by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: This Heart for Hire by Elysa Hendricks

Format: E-bookthisheartforhire
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher:Self-Published
Hero: Jacob Gallagher
Heroine: Christina Goodwin
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: October 12, 2011
Started On: December 11, 2011
Finished On: January 21, 2012

This Heart for Hire by Elysa Hendricks takes place in Texas in 1870 and brings together the tough gunslinger Jake Gallagher together with the innocent and convent reared Christina Goodwin amidst the violence and harsh beauty that was life in the wild west.

Christina is on the run for her life with her brother Christopher in tow when Christopher is killed at the hands of bandits who seemingly wants to have their way with her. Rescue comes in the form of Jake Gallagher who to Christina looks to be the lesser of the two evils. When Jake gets injured on the run and it is on Christina he depends on, it is on sheer guts alone that she survives the next couple of hours.

When Jake recovers from his injuries, he has no recollection of who he is or any memories of the past 2 years of his life. All that he knows for sure is that he would lay down his very life for his angel, the woman who draws him to her unlike any other. It is Christina’s gentle innocence and her natural curiosity when it comes to the desires of the flesh that keeps drawing Jake to her like a moth towards flame. And to Christina, Jake epitomizes everything that has been forbidden to her during her 12 years in the convent. And when love enters the equation, there is no stopping her from claiming Jake as hers, even with Jake doing all that he can to keep her at arm’s length.

This Heart for Hire is not a light fluffy read. Elysa Hendricks does a splendid job of bringing her characters to life and paints a vivid picture of the harsh realities of life in the wild west. But that doesn’t mean that this story is all filled with dark moments. Contrary to that, the story contains beautiful moments as well as moments taut with the sizzling sexual tension that flares up between Christina and Jake from the very beginning. And then comes the harrowing couple of last chapters where reality intrudes and Christina experiences the violent reality of bandits who towards the end have an agenda of their own when it comes to her.

Christina might be the gentle innocent in the story. But even then, she is a woman who has a depth of courage that we begin to see when push comes to shove, her determination to escape and take revenge on the men who so callously violates everything she has been taught till now the burning fire that keeps her going. Her need and love for Jake shines through when he is around, but the way he pushes her away, one time too many makes her stand up for herself.

Jake is tormented throughout the story by the lack of his memories which aren’t as forthcoming as he would like them to be. With a void in his past and the possibility that he might be a wanted man by the law makes him push Christina away time and yet again. Jake continues to deny his need and love for the woman who invaded his heart much earlier than he would care to remember until Christina is nearly snatched away from his life for good.

I loved how the story came together and brought along with it its fair share of surprises along the way. There were moments where I was like “Heck, I didn’t see that one coming”, which is always a good thing when you are reading any sort of book. And I loved how elements of both Jake and Christina’s pasts entwines them together, fating them to be the better halves of one another for the rest of their lives. The one thing that could have made this book that much better was the end to Christina’s attempts to reach her uncle which was unresolved even when the story ended. I would have loved a bit of a lengthier end to the story, maybe an epilogue at that, which could have shown the happily ever after that Jake and Christina fully deserves.

Recommended for fans of American Western historical romances. Elysa Hendricks spins a tale that is hard to put down.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Smashwords

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by mvbookreviewer

Requested Review: Color My Horse by Bev Pettersen

Format: E-bookcolormyhorse
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Westerhall
Hero: Mark Russell
Heroine: Jessica Boone
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: August 16, 2011
Started On: January 16, 2012
Finished On: January 19, 2012

I was a bit apprehensive diving into my second book by Bev Pettersen, not because she tells a bad story, hardly that. Jockeys and Jewels which was my first Bev Pettersen turned out to be a good read for me because there was a lot of horse jargon involved that detracted me a bit from enjoying the story that unfolded. But I was absolutely delighted to discover that true to Bev’s word, Color My Horse turned out to be one of those stories that was hard to put down because of the sheer number of emotions that coursed through me while I was reading the story.

Jessica Boone is the heiress to the Boone fortune. With a controlling grandfather who wants to map out her life the way he wants it, Jessica is a woman who is stuck in a hard place with no way out. With her skiing career a choice no longer available with a severe knee injury, Jessica grabs at the last straws to assert her independence. She bargains with her grandfather to allow her to give her the cash she needs to start her own dog kennel. But it does come with a price. Jessica has to work at the Belmont racetrack for a set period of time, living entirely on what she earns from her job, failing to do which she has to come work for her grandfather.

Enter 31 year old Mark Russel, who is a horse trainer, who runs a tight ship with his workers with his no nonsense attitude towards horse training as well as life in general. Mark has the fear that he might turn out to be just like his father; a man who thought with the wrong body part when it came to alluring females. And when Jessica’s grandfather coerces him into accepting Jessica on board, Mark doesn’t expect the rich heiress to last much longer than a day mucking stalls and scrubbing down horses which is a far removed life from that of a woman of the elite society.

However, Jessica surprises Mark and herself as well when her resolve to to regain her independence gives her the strength to persevere in spite of all odds being stacked against her. Jessica is a character who is so very full of life. She tends to spread vivid color everywhere she goes, spreads a kind of joy that intrudes and cracks the reserves around Mark’s emotions before he is even aware of it happening. Though Mark tells himself that it is only a heady sexual attraction and desire that he has towards his newest employee, feelings of the much deeper kind continues to develop as both of them indulge in an affair that leaves them both wanting more.

What makes Color My Horse such a fabulous book to read is the way Bev Pettersen brings the story to life. Her love for horses shines through marvelously and I couldn’t help but pout just a little bit because I live in a country where running into a horse is an impossibility. I loved how Bev paired off someone whose bright outlook on life lights up the life of a man for whom looking after the horses that he loves means everything. The thread of suspense that is woven throughout the story just served to be the icing on the cake and I loved every single minute of Jessica’s journey towards discovering all that she is capable of and in the process finding the love of her life.

With all the things that I loved about the story, there was just one teeny tiny thing that irked me for a bit. I couldn’t get over just how little Mark seemed to be affected by Jessica’s return towards the end of the book. I know that Mark is a man who is reserved in his display of emotions and the fact that he continues to carry on Jessica’s “traditions” when it comes to looking after horses does tell a lot about how he feels towards Jessica. But I would have loved the ending a bit more if Mark had been a bit more forthcoming about his feelings towards Jessica, and maybe while he was at it, if he had tried to reach out to Jessica a bit sooner. But in the end, I guess it all comes down to Mark’s character and the fact that he doesn’t stray far from how his character is portrayed throughout the story.

Recommended for those who love character driven romances, those who love stories where heroines who are full-of-life meets up with the reserved type of hero. And of course, for those who loves horses. You cannot find an author who practically grabs you with the way Bev brings the culture and life of horse training and racing to life like she does.

Favorite Quotes

Mark just stared as she spoke about plastic flowers in the winter, but he couldn’t focus on her words. He’d never realized he had such a possessive streak. Possessive with horses, sure, but not with women. Never with women. She was leaving in a week, was extremely high maintenance, not to mention Boone’s granddaughter. And he hated those gaudy purple braids.
But life would be so gray when she left. She didn’t just color his horse, she colored his world.
Unable to speak, he stepped forward, pulled her into his thumping chest and simply held her.

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

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by mvbookreviewer

Shameless Giveaway Hop!

So, I am über excited to be a part of a giveaway hop, for the very first time!

Thanks to Jen (Red Hot Books), Brie (Romance Around the Corner) & Michelle (Michelle’s Book Blog) for organizing this awesome event.

This giveaway is open internationally, so come on over and enter!

I am going to make this giveaway somewhat different. In this giveaway, you, the visitor gets to decide which book it is you want from me.

Conditions:

  • It can be an e-copy of the book or paperback which should be available on Book Depository. 
  • You should be in a country to which Book Depository offers shipping if you are requesting for a paperback version of a book. 
  • Each person can request for only ONE title.
  • And last of all, the price of the book you are requesting for should not be greater than US$ 10.00.

I will be drawing THREE winners randomly from those who enter the giveaway.

Giveaway will be open from 00:00 hours of January 20, 2012 till 00:00 hours of January 27, 2012 Maldivian time.

To enter the giveaway:

  • Leave a comment with the book that you want (it need not be a romance).
  • Tell me whether its an e-copy or the paperback version you are requesting for. 
  • And leave a valid e-mail address via which to contact you.
  • And last of all help spread the word about  the giveaway! 

You can always check out the rest of the bloggers/authors who are participating in the giveaway from the link given below. Hop on and enter to win more fabulous prizes!



by mvbookreviewer

Score Sheet Review: Finally Satisfied by Tori Scott

Format: E-bookfinallysatisfied
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Satisfaction, Book 3
Publisher:Self-Published
Hero: Mitchell Turner
Heroine: Angel Kensington
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: January 16, 2012
Started On: January 17, 2012
Finished On: January 17, 2012

CATEGORY SCORE GRADE
The hero 100 A
The heroine 100 A
Story line 100 A
Emotional Intensity 100 A
Story’s ability to suck me in 100 A
Heat & Sensuality  100 A
Conflicts within the story 100 A
Writing Style 95 A
Quotable Factor 50 C
The Ending 95 A
Overall Grade 94  A 

Score Sheet Summary

The 3rd and final book in the Satisfaction series in my opinion is by far, the best book in the series. All 3 of the books are novellas, so length-wise they might not mean much, but with this book, Tori Scott has certainly managed to deliver everything that makes a story memorable.

Angel Kensington is the elder sister of Cara, the heroine from the 1st book in the series. Angel is a woman who has undergone one of the most heart wrenching ordeals a woman may have to go through when she had to give up her baby for adoption. Ever since then, Angel has learnt to keep people at bay, to hide behind her passion that is photography all the while fighting panic attacks that has become almost part of her daily life.

Mitchell Turner is the one man who has the ability to make her feel, maybe a bit too much which is one reason she doesn’t desire to be in his company. And there is no helping the fact when Mitch turns out to be one of the best men in Cara’s wedding, a celebration Angel cannot miss out on, no matter how much she would like otherwise. One panic attack too many and Angel finds herself finally taking the plunge and seeing a psychologist who can help her turn her life around for the better.

For me, both Mitch and Angel were fantastic characters. They felt real and their emotions almost tangible throughout the story. Sweet and poignant as the ending was, I felt a bit cheated out on the way the epilogue seemed to be cut off a bit abruptly. Would have certainly made my day if the epilogue had been just a teeny tiny bit longer!

If you are going to straightaway jump into this book without having read the previous 2 titles, I would advice you not to because all 3 books are tied to one another. To get the full impact of ALL the characters in this series, I recommend the series be read in order.

Definitely recommended!

Favorite Quotes

When she looked up and smiled at him–a genuine, wide-open smile–it took his breath away. It lit up her face and those beautiful tawny eyes and made her more than just beautiful. Stunning. He’d never thought about the meaning of that word when it came to looks before, but at this moment he’d define it as feeling like he’d been hit with a two by four. Paralyzed but still breathing. Knocked on his ass, but still standing.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Smashwords

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by mvbookreviewer

Score Sheet Review: Hearts In Darkness by Laura Kaye

Format: E-bookheartsindarkness
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Short Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Hero: Caden Grayson
Heroine: Makenna James
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: April 20, 2011
Started On: January 16, 2012
Finished On: January 16, 2012

CATEGORY SCORE GRADE
The hero 100 A
The heroine 100 A
Story line 90 A
Emotional Intensity 90 A
Story’s ability to suck me in 100 A
Heat & Sensuality  100 A
Conflicts within the story 90 A
Writing Style 90 A
Quotable Factor 70 B
The ending 85 A
Overall Grade 91.5 A

Score Sheet Summary

Meet 28 year old Caden Grayson; pierced, tattooed, scarred and big and brawny with a buzz cut to complete the look. Intimidating right? But on the inside Caden is a total sweetie, considerate and quite vulnerable due to the horrific accident that had taken place when he was in his teens. A loner who doesn’t like socializing much, Caden had me putty in his hands right from the very beginning.

Quite by chance, 25 year old Makenna James whose bright, cheery and heartwarming nature shines through from the very beginning enters Caden’s life when they are stuck together in an elevator for hours. 

I loved this little gem of a read; the sweet, yet vulnerable and hot as sin tattooed hero just what I needed after my intense reading spree of the Fifty Shades series. Caden makes for quite a surprising hero who on the outside looks all tough and totally bad-ass but when you get to know him, he is such a “cuddly” sort of hero.

It was how without knowing much about each other, the way that Makenna and Caden forms a bond in the darkness, each drawn towards the other in a way that they have never felt before that got to me so much. Their attraction is scorching hot and I was in awe because Laura Kaye does such a remarkable job out of making their intense physical attraction towards each other believable and an emotionally satisfying one as well.

The one thing that irked me a bit was the rehashing of the scenes from the opposite character’s point of view when the same scene had already been played out from the other character’s perspective.

But nevertheless, I loved this red hot novella and would recommend it to anyone who loves a contemporary romance with that deeply satisfying emotional and physical connection between the hero and heroine right from the start. And of course, those ladies who love a tattooed hero; Caden is certainly different and yummylicious!

Favorite Quotes

Caden let out his own moan when her lips pressed against the skin in front of his ear. She exhaled roughly. The rush of her breath over his skin brought goose bumps to his neck.
He trailed soft kisses across her cheek until he found her lips.
And then he couldn’t go slow anymore.
And neither could she.

He crowded right up into her space, pressed his body against hers—trapping her against the glass of the door behind her, plunged his hands into her hair until he was cupping the nape of her neck, and devoured her lips with his.

His demanding tongue tasted so damn good, and his piercing bit deliciously against her lip from the aggressive way he pursued her over and over. His hands tugged and massaged at her hair and neck. He just surrounded her. The difference in their height made Caden lean down over her. The way he forced her head back commanded her to open up to him. With the metal handle of the door pressing into her back, she felt completely enveloped in him, in his ardor, his scent. The world dropped away. There was just Caden.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Wild Rose Press

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James

Format: E-bookfiftyshadesdarker
Read with: Adobe Reader for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Fifty Shades, Book 2
Publisher: The Writer’s Coffee Shop
Hero: Christian Grey
Heroine: Anastasia Rose Steele
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: September 15, 2011
Started On: January 14, 2012
Finished On: January 15, 2012

Fifty Shades Darker, book 2 in the Fifty Shades series begins right where book 1 ended. Fifty Shades of Grey ended on a bittersweet note, with Anastasia (Ana) walking out on Christian and their arrangement because she cannot accept the much darker needs that arises in Christian.

But the one thing that Ana doesn’t count on is just how much she misses Christian though their affair might have been a doomed one from the start. She doesn’t envisage that the calm, cool and always in control Christian might miss her on the same level, that her beautiful lover might be brought to his very knees because of her. And once again, Christian enters into her life, this time with an altogether different proposition, one that allows both Ana and Christian to find their way in the uncharted waters that is their relationship.

I absolutely loved the second installment of the Fifty Shades series. The first book found me a bit apprehensive about Christian’s character, but nevertheless I was drawn towards his tortured soul, one that is so tormented by his past that I was practically itching with my need to find more about him. And with the opening prologue itself, E.L. James delivered a glimpse into the darkness that had been Christian’s life as a child, a past that still continues to haunt him, a battle that he continues to fight in earnest to be someone worthy of Ana’s love.

Ana has her work cut out for her when it comes to Christian. With all her insecurities about not being enough for Christian, she has to take in stride the women from Christian’s past who makes their presence known and felt, some in more disturbing ways than others. But the one thing that rights true and constant throughout the story that unfolds is the love that grows exponentially between Ana and Christian, their need for one another a thing of beauty in my opinion.

Its sheer wonder to be part of the journey that Christian seems to be taking towards freedom; freedom from the shackles that seems to hold him back from embracing a life that is worthy of a man like him. He thinks so lowly of himself though Christian is the stuff heroes are made out of. Seen through Ana’s eyes, I cannot help but sigh and moon over him, the way he seduces and in turn gets seduced by the woman he loves something to savor through each and every well done encounter.

There were moments in the story when I thought that Christian and his lethal brand of seduction and the sexual tension that he creates merely by looking at Ana in a certain way would certainly be the death of me. But, oh dear God, how I loved each and every encounter that E.L. James creates and brings so vividly to life, nothing tacky or icky about any of the scenes; just pure sexual heat together with emotions of the more tender variety to make things that much more sigh worthy!

I am absolutely on tenterhooks now awaiting the arrival of the 19th of this month when the last and final book in the trilogy will be released, where my Fifty Shades would finally become free from the past that continues to haunt him. I am definitely rooting for a happily ever after that would rock me to my very soul when it comes to Ana and Christian.

Highly recommended for fans of the series and fans of tortured and tormented heroes.

Favorite Quotes

I gasp, and his mouth swoops down. He’s kissing me, violently. Briefly our teeth clash, then his tongue is in my mouth. 
Desire explodes like the Fourth of July throughout my body, and I’m kissing him back, matching his fervor, my hands knotting in his hair, pulling it, hard. He groans, a low sexy sound in the back of his throat that reverberates through me, and his hand moves down my body to the top of my thigh, his fingers digging into my flesh through the plum dress. 
I pour all the angst and heartbreak of the last few days into our kiss, binding him to me, and it hits me—in this moment of blinding passion—he’s doing the same, he feels the same.

“Cold?” Christian asks softly and bends to lick and suckle all the ice cream off me once more, his mouth hot compared to the cool of the ice. 
Oh my. It’s torture. As it starts to melt, the ice cream runs off me in rivulets on to the bed. His lips continue their slow torture, sucking hard, nuzzling, softly—Oh please!—I’m panting. 
“Want some?” And before I can confirm or deny his offer, his tongue is in my mouth, and it’s cold and skilled and tastes of Christian and vanilla. Delicious.

“This way,” he murmurs and abruptly is inside me once more, but he doesn’t start his usual punishing rhythm straight away. He leans over, releases my hands, and pulls me upright so I am practically sitting on him. His hands move up to my breasts, and he palms them both, tugging gently on my nipples. I groan, tossing my head back against his shoulder. He nuzzles my neck, biting down, as he flexes his hips, deliciously slowly, filling me again and again. 
“Do you know how much you mean to me?” he breathes against my ear. 
“No,” I gasp.
He smiles against my neck, and his fingers curl around my jaw and throat, holding me fast for a moment. “Yes, you do. I’m not going to let you go.” I groan as he picks up speed. “You are mine, Anastasia.” “Yes, yours,” I pant. “I take care of what’s mine,” he hisses and bites my ear.

“I want you, Anastasia,” he murmurs. “I love and I hate, and I love arguing with you. It’s very new. I need to know that we’re okay. It’s the only way I know how.” 
“My feelings for you haven’t changed,” I whisper. 
His proximity is overwhelming, exhilarating. The familiar pull is there, all my synapses goading me toward him, my inner goddess at her most libidinous. Staring at the patch of hair in the V of his shirt, I bite my lip, helpless, driven by desire—I want to taste him there. 
He’s so close, but he doesn’t touch me. His heat is warming my skin. 
“I’m not going to touch you until you say yes,” he says softly. “But right now, after a really shitty morning, I want to bury myself in you and just forget everything but us.”

“You love strapping me in, don’t you?” 
“In any form,” he says, a wicked grin playing on his lips. 
“You are a pervert.”
 “I know.” He raises his eyebrows and his grin broadens. 
“My pervert,” I whisper. 
“Yes, yours.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Writer’s Coffee Shop

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Format: E-bookfiftyshadesofgrey
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Fifty Shades, Book 1
Publisher: The Writer’s Coffee Shop
Hero: Christian Grey
Heroine: Anastasia Rose Steele
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: May 26, 2011
Started On: January 11, 2012
Finished On: January 13, 2012

Whenever there is too much buzz about a book, it is always worth checking out. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James is a book that landed in my pile of books to read because of that reason alone, time and yet to be bumped up again until I decided to take the plunge and see what the hype was all about.

27 year old Christian Grey is the CEO of Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. and a very private person at that. 21 year old Anastasia Rose Steele (Ana) is about to sit for her last college exams and as a favor to her best friend Katherine Kavanagh (Kate), Ana agrees to go to the interview Kate has lined up with Christian for the student paper in her stead. 

Ana is almost a total innocent when it comes to men, someone who would rather stand in the shadows than stand out. So it is a reluctant Ana at best that presents herself to the impressive, attractive and commanding force that is Christian Grey. Ana doesn’t know what hits her when she meets the swirling depths of grey that is Christian’s eyes, and in her perspective, the interview goes totally downhill from the moment she stumbles into Christian’s office.

When Christian turns up at the hardware store where Ana works part-time, Ana cannot believe in the fact that Christian is interested in her plain and shy self. And when Ana gets a glimpse into the darkness that swirls in the depths of Christian’s soul and the sort of relationship that he wants to indulge in with her, the naive and innocent woman deep inside of her wants to run screaming to the other end of the world. But her inner goddess that awakens at Christian’s merest touch and the fire that burns in his eyes whenever their eyes happen to meet has Ana agreeing to be part of one of the strangest forms of courting I have come across in a novel so far.

Rather than taking place through a period of time, E.L. James takes the reader across the first couple of crucial weeks that makes up the beginning of the relationship that is between the misfits that are Christian and Ana. Combining elements of BDSM with the already scorching hot sex that is part of the relationship that Christian and Ana embarks upon, E.L. James tells a mesmerizing tale that is hard to put down, that compels you to keep on reading, a story that makes you want to be a part of the journey that Christian and Ana takes towards their happily ever after.

First of all, everyone who knows me and my reading tastes know that I am not much of a fan of either BDSM or books written in the first person. But in spite of all that, the fact that this story worked for me amazingly well is the reason why I am elbow deep in the 2nd book of the series even as I write my review. There is just something about the characters, the setting, the off-the-charts kinky and scorching hot sex together with the deeper and darker emotions that makes up the story that I just cannot turn myself away from.

Christian’s character is a mesmerizing one. I loved and wanted to slap him upside down in equal amounts and that was reason enough for me to continue reading. The fact that I had to gauge his reactions towards Ana, his developing feelings towards the woman who confuses, astounds and arouses him in a way he has never been before, through Ana’s point of view alone was frustrating and exhilarating at the same time. Christian is literally a closed book when it comes to his past, his emotions and his vulnerability when it comes to Ana. But the one thing he cannot deny is his need for Ana that grows exponentially through each of their encounters to the point he is practically obsessed with her.

Christian’s approach to what he wants from Ana was one I had a hard time taking in. Maybe because BDSM is a concept that is hard for me to take in because for me a satisfying relationship between two partners is one where they are equal in the giving, receiving and sharings. But when it comes to one partner being dominant over the other to the point that the submissive can only even look at the dominant with his/her permission; needless to say my skin practically itches from the need to just shake it all away. But somehow, the elements of BDSM in the relationship between Ana and Christian didn’t reach that scale because by nature, Ana is not the submissive that Christian thinks her to be. She challenges him in the bedroom and out of it, and though she might be willing to go beyond the boundaries that is uncomfortable for her, her inner self doesn’t allow herself to just practically mould herself into what Christian wants and needs from her with no questions asked.

Ana is a woman who has landed herself with a man who has issues with a capital I. The fact that Christian never allows her to touch him as she wants to and because he has such a vast amount of experience when it comes to carnal desires and because he is richer than one man alone should ever be makes her think that she is not worthy of a man like Christian whose mesmerizing good looks alone means he could have any woman he wants. But the fact that Christian drives home through the entire story is that from all the women in the world, Ana is the woman he wants by his side because when it comes to being vulnerable in the relationship that develops between them, Ana is not the only one.

I am so glad that the final book in this trilogy would be out on the 19th of this month because I don’t think I would have the patience to wait around much after finishing up the 2nd book. 

For those who think that this book might not work for you because of the BDSM elements in the story, I suggest you give this a try because a lot of people like myself have read and enjoyed this book a whole lot more than they would have ever thought. Because the way E.L. James brings Christian to life through Ana’s eyes is one that continues to bewitch me, I am going to say adios for now and continue with my reading.

Highly recommended for fans of contemporary romances, especially for those who would like to try something different, just to step outside your comfort zone in the world of romance you so much love and indulge in.

Favorite Quotes

His head turns fractionally toward me, his eyes darkest slate. I bite my lip.
“Oh, fuck the paperwork,” he growls. He lunges at me, pushing me against the wall of the elevator. Before I know it, he’s got both of my hands in one of his in a vice-like grip above my head, and he’s pinning me to the wall using his hips. Holy shit. His other hand grabs my ponytail and yanks down, bringing my face up, and his lips are on mine. It’s only just not painful. I moan into his mouth, giving his tongue an opening. He takes full advantage, his tongue expertly exploring my mouth. I have never been kissed like this.

[Ana] “You’re a sadist?”
“I’m a Dominant.” His eyes are a scorching gray, intense.
“What does that mean?” I whisper.
“It means I want you to willingly surrender yourself to me, in all things.”
I frown at him as I try to assimilate this idea.
“Why would I do that?”
“To please me,” he whispers as he cocks his head to one side, and I see a ghost of a smile.
Please him! He wants me to please him! I think my mouth drops open. Please Christian Grey. And I realize, in that moment, that yes, that’s exactly what I want to do. I want him to be damned delighted with me. It’s a revelation.

“Why don’t you like to be touched” Ana whispered, staring up into soft grey eyes. 
“Because I’m fifty shades of fucked-up, Anastasia” 

He grabs me suddenly and yanks me up against him, one hand at my back holding me to him and the other fisting in my hair. 
“You’re one challenging woman,” He kisses me, forcing my lips apart with his tongue, taking no prisoners. 
“It’s taking all my self-control not to fuck you on the hood of this car, just to show you that you’re mine, and if I want to buy you a fucking car, I’ll buy you a fucking car,” he growls.

This is a man in need. His fear is naked and obvious, but he’s lost. . . Somewhere in his darkness. 
His eyes wide and bleak and tortured. I can soothe him. Join him briefly in the darkness and bring him into the light. 

He’s naked except for those soft ripped jeans, top button casually undone. Jeez, he looks so freaking hot. My subconscious is frantically fanning herself, and my inner goddess is swaying and writhing to some primal carnal rhythm. 

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Writer’s Coffee Shop

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by mvbookreviewer

Score Sheet Review: Reckless Night by Lisa Marie Rice

Format: E-bookrecklessnight.JPG
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Dangerous, 3.5
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Hero: Viktor “Drake” Drakovich
Heroine: Grace
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: November 29, 2011
Started On: January 12, 2012
Finished On: January 12, 2012

CATEGORY SCORE GRADE
The hero 100 A
The heroine 100 A
Story line 90 A
Emotional Intensity 90 A
Story’s ability to suck me in 100 A
Heat & Sensuality  100 A
Conflicts within the story 90 A
Writing Style 100 A
Quotable Factor 60 B
The Ending 90 A
Overall Grade 92 A

Score Sheet Summary

For me, Drake is one of those heroes that I would never ever forget. Lisa Marie Rice has a way of spinning a tale that takes you on this beautiful journey which you never ever want to end. And the Dangerous is a series that is one of her best in my opinion. Dangerous Passion is the 3rd and final book published in the Dangerous series and now we have a beautiful little novella that takes place a bit earlier than the epilogue in the actual story.

Drake is not your typical hero and if you want to know why, I suggest you read the book because giving away who and what he is would just be spoiling things for you. And if you already like myself are a rabid fan of the series, you would need no further nudging from me to remember who Drake is.

Drake and Grace’s novella too is focused on their happily ever after, bringing to light the changes that have taken place for both of them in their life together. Their love for each other is an all encompassing one and a beautiful one at that, and at times a scorching hot one too!

Lisa Marie Rice has done well in penning these novellas because if one isn’t already a fan of the series, she definitely wets the reader’s appetite to learn more. And for a fan like myself, I can’t help but want to re-read the entire series and will continue to wonder when my beloved Nick Ireland would get his own little novella to cast me off into my dream world with him along for the ride.

Favorite Quotes

She would never tell him and was ashamed to admit it, even to herself, but she’d fallen in love with him the instant she’d seen him. She’d been taken at gunpoint to the alleyway outside a gallery showing her paintings and had seen a powerful man, not tall but immensely broad. He was facing three armed thugs and he hadn’t looked frightened at all.
He’d looked dangerous.
And she’d fallen.

They had a fabulous sex life. Drake was an attentive, tender lover who took his time in pleasing her. But every once in a while something in him changed and she caught a glimpse of the truly dangerous man he really was. She hadn’t tamed him, not one bit. He just chose to show her a tender side he said he’d only discovered with her.
But sometimes the tiger in him growled and clawed its way to the surface. And then the sex was incandescent.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

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by mvbookreviewer

Score Sheet Review: Hot Secrets by Lisa Marie Rice

Format: E-bookhotsecrets
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novella
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Dangerous, 1.5
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Hero: Jack Prescott
Heroine: Caroline Prescott
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: January 3, 2012
Started On: January 12, 2012
Finished On: January 12, 2012

CATEGORY SCORE GRADE
The hero 100 A
The heroine 100 A
Story line 90 A
Emotional Intensity 100 A
Story’s ability to suck me in 100 A
Heat & Sensuality 100 A
Conflicts within the story 90 A
Writing Style 100 A
Quotable Factor 60 B
The ending 80 A
Overall Grade 92 A

Score Sheet Summary

The Dangerous series by Lisa Marie Rice is one my utmost favorite erotic romantic suspense of the contemporary variety. Hot Secrets is a short, sweet and red-hot novella that takes place right after the very first book of the series, i.e. Dangerous Lover.

Taking place a year into Jack’s marriage to Caroline Prescott, the one woman whom he had never ever forgotten even through the long, hard and tough journey that had brought him back to her doorstep; through Hot Secrets Lisa Marie Rice allows us fans a much wanted glimpse into their happily ever after.

Jack might be besotted to the point of going crazy when it comes to his gentle and beautiful wife, but the one thing that he doesn’t let up on is his need to keep her safe, which is one reason why I fall so hopelessly in love with heroes created by Lisa Marie Rice.

Jack Prescott is alpha to the T, protective to the max and oozes a ton of sexuality just by merely existing in the story. Needless to say, I enjoyed every single minute of this little story which just drove home the point that I miss the beauty that is always a part of Lisa Marie Rice books.

For those who have never read a book from the Dangerous series, this is your place to start because if you are like me, you would be rushing out to buy the entire series before the day is through!

Favorite Quotes

She stepped closer to him, closer still, until her breasts touched his jacket, watching his eyes all the time. “My darling Jack.” She lifted herself up on tiptoe and awkwardly kissed the side of his mouth. “I’m yours. You know that.”
His control broke. His hands fisted in her hair and he kissed her hard, almost savagely. He knew he was bruising her mouth but he couldn’t stop himself. It was as if her mouth were giving him life. He would stay alive as long as he was kissing her.

He couldn’t wait—not one second more—and entered her with one long hard thrust. He was so careful with her, always, but this time he couldn’t be careful, couldn’t be gentle; he needed to possess her the way he needed to breathe.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Elizabeth’s Wolf by Lora Leigh

Format: E-bookelizabethswolf.jpg
Read with: iBooks for iPad
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Series: Breeds, Book 3
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Hero: Dash Sinclair
Heroine: Elizabeth Colder
Sensuality: 4.5
Date of Publication: June 30, 2004
Started On: January 7, 2012
Finished On: January 11, 2012

So, I went and did the one thing I swore I would never do again. Somehow, Elizabeth’s Wolf by Lora Leigh ended up tempting me into peeking into her world of romance once again, something I swore to myself I would never ever do because most of the books I have picked up by Lora Leigh seems not to have worked for me that well. But, with all the glowing reviews from my fellow Goodreads friends for this title prodding me along the way, I ended up picking this up, hoping that this would be worth my time.

Dash Sinclair is a loner, a military man who has served in the Special Forces, who loses 7 members of his team during his last mission and barely makes it out alive himself. He is pretty much about to give up on living, lying on a hospital bed with a lot of severe injuries when his salvation comes in the form of a letter written by the 8 year old Cassie, whose way with the words just tugs at his heartstrings. Suddenly Dash has a mission for which he would fight for with his very life; to protect the beautiful Cassie and her mother Elizabeth Colder whom he already considers as his, whose cries for help from the danger that surrounds her and her daughter makes him a doubly lethal soldier on his mission.

Elizabeth is barely surviving being on the run with her daughter Cassie from the men who refuse to stop hunting after them. Running from one place to the next is taking its toll on mother and daughter until through the blizzard walks in the larger than life Dash Sinclair whom Elizabeth has a hard time trusting. Nevertheless, with Dash by their side, Elizabeth starts feeling safe for the first time in 2 years and for the first time ever, Elizabeth starts feeling pinpricks of desire stab into her very soul with the barely reined in desire that flashes in Dash’s eyes.

Filled with lots of scorching sex, some of which I skipped over I admit, lies the continuing story of the Breeds of which I have never read a book so far. Dash was born out of genetic experimentation, his reclusive and aloof nature owing to his difficult past. With Elizabeth he finds himself in uncharted waters, the very presence of her scent capable of driving him nuts to the point of being obsessed about her. Dash somehow reminded me of my favorite Lisa Marie Rice heroes to an extent because of his protective instincts that flare to life when he claims Elizabeth and Cassie as his own.

Elizabeth is a mother who would do anything to keep her daughter safe. When the truth about Cassie does come to light, needless to say Elizabeth is shocked within an inch of her life, but to her Cassie is her daughter, the child she would fight with every fiber of her being in her attempts to keep her safe. She doesn’t expect anyone to help her without an ulterior motive of their own, but in Dash she finds her partner, the man who would die rather than see any harm befall on either of them. The heat and passion between them that drives her crazy seems to have the same effect on the man who makes her senses simmer, and their explosive passion cements a deal that Dash knows right from the start is an inevitable one.

Overall, I enjoyed Elizabeth’s Wolf more than any other story I have read from hers to-date except for her title Maverick which I read and enjoyed immensely. But alas, there were still those things that continued to bug me, those little things that kept hindering my enjoyment in the story. For one thing there was this bit with the word “vagina” that kept appearing over and over again. For me, that word is not enticing neither erotic. Maybe that’s just me. And then there was this “knotting” syndrome that happens when Elizabeth and Dash mate, and I couldn’t help but cover my parts a bit in a flare of panic. 

Even with all those things that irked me, I did manage to keep reading, enjoying those moments that were taut with the sexual tension that fairly sizzles across the pages. Recommended for fans of Lora Leigh and fans of the Breed series!

Favorite Quotes

He was tall, one of the tallest men she had ever seen. Dressed in jeans, boots and a cotton shirt. Thick black hair grew rakishly long, falling over the collar of his shirt. Intense brown eyes, almost the color of amber, surveyed the diner slowly before coming back to her. Electricity sizzled in the air then, as though invisible currents connected them, forcing her to recognize him on a primitive level. Not that she wouldn’t take notice anyway. He was power, strength, and so incredibly male that her breath caught at the sight of him.

His lips covered hers as he laid the gauze on her leg. Fiery pain shot through her flesh as his lips swallowed her cry, then replaced it with such amazing sensation she wanted to whimper in return. He licked her lips. He didn’t steal her kiss. He didn’t take it. He cajoled it from her. 

Yes, Elizabeth.” Dash kept his voice low, but let it rumble with his arousal. “I lived for you and Cassie. But while I fought to live I dreamed, and it was this I dreamed of.”

His lips covered hers swiftly, his tongue taking advantage of her gasp and sweeping in commandingly. He had asked for the caress earlier that morning, now he demanded. He conquered, he licked and stroked her tongue and gloried in her instant, if hesitant, response. She was shy. Wary. She wouldn’t give in to the heat pulsing between them easily. But she was curious enough about it to allow the kiss. 

Her eyes opened then. They were drowsy, slumberous, staring up at him with a hunger that was impossible to miss.
“I felt you,” she whispered, a smile tilting her moist lips. “Watching me. Should I feel you watching me?”
Was she asleep or awake?
“Of course.” He found the growl building in his throat. “Every time I look at you, baby, I touch you.”

She cried out into his kiss, her hands clawing his shoulders, adrift now in a pleasure that threatened to consume her. In her sexual lifetime she had never known anything like it. Had never tasted such a dark kiss, one that warned her he had no intention of making allowances for sensual inexperience. He was hungry. Needy. And she was the meal he craved.

She shuddered, convulsing beneath the whiplash of his tongue as the world dissolved around her.
“Now.” He moved before the last violent pulses stilled.
He came over her body, catching his weight on his elbows, staring down at her with savage intensity as the bulbous head of his c#ck nudged against the sensitive opening of her pussy.
“Now,” he whispered again. “I make you my woman, Elizabeth. Now.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Ellora’s Cave

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