Read more books... write more reviews!
Well, maybe not read more books- I don't think I could fit anymore in!
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Monday, August 11, 2014
I'm Back... Again
So the time I have to commit to posting my book reviews to this page seems to fluctuate. I'm going to try to start up again!
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Season of Seduction
by Jeffe Kennedy, Christine d'Abo, Elise Logan, Emily Ryan-Davis, Jodie Griffin
SEASON OF SEDUCTION is a collection of four, hot and spicy, holiday-themed short stories.
Five Golden Rings follows a new couple through their 12 days of Christmas in Mexico. Neither of them enters into the relationship thinking it will last beyond their Christmas holiday. But after a few steamy nights together neither can deny their strong attraction to the other and they both realize saying goodbye might be harder than they planned.
Naughty Nicks was a fun story about an employee at a stripping Santa agency that is attracted to her older, jaded boss. She works hard to deny her attraction because she knows her boss’ divorce left him uninterested in relationships- until now!
Menage on 34th Street is at the same time heartwarming and heartbreaking. A married couple with an open relationship would like nothing more than to bring their best friend from childhood into their warm embrace. The friend, just returning to town for the first time since his best friends got married, doesn’t understand how there can be enough love and openness to make this type of relationship successful.
Matzoh and Mistletoe is a sweet story about a Dom who desperately wants to start a new relationship with a woman he has pined after for years and is just now single. The problem is that this woman has just gotten out of an abusive relationship and being asked to sub may be more than she can handle. Trust has to be slowly built and then this relationship might stand a chance.
I enjoyed every single one of these stories. While they were all themed around the Christmas season, they were all so original. It is a pleasant surprise when an editor can gather stories from a diverse group of authors with a wide range of plots and have the collection be enjoyable from start to finish. Usually when I read anthologies I end up feeling that some of the stories were great while others were quite lacking- not the case with this collection. There were some strong emotions worked into these holiday stories- from a woman with an abusive ex-husband exploring the world of D/s to three friends trying to define their own sexualities and the dynamics of their shared relationship. These stories were all fun and heartwarming- a perfect read to warm you up on a cold winter night!
SEASON OF SEDUCTION is a collection of four, hot and spicy, holiday-themed short stories.
Five Golden Rings follows a new couple through their 12 days of Christmas in Mexico. Neither of them enters into the relationship thinking it will last beyond their Christmas holiday. But after a few steamy nights together neither can deny their strong attraction to the other and they both realize saying goodbye might be harder than they planned.
Naughty Nicks was a fun story about an employee at a stripping Santa agency that is attracted to her older, jaded boss. She works hard to deny her attraction because she knows her boss’ divorce left him uninterested in relationships- until now!
Menage on 34th Street is at the same time heartwarming and heartbreaking. A married couple with an open relationship would like nothing more than to bring their best friend from childhood into their warm embrace. The friend, just returning to town for the first time since his best friends got married, doesn’t understand how there can be enough love and openness to make this type of relationship successful.
Matzoh and Mistletoe is a sweet story about a Dom who desperately wants to start a new relationship with a woman he has pined after for years and is just now single. The problem is that this woman has just gotten out of an abusive relationship and being asked to sub may be more than she can handle. Trust has to be slowly built and then this relationship might stand a chance.
I enjoyed every single one of these stories. While they were all themed around the Christmas season, they were all so original. It is a pleasant surprise when an editor can gather stories from a diverse group of authors with a wide range of plots and have the collection be enjoyable from start to finish. Usually when I read anthologies I end up feeling that some of the stories were great while others were quite lacking- not the case with this collection. There were some strong emotions worked into these holiday stories- from a woman with an abusive ex-husband exploring the world of D/s to three friends trying to define their own sexualities and the dynamics of their shared relationship. These stories were all fun and heartwarming- a perfect read to warm you up on a cold winter night!
The 30 Day Sub
by Alaska Angelini
THE 30 DAY SUB is an emotional story about finding love in an impossible situation and deciding whether to follow the rules or follow your heart.
Torrance has a reputation as an amazing trainer of new subs. While he is happy to use his skills to help out, he has decided he would like something more permanent. He finds himself in a difficult situation when a friend asks him to take a new sub, Cate, under his wings for 30 days to train her for her new Dom. Torrance is immediately drawn to Cate on an emotional level he's never experienced before. He tries to keep his distance because he knows at the end of the 30 days he has to give Cate up to her new master. However, when her master starts sending lists of training demands that Torrance finds ridiculous, he has a hard time keeping his emotions in check.
While Cate is drawn to Torrance, she is determined to not mess up in her new role as a sub and she is committed to making her new master happy. When her new master arrives to get her at the end of her training, she is torn between staying with the man she has fallen for or going with the man she was promised to.
This story was great. The emotional struggles of both characters trying to decide how they truly feel, how the other feels, and what rules they should follow kept me captivated. Of course I was rooting for Torrance and Cate's happily ever after, but I could see why it was important to both of them to stick to the original plan of Cate just being Torrance's trainee for 30 days.
The author did a great job of working in delicate emotional issues like domestic violence and body image issues. All of these things factored into and had an impact on this relationship.
This story was fun, steamy, and at times very emotional. I enjoyed it very much.
THE 30 DAY SUB is an emotional story about finding love in an impossible situation and deciding whether to follow the rules or follow your heart.
Torrance has a reputation as an amazing trainer of new subs. While he is happy to use his skills to help out, he has decided he would like something more permanent. He finds himself in a difficult situation when a friend asks him to take a new sub, Cate, under his wings for 30 days to train her for her new Dom. Torrance is immediately drawn to Cate on an emotional level he's never experienced before. He tries to keep his distance because he knows at the end of the 30 days he has to give Cate up to her new master. However, when her master starts sending lists of training demands that Torrance finds ridiculous, he has a hard time keeping his emotions in check.
While Cate is drawn to Torrance, she is determined to not mess up in her new role as a sub and she is committed to making her new master happy. When her new master arrives to get her at the end of her training, she is torn between staying with the man she has fallen for or going with the man she was promised to.
This story was great. The emotional struggles of both characters trying to decide how they truly feel, how the other feels, and what rules they should follow kept me captivated. Of course I was rooting for Torrance and Cate's happily ever after, but I could see why it was important to both of them to stick to the original plan of Cate just being Torrance's trainee for 30 days.
The author did a great job of working in delicate emotional issues like domestic violence and body image issues. All of these things factored into and had an impact on this relationship.
This story was fun, steamy, and at times very emotional. I enjoyed it very much.
More Than Everything
by Cardeno C.
MORE THAN EVERYTHING is a sexy, heartbreaking, romantic and fun story told through scrapbooking, of all things.
Charlie decides to start a scrapbook of his life and, in doing so, shares the stories that got him to where he is currently. The scrapbook starts from Charlie's teenage years with his first love, Scott. Their relationship grows and develops and, as most teenage romances do, falls apart.
A little later in life, Charlie is lucky enough to get a second chance at love with Adan. Their relationship is more mature but not as pure and simple as Charlie's relationship with Scott. This second relationship, sadly, is also doomed and fated to end. Charlie considers himself lucky that he had two chances at love in his life, but is also a tad bitter that both chances came at such a young age for him.
Years later, when Charlie discovers that Scott and Adan have found their way to each other and are in a committed relationship, he is crushed. What he doesn't realize is that neither Scott nor Adan has ever stopped loving him and they have a plan for their relationship.
The perspective of this story was unique, but sometimes distracting for me. There is a steady jump back and forth between real time and the past, and the narrator changes between the three main characters in the past scenes. Other than that, I found this story completely and utterly enjoyable. It had a lot of elements that make stories enjoyable for me--strong but flawed characters, deep emotions, non-traditional relationships, and lots and lots of love.
There are some interesting and challenging family dynamics that play a large part in defining who these three men are as adults. Charlie, Scott and Adan all take unique journeys that lead them to a strong, though unexpected, endpoint. I enjoyed the characters and the story immensely.
MORE THAN EVERYTHING is a sexy, heartbreaking, romantic and fun story told through scrapbooking, of all things.
Charlie decides to start a scrapbook of his life and, in doing so, shares the stories that got him to where he is currently. The scrapbook starts from Charlie's teenage years with his first love, Scott. Their relationship grows and develops and, as most teenage romances do, falls apart.
A little later in life, Charlie is lucky enough to get a second chance at love with Adan. Their relationship is more mature but not as pure and simple as Charlie's relationship with Scott. This second relationship, sadly, is also doomed and fated to end. Charlie considers himself lucky that he had two chances at love in his life, but is also a tad bitter that both chances came at such a young age for him.
Years later, when Charlie discovers that Scott and Adan have found their way to each other and are in a committed relationship, he is crushed. What he doesn't realize is that neither Scott nor Adan has ever stopped loving him and they have a plan for their relationship.
The perspective of this story was unique, but sometimes distracting for me. There is a steady jump back and forth between real time and the past, and the narrator changes between the three main characters in the past scenes. Other than that, I found this story completely and utterly enjoyable. It had a lot of elements that make stories enjoyable for me--strong but flawed characters, deep emotions, non-traditional relationships, and lots and lots of love.
There are some interesting and challenging family dynamics that play a large part in defining who these three men are as adults. Charlie, Scott and Adan all take unique journeys that lead them to a strong, though unexpected, endpoint. I enjoyed the characters and the story immensely.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Stoned
by Shelley Munro
STONED is a story of being stuck, literally, having feelings for someone who is unaware and does not reciprocate.
Best friends and chariot racers Marc and Tarquin are competitive on the race course and in the bedroom. They often share in their posts, race conquests which works out fine for Marc who secretly craves any shared contact with Tarquin. While they can share women, Marc is afraid he will lose his best friend if he tells Tarquin he would rather just have him in the bedroom.
When Tarquin arranges for them to share a particular beautiful woman, he does not realize that the woman's husband is a powerful sorcerer. When the sorcerer catches his wife with the friends, he curses them and turns them into stone statues. The two spend centuries as statues that can only communicate with one another and only get 24 hours each year to be free of their curse. They spend their free time researching their curse and trying to figure out how to break it, but it appears hopeless.
This story was sweet and definitely unique. The author did a great job putting a new spin on the classic "being in love with your best friend" story. I enjoyed the fact that while one character was fairly clear about his feelings, the other one had to take some time to figure out what he was feeling and what he wanted. The friendship is expressed very genuinely as is the hurt experienced by Marc when he realizes he has to live his own life.
I thought the progression of the relationship was well written, especially with so few pages to write it in. This was a very fun story to read.
STONED is a story of being stuck, literally, having feelings for someone who is unaware and does not reciprocate.
Best friends and chariot racers Marc and Tarquin are competitive on the race course and in the bedroom. They often share in their posts, race conquests which works out fine for Marc who secretly craves any shared contact with Tarquin. While they can share women, Marc is afraid he will lose his best friend if he tells Tarquin he would rather just have him in the bedroom.
When Tarquin arranges for them to share a particular beautiful woman, he does not realize that the woman's husband is a powerful sorcerer. When the sorcerer catches his wife with the friends, he curses them and turns them into stone statues. The two spend centuries as statues that can only communicate with one another and only get 24 hours each year to be free of their curse. They spend their free time researching their curse and trying to figure out how to break it, but it appears hopeless.
This story was sweet and definitely unique. The author did a great job putting a new spin on the classic "being in love with your best friend" story. I enjoyed the fact that while one character was fairly clear about his feelings, the other one had to take some time to figure out what he was feeling and what he wanted. The friendship is expressed very genuinely as is the hurt experienced by Marc when he realizes he has to live his own life.
I thought the progression of the relationship was well written, especially with so few pages to write it in. This was a very fun story to read.
Needing You
by Calist Fox
NEEDING YOU is a great example of the power love can have when someone is trying to heal from their past.
Silver Monroe is a world renowned movie star who uses experiences from her own tortured past to beautifully portray characters that are troubled and full of angst. Kolby Marx is a champion surfer who spends his spare time meditating in the sun and finding peace and balance with the ocean. The two are polar opposites and yet they find themselves drawn to one another.
Four years after their first, brief introduction to each other, Silver and Kolby find themselves together again--on a movie set. Silver's best friend and movie producer, Jimmy, has invited them both to play small parts in an erotic film he is making. When Silver's co-star, who also happens to be her abusive ex-boyfriend, is late to the set, Jimmy asks Kolby to fill in. The sparks fly wildly and Silver and Kolby can't deny their attraction to one another. But Silver has only dated two guys and both were self-centered and abusive; Kolby is sweet and fun-loving and Silver is worried he will be ruined if she allows him into her secret-filled, dark life. It won't be easy for these two super stars with very different lives, schedules, pasts, and personalities to make a lasting connection.
I absolutely adored this book. The emotions were sincere and the author did a fantastic job of making me empathize with both Silver and Kolby. The way the characters were able to use their past experiences to help each other find balance was perfect. One of the best parts about this story, in my opinion, is the slow build. Silver and Kolby don't quickly progress from meeting, falling in love, and then living happily ever after. There are events in Silver's past that have left her emotionally scared and her only coping mechanism thus far has been avoidance. Kolby doesn't step in and heal Silver and immediately make her whole again. Instead, his patience, love and guidance help Silver discover the path she needs to take to heal herself. Ms Fox did a great job writing the whole healing process.
The only part that I felt was a bit forced and rushed was the repair of Kolby's struggling relationship with his dad. Other than that, I felt the characters were expressive and their ranging emotions were wonderfully written. Both the lust and the love between Silver and Kolby were evident and built on each other perfectly. Great story.
NEEDING YOU is a great example of the power love can have when someone is trying to heal from their past.
Silver Monroe is a world renowned movie star who uses experiences from her own tortured past to beautifully portray characters that are troubled and full of angst. Kolby Marx is a champion surfer who spends his spare time meditating in the sun and finding peace and balance with the ocean. The two are polar opposites and yet they find themselves drawn to one another.
Four years after their first, brief introduction to each other, Silver and Kolby find themselves together again--on a movie set. Silver's best friend and movie producer, Jimmy, has invited them both to play small parts in an erotic film he is making. When Silver's co-star, who also happens to be her abusive ex-boyfriend, is late to the set, Jimmy asks Kolby to fill in. The sparks fly wildly and Silver and Kolby can't deny their attraction to one another. But Silver has only dated two guys and both were self-centered and abusive; Kolby is sweet and fun-loving and Silver is worried he will be ruined if she allows him into her secret-filled, dark life. It won't be easy for these two super stars with very different lives, schedules, pasts, and personalities to make a lasting connection.
I absolutely adored this book. The emotions were sincere and the author did a fantastic job of making me empathize with both Silver and Kolby. The way the characters were able to use their past experiences to help each other find balance was perfect. One of the best parts about this story, in my opinion, is the slow build. Silver and Kolby don't quickly progress from meeting, falling in love, and then living happily ever after. There are events in Silver's past that have left her emotionally scared and her only coping mechanism thus far has been avoidance. Kolby doesn't step in and heal Silver and immediately make her whole again. Instead, his patience, love and guidance help Silver discover the path she needs to take to heal herself. Ms Fox did a great job writing the whole healing process.
The only part that I felt was a bit forced and rushed was the repair of Kolby's struggling relationship with his dad. Other than that, I felt the characters were expressive and their ranging emotions were wonderfully written. Both the lust and the love between Silver and Kolby were evident and built on each other perfectly. Great story.
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