The Hunter (Victorian Rebels #2) by Kerrigan Byrne - Review

Title: The Hunter (Victorian Rebels #2)

Author: Kerrigan Byrne
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 432 pages
Publisher: St Martin’s Paperbacks
Release Date: February 2, 2016
Source: Library
Rating: 4
Heat Rating: 3
Reviewed by: Artemis

They're rebels, scoundrels, and blackguards—dark, dashing men on the wrong side of the law. But for the proper Victorian-era ladies who love them, a hint of danger only makes their hearts beat faster...

A scandalous proposal.

As one of London't most elite hunters, Christopher Argent never misses his mark and always gets his man. But when his latest target turns out to be a woman—the popular, and stunningly beautiful, actress Millie LeCour—it turns his whole world upside-down. Overwhelmed by the heat that simmers between them, Christopher can't complete his mission. On the contrary, he'll do anything to save Millie's life—even if it means risking his own...

A dangerous passion...

When she learns what Christopher was hired to do, Millie is torn between the fear in her heart and the fire in her soul. Putting herself in this dangerous man's arms may be her only path to safety—but giving in to her desire may be the deadliest mistake she's ever made. With both of their lives in jeopardy, Millie and Christopher must learn to trust the real feelings they're hiding—to find the true love they're looking for...

The blurb for THE HUNTER does not do this book justice.  Not even close.  The passion and ferocity of Millie and Argent sizzles on the pages.

This can be read as a stand-alone. However, having the background of the first novel, THE HIGHWAYMAN, will add to your enjoyment of the story (and you will be glad you did!). I really enjoyed the developing relationship between Argent and Dorian Blackwell: Two badasses brought low with the love of resolute women.

When someone you care about turns, runs, and walks away from you after you've fucked made love - not once, twice, but three times… That's a sure sign to cut your losses and move on. But I get it. Millie wants to "free" Argent. She knows there's a part of the loving, caring, and kind boy behind the hard, frozen, "unfeeling" exterior of the assassin. Millie is the true Hero of this story.

And speaking of – boy.  Millie's son, Jakub, plays a pivotal role in the story. He’s a brave little man trying to fill big shoes.  Needless to say, he stole my heart too.

I suppose when your adversary is a dissecting necrophiliac, then having an anti-hero, Assassin Hero isn't so bad after all.

 RUN FOR YOUR LIFE

You better run for your life if you can, little girl

Hide your head in the sand little girl

Catch you with another man

That's the end'a little girl

Lennon and McCartney, Songwriters

Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE by THE BEATLES

Album: Rubber Soul, 1965

Victorian Rebels
The Highway Man (#2)

The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne ~ Review

Title: The Highwayman (Victorian Rebels #1)
Author: Kerrigan Byrne
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 384 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Source: Library
Rating: 5
Heat Rating: 3
Reviewed by: Artemis

They’re rebels, scoundrels, and blackguards—dark, dashing men on the wrong side of the law. But for the women who love them, a hint of danger only makes the heart beat faster…

STEALING BEAUTY
Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, is a ruthless villain. Scarred and hard-hearted, Dorian is one of London’s wealthiest, most influential men who will stop at nothing to wreak vengeance on those who’ve wronged him…and will fight to the death to seize what he wants. The lovely, still innocent widow Farah Leigh Mackenzie is no exception—and soon Dorian whisks the beautiful lass away to his sanctuary in the wild Highlands…

COURTING DESIRE
But Farah is no one’s puppet. She possesses a powerful secret—one that threatens her very life. When being held captive by Dorian proves to be the only way to keep Farah safe from those who would see her dead, Dorian makes Farah a scandalous proposition: marry him for protection in exchange for using her secret to help him exact revenge on his enemies. But what the Blackheart of Ben More never could have imagined is that Farah has terms of her own, igniting a tempestuous desire that consumes them both. Could it be that the woman he captured is the only one who can touch the black heart he’d long thought dead?

Kerrigan Byrne is a new author for me. I decided to give it a try based on a review or two I read, and yes, the awesomeness of the Jon Paul cover. I am so glad I took the chance. One of the best books I have read this year!

I enjoy reading a "modern" heroine, the widow, Farah Leigh Mackenize. She is a strong, willful woman, who knows her mind. And isn't afraid of the likes of the Blackheart of Ben More. Dorian Blackwell survived his childhood and adolescence, becoming the man he is today: brutal, scarred, ice. Dorian finds with his Fairy redemption may be possible.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iBooks 

Without Restraint by Angela Knight - Review

Title:  Without Restraint (Southern Shields #1)

Author: Angela Knight

Source: Public Library

Genre: Erotic Romantic Suspense

Length: 336 pages

Publisher:  Berkley

Release Date: August 4, 2015

Reviewed by: Artemis

Rating –  5 Stars

Sexual –  5 Flames

The first novel in the explosive new Southern Shield series from New York Times bestselling author Angela Knight explores the intoxicating games between a female cop and a Navy SEAL—and the killer instincts of a secret enemy watching every move they make. 

Atlanta deputy Alexis Rogers and Navy SEAL Frank Murphy know all about power and restraint, necessary force, and pushing their limits. When they meet in the darkness of a BDSM club, their skills are put to use. With each successive night comes a new adrenaline rush, and while they’re falling into something perilously close to love, their games are still too private, too extreme, and too daring ever to be exposed.

But their intimate lives are upended when a fellow deputy of Alex’s is killed. It’s not a tragic hazard of the job. It’s cold-blooded murder. And he’s not the last to be taken out. Now Alex and Frank have found themselves more vulnerable than ever—and exposed to a killer with a twisted vendetta who turns desire into the most dangerous sensation of all.

WOW! What a ride! Ms. Knight delivers a suspenseful BDSM erotic romance with very powerful leading characters. This is not your usual "slap & tickle" erotic romance. Without Restraint offers the reader so much more than a billionaire with a hidden room. It opens with a wicked dungeon scene!

The romance is very erotic; not dark, but some may find it a bit harsh. Because of their employment and positions in the small southern community, all of the kinky couples/characters in this story need to keep their sexual activities hidden from prying eyes. Well damn, that didn't last long and mayhem ensues - makes for a damn good story too!

One (of the many) things I really liked about this book was the way Ms. Knight explained different BDSM terms, lifestyles, attitudes, etc., within the story without getting too technical or bogging it down. A reader new to erotic romance will appreciate the information; whereas, another may learn something new.

Oh wait, I was wrong. The other thing I really, REALLY liked: Someone used the safeword - RED 

Goodreads - Amazon - B&N - iBooks

The Bourbon Kings by J. R. Ward - Review

Title:  The Bourbon Kings (The Bourbon Kings #1)
Author: J. R. Ward

Source:  Borrowed from the Public Library

Genre: Fiction

Length: 420 pages

Publisher:  NAL

Release Date: July 28, 2015

Reviewed by: Artemis

Rating – 4 Stars

Heat – 3 Flames

For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege—as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet.

For Lizzie King, Easterly’s head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted—and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane’s beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the ironfisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets.

As family tensions—professional and intimately private—ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.

First the bad news:

--This is not a romance novel. It does not have a HEA - maybe a HFN.

--If you are expecting a BDB look-a-like wrapped in a contemporary setting, nope, not happening, not even close. The sex scenes are lame lacking, and the leading men are tame in comparison. 

Nevertheless, The Bourbon Kings is a damn good read! It kept me entertained and turning the pages. I felt the devilish J.R. Ewing on my shoulder the entire time. This is reminiscent of the shenanigans of the residents at the ranch at Southfork; only this time they are brewing bourbon in Kentucky.

Even though there are quite a few characters to weed though (all of that world building stuff), I didn't get lost trying to figure out who belonged where. Everyone has clear-cut personalities, and WOW - they are great getting to know. My favorite so far: Edward. His struggles give his character great strength to grow. My least favorite: Lizzie - bordering TSTL.

If you enjoyed the prime-time soap opera dramas of the 1970's, 80's, 90's; you are going to love this book. Ms. Ward alluded to a few of them, this is my favorite:

Heading off to the main road, she decided this had to be the result of her having contracted the flu and taken to her bed. Any moment she was going to wake up...
Really.
She was.

The Bourbon Kings has all of the elements for great television too. 

Yep, I'll be reading the next one!

Review: DARLING BEAST (Maiden Lane, #7) by Elizabeth Hoyt

Darling Beast, A Maiden Lane Series Novel
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
Source: My Personal Library
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: Novel
Release Date: October 14, 2014
Reviewed by: Artemis

Rating – 5 Stars
Sexual – 4 Stars

A MAN CONDEMNED . . .

Falsely accused of murder and mute from a near-fatal beating, Apollo Greaves, Viscount Kilbourne has escaped from Bedlam. With the Crown's soldiers at his heels, he finds refuge in the ruins of a pleasure garden, toiling as a simple gardener. But when a vivacious young woman moves in, he's quickly driven to distraction . . .

A DESPERATE WOMAN . . .

London's premier actress, Lily Stump, is down on her luck when she's forced to move into a scorched theatre with her maid and small son. But she and her tiny family aren't the only inhabitants—a silent, hulking beast of a man also calls the charred ruins home. Yet when she catches him reading her plays, Lily realizes there's more to this man than meets the eye.

OUT OF ASH, DESIRE FLARES

Though scorching passion draws them together, Apollo knows that Lily is keeping secrets. When his past catches up with him, he's forced to make a choice: his love for Lily . . . or the explosive truth that will set him free.

"Jealousy," he grated, pulling her close, pulling her into his arms, though she struggled to get away. "I would that it were something as easy, as simple, as mere jealousy," He bent and murmured against her mouth, his lips caressing her with each word. "This is far more awful than jealousy."

Ms. Hoyt has struck pay-dirt with this addition to her Maiden Lane series.

I'm not usually fond of young children and yappy dogs in my romance novels. However, it's young Indio who first discovers the monster living in the garden and reports back to his mother, Lily. I will admit, I was chuckling at his antics at the dinner table.

Lily makes the assumption that Caliban (a name given to him by Indio) is a simpleton, because he is mute, hired to work in the garden and befriends him. WHOA! Was she ever wrong.

Apollo Greaves - a huge, beastly, bulging man! Laboring as a common gardener - in truth: Viscount Kilbourne, part owner of the now destroyed pleasure garden, seeking to clear his name of a crime he didn't commit.

Not only is DARLING BEAST a very satisfying book from beginning to end, but we get a closer look at a very untidy, Asa "Harte" Makepeace. Along with another character, the Duke of Montgomery, who likes to collect people and information. I'm hoping we'll see his story before too long and the willful, strong woman who brings him to his knees!

One last note. Ms. Hoyt began each chapter with a teaser from The Minotaur which I enjoyed very much; my reading addiction began with Greek Mythology. If you would like to read further, I suggest starting with this:  THE KING MUST DIE. I read it many, many moons ago and just recently put it on my shelf. I need to revisit it once again.

Review: THE PAYMENT SERIES by Cassandra Carr

THE PAYMENT SERIES (Prized, Possessed, Purgatory)

Author - Cassandra Carr

Source:  Provided by the author for an honest review

Genre:  Erotica (Consensual Non Consent)

Length:  Written as a three part Serial

Reviewed by:  Cynthia (Artemis)

Rating - 2

Sexual - 5

Catrina Carter is in over her head. Way over her head. She’s in debt and, short of bankruptcy, which wouldn’t happen fast enough to pay the creditors nipping at her heels, Catrina has few choices. Eviction is coming any day, and even though she traded in her great car for a “more affordable” model, it's about to be repossessed too. Catrina goes to Debt Management Associates, or DMA, for help. The cost for DMA's help is something she never thought she could pay, but out of options, Catrina agrees to serve a man who pays her debt in full, and begins training in how to please him. Jared. Her new benefactor. He is tasked with helping Catrina get her life back on track, in addition to taking his pleasure with her and ordering her to oblige friends, colleagues, and even total strangers sexually on his whim.When Catrina leaves the DMA program after her one year term of service, will she be able to keep the lessons Jared literally spanked into her topmost in her mind, or will old habits rear their designer heads?

Individual blurbs:

Prized: The Payment series, part 1

After agreeing to a one-year term of service with a benefactor who can pay her debt, Catrina Carter begins training in how to please a man. But will a benefactor be willing to spend such an astronomical sum—one hundred and fifty thousand dollars—just to have her for a year? She’s about to find out.

Possessed: The Payment series, part 2

Jared, Catrina’s “benefactor”, has agreed to pay off her debt in exchange for one year of service to him. In addition to taking his own pleasure with her, Jared offers Catrina to friends, colleagues, and even total strangers on his whim. But it’s not all fun and pleasure for Jared. As part of the agreement, he’s tasked with helping Catrina get her life back on track. He’ll succeed even if he has to spank every piece of financial information into her, and he finds he just might have to do that.

Purgatory: The Payment series, part 3

Catrina has finished her year-long term of service to Jared, her benefactor, who paid all her debt off. Now she’s on her own again. Will she be able to keep the lessons Jared literally spanked into her topmost in her mind, or will old habits rear their designer heads.

Poor Catrina.  She's a silly girl who likes trendy clothes, a trendy car, lives in a trendy neighborhood, but doesn't have the income to support her spendthrift ways.  When her girlfriend tells her about DMA, she jumps at the chance to find a quick fix to her money problems.  Unfortunately, the featherbrained twit has no idea what she is getting herself into and would have been better off filing bankruptcy.  Instead to have her debt wiped clean, she signs a contract to serve as a sex slave for one year - no questions asked.  Tacked on to the year is the training she must endure before and the months of "follow-up" after her year of service is completed. 

At the auction, Jared antes up and pays off Catrina's debt (and then some; so she will have a "little extra" in the bank when her term of service is finished).  Jared takes his duties very seriously as Catrina's "benefactor" ensuring she is "regularly spanked as per program guidelines."  The majority of Catrina's learning and training was performed on her knees servicing and being available to Jared and others.

THE PAYMENT SERIES is hard-core erotica.  There are no fairytales here, lusty sex scenes or love.  The purpose of Catrina's service is because she "couldn't control her spending."  Some of what you will find are numerous spankings with various implements, gang bangs, anal sex, oral sex, ATM, humiliation, and a machine. At times, the scenes became repetitive and boring, and I didn't really think they served a purpose. Catrina's ass was "reddened" each and every day, often many times a day - it's a wonder she didn't have permanent physical damage.

Finally, Catrina's year of sexual servitude has cum to an end...she's free!  Jared did his utmost best teaching Catrina about finances and how to be financially responsible.  And now the DMA are kind enough to obtain new employment for her.   **Unfuckinbelievable**  That did it...they're all TSTL.

Review: IMPROPER PROPOSALS (Improper #3) by Juliana Ross

Title:  IMPROPER PROPOSALS (Improper #3)

Author:  Juliana Ross

Source:  NetGalley

Genre:  Historical Romance

Length:  Novella

Rating:  3

Sexual Rating:  4

Reviewed by:  Cynthia (Artemis)

Newly widowed, Caroline Boothroyd passes her days writing a guide for young wives daunted by their
housewifely duties. She takes it to publisher Thomas Cathcart-Ross, who makes the outrageous suggestion that Caroline should instead tackle the subject of marital relations—and, even more shocking, that she should tell women that sex with their husbands can be pleasurable and not a shameful necessity.

Tom's sisters were sent into marriage naive and unworldly. He's willing to risk scandal to help women like them, and Caroline's writing talent provides the means. Remembering her own newlywed nerves, she agrees, despite fears for her reputation.

As Caroline thinks back on her own sexual awakening, she cannot help imagining a sensual future with her compelling publisher. Tom makes her want to write a second chapter of her sexual life. But lust could lead to love, and Caroline never wishes to feel heartbreak again.

I picked this novella up because I was wanting to read a new author of erotic historical romance.  This one just didn't quite make it.  I would call it....hot, sexy historical romance.

The story is in the first person:  Caroline's tone is formal and dry, almost to the point of clinical.  Even though there were plenty of times when Caroline dwells on being a widow and her departed husband:  I didn't get the expected heartbreak the blurb alluded too. Caroline knows her place in the world and is contented to be alone and a widow.

Tom is the saving grace of IMPROPER PROPOSALS.  He is the one who leads Caroline on her sexual awakening by having her write a book concerning marital relations. Although the tone of the story doesn't change, the language and sexual encounters between the two of them start to heat things up.

IMPROPER PROPOSALS is part of a series, but can be read as a standalone without any problems.  I'm sure many of you will enjoy this story.  I found it didn't have enough emotion for me.

ARC Review: THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND (The Devil's Playthings #1) by Laura Oliva

THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND (The Devil's Playthings, #1)

Author :  LAURA OLIVA

Source:  ARC ebook provided by author for an honest review

Genre:  Serialized Romance

Length:  Novella

Reviewed by:  Artemis

Professional burlesque dancer Francesca "Frankie" Strong has learned the hard way: on San Francisco's cutthroat party circuit, crime has a way of going unnoticed. When her best friend is brutally attacked, she's determined not to let the case fall through the cracks, even if that means crawling through every alley and back room in San Francisco to find the truth.

Undercover cop Johnny Marsden is in desperate need of a win. His career on the rocks, he's infiltrated the infamous nightclub Cafe Outré, rumored front for San Francisco's Chinatown mafia. Johnny has never seen anything like the glitter-and-sin-encrusted world he's now a part of. He's certainly never met anyone like Frankie Strong.

Realizing they'll get farther together than on their own, Frankie and Johnny forge an uneasy partnership. Neither expects the heat that flares between them. Neither is ready for what it could mean. Together, they run down a trail that leads directly to Chinatown, and a faceless terror its residents refuse to name.

Frankie's only interest is in protecting her friend, and she's willing to make a deal with the devil to do it. But Johnny suspects the attack was part of something larger, something darker... and he's right.

RATING:  1 - Oh, no.  I didn't like it.
SEXUAL:  3 Flames

The story centers around Johnny, an undercover cop at Cafe Outre, and Frankie, a burlesque dancer. Frankie's BFF, Cookie, was jumped and beaten right outside of the club one night.  When the police fail to investigate the crime, Frankie takes matters into her own hands.  This gives Johnny the perfect opportunity to work along side of Frankie and investigate the Chinatown underground at the same time.

The Devil's Playground is a serialized romance.  It does not end with a HEA. Not even close to a HFN. I would say it closely resembles a work of gum-shoe serial fiction.

I have no idea when this takes place and this is very frustrating.  No one uses a cell phone, and Johnny drives a motorcycle.  Still, that doesn't give me a frame of reference.  Without knowing a time frame or era of some sort, it's very hard to place these characters.

When Frankie and Johnny meet, they call each other "Slim" and "Steve", respectively, in a verbal sparring.   Oh, great!  If you, Dear Reader, are not familiar with classic B&W films, you will have no earthly idea what this is about.  Not only that, these names are used interchangeably with the "real" ones through the entire story.  Talk about annoying.

At one point during their investigation, Frankie takes Johnny to a decaying part of town to talk to someone.  Once they get there, Frankie starts talking with this person in stanzas from classical literature.  However, this is suppose to be a romance book, not Classic Lit 101 where I'm interpreting Poe, Longfellow, Browning, or Nietzsche.  Yes, I did google a few of the lines out of curiosity.

Because sexual intercourse takes place in the story, according to BBR guidelines, I have to rate this book 3 Flames, Sex with Details, R Rating. Although, personally, I would give it 1 Flame All Show, No Heat.  I cannot say any more without giving HUGE spoilers.

Frankie and Johnny have skeletons in their closets.  It is brought up time and again.  It's the BIG reason Frankie isn't able to let herself get close to Johnny - her dark and terrible secrets.  There were plenty of references to the "past", but nothing concrete.  The tale ends the same way it began.

The Devil's Playground contains brief scenes of interracial f/f.

And, just in case if you were still wondering about SLIM AND STEVE.

Review: LOVER MINE by J.R Ward (BDB #8)

LOVER MINE (BDB #8)
Author:  J.R. Ward
Genre:  Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Length:  Novel
Source:  My Towering, Teetering TBRs
Reviewer:  Artemis

Rating:  4 - Really liked it.  Don't pass it up.
Sexual: 3 - Flames. Sexy hot with details.

John Matthew has come a long way since he was found living among humans, his vampire nature unknown to himself and to those around him. After he was taken in by the

Brotherhood, no one could guess what his true history was- or his true identity. Indeed, the fallen Brother Darius has returned, but with a different face and a very different destiny. As a vicious personal vendetta takes John into the heart of the war, he will need to call up on both who he is now and who he once was in order to face off against evil incarnate.

Xhex, a symphath assassin, has long steeled herself against the attraction between her and John Matthew. Having already lost one lover to madness, she will not allow the male of worth to fall prey to the darkness of her twisted life. When fate intervenes, however, the two discover that love, like destiny, is inevitable between soul mates.

LOVER MINE is considered by many to be the story of John Matthew and Xhex, but there are at least four plus story lines running simultaneously.  With so much action taking place is this even considered romance any longer or has this series morphed into UF along the way?  This is a very brief rundown of what you'll experience in this gem:

• John Matthew and Xhex.
• The continuing saga of Blay and Qhuinn with the added drama of Saxton and the Chosen, Layla.
• Payne continues her sparring with Wrath, finally makes her escape and makes a familial discovery.
• Lash, the Omega, and Lessers continue to wreck havoc on the Brotherhood, but it is the transformation of Lash that takes center stage here.
• A lost Brother is found.  I saw this one coming.  However, I look forward to reading more about this mystery Brother!
• What I thought was the best part:  Darius and Tohrment.  I really enjoyed how Ms. Ward told their story.  It cemented the whole Darius-Tohrment-John Matthew relationship.  BRAVO!

The sex is cooler and toned down in LOVER MINE than in the previous books. This time we're focused on relationships and righting past wrongs.

Even after taking a long interval from reading the last BDB novel, I fell right into step with this one - language and all.  I'm grateful the Glossary is in the front of the book.  However, due to the complex nature of the BDB world, I believe LOVER MINE cannot be read as a stand alone novel.

Hump Day Humor - SUMBICH!

SUMBICH!

A filthy rich Florida man decided that he wanted to throw a party and invited all of his buddies and neighbors.

He also invited Leroy, the only Redneck in the neighborhood.

He held the party around the pool in the backyard of his mansion.

Leroy was having a good time drinking, dancing, eating shrimp, oysters and BBQ and flirting with all the women.

At the height of the party, the host said, 'I have a 10 foot man-eating gator in my pool, and I'll give a million dollars to anyone who has the nerve to jump in.'

The words were barely out of his mouth when there was a loud splash. Everyone turned around and saw Leroy in the pool!

Review: AN AFFAIR WITH MR. KENNEDY by Jillian Stone

AN AFFAIR WITH MR. KENNEDY (The Gentlemen of Scotland Yard #1)

Author:  JILLIAN STONE

Source:  My Personal Stash

Genre:  Historical Romance

Length: Novel, Mass Market Paperback

Reviewed by:  Artemis

London, 1887. Part stoic gentleman, part fearless Scotland Yard man, Zeno "Zak" Kennedy is an enigma of the first order. For years, the memory of a deadly bombing at King's Cross has haunted the brilliant Scotland Yard detective. His investigation has zeroed in on a ring of aristocratic rebels whose bloody campaign for Irish revolution is terrorizing the city. When he discovers one of the treacherous lords is acquainted with his free-spirited new tenant, Cassandra St. Cloud, his inquiry pulled him unexpectedly close to the hear of the conspiracy -- and into the arms of a most intriguing lady. 

Cassie is no Victorian prude. An impressionist painter with very modern ideas about life and love, she is eager for a romantic escapade that is daring and discreet. She sets her sights on her dour but handsome landlord, but after she learns their meeting was not purely accidental, she hardly has a chance to forgive her lover before their passionate affair catapults them both into a perilous adventure.

Hump Day Humor - Bad, Bad, Kitty - NSFW

Bad, Bad Kitty

A sadist, a masochist, a murderer, a necrophile, a zoophile, and a pyromaniac are all sitting on a bench in a mental institution.

"Let's have sex with a cat?" asked the zoophile.

"Let's have sex with the cat and then torture it," says the sadist.

"Let's have sex with the cat, torture it and then kill it," shouted the murderer.

"Let's have sex with the cat, torture it, kill it and then have sex with it again," said the necrophile.

"Let's have sex with the cat, torture it, kill it, have sex with it again and then burn it," said the pyromaniac.

There was silence, and then the masochist said: "Meow."

Review: DARK GROVE PLANTATION (Dark Grove Plantation #1-3) by Julia Sykes

DARK GROVE PLANTATION (Dark Grove Plantation #1-3)
Author: JULIA SYKES
Source:  My Personal Stash
Genre:  Erotic Romance
Length:  Short Story Anthology
Reviewer:  Artemis

All three Dark Grove Plantation short stories - Awakened, Taken, and Broken - available in one collection! Three women fulfill their lusts and find love at Dark Grove Plantation, an opulent BDSM club located on the South Carolina coast. Follow the journeys of innocent submissive Holly, conflicted Domme Ella, and emotionally damaged Gwen as each woman finds that what she wants isn't necessarily what she needs. It just takes the right sexy Dominant to show her that.

Hump Day Humor: HUSBAND WANTED

HUSBAND WANTED

A lonely woman, aged 70, decided that it was time to get married. She put an ad in the local paper that read:

HUSBAND WANTED!

MUST BE IN MY AGE GROUP (70's),

MUST NOT BEAT ME,

MUST NOT RUN AROUND ON ME,

AND MUST STILL BE GOOD IN BED!

ALL APPLICANTS PLEASE APPLY IN PERSON.

....

On the second day she heard the doorbell. Much to her dismay, she opened the door to see a gray-haired gentleman with no arms or legs sitting in a wheelchair.

The old woman said, "You're not really asking me to consider you, are you? Just look at you ... you have no legs!" The old man smiled, "Therefore I cannot run around on you!"

She snorted. "You don't have any hands either!"

Again the old man smiled, "Nor can I beat you!"

She raised an eyebrow and gazed intently. "Are you still good in bed?" With that, the old gentleman leaned back, beamed a big broad smile and said, "I rang the doorbell, didn't I?"

Here's Mine, Now Show Me Yours

Michelangelo's David
Source WikiMedia

With the advent of the ereader and the numerous apps for digital reading on just about any mobile device, it would be a safe bet there is a significant portion of the population who hasn't or won't read a traditional print book again.  It doesn't matter what the book may be:  fiction, history, cookbook, repair manual, textbook (Don't they even "rent" the digital ones now?), comic book....I could go on and on.  It's a shame too, because they will miss the singular joy of spectacular art work beaming at them from the coffee table.  But that is not why I'm here today.

I'm here today talk about quirks.  Specifically, how we treat our print books.  I'll go first.

• I do not write or underline in my books. Nor do I put name and address stickers in my books.  Just, just eewwww....
• I do not set anything on top of my books, except for another book. (A wet, circle ring freaks me out!)  And then only when it's laying flat.
• I never, never bend pages down to mark my reading spot. ACK!!!  I always have some kind of bookmark laying around even if it's a scrap piece of paper. Right now my favorite bookmark is the one my Grandson had made with his kindergarten pictures last year.
• I rarely, if ever, loan my books.  The person must be someone I know very well, and they treat their books the same way I treat mine.  I have separation anxiety until the book is returned.

Review: UNCOMMON PASSION (Uncommon #2) by Anne Calhoun

UNCOMMON PASSION (Uncommon #2) 

Author: Anne-Calhoun

Genre:  Erotic Romance

Length:  Novel, 312 pages

Source:  My Private Stash

Reviewer:  Artemis

After leaving a restrictive religious community, Rachel Hill is on a mission to divest herself of her virginity. Newly independent and struggling to establish herself, she’s not looking for anything complicated. She bids on sexy SWAT officer Ben Harris at a bachelor auction, confident he’ll give her the night of her life and nothing more.

But Ben is jaded and detached, living his life in an endless cycle of danger-fueled adrenaline jags, drinking, and sex. When he misses the fact that his bachelor auction hookup is a virgin, he’s shocked by his obliviousness, and by the risk she took. To make amends, Ben offers Rachel all he can: a no-strings-attached sexual education.

Ben’s lessons introduce Rachel to down and dirty passion, but she’s searching for something more profound than sex, and she’s willing to walk away to find it. Ben can’t get Rachel out of his head, but will he come to terms with his troubled past and learn to love?

Review: DUKE of MIDNIGHT (Maiden Lane #6) by Elizabeth Hoyt

DUKE OF MIDNIGHT (Maiden Lane #6)
Author:  ELIZABETH HOYT
Source:  My Personal Stash
Genre:  Historical Romance
Length:  Mass Market Paperback, Novel, 381 pages
Reviewer:  ARTEMIS

WHEN A MASKED MAN . . .

Twenty years ago Maximus Batten witnessed the brutal murders of his parents. Now the autocratic Duke of Wakefield, he spends his days ruling Parliament. But by night, disguised as the Ghost of St. Giles, he prowls the grim alleys of St. Giles, ever on the hunt for the murderer. One night he finds a fiery woman who meets him toe-to-toe—and won't back down . . . 

MEETS HIS MATCH . . .

Artemis Greaves toils as a lady's companion, but hiding beneath the plain brown serge of her dress is the heart of a huntress. When the Ghost of St. Giles rescues her from footpads, she recognizes a kindred spirit-and is intrigued. She's even more intrigued when she realizes who exactly the notorious Ghost is by day . . . 

DESIRE IGNITES A DANGEROUS PASSION

Artemis makes a bold move: she demands that Maximus use his influence to free her imprisoned brother-or she will expose him as the Ghost. But blackmailing a powerful duke isn't without risks. Now that she has the tiger by the tail, can she withstand his ire-or the temptation of his embrace?

Three Mice

Three Badass Mice

Three mice sit in a bar. The first one brags, "I am one bad ass mouse! In my hood, we have huge mousetraps. I take the damn cheese out of all of them."

The second one brags, "Well, I'm a bad ass mouse too. In my hood, I mix rat poison with my milk and chug it down every night before I go to bed."

The third gets up and starts to leave. The other two mice both yell, "Hey chicken, where do you think you're going?"

The third one replies, "Going home to fuck the cat."

Review: UNCOMMON PLEASURE (Uncommon #1) by Anne Calhoun

UNCOMMON PLEASURE (Uncommon #1)
Author:  ANNE CALHOUN
Source:  My Private Stash
Genre:  Erotic Romance
Length:  Novel, Anthology, 294 pages
Reviewed by:   ARTEMIS

From a "fresh and imaginative" ("The Romance Studio") voice in erotic romance come the tales of two women, each daring to challenge the boundaries of the toughest of men...But in these edgy, heated encounters, the greatest thing each woman will risk is her heart.

"Over the Edge," - after a tragic incident during Ty Hendricks' last tour of duty, he cut off all connection with anyone he cares about--until a night with Lauren Kincaid draws him reluctantly back into the world. Lauren sees a wounded man in danger of losing everything to his inner demons, but the sensual, no-holds-barred fight for Ty's soul could cost Lauren her heart.

"All on the Line," - Abby Simmons fell hard for Lieutenant Sean Winthrop, but he sacrificed their relationship when he deployed to Afghanistan. Now he's home, full of regrets and intent on winning back the woman he never forgot. Abby gives Sean her body but holds her heart aloof, until one night of pleasure forces her to choose either her U.S. Marine...or life without him, forever.

Review: THE WICKED DEEDS of DANIEL MACKENZIE (Highland Pleasures #6)

THE WICKED DEEDS OF DANIEL MACKENZIE (Highland Pleasures #6)
Author:  JENNIFER ASHLEY
Source:  My Private Stash
Genre:  Historical Romance
Length:  Novel, 384 pages
Reviewed by:   ARTEMIS










Daniel Mackenzie lives up to the reputation of the scandalous Mackenzie family—he has wealth, looks, and talent, and women love him. When he meets Violet Bastien—one of the most famous spiritual mediums in England—he immediately knows two things: that Miss Bastien is a fraud, and that he’s wildly attracted to her.

Violet knows she can’t really contact the other side, but she’s excellent at reading people. She discerns quickly that Daniel is intelligent and dangerous to her reputation, but she also finds him generous, handsome, and outrageously wicked. But spectres from Violet’s past threaten to destroy her, and she flees England, adopting yet another identity.

Daniel is determined to find the elusive Violet and pursue the passion he feels for her. And though Violet knows that her scandalous past will keep her from proper marriage, her attraction to Daniel is irresistible. It’s not until Daniel is the only one she can turn to that he proves he believes in something more than cold facts. He believes in love.