since given up performing at the club, he nevertheless puts up a show when it comes to Elizabeth.Both believe that their “just-for-sex” affair would be amount to nothing, and when it starts to transform into something more and tangible, each reacts differently to the change.
With the increasing emotional intensity of their encounters, both are forced to face the fact that even though they are as different as two people can be, there is no denying that they somehow fit and mesh well with each other. Elizabeth who starts out as a perfectionist, bound by familial and societal expectations, who grows into someone willing to explore her desires and challenge her boundaries made me admire her in spades. Her struggle to balance personal aspirations with external pressures makes her relatable and her vulnerability and moments of self-doubt adds depth to her character.
I also loved the fact that she is able to hold her own in difficult situations, especially when standing up to Matt during conflicts, and her inner determination to prioritize what is meaningful for her. Matt, despite his tough exterior and rough background, reveals the side of him that is caring, especially when it comes to dealing with his mother’s addiction, adding a layer to his otherwise strong, and at times cold and aloof nature that acts as an emotional front. Matt’s playful, confident nature which challenges Elizabeth makes him compelling and sexy, all in one.
While Matt is the one with the tough exterior, that in fact makes him more vulnerable and susceptible to the package that Elizabeth presents, totally different from the women he typically engages with. Her kindness, intelligence, and vulnerability lures him in, and it is not long before he starts to see her as more than temporary fling. Matt therefore, has his work cut out for him when it comes to convincing Elizabeth to let go of her vision of a picture perfect life and give them a chance over her preconceived notions of what she wants in a partner.
The chemistry between Matt and Elizabeth is fiery and I loved how they are able to push each other out of their comfort zones in bed and out of it. The combination of Matt’s rawness and Elizabeth’s refinement creates a dynamic that is intriguing and emotionally charged, giving the story the angst factor it deserved.
This story, while not as polished as the Ms. Kent’s more recent works, is still engaging. The narrative however, does miss out on fully exploring how Elizabeth’s parents perceive the relationship and what ultimately becomes of Matt’s situation with his mother, which could have added further depth to the story.
Highly recommended for fans of contemporary romances that bring together refined, classy heroines and rugged, rough-around-the-edges heroes who unexpectedly become the best thing that ever happened to them.
Final Verdict: Taking It Off by Claire Kent delivers a steamy and emotionally charged romance that bridges the divide between two vastly different worlds.
Favorite Quotes
“Ride me until you come,” he said, guiding the motion of her hips as her bouncing became even more vigorous, so he wouldn’t accidentally slip out of her. It didn’t take long until her pants turned to breathy grunts and then to cries of pleasure as her pussy started to clench hard around his cock. The orgasm lasted a long time, and she hadn’t fully come down when he started to fuck her from below, pumping up with a hungry rhythm that felt exactly right to her.
Pleasure filled his head and chest as he worked her up to climax, pressing against her clit when her soft grunts became ragged and helpless. She came hard around his fingers, and he watched as the pleasure washed over her face. It was better than any high he’d ever experienced, the way she looked like she was feeling something entirely new to her, like he was making her feel a way no one else ever had.
She was very wet—wetter than she could ever remember being so quickly, wetter than she’d even been the week before with Matt. She wondered what it said about her that she was at her horniest when she had sex with a stripper, but as soon as his finger was inside her, those questions ceased to matter. Involuntarily Elizabeth arched her back, her mouth falling open soundlessly as he fucked her with his fingers. He wasn’t showing any particularly skill. The movement of his fingers was rushed and almost clumsy, but his touch was entirely effective.
“You’re about to come, aren’t you?” he rasped, his eyes raking over her hot face and jiggling breasts. “Yeah. Oh yeah.” “It’s going to be good, isn’t it?” “Yeah!” The one word was too loud so she turned her head and raised a hand to stuff her fist into her mouth. “Fuck, baby, don’t try to fight it.”
“What you’re wearing tonight definitely isn’t. Did you wear those boots for me?” Matt asked, pressing her back against him more fully so she could feel the line of his long, firm, very warm body. “No. I wore them for me.” “Too bad.” He tilted his head so he could murmur very softly in her ear. “Later tonight I’m going to have you on the desk with your legs in the air, boots and all. You know that, right?” Her pussy clenched hard, and she lost her breath. “You like the sound of that, don’t you? You like the idea of being so naughty.” She swallowed, shifting restlessly in response to the ache between her legs. She could hardly speak, she was so deeply aroused so quickly, just by his words. “Tell me the truth,” he instructed, his big hand on her hip. “You like how that sounds, don’t you?” “Yeah,” she admitted. “I like it.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? You’d like for me to turn you over this bar and fuck you hard and rough so everyone could see how sexy you really are.” “Don’t be…be ridiculous.” Her hand was trembling so much she had to put down her glass. The throbbing between her legs just got more and more intense. “I could make you come right here, right now.” She closed her eyes and moved a hand to grip the arm he had wrapped around her. She felt the need to hold on. “Do you want me to?” he asked, still murmuring in her ear.
He wanted to howl. But instead he focused on giving Elizabeth what she needed—fucking her hard and fast. She stuffed her fist in her mouth to muffle her shout as she came, sobbing over her hand as her pussy clamped down unbearably hard around his cock. Matt grunted and jerked his head to the side, fighting desperately for control.
He wanted her to come. He hoped he could last long enough. With a rough exclamation, he drove into her faster, gripping the soft flesh of her ass so hard it would probably bruise later on. “Yes,” she gasped. “Yes.” She was so wet he could hear sounds of suction as his cock pushed inside her. He was fucking her really hard and kind of rough now, but she definitely wanted it. Her fingernails dug into his skin, as if she was trying to get him even deeper, even closer. “Fuck, Elizabeth,” he gritted out, his building climax coalescing into an impending explosion. He gave her all he had and finally felt her pussy tighten around him again, her body convulsing as she sobbed out her release.
Elizabeth moaned, low and guttural, as he started to apply pressure against the damp spot on her panties. Still reclining on top of him, she reached up and behind her with one arm, settling her hand at the back of his neck. As her body became more and more responsive, she fisted her hand in his hair. “And what’s the truth?” “That this is what you want.” His voice was huskier than usual because of the pulsing pressure from his cock. “That as much as you try to fight it, you’re always going to come back to me.”
He let out his breath in a harsh whoosh and bucked his pelvis so that his cock made a hard thrust inside her. “Let me see you come,” he rasped, feeling his own climax finally overwhelming him. He thrust upward again, pulling her down to meet the force of it. “Come for me.” Elizabeth cried out, her body starting to spasm and her face twisting with what looked like agonizing pain. The sudden brutal clench of her inner muscles around his cock was all that Matt could take. He felt the pleasure draw up in his balls and force its way out in pulsing waves that leveled him for the moment. He made a rough sound as he came hard and violently, the sensations ripping through his whole body.
She wasn’t even aware of their location, making out against her car in the middle of the parking lot of a strip club. Nothing mattered but how she was feeling—how they both were feeling—right now. “Matt, please,” she panted, finally tearing her mouth away when she thought she might actually pass out. “I want you now. I need you now.” He made a low groan in the back of his throat, and he pushed up her skirt and lifted one of her thighs so her leg was wrapped around his. He ground himself against her pussy through their clothes, and she let out a frantic whimper from the intense pleasure of it.
He made another guttural sound, like he was on the verge of losing it just as much as she was. He gathered her up to get her into a better position, bracing her against the car, and then he eased his hips forward, moving aside her panties and guiding his cock inside her with one hand. She let out a breathy cry as the hard substance of him entered her. She wrapped her legs around him as tightly as she could, trapped and helpless in her position. She wasn’t entirely comfortable, but she couldn’t have cared less about that. Nothing had ever felt so deep, so intense, so real, so thrilling in her life.
“You’re not the girl everyone thinks you are.” His voice was rough and low and staccato with his rhythm. “You’re not the girl you always thought you were. This is you. Stop holding back.” She heard his words with a blaze of feeling, and then a blaze of pleasure followed in close pursuit as her orgasm finally uncoiled. She made a helpless sobbing sound as her pussy contracted around Matt’s cock, and he let out a stifled bellow as the pleasure broke on his face as well. He made a few jerks against her as he climaxed, primal in his animalistic motion.
“Elizabeth,” he murmured, his breath blowing against her hot skin. “Elizabeth.” “Take me to bed, Matt.” He groaned and his hips gave a little jerk. She realized for the first time that he’d gotten hard improbably soon, a tight bulge in the front of his trousers as it pressed up against her weight. This evidence of how much he wanted her, needed her, made something inside her want to howl in satisfied possession. She wanted this man, with all of his hot tension and fierce sexuality and deep need. She wanted him. And he was hers.
“So sweet,” he rasped in choppy, guttural succession. “So good. Elizabeth. Baby.” She made a sobbing sound as she arched beneath him—the words pushing her to the edge of climax. “Matt,” she cried out as the tension tightened with unbearable pleasure. “Oh God, Matt!” Her body shuddered and shook as the waves of her orgasm ripped through her. Her channel clamped down around him, trapping him inside her as she pulsed. He choked on an agonized groan as his body clenched and froze in palpable tension. “You can have hope in this, Matt,” she gasped, trembling and on the verge of tears. He let go. Of everything. And the shattering pleasure and release on his face were impossible not to understand.
Matt made a hoarse sound and jerked his hips. He fell out of rhythm, but at this point it didn’t matter. Elizabeth was already falling into her climax. Matt came just before she did, burying his face in her hair and choking on the sound of her name. As his cock was pulsing inside her, Elizabeth came as well, not trying to stifle the loud sound of her release.
“Elizabeth,” Matt ground out through clenched teeth. The one word almost sounded like a plea. He was clearly on the edge himself, holding himself off of her, his handsome face twisted with passion, effort, and strain. She came on his next thrust, her body freezing as the pleasure slammed into her with his cock. Then she shook and whimpered beneath him while her pussy spasmed hard around him. “Elizabeth!” Matt repeated, this time choking on a roar as he froze for an endless moment. Then the tension in his body exploded, and he jerked erratically above her and gasped her name again.
She panted out helpless sounds, her face twisting with how much she was feeling. Her pelvis pumped upward wildly, causing his cock—which he had been holding still—to slide inside her with a tight, delicious motion. Matt’s mouth fell open slightly, and his eyelids dropped down. He gazed at Elizabeth with half-closed, blurring eyes. “Yeah,” he murmured thickly. “Yeah, baby, come. Come.” She let out a little sob as her body tightened unbearably. Then her muscles clamped down ruthlessly around his cock, causing Matt to grunt as he felt her climax all around the hard length of his flesh.
Elizabeth cried out, her voice growing progressively louder as she jerked and shook above him. “Oh God, Matt!” Matt felt all the collected pleasure and pressure in his body clench down just before the release. He bucked upward one more time. Heard Elizabeth cry out as she came. Felt her begin to convulse above him. He roared out—completely uncontrolled for the moment—in relief, in victory, in love. Felt his climax explode and burst out, the spasms of it washing over his body and pulsing through his cock.
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: Third Person, Single Series: Nameless Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Seth Thomas Heroine: Erin Marshall Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Published On: February 08, 2014 Started On: December 04, 2023 Finished On: December 15, 2023
The Nameless book series by Claire Kent is told in three separate installments (though I read it all together from the boxed set), and I was hooked right from the very start. Published in February of 2014, this series makes me so glad to have rediscovered the name under which Zannie Adams is writing (the pen name under which she does not write any longer, the reason why I lost her for a couple of years), because this is as good contemporary romance gets in my opinion!
Seth Thomas, once a troubled and sullen youth who was raised by a distant grandfather, is now a successful and ruthless lawyer, viewed by many as an unrepentant womanizer. Known as the “bulldozer”, he is a man who effortlessly commands attention with his confidence and charisma, but deep inside hides the emotional scars from his upbringing.
Erin Marshall is a judicial assistant in her hometown, who transforms from a shy bookworm to a strong, independent woman following a failed marriage. The scars left over makes her value her independence something fierce, and as a result, has a cynical view of romance in general.
Erin and Seth first crosses paths when Seth is forced to move to Erin’s hometown to live with his distant relative Mac. Erin being the bookworm she is, spends countless hours at the library, where she comes across Seth, a solitary figure browsing books on various topics. A distant memory of a shared encounter is all that remains as both move into adulthood and it is Mac’s funeral years later, that brings these two back together.
The indomitable Seth is caught in a moment of emotional weakness, and it is that opening which allows both Erin and Seth to come together in intense passion that neither can deny. Weeks later, it is a shocking discovery that leads Erin to seek out Seth – that she is now carrying his child.
Erin and Seth takes on a pragmatic approach to the pregnancy, where Erin cautions that all she wants from him is to be as involved as he wants to be – and that marriage and a lifetime of togetherness is not what she seeks. However, given the strong sexual chemistry between the two, their physical relationship serves to be one of the key reasons why the two come together, leading to moments of emotional vulnerability.
Given Erin’s past and her wariness when it comes to losing control, the conflict that arises from Seth’s tendency to go into alpha mode is jarring for both of them. While Seth grapples with his desire to be more involved without fully committing emotionally, Erin finds herself becoming warier when Seth starts becoming more dependable.
With both Seth and Erin carrying their individual emotional trauma, the healing that they both undergo comes from within and through their shared experiences. The unexpected pregnancy serves as the catalyst for their relationship to move beyond a memorable one-night stand. As both of them spend more time together, each finds in the other, sides to their character which they never would have witnessed otherwise, allowing them to see beyond their initial impressions of each other. While Erin is a tougher nut to crack than Seth at some points, it is Seth’s gentle and protective side that proves to be the healing that Erin needs, to finally let go of the shackles that has bound her since she walked away from her marriage.
To say that I loved this story would be an understatement. I loved both Erin and Seth in equal doses. Erin’s journey from the shy, bookish girl to an assertive, independent woman made me like her in spades. Her past trauma while it makes her cautious to a fault, is one that women can relate to, especially given her determination to protect her independence. We have all seen how emotionally scarring relationships can make a woman lose her sense of worth. Being able to rise above all of that is no easy feat and that made me root for her big time. Erin is also witty and unflinchingly honest, making her a heroine who is both grounded and self-aware, my favorite kind if you ask me.
Seth *breathes deeply* is a hero who is intriguing, commanding, and compelling in a way that makes the female reader sit up and take notice. As romance readers, we all love the emotionally distant hero who guards his heart possessively. It is not just Seth’s childhood that makes him wary, but his adult relationships as well which had soured him of any notions of happily ever afters. Seth is sexy to a fault, delivering one of the best sex scenes I have had the fortune to read in a while.
Together, Seth and Erin a dynamite – in bed and out of it. They have a way of challenging each other’s world views, with Erin challenging Seth to confront his emotional walls and Seth encouraging Erin to trust and rely on someone without losing her sense of independence. Their witty banter adds onto the spice levels of this romance, and Ms. Kent delivers a hefty dose of the panty melting variety of sex scenes, which I definitely could not get enough of. I believe that Erin and Seth resonated so deeply with me because they are both imperfect, realistic, and deeply human. The challenges that both of them go through, as individuals and together – made this a romance worth sinking into.
I especially loved getting to see Seth and Erin through different stages of their lives from when Erin develops a teeny tiny crush on the teenager Seth, to an adulthood reunion, a pregnancy discovery, and transitioning into parenthood. Towards the last installment, getting to see Erin and Seth close to their fifties, navigating life together and still so into each other was beautiful in a way that is indescribable. The entire story being told in the third person from Erin’s perspective makes it just better! In my opinion Seth, is the ultimate book boyfriend.
If you are looking for a transformative experience in a contemporary romance, look no further – Seth and Erin’s journey resonates in every way that matters. Definitely recommended!
Final Verdict: Combining fiery chemistry, poignant emotional depth, and exquisite storytelling, Nameless by Claire Kent is a must-read for fans of sensual contemporary romance!
Favorite Quotes
Leaning her face forward, she pressed her lips into his. He was warm and solid beneath her, and he made a little grunt in his throat. He tasted and smelled like Scotch, and also something fainter, more masculine. When she relaxed her mouth on his, he murmured against her lips, “What was that?” “That,” she pronounced, pleased she was thinking so clearly, “was a kiss.”
Seth, looking slick and professional, stood up to greet her. He gave her a cool smile, shook her hand with a courteous, “Good afternoon,” and then gestured her into a leather chair next to the desk. This was the Seth she’d expected today—not the warmly clever, rumpled man she’d fucked several weeks ago. Erin sat down. Took a few deep breaths to dispel the nausea. Summoned up her courage and hoped she wouldn’t start babbling. “So,” he said slowly, giving her a sharp look and leaning back in his chair, “I can’t figure out what you’re after. A job?” He looked so confident, so smug, that Erin’s sense of irony kicked in. The edge of amusement did a lot to calm her nerves, so her voice was clear and crisp as she replied, “Actually, no. I’m very happy with my job and have no desire to work in a law firm. Although I certainly appreciate your unyielding belief in your own importance.”
His gaze crawled up from her thighs to her hips to her belly to her breasts. When he finally reached her face, she saw that his expression was oddly hungry. The wild primitive glint she’d caught earlier in the hall had returned, and it both exhilarated her and made her a little anxious. “Are you sure it can be this simple?” she asked. “This whole thing is complicated enough without making it any worse.” His hands slid up to comb her hair back from her face. “It’s just sex. We’ve had it before. You aren’t secretly in love with me, are you?” “God, no. You?” “Not even close.”
Erin couldn’t seem to stop. She barely even recognized that she was clawing at his shoulders and making the most ridiculous sounds of effort and pleasure she’d ever heard herself make. Barely noticed that she was sweating now and that the flesh of her ass and her breasts were jiggling wildly with their motion. Just needed to feel more of him. Just needed to release this excruciating tension again. “Fuck, Erin,” Seth rasped, his eyes open now and staring down at her body. “Fuck, Erin, you’re incredible. But you’re killing me.” His jaw clenched tightly, and he released an agonized groan as he pumped. “Slow down or I’ll lose it.” “Can’t,” she choked. “Can’t. Need more, Seth. More.”
Feeling both her confidence and her enthusiasm return immediately, Erin adjusted herself more comfortably beside him and pulled him into another kiss. He sat on the side of the bed now, and she had her legs drawn up under her body. But they managed to share a very effective kiss, and Erin didn’t pull away from him, even when he released her lips. She ran one hand down his firm chest to his flat belly and then to the bulge of his erection once more. As she cupped it lightly, she trailed kisses across his jaw line. To his high cheekbone. And finally to his ear. She fluttered her tongue. Seth bucked his pelvis up involuntarily into her hand.
He pulled off his loosened bow tie and started to work on his shirt. Erin watched and tried to be patient, but her entire body now felt on the verge of eruption. Her breasts tingled torturously, so she cupped them with her hands and tried to chaff her tight nipples through the thin fabric of her chemise. The stimulation caused her to arch her back a little, and, when she focused once more on Seth, she saw that he’d stopped midway through taking off his shirt and was staring at her dazedly. The look in his eyes sent another jolt of sensation down to the throbbing ache between her legs. So, as he watched, she slid her hand from her breast, past the curve of her belly, then dipped it under the fluttering skirt of her chemise until she could slip it in between her legs. She wasn’t wearing panties, so nothing was in her way. Seth’s entire body looked painfully tense as he watched her stroking herself. Finally, he rasped, “Getting a head start?”
Erin looked at him over her shoulder. “I don’t mind,” she said. “I’ve never been a fan of excessive control.” “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” He shifted slightly and his hand settled on her belly. “But the lack of control would be counterproductive in this particular instance. We’re supposed to be taking care of your needs, aren’t we?” “Yes,” Erin allowed, feeling strangely shy for some unaccountable reason. “But maybe we can tackle your needs at the same time.” His hand slid up over her breasts and then to her face, and he pushed some of the damp hair off her cheeks. “Very kind of you, but my needs aren’t something you want to fully tackle.”
Seeing and hearing him so uncontrolled was almost as thrilling as her own pleasure. Erin reached behind her thighs until her hand found and closed around his balls. “Fuck,” he grunted, as she squeezed once very lightly. He was pushing more than thrusting now, and Erin knew he was right on the edge. So she squeezed again, harder this time. He froze. Then his whole body throbbed, from his cock to his hands on her flesh. He choked on an incoherent sound as he fell into release.
Her body was tensing up in preparation for climax, but she turned her head as far back as she could. “Seth. Seth…” She tried to put into words what she wanted. Couldn’t. Couldn’t possibly. She was feeling too much. Too deep, too tight, too full, too stretched. Too much. “Erin.” Seth pulled up his shoulders until his weight rested on his bent elbow. From this position, he leaned over to where she was trying to look over her shoulder at him. He was able to capture her lips in a kiss. It wasn’t a skillful or a controlled kiss. Erin was far beyond concentrating, and she couldn’t do more than press her lips against his and gasp into his mouth. His lips clung to hers hungrily, though, when her pleasure finally peaked. And he was still kissing her when she shook through her orgasm.
For a moment, she caught a glimpse of something in his eyes: something deep and molten and unspeakable. Then she couldn’t see anything at all. Because he was kissing her, and her eyes had fallen closed. Her breasts pressed into the hard line of his chest, and her hands wound around his neck before she could begin to stop them. Her tongue darted out to meet his, and her mouth became urgent and hungry.
Yeah,” she gasped, realizing he was on the verge of coming but was trying to fight against it. “Yeah, Seth. You come too.” At her words, he stared up at her face—just a few inches from his—and their eyes met. His eyes were wild, feral, almost pained in their need. But he held her gaze as he let out a muted roar and jerked his pelvis up into her a few more times. He came, and she saw the transformation on his face, in his eyes. The tension breaking and a flood of raw pleasure overwhelming him. It was like nothing she’d ever experienced, and the pleasure Erin felt from watching him almost rivaled the lingering feel of her own orgasm.
When Erin looked up blurrily, trying to focus through the rising haze of her deepening pleasure, she saw more in his expression than she’d ever seen before. There seemed to be everything there—a rich, overwhelming flood of feeling—all of it visible, tangible in his gaze. All of the feelings he always suppressed, that he hid behind his cool control. More than he’d ever admitted to. More than she’d ever dreamed possible. All of it—there—in his eyes. Erin closed her own eyes against it, the depth and magnitude of the emotion terrifying her. She wondered how she’d ever thought this man was cold and unfeeling. Wondered if anyone else had ever seen what she’d just seen in Seth—all the raw, naked power of it.
With a thick, helpless groan, he opened his eyes and started moving again. The thick silence of his breathing built into rough, animalistic grunts in time with his rhythm. Erin felt like the whole world was shaking with their motion. She felt helpless, out of control. Until the rough friction of his drives inside her and the jostling of her breasts, ass, and clit coalesced into a new kind of orgasm: one deeper, more intense, not far removed from pain. Matching the rich, swelling ache in her heart.
“Love,” Erin cried out, feeling hot and wild and erotic and free and at the same time strangely secure. Her hips pumped desperately, trying to intensify the friction, and she huffed out a series of sounds to their rhythm, sounding like, “Uh huh.” “Erin,” Seth rasped, the one word a hoarse guttural. His head tossed with a jerk as he tried to hold himself back. Obviously lost the effort as he finally released a hoarse, desperate moan. He pushed into her a few final times, his thrusts hard, choppy, and forceful. “Love…you,” he grunted, before he came with a long shuddering breath.
When his chest was bare, she caressed the hard, smooth lines of his shoulders and ribs. Then reached down to the button of his jeans. With a little fumbling and adjusting from both of them, his hard cock was free and accessible. She rolled her thumb over the tip, making him grunt and buck up into her hand. “Erin.” She gazed down at his tense face and sprawled body. Felt a surge of love, power, and possessiveness overwhelm her.
All of the gathered urgency at her center pushed her to ride him for real, to claim the aching orgasm that was waiting for her. But she kept her motion slow, minimal, increasing their need and extending their pleasure. “Erin,” Seth choked, one of his arms reaching out to fumble for purchase on the cushion beside him, as he visibly struggled to suppress his drive to thrust, to claim her, to fuck her. His face twisted, and his pelvis almost squirmed beneath her rocking. “Fuck, Erin.” “Yeah,” Erin breathed, searching out his lips in a hungry, clumsy kiss. Her tongue dipped into his mouth, stroking into it in a rhythmic, instinctive pattern. Seth grunted, as he buried the fingers of one hand in her hair.
With a desperate sound, she found Seth’s mouth again. Needed to feel him. Love him. Be as close as she could possibly make him. She was kissing him hungrily, frantically, when her orgasm finally broke. She didn’t pull away from his mouth as her body started to convulse. She heard Seth make a helpless, choking sound into her mouth as Erin whimpered with the waves of pleasure. But she kept her arms around him. Kept kissing him. And was still kissing him when she felt him come too. His hips pushed up into her clenching muscles, and his arms tightened around her so suddenly she grunted in surprise. Then she felt the tension in his body release itself. Heard him moan—long, low, and guttural. Felt the pulsing of his cock against the tight clasp of her body. Felt him come in short spasms inside her.
Arching his neck in effort, Seth stared down at her twisting body and contorted face. “Erin,” he said thickly, squeezing the flesh of her hips in his hands as he rocked into her. “Erin, baby, can you come?” “Think so.” She shamelessly shook her body to get the kind of friction she needed. “Just stay…right there.” He did. He didn’t thrust. Just held his cock in position and kept pushing in tight rhythm against her g-spot. He was coiled so tensely he was shuddering with the pressure, but he managed to hold them in position as the rich pleasure gathered between her legs.
“Erin,” Seth muttered, his eyes almost agonized as he held onto his control. “Beautiful. Beautiful. Missed you so much.” She released a few loud sobs—the flooding of her heart mingling with the intense physical sensations—then she cried out a frantic, “Seth! Seth!” She felt the pleasure finally erupt inside her, sending out waves and spasms of overwhelming sensation.
“Seth. Oh God, again.” Her body seemed to have lost its connection with her mind, and—despite the blurred chaos of her thoughts—her body still knew what it wanted. “Yes,” Seth bit out, clearly on the edge of his control. “Yes. One more, baby. Come for me once more.” She was going to. It was happening even now. Erin sobbed with pleasure and effort and need, and she wasn’t sure she would be able to handle the overwhelming sensations. Her breasts were swinging wildly with their primitive motion, and she’d tossed her head so much that her damp hair was covering her face. As the final orgasm build up inside her, she kept choking out sounds that were louder and louder. Tried to stifle the noise. Couldn’t. Felt the world start to shudder all around her. Then she fell over the edge, her body jerking in clumsy desperation as she tried to hold herself upright on trembling limbs.
Just as she was on the edge, not quite coming but too far to draw it back, Seth raised his head from between her legs. Before she could react, he’d moved over her, burying his hard cock inside her and rearing up above her on straightened arms. The sight of his strong body, intense, hungry expression, and familiar face all combined with the sudden sensation of being filled and stretched by his cock. The orgasm that had already formed erupted with shattering intensity.
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: First Person, Dual Series: On Dublin Street, #2 Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Cameron (Cam) MacCabe Heroine: Johanna (Jo) Walker Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: May 07, 2013 Started On: November 28, 2023 Finished On: December 01, 2023
Samantha Young returns with Down London Road, the second installment of her On Dublin Street series, delivering another emotionally charged romance synonymous with Ms. Young’s evocative style and prose. Featuring Johanna (Jo) Walker and Cameron (Cam) MacCabe, the story is set against the backdrop of Edinburgh’s vibrant streets as is the first installment.
Jo is a 24-year-old woman juggling an overwhelming sense of responsibility. With an alcoholic mother and a teenage brother dependent on her, Jo has spent years dating wealthy men, prioritizing financial stability over love. When Cam, a tattooed graphic designer shakes up Jo’s carefully constructed world with his sharp wit and smoldering intensity, it stirs up Jo more than it should in a way that leaves her wanting more.
From their first meeting, sparks fly, igniting a tension that refuses to be ignored. Cam’s initial judgment of Jo as a gold-digger sets the stage for misunderstandings and emotional clashes between the two, giving readers a good dose of angst throughout the story. As layers of their past are revealed, it becomes evident that both Jo and Cam carry wounds that shape their insecurities and fears, making it difficult at first for both of them to see what they could be to each other.
Jo’s fragile self-worth plays a huge role in the way she perceives herself. Ultimately the belief that she isn’t good enough for a man like Cam is harder to overcome than any other conflict that emerges in the story. After all, it is the demons that we carry within, shaped over years and scarring our insides that are the most challenging to face and move on from.
At the same time, Cam struggles with his own issues – a deep sense of abandonment from his childhood, and his unresolved past with his former girlfriend. While Cam is undeniably attracted to Jo, it takes him a while to accept it for what it is, to look past his prejudices and see beyond, deep into the wonderful person she is.
Ms. Young excels at creating characters brimming with emotional depth, and both Jo and Cam delivered on that front. Jo is a heroine who resonates with readers—her vulnerability, strength, and fierce loyalty to her brother earns one’s respect. Her struggle to see herself as more than what she has believed herself to be was definitely compelling.
Cam, on the other hand, is a blend of broody intensity and raw honesty that calls to the reader in many ways. While not as magnetic as Braden from the first book in the series, he still holds his own as a flawed hero navigating his own insecurities, delivering a ton of smoldering tension to the story which I loved. While for the most part I understood where he was coming from, when all was said and done I expected more from him, especially when it came to the groveling that Jo rightfully deserved from Cam.
The chemistry between Jo and Cam is undeniable, simmering with tension and culminating in moments of passion that are both fiery, sexy, and tender. Ms. Young’s ability to write nuanced, deeply felt relationships shines through, even with the few elements in the story that I wished were otherwise.
If you are a fan of contemporary romance that dives deep into the complexities of love and self-discovery, Down London Road is a must-read!
Final Verdict: Samantha Young delivers another page-turner, chock-full of emotive characterization and a love story that lingers long after the turn of the final page!
Favorite Quotes
I took another step and the sound of my boot on the floor brought Cam’s head up. My breath hitched as our eyes collided. Heat suffused my cheeks at my body’s instant reaction to this man’s attention. I could feel my breasts swell and my lower belly squeeze, and as we continued to stare at each other in intense silence, my mind and body went to war. My body was panting, ‘He’s hot. Can we have him?’ while my mind was screaming, ‘Oh, dear God, what the hell are you thinking?’ Everything had blurred around me – the only thing in sharp focus was Cam and all the places where I wanted to feel his touch.
Cam groaned, the vibration reverberating in my chest and soaring downward between my legs, and I writhed against him. He got the message, pressing his body deeper against mine, his erection digging into my lower stomach as his legs spread mine farther apart. I whimpered with a want that was out of control and Cam pulled back to stare at my swollen lips. I’d never seen a man so lost in a sexual fog and my sex clenched at the knowledge of the power I had over him, my knickers damp as my body grew ready for him. Cam nipped at my bottom lip, and then licked the same spot. ‘I’ve fantasized a million times about this mouth,’ he told me hoarsely before crushing my lips against his again.
I almost threw the fare at the taxi driver, then rushed into the building, my boots slapping carelessly against the concrete as I hurried up the stairs. I was just rounding the stairwell to Cam’s landing when I heard a door open. As I reached the top of the stairs, he came into view, standing barefoot in his doorway, waiting for me. Overwhelmed that just the sight of him made my chest so full of emotion that it hurt, I stumbled a little towards him, my boots just clipping the doorstep. Cam didn’t say anything. Every inch of him was solid with tension as he looked at me. ‘Cam –’ My words were swallowed by motion as his hand clamped around my wrist, wrenching me hard against his body, his mouth slamming down on mine. I instantly wrapped myself around him, and my fingers curled in the hair at the back of his neck as I licked and sucked and flicked my tongue against his, our kiss so deep I didn’t even realize I was inside his flat until the door crashed shut behind us.
My back slammed up against the wall as he crashed us into it. ‘I can’t wait,’ he told me breathlessly. I shook my head, my chest heaving against his, telling him silently I couldn’t wait either. I felt his warm, rough hands on my outer thighs as they brushed my skin, pushing my skirt up to my waist. With an almost animalistic grunt, Cam curled his hands around the fabric of my knickers and tugged, the sound of it tearing away from my body and the sudden air between my legs increasing the heat between us to a combustible level. He’d just ripped my underwear off! Holy hell! That was seriously hot.
I pushed my hips against him and his grip on my thighs became almost bruising. ‘Wait,’ he said hoarsely. ‘Give me a minute. I’ve wanted this for ages and you feel bloody amazing. Just give me a minute.’ As I heard this erotic confession, my inner muscles clamped around his cock and he inhaled sharply. His head drew back in surprise as his eyes collided with mine. ‘Baby, do that again and I’m not going to last.’ I shook my head, my fingers digging into the muscles of his back. ‘I don’t care. Just move, please just move. I need you.’ His control snapped.
Someone naughty and a little bit wicked had crept inside me. I wanted him again. And I wanted him just as raw and hard as I’d just had him. ‘Do you know how many times over the last few weeks I lay in my bed and touched myself thinking about you?’ His breath sputtered and I felt his dick twitch inside me. ‘Jesus,’ he breathed, his eyes dilating. ‘Keep talking and you’re not going be able to walk tomorrow.’ I grinned up at him, squeezing my inner muscles around him again. ‘That’s the plan.’
My gaze never left Cam’s face as I moved, feeling sexy and powerful at his glittering expression, watching the way his blue eyes darkened on my breasts, on my hair swinging across my back. His hands gripped my hips, urging me on; his jaw clenched as the heat between us increased and a light sheen of sweat covered our skin. As I approached climax all I was aware of was the coiling pleasure low in my belly, the sound of my uncontrolled breaths and mews of pleasure, the intoxicating smell of sex … and then I heard Cam hoarsely asking me to come. Pure bliss took me over, and I closed my eyes, reveling in it as my body moved faster up and down his length, rushing towards climax.
I came quickly, I came hard, and I came with a cry that Cam quieted against his mouth. His kiss was wet and dirty, and its purpose was to swallow my climax and stamp me with his ownership. The bastard was lucky I was feeling equally possessive. Gripping his head tight, I kissed him back just as voraciously and when he moved to catch his breath, I nipped his lip. Hard. He hissed, his eyes widening, his tongue flicking out to lick the hurt. ‘If mine is yours, yours is mine.’
A Maldivian's Passion for Romance 