Review: Kissed by Kim Knox

Title: Kissed
Author: Kim Knox
Source: Entangled Publishing
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Length: Novella
Release Date: February 3, 2014
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 2
Sexual - 4

Every princess should be kissed. And by a man who knows what he's doing. Beatricia had been enjoying just that with Farris Turner when she was caught.But running only drives her into the arms of a stranger. A man who wants to offer her one night together, to offer her the experience her life and duties in the city of Sun-Airor--a place set out of space and time--have denied her.It'll be her only chance before she's forced to enter a loveless marriage...but who exactly is her stranger? And what will kissing him reveal?

This one just didn't hit the spot for me.  While there were quite a few very hot scenes, there just wasn't enough storyline.  The story that was presented seemed to be an afterthought to the sex.  Because of this I just didn't sync with either character.  Beatricia is out for what seems to be a one night stand, but I never really understood why.

The ending was sweet, and it would have been nice if I had felt more about what was going on throughout the story.  If you're looking for more of an erotica book with a little extra backgrough though, this would be right up your alley.

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Review: Hollywood Blackmail by Jackie Ashenden

Title: Hollywood Blackmail (Seacliffe Medical #1)
Author: Jackie Ashenden
Source: Entangled - Indulgence
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: Novella
Release Date: January 13, 2014
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 2
Sexual - 3

Lizzie Kent needs to forget the past. She lives in total anonymity, immersing herself in
nursing to help her forget. But when a man from her previous life turns up in her clinic, the life she’s tried to create for herself may come toppling down.

Ash knows what he wants and he wants Lizzie, the girl who left him all those years ago. As Hollywood's greatest action superstar no one says no to him, but when Lizzie refuses to acknowledge their shared past, he has to resort to a little old fashioned blackmail.

Will Lizzie revisit her past to enable her future with the man she loves, or do old wounds run too deep?

This book just missed it a bit for me.  When Ash blackmails Lizzie to spend time with him, he became a not very nice guy in my book.  The fact that Lizzie went along with it was even worse.  She knew his plan would fail if she just spoke up about it.  The redeeming factor for both of them didn't happen until the very end - after they had their big fight and basically swore to never speak to each other again.  It was all just a little too dramatic for my taste.  Perhaps that's just what you get when you have a movie star as a main character.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

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Review: Marly's Choice by Lora Leigh

Title: Marly's Choice
Author: Lora Leigh
Souce: Self Purchased (Old Amazon Freebie)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: Novel
Release Date: December 2003
Reviewer: Jasmyn

Marly's love for Cade has spanned her teenage years, and survived strong and intact into womanhood.  Her fantasies and daydreams have sustained her, but she's no longer content with nerely imagining the touch of his hands, the taste of his kiss.  It's time to seduce the tough, sexy cowboy.  She's heard the rumors for years, the tales of his sexual preferences.  She's prepared herself to accept his desires.  Prepared her body for his touch.  But she wasn't prepared for the choice to come ... Cade's dark desires, his sexual excessed are based in the past.  In a time when pain, shame, and blood stains his very soul.  He carries a secret shared only with his brothers.  A secret that has scarred the bond, the ability to be a brother or accept the love of the men he was raised with.  He knows the only way to prove his loyalty, his love for those brothers and marly will be the key.  She has a choice.  She can surrender to Cade's needs, his sould deep desires, or she can walk away.  A choice only Marly can make.  A choice that will change her life forever.

Marly's choice has a great premise.  Marly has grown up with three brothers (older than she is), and as she grew up she developed a huge crush on the oldest, Cade, which later turned into a deep love.  The problem with this scenario, is that Cade still refers to her as his "niece" even though he is very very sexually attracted to her and is quickly falling in love as well.  While they aren't actually related, the references to the "family relationship" at the beginning kind of rubbed me the wrong way.  You can't try to think of someone you want to have sex with as your niece - it's just creepy.

After we get over that, we run into problems with the force Cade tends to use, and that he doesn't take no for an answer.  Not that he rapes her by any means, but one scene in particular comes a little too close for comfort.

On the other hand, the story behind the scenes was really really good.  Marly has a stalker and he will do anything to get his hands on her.  He is a constant presence in the background of the entire story and takes center stage a little more than half way through.  Watching the family rally behind Marly was great and really showed how much the loved her.

Review: The Gentle Wind's Caress by Anne Braer

Title: The Gentle Wind's Caress
Author: Anne Braer
Source: Self Purchased
Genre: Historical Romance - Tragic
Length: Novel
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Reviewer: Jasmyn

Halifax, 1876.  On the death of her mother and sister, Isabelle Gibson is left to fend for herself and her brother in a privately-run workhouse.  After the matron's son attempts to rape her, Isabelle decides to escape him and a life of drudgery by agreeing to marry a moorland farmer she has never met.  But this man, Farrell, is a drunkard and a bully in constant feud with his landlord, Ethan Harrington.  When Farrell bungles a robbery and deserts her, Isabelle and Ethan are thrown together as she struggles so save the farm.  Both are married and must hide their growing love.  But despite the secrecy, Isabelle draws strength from Ethan as faces from the past return to haunt her and a tragedy is set to strike that will change all of their lives forever.

If I had knows this was going to be a tragedy ahead of time, I would have judged this book very differently.  There is not a HEA in this book, I say that as a warning, not trying to give anything away.  The writing itself was very beautiful.  The character were very alive.  Isabelle was a little too determined to stay in a horrible situation instead of finding a way at times, but otherwise she was a true woman of her times - trying to make the best of what life had given her.

Ethan was a gallant gentleman, wanting to protect a woman from having a harder life than necessary.  He just happened to fall in love with her at the same time and it only made things harder for awhile.  Where there is a sad part of the ending, there is also hope and hint at a new life ahead.