If It Drives (Market Garden, #7) by L. A. Witt & Aleksandr Voinov

Expected Publication: 31. March 2014

Buy The Book:

Riptide Publishing / Amazon

Author's Page:

A. Voinov's Blog / A. Voinov's Twitter

L. A. Witt's Blog / L. A. Witt on GR

Genre:

MM Erotic Romance

Summary On Goodreads:

If it flies, drives, or fornicates, it's cheaper to rent it.

After driving James Harcourt, his wealthy banker boss, around for a year and a half, Cal isn’t surprised by much anymore. Not even James’s regular trips to Market Garden, London’s most elite gay brothel.

But when James leaves the Garden alone one night and turns to Cal instead, Cal’s floored. After crushing on his boss for ages, it’s his wet dream come true . . . until the awkward morning after. Cal still has a job to do, but he wants to offer more. Yet James doesn’t take him up on it; he keeps Cal at arm’s length and continues his chauffeured jaunts to Market Garden.

As Cal learns what James needs from the rentboys, he tries to fill that need himself. But there’s more to James’s penchant for rentboys than Cal realizes, and it may be one role that Cal can’t fill without overstepping his duty.

RATING:

***REVIEW***

***Arc of this book is provided via Netgalley in exchange for honest review***

"I've driven you around, but I've..."

James wasn't looking into his eyes. He was watching his lips. 

His fingers twitched a little on Cal's cheek, just the subtlest cue to come closer.

Cal hesitated. "James, you barely know me."

"And after eighteen months"- oh God, James was pulling him in- "that seems like a real shame, doesn't it?"

What better way to get back your lost "reading mojo" than to read a book by one of your favorite authors. I don't know how I got convinced that this will be Rolex' story, but it's not. This is story about Red Tie a.k.a James & Callum, the wealthy businessman and one of the regular customers in Market Garden & his naughty driver who apparently showed up in the 2nd book about Spencer and Nick -If It Fornicates (Market Garden Series, #4) - yes, the only book of these series that I still haven't read, because I wasn't that much into Nick & Spencer and I'm still not. The biggest reason for that is probably because them two are quite deep into the BDSM scene or to be exact- Dom/sadist feat. Sub/masochist and I'm not one of those hardcore BDSM fans, that's why these book are not one of my favs in the series.

James & Callum were a lighter version when it comes to BDSM, and yes, they were hot together, but still, they only made me more convinced that taking someone's orders in bedroom or out and me will probably never go along, lol. At the same time it was interesting to read for a change about something that's not usually on top of my list and find out more about bdsm. I would have probably liked the story more if  I didn't feel that James was cold and selfish asshole throughout the book and that the affection between them was mostly one-sided, mainly Cal's. I liked the story, but I just didn't feel that much of connection between them, so the ending in my opinion after everything that James put Cal through wasn't convincing. The thing that fans of the series will love is the reappearing of other Market Garden characters : Nick & Spencer and I must say even though their story isn't one of my favs, Nick turned out to be one of the most entertaining characters in this story. 

"How did you turn into a Dom?"

"I'm a sexual sadist. Born that way, I'm afraid, chains and all." Nick chuckled.

"Bad brain chemistry, something wrong during pregnancy, maybe I'm one step away from being a psychopath. As long as I don't do anything outside of consent- even though I'd be perfectly capable of it- I'm good."

Bottom line- this installment in the Market Garden series was again fun, emotional, provocative & way too hot, not among my favs, but I did like the story, and if you enjoyed Nick & Spencer's story, I have no doubt you'll love this one too!

XOXO

Adam's Apple By Liv Morris (Touch Of Tantra, #1)

Buy The Book:

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / SMASHWORDS

Author's Page:

Goodreads / Blog / Twitter

Genre:

Contemporary Romance

Summary On Goodreads:

***AN AMAZON TOP 100 BESTSELLER*** 

Uniquely told in Adam's point of view. Warning: Contains adult situations intended for readers eighteen and over.

Adam Kingsley reigns as the young prince of Manhattan. Everything he touches turns to gold, making him the envy of Wall Street. Women swoon at his feet, money is no object, and his killer good looks are as wicked as sin. A dangerous trifecta that allows him to possess anything or anyone he desires.

What more could a thirty-two-year-old man wish for? Maybe that his life never changes and his murky past stays far away... Sounds reasonable, yet life seldom is.

Kathryn Delcour is an alluring socialite with unique erotic tastes who helps others find true sexual fulfillment. When she suddenly appears on the New York City social scene, Adam finds this complex woman too tempting to resist. He will stop at nothing to have her, yet she is warned to stay away from him and his player ways. Kathryn tries to keep him at arm's length, but her arms may not be strong enough to hold the charismatic Adam Kingsley at bay.

The passionate lure of ancient sexual practices, a past that isn't content to remain buried and a present filled with intrigue, danger and revenge. An erotic story sweetened with secrets, seduction, and suspense.

RATING:

***REVIEW***

***Arc provided via Netgalley in exchange for honest review***

Again, I find myself seduced by the beautiful cover of the book that had potential, but didn't live up to my expectations. These gorgeous covers make me forget that I overgrew these type of stories long time ago. After the first couple of pages of reading I already knew that me and the main character of the story Adam Kingsley won't get along...at all. The main reason for that was that the guy in question is a big rich & famous man slut with every skirt in the town knowing the backside of his limousine. His "little" adventures and attitude annoyed and bored me throughout the whole book. I believe that people can change, but I didn't see any redeemable quality about him. I despise players and guys alike who think that they are God-given and that any woman should be lucky that they even talked to them and he was one of them.

"I take cocky, rich boys like you and teach them how to make love to women until they're barely able to mutter a word. Completely and utterly blissed. That's really what separates the men from the boys, Mr. Kingsley. Sex as an art form versus f**king for a release." - Kathryn.

In comparison to him, the main female character Kathryn was definitely more interesting and bearable. I liked her a lot at first, especially after she set straight our poor rich boy after they first met. She seemed like a strong & confident woman with a strong attitude, but even that image shattered soon enough and I was truly disappointed, but I still think that the author should have written the story from her POV and not Adam's. And the meaning behind tantric sex? Meeh, I'm sorry, but it bore me til' death. I read a lot of  erotic romances with way better sex scenes. This ones were just too plain in a sense: is it over yet?

The writing style was o.k., but the plot of the story wasn't anything spectacular or never seen before. The bottom line is that I expected a lot more from the story, some deeper meaning, but unfortunately, I didn't get it. I believe there will be a lot of readers out there who will enjoy this type of story, but it just wasn't for me.

XOXO

Scorpion (Memory Of Scorpions, #1) & Lying With Scorpions (Memory Of Scorpions, #2) by Aleksandr Voinov

Buy The Book:

AMAZON /  BARNES & NOBLE / RIPTIDE PUBLISHING

About The Author:

Goodreads / Blog / Twitter

Genre:

MM Fantasy/ Military

Summary On Goodreads:

You learn your wisest lessons from your enemies. Assuming, of course, you survive the encounter. 

Kendras is a casualty of war: injured, penniless, and quite possibly the last surviving member of the only family he's ever known—the elite fighting force known as the Scorpions. When a steel-eyed stranger offers him medicine and shelter in exchange for submission and a secret task, Kendras has no choice but to accept. He is a Scorpion; he’ll do whatever it takes to survive.

But his true goal is to rebuild the Scorpions. Neither Steel’s possessive nature nor Kendras’s shattered foot can keep him from finding the last of his brothers... or the mysterious leader of the Scorpions, a man who held Kendras’s heart long before Steel tried to take it for himself. The goal is simple, the situation anything but. To rescue his leader and escape from Steel for good, Kendras must fight through a morass of politics and intrigue, where enemies are allies and even allies have hidden agendas.

RATING:

***REVIEW***

Ever since Captive Prince,  I've been waiting for a good fantasy/ military MM book and I've finally found it. I've read a lot of books by A. Voinov since Dark Soul Series which were up til' this book my favorite by him, but this was frigging awesome!!!

"If you lie with scorpions, you’d better have a taste for poison."

Come & meet Scorpions- a small group of  deadly mercenaries/soldiers  for  hire  and one of their soldiers in rising- Kendras, an orphan and former slave saved and trained by  the very leader of Scorpions Adrastes a. k. a. The Officer. Scorpions are not your ordinary group of soldiers. They have existed for centuries and not anyone can become one of them. They are chosen from the mass by the Officer and even then they have to pass one final test in order to be accepted in the group, but once you're accepted, you become a Scorpion for life, nothing else can come first. The other soldiers from the group become your only family, both brothers & lovers, your everything. We meet Kendras when he's at the very bottom- alone, injured & penniless as a result of his last mercenary job he did with other Scorpions. For the first time in a long time he is all alone without the others, clueless whether anyone of them even survived the last battle, but then a stranger comes to him and offers him an offer which the desperate situation he found himself doesn't allow him to resist and so his journey begins.

“I'd meant to seduce him into my bed but he seduced me into his life.” 

Dark, edgy, brutal, intriguing, emotional & way-too-hot. There is romance in the story, but  it is more in the background and it's not your usual type of romance. It was a major mind-fuck with present and past events mixed giving it a certain dose of mystery and unpredictability and I loved that. You think you know something or someone, but then something major happens and you see how wrong you were. The story is complex and interesting with a lot of amazing characters. The writing style was flawless like always.


I highly recommend it to every MM fantasy fans, especially to the fans of movies like 300, The Gladiator or Spartacus.

“All men die, Kendras. Better get used to it. And then fight until the end, with every breath, every heartbeat, every single, last thought.”

Buy The Book:

AMAZON / RIPTIDE PUBLISHING / BARNES & NOBLE

Genre:

MM Fantasy/ Military

Summary On Goodreads:

If you lie with scorpions, you’d better have a taste for poison. 

Now that Kendras’s lover Adrastes has claimed the throne of Dalman, Kendras is tangled deeper than ever in politics and intrigue. As the new leader of the Scorpions and Adrastes’s one true friend, he and his men stand between Adrastes and those who wish him dead.

And many do. Adrastes openly challenges the ocean priesthood for power while establishing himself at court and brokering with the realm’s various factions. He means for the Scorpions to become a fearsome legion again, but Kendras must first learn how to be a good officer and recruit to replace the fallen. His choices will determine the future of a group steeped in hundreds of years of history and tradition.

As both Kendras and Adrastes settle old scores, a new enemy arises in Commander Graukar, a war hero loyal to the old order. In his formidable mountain fortress, Graukar may hold the balance of power. But while Adrastes aims to either rule or destroy Graukar, Kendras finds himself doubting Adrastes for the first time, and sharing more with Graukar than he ever thought possible.

RATING:

***REVIEW***

***ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for honest review***

"I'm  the Officer. I'm a Scorpion. I've accepted the contract to protect Lord Adrastes, but I'm not his slave.

I loved the the first book in the series, but in that case this one deserves 10 stars, because it surpassed all my expectations. I don't have words to explain the amazing fantasy world and characters the author has created. The book was simply  u.n.p.u.t.d.o.w.n.a.b.l.e.

Power is one seductive force, because once you experience her sweet flavor, it always leaves you hungry for more.   And being power-hungry can change people, but usually only for worse or does it finally show their true face? And yes, I'm looking at you our sweet-tongued, noble Adrastes. I don't know why, but I wasn't your biggest fan even in the 1st book and this development of the plot only shows that my instincts were right. And finally even Kendras begins to see it too that you're not worthy of the throne he put you on. Kendras, the new leader of Scorpions. Kendras, the leader game-changer who does something that none of the previous officers did and I loved him for that. Kendras, whose every next choice pulls him in the cruel world of politics and religion deeper and deeper. A lot of big things happen to Kendras in this book, some of them were good and some not so good.. One of the most important is the story behind his origin and appearing of new, life-changing characters into his world.

"Kendras.

Graukar lifted his eyebrow. "That's your name?"

"Yes." Kendras took another, deeper sip, feeling the spirit warm his body from the inside. " The Officer has no name. He serves his men, not his own honor."

Graukar took a sip from his cup. " Then I'll call you Kendras tonight. Go back to being officer tommorow."

The story was again dark, edgy, unpredictable, emotional and full of action. It was Aleksandr Voinov at his best. This is so far my favorite book by him and I can't wait for the next one. Again, all MM fantasy fans, especially fans of movies and shows like 300, The Gladiator, Games Of Thrones or Spartacus- what are you waiting for? Go and buy this book and prepare for one hell of a ride ;)!

"To take the measure of a man, watch not how he treats his friends, watch how he treats a conquered foe."

xoxo

Donners of the Dead by Karina Halle

Buy the book:

Amazon / Kobo / Indigo

Author's:

Website / Twitter / Goodreads

Book summary:

The year is 1851 and pioneers in search of California gold are still afraid to travel on the same route as the tragic Donner party did years before. When the last wagon train to go into the Sierra Nevada mountains fails to arrive at their destination, Eve Smith, an 18-year old half-native girl with immense tracking skills is brought along with the search party, headed by an enigmatic former Texas Ranger, Jake McGraw.

What they find deep in the dangerous snow-covered terrain is a terrifying consequence of cannibalism, giving new meaning to the term “monster.” While the search party is slowly picked off, one by one, Eve must learn to trust Jake, who harbors more than a few secrets of his own, in order to survive and prevent the monstrosities from reaching civilization.

My rating: 

3.5 stars

My review: 

Donners of the Dead was good. I was not blown away by the awesomeness like with other Karina Halle’s books, but this one was very good too.

Why I liked it, well this is a historical novel (but hey you, history haters, don’t give up on this yet), with some supernatural elements thrown in (zombies), horror (you will be creeped out) and of course, some steamy romance. 

Why I was particularly looking forward to this novel was because it was based on real events: Donner party was a group of real people who got stuck in Sierra Nevada in the 19th century and had to resort to cannibalism in order to survive. A history fan that I am, I found it fascinating. 

The main reason why I didn’t fully enjoy this book is probably because I had high expectations. And the book didn’t fully live up to those. I’m a huge Karina Halle fan and I think this book is not her best one. This is a standalone, fast paced books, and I guess I missed Karina’s traditional way of slowly revealing things to us, making us love her characters that are always a bit on the flawed side. Characters that you’d usually hate, but Karina makes you care for them. (That is why I loved The Artists Trilogy and EIT.)

So yeah, that didn’t really happen here. I did like Eve, she’s quite a likeable character. A half Native girl, not really accepted in a society, not even her own family. She’s strong, but not in that aggressive sense; and very clever, with survival instincts.

Jake, main male hero, on the other side, I did not find all that appealing. Sorry to say, but I don’t see attraction there. He’s your typical alpha male and let’s just say he’s not my type. I found him annoying and chauvinistic. 

So, I guess the main reason why this didn’t quite work for me is the romance part. Whereas I found the bits about cannibalism and the whole zombie thing fantastic, all the more because it was based on real facts, and it really adds the credibility. Halle works her magic once again to spook you out big time.

*ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.* 

xx,

Dirty Deeds (Dirty Deeds, #1) by S. E. Jakes

Buy The Book:

AMAZON / RIPTIDE PUBLISHING / B & N 

Author's Page:

Goodreads / Blog / Twitter

Genre:

MM ROMANCE / MILLITARY

Summary on Goodreads:

Two seasoned operatives finally meet their match: each other.

Cillian works for the mysterious Special Branch 20: an organization that runs black ops commissioned by the British government. His specialty is deep undercover assignments with virtually no support. He’s been alone for so long that he no longer knows anything else.

Mal’s also used to being alone. Wanted in several states and even more countries, he’s not allowed in the vicinity of any of his former Navy SEAL teammates. And his current assignment is to track Cillian in order to discover the spook’s endgame. Except he’s no longer sure which one of them is getting played.

Cillian isn’t about to let the mission that’s consumed him for the past several years crumble because an outsider is poking around where he doesn’t belong. But Mal forces his way through Cillian’s defenses—and into his heart—exposing a devastating betrayal that could destroy them both.

Rating:

***REVIEW***

Hi guys, WTHB team has been busy with real life (university, teaching, boyfriends, babies etc.), so we are taking it a bit slow with our blog, but no matter what- reading is still our No.1 favorite way of escaping reality, so we'll try to post from time to time if and when we find some free time. 

                                                                                                Miss you guys, xoxo

***Arc provided via Netgalley in exchange for honest review***

I recently read the 1st two books in Hell Or High Water Series by S. E. Jakes (which reminds me that I’ll have to write a review soon) and loved them. Those were my first reads by this author and they were more than satisfying, so when I saw that there was an ARC of her new book on Netgalley, I didn’t even read the synopsis of the book I just knew I had to have it. O.k., psst, I admit the mouthwatering cover had something to do with that, but damn- who can blame me, right?

Only a few pairs and groups of three lined the walls,entwined, and Cillian briefly considered joining a couple who were watching him as they jerked each other off. But then, a strong hand clamped down on his shoulders, a grip that would normally have him turning around to break the arm holding him. Except here it made him hard. Especially when the grip turned into a one-handed massage of Cillian's shoulder, then moved to caress the back of his neck before twisting into his hair enough to tilt his head to the side...

So imagine my surprise when I started reading and realized that this short novel (95 pages) is actually a spin-off of the Hell Or High Series featuring two of my second favorite characters Mal & Cillian. Two super hot & super bad-ass special agents involved in one major mind-fuck of an black operation- what more could a MM Military fan ask for *_*?! Oh boy, these two naughty boys were so hot together, especially their sex-ting!

What if I spoil you, Cillian?

And just how do you plan on doing that?

Any way I want to, I think I you'd like letting it be my choice.

I think you don't know me.

Bullshit I don't. I know I''d have you any I wanted you.
You're very confident.
You like that, right? Want someone who's confident enough

to just slam you  down and take you, just because they can?
Doesn't everyone have that fantasy every now and again?

And the ending!!!...It was epic! I didn't see that coming at all, but I love it and hate it at the same time. Love it, because it was awesome, hate it because I don't have the next book in the series in my hand right now. The author gave us just a glimpse of what's bound to happen in the future and I’m so excited and impatiently anticipating for their full length novel. I highly recommend it to everyone who enjoys MM Military books.

Btw. Big thanks to Riptide Publishing for always approving my ARC requests- I’ll be your loyal servant 4ever.

XOXO

Misbehaving by Tiffany Reisz

Buy the book:

 Amazon / Kobo / Barnes & Noble

Connect with the author:

 Website / Facebook /  Twitter / Goodreads

Book summary:

Wanted: Adventurous, open-minded man willing to try anything…

As a popular sex blogger, Beatriz gets paid to have orgasms. So being on deadline the week of her sister’s wedding isn’t as rough as it sounds. There’s just one hitch: Bea’s assignment is to write a review of a sex position manual, but she doesn’t have a plus one to play with.

The good news: Ben, the one who got away back in college, is also attending stag--and he's as temptingly gorgeous as ever.

The bad news: Ben turned down Bea’s offer of graduation night sex five years ago.

The best news: He’s not planning on making the same mistake twice.

*

A red-hot retelling of Much Ado About Nothing for people who love Shakespeare but thought his plays could use a few more sex scenes.

A Cosmo Red-Hot Read

Misbehaving on Goodreads  
 

 My rating:
4  entertaining stars

My review:

Tired of emotionally draining books that make you bawl your eyes out?
Looking for a light, sexy and funny read? 

 Well, look no further, cause this is fun!

I admit, I'm not Shakespeare's biggest fan. I probably have Much Ado About Nothing somewhere amongst my books; I just never had the desire to read it, but this is Shakespeare I could really get behind.

I liked Misbehaving for a few reasons. 
1. I'm a huge fan of the author's work. Her Original Sinners series is my favorite series ever, and although this is very different from it, being pretty vanilla and all, I still enjoyed it very much. It's got Tiffany written all over it.
2. Since this is a novella, there isn't much written about the characters, but what I did read was enough for me to like them.
3. It's full of sexy humor. I wasn't just once that I laughed out loud at something these characters said.
4. It's short. I usually prefer long books, but when there's a lack of free time, short is good.
5. Oh, and there's a mention of one of my dear Sinners.


Beatriz is a kick-ass female  lead. She's smart, witty, open, independent, confident, and reminds me a lot of Nora (you know who I'm talking about, don't you?), and she has the solution for making the world a better place, which surprisingly is a lot similar to Barney Stinson's theory about world peace. 
Not only is Bea awesome, but she also has the best job in the world. She basically gets paid to have orgasms. I mean, really, where do I sign up? Her latest assignment: to write a book review for The Manual, a book about sexual positions, and to do that she needs a partner who she can try those positions with.

Enter Ben, a ghost from the past. Ben is a sweet, funny guy, who fusses a lot about some minor details like what he's wearing, but he's adorable when he does that. He and Bea have some history together, and some unresolved issues. He is also the best candidate to be Bea's partner.

You just know it's gonna be interesting. And it was. It was also hilarious. Those two just cracked me up.

Since all of this was happening just before Bea's foster sister's and Ben's best friend's wedding, there were lots of situations with the bride and groom to be that added to the funny, especially the groom.


This really was a perfect read to take a break from all the angst.


Still not sure whether or not to read it?

Here's an excerpt.

I hope anyone who reads it has as much fun as I did.

XOXO

 

The Dumont Diaries by Alessandra Torre

Buy the book:

 Amazon / Kobo / Barnes & Noble

Connect with the author:

 Website / Facebook /  Twitter / Goodreads

Book summary:

Lust is a dangerous thing. It can make you believe things that are not real. It can seduce your mind and lead it blindfolded to the cliff that will be its demise.


What would you do if you could leave your life? Wake up one day and be someone else?

I signed the contract. I left Candace Tapers and her slutty, strip club life behind, abandoned every part of that life with one hesitant swipe of my pen.

The agreement was clear:
1. Sex
2. Photo ops
3. No romance

"I need a wife. I am not signing up for romance, or affection, or a full time job. I will not love you. I will have no use for you other than sex and photo ops."

Sex with Nathan was easy. More than easy. Panty-melting, can-never-get-enough HOT. I had begun to think that I could live this new life, showered in luxuries, orgasms, and diamonds.

Then I started tripping over secrets.

The Dumont Diaries on Goodreads  

 My rating: 

4,5 stars

My review or "How Alessandra Torre blew my mind again"

The first book by Alessandra Torre I read was Sex Love Repeat. You probably read it or heard about it. It’s the one about the woman who’s in a relationship with two men who know about each other. Well, there’s no need to say that there were quite a few flabbergasting situations in that book, and that nothing happened the way I expected it to happen. That’s one of the things that Sex Love Repeat and The Dumont Diaries have in common. Honestly, my jaw dropped so many times I had a hard time picking it up. But, I’ll get to that.

The Dumont Diaries was originally a miniseries consisting of four novellas: To Have, To Hold, Till Death, and Do Us Part, and then it was combined and published as one novel. You can find it in both versions. Novellas one and three are free, so if you aren’t sure, you can get those and see if you like it. But the real stuff begins in the second novella, reaches its peak in the third, and gets resolved in the last one.

The main characters are an unusual match. 

The heroine, Candace, is a stripper. That's not something she likes to do, but it helps pay the bills. Barely. She can’t even afford to visit her sick father. So it’s always a good night when the hero comes to the club.

And the hero, Nathan or BlueEyes, is rich. How rich? Who knows? But that's all we know about him at the beginning – that he has money. You see, he comes into the club where Candace or Candy works from time to time, and every time asks for her to perform for him privately. And every time he leaves her a generous tip. But this time that he comes, he wants more. A lot more.

That’s how the real story begins.

At the end of the first part I was curious as to what would happen to them, but I also had an idea about what that might be. A marriage of convenience is something I’ve read about before. But boy, was I wrong! Those twists that happened in parts two and three made my head spin. And I love when a book surprises me. Predictable plots are not something I’m a fan of.

My feelings towards Candace didn’t change much throughout the book. I liked her. And I also felt sorry for her. Because of Nathan. He played with my feelings. I had a lot of different opinions about him. Most of them weren’t at all favorable. To be perfectly honest, for the most part I wanted to kick his ass. Because of Candace and how he treated her.

„I owe you my happiness. I don’t think a more heartbreaking sentence has ever been said.“

Now, as much as I loved how the plot progressed, I did feel that the ending should have been longer. I wish that what happened was better explained. That ending is the reason I subtracted ½ a star from my rating. I just needed more from them. After everything else was so beautifully written and the plot developed, the ending felt rushed. But, still, this was a miniseries that I very much enjoyed. I loved reading it. The author really has a way of describing even the simplest things and making them special. And after this and Sex Love Repeat I want to read the rest of the author’s books.

P.S. Did I mention that the book has a lot of very, very hot scenes? No? Well, it does. In case you were wondering.

XOXO