Aug 28, 2015

REVIEW: Lush In Lace By A. J. Ridges

Genre: MM Contemporary Romance
Pages: 123
Buy The Book:

(Free for MM Romance Group memebers! All you need is to sign up!) 
 
Connect With The Author:
Goodreads / Website / Twitter

Synopsis On Goodreads:

My brother, Jamie, finally got to marry his lifelong best friend, BJ, this weekend. I was Jamie’s best man, and Scott was BJ’s best man. Not an ideal situation for either of us, since Scott and I have been enemies since high school. Somehow we managed to get through the weeks before the wedding without killing each other (barely), but then the bachelor party incident occurred and added fuel to the fire.

Now we argue even more, and the sexual tension between us is unbearable, at least for me. Unfortunately, I have things I like— kinky things— that Scott would never be able to handle, probably because he’s not even gay. Or at least that’s what I always thought, but now I’m not so sure and apparently neither is he…

Lush in Lace is a complete contemporary story written as part of the Goodreads MM Romance Group's Don't Read in the Closet - Love is an Open Road event.

Tags: enemies to lovers, gay for you, out for you, funny/humorous, snarky, bickering best men, lingerie (maties/stockings), fetish/toys, nerd/jock, panty-scorcher, porngasmic fluff, family
 
RATING: 3.5 stars/ 5 stars
 
*** REVIEW ***
 
Having read 3-4 f/m reads in a row my inner mm fangirl was demanding that she had it enough and was in need of some mm love, so I decided that it was high time to give her her special treat in a form of this mm enemies-to-lovers novella.
 
Rylan & Scott, the gay nerd and the popular jock and ladiesman, have been arch enemies all their life despite their brothers being in a relationship and their families close friends. There was just something about Rylan and the other way around that provoke the other to mess with him on a regular basis. Their snarky "fights", emotional moments and steamy scenes were the best parts of the story.
 
I must admit that I was a bit skeptic at first after I had read that one of the guy is into lingeries (manties/stockings), but now, after I had read it, all I can say that the manties only added to the hotness department and I wouldn't mind reading more mm romances with heroes with this type of fetish.
 
Recommended to mm fans with preferance for fast-paced, sweet, fun and a little kinky mm enemies-lovers contemporary romances!
 
Make mm fangirl happy: Misson Completed!
 

xoxo,
 
Purple

Aug 27, 2015

ARC REVIEW: The Moment of Letting Go By J. A. Redmerski

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Buy The Book:
Amazon / B&N / iBook / GooglePlay / Kobo / BAM
Connect With The Author:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads 
Synopsis On Goodreads:
You can follow the rules or you can follow your heart...

THE MOMENT OF LETTING GO


Sienna Murphy never does anything without a plan. And so far her plans have been working. Right after college, she got a prestigious job and gained the stability she'd always craved-until work takes her to the sun-drenched shores of Oahu and places her in the path of sexy surfer Luke Everett. For the first time, she lets her heart take control. Drawn to his carefree charm, she makes a spontaneous and very un-Sienna-like decision to drop everything and stay in Hawaii for two more weeks.

Luke lives fast and wild. When he meets Sienna, he's convinced that some no-strings-attached fun is just what she needs. As their nights quickly turn from playful to passionate, Luke can't deny the deep connection he feels. But there's a reason Luke doesn't do long-term. He can't promise Sienna forever, when the enormity of his past has shown him just how fragile the future can be . . . 

RATING: 3/5 stars

*** REVIEW ***

"Most of people never let their feet leave the ground, whether they're afraid of heights, or afraid of hospitals, or they stay in the same place all their life because they're afraid of change. So many people go through life on the ground and die without ever knowing that they can fly."


You know that one perfect read from the author you like you keep comparing his/her every next book? Well, that type of read is In the Company of Killers series by Redmerski for me. Therefore, while I did like this book, at the same time it didn't manage to dethrone ItCoK. 
Having said that The Moment of Letting Go is a well-written, slow-building and emotional contemporary romance about two people helping each other conquer their biggest fears while at the same time falling in love.  The main characters are a 22 year old event coordinator Sienna Murphy and 24 year old surf instructor Luke Everett who accidentaly meet in one of the most beautiful and romantic places in the world- Hawaii. The whole plot is focused on them slowly getting to know each other, learning from each other and starting a romance with a few "bumps" in the way of their happiness. It's a fairly light read without bigger drama which is probably one of my main reasons for 3 stars rating, because I prefer more complex and thrilling stories. The charcaters were likable and relatable enough, but overall, I don't know, I guess I failed to connect to them on some deeper level.

Life is too short and uncertain to live it in a cage paralized by fear. We all need more moments of letting go of our fears and worries in life, taking risks and just enjoying life to its fullest, otherwise we'll die with all those "what ifs" haunting us in the afterlife. That's the thought-provoking and inspirational message of the story which I think anyone of us can relate to, but the book as a whole was a 3 stars read for me. I would recommend it to romance junkies who are fans of light, sweet and emotional love stories or if  you are more of a romance suspense/ dark thriller fan like me- I higly recommend Redmerski's ItCoK series.

xoxo,

Purple

Aug 25, 2015

ARC Review: SUSTAINED (The Legal Briefs, #2) by Emma Chase







Summary:

A knight in tarnished armor is still a knight.

When you’re a defense attorney in Washington, DC, you see firsthand how hard life can be, and that sometimes the only way to survive is to be harder. I, Jake Becker, have a reputation for being cold, callous, and intimidating—and that suits me just fine. In fact, it’s necessary when I’m breaking down a witness on the stand.

Complications don’t work for me—I’m a “need-to-know” type of man. If you’re my client, tell me the basic facts. If you’re my date, stick to what will turn you on. I’m not a therapist or Prince Charming—and I don’t pretend to be.

Then Chelsea McQuaid and her six orphaned nieces and nephews came along and complicated the ever-loving hell out of my life. Now I'm going to Mommy & Me classes, One Direction concerts, the emergency room, and arguing cases in the principal's office.

Chelsea’s too sweet, too innocent, and too gorgeous for her own good. She tries to be tough, but she’s not. She needs someone to help her, defend her…and the kids.

And that — that, I know how to do.





Buy Links:




Connect with the Author:





My Review:




5 stars for Sustained, 5 hearts for Jake Becker, 6 hugs for the adorable little monsters also known as Sustained children, and a special hi for a very special girl.

Hi!

(I'd give Chelsea something too, but she got Jake, so she's covered. :))


So far I haven't read a book by Emma Chase I didn't like, and I've read them all, I believe. Even when I thought the hero deserved a swift kick in the head, I still liked the book. For Sustained, the general feeling is: I loved it! I loved it! I loved it! Most of all, I loved Jake Becker.

After finishing Overruled, which is the first book in this series, I had a feeling Jake Becker's book would be interesting. I couldn't wait to find out who the woman who won the heart of that seemingly cold, callous man would be. And sure enough, the story was so sweet and wonderful I wish I had the paperback to hug it -- which is what I wrote right after I finished reading it. And it really was. It was also fun to read; of course it was a hot read too; heartwarming as well; at times sad; all in all, a perfect blend of all of that. On top of that, the whole book was written in Jake's POV, and we all know Emma Chase does male POV very well. With that and Jake Becker as the male lead, it was a sure bet this would be an absolute winner.

Jake Becker (I seem to like saying his name a lot ;)) is, in my humble opinion, the best hero Ms. Chase ever wrote about. (Sorry, Drew.)
The last thing Jake told us in the book is that everything in his life "sounds perfect because... it really. Fucking. Is." That's the line I'm going to borrow to describe what, in short, I thought about this book: It's perfect. It really. Fucking. Is. And it's mostly thanks to him.


*****


Jake Becker had been living his life as the big bad defense attorney, and the anti-Prince Charming until one day a kid stole his wallet and changed his life forever and for better...

As it turned out, the kid had an aunt that was the most beautiful woman Jake had ever seen -- Chelsea. He also had five brothers and sisters, and that put a damper on pursuing anything romantic for Chelsea who was their guardian ever since their parents died in a car accident. Not that Jake and Chelsea weren't interested. As fate would have it, what kept them crossing each other's path were the kids who often needed help to get out of trouble. Jake recognized himself in some of the young rebels, and remembered how he had a lot of help in becoming the man he is, and felt the need to help Chelsea and the children out. The defender that he is, he finally found people worth defending. It was amazing how quickly he became a part of their lives, especially how much it all felt right. He suffered through a One Direction concert for them, enough said. Of course, he did have a little freak-out, but he soon came to his senses. In short, what followed was whole lot of awesomeness, romance, super cute scenes with the kids, and me being rather sad the book was over.

There was also a smaller part in the story regarding Jake's work, and that was another plus. I'm very happy about the change Jake and his co-workers made.

Honestly, I could spend days trying to think of a flaw in this book, and I'd still come up blank. Really, job well done.

I knew I'd like Jake's book, but this was better than I ever could've imagined.



***ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.***


Until next time, happy reading!


XOXO


 


By day, Emma Chase is a devoted wife and mother who resides in a small, rural town in New Jersey. By night, she toils away bringing her colorful characters and their endless antics to life. Writing has always been a passion and with the 2013 release of her debut romantic comedy, Tangled, the ability to now call herself an author is nothing less than a dream come true. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Overruled/Emma-Chase/The-Legal-Briefs-Series/9781501102035#sthash.7oPZtRxt.dpuf
By day, Emma Chase is a devoted wife and mother who resides in a small, rural town in New Jersey. By night, she toils away bringing her colorful characters and their endless antics to life. Writing has always been a passion and with the 2013 release of her debut romantic comedy, Tangled, the ability to now call herself an author is nothing less than a dream come true. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Overruled/Emma-Chase/The-Legal-Briefs-Series/9781501102035#sthash.7oPZtRxt.dpuf

Aug 24, 2015

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Twenty-One (21) by Clarissa Wild‏‎




Title: Twenty-One (21)
Author: Clarissa Wild
Publication Date: October 7th, 2015
Genre: Dark Romance (18+)
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25143793-twenty-one

Synopsis

21 years
On her 21st birthday she’s taken. Collected by a rich family as an unpaid debt. Her body sold. Her mind his.
21 weeks
For 21 weeks she carried a burden no girl should ever have to carry. Now she loses her freedom to a man born to destroy her.
21 days
His name: Angel DeLuca. His mission: to break her in 21 days before she sees through his lies. But she won’t give up without a fight.
21 minutes
It takes only 21 minutes for their lives to be forever entwined.
21 seconds
21 seconds to spill. Time is running out.

Secrets ruin them … but not all truths are worth the price.

This is a STANDALONE Dark Romance novel. WARNING: contains explicit situations, dubious consent, graphic violence, drug abuse, and other disturbing content.



Exclusive preorder on: iBooks




Excerpt:

(Copyright 2015 Clarissa Wild. Unedited. Subject to change.)

Day 1


Sky


A never-ending darkness shrouds me, the surrounding void like space, swallowing me whole. Eyes open or eyes shut, it doesn’t make a difference to the vast emptiness around me. It seeps into my bones like poison, clouding my mind from the memories that I had.
Where am I?
My body feels cold, and my limbs solid, like they’re not mine. I notice myself breathing, however. The only thing I hear is the steady, rhythmic beating of my heart. The only sound in this dark hole. Thud, thud … thud.
For a moment I doubt my own existence.
Who am I, even?
A drop of water falling onto a surface pulls me back into reality. I’m here, but how?
My fingers tighten and relax in an attempt to regain control. My muscles feel stiff, but slowly the sensation is returning to the tips of my fingers, giving me a small bit of hope that I might find out what happened to me.
With slow movements, I let my hand slide only a few inches, but it’s enough to determine that I’m lying on a concrete floor. My head begins to hurt and every passing second the pain increases. I move my fingers to my head and touch the back of my scalp. The searing pain stops me and tells me I’m wounded.
When I touch my face I gasp. There is a bag over my head with a hole near my mouth and nose through which I can breathe. For a second, I contemplate removing it, but then I realize they might be watching me.
A buzz moves through my body, bringing life back to my limbs. And even though I’m regaining my sense of touch, my vision is still impaired. However, my eyes feel fine as I touch them, so it must be the lack of light.
I push my elbows underneath me and lean up. A sudden queasiness overtakes me, causing me to buckle and heave. I puke on the floor beside me, which surprises me, because I hardly ever puke.
I tally up the sensations that I’m feeling. Nausea, loss of motor skills, buzzing nerves, botched memory … it all leads to one conclusion: I was drugged.
Stabilizing myself on the floor, I focus on regaining control over my body before moving again. This place is unfamiliar to me, and I dig into my mind to find clues as to how I ended up here. The pain that’s slowly creeping to the surface of my skin distracts me, but I still manage to catch a glimpse of a memory in the back of my mind.
Men with black masks and fire weapons dragging me out of a room. A cloth with a sharp odor pushed against my mouth. Drowsiness engulfing me. A big SUV, also black, doors sliding to the side. A blow to the back of my head. All lights went out.
My skin pricks with anxiety, and I shiver to shake off the fear. It doesn’t help, because I know deep down that there is more to come.
There is one question in my mind that can’t help but repeat itself. Why me?
This is the single question every victim of abduction asks.
Except, I already know the answer.
It was only a matter of time before they came for me.
My papa once told me that goodness always comes at a price. Now more than ever, do I realize the truth in his words. However, I don’t regret making the decision for even a second.
Now, I’m here in a darkness so deep it consumes me whole.
And still the light of rebellion sparks inside my heart, fueling a fire I haven’t felt before. An uncontrollable need to defy whoever is keeping me here.
But I will wait. Lying in the cold, harsh, emptiness of this space, I will await my captor’s arrival and take whatever he’s going to give me. Punishment. Pain. I’ll endure it all.
Because that’s what a good person does when they’ve made their choice.
They bear the burden of their choice, because it’s the only thing they can do.


***


I don’t know how many hours pass before a noise wakes me. I can’t remember when and how I fell asleep, but I must’ve been very tired from the ordeal. A metallic door is slid open, a crack of light splitting through the opening. The burlap bag over my head makes it difficult to see, but when I narrow my eyes and focus I can still determine where I am.
Only now do I see how small my cell really is.
The vast emptiness I thought would overwhelm me, turns out to be not much more than a bedroom-sized cell. A quick look at the walls reveals iron rings of all shapes and sizes, used to hook a chain around and snare whoever needs to be contained and subdued.
In other words; me.
Squinting, I watch as a man steps inside, and I focus solely on his presence. Even though the door is open, and freedom is luring me on the other side, I stay put and watch. No matter how much I’d try, I’d never be able to flee. Not like this, with my muscles weak and my body aching. There are probably a bunch of guards waiting outside, wondering whether I’m going to try anything.
So I won’t. I’ll sit right here on this cold, hard concrete, observing my captor as he walks into the room with a certain aloofness. His feet are bold, his body brawny, his face hiding behind a Guy Fawkes mask. If I weren’t so scared, I would’ve pondered why he chose that specific mask to conceal his identity, but now is not that time.
His footsteps sound more like sand scraping off a harsh surface as he circles around me like a snake ready to attack its prey. The door is left open like a silent seducer, a tool to entice me to run. I look up at my captor, giving him a deadly stare, and even though I can’t see him, I know he can feel the determination in me.
I won’t let myself be tempted to flee like a wounded deer.
Not when I know that this is merely a distraction, like a lollypop being dangled in front of a child while the adult knows full well he’s never going to give it to the child, and the child knows he can never reach far enough to grasp it.
I refuse to be that child.
My captor walks some more, and then returns to the door to close it.
His experiment failed.
I control my emotions.
He doesn’t know who he’s up against.
In the darkness I hear him come closer, the only sound being his steady breath and soft steps. He’s still testing me. Seeing if I’ll give in to the fear. Alone with him, the predator, in a cage filled with blackness. But I’m not afraid of the dark.
My soul has already been tainted and defiled. Nothing he does can hurt me. I already went past the breaking point once … and I survived.
“Up.”
The sound of his voice suddenly breaking through the façade makes me take in a breath. It’s familiar and yet so unknown, the way he speaks to me with full authority, resoluteness resounding in every spoken letter, even if there are few.
I crawl up from the ground, slowly, steadily, maintaining my posture. My aching back and pounding head won’t stop me from attempting to keep my dignity as I stand up straight and stare ahead.
My captor’s steps are everywhere, resounding in the darkness like echoes that disappear into the night. He’s confusing me, and I try not to concentrate on the sound, but on my own heartbeat instead.
Suddenly, he’s right in front of me, and the air is sucked out of my lungs. I struggle not to let my breath come out in short gasps, but I won’t let his tactics work on me.
His breathing sounds like that of a bull, short and loud, as if he’s readying for charge.
But he doesn’t move. He just stands there, gazing at me.
“Do you know where you are?” he asks with a low, gruff voice that brings goose bumps to my body.
I compose myself before I answer. “No.”
“Good.”
I can hear a faint smile behind that word, but the second my eyebrows move, he puts his hands on my chest and shoves me. I fall down backwards on the hard floor, bruising my groin.
After a while, he says. “Do you know why you’re here?”
I don’t answer. I refuse to. Why would I? He is only here to intimidate and hurt me. There’s no benefit for me in answering his questions. As a matter of fact, I think he owes me some answers instead.
“Why am I here?” I ask.
He’s silent for a few seconds, and then a smug laugh is dulled by the mask.
“Bold. I like that.”
“Who are you?” I ask, putting emphasis on every word as if they’re the last that’ll come from my mouth.
He muffles another laugh. “Who am I? I am the man who will break you.”
I shake my head, still lying on the floor as if I’m taunting him. Maybe I am. I want him to speak, and for that to happen, I have to be the one asking the questions, not the other way around.
“Where am I?”
“Where you belong,” he growls, and then he takes a step forward, grabs my arm, and pulls me up from the floor.
“Why—”
Smack. His hand hits my cheek, silencing me.
“You do not talk unless spoken to.”
My head is still to the right, as I refuse to look at him. I will not bow to his violence. If he hits me, my body will remain rigid, unmoving. Not an inch of pain will exude from me.
“You may be wondering why you’re here, but you’re forgetting the most important question. What have you done to be here?”
My lip quivers, so I force it to stop. I can’t show weakness. Not now, not ever.
He grabs my chin. “You don’t seem to remember, so let me refresh your memory,” he says. “You stole something. It’s time to give it back. You have twenty-one days to come up with an answer.” He pulls me closer with a pinch. “Lie and I’ll know. Do you understand?”
I nod while blankly staring at his mask. If I’m to obey to survive, I’ll do just that, but no one can take away my pride.
He let’s go of my chin and pushes me away. “It’s time for you to pay back what you owe.”
Fear ripples through my veins. “Pay what back?” I say, taking a step forward.
He shoves me so hard my back hits the wall and the air is ripped from my chest. I sink to my knees against it.
“Don’t think I will go easy on you. Just because I know about you, doesn’t mean I won’t rip you apart if you don’t tell me the truth.”
“What truth?” I gasp. “What do you know about me?”
He turns around, but waits, standing still in the darkness with only the sound of ragged breaths filling the room.
“You tell me,” he says, his voice softer than before, almost as if he himself doesn’t know the reason.
Frowning, I look up at him, and for some reason the way he cracks his knuckles feels so familiar.
But then the feeling immediately disappears as he starts walking toward the door.
“Wait, you haven’t told me why I’m here yet. How am I supposed to know what to tell you?”
I can hear him knock on the door. Then there’s a pause. “Oh … you’ll now soon enough.”
The forewarning brings chills to my skin.
The door opens with a squeak and in comes the blinding light again. It’s so bright, my captor’s clothes almost look pale as snow. But then I realize that’s only because I haven’t seen light in such a long time … and I won’t be seeing it any time soon.
The last words he speaks remain with me for the rest of the day, echoing in my mind over and over again. “Welcome to your own personal hell.”




Author

Clarissa Wild is a New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author, best known for the dark Romance novel Mr. X. Her novels include the Fierce Series, the Delirious Series, and Stalker. She is also a writer of erotic romance such as the Blissful Series, The Billionaire's Bet series, and the Enflamed Series. She is an avid reader and writer of sexy stories about hot men and feisty women. Her other loves include her furry cat friend and learning about different cultures. In her free time she enjoys watching all sorts of movies, reading tons of books and cooking her favorite meals.

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*** Giveaway ***


Aug 22, 2015

REVIEW: Magic Shifts (Kate Daniels #8) by Ilona Andrews

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Pnr Romance
Buy The Book:
AMAZON / BD / B & N / KOBO
Connect With The Author:
Synopsis On Goodreads:
In the latest Kate Daniels novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews, magic is coming and going in waves in post-Shift Atlanta—and each crest leaves danger in its wake…


After breaking from life with the Pack, mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate—former Beast Lord Curran Lennart—are adjusting to a very different pace. While they’re thrilled to escape all the infighting, Curran misses the constant challenges of leading the shapeshifters.

So when the Pack offers him its stake in the Mercenary Guild, Curran seizes the opportunity—too bad the Guild wants nothing to do with him and Kate. Luckily, as a veteran merc, Kate can take over any of the Guild’s unfinished jobs in order to bring in money and build their reputation. But what Kate and Curran don’t realize is that the odd jobs they’ve been working are all connected.

An ancient enemy has arisen, and Kate and Curran are the only ones who can stop it—before it takes their city apart piece by piece…

RATING: 4/5 stars

*** REVIEW ***

"One doesn’t let her fiancé fight a horde of ghouls by himself." 


The 8th installment in the Kate Daniels series was one of my most expected reads of 2015 and as usual- it did not disappoint. It's not one of my favorite books of the series, but it was still pretty awesome.

Fun, action-packed and suspenseful. I expected this book to focus on Kate vs. Hugh or even Kate vs. Roland plot, but I was wrong. There's completly another, unfamiliar villain in the town making Kate's and the life of  the rest of her gang complicated and everything but ordinary. Beside shifters and vampires, as a special bonus we also get ghouls, djinns, giants and many more mythical creatures. The plot can be summed up with one sentence: Action, action everywhere. It's probably the most action-packed book of the series which was a positive and slightly negative thing for me. Positive, because the duo Andrews excel at writing these scenes for the most part. Negative, because- it's like the characters and both the reader couldn't catch a break. All that non-stop action, no matter how gripping and well-done, tended to become a bit exhausting and overwhelming from time to time for me and the thing I missed is more interaction between characters aside fighting.

My favorite parts of the plot:  
~ Roland, Kate, Curran & Julie having a "family dinner." That was hilarious! Wish we had seen more of Roland in this installment, because he's a really intriguing and fun (in a creepy kind) of way character.

~ Kate's & Curran's unsuccessful attempts at being good neighbors, LOL.

~ New neighbors in the hood.

The only flaw: Where is Hugh??? I missed that psycho/ sociopath / killer. :(

All in all, without spoiling anything all I'm going to add is that this series is a special treat for every urban fantasy/ pnr romance fan. A must read. I usually lose interest or get disappointed at some point with series which have more than 5 books, but this is not the case. Highly recommended!


xoxo,

Purple

Aug 21, 2015

My Top New Adult Choices

Lets talk about the New Adult genre!

Some people love it, some people hate it. I personally love it – but when it’s good. NA centers on characters in their early 20s, those who are entering the adult world, but are still quite unsure of where they belong. In theory it should contain the best of YA and adult worlds, and by its very definition, it should be my favorite genre.



I’m sad to say that I’d read more NA I hated than those I loved; therefore I always look for good NA books to read. I know some people even gave up on the genre, but I refuse to do that because I believe NA has some good things to offer. So here I’ve decided to share my favorite NA books and authors, and of course to ask you for some recommendations. Here are my best of the best! 




First of all, the ADDICTED series by Krista and Becca Ritchie. These books represent to me what NA genre should be about. These are my absolute favorites! *insert heart eyes* I can’t even talk about NA without mentioning these books. Tag line goes: 9 books. 6 friends. 3 couples. 1 epic series. And there’s no better description than that. Read this if you want a series that a little bit angsty (it’s about a female sex addict and her alcoholic best friend), but with plenty of funny moments too; it’s also about brotherhood and sisterhood, exploring sexuality, public opinions, growing up.. and a lot more. With these books I cried, I laughed, I fell in love. You can begin reading from the first book – Addicted to You (which is free for limited time, so better grab it!) or you can read Calloway Sisters spin-offs starting with Kiss the Sky.

*A2Y Goodreads link
*KTS Goodreads link
*Krista & Becca Ritchie's website 


 • My other favorite NA author is Leah Raeder, with her books Unteachable and Black Iris. (Cam Girl is coming out in November, and they’re all standalones.) Her books are definitely more mature, with edgier themes; Raeder definitely talks about things that need talking about (e.g. issues of gender and sexuality). But in my opinion, her finest feature is the writing style; if like me, you enjoy poetic and descriptive writing, you will certainly love these books. It’s like Raeder sees the world in madly vivid colors, and sounds and by reading we glimpse the world little bit differently too. It’s an unique and unforgettable experience.
Unteachable deals with teacher/student romance, and Black Iris’ main theme is revenge. I love and recommend them both.




*UNT Goodreads link
*BI Goodreads link
*Leah Raeder's website




Some other NA books I enjoyed are: Deeper by Robin York, which at first glance it may seem like a typical NA book, but the story is actually quite good (it explores a very important theme of revenge porn). Then Faking It by Cora Carmack, it’s lighter and more on the fun & fluff side, but still good nevertheless. And I really need to read more books from Carmack, I like how she writes!




There are of course a lot more NA authors I’d read and loved, such as Tammara Webber, Colleen Hoover, Penelope Douglas, but I feel they are very popular and quite familiar to everyone by now.

Now, if you’re a NA guru, please share some books I might’ve missed. What are your favorite NA titles?






xoxo, 
Beatrix

Aug 20, 2015

Spotlight Tour & Giveaway: Healing Fire by Sean Michael



Healing Fire
Sean Michael

Genre: Gay Fantasy, Dragon Shifter
Publisher: ARe Books
Date of Publication: August 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-943576-18-0
Word Count: 41,000
Cover Artist: Erin Dameron Hill


Book Description:

What will it take for a dragon prince to defy his father and fly on his own?

Prince Jules, the least favorite of the Dragon King's children, lives simply, banished to his rooms and the amazing adventures found in his books. He has never left the palace or shifted into his dragon form…he's never done anything.

Dragon shifter Lem is assigned to Jules as the prince's new bodyguard, and is determined to keep Jules safe from the Graithen, who killed the prince’s previous guardian. Lem grows to hate how the King hides Jules away, and longs to show him how to fly. His love for Jules also grows but it is forbidden, like so much in Jules' life.

When the Graithen attack again, though, everything changes.

Available at ARe


Excerpt:

Lem was worried about the prince. Jules didn’t sleep. He didn’t eat. He didn’t do anything but lie in his bed. Lem knew how to defend Jules from outside threats. He did not know how to defend the prince from himself.
The little prince was never cruel. He barely spoke, he barely moved. Lem had been told that Jules used to spend most of his time reading, staying in his suite with his bodyguard Mabon.
Lem, of course, knew Mabon—all the bodyguards knew each other by sight—but not very well. The strong dragon had been older and had had more training than Lem currently did when he’d been called to the prince’s side almost two hundred years ago.
Lem knew they were very big wings indeed that he had to fill. He also knew, without question, that the blame would fall upon him should Jules die. And rightly so. He was the prince’s protector. He just wasn’t sure how he could protect Jules from himself, for surely that was what the danger was at this time. It made Lem think. What would Mabon have done?
There was a private courtyard off of Jules’ rooms, meant solely for the prince’s pleasure. Lem knew that no one else was allowed back there, not even gardeners. The area was completely cut off from the rest of the castle by high, windowless walls, and the only entrance was through the door in Jules’ quarters. Perhaps a little air, a change of scenery would be good. Decided, Lem went to Jules, the prince still curled up in his nest as he had been earlier this morning. And yesterday, and the day before that, and the week before that, since Lem had been here.
“Your Highness, let’s go out to the courtyard. I can hear the fountain, but have never seen it.”
Jules looked at him for a moment, the green eyes beautiful, if so sad. One slender hand waved as if to say, “go.”
Grunting, Lem girded his loins against his own training, which said he didn’t do this, that he was never to touch the prince if he could avoid it. He bent, picking Jules right up out of his nest.
“What?” Jules sputtered.
Dragons needed sustenance, sunlight. They needed it. Lem clung to that thought and stayed the course.
“We are going to the courtyard.”
He didn’t put Jules down. The prince would probably curl back up in his nest, or possibly find a nook or cranny to hide in, and Lem was not having that. He was taking his prince into the sunlight, even if it meant he was disobeying his prince’s wishes. His job was to protect and defend.
When Lem pushed through the door into the courtyard, he gasped as the sunshine touched his skin. It had been days. Days. He could feel it, energizing him, warming him. He had been so busy worrying about the prince, he’d forgotten his own need for the warm touch.
He wanted to close his eyes and bask, but he didn’t. As private as this space was, that didn’t mean impenetrable. There was still the air, and he was no longer guarding the door from Jules’ quarters. So he kept his eyes open, stayed aware, and walked toward the lovely fountain that had pride of place in the center of the surprisingly roomy courtyard.
“Can you feel the sunshine in your bones?” he asked even though he knew Jules could, the dull sheen on Jules’ skin already beginning to warm, to take on a hint of vitality.
It was obvious to Lem that he had done the right thing. Master Anselle had always told him to follow his gut. Worried as it had made him, he had. He sent a silent prayer of thanks and love to his teacher. Every lesson, no matter how strange or hard or simple, was proving to be useful in the guardianship of his charge.
Prince Jules lifted his face to the sun, the motion simple, instinctual. It gave Lem his first real look at the prince’s face.
Unlike the thickset, heavy dragons that made up Lem’s caste, Jules had the delicate, gentle features of the ruling class. Perhaps the most beautiful features Lem had ever seen. The sadness in them did not dim Jules’ beauty in the least.
Lem let himself memorize the fine cheekbones, the long, slender nose. He imagined Jules’ dragon would be quite small, but perfectly formed. He’d never seen a royal in dragon form, but had heard that their scales were impossibly beautiful.
Moving to the fountain, he took in the form of the tree that was in the center of it, water pouring from its boughs. Such wonderful magic!
“My mother formed this for me.” Words, actual words, offered freely. This was indeed a magical spot.
“It’s beautiful. Is the water healing?” Lem asked as he sat on the bench that wound its way around the fountain.
Jules nodded. “But it cannot heal me.”


About the Author:

Sean Michael, often referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and pursuing the Kama Sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to "Chicago."
A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.

Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.
For more information on other books by Sean, visit his official website: 

Author Links:



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