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: 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, Single Series: Kindled, #3 Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Cal Evans Heroine: Rachel Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: August 09, 2022 Started On: December 01, 2023 Finished On: December 02, 2023
Embers by Claire Kent is the third book in the Kindled series. This series brings to readers protagonists that finds themselves in a post-apocalyptic setting, when an asteroid hits the Earth ending life as everyone knew it. Ms. Kent has the ability to make tremendously challenging situations work, giving readers a feel of what life would be like under such circumstances. Embers follows the story of Rachel and Cal Evans, whose relationship is taboo, tender, and fierce in the way that brings joy to the reader’s heart amidst all the adversities they face.
When the story begins, Rachel is just seventeen years old, navigating a world ravaged by the catastrophic impact of the asteroid. Losing her only family during a food riot, Rachel seeks shelter with her boyfriend Derek and his mother, until that too becomes untenable. Moving in with Derek and his estranged father, an ex-convict with a rough exterior and a haunted past is the last thing Rachel would have envisioned for herself, but everyone makes do when the situation calls for it.
A couple of years go by and when circumstances end up with Rachel having to rely solely on Cal, the relationship dynamics between the two morphs into something that Cal initially tries to resist with all his might. Despite his gruff demeanor and troubled history, he is fiercely protective of Rachel and is guided by a strong moral compass, especially when it conflicts with his own personal desires. Even as Rachel gives every indication that she is more than willing, ready, and of age to be with him, Cal’s misplaced sense of unworthiness due to his past, creates barriers that prevents him from fully embracing his feelings for her.
It is Rachel’s determination that eventually wins him over, and even then, Cal is determined to do right by someone like Rachel, so full of life, with a bright future ahead of her, if only he were to step aside. Rachel is equally resolved to break through the emotional walls, with the intention to show Cal that theirs is a connection that is genuine, and one not borne out of convenience or desperation.
While the heat, tenderness, and romance blooms to life, the various adversities of the post-apocalyptic world they live in rears its ugly head every now and then. Amidst all of it, the tension that burgeons to life between the two starts to build slowly, beginning with a sense of mutual wariness, which evolves into a deep emotional and physical attraction. The “forced physical proximity” brings the accidental intimacy factor to the forefront which adds to the appeal of the story.
I loved Rachel for all that she was. She is a warrior woman if ever there was one, with circumstances having molded her into a person of undeniable strength. While her love for Cal is one that stands strong and true, it is not for her to make peace and reconcile with Cal’s own past and guilt, if ever there is to be a chance for the two to find their happily ever after.
I loved Cal too. He is a man ridden with guilt of a past that cannot be undone. Even with the age factor between Cal and Rachel, there is no sordidness to the tale because of the doubt and sense of misplaced guilt that assails him, the rough around the edges hero who got the short end of the stick when it came to his father and ended up on the wrong side of the law, who goes out of his way to ensure that he doesn’t take advantage of Rachel in any sense.
The period of separation between Cal and Rachel was much needed in my opinion, which perhaps added more depth to the feelings between the two. The groveling that Cal does upon his return was done well which of course made all of it better. The time apart gave the two the space to grow and mature in a setting where they were not dependent on each other, and perhaps they both needed that clarity for them to embrace a life of togetherness, especially for Cal whose guilt was driving him mad, even has he loves Rachel for everything she is.
Rachel coming to the realization when Cal leaves her behind, that if they were never to be together again she would still be whole; was the biggest sign of maturity perhaps, not that she needed it in my opinion. In all probability, Cal perhaps needed the distance and perspective more than Rachel did, so that he could accept his feelings for Rachel and embrace them for life.
Fans of survivalist romances with morally complex characters and a slow-building love story will find this novel to be a page-turner.
Final Verdict: A tender, emotionally rich journey that cements Rachel and Cal as one of the most unforgettable couples in the Kindled series!
Favorite Quotes
“The lotion is working.” I’ve got his back pretty well covered now, so I slide my hands up to his neck. I massage him there, then move my hands over to his shoulders to knead the tight muscles. He’s breathing heavily now. Loud enough for me to hear. For some reason, I like the sound of it. I dig into the knots I find, pressing deeply, wanting them to loosen up. Cal groans, low and soft and long and carnal. All my female parts clamp down hard at the sound of it. My hands grow still on his shoulders. Something thick and warm throbs in the air between us. “Cal?” I ask in almost a whisper.
Slowly I move down his hand to start rubbing his forearm, stroking the skin and coarse hair. The scars that slash down toward his wrist. Something hurt him badly to create all these scars, and I have no idea what it was. So I stroke them. Wish I could do the same to other parts of his body. The more I caress his hand and arm, the tenser and hotter he grows behind me. His chest is snug against my back, and our legs are twined together. He starts to breathe heavier. His exhales waft against my hair and neck. There’s a clench tightening inside me too now. Below my belly. It makes me want to shift my hips. When I do, he mutters, “No wigglin’.”
I wake up overwhelmed with arousal. It somehow happened in my sleep. My cheeks and neck are hot. My heart is racing, and my breath is coming out in little pants. Need is throbbing painfully between my legs. And I’m rubbing against a warm, hard male body. He’s been asleep too. Maybe he still is. He’s grunting as he rocks his erection against my lower belly, and both his large hands are cupping my bottom.
He makes a growly sound and picks up his speed, his hips working vigorously as he thrusts. I start raising my pelvis to meet his motion, and it intensifies the sensations. The bed is making a soft, squeaky sound, and I can also hear the wet suction of his cock in my pussy. I like it. It’s raw, carnal. Proof that we’re doing this for real.
He’s big. Full. Familiar. I gasp and let my head fall back at the tight penetration. “Is’t all right?” he asks breathlessly. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s good.” I shift above him, feeling myself stretch around him. He takes some ragged breaths until he gets himself back under control. Then slides his hands up to cup my face. “You feelin’ good now?” “Yeah. I’m feeling so good.” “Nothin’s ever felt better than this. Bein’ inside you like this. Nothin’ in my whole life.” “I feel…” I whimper as he rolls his hips. “I feel that way too.” “Yeah?” “Yeah.” Since he can’t keep still, I start to move over him with a slow, steady rhythm. “You’ve always felt like home to me.” He makes a choked sound. Jerks his head to the side. It takes him a minute to respond. “You’re home to me too, baby. Always have been.”
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: First Person, Dual Series: Love at Last, #2 Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Kurt Anderson Heroine: O’Neal Jones Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: June 14, 2018 Started On: October 22, 2023 Finished On: October 22, 2023
Loving the Wounded Warrior by Adriana Anders, the second installment in her Love at Last series, is a short length novel that I wanted more out of. Featuring the rugged yet deeply scarred Kurt Anderson and determined reporter O’Neal Jones, this novel weaves a tale that had many elements that worked for it, while at the same time there were missing aspects to it to make the story more wholesome.
Kurt is a man struggling to find his footing after life deals him several harsh blows. Once a promising football player, a career-ending injury pushes him into the Marine Corps, where he faces the brutal realities of war. The physical and emotional scars are compounded by guilt and trauma of losing his closest friend while in the military, making the label of “wounded warrior” an apt description of the man he is.
In comes O’Neal Jones, a tenacious reporter for the Daily Dispatch, who is sent to cover a controversial event in Washington State’s North Puget Sound region. Her reckless driving nearly results in a deadly accident, bringing her face-to-face with Kurt, her brother Jared’s best friend, also her long-term crush while in high school.
An article that O’Neal writes with the best of intentions, ends up being the reason behind the wedge that drives Kurt away from Jared, and puts the nail in the coffin of his promising career in football. Kurt’s resentment towards O’Neal is palpable, which adds to the emotional intensity of the story. As O’Neal learns the full extent of her article’s impact, the feelings of guilt that she herself has to contend with, proves to be the undoing for someone like herself who does not do emotions.
While the dynamic between Kurt and O’Neal keeps the pages turning, it is Kurt’s character that gives the emotional punch to the story. Behind his rough and tough exterior lies a vulnerable heart, a man who has suffered much, both in professional and personal capacity. While O’Neal comes off as more tenacious, she shies away from exposing herself to emotional vulnerability, which perhaps makes her in fact, the more vulnerable of the two.
While the sexual tension and delivery was done well, I found that the novel’s pacing and character development left much to be desired. The story feels rushed, and the lack of depth in characterization detracts from the overall impact. The intense emotional themes and potential for deeper exploration are not fully realized, leaving readers yearning for more.
Despite these shortcomings, the novel does manage to capture Kurt’s struggle with his sense of self and O’Neal’s internal conflict between her professional instincts and personal feelings. Their relationship is a delicate balance of physical desire and emotional intimacy, pushing O’Neal to confront her usual approach to relationships and embrace a deeper connection with Kurt.
Recommended for fans of shorter novels featuring intense heroes that seeks deeper emotional ties with the heroines they fall for.
Final Verdict: In Loving the Wounded Warrior, Adriana Anders presents a heartfelt story that resonates with themes of forgiveness and rediscovery, making it a worthwhile read for fans of emotionally charged romances.
Favorite Quotes
It took just a slight shift for me to turn it into a hug. His head settled onto mine, and we were entwined. Not quite lovers, but more than two strangers comforting each other. Our parkas made a slithery sound, while the stuffing kept us from getting too close. He inhaled, possibly sniffing me the way I’d done him, and I sank into his body, heavier, deeper, more relaxed and easy.
Lovers. That was what I wanted him to be. My lover, or…something. Love. Crap crap crap, O’Neal. Yeah, so I’d fallen for the most emotionally unavailable man I’d ever met. And I’d fallen hard.
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Erotic Romance POV: First Person, Dual Series: Standalone Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Julian Lockley Heroine: Rosie Flynn Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Published On: July 14, 2023 Started On: July 20, 2023 Finished On: July 29, 2023
The Man Upstairs by Jade West is a provocative exploration of forbidden desires that might not settle well with some readers. My first experience of a Jade West novel was certainly memorable, featuring 18-year-old Rosie Flynn and 48-year-old Julian Lockley, whose love affair is as illicit as they come.
Rosie resides in Crenham Drive, a housing block marked by faded green carpet hallways and the stale smell of decaying lives struggling to survive amidst constant and abject cycles of poverty. Rosie’s life is no walk in the park, and her dismal existence takes a dramatic turn when she comes face to face with Julian, a disgraced former English professor with a scandalous past, who moves into apartment number six of the same building.
Estranged from his family and haunted by his past, Julian is a man on the brink of self-destruction. He struggles with his thoughts and self-loathing, unable to bridge the chasm that he has caused between him and his family. Despite the dark urges that plagues his mind and his troubled history, Julian’s protective instincts kick in when it comes to Rosie, snowballing into something that leaves him perhaps hopeful, for the first time since the scandal that made him a pariah in his former life.
Rosie, in contrast, is a young woman on the cusp of her adulthood and her sexual awakening, whose interest in Julian is one most would see as problematic. However, in Julian, she finds for the first time, security of the kind she has never had, a man who through simple acts of kindness and taking care of her, invades her heart. Rosie is also captivated by all that is Professor Julian, with his penchant for rougher than average sex, the need for which rises ferociously in him as Julian and Rosie spends more time together.
While Rosie’s curiosity about Julian leads to a series of intense and explicit encounters, Julian remains locked in battle with his inner demons and attempts to protect her innocence, which is a losing battle at best. When Julian finally gives in to what is inevitable, the exploration of their mutual desires turns out to be complex, dirty, and powerful in a way that reshapes both of them emotionally.
The Man Upstairs is a novel that delves into several heavy themes, including abuse and poverty cycles, sexual awakening, and the quest for betterment in life, along with redemption. Rosie’s struggles with her mother’s inability to move on from abusive relationships and the trauma of it remains all too real and constant, until Julian steps into her life. Ms. West also explores how challenging it is for those stuck in such vicious cycles to move forward in life and walk away.
While Rosie was a sweet heroine in many ways, she is also one who has a very strong mind of her own, perhaps forged through years of living through constant cycles of abuse which made her wiser and perhaps grow up faster than her peers. Rosie is also lonely in a way that perhaps we can all relate – sometimes you can be surrounded by people and yet feel a yearning for something indescribable. Rosie’s need for love and affection might not be what initially draws her into the warmth of Julian’s existence, but it is definitely why she chooses to stay with him, even amidst all the judgement that society sees fit to throw their way.
Julian was an incredible hero in my opinion – what made him stand out being the fact that he truly accepted his past actions for what they were and understood the sort of man he was deep inside. While Ms. West does not try to portray Julian in a light that exempts him from blame, my perspective of his marriage was quite different. Julian’s undying devotion to Rosie and the way he takes care of her needs (and I do not mean sexual needs in this context), under whose gentle ministrations Julian was also able to heal was thought provoking. I believe that Julian was a man who was lost amidst a marriage that did not serve to fulfill his needs, and knowing that his wife had drifted apart from him and sought comfort elsewhere made Julian embrace his depraved needs in the worst ways possible. It is true that some are late bloomers and meet their true soulmates late in life, and in Julian’s case, I felt that the statement holds quite true.
If there is anything I would say about this novel, it is that the story is unflinchingly explicit, with graphic sexual scenes that illustrate the intense physical and emotional connection between Rosie and Julian. This exploration of sexual dynamics is both a rite of passage for Rosie and a moral predicament for Julian, making their relationship deeply controversial, yet undeniably compelling.
Fans of provocative and boundary-pushing romance will find The Man Upstairs to be a riveting read. However, due to its explicit content and controversial themes, it may not be suitable for all readers. Ms. West’s writing certainly makes for compelling reading, and I for one enjoyed exploring the forbidden world of Rosie and Julian.
Final Verdict: The Man Upstairs is a bold and thought-provoking novel where Ms. West crafts a story that is both deeply unsettling and intensely passionate, pushing the boundaries of conventional romance to explore the darker sides of love and lust.
Favorite Quotes
Julian: My body took over, nothing but pure white heat behind my eyes as I pulled my thumb free and set my mouth on hers. My kiss wasn’t tender. My tongue wasn’t gentle. I gripped her face in my hands and possessed her mouth with the desperate kind of lust that drove me wild. She whimpered at the shock, dithering just a little before her senses flew free with mine. Instincts met instincts, raw and unfiltered.
Julian: I loved the way she giggled, just a little. “You’re pretty cool, you know, Julian? Hot, and smart, and brilliant. You’re a lot more than a creepy man upstairs.” It knocked me aback, hugely. I’d been approached and appreciated by many young girls in my life, but they had seen me against a different backdrop. Proud, successful, preened and polished. Not as a freaky loser in a suit from Crenham Drive.
I threw myself into Julian’s arms with such force that I knocked him backwards. I was as desperate as it’s possible to be as I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist, needing him more than life itself. I took hold of his shoulders, squeezing tight before I kissed him. My lips met his like magic. His body worked on instinct to support mine, and we were lost. Consumed. Done for. I kissed my saviour, and my saviour held me tight and kissed me right back.
“Rosie–” he began, still trying to clutch at his resolve, but I shook my head. I wasn’t listening. I wanted him to claim me. I was done with my innocence. My hands roved over his chest, and that was enough. He succumbed, hands reaching for me in return and ripping the shirt from my shoulders. He lifted me up, sitting me right next to the mugs on the counter, and I spread my legs, already panting as he peppered his beautiful mouth up my thigh. He was rougher with my pussy this time. His tongue was fierce and wet, and fuck, I was done for… lost. I gripped the counter, clumsy, and the mugs went tumbling, smashing and spilling coffee all over the floor. But Julian didn’t care, or so much as flinch, just kept working his mouth against me. He was as done for as I was.
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Paperwhite Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: Third Person, Dual Series: Bennett Sisters, #1 Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Max Connor Heroine: Julia Bennett Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: March 07, 2016 Started On: February 21, 2023 Finished On: February 22, 2023
God knew Max had given her nothing, not so much a single hello in almost two years, and yet, and yet, and yet, her crush stuttered on like a corrupted MP3 file, making her feel electric and helpless and nauseous and depressed in turns.
Book one in the Bennett Sisters series is another wonderful story by the critically acclaimed author that is Eve Dangerfield. Locked Box, published initially in March of 2016, brings to readers the story of 33 year old Senior Constable Max Connor at the Brenthill Police Station where 25 year old Julia Bennett works as the IT person aka “computer girl”.
Julia harbors a massive crush on the all too married Max and that has been the case for a long time, something which mortifies and petrifies her in equal doses. When on the eve of a long weekend, Julia gets roped into organizing the entire computer section of the Brenthill Evidence Room which is definitely not a one person job, and she gets locked in the the room, the man who strides to her “rescue” is none other than Max himself.
When a series of mishaps ends up with both of them locked in together, things start to get interesting as we get our first insights into how Max actually feels about Julia and the truth about his marital status. Max and Julia met years ago, a night that has left its impression on both of them equally. While Max moved on and got hitched, Julia has steadily been working towards her goal of launching her own video game.
As things start to heat up between Julia and Max, it is Julia’s desperation that pushes past the reluctance and the walls that Max shields his heart with. A rushed marriage which had gone awry with time has left its mark on him, and having to suppress his needs has left him feeling him exhausted. But Julia tests every bit of his resistance until it lies in tatters around him, and he gives in to the scorching heat that has always existed between them since day one, something he has denied for far too long.
Max does not want to feel the way he does around Julia, all inept and mindlessly horny as he puts it. But then love and lust in combination does strange things to even the most intelligent and coherent of people and that is what makes him warier than ever. Even as Max tries to put distance between himself and Julia, things certainly do not go according to plan as Julia tests the reserves of his strength, and makes him question every aspect of why he had walked away all those years back.
I loved both Max and Julia and thoroughly enjoyed knowing that there was no way that Max was going to be able to walk away this time around. I loved how Ms. Dangerfield brought out the tidbits of their past entwining with the present, giving their attraction and the intense connection between the two more meaning. Max is wild for Julia, there is no doubt about that. And Julia has her work cut out for her when it comes to convincing Max to take that chance on her, which ends up being the factor that gave this story the angst that I always need in my romance novels.
Recommended for those who love a broody and reluctant hero who spikes up your heart rate just by stepping into the pages.
Final Verdict: Multi-layered with a forbidden love angle that we all love, Max’s intensity and Julia’s unwavering love made this memorable!
Favorite Quotes
“Max.” “That’s it, say my name.” Usually, an orgasm turned her body to stone, but this was so raw, so surreal, all Julia could do was thrash against Max, who was thankfully strong enough to keep her in check. She shrieked and shuddered and cursed enough to kill several fairies but he didn’t slow down, he kept stroking her G-spot until she did something she’d only ever done once before; gushed into his open palm. It was as excruciating as she remembered, painfully pleasurable, completely unable to be stopped.
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Paperwhite Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: Third Person, Single Series: Standalone Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Sean Heroine: Megan Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: January 02, 2006 Started On: February 10, 2023 Finished On: February 11, 2023
“How did you reach the point of,” she searched for a polite way to phrase the question, “considering prostitution as a source of income?” “Some of the kids I knew were whoring, but I wouldn’t at first. I was sure I could find a job. But the days went on and I had no money. This kid, Donnie, convinced me sucking c#ck was a pretty simple way to make fifty bucks. So one night I did it.” Megan swallowed. “How did you feel about it?” “I didn’t feel anything. He was right. It wasn’t such a big deal and I had enough money to eat for a few days.” His voice was perfectly steady and emotionless.
Finding Home, written by Lauren Baker and Bonnie Dee, published in January of 2006, is a story that is beautifully crafted. It is a story about finding love in places that you least expect, of how society often seems to fixate on the wrong issues instead of righting the grave injustices inherent, and how love of the truest kind will always persevere.
Written in the third person, told solely from the heroine’s perspective, Finding Home brings to readers the story of 23 year old Megan who works as a copy editor at a weekly LA paper, with dreams of becoming a reporter. To speed things up on making that transition, Megan decides that a freelance expose was in order, and sets out to tackle the issue of male prostitution.
When Megan meets 17 year old Sean (known as Mouth on the streets), she is fascinated by how self possessed he appears and how nothing seems to faze him. Quickly befriending him, Megan finds out that the story that she started out to write in an attempt to advance her career is not for the faint of heart, and that she cannot detach herself from the lived realities of the young adults who are forced into prostitution for one reason or the other.
As Megan finds herself in over her head when it comes to Sean, and a sequence of events culminates in Sean requiring time to heal from injuries inflicted, Megan offers him room and board at her place, at least until he is better able to take care of himself. Megan’s offer comes without any expectations on her end, and it is heartbreaking to come to the understanding that for a young adult like Sean, his life which has been an endless series of being taken advantage of by other people, trust is the hardest commodity to come by.
As proximity gives room for the awareness that has always existed between the two of them to grow in leaps and bounds, Megan finds herself in the unenviable position of having to deny her heart when it comes to Sean, as the feelings that she harbors for him increases by the day. Things come to a head and when Megan finally gives in, it is not without self-recrimination, doubts, and being self-conscious about society’s perception on the relationship which buds to life between them.
Sean’s story is not a unique one, but nevertheless a heartbreaking one. A deadbeat mother who was more concerned about where her next fix would come from, Sean had abandoned ship as soon as he was able to, with the knowledge that he could take better care of himself than his mom ever could. Being homeless and bunking with other kids who were of the same fate, Sean had found himself bartering away his body for cash to make ends meet.
The lifeline that comes in the form of Megan is one that Sean doesn’t realize that he needed. Megan, with her soft heart and bleeding emotions for the boy she gets to know and the man she comes to love, rescues him from a life of continued destitution and poverty, and gives him that needed chance to be independent, find himself, and find his way back to her. His home.
That was in essence what was so moving about the story. This was why it was such an emotionally gripping tale that turned out to be a riveting read in many ways. Even though Megan is older of the two in terms of age, it is Sean who seems to be emotionally more mature, perhaps as a consequence of having shielded himself for so long from the realities of childhood trauma.
The chemistry between Megan and Sean from the onset, sexual and otherwise, was an intriguing aspect of the story. Megan’s warmth towards Sean is evident from the start, and even when their relationship crosses all those lines it rightfully should not, somehow it makes sense because Megan and Sean fits in a way that is indescribable.
Megan truly does try to resist giving in, and I believe if the positions were reversed, even I, as the reader would not have felt the need to explain how much she tried to resist. It is the norm to read about and hear about older men succumbing to much younger women, or getting into a relationship with a woman in a vulnerable position. But because it is the woman who holds the long end of the stick in this dynamic, I guess we needed “more assurance” than we usually would under the circumstances. Which is telling in itself about the inherent bias that we harbor.
Society perhaps, will always reserve judgement about cases such as Sean and Megan, and it is with good reason, I admit. But there are also those rare happenstances when two people just fit, and age becomes just a number. Fact that it was Sean who took the needed time to start on a path that would allow him to start healing, to face the demons of his past, showed the kind of maturity that I would expect from an older character. His declaration of love for Megan was all the more meaningful because he comes to that conclusion on his own terms, and that, was just beautiful.
The fact that the story was written solely from Megan’s perspective was another reason why this story made such a huge impression on me. I am a sucker for stories where it is hard to read what the hero is feeling except through the heroine’s often biased perception. And that, is a treat to my senses!
Definitely recommend this gem of a romance to readers who can set aside their preconceived notions and give Sean and Megan the chance they truly deserve!
Final Verdict: Finding Home is the kind of novel that invades your heart with stealthy determination, until absorb all of it, one must. Therein lies the true beauty of this story!
Favorite Quotes
She wondered what, or who, he was thinking of to make him so hard, and hoped it was her. Megan felt caught in a trap, unable to move, her senses on overload, and while every brain cell screamed at her to get out, step back into the corridor and ignore what she’d just seen, her animal instincts wanted her to move closer. Her body betrayed her. She felt hot and wet and melting to the core of her being, her sex aching for his touch.
He started slow, holding back and building the pressure with light, controlled strokes, driving Megan into a frenzy until she grabbed his ass with both hands, pulling him deeper inside her. Her gesture seemed to shatter his self-control and he started really fucking her, hard and fast. His mouth slipped down from hers to her neck, biting her, until she reached her peak again, and much to her surprise, because Megan wasn’t usually a screamer, she swore and cried out, overwhelmed by the strength of the climax which ripped through her.
Megan turned her mouth into her shoulder to stifle her moans. She gripped the edges of the sink as she was carried on a wave of pleasure that seemed to crest ever higher, triggering spasm after spasm in her. This was so hot, so wild, and so not her. She wanted to scream or sob. Sean leaned forward and his hand snaked over her hip and onto her clit, rubbing and circling. He continued to slam into her hard and rough. Their harsh breaths and the slap of flesh on flesh were the only sounds in the room. Megan whimpered as her whole body contracted and released in an amazingly powerful orgasm.
A faint trail of hair led toward his chest. She examined the hard planes of his chest, his peaked nipples, the sharp lines of his collarbones and his broad, muscled shoulders. The curve of his neck led to his face. Sean looked down at her, lips slightly parted, his wet hair messy on his forehead, his blue eyes caught between arousal and amusement. As their eyes locked, he ran his tongue across his lips. Megan sighed. “Jesus, Sean,” she breathed. “You’re beautiful.”
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Paperwhite Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: First Person, Dual Series: Standalone Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Brant Elliott Heroine: June Adeline Bailey Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Published On: May 17, 2022 Started On: January 20, 2023 Finished On: January 28, 2023
“There is no sense in love,” I counter, swiping away more tears. “It’s a senseless thing.” Mom pauses, pinching the bridge of her nose, chin tucked to her chest. I forge ahead. “And I didn’t pursue him. He didn’t pursue me. It just… happened. Because that’s what love does. It happens. It sneaks up on you, and then it burrows. It festers in your blood. And once it’s in your blood, you can’t just flush it out. It’s a part of you now. Trying to get rid of it would be like cutting off a limb, or carving your heart right out of your chest.”
June First by Jennifer Hartman is a transformative reading experience. No two ways bout it. This story truly digs into your psyche making you ache in the best way possible, a true testament to the romance genre and why I stick to reading romance even when good books are so hard to come by now. Told in the first person, published in May of 2022, this phenomenal story brings to readers two characters who stake their claim on your heart from the get-go.
The story begins when the hero Brant Elliott, is six years old, and his parents die in a murder-suicide, instigated by his father leaving him without family. His savior comes in the form of his neighbors, the Baileys, of whom Theo is of the same age as he is, and his best friend. When the Bailey’s takes him in, it is also with a new addition to their family unit, a baby girl that they name as June Adeline Bailey, June because she was born on the first day of the month, on that fateful night that Brant’s life was marked forever.
It is June that saves Brant’s life unknowingly when memories of “The Bad Night” as he calls it, haunts him too much. The Bailey’s adopt him and call him their own, giving Brant the kind of love and security that would never have been possible if otherwise. From the start, the bond between June and Brant is one that is indescribable. As Ms. Hartman takes readers through the formative years of both their lives and beyond, readers get glimpses into how their relationship metamorphoses and shifts to accommodate the ever growing and changing love between them.
It is not easy journey for Brant and June, even if June at first does not recognize the feelings burgeoning inside of her as she comes of age. For Brant who is six years older, it is a different matter altogether, being old and wise enough to understand the strength of his attraction towards June. The conflicting emotions that runs amok through Brant renders him the perfect definition of a tortured hero, which of course gave this story a ton of angst which I absolutely adored.
For Brant who promised June that he would always protect her, the hardest thing to face is him being the person that she needs protection from. But no matter how hard Brant may try to keep his distance and hurting June in the process, there is no stopping the tide when it comes to the strength of the magnetic draw between two halves of one soul.
The night that Brant succumbs to the temptation that is June, tragedy strikes, splintering the fragility of what took place, the guilt factor multiplying exponentially. As someone who was transfixed by the variety of emotions that coursed through me as I waded deeper into the story, I found that the longing that drips from the pages to be unparalleled, the angst and slow burn unlike anything I have ever come across.
The delivery on that build-up was out of this world, and I could not have asked for more. The writing is deeply evocative, the prose perfect, the build-up of the tension, not just in terms of the attraction between June and Brant but the entire story – all blends exquisitely to deliver a tale that makes you bleed your emotions all over. Every single aspect of this novel just drives home the fact that Brant and June are the true definition of two halves, one soul.
Evocative writing and exemplary characterization makes this book stand out from similarly themed taboo romances, and I cannot recommend this gem of a book enough to all romance readers!
Final Verdict: With June First, Jennifer Hartmann pulls off the kind of story that few authors can. The sheer magnitude of the undertaking is visible from the start, making this perfect in every sense!
Favorite Quotes
“June.” I take her wrist in my hand and lower her arm, catching the flash of worry in her eyes. “Junebug, you should get some sleep. We can talk more in the morning.” I don’t let her question it, or convince me to stay. I just go. I walk out. I can’t be in here right now. She’s too soft, too vulnerable. I’m still surging with adrenaline. I’m still suffocating on the awful awareness that the child I watched grow up, the angel I swore to protect, the little girl I craved in a million beautiful, innocent ways—is now becoming the girl I crave in the only way I shouldn’t. And it’s not fair. It’s not fucking fair. If my father hadn’t murdered my mother, I would still just be the neighbor boy, and she would be the girl next door. Instead, he branded us with a label; forced me into something twisted. He turned the only girl I’ve ever wanted into the only girl I can never have.
Brant lets the door swing shut behind him, his brow furrowed with confusion. “Why are we over here?” He senses something off about me and moves in closer, his hand extending to my forearm. “You’re scaring me a little.” It’s so quiet on this side of the doors, and I fear he can hear my heart screaming in terror. I lick my lips. “I’m not trying to. I just… I have to do this.” He shakes his head, a baffled laugh slipping out. “You’re not making any sense. Do what?” Breathe in. Breathe out. Just get it over with, June. “This.” I don’t think. My hands lift, reaching up and pulling his face down to mine. His stunned breath is the last thing I hear before our lips crash together, and I’m inching up on my tiptoes, my palms clasped around his jaw, my mouth parting on instinct. I didn’t intend to part my lips, but I do. We just hover there for a moment, our breaths heavy and unsteady, turning into pants the longer we linger, while our mouths connect in a way they never should. And then something happens. I don’t know what happens, but something happens. I feel his hand cinch around my waist, while the other drags up to my hair, tangling in the mound of loose curls. My pelvis jerks forward without warning. Then he kisses me. Truly kisses me.
Pulling away from his touch, I sweep around him and march my way to the front door. I don’t grab my bags, but I’ll come back for them. It’s fine. I just need to go. When I reach the door, I twist the brass knob and tug it open, prepared to dart into the hallway and escape this mess of confusion. Only, I’m stopped short when a hand plants against the door right above my head, slamming it shut. I draw in a sharp breath. He’s right behind me, his chest whispering along my back as he cages me in. Swallowing hard, I squeak out, “Brant…” Electricity hisses all around us.
“It’s not fair that your face is so perfect; a piece of art on display that I’m not allowed to touch. I should only adore it from afar, even though its beauty calls to me. Even though I’m convinced it was created just for me.” Her eyelashes flutter as she sways, as if she’s drunk on more than rum or whiskey—as if she’s drunk on her very own words. “It’s not fair that it holds two eyes that look at me the way they do, like they were made for seeing only me. It’s not fair that it has lips that I’ve memorized, that I can’t forget, and a tongue I’ve dreamed about tasting me over and over again.”
“You always smell like springtime and lemon drops,” I say gently, kissing the top of her head. My eyes close with contentment as I breathe her in. She sighs, her breath warming me through the cashmere of my shirt. “You always smell like spearmint and Ivory soap.” Songbirds serenade us as we stand in the center of the patio, enmeshed in a potent embrace, breathing in perfect time, and swaying lightly, as if nature is singing just for us. Then we say it at the same time: “Like home.”
June whimpers as her shaky hands make their way to my hair, fingers sifting. Nails grazing my scalp. Her pelvis jerks up, just slightly, like it’s instinct, like she’s silently begging me to sample her. Her legs spread farther apart. And I lose it. I fucking lose it. I trail my fingers underneath the hem of her panties, yanking them down past her knees. Then I bend over and bury my face between her thighs. June cries out. She lets out a sharp, primal moan as her hips thrust up against my mouth and her nails carve into my scalp. I feast on her. Untamed. Untethered. Hungry.
“Are you happy?” I ask softly. There’s a catch in my voice, sounding louder than my words. Worry claims her pretty features, and she reaches up to hold my wrists. “Of course, I’m happy. I’m so happy.” “Even though you’re not dancing? Even though you’re not in New York?” She falters. It’s only for a second, only for the briefest, tiniest moment, but I see it. I see it
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Paperwhite Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: First Person, Single Series: Kindled, #1 Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Jackson Heroine: Faith Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: August 26, 2021 Started On: January 03, 2023 Finished On: January 03, 2023
Maybe Jackson would be different if he were in love. If he were in a relationship. Or if the world outside this room hadn’t fallen into violent chaos, hadn’t become a constant war we have no choice but to fight. Maybe he would take his time. Be softer. Gentler. Maybe he would smile or even laugh. Maybe I would be different too.
Haven by Claire Kent is a book that had me psyched for a very good reason. I had just found out that Ms. Kent previously wrote as Zannie Adams, an author who suddenly disappeared after publication of a handful books of which Complicated ended up being a favorite of mine, which as a result is an author I have been trying to find for the past thirteen years! It has been a long wait to re-discover Ms. Adams writing as Claire Kent, and I was so excited to pick this up and indulge to my heart’s content.
First published in August 2021 and told in the first person from the heroine’s point of view, this is a post apocalyptic romance featuring 25 year old Jackson and 21 year old Faith, both survivors of an event known as the Impact. The Impact is an event which took place five years prior to the story, during which an asteroid hit Europe, wiping out the whole continent, wreaking havoc on the environment, and destroying economies and governments across the globe. It was estimated that more than half of the global population had died off since the Impact and its aftermath which continues five years on.
Faith is the daughter of the couple who set up the New Haven Farm years before the Impact, the place where the story mainly takes place. Her parents, wanting to live off the grid, built a farm with all the necessities required for self-sustenance, the main reason behind the survival of those at the farm when the rest of the world had pretty much collapsed.
Faith has known Jackson since she was twelve years old, Jackson having come to live on the farm as an angry and surly teenager having spent his most formative years in foster care. Even though Faith had more or less being fascinated by Jackson since then, which she never would admit to, neither of them show much inclination of having deeper feelings for each other, that is until you peel back the layers which reveals a whole other story.
As the story delves deeper into the lives of Faith and Jackson, readers get to see what simmers underneath; the red hot attraction between the two that blazes to life, consuming both of them. What starts out as an occasional night during which Faith goes to Jackson and they have the kind of sex that most talk about and few ever actually get to experience in their lifetimes, turns into a craving that just a few nights a month won’t satisfy.
What is most interesting is how Faith’s inner turmoil and restlessness with life becomes key to bridging the gap between the physical and emotional connection between the two. Jackson I would say, was a delight in every sense. Sexy, silent, broody, and the kind of man who takes charge in the bedroom, leaving you breathless and wanting more!
As the story is written solely from Faith’s point of view, the reader must understand Jackson through her eyes, and I would say it was delightful, going on that journey of discovery right alongside with Faith. The true depth of Jackson’s feelings for Faith starts becoming more evident as the story moves towards its climax and I loved Jackson for being the man who gives Faith a safe space to just let go and be vulnerable, which was sexiest aspect of the story if you ask me. There is nothing sexier than a man who knows how to treat his woman right, who knows when to nudge, take charge, and offer the comfort of a warm embrace when in need. Such is Jackson, and I loved him to bits for that very fact. The pace at which Faith and Jackson’s relationship develops and progresses was realistic. And the sex scenes outrightly naughty and smutty in the best way possible!
Recommended for readers who like romances in post-apocalyptic settings, with a commanding hero who makes you swoon just by stepping into the pages.
Final Verdict: Rediscovering Zannie Adams as Claire Kent was definitely the best find in recent times. Loved the adventure, the buildup, hot sex, and tenderer emotions explored in this post apocalyptic romance!
Favorite Quotes
It’s dark in his room. He’s already in bed. A board squeaks on my third step, the same board that always squeaks. I hear his covers rustle. He’s moving now. He knows I’m here. I set the candle down on the table. When I reach the bed, he grabs for me and pulls me onto the mattress, stretching me out as he rolls on top of me. Without a word, he kisses me, deep and hard and hungry.
His eyes crawl up and down my body. From my face to the place his cock moves in and out of me. My eyes have adjusted more so I can see more details. His messy hair keeps falling into his eyes, and he’ll give his head a quick jerk occasionally to move it out of the way. His bare chest has a scattering of dark, coarse hair, and the impressive definition of his arms—the strong, corded muscles there—flex and tense. I have a brief impulse to stroke them. Feel the shape of them. To trace his familiar features with my fingertips. To push his thick waves back from his forehead. I don’t do any of that.
Then he rasps out one word. “Kitten.” Right before he pushes me up against the wall and kisses me hard. I should be annoyed by the mocking nickname, but I’m not. Irrationally, it gets me really hot. I grab for his neck and open to the kiss, and before I know it, I’m wrapping one leg high around his thighs and grinding my aching pussy against his leg.
He makes a guttural sound and jerks his head slightly, his nostrils flaring. “Tell me you want me.” I make a sobbing sound as the words trigger something deep. I scratch lines into the skin of his arms. “I want you.” He speeds up, pounding into me so hard the bed bangs loudly against the wall. “Tell me who you want.” “You. Jackson. I want you. Jackson. You. Only you!” The last words come out as a hoarse cry because I come hard on the heels of them.
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Paperwhite Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: First Person, Dual Series: The Windsors, #1 Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Ares Windsor Heroine: Raven Du Pont Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: October 15, 2022 Started On: November 25, 2022 Finished On: November 26, 2022
“Does no part of you want me even a little?” Her voice is soft, pleading, and her eyes are filled with an emotion I can’t quite describe. “No,” I lie to her. “The friction from you moving on top of me made me hard, yeah, but I don’t want you, Raven. I’ll never want you. I’m not sure what you’re thinking, but you need to stop. Do you know how much your actions tonight would hurt your sister? Fuck, it’s hurting me, Rave.”
The Wrong Bride by Catharina Maura is the debut book in The Windsors series, first published in October of last year. Catharina Maura is a new-to-me author, having come across some of her books on Amazon from time to time. The Wrong Bride’s blurb promised the kind of story that I always hanker for, a marriage of convenience between the main protagonists of whom the heroine has been in love with the hero since forever.
Told in the first person from both the hero and heroine’s point of view, The Wrong Bride tells the story of 31 year old Ares Windsor as the hero and 21 year old Raven Du Pont as the heroine. When the story begins, Ares is engaged to be married to Raven’s older sister Hannah who is an actress in whose shadow Raven has always remained. Raven is a model herself, working hard to establish her own business. Raven is the neglected child in the Du Pont family, the one who always has to give in to Hannah’s needs and wants that takes precedence in the lives of her parents. Raven is more than willing to watch her sister get married to the man that she loves beyond anything else in this world, as Ares who considers her as a valuable friend and nothing more.
Ares is one of the six siblings of the Windsor family ruled by the matriarch that is their grandmother. The merger between the Du Pont and Windsor’s family sealed the deal when it comes to the arranged marriage between Hannah and Ares, with the wedding having been postponed multiple times because of Hannah’s busy filming schedule.
However, when Hannah calls off the wedding for the last time, citing her career to be more important to give into the demands of the terms of the arranged marriage, circumstances dictate that Raven take her place instead, something Raven fights till the last minute. While Raven makes it clear that she wants a real marriage and not half-hearted attempts at one, Ares proposes a marriage of convenience for the sake of fooling his grandmother, and promises Hannah that he would wait for her during a moment of weakness that overtakes his faculties.
Thus begins the rocky journey on which Ares and Raven embark upon as husband and wife. Hannah of course, makes things complicated by accusing Raven of trying to take her place, of trying to steal the man who rightfully belongs to her. For the marriage to be given a real chance, Ares would have to fight not only the demons that hound him but also that of Raven’s and convince her once and for all that for Ares, there is no one like Raven and there never would be.
As mentioned earlier, The Wrong Bride is a story that had a lot going for it, elements that would make it a stellar read. I found myself agonized on behalf of Raven for all the heartache and pain that she goes through, which is all well worth it in the end. There were points when the constant advance and retreat on the part of Ares and Raven gave me a whiplash and then there were those moments that I reveled in because Ares was adorable in his absolute cluelessness when it came to his possessiveness and jealousy regarding his wife.
I abhorred Hannah for the despicable way in which she treats both Raven and Ares, but in a way I understood that her sense of entitlement stemmed from parents who had danced to every single one of her tunes and never really fulfilled their responsibility of instilling values and discipline in Hannah. Raven in the shadow of Hannah, grew up to be the graceful one, the one with a backbone of steel and ambitions that made her choose a path that diverged from her family’s and gave her much needed independence.
There were moments that I felt truly frustrated with Raven for how she believes whatever that Hannah tell her to destroy the fragility of what was developing between Raven and Ares, but at the same time I understood that the emotional scars from such sheer neglect that had made Raven believe that she was never going to be good enough played a critical role in the way she reacts every single time.
Ares I believe, is the character that changes all of that, even when I wanted to slap him silly when his actions hurt Raven in a way that was unbearable. But then again, I recognized where Ares was coming from as well, having believed himself to be in love with Hannah for so long, never acknowledging his true feelings for Raven because he never let his heart move in that direction.
Ares is a man of honor in every sense, staying true to the course even when he could have taken undue advantage of the situations that arose at times. He would also have been well justified to do so, given the revelations towards the latter half of the novel. I loved Ares for his patience in dealing with Raven, in understanding the depth of her insecurities and working to make her understand and believe in him and their love. He deserves a medal for his forbearance even when it came to dealing with Hannah, the least deserving of such consideration in my opinion.
The coup de grace of the story was when Raven finally stood up for herself and cut off ties with the toxicity that was her family. I rooted for her big time and brought out the pom-poms at that point! The spice and heat between Raven and Ares was icing on the cake in the tale as it unfolded, and went a long way towards bridging the emotional gap between the two and giving Raven the needed confidence boost to believe in their love. The only thing I could have asked for was more angst – which I believe required Ares to be a bit colder than he actually was. Alas, one cannot have everything I suppose!
Recommended for the true romantics who love a good marriage of convenience story. This one is for you!
Final Verdict: The Wrong Bride by Catharina Maura is a truly remarkable tale that delivers the perfect balance of spice and romance with just the right touch of heartache to make it memorable!
Favorite Quotes
I pull her against me and thread one hand in her hair before tipping her head back to expose her neck. She gasps when I lower my lips to her ear, my teeth grazing over her earlobe. “This is how you posed with Tom Foster, wasn’t it? Tell me, my love, was he as hard as I am when he held you like this?” I kiss her neck, my teeth grazing over her skin for a moment before I suck down, leaving a small mark. Raven’s breath hitches, and the way she pushes her chest against mine makes me fucking feral. Her hands thread through my hair, her grip tight.
“Do you truly want me? If we weren’t married, would you want me?” He smiles and walks toward me, his stride confident and impatient. His arm wraps around my waist, and he pulls me into him, his lips finding mine with the same urgency he portrayed earlier. Ares groans as he kisses me, his hands moving over my body impatiently. I’m pushed against the wall, and his hand curls around my thigh as he hooks it around his hip. I’m panting as he pulls his lips off mine to kiss my jaw, before placing them just below my ear, pressing a soft kiss to my neck that makes me shiver. “Is that enough of an answer, Raven? I want you so fucking badly that it hurts.”
I lower my lips to her neck, my teeth grazing over her skin before I suck down on it, marking her as mine. “I’m fucking obsessed with you,” I admit. “Every little thing you do, every smile, every sigh that leaves your lips. All of it.” My hand delves underneath her dress, and I smirk when I realize she isn’t wearing underwear. “This,” I groan against her lips. “I love this about you. You always want me just as badly as I want you.”
A Maldivian's Passion for Romance 