by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Lost In Kakadu by Kendall Talbot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favorite Quotes

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

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

Purchase Links: Not Available

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by mvbookreviewer

ARC Review: Cutest Couple by Kate Davies

Format: E-bookcutestcouple.jpg
Read with: Kindle for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Girls Most Likely To… #2
Publisher: Carina Press
Hero: Marc
Heroine: Bree Oliver
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: April 29, 2013
Started On: May 4, 2013
Finished On: May 10, 2013

Hero: Marc, finishes high school and acts out on his duty to his country to and joins the military to do his part for the war on terror.

Heroine: Bree Oliver, becomes a single mom right out of high school.

Storyline: Its the ten year high school reunion of Bree’s and Marc’s class. Marc being based nearby decides to come and find out how Bree had faired only to receive the shock of his lifetime; that he is the father of a little boy who looks just like him.

Time period: Cutest Couple is set in the present time and is told from both Bree and Marc’s points of view.

Likes: I loved Marc, for being the standup guy he is. His inherent good character manages to shine through even though this is a very short novella and focus on him is just a tad less than that compared with Bree. And on the hottie side, I am certain Marc in military garb would be enough to fuel a couple of fantasies for long cold nights.

Dislikes: I am disappointed to say that I didn’t like Bree’s character overly much. I found her to be a bit shallow and selfish and I say this with reason. Though I understood that Bree’s fears of commitment with Marc stemmed from valid reasons owing to her childhood, I still was irked by how little of a chance she gave to the guy she dated and knew inside out during the last couple of years of their high school together. It just seemed unfair to say the least that she never really put in much of an effort to reach out to Marc, at least just to let him know that he is the father of their child.

And I certainly would have loved to know more about Marc and his history which I know is asking for an impossibility in a novel of this length.

Recommended for: Fans of the series, fans of reunion romances and fans of author Kate Davies.

Final Verdict: A good 2nd installment for the Most Likely to series.

Favorite Quotes

He tugged her closer, wrapping his free arm around her back, and teased her mouth open with his tongue. She didn’t respond, not at first, but right as he was about to pull away, she whimpered softly and kissed him back.
It had been ten years since he’d tasted her, ten years during which he should have forgotten her mouth, her tongue, her white teeth nipping at his lip. It was an intoxicating mix of the familiar and the new, and he delved in again, wanting more, wanting it all.

Turning her, he backed her blindly into the locker bank. Urging her leg up, he wrapped it around his waist, rocking into her in a steady rhythm that built and built. Her head dropped back, banging against the metal locker with a hollow thunk.
He ripped his mouth away from hers, sliding his lips down her cheek to her jawline, feathering over the column of her neck, until he reached the sensitive spot where her pulse raced right under her skin. He mouthed over it, grimly satisfied with her gasping cry. Then he latched on and sucked.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Tempt Me Not by Susan Napier

Format: E-booktemptmenot
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Lucas Grey
Heroine: Victoria Bailey
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: February, 1993
Started On: May 8, 2013
Finished On: May 10, 2013

My respect for Susan Napier and her ability to continually surprise me with how different and engaging her stories are continues to grow with each book I read from her. Tempt Me Not is a novel that did all of that and more and as a reader who adores romances that really reaches out to me and grabs my emotions at full throttle, I definitely couldn’t have asked for more.

Meet Victoria Bailey, a woman that most people have tended to overlook all throughout her life. The surprises that Victoria as a character continues to give to the developing story was one reason that Tempt Me Not was so hard to put down. Victoria is a woman who exerts a huge amount of control on her emotions, wants and needs. But that control seems to chip away when she meets Lucas Grey, the temptation that he offers being something even that she cannot ignore.

Lucas turns out to be one of those ever patient heroes that makes you fall in love with them because that’s the sort of understanding required by a hero for a heroine such as Victoria who is quite ‘skittish’ by nature. All the while it drives Lucas absolutely mad to make a little bit of progress with Victoria only to find that the next day she is back with more armour in place to protect herself from him.

Victoria finds herself at an impossible impasse when what has been holding her back all throughout the years ceases to be no more and the guilt that has always been a part of her conscious ever since Lucas invaded her life leaves giving free rein to the sensuous and wanton side of her nature that comes undeniably alive for Lucas.

Though sometimes it feels like Victoria gives Lucas a hard time just to play coy with his obvious interest in her, there is a valid and solid reason behind Victoria’s reluctance to do something that she would never be able to forgive herself for putting both herself and Lucas through.

In the end, all the twists and turns seemed to give me a gut wrenching satisfying read, my emotions going haywire with all the conflict that seemed to evoke all sorts of jumbled up emotions inside of me. Highly recommended for those who love romances that gives you something different to enjoy.

Favorite Quotes

She shifted in his arms, but only so that she could lift her own hands to his shoulders, reaching out for the forbidden fruit that she had glimpsed that afternoon with an abandoned eagerness that would have shocked her if she had been capable of conscious thought. The kiss deepened abruptly to a kind of consummation, a woman accepting the savage thrust of a man inside her body. The gentle eroticism with which Lucas had begun the assault was swiftly overtaken by a primitive need to stake his claim, to stamp her with the image of his sexuality.

Purchase Links: Amazon

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Avenger by Julia Sykes

Format: E-bookavenger
Read with: Kindle for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Series: Impossible, #3
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Sean Reynolds
Heroine: Claudia Ellers
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: May 3, 2013
Started On: May 9, 2013
Finished On: May 9, 2013

Hero: Sean Reynolds, a dominant alpha, whose character is shrouded in shades of grey that makes it difficult to sum him up without giving away the story.

Heroine: Dr. Claudia Ellers, the submissive to Sean; who is unwittingly drawn into the sheer drama and nightmare that her life explodes into when her life crosses paths with that of Sean.

Storyline: Avenger is the 3rd and final book in the Impossible trilogy. Avenger is a culmination of the events that pushes Claudia out of her comfort zone and gives Sean a chance to live a life of his own choosing. Its the story of two people who eventually make it even with insurmountable odds stacked against them.

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

Likes: Julia Sykes definitely knows what she’s doing by writing BDSM themed erotic stories with a dangerous edge to them. I loved all three books in this trilogy as they offered a way to slake my hunger for a hero who is not your usual run of the mill variety.

Julia is an author who can make your heart wrench with grief and sorrow one minute and take you on a wild ride of passion and incessant longing the next that its always one hell of a ride to get on. And I definitely wanted more!

Dislikes: Though some of the events that took place in the final story seemed a trifle bit rushed to me, I still enjoyed the story that unfolded and the happily ever after it sent my way.

Recommended for: Fans of Julia Sykes, fans of BDSM themed erotica and fans of rougher around the edges heroes who makes makes you swoon; this one’s for you!

Final Verdict: Sean Reynolds is a guilty pleasure not to be missed out on!

Favorite Quotes

My nipples hardened and I moaned into his mouth, arching up into him as I silently begged him to take me.  His tongue swept into my mouth, and I welcomed it.  His fist tangled in my hair, angling my head back so that he could take me more deeply.  Calloused fingertips lightly traced the curve of my neck, the roughness of his skin contrasting deliciously with his feather-light strokes.  Hot lines of pleasure shot to my breasts and then lower, hitting my core.  My inner walls contracted as I craved for him to fill me, to slake the growing need that was sweetly tormenting me.

He shoved me hard, and the wind was momentarily knocked from my lungs at the impact with the mattress.  Now he was the one straddling my hips, his weight pinning me down where he wanted me.  That cocky, lopsided grin that I loved so much was back in place, his turmoil and grief absent from his eyes, overcome by that dark flame that flickered in their green depths.  The sight of it made me shudder in delight as I realized that he accepted my words; he had let go of his feelings of uncertainty, of self-loathing.  He was embracing the sexual dynamic that gave both of us such unsurpassed pleasure.  He was accepting himself.

Then his teeth bit sharply into my earlobe, tugging at it.  I gasped as the slight, unexpected pain further stoked my need.  His lips were sucking away the pain, this hot tongue soothing the place where he had bitten me.  I writhed beneath him as he awoke yet another erogenous zone that I had never known existed.  His low, satisfied chuckle rumbled through me as he skillfully manipulated my body, drawing forth my submission with every touch.

His harsh expression told me that he could no longer hold himself back.  I watched as the overwhelming possessive need that he had described took over.  All vestiges of his careful self-control vanished as he drove into me to the hilt in one thrust.  My sex was still hyper-sensitive from my orgasm, and I let out a strangled cry as pleasure washed over me again.  I came immediately, my muscles fluttering around him and heightening his own pleasure.  He let out a low growl as he took me roughly, a primal, animalistic urge driving him as he pounded into me.

I could feel him beginning to jerk within me, heralding his own completion.  He leaned into me and bit down on my hardened nipple.  The pain sent me over the edge a third time, and my entire body began to shake.  The motion caused me to jerk against the cuffs, but the pain of their unyielding bite only heightened my ecstasy.  Sean’s howl mingled with my delighted scream as we found our ultimate pleasure at the same time, our bodies in perfect tandem with one another.

Purchase Links: Amazon

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Officer Off Limits by Tessa Bailey

Format: E-bookofficerofflimits
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Line of Duty, #3
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Hero: Daniel Chase
Heroine: Story Brooks
Sensuality: 4.5
Date of Publication: June 10, 2013
Started On: June 16, 2013
Finished On: June 21, 2013

The Brazen line of romances by Entangled Publishing has quickly become a favorite of mine. The sizzling heat packed into these novels are unbeatable. For someone who loves a lot of heat of the tangible variety in her romances, the books that I have picked up to read from the Brazen line so far have proved that the titles do live up to their name and their super smexy, mouth watering cover images.

Officer-Off Limits is a book in the ‘Line of Duty’ series by Tessa Bailey. Mind you, though this is a series, this book reads perfectly as a standalone and not having read the other books in the series I do not have any idea on whether they are loosely or remotely tied to each other. But the one thing I do know is that if hotter than sin cops in the line of duty are your thing, then you’ve definitely come to the right place.

Story Brooks gets dumped by her fiance just a couple of weeks before they are supposed to tie the knot. A kindergarten teacher who has led a pretty much by the book life till now, Story takes the news that her father has been admitted in a hospital in New York as a godsend in the aspect that it provides her with a much needed excuse to get away and think things through and get her life and perspectives in order.

The one thing she doesn’t count on nor expects is to run into her father’s protege and partner Daniel Chase who turns her world upside down and throws her off-kilter on so many levels that Story doesn’t even know what hits her. Daniel is a skirt chaser if ever there was one and though Story knows she should stay away from all the temptation that he offers, her body has other ideas whenever Daniel is in the vicinity. The wealth of dark emotions that Daniel hides behind his facade of being a womanizer is one that tugs at the heartstrings. And when Daniel encounters the beautiful Story with that sad tinge about her, Daniel goes crazy with the need to possess her and mark her as his.

But what is Daniel to do when his mentor warns him away from his daughter and tells him to keep his grabby paws to himself when all Daniel in fact wants to do is get down and dirty with Story in every single manner possible? And what is Daniel supposed to do when all the emotions that blindsides him makes him crave Story on a level that is completely alien to him that he is completely muddled up with possessive streak that completely takes him by surprise.

The attraction between Story and Daniel is instantaneous, believable and oh-so-scorching hot that I found myself panting almost throughout every combustible scene in the book. There was not even one inch of Daniel that I didn’t love; I completely took him on board as my book boyfriend and wanted to chant his name to sleep. Yep, that’s how obsessed I was with his character and simply put, I just could not get enough of him. I love my heroes with a bit of a dark edge to them, a tinge of possessiveness and jealousy inside of them that makes certain scenes that arise from the predicament they find themselves in that much more delicious to read about. And Tessa Bailey provided me with just that!

Tessa Bailey is a completely new to me author. But her writing style is one that I felt completely at home with, the ease with which she drew me into the story one that is hard to find these days. There are so many books out there that I want to read but have such little time for; or maybe I have just grown a bit jaded with the usual story lines that seem to fill up the bookshelves. So to find a book amongst all of it which drew me in so effortlessly is one that is commendable at the highest level. One thing is for certain, Tessa Bailey has definitely earned herself a place in my auto-buy list.

The one thing that disappointed me was the lack of an epilogue which would have made the story complete in every sense. One thing I would like to mention is how much I loved Story and her best friend Hayden’s banter. Reminded me of the conversations that I have with my younger sister; outrageous, hilarious and of the laugh yourself to pain in your tummy muscles variety. I would love to read Hayden’s story, to find that man who would shake her world so thoroughly that she wouldn’t know how to be so prim, proper and obedient all the time. Oh well, I trust Tessa Bailey can do the magic and deliver one helluva of a read when the time comes.

If you love a dirty talking hero (and oh my lord, does he talk dirty) with enough action to back that all up, grab yourself a copy and indulge. Be warned, keep a glass of ice cubes, yes CUBES, at your side because trust me, the heat from the novel is of the searing and scorching kind and you wouldn’t ever feel the same afterwards.

Highly recommended.

Favorite Quotes

Story might as well have never been kissed before. All at once, she felt reckless. Wild. Free. Digging desperate hands into his hair, she pulled him closer, begging him to deepen the kiss further. Daniel obliged, sinking his tongue into her mouth with a growl.
As they parted for breath, his voice grated against her lips. “If you keep working that hot little tongue against mine, I’ll have no choice but to fuck you.”

“Say please, baby.”
“Please,” she moaned.
Then he tugged on the thong and her mind went blank, oblivious to everything but the pleasure coursing through her. She shook against him as her orgasm battered its way through her system, prolonged by the calculated tugging of material between her legs. His mouth latched onto hers, absorbing her cries, groaning at her wild response.

He bit her ear hard, pulling it with his teeth. It should have hurt, but instead it felt like an attack on every erogenous zone in her body. Her knees buckled underneath her, but his weight kept her upright.
Daniel laughed darkly, palming her roughly once before removing his hand from between her legs and yanking her dress back down. “Who am I kidding? When I finally get inside you, I’m going to fuck you until your voice is hoarse from screaming my name.”

Then he spoke directly against her ear. “Are you ready to scream, gorgeous?”
With a single thrust of his hips, he buried himself deep inside her. She screamed his name, her hoarse cry mingling with Daniel’s shouted expletive. He didn’t stop to savor the moment, however, his hips angling upward and pounding into her in a demanding rhythm, sliding against her exactly where she needed it.

Outside their car, three doors slammed, an engine started, and the van pulled away.
Story screamed his name as the orgasm rippled through her, light exploding behind her eyes. Half of what she said was drowned out by Daniel’s own hoarse cries of release as he plunged into her one final time and let himself go.

Daniel wore all black, from his dress shirt down to his buffed shoes. Somehow he managed to look fresh from the shower and a little dirty at the same time, a day’s worth of scruff covering his jaw. When he started toward her at the bar, he moved with such sensual purpose that Story saw a woman begin fanning herself at the bar. He looked hungry. He looked determined. And he was there for her.

Biting her lip to keep from screaming again, she used what limited movement she had to meet his advances with her hips.
“Daniel. Daniel, please.” She fought the delicious tingling as it built once more, even as she reached for it in desperation. With a throaty cry, she turned and sank her teeth into his bicep.
“Fuck yeah. Bite me, gorgeous. Mark up my whole body. I want everyone to know who I belong to. Who I get hard for. Just you, Story. Just you.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Honeymoon Baby by Susan Napier

Format: E-bookhoneymoonbaby
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Do Not Disturb, #2
Publisher: Harlequin
Hero: Raphael Jordan
Heroine: Jennifer
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: October 1998
Started On: May 7, 2013
Finished On: May 8, 2013

For the lack of something to do to distract my mind on the long plane ride I found myself on, I started reading Honeymoon Baby by Susan Napier knowing that she would deliver a read worth delving into as the two previous books that I have read from her had proved to be stellar reads. True to my conviction, I found myself totally enamoured by the story that unfolded and for the first time in a long while, I found myself being seduced by a hero to such an extent that I found myself daydreaming about him!

Jennifer Jordan (Jenny) seems to be your average proverbial spinster who in your mind you label as someone who would end up old and whither away in the small town of New Zealand where she lives until the too sexy for words Raphael Jordan (Rafe) comes bulldozing his way into her life, wanting to claim the baby that Jenny is carrying, all righteous indignation and smouldering fury evident in every line of his body.

Jenny finds herself in a trap of her own making when Rafe is determined to stay and confirm for himself that Jenny is woman enough to take care of his son or daughter in a fashion that he would be satisfied with. The awareness that had always zinged to life when Jenny and Rafe had crossed paths in the past seems to blaze out of control as both of them discover the depth and reasons behind the frisson of awareness that had always existed between them.

Susan Napier is an author who writes and brings sensuality of the scorching hot kind so effortlessly into her stories. Its the way she creates her heroes and the heroines who are strong enough to love them that makes her books topnotch in that aspect. Rafe is such a delicious hero in every single way that I could wax lyrical poetry about him all day long. I wouldn’t mind it at all if he were to turn up on my doorstep and lure me onto the path of inevitable destruction itself; yep, he is that good.

Its not just Rafe’s good looks alone that appealed to me at a baser level. It is his character that came to life as Susan delved deeper into a story that rocked my world in every sense possible. Jenny might seem like a ‘nobody’ when you first encounter her in the story. But Susan has a few surprises in store for the reader regarding her ‘mousy’ heroine who is anything but that, who rocks Rafe’s world in a way that leaves them both reeling from the aftershocks of every explosion in the wake of their desire for each other. Rafe and Jenny are exactly two halves of one soul, each complementing the other on a scale that made me feel envious.

Its a testament to an author’s ability in writing a romance when the hero and heroine appear perfect for each other and even then makes a small part of you wish and dream for a man like Rafe to come sweep you off your feet; even to an ’embittered’ and ‘jaded’ soul like mine. Honeymoon Baby was just what I needed to kickstart the journey and I’m certainly going to go through Susan’s backlist to find what other delectable heroes that I have missed out on.

If you want to read a Harlequin romance with plenty of heat and a story that doesn’t offer you every single cliche you’ve heard of and manages to grab a laugh or two out of you while you are at it, find yourself a copy of Honeymoon Baby. I promise you, Rafe is a force to be reckoned with.

Favorite Quotes

She tipped up her face to protest and, shockingly, her mouth met his. His lips were firm and resilient, his tongue limber as it slipped moistly past the guard of her teeth and stroked her silky interior. Shock turned to violent craving and she moaned, her mouth opening to receive him. His head tilted, his mouth slanting to deepen the kiss, deepen the penetration of his tongue into her willing depths. He broke off and bit at her lips, licking and sucking at the juicy pink flesh, his hands twisting in the loops of her belt, dragging her closer into the hot, wet embrace of mouths.

She found she was trembling as he looked down over her shoulder at what he had uncovered. She heard him suck in his breath at the sight of her firm creamy breasts straining against the watery silk, their faint tracery of blue veins guiding the way down to her barely concealed nipples.
‘Sexy, he growled, fingering the pure silk hem where it lay against her hip “, but otherwise touching her with only his eyes as he lifted the robe from her shoulders and let it fall in a hush to the floor, leaving her exposed to his reflected view.

She glanced at Rafe, to find him locked in his own world, his head tipped back and his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling as if he’d been running, his arms hanging tense at his sides, the curled fingers of one hand glistening with a faint slick of moisture that it made her blush to see it. He looked as if he was praying to some pagan god, and out in the darkness a molten fire burst accompanied by another crackle of silver brilliance seemed to be his answer.

But no sooner had the pleasure begun to slam into her than he was rising to his feet again, pulling her hips further forward onto the very edge of the desk, ripping open her blouse to expose her transparent bra and tipping her flat on her back as he hooked his arms under her bent knees and mounted her in a single thrust.

We can’t…’ she moaned as he tugged at the back of her jeans and her bare bottom scraped against the matted fibres of bark. She arched against him, and with a grunt of satisfaction Rafe wrenched open the fly of his jeans and guided his thick shaft into the narrow gap between her constricted thighs, pushing himself up inside her until he felt her shudder and accept his full length in a slippery rush.
‘God, I needed this…I can’t ever get enough of you,’ he gritted […]

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Desire in the Sun by Karen Robards

Format: Paperbackdesireinthesun
Read with: NA
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Harper Collins
Hero: Jocelyn San Pietro
Heroine: Delilah Remy
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: December 26, 2006
Started On: April 15, 2012
Finished On: May 5, 2013

Desire in the Sun by Karen Robards is a book that has been sitting in my TBR pile since I bought a paperback copy of it when I was in Malaysia in 2009. I have been putting off reading this for one reason or the other and almost one year after I started reading, I actually managed to finish the story and loved it too!

Delilah Remy (Lilah) is the much pampered and only child of her very rich father who has ensured that she led a very privileged life growing up. Though Lilah dreams of being swept off her feet by some mysterious man who would turn up and make her heart beat faster and make her go all dewy eyed in remembrance, Lilah is of the mind that such things do not happen in real life. That is until Jocelyn San Pietro (Joss) happens into her life who shows her a glimpse of how wonderful it could be and everything goes so horribly awry afterwards.

One minute Joss is his own boss, the commander of his own life who has a feeling that meeting Lilah has changed his life in an inexplicable way and that life would never be the same for him ever again. The next, he faces ultimate betrayal and finds himself taken as a slave, his fierce pride and the anger that flares to life at the injustice nothing short of violent in its desire to be unleashed on those who caused the misfortune to befall on him.

Though it seems unlikely that Lilah and Joss would ever find a way to make things work for them, fate seems to have a different plan in store as they find themselves thrown together time and yet again. When stranded on an island with no one else to act as a buffer to the smouldering passion that is almost always a tangible part of the connection they have with each other, its inevitable that the dam burst open and the passion held on a tight leash find free rein in its abandoned glory.

The trials and tribulations that Joss and Lilah go through in their journey to finally be able to love each other freely and on their own terms was an amazing journey, every minute of which I loved. I loved both Lilah and Joss. I found Joss to be a refreshingly different hero from Jonathan, the hero from Island Flame and Sea Fire who turned out to be the material out of which ass-hole heroes are made of. Joss has this sweetness about him even though he is all alpha when it matters. Lilah seems to be the perfect fit for him and even though there were some gruesome bits to the story, there were those moments of hilarity that occurs between Joss and Lilah that gives the reader no choice but to laugh out loud.

All in all a very enjoyable historical romance by one of my favourite authors in the romance genre, recommended for fans of the genre and fans of Karen Robards.

Favorite Quotes

Lilah gasped as she felt the fiery heat probing against her. Then he was inside the first little bit and his hands on her hips were tugging her down, down until he filled her and she was squirming against the hugeness of him.”Love me,” he muttered again, the words thick. His eyes were glazed, his face flushed with passion.

Lilah cried out as his hands closed over them.
As if that small sound had snapped something inside of him, he groaned and pulled her down to him so that he could take her breasts in his mouth. He suckled with savage hunger, his hands hard and hot on the silken roundness of her bottom as he held her still above him and ground himself upwards into her.

She clasped her arms around his back and lifted her hips to meet him as he thrust wildly inside her.
At last, when he had brought her trembling to the brink and then pushed her over, she got what she wanted. As he convulsed inside her and groaned the words in her ear: “I love you, I love you, I love you.”
Over and over, like a litany.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N

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by mvbookreviewer

Blog Tour & Guest Post: Straddling The Edge by Julie Prestsater

Guest Post: Craziest Thing Your Characters Do For Love

This is a hard topic to discuss without giving any major details away, but the heroes and heroines in each book are fairly goofy and some a lot crazier than others. They will have you saying, “What the …” often and belly laughing over their shenanigans.

But let me try and keep it simple.

The craziest thing my characters do for love …

Hmm … zipline? Move 900 miles? Wear a giant tiger mascot suit and dance around in front of a thousand people?

In Straddling The Edge, Summer and Dean go ziplining. There are six lines total that they must conquer. Some longer, some steeper, and some faster than others. One of the characters is a little apprehensive about taking the first leap. But love will definitely do crazy things to you.

I love my husband, but I’m not sure I could zipline for him. Doing the research for this book and watching the tour videos for this experience was making me nauseous. I’m a big wimp and would have probably chickened out.

I just don’t think I could do it.

How about you?

Book Blurb

straddlingtheedge

Summer McGallian … the scandalous home wrecker from Against the Wall and Between The Sheets. The one who stole her co-worker’s fiancé, the other woman, the one people whisper about and stay away from. Only for Summer, things aren’t always as they appear and she knows that better than anyone. She hasn’t been herself since she was in high school, when life was less complicated and relationships weren’t about making compromises to land the guy. When her heart is broken, there’s only one thing left for her to do … prove she isn’t who everyone thinks she is. And maybe, just maybe, she can get back to being comfortable in her own skin again, without input from a man. But when she encounters Sexy Guy, Dean Michaels, everything Summer has ever known about the opposite sex is about to change.

Dean Michaels knew he’d seen her somewhere before. What he never imagined was that the gorgeous woman in a baseball cap and hooded sweatshirt tossing back a beer in his favorite spot could be Summer McGallian—the woman who always looked like she’d stepped off the pages of a glamour magazine when he’d seen her from afar at work. And to make matters worse, she’s Chase Marino’s ex, the one guy who gets under his skin like no other. If the thought of being someone’s bitch in jail wasn’t enough to scare him, he would’ve strangled that bastard years ago and tossed the body in the Mojave Desert. But forget about Chase … Dean knew from the moment he saw Summer’s sexy smile and heard her cute laugh, she had to be his. And he won’t let anything get in the way of that.

The Against The Wall series isn’t just about steamy sex scenes and swoon-worthy romance, but about new friendships, undying love, and a ton of laughter. Enjoy the ride as you get to know and love Summer and Dean, just as you did Shelly and Matt, and Melissa and Tyler, in the final book, Straddling The Edge.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

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Tour Schedule

4/25/13
Hesperia Loves Books
Read Your Writes Book Reviews

4/26/13
Reality Bites! Let’s Get Lost!!
Lori’s Book Blog

4/29/13
Love N. Books
The Review Wire
Readers Confession

4/30/13
Swoon Worth Books
Tattooed Book Review
Blackraven’s Erotic Cafe

5/1/13
Heart Breaking Reviews
My Life Beyond Labels

5/2/13
Cocktails and Books
Manic Readers Guest Author Blog
Sapphire Kande

5/3/13
My Secret Romance
Seductive Musings
Blackraven’s Reviews

5/6/13
Scorching Book Reviews
Under the Covers Book Blog

5/7/13
Three Chicks and Their Books
AJ’s Reading Nook

5/8/13
MBR’s Realm of Romance
Melinda Doizer Contemporary Romance Author

5/9/13
Sarah Aisling
SnifferWalk Books

5/10/13
Book Bitches Blog
Harlie’s Books

5/13/13
The Muse Unleashed
For The Love of Reading

5/14/13
Romancing the Book
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews/

by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Wife in Name Only by Hayson Manning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final Verdict: Sinfully good!

Favorite Quotes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Her Moonlit Gamble by Emma Jay

Format: E-bookhermoonlitgamble
Read with: Kobo for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Series: Bridesmaids in Paradise
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Andrew Norris
Heroine: Joslyn Alexander
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: October 10, 2012
Started On: April 23, 2013
Finished On: April 29, 2013

Its always a delight to come across books by your favorite authors that you have somehow missed out on. And that’s exactly how I felt when I came across Her Moonlit Gamble by Emma Jay, one of my favorite erotic romance authors whose delectable books in the Bridesmaids in Paradise series I have not yet missed out on.

Joslyn Alexander and Andrew Norris are best friends. Joslyn is a trauma nurse and Andrew ex-military, having been honorably discharged from service after ten years. Andrew agrees to be Joslyn’s date at the wedding because for Andrew a trip to Hawaii sounds like the perfect opportunity to unwind. For Joslyn who has Andrew placed in her friend zone, attending the wedding with him by her side is going to be nothing but fun and lighthearted enjoyment at best.

But what Joslyn doesn’t factor into the trip is just how easily the sun, sand and the sea can work its magic and lure her into seeing those qualities about her best friend that she has always forced herself not to look at too closely, and just how easy it is for her to succumb to the light of desire that flares up in Andrew’s eyes. But it is Joslyn’s fear that she might lose the most precious person in her life if complications were to sour their relationship that holds her back until she is ready to make the ultimate sacrifice of giving all of her to the man she loves.

I loved Her Moonlit Gamble just like every other novella in the Bridesmaids in Paradise series that I have read and adored. Its hard not to love characters who are down-to-earth, honest and real in the sense that they are easy to fall for. Joslyn even with her hangups about losing her best friend seems unable to walk away just like that and when she does make the biggest blunder of all, she practically moves heaven and earth to make things right with the man she knows is the perfect fit for her.

I have read a lot of stories featuring ex-military heroes just like any other avid fan of romance reading must have. What makes Andrew different from the rest of the heroes is the fact that he seems to be pretty well adjusted to what he must have gone through touring Afghanistan and that was certainly a refreshing change. Maybe his coping mechanism lies within the thrill of adventure that he continually seeks with his partner Joslyn by his side. Either way, I found the fact that Andrew was the character in the story with lightweight baggage to be one of the reasons that I fell for the story.

Emma Jay has a knack for writing stories of short lengths. And the one thing that she does well is always bring enough emotions to the story to make it work for a novel of this length. Just the right touch here and there to make things go down like a cool glass of water with a tinge of lime in the mix on a hot sweltering day. I loved the fact that the beginning of the story was focused in bringing the characters to life, i.e. to let them explore the new sensations that came to life between them and to let them get adjusted to becoming something more after being friends for so long. I loved the heat that exploded onto the pages right afterwards and oh dear lordy, you’ve got to read the scene on the balcony if nothing else that practically explodes on the balcony if nothing else. Emma Jay certainly lets the two make up for lost time and there wasn’t one bit of me that wasn’t revved up right along with them.

Hot, smooth & intense; just the right touch for a novella.

Recommended!

Favorite Quotes

She lifted her hand and licked the liquid from the side of her hand. Andrew made a sound, his gaze on her breasts. The next thing she knew, she was flat on her back in the sand, and he was over her, braced on his arms, the muscles in his shoulders bunching as he stared down at her as if he was trying to figure out who she was. Then he angled his head and covered her mouth with his.
When they stepped through the door, he turned to her, his hand sliding behind her waist, pulling her close. He didn’t kiss her right away, just looked into her eyes, giving her a chance to back away. Though she quivered with nerves, she stood her ground, and he bent his head to kiss her.
Not at all what she expected. Instead of hunger, there was reverence. Instead of desire, there was tenderness. His thumb brushed her cheek as his lips molded hers, as his tongue traced her mouth, tapping against the tip of her own before retreating.

And then he was, lifting her hips in his hands, thrusting into her in short, eager strokes, the wet sound of their joining bouncing off the walls of the balcony, off the balcony above, but Joslyn didn’t care. She met his strokes with eager thrusts of her own, curved her hands around her own breasts, rolling her nipples between her fingers.
Andrew choked and stilled, deep inside her, just to watch her. “Sweetheart. Jesus.”

She tightened her legs around him, holding him flush against her as she came, and came, and came, rolling against his hips, pleasure bursting in pulses that made her whole body jolt. Only vaguely was she aware of his need to move, and she loosened her grip enough for him to plow into her, hard, sending the table scooting across the concrete in loud screeches until it bumped up against the edge of the balcony and he stopped, balls deep, his orgasm pouring through him and into her.
He didn’t leave her body, but scooped her up in his arms and held her against his chest for a long kiss, before he walked with her, still joined, into the bedroom.

Once he’d snugged the condom on, he gripped her hips, pulling her forward, over him. She went willingly, centering over him, and he guided himself to her opening. She hovered over him for a long moment, until he thought he’d have to beg, but then she took him in, deep, in one slick movement, driving a cry from him. She was so tight, so wet, so fucking gorgeous as she loomed over him, her hair wild, her breasts swaying, her hands braced on his chest.

 

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

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