Way Too Hot Books

Mar 20, 2016

ARC REVIEW: Tell Me Something True (Truth In Lies, #3) By Katherine Owen

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy The Book:B&N AMAZON KOBO
Connect With The Author:

Synopsis On GR:

Tell Me Something True is the third book in the Truth In Lies series and cannot be read as a standalone. Please read This Much Is True and The Truth About Air & Water, books 1 and 2 in the Truth In Lies Series, first.

TELL ME SOMETHING TRUE
The star ballerina finally marries the major league baseball player and the truth about Linc and Tally—his being her air and she being his water—becomes clear after the couple finally realize that their love is all that matters.

But that was the first day. The day they said, “I do." The day the demons seemed to leave them alone, at least, for a little while.
Nevertheless, there were other days, when all the lies of the past and their ways of coping with their fears caught up to them.

And, this is that story.

"If you believe in fairy tales and happy endings,
and you want to stop right here and bask in the wonderment and joy of it all, please do.
If you want to know the rest of our story,
you need to take a deep breath
and tell yourself that everything will be okay,
that everything works out,
and life happens,
and in the end
love is all you need.
Someone has to tell you these things,
just like someone had to tell me.
All I know is that the truth never dies,
and it does set you free, whether you want it to or not.
And in the end? All you have is love.
Love is all there is."
~ Talia Landon Presley

Author’s note: Tell Me Something True CANNOT be read as a standalone novel. There are two books in the Truth In Lies Series before this one. Those books are: This Much Is True, Book 1 - Truth In Lies and The Truth About Air & Water, Book 2 - Truth In Lies.

READ those two novels first and then read this one.

Truth In Lies Series Order:
This Much Is True
The Truth About Air & Water
Tell Me Something True

BUY the Truth In Lies Series that many readers say they just can't put down once they start reading! Enjoy!

Something for you! Are you a fan of Katherine Owen’s books or would you like to be? To hear first about Owen’s latest new releases, sign up for her newsletter and get a free ebook of Seeing Julia for doing so. Keep up to date on Owen's novel release dates and other news, sign up for her newsletter http://eepurl.com/benyOD or stop by her websites: www.katherineowen.net or www.katherineowenauthor.com

REVIEW

That feeling when you are writing a review about one of your favorite new adult series...and it's a negative one. *sad sigh* That's why I'll keep it short. First of all I want to say that I pretty much devoured the first two books of Truth In Lies series, but unfortunately I did not like this one at all.

The reasons for my rating:

1. the never ending melodrama and overload of angst
2. cheesy content
3. disappointing behavior of the MCs

The only thing I liked about this book is the writing style, but as far as I've seen and read the reviews of other fans of the series I'm definitely in the minority, so as always- the only way to form your own opinion is to read the books yourself.

Check out my reviews of other books in the Truth In Lies series and the interview with the author:

xoxo,

Purple

Mar 17, 2016

ARC REVIEW: Beta Test (#gaymers, #2) By Annabeth Albert

Expected publication: May 30th 2016 by Carina Press

Genre: MM Contemporary Romance

Buy The Book: KOBO B & N AMAZON

Connect With The Author: Twitter Website GR

Synopsis On GR:

Ravi Tandel is ahead of the game. He’s a top video game developer and he just got asked to present a top-secret project at a huge gaming conference in Seattle. All systems are a go…until he learns his office nemesis is coming along for the ride. Player vs. Player. Fight!

Newly minted MBA Tristan Jones doesn’t seem like the gaming type but he knows the business inside-out. Together, they’ll give an awesome presentation – they just have to survive the cross-country trip. Ravi’s opinion of Tristan is rebooted when he discovers a softer side to the conservative charmer and a new tension builds between them.

Despite their best efforts to keep it casual, things heat up quickly. Tristan is hiding his true self for fear of what his parents might think. Ravi knows that feeling all too well, but he didn’t disconnect from his family years ago only to hide who he is now. To be together, Tristan has to push past his fear and ultimately decide, does he want a future with Ravi? Or is it game over?

Book Two of the #gaymers series.

REVIEW

I haven't read the 1st book of the #gaymers series yet or anything by this author until this book, so this arc was one of those spur of the moment decisions, but once I started I could not stop. Fast-paced, fun, steamy and emotional hate-to-love story with endearing, down to earth characters.

At first glance Tristan & Ravi couldn't be more different from each other. Ravi, the top video game developer and artist, the charmer, flamboyant and center of every party. Everybody wants to be his friend or lover. Well, with the exception of his co-worker Tristan who is more of an introvert and workaholic with poor social skills and low self-esteem. At the beginning of the story all the guys want is to spend not more than necessary in each other's company, but soon enough they'll be forced by work to set on a cross-country journey when they'll discover that there's more than meets the eye in both cases.

Oh, what a lovely and heartfelt story this was! I loved the potrayal of the MCs who were the type of characters you can relate to, with both virtues and flaws and they completed each other wonderfully. I've been missing out. Must read more of this series ASAP! Highly recommended to every mm romance reader fan who wants a story and characters with depth.

RATING: 4/5 stars

xoxo,

Purple

Mar 9, 2016

ARC Review: CONVINCING THE SECRETARY (London Legal, #3) by Ava March

Summary:

Business and pleasure is a mix no gentleman should consider.

Lord Grayson Holloway goes after what he wants—be it in the law office on his clients’ behalf or in the bedchamber. His new position as partner puts him closer to achieving his goal of becoming the most successful solicitor in London. There’s just one problem—his new secretary. Broad of shoulder yet mild of manner, Edward tempts Gray like no other. Yet the young man barely notices him.

Edward Fenton tries to be a good secretary, but being in Lord Grayson’s hard, commanding presence rouses Edward’s most forbidden desires. Wicked, naughty desires no gentleman should consider giving in to, let alone with his new employer.

Gray is more than willing to mix business with pleasure. But convincing Edward to take a chance on a future with him? That might be the most challenging case Gray has ever taken on.

Warning: Includes buttoned-up gentlemen who become undone, improper use of a desk, spankings, and a big bad lord who has a soft spot for his virgin secretary.

Connect with the author:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Review:

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Convincing the Secretary is a historical, slightly kinky M/M romance novella, which makes it a type of story I'd gladly read any day. I chose it because I have become a huge M/M historical romance fan thanks to books by K.J. Charles, and would like to find more good ones. This was also a chance to try something by Ava March, which I'd been meaning to do for a while. The fact that the main characters turned out to be a bit kinky was a very welcome bonus.

This being my first Ava March book ever, it goes without saying I haven't read the previous installments in the London Legal series, therefore I can't say how much, if anything, had already been said about Edward and Gray, the main characters in Convincing the Secretary. What I can say is that this story worked very well on its own, as I never felt I had missed some crucial detail about them while I was reading. Quite the opposite. Even though this is a novella, there was enough about Gray's and Edward's characteristics and their backgrounds to make me invested in their story of finding happiness.

And their story gave me all the right feels. From the anticipation of the start of their romance at the beginning, after both Gray and Edward had spent some time wanting each other and not acting on it believing the other didn't reciprocate the feeling... To them getting to know each other... To the giving into what they wished for, which for Edward meant being punished by Gray, making it all the more interesting to me... Then to the heartache that came from assumptions that came between them. That's the part where I became worried about where it would all lead, but I needn't have. It led to a satisfactory resolution, and a lovely happy ending.

All in all, an enjoyable novella, and a successful first read by this author. I look forward to reading more in the future.

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

Until next time, happy reading!

XOXO,

Mar 5, 2016

REVIEW: One Step Too Close: Coffin Nails MC Louisiana (Sex & Mayhem #6) by K.A. Merikan

Genre: MM Romance/ Contemporary / Crime
Buy The Book: AMAZON
Connect With The Author:

Goodreads / Twitter / Website

Synopsis On GR:

--- One love. One motorcycle club. Two stepbrothers. ---

Ryder. Controlling. Ambitious. Protective.
Jed. Self-destructive. Trapped. Lonely.
Their love? Forbidden. Taboo. All-consuming.

For Jed, the Coffin Nails Motorcycle Club is family. With them, he learned how to think, what to enjoy, and how to fight, but there is one thing he knows his friends can’t find out about. They would never accept him as gay, and so his life is a constant struggle with desires that fill him with despair. Only there is a much darker secret lurking in Jed’s heart. His feelings for his stepbrother, Ryder, go far beyond brotherly. Trapped with a yearning that can never be fulfilled, Jed spirals out of control and unwillingly puts the love of his life in danger.

Ryder is climbing up the ranks. Recently promoted to sergeant-at-arms, he has it all: drive, respect, and the love of his biker family. When his stepbrother gets into trouble with the law, Ryder decides to take the blame and save him from a long sentence. Deep inside, he knows there is nothing he wouldn’t do for Jed, but through a desperate attempt to suppress his own hidden desires, he might irreversibly break the man he secretly loves.

But finding out what they feel for each other will test their loyalty to the Coffin Nails MC and change their lives forever.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS:
Themes: Outlaw motorcycle club, criminal activity, forbidden love, stepbrothers, blackmail, homophobia
Genre: M/M dark romance, suspense, drama
Length: 135,000 words STANDALONE novel
WARNING: Adult content that might be considered taboo. Explicit sexual content, strong language, violence. Reader discretion advised.

REVIEW

Ueber-hot bikers with bodies covered in muscles and tattoos and piercings on the most interesting (read: sexy) parts involved in the criminal and dark side of the gangsta world, in the middle of which is one turbulent, all-consuming and forbidden love- love between two stepbrothers.

Oh boy...I know that stepbrother-stepsister romances are currently one of the hit romances in the readers' world, but somehow they never appealed that much to me, but after reading One Step Too Close by K. A. Merikan I guess stepbrother-stepbrother romance most certainly does. Yup, I'm a perv that way and I have no shame. :P Btw. I don't get why people consider this type of romances taboo. It's not as if the persons involved are blood related. Okay, it does sounds creepy if they are raised together since they were babies which wasn't the case when it comes to this book, so while I run the other way from incestual romances, I had no problems with this one. In fact, I really , really liked it.

Action-packed, gripping, suspenseful, deeply emotional and smoking hot with a little dose of forbidden. The best part of this book for me was definitely the romance and the two bikers it revolved around- the strong, responsible and controlling Ryder and the fun, broken and self-destructive troublemaker Jed, while I wasn't that much interested in the occasional biker crime world drama. Probably, because I haven't read the previous books of the series yet, but I definitely plan to.

Therefore- 3.5 stars! I definitely need more stepbrother-stepbrother romances in my life, so feel free to recommend. Recommended to fans of dark romances!

RATING: 3.5 stars/5 stars

xoxo,

Purple

Mar 4, 2016

ARC Review: NOT SAFE FOR WORK by L.A. Witt

Summary:

They’re a match made in the dungeon…until their secret gets out.

Bored senseless in a meeting, architectural modeler Jon McNeill amuses himself with a kinky dating app on his phone. Then the app matches him with another user…who’s six feet away. Suddenly Jon finds himself on the same page as someone way above his pay grade: millionaire property developer Rick Pierce. His firm’s biggest—and hottest—client.

The app isn’t kidding either. They’re a perfect match. Jon’s a Dom, Rick’s a sub, and bondage is their thing. Both guys are well into their forties, know their way around the bedroom, and definitely appreciate a good suit. And the best part? They’re a match outside the bedroom too.

But office relationships aren’t easy to keep a secret. When the truth comes out, Jon is certain he’s about to get fired. Instead, his bosses throw him a curve ball—an ultimatum that puts both his job and his relationship in jeopardy.

Warning: Contains literal and figurative sex machines, blindfolds, a sub being punished during a business meeting, enough rope to tangle up a millionaire, and a Golden Girls marathon.

Connect with the author:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Review:

Rating: 2.5 stars.

It was okay.

This book and I, we weren't on the best of terms for a long time. Odd, considering M/M + kink = my favorite combination, and that so far if there was anything I could count on in L.A. Witt's books is that they would be hot. This one failed to meet my great expectations.

The story didn't have a fan in me for several reasons.

Its plot is perfectly described in the blurb, so no need to repeat it. I will say the part about kink was the one that made my finger click on that Request button on NetGalley. I found it interesting the main characters would connect through a kinky dating app, and in a meeting no less. It said they were a match made in the dungeon, and I wished to know more. Unfortunately, it was Jon & Rick's D/s relationship with their kinky games I found underwhelming, and that is the last thing I'd want to feel about kinky games. As it was, Jon & Rick played light. Fans of glitterkink would probably enjoy this more. As for me, it was much lighter BDSM than I'd have preferred. I keep thinking that perhaps I would've liked it more had the story had Rick's POV because he was the submissive in their relationship. I'll never know as Jon's was the only perspective I got to read.

That brings me to the issues I had with Jon's POV. For one, I would've edited out quite a few of his thoughts, including those preceding his nights with Rick. He would go on and on about the endless possibilities of what he could do to Rick, and then actually not do much. After he started seeing Rick his life was mostly work and Rick, and the work part... well, I didn't need so much of it. He pretty much hated his job, and to read about it over and over again wasn't fun. Also not fun: every time Rick would do something Jon didn't tell him to do, or took charge even a little, Jon would call him out on it. It made me mad, and it made me wish they were vanilla. I think that would've been fun, and hot, so, so hot.

My major issue with this book was its length, as in I wished it was much shorter. As to why, I believe it's clear from what I've said so far.

That said, it was thanks to those many pages that at some point towards the end, I started to get into the book. This turned out to be a story that slowly and unexpectedly grew on me. All those things that had annoyed me (as listed above) didn't annoy me anymore. I began to root for Jon to find his happy ending, and that was the only thing that mattered.

In conclusion, even with all those issues I had with it, reading Not Safe for Work wasn't a total bust as I had started to think it would be. We parted ways on a sweet note. So, yay!

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

Until next time, happy reading!

XOXO,

Mar 3, 2016

REVIEW: Feverborn (Fever, #8) By K. M. Moning

Genre: Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Romance
Buy The Book: B & N KOBO AMAZON

Connect With The Author:

Goodreads / Blog / Twitter

Synopsis On GR:

In Karen Marie Moning’s latest installment of the epic #1 New York Times bestselling Fever series, the stakes have never been higher and the chemistry has never been hotter. Hurtling us into a realm of labyrinthine intrigue and consummate seduction, FEVERBORN is a riveting tale of ancient evil, lust, betrayal, forgiveness and the redemptive power of love.

When the immortal race of the Fae destroyed the ancient wall dividing the worlds of Man and Faery, the very fabric of the universe was damaged and now Earth is vanishing bit by bit. Only the long-lost Song of Making—a haunting, dangerous melody that is the source of all life itself—can save the planet.

But those who seek the mythic Song—Mac, Barrons, Ryodan and Jada—must contend with old wounds and new enemies, passions that burn hot and hunger for vengeance that runs deep. The challenges are many: The Keltar at war with nine immortals who’ve secretly ruled Dublin for eons, Mac and Jada hunted by the masses, the Seelie queen nowhere to be found, and the most powerful Unseelie prince in all creation determined to rule both Fae and Man. Now the task of solving the ancient riddle of the Song of Making falls to a band of deadly warriors divided among—and within—themselves.

REVIEW

“I want to be Jericho Barrons when I grow up.”

I had this book, which is one of my most expected reads of 2016, for more than a month before real life finally gave me some break to be able to read it properly. During that time I've noticed on GR that once again Fever's newest intallment provoked some mixed reactions, this time maybe more than ever, but I stayed away from potential spoilerish reviews until I finished the book.

To be honest, after the previous book- Burned, #7, I was pretty confused by some of the negative reviews, because I thought the book was pretty awesome, but this time, despite my rating, I can understand to some extent the readers who were disappointed by it. The biggest flaws of this book and things which prevented me from rating it 5 stars are the occasional info dump the author put us through and Mac's inner monologues which tended to become quite annoying from time to time. Other than that I have no bigger complaints. Ok, Mac' s libido was a little out of control too, but hey- as long as it includes Jerricho Barrons I'm more than okay with it. ;)

My favorite parts of the book:

- I want to be Jerricho Barrons when I grow up

- Jada/Dani vs. Ryodan

- Alina situation

- And the ending? It was epic, but damn Moning and her damn cliffhangers!

This is the 8th installment in the series and Moning pretty much spoiled us with the flawlessness of her fantasy world and writing. I agree that this installment wasn't on the same level as her other books, probably the weakest in the series, but still it remains one of my favorite urban series out there and it will be pretty hard to dethrone it. 4 shaky stars! Btw. considering how the things ended the next one has the potential to be epic.

RATING: 4 /5 stars

* Check out my other reviews of the Fever series:

Iced (Fever, #6) / Burned (Fever, #7)

xoxo,

Purple

Mar 2, 2016

Spotlight Tour & Giveaway: Lipstick and Camouflage by Frances Stockton

Lipstick and Camouflage (Brandt’s Dozen, Book One)

by Frances Stockton

Security specialist Travis Blake’s undercover assignment should be easy. The former Navy SEAL has to protect Cassidy O'Neal from an elusive assassin. Yet, nothing about this case is simple.

For Cassidy, it’s easier to believe in ghosts than to think she’s in danger. Despite a series of unusual happenings around her apartment that make her feel uneasy, she has no idea her hot new neighbor is far more than he seems.

What starts off as simple flirtation quickly turns passionate. But, as danger intensifies, more than just their hearts are on the line.

Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/1LMyqfb

B&N Link: http://goo.gl/o5Ksjk

Kobo: https://goo.gl/LUAvCt

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1078137710

Scribd: https://goo.gl/3HOowD

Maybe Justin was the reason she was so jumpy lately. He’d not exactly left that night with a smile and she’d wondered if he’d come back and try again.

Or, maybe it was something else, something unexplained. Ever since she’d gone to Salem and took Mike Smith’s place as the lead cameraman in a ghost hunt, something had been off kilter about her apartment and the building itself. Granted, they’d caught some amazing EVPs that night, but the experienced investigators in her group, Jerome and Sam, concluded what they’d caught on audio was residual and non-threatening.

If it wasn’t Justin Myers or a ghost, maybe it was that surveyor who’d staked out the neighborhood. He’d claimed to be doing a favor for a friend looking to move into the area and open a new business. She hadn’t believed him. That man had an aura about him that was mysterious and dark, maybe dangerous. She’d run him off, and as far as she knew, he’d not returned.

Frustrated, she snapped her book closed and set it aside, going over to check the last load of laundry for the day. Being Friday, she’d worked a half day and had plans to do laundry, eat rocky road ice cream for dinner, and continue reading Edmond’s tale of revenge, justice, and romance until he skewed his best friend with a sword.

Okay, she’d read the book a couple of times. Next week, she’d open up The Three Musketeers and have four book boyfriends, though her personal favorite was Aramis.

Yeah, like anything that exciting would happen to her, but one could dream a tale of fiction even if her day job wasn’t exactly the same as a French sailor’s false imprisonment or Musketeers saving a king from a treacherous cardinal.

Taking a moment to switch up her music, she chose her classic rock playlist and increased the volume, singing, well, mostly humming until her favorite line, “We were making it,” came out loud and clear.

As if it mattered how badly she was singing while pulling bras and panties out of the dryer and tossing them into the hip-hugging basket on the floor beneath the machine.

Slamming the dryer door home and picking up her basket, she turned to go back to where she’d been sitting when movement caught her eye. Whipping around, she saw a tall, impressively built man standing in the doorway, as if he’d stepped right out of the pages of one of her novels.

A heartbeat later, he came toward her, proving he was no figment of her active imagination and seeming to get bigger with every step. Unsure what to do, Cassidy threw her basket at him and rushed for the door, getting less than two feet before her bare foot caught his boot and she went tumbling.

My love for storytelling began in kindergarten when I created my first fictional characters. Though I’d given them simple nicknames, I’d convinced my family that Red Henry and Green Henry were identical twin brothers in my elementary school.

They were mischievous, rarely did their homework, had trouble with math and spelling, experienced heartbreaking losses, and yes, they even had girlfriends!

It wasn’t until the Henry twins mysteriously moved to a different state that my family realized that they were entirely fictitious and my mother suggested I write the stories down.

A few years later, I began to write, completing my first manuscript at age thirteen. I confess the heroine was a cross between Nancy Drew and a contemporary Laura Ingalls Wilder, who happened to be dating one of the Hardy Boys. But when I’d written ‘the end’ on the very last page, I’d known I had more stories to tell. Of course life intervened, but whether I was in high school, becoming part of a local theater and dance company, working as a Veterinary Technician, earning a degree in History and Secondary Education, or teaching, I was always writing and reading romances.

Finally, I met and married the love of my life and moved from Maryland to Massachusetts in 2001. Shortly after, I proudly joined Romance Writers of America and the New England Chapter, and I’ve been writing faithfully ever since.