Review: Fallen by Traci L. Slatton

Title: Fallen (After Trilogy #1)

Author: Traci L. Slatton
Source: Author Request
Genre: Dystopia (Paranormal Romance Trilogy)
Length: Novel
Release Date: July 12, 2011
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 3
Sexual - 1

When the world ends, all that is left is love....

As chaos descends on a crippled Earth, survivors are tormented by strange psychic gifts. In this time of apocalyptic despair, love is put to the test. One woman with mysterious healing power guides seven children to safety. Charismatic Arthur offers her a haven. Slowly Emma falls for him. But at the moment of their sweetest love, his devastating secret is revealed, and they are lost to each other. Will Emma stay with him?

The first in a romantic trilogy set during the end times.

The world as we all know it is gone - most of the people have died and buildings and infrastructure have disappeared.  Murderous bands are roaming and no place seems to be safe.  Emma has been accumulating children - trying to protect them and keep them healthy, but she knows they can only make it for so long.  When she sees the chance to join an honorable camp of men she jumps at the chance.  She doesn't count on falling for the leader - falling hard.

Fallen details the beginning of their relationship and has a ton of world building.  I love character and world building so this was a really big plus for me.  On the flip side, I don't know how I like Emma or Arthur right now.  Both kept very very big secrets from each other - life changing secrets.

The story ends with no resolution (it is a series and I've already started book two) and no HEA (just a warning for those that need to have that at end of every book).  I'm anxious to see what these two do next because there's a lot up in the air at the of this book

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Cover Reveal: Waiting for Prince Harry by Aven Ellis

Waiting For Prince Harry by Aven Ellis 
Publication date: Spring 2014
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Designed by Gilded Heart Design

Twenty-four-year-old Kylie Reed has always been a rule follower. Organized and cautious to a fault, her dreams for life are often filed away for future use—when she has a house, when she meets her future husband, when she has been at her visual display job at a chic Dallas boutique longer…Kylie always has a reason for living her life in the future, not in the present, and not living her life to the fullest and reaching her dream of becoming a fashion designer.

The only exception to rules, of course, would be running away with Prince Harry—Kylie’s ideal man. A hot, fun ginger boy would be worth breaking all the rules for, of course.  And Kylie is sure Harry just needs the right, centering woman to settle him down.  But living in Dallas and not knowing Prince Harry make this a non-option.

Or does it?

Because when Kylie accidentally falls into the lap of a gorgeous ginger boy—yes, even more gorgeous than the real Prince Harry—all bets are off. Could this stranger be the one to show Kylie how to take a chance, to face her fears, and live in the present?  And could this stranger be the Prince Harry she has been waiting for? Kylie’s life takes some unexpected twists and turns thanks to this chance encounter, and she knows her life will never be the same because of it…

Goodreads

AUTHOR BIO

Aven Ellis has been writing fiction since she was sixteen. She studied communications at a large Midwestern university, and after graduation, Aven worked as a reporter for a community newspaper, followed by a stint at a public relations agency.

But writing about city council meetings and restaurant franchises was not as much fun as writing for young women trying to figure out their careers and potential boyfriends. So Aven got herself a job in television that allowed her to write at night. Connectivity is Aven’s debut novel; Waiting For Prince Harry and Chronicles of a Lincoln Park Fashionista (New Adult romantic comedy) will be published next year.

Aven lives in Dallas with her family. When she is not writing, Aven enjoys shopping, cooking, connecting with friends on social media, and watching any show that features Gordon Ramsay.

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February 16, 2014 New Releases in Romance

Here's some great new releases for the week of Feb 16th.  They are separated by sub-genre (paranormal, historical, etc.) so take a look and maybe you'll find something that catches your eye.


Paranormal Romance


Contemporary Romance

Review: Eve Met Her Match by Anna Cleary

Title: Eve Met Her Match (When Honey Got Married)

Author: Anna Cleary
Source: Entangled - Indulgence
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: Novella
Release Date: February 14, 2014
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 2
Sexual - 3

A When Honey Got Married... Novella


Eve hoped to make one last play for the groom-who-got-away…but instead the down-on-her-romantic-luck actress instead found herself in dark corners with his successful, seductive cousin.

This book just didn't quite cut it for me.  While it fills in an interesting aspect of Honey's wedding, I just didn't like Eve.  Showing up at a wedding to try and steal your childhood friend's groom just wasn't a good start for me.  The groom's brother on the other had - now he seemed like quite the keeper and did a fantastic job of keeping everyone out of trouble.

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Review: Sunroper by Natalie J. Damschroder

Title: Sunroper (Goddess Rising #3)

Author: Natalie J. Damschroder
Source: Entangled Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: Novel
Release Date: December 31, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 4
Sexual - 3

Marley Canton is done being a victim. A year and a half has passed since she discovered
her ability to nullify power in those who aren’t supposed to have it. She’s now on a quest not only to stop the brats who’ve become addicted to goddess power, but also to find the source of their addiction.

Like Marley, Gage Samargo is tracking down the goddess who went rogue decades ago. Insane with too much power from the sun, she’s selling that energy to Gage’s younger brother and his friends, who are no longer content to come into power naturally. While they work to find a way to neutralize the goddess, Marley discovers that every time she nullifies someone, she takes on some of the goddess’s insanity.

Gage falls for Marley’s sharp wit and intense desire to right wrongs. But once he discovers she’s turning into her enemy, is it too late to back away?

 I highly recommend reading the series in order.

My review of book one:  Under the Moon

Cerridwen's review of book two: Heavy Metal

Unable to regain her Goddess powers, but "gifted" with a different type of ability, Marley is out to make sure no one is given power that isn't already theirs.  When they realize that another goddess must be giving away her power, she begins the hunt to find out who it might be.  She doesn't expect to run into Gage, son of the leader of the newly discovered Numina group, also on the trail of the elusive goddess.  Thrown together by mutual goals they never expect find out they actually like each other.

The third book in the series really brings all of what has happened in the first books to a huge and very climactic resolution.  There was so very much going on all that at times I did find it a little difficult to keep it all straight.  While Marley is trying (unsuccessfully) to hide her growing insanity, things take on a life of their own and the power starts to get out of hand for everyone.  The last half of the book I really couldn't put down.

I loved that Natalie brought back all the main couples from the beginning of the series, it helped to tie things together and make the series seem extremely cohesive, it flows from one book into the next effortlessly.  You know you've run across something great when the series ends spectacularly but you're still sad to see it go.

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Beautiful Mistakes (Royal Pride) by Nancy Corrigan - Series Spotlight and Giveaway!

BEAUTIFUL MISTAKE
Royal Pride, Book 2 (Devin and Lena)

Lena will do anything to protect the shifter child her family takes in, even turn herself into bait. Although she knows better than to fall for a shifter, Devin, the man who captures her, is unlike any she’s ever tangled with. Their desire is unquenchable and the draw to him is undeniable, but their relationship is riddled with mistakes and loving him has the potential to destroy her.

After shouldering his twin’s torture, Devin hovers on the verge of insanity. His life revolves around his family and recovering kidnapped shifter children. He never thought he’d have a mate or kids of his own until a rescue mission turns deadly. The beautiful female caught in the crosshairs stirs his mating instincts and tames his wild nature. Only her confusion over their intense attraction stops him from finishing their bond, but Devin’s persistent. He’ll convince his stubborn female that he’s the man she’s been waiting for—one passionate encounter at a time.

Available Now!

Amazon

Ellora's Cave

UNEXPECTED FIND

Royal Pride, Book 1 (Rafe and Jazz)

Since the murder of her best friend, Jazz is stuck in a safe but lonely way of life. She’s willing to sacrifice everything to keep her family safe from the shifter world. The sexy stranger who struts into her friend’s bar changes everything. From the first glance Jazz knows she’s sunk—their chemistry sizzles from across the room, it’ll be undeniable up close.

Rafe wants Jazz from the second he sets eyes on her. The depth of the need that swamps him every time he’s near her surprises him. It takes every last ounce of his self-control not to pounce on Jazz and make her his. Only her distrust of his shifter nature holds him back. He counts it as a win every time his beloved human gives in to their passion and takes him to her bed. But Rafe’s patience isn’t infinite and he’ll do whatever it takes, face any danger—past or present—to ensure that Jazz becomes his. Forever.

Avaialable Now!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

AllRomance

Ellora's Cave

About the Author

I've always been an avid reader and encourage everyone to escape the hectic daily grind with a few minutes a day in your favorite book.

I'm lucky enough to share my cat's home with my three wonderful children, husband, dog and snake. When not writing, I work as a chemist in a pharmaceutical lab.

My passions beyond reading and family include music, classic cars, tattoos and animals (all of which have found their way into my writing in one form or another).
So that's a little bit about me...
-Nancy

Connect with Nancy:

Website | Facebook| Facebook Author Page | Twitter | Goodreads| Pinterest

TOUR GIVEAWAY:

GRAND PRIZE: $50 Amazon gift card

RUNNER UP:  1 runner-up will get $10 Gift card from Ellora’s Cave

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Review: Up From the Grave (Night Huntress #7) by Jeaniene Frost by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Up From the Grave (Night Huntress #7) by Jeaniene Frost
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: Novel
Release Date: January 28th 2014
Reviewed by: Ollie

Rating - 5
Sexual - 4

Lately, life has been unnaturally calm for vampires Cat Crawfield and her husband Bones. They should have known better than to relax their guard, because a shocking revelation sends them back into action to stop an all-out war…
A rogue CIA agent is involved in horrifying secret activities that threaten to raise tensions between humans and the undead to dangerous heights. Now Cat and Bones are in a race against time to save their friends from a fate worse than death…because the more secrets they unravel, the deadlier the consequences. And if they fail, their lives—and those of everyone they hold dear— will be hovering on the edge of the grave.

Jeaniene Frost announced to her fans that this would be the last book in the Night Huntress series and the end to the adventures with Cat and Bones and I will be honest I had mixed feelings reading this book. On one hand I could not wait to read about Bones (Mmmmm Bones) and Cat since it felt it was so long since their last book, but at the same time I was afraid to read it knowing that after this book I would have to say goodbye to these two and never see them again. The book was a bittersweet tribute to all the fans that have followed Cat and Bones from the beginning providing them a book that not only provided twist and turns in the plot and drama but, was the culmination of Cat and Bones' devotion for each other and the lengths that each would strive to protect the most important person in their lives: each other.

This book had everything you would expect from a Cat and Bones book: action, mystery, drama, heartaches, tears, humour, oh and of course some sexy time with one of literature's most sexy vampire, Bones. Without giving up any details to spoil this book (and this is one you don't want spoiled) be prepared to be shocked by new revelations that changes everything in both Bones and Cat's life and put not only their lives at risk, but everyone around them.

A few things that I will share is the hope that Ian eventually gets his own book because he has grown so much from the beginning and his devilish comebacks brought laughter amidst the many tears I shed while reading this book.

The other point I want to make is I love Bones so much that I don't think there will ever be another vampire written that encompasses so much passion, loyalty, devotion, sacrifice along with powerful masculinity and dangerous brutality. Bones is the epitome of what we lust about in vampires and in male leads. Bones did not disappoint in demonstrating all these qualities in this book along with providing readers a visual of unbridled passion in more ways then one.

Jeaniene Frost definitely made it feel that Cat and Bones were saying goodbye to all of us. The ending was so bittersweet for I found myself having tears at the end and an ache burning in my heart as I felt I would never see this beautiful couple ever again.

A beautiful story and ending to a series that I never wanted to end.

Review: Tycoon Reunion by Candace Havens and Shannon Leigh

Title: Tycoon Reunion (Date by Mistake Novella)

Author: Shannon Leigh
Source: Entangled - Indulgence
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: Novella
Release Date: February 10, 2014
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 3
Sexual - 2

Sparks fly when a project brings a heartbreaker back to town and into the path of the
woman he left behind. He’s determined to win her over in the boardroom … and the bedroom!

This was a cute and fun read, but the story jumped around a little bit for taste.  There were a few things that just jumped up out of nowhere without a lot of explanation.  I loved the premise of the developer going up against the historical preservationist aspect though.  It led to a lot of interesting "discussions" and was a great conflict to underscore the relationship.

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Book Trailer!!! Tara Fox Hall's Broken Promise

Woo Hoo!! Dont' you just love book trailers?!





Broken Promise by Tara Fox Hall

Shocked at Danial's betrayal, Sarelle returns to her old home to consider her options. Yet even as Sar plans a reconciliation with Danial, Terian arrives, confessing his desire. When Theo witnesses Terian and Sar kiss, he angrily confronts Sar, leading to startling consequences. Will Sar's heart choose Danial, Terian,…or Theo?

Find more by Tara Fox Hall at 

Tara Fox Hall

Guest Post: All About Apollo by Staci Hart

Apollo in under 100:

An honest, happy-go-lucky loner. He's good at almost everything he does, but often gets a raw deal because he lacks the cut-throat attitude that most of the other gods possess. He's the god of art, music, the sun, and prophecy, among other things. His twin sister, Artemis is his closest ally, and has been mourning the loss of his cursed love for thousands of years. This competition is a rare chance to get her back, and he'll do anything to win.

Profile:
God of: Music, Art, Sun, Health, Archery, Prophecy
Looks like: 6' tall, tan, blond, blue eyes, lean but muscular, pretty mouth
Animals: Roe Deer, Raven
Symbols: Laurel, Lyre, Bow and Arrow

Quotes:

You should call it now and save yourself the trouble of dragging it out. Trust me. They don’t call me the Oracle of Amazing Awesomeness for nothing.” 

“It’s not over until the fat lady sings, and Hera’s been mostly silent, so it seems I still have time.”

Artemis turned her gaze back to him. “Has it been worth the pain that you have been through over Daphne?”

“Artemis, the moment she is in my arms, all will be worth the price I have paid.”

“And now, beloved, you have guessed my second specialty—songs for love.” He leaned forward and kissed her lightly, then strummed and sang, the song so sweet, so full of the love in his heart, that tears rolled down her freckled cheek, her face alight with her joy.

When he stopped playing, he could do nothing but move to her to kiss her tenderly, completing the circle of what he could tell her not with words, imparting his love through his touch. She twined her arms around his neck, and he held her small waist as he laid down and pulled her on top of him. Her red curls fell around them like a curtain, the light beaming through as the sun flashed with the beat of his heart.

Review: Twist Me by Anna Zaires

Title: Twist Me
Author: Anna Zaires
Genre: Contemporary (dark) erotic romance
Length: Novel
Reviewed by: CaroleDee

Rating- 4
Sexual-4

Kidnapped. Taken to a private island.

I never thought this could happen to me. I never imagined one chance meeting on the eve of my eighteenth birthday could change my life so completely.

Now I belong to him. To Julian. To a man who is as ruthless as he is beautiful – a man whose touch makes me burn. A man whose tenderness I find more devastating than his cruelty.

My captor is an enigma. I don’t know who he is or why he took me. There is a darkness inside him – a darkness that scares me even as it draws me in.

My name is Nora Leston, and this is my story.

WARNING: This is NOT a traditional romance. It contains disturbing subject matter, including themes of questionable consent and Stockholm Syndrome, as well as graphic sexual content. This is a work of fiction intended for a mature, 18+ audience only. The author neither endorses nor condones this type of behavior.

*I'm no stranger to the captive fantasy genre. Although, I've never reviewed one for the blog and it's turned out to be a lot harder than I thought. 
Let's get started, shall we? *

Nora is barley 18 and she's caught the eye of a dangerous older man. Does he ask her on a date to see if they mesh? Neh, he's going to kidnap her, take her to his private island, and make her is in every way possible. As time passes Nora becomes comfortable in her guilded cage. Is it Stockholm Syndrome or is it something else?

What can I say about Julian? Well, the words complex, sadist, and sociopath come to mind. He's frightening in the sense that you never know which Julian Nora is going to get. He can seem abusive at times and then a complete sweetheart. It's would be a very scary and complex situation for anyone.

Nora is a bit young for my tastes. As I get older I feel less comfortable reading books about young heroines in sexual situations. Believe me when I tell you I was *absolutely* no saint at the age, but reading about uncomfortable *understatement* sexual situations with a 18 year old makes me a tad distressed. Other than my personal feelings on her age Nora's character was great. Her personality and reactions are realistic to her age and circumstances. She rebels at first but slowly becomes accustomed to her captor and eventually comes to step into, and enjoy, her roll as Julian's pet.

Zaire's writing style is flawless. In the moments when I felt like squirming in my seat I was enthralled with the story. There was never a dull moment. Even when Julian was in one of his 'bad-Julian moods' the sex scenes were amazingly well written.

Like other captive fantasy books that have a hea I was left with a feeling of discomfort.(I've used that word a lot in this review, haven't I? LOL) Not about the characters but about myself. Should I be happy the heroine fell in love with her captor? Is she bound to be royally screwed in the head for the rest of her life because of what she's been through? Or should I just be happy that she's happy? I'm always left with those thoughts.

Overall Twist Me is perfect for beginners to the genre. Of course there are scenes of forced seduction, impact toys, and anal play, but they are light.  Nothing ever seems TOO rough. Think of Twist Me like a gateway drug into the captive fantasy genre; Light but with enough buzz to let you know if you want more!

Available Today at

Amazon - B&N - AllRomance - Smashwords

*Due to ridiculous censorship Twist Me is not available on iTunes at the moment* 

Review: Cursed by Cupid by Wendy Sparrow

Title: Cursed by Cupid

Author: Wendy Sparrow
Source: Entangled - Flirt
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Humor
Length: Novella
Release Date: February 3, 2014
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 5
Sexual - 1

Dear Reader, this letter is to inform you of Cupid’s curse, which will fall upon you if you don’t pass this email on to three friends within three hours.

Tilly Morrow didn’t believe in the curse and now she hasn’t had a second date in three years…because all her first dates end in disaster. In fact, she just accidentally punched a guy in the face, leaving her without a date for Valentine’s Day!

Bryant Murphy isn’t sure if the curse is real or not, but if dating Tilly means occasionally getting assaulted with a chocolate shake or nearly electrocuted, it’s worth the risk. Armed with more lucky charms than a bowl of cereal, Bryant will have to battle flying swords, Russian mail-order brides, and shrimp linguini if he’s going to win the girl.

 Every now and then you run across a book that seems to hit everything just right for you.  This was one of those books for me.  Each and every page had just enough humor on it to keep me smiling without overdoing it and making it old.  A quick read that actually made me feel better about my day.

Tilly and Bryant couldn't be more opposite - especially when it comes to believing in Cupid's Curse.  Each date they go on ends (and sometimes even begins) in catastrophe.  Tilly blames it on the curse, Bryant on bad luck (so he brings some lucky charms the next time).  This is a definite must read if you need a pick me up, feel good story.

IRC attending author spotlight. A.L. Kessler

                                                   Indie Romance Convention 

I signed up for Indie Romance Convention on a whim and then I asked for attending author status on another. As a new indie author I had no real idea what I was doing. I’d read every article I could get my hands on I talked to local authors, mostly hybrid authors, and I still felt like I had no idea. Every author does things differently in the indie world, but there is so much we can learn from our fellow authors. IRC gave me the chance to, not only, sit down with other authors but readers and I came home with so much information.

Gosh, where to start on what I learned? My head was so full I thought it would explode when I got home. In every writing marketing article and book I read the first piece of advice was: Write a great book and then write the next one! Which is true, many of the authors I talked to or attended panels with said things really started taking off around their third book. I thought some of these people were nuts, they were writing and releasing so many things in a year, but I had been looking at it wrong…This is the world of Indie, not big publishers. If you don’t constantly release things, you fall out of sight and out of mind.

Marketing was spoken highly of and a lot of helpful tools were mentioned, most of which cost money, but as many of the authors pointed out, at times you need to spend money on marketing if you want your name out there. On that note, cross promotions were also highly spoken of. There are so many different ways to take this information and apply it to your writing life.

Pricing! Did you know that the majority of indie authors are under pricing their work? No? I didn’t either until I attended this convention. Covers were also discussed in depth. What to do, what not to do, what to look out for and things to keep in mind, again so much information that I thought my head would explode. Editors were covered as well, one author said she used an average of five for final edits to cover all typos and grammar mistakes. There really is too much to cover in a blog post, but I want to touch on one more thing.

Sitting down with the readers was one of the most valuable things there. I’m not talking about the book signing, I’m talking about the pizza gathering were we all mingled. It was great to sit down and talk to readers, even if they haven’t read my books. Most authors didn’t approach it as an ‘I must sell myself’ event, but sat down as friends with the readers. You can learn so much by speaking to the readers and the bloggers. I even gained a beta reader this way. Just be open-minded and understand that you do not know everything.

The first thing that I told my husband when I got back was, “I have to go again next year. I learned so much.” He’s always yapping about ‘return on investment’ and after sitting down and talking he realized it really was worth it. I’ll be going again this year and I encourage you to as well. There’s nothing more valuable than a convention aimed towards indie authors when you are an indie, or a hybrid author. I look forward to seeing everyone again this year, making new connections, and learning more to better myself as an author.

About A.L. Kessler: A.L Kessler is the author of Dark War Chronicles, a paranormal romance series. She lives in Colorado Springs, with her husband, two cats, a hyperactive puppy, and her wonderful daughter. She can be easily bribed with coffee and chocolate. You can find her at: Facebook, Goodreads, Website

Guest Post: All About Dita by Staci Hart

Dita in under 100:

A lover of love and all that surrounds it, though her own lovelife is a steaming hot mess. She's lived through eons, and is one of the oldest of the Olympians, even older than Zeus. She's friends with most everyone, though once she has a grudge, she hangs on to it for a very long time. Her best friend, Persephone, is the most important person in her life, and always makes her laugh. Dita also gives great hugs, loves bacon, and is a hoarder.

Profile:

Nickname: Dita (DEE-ta)

Looks like: 5'7”, long, wavy blond hair, blue eyes

Animal: Dove

Symbols: Seashell, Apple, Roses, Mirror

Goddess of: Love

Quotes:

“Lex is a perfect match for him. She’s never been in love, so when it happens with Dean, it’s going to hit her like a freight train.”

“The love train?”

“Yes, filled up with chocolates, stuffed animals, and bad poetry. If I had to bet, which I realize we are, I’d say they’re perfect for each other.”

Perry looked up and smiled, but her mouth drooped when she saw Dita visibly upset. “What’s got your goat?”

“Psh, please. No one has sacrificed a goat to me in eons.

“No, you know what?” Dita waggled her finger at him. “You’re not going to ruin this for me. Suck it, son!” She crotch chopped WWE style, slamming her arms across her waist in an ‘x’ formation. She spun around and marched to the elevator, her hair swinging in time with her hips.

“I just want them to be happy.” Dita said quietly. “There’s so much hate and hurt in the world, and so much unnecessary pain for Lex and Dean right now. They need each other. She can heal him, and he deserves something real and true and good in his life. He deserves to find home.”

Review: The Tycoon's Socialite Bride by Tracey Livesay

Title: The Tycoon's Socialite Bride

Author" Tracey Livesay
Source: Entangled - Indulgence
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: Novel
Release Date: February 10, 2014
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 3
Sexual - 3

To avenge his mother's mistreatment at the hands of her upper-crust employer, self-made
real estate tycoon Marcus Pearson needs entree into their exclusive world. When D.C. socialite Pamela Harrington comes to him for help, Marcus realizes the golden admission ticket he's been seeking has suddenly fallen into his lap. Pamela will do anything to save her favorite cause, even agree to a marriage of convenience. The altruistic "it-girl" isn't worried about the pretend passion with Marcus turning real; she's sworn off powerful, driven men who use her for her family's connections. So she'll deny the way her pulse races with one look from his crystalline blue eyes. And he'll ignore the way his body throbs with each kiss from her full lips. Because there's no way he'll lose his blue-collar heart to the blue-blooded beauty..

D.C. can be a difficult city to maneuver politically and socially.  And Marcus is realizing it's even more difficult if you don't have the old money - the blue blood family.  His lack of history is causing problems with his most recent business deal, and when he discovers that the daughter of a senator needs something from him, he has the perfect solution.

This was a very new take on the marriage of convenience for me - I had only run into in historicals up to this point.  Both parties enter the agreement knowing all the facts, so there was no hiding or fibbing involved and I found I really enjoyed the concept.   Pamela was a little too much of a good girl through out the story though.  While Marcus made his fair share of mistakes - she seemed to be too far above it all to be real.

The background of the business deal is quite interesting, but outside of that there really wasn't a lot of action or suspenseful moments.  There were a couple, but they were wrapped up and moved on from rather quickly for my taste.  However, this has shown me that I won't be turning books away just because they don't marry for love anymore.

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

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ARC Review Vampire Most Wanted by Lynsay Sands

Title: Vampire Most Wanted (Argeneau #20)
Author: Lynsay Sands
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: Novel
Reviewed by: CaroleDee

Rating- 4
Sexual- 3

For Basha Argeneau, anything is better than facing her estranged family. Even hiding
out in sweltering southern California. But when a sexy immortal in black shows up determined to bring her back to the clan, she'll do anything to keep far, far away from the past she can't outrun.

Marcus Notte isn't here to play games—especially not with someone as crazy as the infamous blonde. Asked by Lucian Argeneau to bring her back for questioning, Marcus is determined to carry out Lucian's request—no matter how the seductive little mind-reading vamp feels about it.

Basha doesn't mind fighting fire with fire, especially with a hot immortal involved. But if he wants to take her away, he'll have to catch her first . .

Review-

This was a strange addition to the Argeneau roundup. Where the last in the series (One Lucky Vampire) was super sweet Vampire Most Wanted was a bit dark. It started off normal enough, with the exception of a new and exciting backdrop of a carnival, but towards the end of the book you get a glimpse at some very dark material.

If you've followed the series you've caught a brief glimpse of Basha in a previous installment. She is thought to be a foe, but Vampire Most Wanted brings her story to light. Honestly? It's pretty sad. She had some terrible years and has spend the subsequent ones on the run from her Uncle. I'm not talking just a few; We're talking about decades and decades here. Don't get me wrong, she's not a woe-is-me character, but the end of the book will definitely make your jaw drop! I know mine did.

Marcus is a good guy. He seems to be just the kind of guy that Basha needs to move forward. Of course it takes her a while to realize that ;)

So, this 20th installment of the Argeneau series brought some pretty crazy stuff to the table. I really enjoyed it! If you've followed the series I think you'll like it. If you haven't then you can read this one as a stand a lone and be just as happy as a long time reader. I don't feel like there was too much back story needed to get into it. Do be forewarned; if you're prone to emotional triggers when reading a book with flashbacks of child abuse I would say skip it.

Review: The Young and the Submissive (The Doms of Her Life #2) by by Shayla Black, Jenna Jacob, Isabella LaPearl

Title: The Young and the Submissive (The Doms of Her Life #2)
Author: Shayla Black, Jenna Jacob, Isabella LaPearl
Genre: Erotic Romance
Length: Novel
Release Date: October 29th 2013
Reviewed by: Ollie

Rating - 3
Sexual - 5

Raine Kendall has everything a woman could want…almost. Sexy, tender Dom Liam O’Neill is her knight in shining armor, but Raine is constantly pinching herself. Is he too good to be true or is this growing connection one that could last a lifetime? She’s constantly torn by her abiding feelings for her commanding boss, Macen “Hammer” Hammerman, especially in the wake the mind-blowing night he cast aside the barriers between them and ravaged every inch of her body.

Hammer, Liam’s former best friend, can’t stop coveting Raine. But Liam is determined to hold and guide the woman he loves and see if she can be the submissive of his dreams. However, he’s finding that her trust is hard won and he needs a bloody crowbar to pry open her scarred soul. So he risks everything to win her once and for all. But once he’s put his daring plan in motion, will it cost Liam his heart if he loses Raine to Hammer for good?

Ok I gave in and decided to read book 2 of Doms of her Life despite how the first book ended with me feeling let down. Sometimes you see a train wreck and you can't help to look and find out what is happening and with these characters I couldn't look away from these train wrecked people and I wish I did.

Book 2 continues where Book 1 left off with Raine trying to sort out her feelings for the two men in her life who have come to mean so much to her. Unfortunately, she is unable to see that her inability to give herself completely to either one of them is tearing the men apart from the inside out.

The issue that I continue to have with Raine is she has these two men who are trying to help her to get over her barriers and help her be able to “submit” and become a submissive, but I don't see her as being a submissive at all. I see Raine as an immature woman who is confused and doesn't have the maturity to know what is involved to be in a committed relationship as she continues to break their trust and commitments made. Again I don't feel that she is trying to “train” to be a submissive or wants to be a submissive, just wants to get what she wants.

By the time I reached the end of the book, I had to force myself to finish it as I felt Raine's selfish needs were all about her and did not take into consideration the two men's feelings and how much it was tearing them apart. As Doms I can see how they are trying to take care of her “needs” but in return a submissive obtains pleasure is seeing the pleasure that she gives to a Dom for giving up her gift of control to him. In this case it is not reciprocal because it leaves one of the Dom's questioning his ability to take care of her needs and his difficulty in dealing with the pain building in his heart.

Book 2 is another one of those books that makes me question should I continue with book 3 as the book ends without a happily ever after or even a happy for now. Again the inconsistencies in what the characters say and do in one part of the book to the other leaves me frustrated at times though I don't think in a good way.

February 9, 2014 New Releases in Romance

Here's some great new releases for the week of Feb 9th.  They are separated by sub-genre (paranormal, historical, etc.) so take a look and maybe you'll find something that catched your eye.

(Plus there's some great eye candy here.)

Paranormal Romance


Contemporary Romance

Review: Grace Felt the Heat by Kimberly Long

Title: Grace Felt the Heat (When Honey Got Married Novella)
Author: Kimberly Long
Source: Entangled - Indulgence
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: Novella
Release Date: February 7, 2014
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Rating - 4
Sexual - 3

A When Honey Got Married... Novella A wedding planner should never mix business and
pleasure, but Grace couldn’t resist breaking rule number one for a hot night with her high school crush!

I think sometimes books are just supposed to be fun.  This was one of those really fun reads.  Grace left town after High School vowing not to return - but of course something drags her back to confront all her teenage demons.  One of those is Beau - a crush that broke her heart.

With lots of apologies for silly mistakes and misunderstood words all around (not just from our two leads either), this was the perfect beginning to a wedding story, even if the characters aren't actually "in" the wedding.  And I can't help but love a man that cooks.

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

Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Review: Jewel of the East by Victoria Vane

Title: Jewel of the East
Author: Victoria Vane
Genre: Erotic Historical Romance
Length: short novel

Rating- 4
Sexual- 4

Having once lived his life only for larks, laughter, and ladies of easy virtue, Captain Simon Singleton has returned from the war with the colonies a shambles of a man. Now free from six years of captivity, he's still fettered by irrational fears that confine him to a life of seclusion.

Once the crowning jewel of the most lavish brothel in London, the exotic Salime finds her reputation and livelihood destroyed by a bitter rival. With a closely guarded secret stripped away, Salime fears no man will ever desire her again. Seeking aid from the man who once saved her life, Salime accepts a proposition to repay her debt to him by becoming a companion to his war-scarred friend.

Circumstance brings these two damaged souls together; but fate ignites a love story worthy of the Arabian Nights.

Victoria Vane has the magic touch when it comes to spicing up historical romances. In Jewel of the East we get two emotionally and physically scarred characters that use their sexuality to heal one another.

In previous books in the DeVere series I became curious about Salime. She was a bit of an enigma; sensual,loyal, and trusting. I can't imagine very many 'working ladies' back then were as dedicated to their work as Salime. In Jewel of the East my ideal of Salime was shattered a bit. I slowly realized that all is not what it seems. She's not just a good-time girl that *entirely* enjoys what she's doing
While Simon has his own demons, stemming from being a POW, he brings to light Salime's tragic life which made me understand her much better.

There are a few layers to this book. If you're looking for an erotic romance to give you a little buzz it will do. But if you read deeper there is a darker story that should have been more of a struggle to overcome. With another 100 pages, or so, Jewel of the East could have been so much more. I still loved reading it and recommend it, but I wouldn't be opposed if I Ms. Vane were to lengthen it at some point :)