Wednesday, 5 July 2017

REVIEW: Shattered King by Sherilee Gray


SHATTERED KING by Sherilee Gray
SMP Swerve
Publication Date: June 27, 2017
ISBN: 9781250155665; Price: $3.99



Description

He’s after the woman who helped put him behind bars. She’s been in hiding for three years raising the son he doesn’t know about.

Holding a grudge has never felt so good.

Shattered King is an intense, ultra-sexy standalone novel set in the world of the Lawless Kings. Sherilee Gray’s raw, hard, beautiful, deeply-emotional voice will leave you breathless long after the last page. 

“Shattered King is a sexy, beautiful second chance love story... a truly enjoyable read.” - Sawyer Bennett, New York Times bestselling author

"Raw, gritty, and full of supercharged sexual tension...SHATTERED KING will break you into pieces right before it stitches you back together again." -Diana Gardin, author of SWORN TO PROTECT, Rescue OP's Series

Review

RATING:




First Sherilee read for me and I'd say it worked enough. Hopefully, Sherilee wouldn't mind when I say this is reminiscent of past Kristen Ashley (KA) and Aly Martinez reads. That's a good thing in my mind as those 2 just happen to be one of my top fave authors. BUT, it also meant that I can't help but sorta' compare this to those other books which I realize it's not quite fair to Sherilee but such is the way my mind goes.

On its own merit, you actually get quite a bit of story. The blurb, the reason this caught my eye, barely scratches the surface. Yes, Lulu was the reason Hunter spent time in prison and once Hunter was released, their paths would cross again. With their past, Hunter was left with the biggest question, ie, why Lulu did what she did. Unbeknownst to Hunter, there were bigger sinister things at play in Lulu's life.

This started out really well in my head. There was so much animosity between them, especially coming from Hunter, that I was really intrigued as to how Sherilee will move these 2 forward.  But once they started being more honest and open with each other, which would or should've been a good thing really, something switched in my head and dimmed the lights a bit. For starter, I didn't fully understand how for all their claims of being the one for each other and how well they knew each other, that they could each easily believe the worst in each other or how easily the trust goes. Secondly, Lulu lost me a few times. I didn't agree with some of her decisions, sadly. Kinda' drove me crazy at times, yikes.

Hunter is your typical tatted alpha H. I think he's the one that reminded me of some of KA's and Aly's H's. So in short, that means yummy! *g*

Whatever could happen, it seems it did happen to poor Lulu. Yet, I still didn't get some of her actions, sigh... Oh but if you're looking for heat, yup, it's got it, tons of it! Hello, angry revenge sex, for starter! Then so much more, ummm... so if you're looking for that, you'll get that here, just sayin...


Author Bio

Sherilee Gray is a kiwi girl and lives in beautiful New Zealand with her husband and their two children. When she isn't writing sexy, edgy contemporary romance, searching for her next alpha hero on Pinterest, or fueling her voracious book addiction, she can be found dreaming of far off places with a mug of tea in one hand and a bar of Cadburys Rocky Road chocolate in the other.


Author Links



Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie

Friday, 9 June 2017

REVIEW BLITZ: Wicked Favor (The Wicked Horse Vegas, Book 1) by Sawyer Bennett

 

  Wicked Favor AMAZON

New York Times bestselling author, Sawyer Bennett, is happy to introduce a new Wicked Horse club in Las Vegas and you’re cordially invited to attend the grand opening... As the owner of The Wicked Horse, an elite sex club located along the Vegas Strip, Jerico Jameson never spends the night alone. Gorgeous, ripped, and totally alpha, Jerico doesn’t grant favors and will rarely give you the time of day—unless he wants you in his bed. So when the sister of his sworn enemy shows up asking for help, saying no should be easy. But when Jerico takes one look at her and sees an opportunity to help this beautiful woman while exacting revenge on her brother, he’s not about to pass that up. Beaten and bruised, Trista Barnes is running out of options, and Jerico is her last chance to get out of the mess she’s in. She doesn’t know why Jerico despises her brother so much, but as long as he can help her, she doesn’t care. Jerico offers her safety while opening her up to a sinful world she never knew existed. As she succumbs to Jerico’s erotic charm, Trista lets herself fall into the wicked world of guilt free pleasure with no regrets. Under his strong alpha hand, she blooms, and so does Jerico’s possessiveness. But what happens when Trista finds out she was a pawn in Jerico’s game all along, and that the price for his favor was steeper than she ever imagined – her heart.  

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo

       
She pops her head in first and gives me a tentative smile. “You busy?” “Not at all,” I tell her as I wave her in. She disappears for a moment, and then opens the door wider. I see she’s carrying a large, plastic container that’s dome shaped and has a handle on top. My eyes only flick to it briefly before coming back to her. She’s much better to look at. Shutting the door behind her, she walks up to my desk with a goofy grin on her face and sets the plastic container in front of me. I look down at it, and then up to her. “What’s that?” “Something I made for you this morning,” she says, unlocking the tabs at the bottom. She lifts the dome top off, and I’m staring at a cake in front of me. Slowly, I look back up to her. “You made me a cake?” “Not just any cake,” she says while wagging a finger at me. “A four-layer, homemade red velvet cake with whipped mascarpone icing.” “Jesus,” I mutter as I look at the cake, wondering what this weird squeezing sensation is in my chest. When I look back up to her, I have to ask her again, “You made that just for me?” “Just for you,” she says with satisfaction all over her face. “You said it was your favorite, and I had some time this morning after pancakes.” I push out of my chair and wave a hand at the cake. “You just happened to have all these ingredients, huh? You routinely use something as odd as mascarpone?” Her grin turns mischievous as she shrugs. “Well, I may have had to go to the grocery store for a few things.” Jesus f*ck. I can’t believe she did that for me. My mind races over the years, and I can’t remember anyone doing something so randomly nice for me. So spontaneous and with the sole intention of doing it to please me. Picking up the cake, I round the desk and head for the side door that connects to my kitchen. “Let’s take this next door.” I don’t miss the disgruntled expression on Trista’s face as she clearly expected me to act differently. I’m sure she was thinking I’d be a bit more effusive in my praise, and I intend to be. Just… in my apartment. She follows me through the door as I balance the cake on my hand. I immediately lay it down on my kitchen counter and spin around just as she’s walking through the door, taking her face in my hands and walking right into her. My mouth hits hers. She gives a huff of surprise as I turn slightly and back her into the refrigerator. Angling my head, I kiss her deeply. It’s possible because she angles hers the other way, opening her mouth to give me entrance. Yes, it’s a deep kiss, but it’s not sexual. It’s a show of unbridled happiness that makes me feel like a kid, or perhaps it’s gratitude that Trista perhaps thinks this is something other than “just sex”. When I pull away, Trista’s cheeks are pink and she’s slightly panting. She whispers breathlessly to me, “I should make you cake more often.” The grin that breaks wide is my answer, followed by another swift kiss. Then I’m turning away from her and grabbing a fork out of my drawer. Without any pomp, and certainly no circumstance to wait for a plate, I punch my fork down into the top of the cake and pull a huge chunk out. “Oh, my God.” Trista giggles as she comes to stand beside me at the counter. I angle toward her as I bring the fork to my lips, open my mouth wide, and shove the cake in. Cheeks bulging and the taste of rich cake and lightly sweet, tangy frosting coating my tongue, I groan in satisfaction. Our eyes stay locked as I chew and chew and chew, and finally swallow the heaven in my mouth. Trista’s eyes are sparkling with humor and a bit of pride. “Good?” she asks. I give a swipe of my tongue over my bottom lip to catch some stray frosting there. “It’s amazing. Thank you.” She beams a brilliant smile as she sets the cake carrier on the counter and turns toward the door that leads back into my office. “You’re welcome. Now… I’ve got to get going.” “Wait,” I say as I snag her arm and turn her back to me. “You just got here.” “And my work is done,” she says impishly, going to her tiptoes to give me a quick kiss. “I’m meeting Mom and Corinne for lunch, and I’ve got to get going.” Well, there goes all thought of spending my afternoon with Trista in bed rather than golfing. But I’d never begrudge her time with Jolene and Corinne. Their unity right now is extremely important. I do pull her into me and wrap my arms around her waist after throwing the fork into the sink. Trista’s hands come to my chest as she looks up at me curiously. “Take the night off,” I tell her softly and I have to admit, the way her eyes go warm makes me feel f*cking really good. “Make it an entire day and night thing with Corinne, okay?” “Really?” she asks with sweetest type of surprise in her eyes. “Yeah,” I murmur as I tighten my arms around her. “I’ll keep myself occupied with the cake tonight.” Her lips quirking, she gets a playful look in her eyes. “We could… um… FaceTime each other later.” My eyebrows rise with interest, but I play a little stupid. “FaceTime?” “Naked. FaceTime.” She annunciates each word slowly, and my d!ck perks up at this suggestion. And for a man who has done about every dirty thing imaginable, it hits me hard that this is something new. Something I’ve never done with another woman and now, I’m glad she’s not coming so I can have something new and unique just with Trista. “What time might you be calling me?” I ask in a husky voice. “Be ready around eleven,” she says, pressing into me. “Clothing is optional.” “Wrong,” I tell her with a shake of my head. “Naked is mandatory.”  

    
Review

RATING:





A spinoff of The Wicked Horse series, there are new players in a new town. 

No two ways about it, if you’re a fan of the series, then you know how hot this will be, and it will not disappoint. If you haven’t read the original series yet, then yes, letting you know that this is hawt! How can it not be, when the sex club plays a big part… *giggles*

This is like being initiated to a new world along with Trista. It was interesting to see Trista exploring her sexuality and Jerico just being the right man to take her on that ride. But more that though, there is a story arc as well. After all, Trista entered Jerico’s world under dire circumstances. And as you guessed, along the way, feelings developed. Unbeknownst to Trista, Jerico has a hidden agenda. It did kinda’ make the playing field a lil uneven but it was endearing to watch how the mighty fell and got caught off guard by his emotions.

And these 2 together sizzled alright!

Alas, I didn’t feel as emotionally connected as hot and well paced as this was. Having read the original series that spawned this, I knew what to expect and that almost worked against this, like having just more of the same. And while I appreciate the exhibit of sexual fluidity and not having the need to label anything, I sensed a pushback and didn’t understand why. I know, I know, I’m not authority on any of this, so this is all personal feelings.

Regardless, at the end of the day, I still enjoyed it enough. This is Sawyer after all…


  AuthorPhoto

Since the release of her debut contemporary romance novel, Off Sides, in January 2013, Sawyer Bennett has released more than 30 books and has been featured on both the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists on multiple occasions. A reformed trial lawyer from North Carolina, Sawyer uses real life experience to create relatable, sexy stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From new adult to erotic contemporary romance, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone. Sawyer likes her Bloody Marys strong, her martinis dirty, and her heroes a combination of the two. When not bringing fictional romance to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to a very active toddler, as well as full-time servant to two adorably naughty dogs. She believes in the good of others, and that a bad day can be cured with a great work-out, cake, or a combination of the two.




Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie



Thursday, 23 March 2017

REVIEW: Drowning by Marni Mann & Gia Riley

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Cover Design: Romantic Book Affairs

 
Amazon US ★ http://amzn.to/2jXfOF9
Amazon UK ★ http://amzn.to/2jXbvJS
Amazon CA ★ http://amzn.to/2kRD8lP
Amazon AU ★ http://amzn.to/2kqOMa9
Synopsis
Clay ran from his family, his career. From every dream he ever had. He ran until he crashed.   Andi escaped the screams, the fists. The pain that knocked her down. She ran until she was thrown.   Brought together by a world of darkness and deceit, all they have is each other. Freedom is what they want. Though it comes with a price.   Because the second they stop running, they'll drown.
   
Goodreads
   
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REVIEW

RATING:




Before anything else, let me just say that this is another case of “it’s not you, it’s me” sadly. I honestly don’t know what happened. While Gia is a new-to-me author, Marni isn’t. I’ve highly enjoyed Marni’s previous works. So I’m thinking this is just me.

It’s a good story, with lots of good source of angst, suspense and all kinds of hotness. The h (eek, I don’t even remember her name... *reads blurb* oh yes, Andi), running away from a terrible situation and the H, Clay, running away from his present as well. Despite all the ugliness in their lives, they realized they have each other. They ran, they tried, they failed, they succeeded but at a high price, and they fixed things.

Both characters are layered but I felt detached from them and all the events happening in their lives. Rather than being immersed in the scenes, it felt like seeing things from a bird’s eye view. Tried as I could but sadly, the feelings stayed til the end.


Looking at GR reviews, I’m in the minority, and I’m glad I am. 
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About the Authors
Marni Mann:
Bestselling author Marni Mann knew she was going to be a writer since middle school. While other girls her age were daydreaming about teenage pop stars, Marni was fantasizing about penning her first novel. She crafts sexy, titillating stories that weave together her love of darkness, mystery, passion, and human emotions. A New Englander at heart, she now lives in Sarasota, Florida, with her husband and their two dogs, who have been characters in her books. When she’s not nose deep in her laptop, working on her next novel, she’s scouring for chocolate, sipping wine, traveling, or devouring fabulous books.    
Gia Riley:
Author Gia Riley has been in love with writing romance since high school when she took her very first creative writing class. From the small but mighty state of Delaware, she’s a country girl at heart, traveling back to her roots in Pennsylvania as often as she can. She’d rather pick truth than dare, bake than cook, and will always choose coffee over tea. Just like life, her stories always have a mixture of heart and humor. You can connect with Gia on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. She also has a reader group, Gia Riley’s Books, on Facebook. Stop by anytime, she loves hearing from readers!  
Connect with Marni & Gia
Marni Mann:
Newsletter Sign Up: http://bit.ly/2jgSlME
Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/2ibi3Fk
Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/2j5RsJw
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2j60beH
 
Gia Riley:
Newsletter Sign Up: http://bit.ly/2jgHSAE
Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/2jsM5AL
Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/2jBrVsg
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2j3CnrD
  


Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie


Thursday, 16 February 2017

RELEASE BLITZ: Mack Daddy by Penelope Ward

mack daddy available      

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From New York Times bestselling author, Penelope Ward, comes a sexy, STANDALONE second-chance romance.

They called him Mack Daddy. No, seriously, his name was Mack. Short for Mackenzie. Thus, the nickname. Perfect, right?

So was he: perfect. The perfect physical male specimen.

At the private school where I taught, Mack Morrison was the only man around in a sea of women.

Everyone wanted a piece of the hot single father of the sweet little boy.

I was riddled with jealousy, because they didn’t know that—to me—he was much more.

They didn’t know about our past.

He’d chosen my school for his son on purpose, because Mack and I, we had unfinished business.

As my friend Lorelai so eloquently put it: “Unfinished business between two people who are clearly attracted to each other is like an eternal case of blue balls.” And I was suffering in pain from my case.

I was still intensely attracted to Mack. I tried to resist him, immersing myself further into a relationship with another man just to protect my heart.

Not to mention, getting involved with a parent was strictly against school rules. But seeing Mack day in and day out was breaking me down.

And soon I might be breaking all the rules.

Author's note – Told in alternating points of view, Mack Daddy is a full-length standalone novel.

iBooks | Nook | Kobo

     

    REVIEW

RATING:




If you’ve read Sins of Sevin, you know what kind of angst Penelope can produce. If you haven’t, well, I’ll say that she can DO angst and a complicated one to boot! So you need to be in the mood, for starter, just saying…

To me, that’s what this is, complicated angst. I even think that having Mack Daddy as a title almost doesn’t match the overall tone of the book. Because I think when I hear Mack Daddy, I almost expected light and fluffy, but I knew better. This is Penelope after all.

And because I know how Penelope can build the feels, I was prepared for all of it. To a point that right from the get-go, I can already feel a 5-star read. However, as painful as what I am about to say, it wasn’t. Sorry, let me clarify that. It was up until ¾-mark. For me, in a blink of an eye, the series of events that followed right after that point pulled me out of my headspace really quickly that it sadly lowered my rating.

But I’m getting ahead of myself… so let me just backtrack a bit. This is a story about 2nd chances, a fave trope. But with 2nd chances of course, there’s gotta be a reason why it didn’t work the 1st time, right? Such is Mack and Frankie’s story.

They started out as friends, as in really good friends. But things couldn’t move forward b/w them because something happened. In time, we found out why. Meanwhile, people’s lives do go on. There are more people involved now which complicates things in tenfolds. And on top of that, there are all these unresolved feelings…

Mack is a good man. He has valid reasons why things unfolded the way they did. But what’s super clear is how he felt about Frankie. Frankie, on the other hand, understood why things unfolded the way they did. She learned how to move forward, but did she really? Frankie is nowhere near the unassuming person she thinks she is, and Mack saw that. And Frankie had the right quietude and fortitude to her that Mack needed. In essence, they complemented each other the way only a perfect couple do. Sigh… When their next turn finally came, it unfolded in the most delish manner. With Mack and his dirty thoughts and crassness juxtaposed with the sweetest words oozing with sincerity, Frankie didn’t stand a chance, sweet dang!

Add in now the other players, and some people are meant to get hurt, no two ways about it. That part I understood. Whether it’s outrightly incorporated in any romance stories or not, there will always be winners, ie, the H&h, and there will be losers. In this case, it didn’t mean that I took pleasure in the minor players’ feelings because I certainly did not, but my feelings towards Mack and Frankie just took precedence. This part may challenge some romance readers, I’m telling you now.

This now brings me to the part that made me struggle. There was so much happening in the last quarter that as intense as they were, they all just came barreling down so fast that by the end, everything just felt conveniently resolved. I found that the biggest shame. In my head, Mack and Frankie were so developed that I was really drawn in to their journey, and to give that rushed last bits felt like a disservice to them, to put it bluntly. Oy! I think just a tad more pages would've helped.

So I would recommend it? I can't fully say yes, but I wouldn't say no either... so I guess it depends...


He's Back

   

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She’s a fifteen-time New York Times bestseller of twelve novels. Having grown up in Boston with five older brothers, she spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 12-year-old girl with autism and a 10-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.   Connect with Penelope Ward Facebook Fan Group | Facebook | Website |Twitter | Instagram  



Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie


Monday, 23 January 2017

REVIEW: Love in Lingerie by Alessandra Torre

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I hired her to fix my company, to bring Marks Lingerie back to life. I didn’t expect her to become my friend. I didn’t expect to fall in love with her.

The first rule of business is to never touch your employees. I think there is another rule about not falling for your best friend—a rule against imagining the curves of her body, or the way her breathing would change if I pulled down her panties and unzipped my pants.

Now, I can’t wait any longer. I’m tossing out the rules.

Damn the company.

Damn our friendship.

Damn my fears. 
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REVIEW

RATING:




Hmmm...

As far as I’m concerned, AT’s writing is always gonna be exceptional, period; which is why I keep coming back to her. Having said that, there is something happening lately where her stories and I are not jiving. As much as I love her writing and how well she develops her MC’s, I can’t seem to be fully on board with where she takes these MCs. 

Take this story. Trey and Kate’s relationship started as boss-employee that moved to friends-to-lovers in looong slow burn way. And I get it. I get why. What I didn’t get, or I should say agree, is the how they got there.

If you’re not a fan of OM/OW, then this is not for you. I’m not usually either, unless the OM/OW is from the past and is just trying to insert him/herself into the budding relationship and failing at that. Here, OM/OW is very much in the present. And interestingly enough, not in a way that one would expect, at least to me. I almost want to say that the OM/OW here is necessary to show growth in the MCs. Did I agree with it? There lies my issue. I get it, yet I don’t. So I think ultimately, it’ll be a personal take.

Also, I’ve now associated AT with unexpected twists in plots but the kinds of twists here were definitely different, I’d say.

Now if you’re an AT fan, then rest assured, her writing continues to be on point. One of the reasons why I guess I can still say that I enjoyed it enough. I appreciated the sexual tension between H&h. I thought both MCs were well developed. I saw their growth. And while I didn’t agree with some of their decisions, I understood. 

And if I may add, probably not best to think of this as just romance. I don’t think AT knows how to do a straightforward romance that follows your typical arc in the first place, and I meant that in the most complimentary way. So because this is AT, I told myself to think of it more as erotic/romantic fiction. And when I did, things made more sense in my head… if that made sense at all…



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Author Photo 

Alessandra Torre is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of fourteen novels. Her books focus on romance and suspense, all with a strong undercurrent of sexuality. Torre has been featured in such publications as Elle and Elle UK, co-hosted Dirty Sexy Funny with Jenny McCarthy, as well as guest blogged for the Huffington Post and RT Book Reviews. She has also served as the Bedroom Blogger for Cosmopolitan.com.

You can learn more about Alessandra on her website at www.alessandratorre.com, or you can find her on Twitter (@ReadAlessandra) or Facebook.

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~Leftie


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