Tag Archives: review

March 31, 2013 · 12:00 pm

Heart of Darkness by Lauren Dane (Book Review)

Website
Amazon (Paperback Version)
Meriel Owen, next in line to control the largest organization of witches in the country, is asked to investigate the owner of a notorious club reportedly siphoning magic from the font of the Clan. It’s a direct violation of the Clan Code of Conduct, but one look at Dominic Bright and Meriel’s willing to make a deal. One taste of the sexually feral outlaw witch, and she’s eager to go further: he’s her bond mate, a legal conduit into the world of Clan witches and their magic.
Playing by the rules isn’t Dominic’s style, but bonding with Meriel—night after explosive night—is. However, Meriel has unwittingly invited someone else into her world: Dominic’s mother, a dangerous and poisonously influential magic addict whose lust for death and power corrupts all she touches. Now her shadow is closing in on Meriel, her Clan, and the man Meriel loves, and it’s casting them all into the inescapable heart of darkness.
 
 
 
 
After hearing about Lauren’s tale-weaving skills for some time now, I decided to give the author’s creations a look. I selected the Bound By Magick series because I’m a fan of paranormal romance novels. This story certainly didn’t lack in the romance department. Meriel and Dominic couldn’t keep their hands off one another. But besides their physical attraction, they connected mentally and magically, too, which made them a perfect match. 
 
My only complaint about the story – at times, I felt like certain sections were rushed. For example, the showdown with Dom’s mom. I expected a surprise or two thrown at us, but it never happened. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t written poorly at all. I was simply waiting for the “Holy Hell” moment. 
 
With that said, I will check out the rest of the series.
 
CHAOS BURNING – Bound By Magick, Book 2
 

GOING UNDER – Bound By Magick, Book 3

WILD DARKNESS – Bound By Magick, Book 4 (Coming November 2013)

 

Heart rating system:

1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 

Score: ❤❤❤❤

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , ,

March 24, 2013 · 12:00 pm

The ‘Riding Tall’ Series by Cheyenne McCray (Multi-Book Review)

Megan Wilder doesn’t think there’s a man in this world who could love her just the way she is. After meeting sexy Ryan McBride, she suspects he might just be the one to change her mind.

With her family in danger of losing their restaurant and their home, a sudden illness has everything Megan thought was sure in her life crashing down around her. Finding out Ryan is the one responsible for threatening foreclosure shakes her very foundation.

Can Ryan and Megan succeed in overcoming their obstacles and fight for a love that was meant to be?

Quick thoughts: 

How could you not fall in love with Ryan’s character. He was so charming, caring, and sweet to everyone. Lets not forgot sexy and those love scenes….whoa momma! 
Megan, she had the girl next door appeal which I found irresistible, just like Ryan.
These two together… electric! 


BUY THE eBOOK: 
Pink Zebra | Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble Nook | Smashwords | Kobo
Paperback: Amazon

 

 

 

The Cat Hayden returning to her childhood home after nineteen years is a different person, and a tragic accident has left her insecure about her appearance. But her heart is still filled with memories of the love she left behind… Blake McBride.

Blake recognizes Cat with his heart, a heart that never stopped loving her. But that heart was broken when she left so long ago. Can he trust her again and rekindle that flame that burned so strong?

A champion barrel racer before the accident, Cat finds herself instructing Blake’s talented yet temperamental fourteen-year-old daughter, Demi. Demi is determined to see her divorced parents find happiness together and Cat, great coach or not, doesn’t fit in the picture.

During a bitter legal battle with his ex-wife, Blake stands to lose custody of his daughter. Cat stands by her man but can he fight for his daughter and keep the woman he loves or will shattering events tear them apart…. Permanently.

 

Quick thoughts: 

 A love like Blake and Cat’s is rare. What’s even rarer is finding it again after life has pulled a couple in two different directions. 
I truly believe this story will touch many reader’s hearts. 
Some will relate to a “lost love”. 
Many have dealt with an ex, like Blake has, who is battling or battled a drug/alcohol addiction. 
Countless people have or are in the middle of a divorce with a child involved. 
But this story has what we all want in life…… A HAPPY ENDING. 🙂


BUY THE eBOOK: 
Pink Zebra | Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble Nook | Smashwords | Kobo

Paperback: Amazon

 

 

 

Tess Grady doesn’t do playboy cowboys and as far as she’s concerned that’s exactly what Gage McBride is. Tess wants steady, stable, and secure in a man and Gage seems to be the farthest thing from that. When women come up to a man in a bar and slap him, that’s got to be a good sign that he’s not the one for her, or a suitable male role model for her young daughter. After losing her husband in a car accident, Tess isn’t even sure she can love again.

Gage has been waiting for the right woman, and he’s sure Tess is the one. The problem is that she believes the reputation he has somehow earned after being betrayed by the one woman he ever loved. He’s not the “cowboy with a woman in every town” that Tess believes he is and he intends to prove it to her.

Tess starts to fall for the sexy cowboy when things go desperately wrong. Harvey Norton, a man from Gage’s past is seeking revenge. Not only did Gage help to put Harvey behind bars for embezzling, but Tess, the woman Harvey is attracted to, seems to be falling for Gage.

Gage’s life is in danger and soon Tess’s is, too. Gage must save Tess while at the same time trying to stay alive.

 

Quick thoughts: 

A cowboy, love scenes including one with bondage, a crazed stalker, and several sweet/tender moments…. Yes, this story was spicy and suspenseful which kept this reader hooked from page one to the final word. 

BUY THE eBOOK:
Paperback:Amazon

 

 
 

 

 

 

 







Jo Burke hasn’t had it easy in life and that includes her history with men. She’s resigned herself to the fact that she really knows how to choose ’em. Not. So when Tate McBride comes around, she doesn’t trust her instincts for a minute because those same instincts have proven faulty time and again. He can’t be nearly as great a guy as he appears to be on the surface.

Tate McBride enjoys being around the feisty redheaded but can’t quite get her to trust him. He’s not worried, though, because one way or another he’s going to win her over.
When Jo’s life is in danger, Tate comes face to face with the possibility of losing the woman he loves. He’s not about to let that happen.



Quick thoughts: 

Just like Jo, I had a feeling David was a no good scoundrel but I had no clue how evil the man would become. Jo lucked out and managed to evade death not once, but three times courtesy of David’s scheming ways. I’m sure it’ll be no surprise to the readers to see good overcame evil. It usually does in romance stories and that’s what we all want to see happen. 🙂

 

Buy The eBook:
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble Nook
Smashwords
Pink Zebra Publishing

Heart rating system 
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Overall Score for the entire series: ❤❤❤❤❤

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , ,

March 17, 2013 · 12:00 pm

Private Berlin by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan (Book Review)

 

Private, the world’s most respected investigation firm, has branches around the world, each staffed with the smartest, fastest, and most advanced agents, who have cutting-edge forensic tools that not even the most powerful governments possess.

At Private Berlin, agent Chris Schneider has disappeared. Chris had taken a secretive personal leave and hadn’t spoken to anyone from the office in days. The Private team retraces his footsteps to the cases he was investigating before his disappearance: a billionaire suspected of cheating on his wife, a world-famous soccer player accused of throwing games, and the owner of a seedy nightclub. They were the last people to see Chris—and they’re all suspects. And someone is lying.

The Private team is led to an abandoned Nazi slaughterhouse where all hope vanishes. As Private digs further into Chris’s past, a terrifying history is revealed, and they begin to suspect that someone very dangerous and very depraved is responsible for Chris’s disappearance. And he’s not finished in Berlin. PRIVATE BERLIN has more twists, action, and deception than any other James Patterson thriller ever.

The latest in the Private Novels had not one, but three mysteries weaved together to keep the readers engaged. Two of the cases investigated by the Private team were not that hard to figure out. Maybe it’s too many hours of watching crime shows such as Criminal Minds that made figuring out the conclusions relatively easy. 

On the other hand, the case of Private agent Chris kept me more on my toes. My heart broke for Mattie when she found Chris’ body covered by rats and again at the funeral during her eulogy. (His death is not a spoiler due to the fact his body is discovered very early on.) 

For the horrors the mothers and their children endured at the hand of Falk is unimaginable. He was a vile creature. However from our history books, we know that many monsters exited in the world back then and still do today. That, in itself, is a scary thought. 

 

Heart rating system:

1 (lowest) and 5 (highest)

Score: ❤❤❤❤

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , ,

March 10, 2013 · 12:00 pm

The ‘Lexi Steele’ Series by Cheyenne McCray (Book Review)

Includes The Edge of Sin by Cheyenne McCray


Blurb: Zane Steele lives a life of extraordinary danger as a government agent an has never let anyone get too close. Then he sees the one woman who will change his life forever

 
 
Reviewing only Cheyenne’s contribution:
Cheyenne hooked me from page one with the ice cream scene. As I was reading it, I had a hankering to make a trip to the local ice cream parlor. The restaurant sexcapade was funny and sexy. I like how C.M. stated the bathroom was clean. It would have to be squeaky clean for me to get busy in one. 🙂

The rest of the short story was just as hot and didn’t lack in funny moments. There was a brief encounter with some bad guys but that was quickly wrapped up and the story ended on a funny/sweet moment. 

 

 
Heart rating system 
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤

 

An Elite Partnership
Alexi Steele is determined, relentless, and driven to protect the innocent. She’s a top agent of the NSA’s clandestine Recovery Enforcement Division, specializing in human trafficking and sex crimes. Her current mission: To infiltrate the inner circle of Boston’s exclusive S&M clubs in order to save young women who are about to be auctioned off to the highest bidders. But Lexi’s only way in is under the control of her new partner in crime, Nicholas Donovan.

An Erotic End Game
Nick will do whatever it takes to bring down the billionaire sex-ring mastermind who’s kidnapped his sister. But the games he must play as Lexi’s dominant are burning away his icy control, and blurring the lines between partners. Meanwhile, their enemies are closing in as they enter a devastating race against time…bringing them dangerously close to THE FIRST SIN.

 
~Quick Thoughts~
 
The emotional and physical torment Steele, Kristen, and the numerous unnamed ladies of the story went through was heartbreaking. I couldn’t imagine being in their predicament for a solitary minute. Unfortunately, human trafficking/sex slave rings are not a thing of fiction even though this story was one. 


Internally, I was screaming and clapping when Steele got her revenge on Cabot. Cheered louder when Kristin got the upper hand on the Professor. I wish all ladies and gents in their position were so lucky. 
 
 
Heart rating system 
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤

BUY THE BOOK: IndieBound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million

 

 

They are Bound by Duty and Desire

As an undercover agent for the NSA’s Recovery Enforcement Division, Alexi Steele is no stranger to the ways and means of the country’s most notorious sex criminals. Still, she’s never seen anything quite like this. Girls from across the globe are being recruited for a modeling competition in New York City, only to end up as enslaved prostitutes. Now it’s up to Lexi and her partner—and lover—Nicholas Donovan to infiltrate the operation.
Will Their Fight for Justice Tear Them Apart?
Finding the mastermind behind the sex trafficking is only one half of the challenge. The other is Nick. Even though she has always trusted him, Lexi can’t help but wonder whether he’s keeping something from her—a shocking secret from his past on the Special Forces unit. Meanwhile, time is running out for the victims—and Lexi may be forced to do the unthinkable to see that the job is done.


~Quick Thoughts~
In this installment, Lexi and Donovan are still on the hunt for Hagstedt, the head honcho. I won’t spill if they ride the world of him or if he evades capture. What I will say is, this story is action packed and violent. But like the last story, one major woman fights back. Dasha was horribly abused but in the end, she becomes the hero. How? Read the story and you’ll discover the answer. 

Trust me, you won’t be able to put this story down once you get started on it. 

Luckily for us, we don’t have to wait a year to read the next installment. It’s already out!  

 
Heart rating system 
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤

 

 

Special Agent Lexi Steele is an operative with RED—the Recovery Enforcement Division, a highly secretive offshoot of the NSA. Her sexy, too-hot-to-handle partner, Nick Donovan, not only ends up in her bed but also gets inside her in a way no man has ever done before.

Lexi and Nick are on the trail of Karl Bachmann, a criminal mastermind who deals in sex slavery. To Lexi’s shock, her team is ordered to pull back. Despite the horrendous crimes Bachmann has committed, they are forced to stop their investigation. Lexi is furious—why would the government let a criminal like Bachmann get away?

Bachmann is out for revenge and is bent on destroying Lexi. When her family is targeted, it’s a run against time as Lexi and Nick search for a missing family member and the man behind it. They find themselves in a web of deceit and betrayal that goes to the very core of the U.S. Government itself.

In the midst of all the turmoil, Lexi fights her emotions for Nick, a distraction she can’t allow. Nick wants her trust and her love…something she doesn’t know if she’ll ever be able to give.

The clock is ticking. Time is running out.

 

~Quick Thoughts~ 

Even though Nick and Lexi were the main characters of the book, the shining star of this installment had to be Rory, Steele’s sister. That girl went from a mouse to a lioness in two seconds flat. Way to go! 

I liked the brief moments when Ryan, Lexi’s brother, and Georgina were near each other. There was a noticeable connection between them so I’m hoping Cheyenne writes their story next. I’m dying to know why Georgina’s eyes were so haunted after she delivered vital intel to the team. Yup, there’s a backstory there. Write it up. Please. 

The ending of the book….. it was very sweet. 

 

Heart rating system 

1 (lowest) and 5 (highest)
Score: ❤❤❤❤❤

BUY THE BOOK: Pink Zebra | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

 

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , ,

March 3, 2013 · 1:00 pm

Wicked All the Way by Shayla Black (Book Review)

 
Retired military colonel Caleb Edgington has spent two long years trying to achieve the most important mission objective of his life—but not behind enemy lines. He’s trying to capture a woman with a broken heart. Having lost at love once, he understands being gun shy. The residual fears from Carlotta Buckley’s nasty divorce have stood between them, but he’s done with that. And he’s got the perfect strategy to lure her in…

Carlotta never thought she’d fall in love again. Once bitten, she’s now more than twice shy. And Caleb is everything she can’t handle—fierce, relentless, uncompromising…sexual. She’s managed to mostly avoid him, but now his son and her daughter need their help. Can Caleb and the spirit of the season convince her that she’s ready to take a chance on love again?

 

 

Outside of paranormal romances, I haven’t read or seen many erotic stories centered around people over the age of 50. I’m sure they are out there, but I’m simply not aware of any. 

In the 100+ pages, Shayla did a marvelous job of bringing Caleb and Lotta’s love to life. She showed passion doesn’t stop at 20-40 and it shouldn’t. 

The only section I wasn’t quite “feeling” was the usage of Hunter’s dungeon. For me, it was like “doing it” in your kid’s bedroom. I’ll pass!  

Besides that one snafu, I liked the story very much. 

 

Heart Rating System 

1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 

Score: ❤❤❤❤ 1/2

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , ,